Before I can fire off any more questions, Brett reaches over and turns on the radio, cranking up the music. The post-punk sounds of U2 fill the interior of the station wagon.
“I love this song!” Lizzie says, some of her previous stiffness melting away.
Brett glances at her in surprise. “Joshua Tree is my favorite album.”
“I just bought it last week. I’m so stoked to see them in concert this summer.”
“Yeah,” he gives her a penetrating look, as if noticing her for the first time, “me, too.”
She grins as their gazes cling in the darkness. “What’s your favorite song?”
It’s almost like I’m not even here, which is strange. When did these two actually start conversing with one another? Usually, Brett disses her, and Lizzie makes a meathead jock comment in response.
“Who can pick just one?” he fires back. “They’re all amazing.”
My face scrunches as my attention bounces between them.
“True.” Lizzie twists toward him on the seat. “But if I held a gun to your head, which one would you choose?”
“Hmmm. If I were forced to pick,” his fingers tap against the steering wheel, “I’d choose—”
“Who were you making out within the boathouse, Brett?” I blurt, interrupting their odd banter.
The smile fades from his face as he goes back to staring at the darkened road, and Lizzie glances away, gazing out the passenger side window.
“No one you know,” he mutters when the silence turns oppressive.
“Really? That’s interesting because Pine Grove is a relatively small town. In case you’re not aware, everyone knows everyone around here.” Not to mention, they’re all up in each other’s business.
Instead of telling me to mind my own beeswax—which is exactly what Brett would typically do—he presses his lips together and ignores me. When it becomes apparent that he isn’t going to respond, I slump on the seat and fold my arms across my chest.
This evening has turned out to be a total bust. At this point, it’s doubtful ice cream, and a movie rental will be able to salvage it.
And that’s saying something.
Danielle
My lashes flutter open, and I blink as my eyes adjust to the dimness of my bedroom. I glance at the other side of the queen-sized mattress only to find it empty. As I sit up and search the room, I realize Lizzie is nowhere to be found.
With a grunt, I toss off the comforter and pop to my feet. I really hope she isn’t sick. I don’t think she drank that much at the party, and she certainly didn’t seem tanked when we arrived home a few hours ago. We ended up getting into our pajamas, making popcorn, and watching a movie my parents rented earlier that evening from the grocery store.
As I pad toward my door, there’s a plink against the window from outside. My hand flies to my mouth, stifling the squeak of surprise as I nearly jump out of my skin. It sounds as if someone might have thrown a tiny stone against the glass. Detouring in the opposite direction, I creep toward the window before carefully drawing back the curtain and peering into the darkness. My breath gets wedged in my throat when I find Ty staring up at me from the front lawn.
I unlatch the lock and shove the windowsill up before pressing my face against the screen. “What are you doing here?” If he’s looking for Brett, he’s got the wrong room. Although, he has to know that. Ty has spent the night at our place dozens of times.
Instead of answering the question, he asks one of his own. “Can you come down and talk for a couple of minutes?”
Why?
It’s not like we have anything to discuss.
Ugh. I really hope he didn’t see me watching him make out with his girlfriend earlier this evening. How mortifying would that be?
Any other night, if I’d found Ty standing beneath my window, asking me to come down, I would have been over the moon. But I no longer feel that way. Ty has a girlfriend, and I’m nothing more than Brett’s kid sister. No matter how much time passes, he'll never see me any differently.
And that’s not his problem. It’s mine.
“Dani?”
His deep voice has me blinking out of those depressing thoughts. Even though I know it’s a terrible idea, I jerk my head into a nod. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
My heart reluctantly jackhammers against my ribcage when his lips lift into a smile. “I’ll be waiting.”
As much as I want to be over this guy, I’m not. A sigh escapes as I retreat from the window.
What the heck am I doing?
This will only make matters worse.
With shaking fingers, I grab my robe and wrap it over my short nightgown before cracking open my bedroom door and peering outside. When nothing stirs, I creep into the hallway, past my parent’s room, and down the stairs to the foyer. As I hit the last tread, the hardwood creeks beneath my weight, and I freeze, glancing up the staircase to the second floor. A couple of heartbeats pass before I reach out and turn the handle, opening the front door before slipping onto the porch.
I swing around only to find Ty waiting a few steps away. We stare at each other before he stuffs his hands into the pockets of his jean shorts.
A smile curls the edges of his lips as he inspects my pajamas. Even in the darkness, I see the humor ignite in his eyes. “Righteous nightgown.”
Huh? My brow furrows before I glance down and wince.
Care Bears.
And now my humiliation is complete. Just kill me before I die of total embarrassment.
Well...he already thinks I’m a child, so what does it really matter?
Heat fills my cheeks as I yank the edges of my robe together. “Is there a reason you’re here?”
The amusement dancing in his eyes fades as he closes the space between us. “You took off from the party before I could talk to you.”
I’m surprised he even noticed my absence.
“The last time I saw you, you seemed kind of busy.” I cringe as the comment shoots out of my mouth before I can rein it back in. God, could I sound more jealous?
“Busy?” He frowns before shaking his head. “What do you mean?”
Zip it, Dani. Don’t make matters any worse. He already thinks you’re a loser.
Unfortunately, I don’t take my own advice. “I saw you making out with your girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?” It takes a few seconds for understanding to dawn. “Oh...Heather.” He shifts his stance. “You saw that, huh?”
I nod. I really need to go inside before I say or do anything else that I’ll kick myself for in the morning.
As I take a step in retreat, he springs forward, wrapping his fingers around my forearms. “Don’t leave.”
My eyes widen. “Why not?”
“Give me a chance to explain.”
“You don’t owe me any explanations.” The fact of the matter is Ty doesn’t owe me a damn thing.
“I know.” His voice softens. When I don’t fight the hold, he draws me closer. “But it’s important you know the truth. Heather and I broke up freshman year of college, that was almost three years ago. I guess she’s not over it. Whenever I run into her at parties, she throws herself at me. I’ve told her a dozen times that I’m not interested in getting back together, but she refuses to take no for an answer. She needs to realize that it’s never going to happen because there’s someone else I’m interested in. If I’m being totally honest, I’ve liked this girl for a while now. She’s all I can think about. But it never felt like the right time to tell her.” He searches my eyes in the darkness. “Until now.”
My heart clenches. I didn’t think it was possible for Ty to inflict any more damage, but I was wrong. It takes everything I have inside not to fold in on myself.
Unable to listen as he declares his love for another girl, I twist away, breaking free before stumbling back a couple of steps. “I need to go inside before my parents wake up.”
“What?” He blinks in confusion. “Wait—I haven’t told you who th
e girl is yet!”
Yeah, I know. And that’s exactly the way I want it to stay.
Ty
It’s almost impressive how spectacularly I’m fucking this whole thing up. Normally, I’m a pretty smooth dude, but that doesn’t seem to be the case where Danielle is concerned. Before she can escape into the house, I yank her to me. A gasp falls from her lips before she staggers forward, landing against my chest. Her eyes widen as she stares up at me. I have no idea how to make this situation better, but I’m going to take a chance and do what I’ve been dying to do for years.
Without another word, I slant my lips across hers. As I do, everything in my head goes silent. For a fraction of a second, she stiffens in my arms before melting against me. When my tongue sweeps over the seam of her lips, she opens until I’m able to slip inside. Dani tilts her head, granting me easier access. Our tongues dance, and it’s the best damn feeling in the world. Cheesy as it sounds, somewhere in the back of my brain, fireworks are exploding.
When every last bit of tension drains away, leaving her soft and pliant, I pull her closer and deepen the kiss. A breathy little sigh escapes from her as she twines her arms around my neck. I have no idea how long we stay fused together. Now that I’ve had a taste of her, how will I ever get enough?
When she pulls away, it’s all I can do not to delve in for more. I’m nowhere near done exploring her mouth.
“I don’t understand what’s going on here.” A dazed expression clouds her eyes. What I love most is that I’m the one who put it there.
“Don’t you get it?”
Uncertainty flickers across her face as she shakes her head.
“I’m crazy about you, Dani. I always have been.”
My admission has her eyes popping wide. “Really?”
“Yeah,” one side of my mouth hitches, “really.”
“You...don’t see me as Brett’s little sister?”
Brett’s little sister?
Hell, no. “I haven’t thought of you like that for a long time.”
When she bites down on her lower lip, I groan, delving back in for more of her sweetness. It only takes a few moments to lose myself in the gentle exploration.
For the second time in a matter of minutes, Dani pulls away. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
Me, neither. “I’ve wanted it for a long time.”
“So have I.” She glances away before admitting, “Ever since you kissed me when I was fourteen years old.”
My hands slide up to cup her cheeks as my thumb grazes her plump lower lip. “At the school dance.”
Surprise flickers across her face. “You remember that?”
“Of course, I do.” As I’m about to go in for my third taste, a noise breaks the silence from somewhere in the distance. I’m not paying close enough attention to my surroundings to figure out what it is.
Startled, Dani jerks away. “Did you hear that?”
“Nope.” I don’t care if the world explodes around us, all I want is to feel the soft slide of her lips against mine. As I move in for another kiss, there’s a tinkle of soft female laughter from nearby; one that refuses to be ignored.
“You had to hear that, right?” Some of the haziness clears from her eyes.
I huff out a breath. “Yup.”
Her brows pinch together as she moves down the front porch steps and glances toward the side of the house. “I think someone might be in the backyard.”
I follow her to the walkway and snag her fingers with my own. She glances at our entwined hands before flashing a bemused smile at me. “This is really happening?”
“Damn straight it is.”
Finally.
Dani grins, and her dimples pop. I squeeze her fingers gently before we sneak around the side of the red-brick two-story before reaching the yard. The pool area is surrounded by a black iron gate. Quietly, Danielle unlatches the lock and pushes open the door. She turns, placing a finger against her lips. I nod my understanding as we slink inside and hide behind a bush near one of the flower beds. A low murmur of voices fills the balmy night air.
“I think the neighbor kids have snuck into the pool again,” she whispers.
“What are you going to do?”
Danielle narrows her eyes as a smirk settles over her face. She points to the back of the house. “I’m going to turn on the floodlights. That’ll scare the crap out of them.”
“Sure will. Hopefully, you won’t have anything to clean out of the pool in the morning.”
Her shoulders shake with silent laughter before she tiptoes to the house while I stay hunkered down behind the bush. I keep my attention trained on the water. It looks like there are two teenagers swimming around. Someone’s evening is about to go down the tubes.
Thirty seconds later, bright light illuminates the deck area. There’s a gasp and swearing as I move into view. With her fists planted on her hips, Danielle walks toward the pool to get a better look at the culprits.
“Lizzie? Is that you? She blinks before inspecting the second individual. “Brett?”
Time stills as everyone freezes.
Her brother’s eyes narrow. “What the hell are you doing with my sister, Nelson?”
Well, shit.
Danielle
Brett’s barked out question hangs in the air as my attention slides from him to Lizzie. Guilt flickers across my best friend’s face as her teeth sink into her lower lip. The thin straps of her bra are all that’s visible as she stays crouched by the side of the pool.
What the hell is going on around here?
My mind spins. Everything from earlier this evening slams into me like a ton of bricks as it all falls neatly into place.
Lizzie and Brett disappearing at the party.
My best friend’s disheveled appearance when she had finally resurfaced.
Their strange awkwardness mixed with bursts of conversation on the drive home.
The way their gazes had lingered a little too long when we parted ways in the foyer.
Ignoring my brother’s question, I snap back with one of my own. “You were the one with Brett in the boathouse earlier, weren’t you?”
The words might be arranged in the format of a question, but it’s not. All three of us know the answer. Hurt floods through me. Lizzie and I have been best friends since third grade. We’ve never kept secrets from one another.
Until now.
When she opens her mouth to respond, I cut her off. “How long has this been going on for?” Have they been fooling around since Brett returned home from college? Or even longer? I’m such an idiot. Unable to stand still, I shake my head. “You know what? Forget it.” Before she can offer up an explanation, I swing away, stalking toward the iron gate and shoving my way through it.
I’m so angry that I don’t realize Ty has followed me from the backyard until he grabs hold of my wrist and halts my movements. I swing around and stare.
His expression softens as he pulls me closer, wrapping his arms around my body before searching my eyes in the darkness. “Are you all right?”
I jerk my shoulders. How can I be when both my brother and best friend have been sneaking around behind my back? “I can’t believe Brett was making out with Lizzie.”
A slight smile quirks his lips.
Mine sinks further into a frown. I know exactly what he’s going to say, and I don’t want to hear it. “It’s not the same!”
How can he even compare the two situations? They are nothing alike.
“Isn’t it?”
“Lizzie should have told me what was going on, and she didn’t.” I thrust an arm toward the backyard. “She’s my best friend, and she’s been messing around with my brother!”
“You, ah, realize that I’m Brett’s friend, right?” When I remain silent, he continues. “Is it possible that Lizzie was afraid of how you would react? Or maybe she wasn’t ready to tell anyone about their relationship. Maybe they’re still trying to figure things out.”
Ugh. I’m n
owhere near ready to hear logic. I nibble at my lower lip before sucking the fullness into my mouth. As I do, a groan rumbles up from deep within Ty’s chest.
“You kill me when you do that.”
Heat slams into my cheeks. It’s almost enough to make me forget about what I found in the backyard.
Almost, but not quite.
Maybe my feelings shouldn’t be hurt, but they are. We tell each other everything, and I don’t want that to change now. I had no idea she was interested in Brett. Although, in hindsight, there were little clues over the past couple of weeks that I had brushed aside and dismissed as nothing. Stares that lasted a little too long. Whispered conversations I walked in on. Even at my graduation party...their heads had been bent together for about fifteen minutes. It never registered in my brain that something could be going on between them. They’ve known each other for a decade. I blink and refocus my attention on Ty.
Kind of like us.
“I know it’s weird to think of your best friend with your brother, but is it any different than the two of us together?”
I glance away. “I don’t know.”
“Come on, Dani.” He smirks. “You’re a smart girl.”
As much as I don’t want to admit it, he’s right. There isn’t much of a difference in our situations. Ty wraps an arm around my waist before guiding me to the front porch steps. As he drops down beside me, his muscular thigh brushes against mine, and a sizzle of awareness slides through me. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t feel this kind of attraction to him.
Has it been the same for Lizzie?
Is this the way she feels about my brother?
As bizarre as the notion is, I allow the idea of them as a couple to settle inside me.
It’s the low murmur of voices that have me jerking out of my thoughts as Lizzie and Brett turn the corner into the front yard with towels wrapped around their bodies. Lizzie’s dark hair is slicked back. With only the light of the moon shining down, I’m still able to see the flush of ruddy color that stains her cheeks.
Crazy for You: 80's Baby Series Page 4
