quiet.
“Oh shit!” Jericho jumped up from the recliner. “Kris, I need tongs.”
Huh?
He jogged into the kitchen. “Tongs.”
“Why?”
“Because I was supposed to call this girl an hour ago.” He turned to Joshua. “Hot, so hot, you know. Been after her for weeks. Gotta make the call or I’m high and dry.”
“Been there.” Joshua’s eyes undressed me. “Not for long.”
“Tongs?” I dug in the kitchen drawers. “Phones work better.”
“She wrote her number on an envelope and it fell between the seat and the console in my truck. I can’t get it.” He knocked his head with his fist. “I can’t believe I forgot.”
I handed him a turning fork. “This might work.”
He grabbed my hand. “You have really skinny fingers. You can jimmy it out. The fork’ll mess up the leather.” He looked to Joshua. “Can I borrow her for a sec? That cool?”
“Yeah man, don’t use the fork,” Joshua said and then patted my behind. “Help the boy out. Don’t worry—I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
Jericho whisked me from the kitchen through the side door and started toward the shore.
I followed, utterly confused. “Where’s your truck?”
“At home. I live two houses up, walked over. There’s no phone number, no girl.”
“So what are we doing?”
“Keeping the situation under control. What was going on in there?”
“I have no idea. I don’t. Joshua and I used to be friends. We listened to music, went to concerts, and he never showed any interest in me. Then, I don’t know what happened …”
“He started acting different?”
“Like zero to freakshow in point two seconds.” I stopped walking. “How’d you know that?”
“Just a guess. Go on.”
“See, the thing with Joshua is that he’s a football star, totally over-glorified. He goes from girl to girl, knocking them over like dominos, but he knows I don’t roll like that. Hell, everyone knows.” I wrapped my arm around my waist. “I’m so stupid. Didn’t think Josh would ever be like that with me, would try to force …” Why am I telling him any of this?
His voice took on an edge. “Force what—?”
“What I’m saying is that in Joshua’s mind, because he chose me, he’s entitled. Like I’m so lucky I should give it up. I think he truly believes I want him, no matter what I say or do, probably because no one’s ever turned him down before.”
He picked up a shell and tossed it into the water. “Want my observation?”
I remembered the day we’d run into each other at the bluff, his thoughts about the people on the public beach. “Have at it.”
“The further you move away from him the closer he wants to be to you and when you push him back, he thinks you want him that much more. He’s getting off on it because he knows he makes you anxious—the thrill of the chase.”
He couldn’t possibly have heard Joshua ask if he made me nervous, over the TV and Nick’s buffoonery. He stopped walking and entwined his fingers with mine; a spark zapped my palm.
My face contorted. I was still processing what had happened inside with Joshua and Derek, and what was going on outside with Jericho right then. “I don’t date. I don’t have time for it and even if I did, I don’t go out with guys like you.”
He dropped my hand and pointed to himself. “Guys like me? Like Joshua? You’re putting me in the same class with him?”
“That came out wrong. Look, you could be with anyone you wanted, if not several women at once plus twins.” I tapped my chest. “So don’t waste your time here. I’m just being honest with you.”
“But I don’t want to be with several women at once. The only thing I want is to get to know you better. Come over to my house sometime or come out with me once.”
“I can’t even think about that right now. I gotta blaze—”
“Then you’ll be making it worse.” He made a line in the sand with his foot. “You can go, but I promise he won’t bother you. Or Derek.”
I
“Oh shit!” Jericho jumped up from the recliner. “Kris, I need tongs.”
Huh?
He jogged into the kitchen. “Tongs.”
“Why?”
“Because I was supposed to call this girl an hour ago.” He turned to Joshua. “Hot, so hot, you know. Been after her for weeks. Gotta make the call or I’m high and dry.”
“Been there.” Joshua’s eyes undressed me. “Not for long.”
“Tongs?” I dug in the kitchen drawers. “Phones work better.”
“She wrote her number on an envelope and it fell between the seat and the console in my truck. I can’t get it.” He knocked his head with his fist. “I can’t believe I forgot.”
I handed him a turning fork. “This might work.”
He grabbed my hand. “You have really skinny fingers. You can jimmy it out. The fork’ll mess up the leather.” He looked to Joshua. “Can I borrow her for a sec? That cool?”
“Yeah man, don’t use the fork,” Joshua said and then patted my behind. “Help the boy out. Don’t worry—I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
Jericho whisked me from the kitchen through the side door and started toward the shore.
I followed, utterly confused. “Where’s your truck?”
“At home. I live two houses up, walked over. There’s no phone number, no girl.”
“So what are we doing?”
“Keeping the situation under control. What was going on in there?”
“I have no idea. I don’t. Joshua and I used to be friends. We listened to music, went to concerts, and he never showed any interest in me. Then, I don’t know what happened …”
“He started acting different?”
“Like zero to freakshow in point two seconds.” I stopped walking. “How’d you know that?”
“Just a guess. Go on.”
“See, the thing with Joshua is that he’s a football star, totally over-glorified. He goes from girl to girl, knocking them over like dominos, but he knows I don’t roll like that. Hell, everyone knows.” I wrapped my arm around my waist. “I’m so stupid. Didn’t think Josh would ever be like that with me, would try to force …” Why am I telling him any of this?
His voice took on an edge. “Force what—?”
“What I’m saying is that in Joshua’s mind, because he chose me, he’s entitled. Like I’m so lucky I should give it up. I think he truly believes I want him, no matter what I say or do, probably because no one’s ever turned him down before.”
He picked up a shell and tossed it into the water. “Want my observation?”
I remembered the day we’d run into each other at the bluff, his thoughts about the people on the public beach. “Have at it.”
“The further you move away from him the closer he wants to be to you and when you push him back, he thinks you want him that much more. He’s getting off on it because he knows he makes you anxious—the thrill of the chase.”
He couldn’t possibly have heard Joshua ask if he made me nervous, over the TV and Nick’s buffoonery. He stopped walking and entwined his fingers with mine; a spark zapped my palm.
My face contorted. I was still processing what had happened inside with Joshua and Derek, and what was going on outside with Jericho right then. “I don’t date. I don’t have time for it and even if I did, I don’t go out with guys like you.”
He dropped my hand and pointed to himself. “Guys like me? Like Joshua? You’re putting me in the same class with him?”
“That came out wrong. Look, you could be with anyone you wanted, if not several women at once plus twins.” I tapped my chest. “So don’t waste your time here. I’m just being honest with you.”
“But I don’t want to be with several women at once. The only thing I want is to get to know you better. Come over to my house sometime or come out with me once.”
“I can’t even think about that right now. I gotta blaze—”
“Then you’ll be making it worse.” He made a line in the sand with his foot. “You can go, but I promise he won’t bother you. Or Derek.”
I
Similar Books
