thing to do is blow them off. They aren’t worth crying over, Lily, trust me.”
A smile pulled at the corner of my mouth at his flippant attitude. Like it was that easy to just ignore them. “How am I supposed to blow her off? She’s in there giving me the evil eye.”
“So what? You can ignore it. Don’t let her bug you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “If you’re so tough, how come she was able to bully you into letting me in the band?”
He shrugged. “I decided it was easier to go along with her than fight it, which is not the same thing as allowing her to ruin my life. Besides, I owe her. She got us free practice space at the school.” His eyes narrowed and he averted his gaze from me. “Plus, I gotta keep her happy enough so she doesn’t ditch me. Next step foster care, right?”
I couldn’t stop my mouth from dropping open. “Seriously? Your parents would let you go to foster care?”
He turned away and started walking back toward the building. “Let’s go.”
“Hey!” I tried to catch up to him, but there was no way I could run with my bag of drinks. It was way too heavy. So I sort of hobbled across the lawn, trying to catch up to him. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m sorry.”
He didn’t turn around, walking even faster. “You got plans for Sunday morning?”
I blinked at the change in subject. “Um, I usually practice the piano then, so I guess I’m free.”
“Meet me here at nine. I’ll get you up to speed on the new material.” He was getting even further away from me, apparently not hampered by the weight of the bag he was carrying Clearly, he was carrying cotton balls in his bag and he’d given me the bag of cement blocks.
I wrinkled my nose at his back. “You’re more of a slave driver than Crusty is.”
He shrugged and tossed me a careless glance over his shoulder. “Or you can learn it in front of the band.”
Ah, no thanks. “Fine. I’ll see if my mom can drive me.”
“I’ll pick you up,” he said as he turned to face me. “It’s on my way.”
Yes! I should have Erin spend the night so she could see him pick me up. “I guess that would be okay.” My arms felt like they were going to fall off from carrying the bag.
“Good.” He stopped to let me catch up. As soon as I reached him, he grabbed my bag, his arm brushing against my stomach as he scooped it off me. My skin tingled where he’d touched me and I sucked in my breath. Ack! What was my problem? So he accidentally touched me? I had to get over that and fast.
Private lessons with Rafe meant nothing. Nothing!
CHAPTER NINE
My mom dropped me off at Keith’s house for the pool party at a quarter past two the next day, fifteen minutes into the fashionably late zone (translation: I figured my friends would be there by then and I wouldn’t risk being stranded without them).
As soon as I got out of the car and far enough away from my mom, I took off my sweatshirt to showcase the outfit I wasn’t ready to let her inspect too closely. I was wearing my new bikini under a pair of low-ride denim shorts and a camisole that was cropped just enough to show off my belly button ring.
My heart was thudding as I stood outside the front door of Keith’s house. I tried to snag a ride from Erin so I wouldn’t have to arrive by myself, but my mom had insisted on driving me so she could see the house and make sure there were no kegs of beer sitting on the front lawn.
I glanced back at her. She waved at me from the car, waiting for a glimpse of a parental unit. Gah. How embarrassing.
I took a deep breath and then rang the doorbell.
A woman I assumed was Keith’s mom opened the door. She was wearing a bikini with a towel wrapped around her waist and sunglasses on her head. She looked pretty good in the bikini for a mom, actually. She smiled at me. “You must be here for Keith’s party.”
“Um, yeah. I’m Lily.” My mom tooted her car horn, and I felt my cheeks heat up. Could she be more embarrassing?
A smile pulled at the corner of my mouth at his flippant attitude. Like it was that easy to just ignore them. “How am I supposed to blow her off? She’s in there giving me the evil eye.”
“So what? You can ignore it. Don’t let her bug you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “If you’re so tough, how come she was able to bully you into letting me in the band?”
He shrugged. “I decided it was easier to go along with her than fight it, which is not the same thing as allowing her to ruin my life. Besides, I owe her. She got us free practice space at the school.” His eyes narrowed and he averted his gaze from me. “Plus, I gotta keep her happy enough so she doesn’t ditch me. Next step foster care, right?”
I couldn’t stop my mouth from dropping open. “Seriously? Your parents would let you go to foster care?”
He turned away and started walking back toward the building. “Let’s go.”
“Hey!” I tried to catch up to him, but there was no way I could run with my bag of drinks. It was way too heavy. So I sort of hobbled across the lawn, trying to catch up to him. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m sorry.”
He didn’t turn around, walking even faster. “You got plans for Sunday morning?”
I blinked at the change in subject. “Um, I usually practice the piano then, so I guess I’m free.”
“Meet me here at nine. I’ll get you up to speed on the new material.” He was getting even further away from me, apparently not hampered by the weight of the bag he was carrying Clearly, he was carrying cotton balls in his bag and he’d given me the bag of cement blocks.
I wrinkled my nose at his back. “You’re more of a slave driver than Crusty is.”
He shrugged and tossed me a careless glance over his shoulder. “Or you can learn it in front of the band.”
Ah, no thanks. “Fine. I’ll see if my mom can drive me.”
“I’ll pick you up,” he said as he turned to face me. “It’s on my way.”
Yes! I should have Erin spend the night so she could see him pick me up. “I guess that would be okay.” My arms felt like they were going to fall off from carrying the bag.
“Good.” He stopped to let me catch up. As soon as I reached him, he grabbed my bag, his arm brushing against my stomach as he scooped it off me. My skin tingled where he’d touched me and I sucked in my breath. Ack! What was my problem? So he accidentally touched me? I had to get over that and fast.
Private lessons with Rafe meant nothing. Nothing!
CHAPTER NINE
My mom dropped me off at Keith’s house for the pool party at a quarter past two the next day, fifteen minutes into the fashionably late zone (translation: I figured my friends would be there by then and I wouldn’t risk being stranded without them).
As soon as I got out of the car and far enough away from my mom, I took off my sweatshirt to showcase the outfit I wasn’t ready to let her inspect too closely. I was wearing my new bikini under a pair of low-ride denim shorts and a camisole that was cropped just enough to show off my belly button ring.
My heart was thudding as I stood outside the front door of Keith’s house. I tried to snag a ride from Erin so I wouldn’t have to arrive by myself, but my mom had insisted on driving me so she could see the house and make sure there were no kegs of beer sitting on the front lawn.
I glanced back at her. She waved at me from the car, waiting for a glimpse of a parental unit. Gah. How embarrassing.
I took a deep breath and then rang the doorbell.
A woman I assumed was Keith’s mom opened the door. She was wearing a bikini with a towel wrapped around her waist and sunglasses on her head. She looked pretty good in the bikini for a mom, actually. She smiled at me. “You must be here for Keith’s party.”
“Um, yeah. I’m Lily.” My mom tooted her car horn, and I felt my cheeks heat up. Could she be more embarrassing?
Similar Books
