anger and jealousy licked up my spine.
But she seemed to have gone already.
“I’m coming,” he
said.
On the way to
our bikes, we crossed Ryan’s path. He cut a brief glance to my leg and winced
at the color. “Put ice on that ankle. I want you fit tomorrow.”
The thought of
more torture coming at me in just a few hours rendered me silent.
“What does he
mean? There’s no training with the girls tomorrow. Just us guys,” Tony pointed
out as we walked on.
Okay, I figured
it was time to spill. “Ryan is doing some personal training with me.”
Tony could have
said many things then, like asking me why, or where, or even when it happened I
was insane enough to agree to that. But he chose to say the most stupid thing
of all.
“With you?”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Sorry, I didn’t
mean to sound like an ass. But…are we seriously talking about Hunter?” He
snorted, and I should have kicked him in the butt for it.
“What’s your
problem with that?”
“No problem.” He
mounted his bike, waiting for me to get the number-combination of my lock
right. “Just thought you were grounded.”
“I am.”
“And you get out
of the house for the training how?”
Now I avoided
his gaze, stand-kicking into the pedals to get ahead of him. “Same way you get
in.”
He had no
trouble catching up with me. “You’re sneaking out? For Ryan Hunter?” If
Tony was implying that I never did it for him, he let that leak from every
syllable.
“So what?”
Tony cast me a
sideways glance, his lips tight in a weak attempt at hiding a grin. “Here I’m
gone for just a few weeks, and you turn into quite the Kinder surprise.”
Hell, yeah. And
I couldn’t even stand those goddamn chocolate eggs.
“So, now that
you’re acquainted with the exclusive way in and out of your room, want to come
to Charlie’s for a drink with the others?”
“I’m not doing
this during the day, Tony. My mom isn’t that ignorant. Hunter picks me
up at five in the morning.” I whined. “He makes me run at the beach.”
“Ah, fun
guaranteed.”
“I swear the man
is Satan in the flesh.”
We reached my
house, and while I got off my bike, Tony placed one foot to the pavement and
studied me with those intense blue eyes. “You know I still don’t get it. Why
are you torturing yourself for sports you loathed all your life?”
“I never loathed
soccer.”
“You said it was
the fifth, never mentioned plague that would bring the world down.”
Did I really say
that? Wow, the man was good.
As I wheeled my
bike into the shed, Tony’s raised voice drifted to me. “Is Hunter the reason?”
I froze, staring
at Dad’s fishing rods for an infinite moment. A piss-glare on my face, I finally
walked outside, slowly, then leaned against the doorframe with my arms folded
over my chest. “What in the world makes you think that?”
Tony had propped
his forearms on the handle bar of his bike, leaning forward in a casual way. “Well,
you two are pretty close lately.”
Okay, I was
almost seventeen, had never been kissed, and I had all I was going to take from
my best friend. “Are you really that ignorant? I’m not doing this for
Hunter.”
“Then why?”
Christ forgive
me, I was going to slap him in a moment. “I’m doing this because of you!”
My heart stopped
the moment I understood my slip.
Tony’s mouth
hung open as he stared at me. He gripped the metal of the handle bar, closing
his fingers so hard the white showed around the knuckles. Not quite the
reaction I had prayed for the past five or so years.
His gaze
dropped, his eyes trained to the ground in front of him. That was an eerie
moment. Heck, I didn’t think something could shock Tony so much. Anything.
Especially me. Okay, the hope that he would be all smiles and kiss me for my
close declaration of love had slipped with his look, but his stunned silence
made me feel very uncomfortable. I wished I was a snowman and could melt right
now.
“Come here, Liza,”
he
But she seemed to have gone already.
“I’m coming,” he
said.
On the way to
our bikes, we crossed Ryan’s path. He cut a brief glance to my leg and winced
at the color. “Put ice on that ankle. I want you fit tomorrow.”
The thought of
more torture coming at me in just a few hours rendered me silent.
“What does he
mean? There’s no training with the girls tomorrow. Just us guys,” Tony pointed
out as we walked on.
Okay, I figured
it was time to spill. “Ryan is doing some personal training with me.”
Tony could have
said many things then, like asking me why, or where, or even when it happened I
was insane enough to agree to that. But he chose to say the most stupid thing
of all.
“With you?”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Sorry, I didn’t
mean to sound like an ass. But…are we seriously talking about Hunter?” He
snorted, and I should have kicked him in the butt for it.
“What’s your
problem with that?”
“No problem.” He
mounted his bike, waiting for me to get the number-combination of my lock
right. “Just thought you were grounded.”
“I am.”
“And you get out
of the house for the training how?”
Now I avoided
his gaze, stand-kicking into the pedals to get ahead of him. “Same way you get
in.”
He had no
trouble catching up with me. “You’re sneaking out? For Ryan Hunter?” If
Tony was implying that I never did it for him, he let that leak from every
syllable.
“So what?”
Tony cast me a
sideways glance, his lips tight in a weak attempt at hiding a grin. “Here I’m
gone for just a few weeks, and you turn into quite the Kinder surprise.”
Hell, yeah. And
I couldn’t even stand those goddamn chocolate eggs.
“So, now that
you’re acquainted with the exclusive way in and out of your room, want to come
to Charlie’s for a drink with the others?”
“I’m not doing
this during the day, Tony. My mom isn’t that ignorant. Hunter picks me
up at five in the morning.” I whined. “He makes me run at the beach.”
“Ah, fun
guaranteed.”
“I swear the man
is Satan in the flesh.”
We reached my
house, and while I got off my bike, Tony placed one foot to the pavement and
studied me with those intense blue eyes. “You know I still don’t get it. Why
are you torturing yourself for sports you loathed all your life?”
“I never loathed
soccer.”
“You said it was
the fifth, never mentioned plague that would bring the world down.”
Did I really say
that? Wow, the man was good.
As I wheeled my
bike into the shed, Tony’s raised voice drifted to me. “Is Hunter the reason?”
I froze, staring
at Dad’s fishing rods for an infinite moment. A piss-glare on my face, I finally
walked outside, slowly, then leaned against the doorframe with my arms folded
over my chest. “What in the world makes you think that?”
Tony had propped
his forearms on the handle bar of his bike, leaning forward in a casual way. “Well,
you two are pretty close lately.”
Okay, I was
almost seventeen, had never been kissed, and I had all I was going to take from
my best friend. “Are you really that ignorant? I’m not doing this for
Hunter.”
“Then why?”
Christ forgive
me, I was going to slap him in a moment. “I’m doing this because of you!”
My heart stopped
the moment I understood my slip.
Tony’s mouth
hung open as he stared at me. He gripped the metal of the handle bar, closing
his fingers so hard the white showed around the knuckles. Not quite the
reaction I had prayed for the past five or so years.
His gaze
dropped, his eyes trained to the ground in front of him. That was an eerie
moment. Heck, I didn’t think something could shock Tony so much. Anything.
Especially me. Okay, the hope that he would be all smiles and kiss me for my
close declaration of love had slipped with his look, but his stunned silence
made me feel very uncomfortable. I wished I was a snowman and could melt right
now.
“Come here, Liza,”
he
Similar Books
