And,
uh … Not
so random either, it turns out. ”
“ Excuse
me. What does that mean? ” Allie demands.
I
bite my lip — an impressive feat, given how far my
foot is jammed into my mouth. I ’ m torn between wanting to
tell Allie everything about Cash and wanting to give her as few details as
possible. She was more than supportive of my sexy one night stand, but what if
she ’ s
weirded out by what ’ s come after? It doesn ’ t
bother me that John Hawthorne and my mom are … whatever
they are to each other, but I can ’ t
count on anyone else feeling the same way, even if that someone is Allie. I may
just have to get a little … creative with the
details.
“ You ’ ll
never believe it, ” I laugh dryly, “ But
the guy I slept with that first night? The one I sent you a picture of? He ’ s … uh … a local . ”
“ Get
out, ” Allie breathes. I can
practically hear her big green eyes widening into dinner plates. “ He
lives in that middle-of-nowhere town you ’ re
staying with your family? ”
“ He
does, yeah, ” I
tell her — not
exactly a lie. “ I ’ ve
even bumped into him a few times, ” also, more true than not.
“ Has
anything else happened with him? ” Allie asks breathlessly.
“ There
was another kiss, ” I allow, my entire body recalling how it
feels to lock lips with Cash Hawthorne, “ But
nothing else so far. ”
“ What
the hell are you waiting for? ” Allie laughs, “ Go
jump those country boy bones while you still can! ”
“ What
about our little bet? ” I challenge her, “ It
won ’ t
really have been a one night stand if I sleep with him again, right? ”
“ Do
you honestly think I give a single shit about that stupid bet when the best sex
of your life in on the line?! ” Allie all but screeches. “ What
kind of a shitty friend do you think I am? ”
“ So
I take it I have your blessing, then? ” I laugh.
“ You
have all of my blessings. Every last one, ” she tells me, “ Who
knows? Maybe this one night stand of yours could turn into your first
relationship with a guy that actually turns you on. At all. ”
“ What
a novel idea, ” I
say sarcastically. But her suggestion sticks in my heart. I ’ ve
hardly dared to let myself think the word relationship since meeting
Cash Hawthorne. It doesn ’ t even seem to exist in
the same universe as him. That ’ s the main reason I didn ’ t
insist on the two of us just leaving this place together and carrying out our
little affair somewhere else. If we were to continue things outside of this
place, we ’ d be risking rushing into some kind
of relationship. And knowing me, I ’ d
mess it up immediately. As long as we stay here, united by coincidence, there ’ s
far less pressure. Cash hardly seems like a relationship sort of guy. But if I ’ ve
learned one thing this week, it ’ s that anything is
possible … why
not Cash and I as a pair?
If
he hasn ’ t
already staked his claim on another Porter sister, that is.
A
soft, rhythmic tapping catches my ear as Allie mutters something to
Brian-or-Ryan. This big rustic house has a vocabulary of taps, clangs, and
stirrings all its own. I ’ ve been told to ignore
them, but as this new tapping reasserts itself, I sit up in my modest twin bed.
My heart starts hammering in my ears, much more loudly than the noise that ’ s
set it off.
Someone ’ s
knocking at my bedroom door.
“ Allie,
hold on, ” I whisper into the receiver,
swinging my legs over the side of my bed.
“ What ’ s
happening? ” I
hear my best friend say as I make my way across the room.
With
my heart lodged firmly in my throat, I twist the handle and pull the door open
an inch. The warm light from my bedside lamp falls through the narrow opening,
illuminating a vibrant set of very familiar hazel eyes.
“ Maddie,
are you OK? ” Allie ’ s
tinny voice asks as I stare up at my early-morning visitor.
“ I
have to call you back, ” I mutter faintly into the phone, hanging
uh … Not
so random either, it turns out. ”
“ Excuse
me. What does that mean? ” Allie demands.
I
bite my lip — an impressive feat, given how far my
foot is jammed into my mouth. I ’ m torn between wanting to
tell Allie everything about Cash and wanting to give her as few details as
possible. She was more than supportive of my sexy one night stand, but what if
she ’ s
weirded out by what ’ s come after? It doesn ’ t
bother me that John Hawthorne and my mom are … whatever
they are to each other, but I can ’ t
count on anyone else feeling the same way, even if that someone is Allie. I may
just have to get a little … creative with the
details.
“ You ’ ll
never believe it, ” I laugh dryly, “ But
the guy I slept with that first night? The one I sent you a picture of? He ’ s … uh … a local . ”
“ Get
out, ” Allie breathes. I can
practically hear her big green eyes widening into dinner plates. “ He
lives in that middle-of-nowhere town you ’ re
staying with your family? ”
“ He
does, yeah, ” I
tell her — not
exactly a lie. “ I ’ ve
even bumped into him a few times, ” also, more true than not.
“ Has
anything else happened with him? ” Allie asks breathlessly.
“ There
was another kiss, ” I allow, my entire body recalling how it
feels to lock lips with Cash Hawthorne, “ But
nothing else so far. ”
“ What
the hell are you waiting for? ” Allie laughs, “ Go
jump those country boy bones while you still can! ”
“ What
about our little bet? ” I challenge her, “ It
won ’ t
really have been a one night stand if I sleep with him again, right? ”
“ Do
you honestly think I give a single shit about that stupid bet when the best sex
of your life in on the line?! ” Allie all but screeches. “ What
kind of a shitty friend do you think I am? ”
“ So
I take it I have your blessing, then? ” I laugh.
“ You
have all of my blessings. Every last one, ” she tells me, “ Who
knows? Maybe this one night stand of yours could turn into your first
relationship with a guy that actually turns you on. At all. ”
“ What
a novel idea, ” I
say sarcastically. But her suggestion sticks in my heart. I ’ ve
hardly dared to let myself think the word relationship since meeting
Cash Hawthorne. It doesn ’ t even seem to exist in
the same universe as him. That ’ s the main reason I didn ’ t
insist on the two of us just leaving this place together and carrying out our
little affair somewhere else. If we were to continue things outside of this
place, we ’ d be risking rushing into some kind
of relationship. And knowing me, I ’ d
mess it up immediately. As long as we stay here, united by coincidence, there ’ s
far less pressure. Cash hardly seems like a relationship sort of guy. But if I ’ ve
learned one thing this week, it ’ s that anything is
possible … why
not Cash and I as a pair?
If
he hasn ’ t
already staked his claim on another Porter sister, that is.
A
soft, rhythmic tapping catches my ear as Allie mutters something to
Brian-or-Ryan. This big rustic house has a vocabulary of taps, clangs, and
stirrings all its own. I ’ ve been told to ignore
them, but as this new tapping reasserts itself, I sit up in my modest twin bed.
My heart starts hammering in my ears, much more loudly than the noise that ’ s
set it off.
Someone ’ s
knocking at my bedroom door.
“ Allie,
hold on, ” I whisper into the receiver,
swinging my legs over the side of my bed.
“ What ’ s
happening? ” I
hear my best friend say as I make my way across the room.
With
my heart lodged firmly in my throat, I twist the handle and pull the door open
an inch. The warm light from my bedside lamp falls through the narrow opening,
illuminating a vibrant set of very familiar hazel eyes.
“ Maddie,
are you OK? ” Allie ’ s
tinny voice asks as I stare up at my early-morning visitor.
“ I
have to call you back, ” I mutter faintly into the phone, hanging
Similar Books
