AllFreeNovel
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“So they just tried to buy you off?” I nod. “Does Kalum know?”
I shrug. “I’m not sure. He was playing an away game, and they said he had plans after. I didn’t want to stay longer than I should.”
His eyes soften. “Are you hungry?”
“No. I don’t have much of an appetite right now.”
He pays the bill before I get the chance to place the money over the check on the table.
“Please, put that away,” he says.
“Are you taking me to the hotel now?” I ask, sliding the money back in my wallet.
He stands and looks down at me. “No. I’m taking you to my house.”
My eyes widen, and I shake my head. “I can’t impose on you like that.”
“I’m hardly there. I’m too busy on my latest build at the shop. It’s no trouble. I’ll take you to school in the morning. No exceptions.”
I nod. “Okay. I’ll figure something out as soon as I can.”
“Take as long as you need, Aura. Friends look out for each other. My sister will be breathing down my neck when she finds out tomorrow. There is no way I could leave you at a hotel.”
His house is big. It is a one story not far from his shop. Not overly flashy but expensive. There are hardwood floors throughout with white couches and cream-colored walls. It’s simple and modern. He has numerous awards for building cars and racing along a single wall. Pictures with different cars on the track.
“This is all you?” I point.
He stands with his hands in his pockets. “Yeah. It is all I ever wanted to do. There is nothing more important to me than my next build. My next creation. It’s a passion that lives inside me. It feeds me and keeps me feeling alive. Nothing else matters… I feel… free.”
“How about having a family of your own?” I ask.
He shrugs.“Never thought that far. How about you? What do you have a passion for?”
“I love creating bracelets. I wanted to have my own store one day.”
“They’re beautiful and different. They look authentic and well made.”
He pulls his sleeve up. He is wearing the one he bought from me. I want to tell him I don’t want to attend school tomorrow. I’d rather not run into Kalum and the rest of the snobs at school.
“I’m glad you like it.” I clear my throat. “I want to skip school tomorrow.”
“I can’t let you do that. School is important.”
“It’s my birthday,” I counter, not wanting to tell him the real reason.
“Oh.” He pauses. “Like right now?”
I sigh and give him a smile. “Yeah, like right now.”
“O-okay, that means it’s a long weekend for you. Got it.”
He walks past me to the hallway that leads to his bedroom. He turns his head and says, “Follow me.”
He opens the door to a massive master bedroom. I follow him inside and grin because his bed is unmade, and he has a pile of dirty clothes in the corner. His room is not dirty but messy. A person who wakes up in the morning, gets dressed, and runs out in the morning.
He runs a hand behind his neck. “I know it’s a mess, but I have a lady who comes once a week to help me clean. Like I said, I’m never home. I would tell you to use the spare room, but all the other rooms are empty,” he rushes out. “No one comes here, and when I visit my parents and my sister, I stay over at their house in my old room.”
I place my hand over his arm. “Lane?”
