really have to go?”
“Tori is sort of our landlord. Sorry,” he said as he pried her fingers off his arm. “Thanks for coming.”
“Are you guys playing anywhere tomorrow night?”
“Not this weekend,” Lucas said. He took the coat that Collin offered him and helped Amber to put it on. “Guess I’ll see you at Rusty’s next week?”
“Sure,” she smiled. She kissed his cheek, grabbed Holly, and marched out the door.
I fumed through the entire exchange, wanting to yank every single hair out of her head, one at a time. Bailey distracted me when she appeared in front of my eyes, her fingers entwined with Spencer’s. “I’ll see you two ladies tomorrow.” She waved and left with Spencer. I glanced, wide-eyed at Morgan, and laughed.
Morgan sighed. “Guess I get the room to myself tonight.” She pecked my cheek. “See you in the morning”
I walked out with her in time to see Amber’s car speed off into the night, Spencer and Bailey not far behind. Morgan backed out of the drive, honked, and disappeared.
“Tori - Irelyn,” Collin said.
With a bright smile, the other girl shook my hand. “Nice to meet you. I’ve already heard about you.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” I said. “Um, do you live upstairs?”
“Yeah. My dad owns the house. He rents the upstairs to me and the downstairs to the boys.” She grinned at me. “Collin asked me to play irritated landlord and get rid of all the people.”
“I owe you, bro,” Lucas said as he bumped fists with Collin.
“Yeah, you’re racking up quite the tab,” he jested. He tossed an arm around Tori. “I’m crashing in your spare room, darling. I don’t want to be front row to that,” he said, pointing at us.
My heart lifted and I laughed as they headed up the stairs. Lucas guided me into the apartment and straight to his bedroom.
Chapter 8
I helped my mother clean the house and perform chores to avoid the boredom that was settling in around me. I was officially on Thanksgiving break and had a week free from school. Morgan and Bailey had returned to their families but had each called me several times.
Dustin was home, too, and had taken me out every night. We’d attended the theater, ate at expensive restaurants, and gone to the movies. The pensive mood that had haunted him the last time we’d been together was gone only to be replaced with giddiness. I finally found out the source the night before Thanksgiving as we left a party at his parents’ house.
“So, Irelyn,” he said, practically bursting.
“Yes?” I asked as I slipped my hand in his. “What?”
Kissing the back of my hand, he winked at me. “I booked us a room at The Tranquil Inn this weekend. I thought we needed a little alone time.”
I sucked in a breath that drew his attention from the road. “Oh.”
“Oh?” he said. “I thought you’d be thrilled.”
“I am, but, what am I going to tell my mother?” I asked.
Laughing, he squeezed my hand as he raced through the streets toward my house. “You know your mother won’t care. She can hardly forbid you to go when she was having sex when she was sixteen,” he said. I didn’t really care for the way he spoke about her even if it was true. “Besides, we’re both adults.”
“I know,” I said as I slipped my hand out of his to rub my forehead. “I’ll talk to her. You’re right, we do need some alone time.”
His already good mood was buoyed by my words and when he dropped me off, he kissed me with such fervor that I was still gasping for breath when I entered the house. Who knew Dustin could be so passionate?
Mom was sitting at the kitchen table going over bills so I sat across from her, hoping to bring the subject up right away before I chickened out. True, I was an adult and perfectly able to spend a weekend with my boyfriend if I wanted, but it would make my life that much easier if my mother didn’t freak out about it.
“Did you and Dustin have a nice time?” she asked as her eyes
“Tori is sort of our landlord. Sorry,” he said as he pried her fingers off his arm. “Thanks for coming.”
“Are you guys playing anywhere tomorrow night?”
“Not this weekend,” Lucas said. He took the coat that Collin offered him and helped Amber to put it on. “Guess I’ll see you at Rusty’s next week?”
“Sure,” she smiled. She kissed his cheek, grabbed Holly, and marched out the door.
I fumed through the entire exchange, wanting to yank every single hair out of her head, one at a time. Bailey distracted me when she appeared in front of my eyes, her fingers entwined with Spencer’s. “I’ll see you two ladies tomorrow.” She waved and left with Spencer. I glanced, wide-eyed at Morgan, and laughed.
Morgan sighed. “Guess I get the room to myself tonight.” She pecked my cheek. “See you in the morning”
I walked out with her in time to see Amber’s car speed off into the night, Spencer and Bailey not far behind. Morgan backed out of the drive, honked, and disappeared.
“Tori - Irelyn,” Collin said.
With a bright smile, the other girl shook my hand. “Nice to meet you. I’ve already heard about you.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” I said. “Um, do you live upstairs?”
“Yeah. My dad owns the house. He rents the upstairs to me and the downstairs to the boys.” She grinned at me. “Collin asked me to play irritated landlord and get rid of all the people.”
“I owe you, bro,” Lucas said as he bumped fists with Collin.
“Yeah, you’re racking up quite the tab,” he jested. He tossed an arm around Tori. “I’m crashing in your spare room, darling. I don’t want to be front row to that,” he said, pointing at us.
My heart lifted and I laughed as they headed up the stairs. Lucas guided me into the apartment and straight to his bedroom.
Chapter 8
I helped my mother clean the house and perform chores to avoid the boredom that was settling in around me. I was officially on Thanksgiving break and had a week free from school. Morgan and Bailey had returned to their families but had each called me several times.
Dustin was home, too, and had taken me out every night. We’d attended the theater, ate at expensive restaurants, and gone to the movies. The pensive mood that had haunted him the last time we’d been together was gone only to be replaced with giddiness. I finally found out the source the night before Thanksgiving as we left a party at his parents’ house.
“So, Irelyn,” he said, practically bursting.
“Yes?” I asked as I slipped my hand in his. “What?”
Kissing the back of my hand, he winked at me. “I booked us a room at The Tranquil Inn this weekend. I thought we needed a little alone time.”
I sucked in a breath that drew his attention from the road. “Oh.”
“Oh?” he said. “I thought you’d be thrilled.”
“I am, but, what am I going to tell my mother?” I asked.
Laughing, he squeezed my hand as he raced through the streets toward my house. “You know your mother won’t care. She can hardly forbid you to go when she was having sex when she was sixteen,” he said. I didn’t really care for the way he spoke about her even if it was true. “Besides, we’re both adults.”
“I know,” I said as I slipped my hand out of his to rub my forehead. “I’ll talk to her. You’re right, we do need some alone time.”
His already good mood was buoyed by my words and when he dropped me off, he kissed me with such fervor that I was still gasping for breath when I entered the house. Who knew Dustin could be so passionate?
Mom was sitting at the kitchen table going over bills so I sat across from her, hoping to bring the subject up right away before I chickened out. True, I was an adult and perfectly able to spend a weekend with my boyfriend if I wanted, but it would make my life that much easier if my mother didn’t freak out about it.
“Did you and Dustin have a nice time?” she asked as her eyes
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