youngest of the group, barely out of high school if even that old. His eyes traveled down my body, then back up, and his grin widened. “I’ve seen you too somewhere, haven’t I?”
Chills spread through me even in the hot sun, and I tried to shake off my apprehension by shrugging. “It’s a small town.” I didn’t like the way he was looking at me. Too many other boys had given me the same look, and I wished the summer temperatures let me comfortably wear more clothing.
Trent must have sensed something was amiss because he cuffed the younger boy upside the head. “Oy,” he said in a sharp voice, “back to work.” As the others drifted away, he gave me a small salute. “You feel free to visit my roommate at work anytime you want,” he said, giving me a wink before turning away slurping down the rest of the flavored ice.
Daniel’s weird reaction to me had dimmed my mood, but I still gave Everett a small smile. He was studying me again, head cocked to one side. Finally, his lips turned up in a lopsided smile. “Thanks for the snow cones.”
“Snowballs.”
His smile widened into a grin. “Whatever.”
There was an awkward pause, and I bit my lip and backed away. “So, um, I guess I’ll be going….”
“Do you want to see Cole play?”
I paused. “I’ve seen him in a few places before.”
Everett shook his head. “The lead singer of his band quit, decided to go pro or whatever, so Cole’s stepping up to lead. His debut concert is tomorrow night and we’re all going to be there to watch him play. You game?”
I was all ready to say no once again when I paused. My interactions with Everett were disjointed and careful because I felt like I needed to hold so much back. Being with a bunch of strange boys, especially in a bar setting, was asking for the exact trouble I was trying to get away from. And yet, it sounded like fun, and I had to wonder why I was holding myself back. There hadn’t been much fun in my life lately, as if I was punishing myself.
Maybe it was time to try relaxing the reins a bit.
I must have paused for too long, because Everett ducked his head down so he met my eyes. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
I wished desperately that it were easier for me to just say yes. The invitation sounded safe, but I’d already made a fool of myself once in front of Everett. Thinking straight with him this close was also very difficult. My hand itched to touch his bare chest, and I dug my fingernails into my palm. “Can I think about it?” It was the best I could do, despite my heart wanting me to scream
Yes
.
“Sure, no problem.” He leaned in close. “But let me know if you aren’t up to it, maybe we can do something together.”
I searched his eyes, trying to find anything that said he was picking me up for sex. That was how his words sounded, but the teasing look in his eye and his casual tone gave me conflicting signals. “Okay,” I said after a moment, realizing I needed to reply.
Everett grinned suddenly. “I’ll see you around,” he said, grinning widely.
He turned and walked back to the construction site, and I stared after his retreating figure. Tearing myself away from that spot was difficult. All I wanted to do was stay there, spend more time with the boy who actually seemed interested in
me
, not in what I could do for him. I saw it in Everett’s eyes: I wasn’t a toy to be used and tossed aside. There was respect in his eyes when he looked at me, more so than even my family bothered to show.
It was enough to make a girl want more, and that desire, the neediness inside my heart, terrified me. That same feeling had, for too long, chained me to Macon’s side. I was only now finally discovering my own independence, struggling to discover who I wanted to be. Why would I give that up for a boy who would probably leave at the end of summer and never look back?
But, oh God, I wanted to so badly.
I didn’t realize how long I stood there staring
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