Brody
I stared at my phone and contemplated sending Audrey a text. I wanted to wish her luck, even though I’d done that earlier. I smiled at the thought and then frowned. What had I been thinking? I shouldn’t have kissed her, but she was just standing there, so unsure of herself. I had to do something, and I hadn’t planned on kissing her, but when I opened that door, all rational thought left me. I acted on instinct. Desire.
“What’s up, man?” Linc asked, sliding into the booth in front of me.
“What are you doing here?” I glanced up at him as he leaned back and spread his arms across the back of the booth.
“You’re at the roadhouse when you should be working, looking like someone just stole your pushbike with the pink basket on the handlebars.” Linc’s lips pulled into a smirk.
I groaned. “Once. I rode the damn bike once. And you know full well that if I hadn’t, you would have.”
“But you did.”
Leanne and Steve had bought Indie a pushbike for her seventh birthday. It was hot pink, complete with basket and pink and white tassels on the handlebars. She refused to ride it, so we tried to convince her. I decided to ride around and show her how much fun she could be having on her new bike. Only it backfired, and she stole my bike, which was far too big for her, and rode that for the day, leaving me with a hot pink bike. My knees hit the handlebars every time I pedalled.
“What do you want, Linc?”
“Jeremy called and said you were here.” He looked up and smiled at Tillie, the young waitress Jeremy had hired to relieve some of the pressure, as she placed a coffee down in front of him.
“So?”
“I was in the neighbourhood.”
“The whole damn town is one big neighbourhood. Why are you here?” I rubbed a hand over my face and stole a covert glance at my phone to see if Audrey had messaged me. She hadn’t.
“I told you Jeremy called.”
“Why?” I folded my arms and looked outside. There were a few cars at the garage already, and Ryder was just pulling in.
“How the hell should I know what goes through his head? Dude’s dating Ryder’s sister.” Linc followed my gaze as Ryder got out of the car and went over to Jeremy, most likely discussing business, since they ran the roadhouse together.
“And that has what to do with anything?” I looked back over to Linc.
“Just that he clearly thinks on a different wavelength than the rest of the population.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“Seriously. Kenzie is awesome. But can you imagine having Ryder as your brother-in-law? Man, I wouldn’t want to do anything to piss him off.”
“You’re deflecting.”
“Am not.”
“You’re talking about so much shit just to avoid telling me why you’re really here.”
The doors opened, and Ryder and Jeremy walked over, sliding into the booth beside us. It took Tillie all of thirty seconds to make more coffee and bring it over.
“What’s going on?” I asked, looking at each of them as they watched me intently. They were acting weird.
“Figured it was time we hung out.” Linc shrugged.
“We hang out,” I argued.
Ryder gave me a look that said, really?
Jeremy chuckled. “No, we hang out.” He pointed to himself and Ryder and Linc. “You hide in your room, or Audrey’s.”
“Whatever. Don’t you all have jobs to go to?” I drained my coffee and glanced at my phone again. I wanted nothing more than to check on Audrey, but these tools would get suspicious.
Linc scoffed. “Covered.”
“Boss,” Both Jeremy and Ryder answered, pointing to themselves.
“So, how’s Audrey?” Linc asked. Ryder’s eyes narrowed as he watched me from across the booth.
I smiled. “Back at school today.”
“Would you look at that smile?” Linc reached over and pinched my cheek. “Think someone has a little crush.”
“What? No.” I reared back and shoved his hand away.
Jeremy whistled low beside me while Ryder continued to watch. I knew what he was doing. He was studying me, watching my reaction, because that was what he did. He noticed everything. And I answered too fast, with too much determination. Ryder chewed on his lip ring and remained quiet.
“Look, I get it, man.” Linc raised his hands in defence. “Wanting someone you know you shouldn’t.” Linc pointed at himself. “I’m practically the poster boy for it.”
I sighed. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Bailey messaged me and said Audrey had made friends with some guy already,” Ryder said. “He’s on the soccer team. My old position. Chicks like athletes. Trust me.”
Jeremy coughed out a laugh. My fists clenched, and I swallowed hard. My throat was suddenly dry. I wanted out of the booth. I wanted to find Audrey and drag her away from the athlete. Tapping my foot under the table, I closed my eyes and groaned. “Fuck.”
“So, it’s true, then,” Jeremy said. It was more of a statement than a question, but I nodded anyway.
“How did you know?” I barely even knew myself. How had they figured it out?
“You’re jealous as hell,” Ryder said.
“Yeah, man. You treat her like crap when you’re jealous. You turn into someone completely different,” Linc said and pointed at Ryder. “You turn into him.”
Ryder elbowed him in the ribs.
“It’s true.” Linc shoved him back, and Jeremy nodded in agreement.
“Not a word to anyone, okay?” I ran my hands through my hair. They couldn’t tell anyone. Nothing could ever come of it. She was too young. “Nothing is going to happen.”
Linc laughed. “You’re taking her away for her birthday. You expect us to believe nothing will happen?”
“Nothing.” I ground my teeth. “It can’t. She’s too young. It’s wrong.”
“Not really.” Ryder shrugged. “As long as you’re sure she’s what you want.”
“What?”
“I think he’s trying to say ‘don’t fuck it up,’” Jeremy said. “Make sure it’s what you both want, and don’t be a dick about it.”
“No. No. No. She’s too young. It’s immoral. It’s…”
“Only wrong if she’s seventeen,” Linc said. I cringed. That made it sound so much worse. “Look, you care about each other. That’s obvious to everyone. You’re the only one she’s comfortable around, for some unknown freaking reason. I mean, what’s wrong with us?”
“You intimidate her.”
“We couldn’t intimidate a fly.” Linc looked at Ryder and then to Jeremy, both practically covered head to toe in tattoos, and nodded. “Okay, point taken. Whatever. Just be sure. Or don’t take her away for her birthday.”
“I made a promise. I can’t let her down.” I lowered my head to the table and took a deep breath. They’d put it in my head now that something would happen on her birthday. Up until right then, I’d been completely naïve. I hadn’t even given it much thought.
“Okay, then, have a blast. Use protection, all that.” Linc pushed Ryder, and they both slid out of the booth with a snicker. Protection? Shit.
“What he said.” Jeremy clapped my shoulder and stood.
“Good catching up. Same time next week?” Linc asked.
I frowned at him.
“Well, we sorted out your girlfriend problem. Next week we’ll tackle Nate and Harper.” Linc smiled and walked away, with Jeremy following.
“Hey, Ryder.”
“Yeah.” He turned back to face me, brushing a brown curl out of his face.
“That friend she made today?”
“Made him up.” He gave me an amused smile and left.
I sat and stared at my phone for another thirty seconds, wondering if I should call her, but what would I say? After that conversation with the guys, things had changed again. If I’d thought things were weird after we kissed, now they’d shoved the idea of sex with Audrey in my head, and I couldn’t stop imagining it.
So damn wrong.
I picked up my phone, and the insecure, jealous person inside me bubbled to the surface. What if Ryder had lied about making up the friend? What if she really had made a friend on the soccer team? Another guy.
I typed her a quick text before paying the bill and leaving.