by Chloe Walsh
Off the Hook
Faking it #3
Published by Chloe Walsh
Copyright 2017 by Chloe Walsh
All rights reserved. ©
The right of Chloe Walsh to be identified as the Author of the work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000.
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This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Off the Hook,
First published, March 2017
All rights reserved. ©
Cover photo licensed from Shutterstock Inc.
Cover designed by Red Rebel Clover
Edited by Aleesha Davis
Disclaimer
This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
The author acknowledges all songs titles, song lyrics, film titles, film characters, trademarked statuses, brands, mentioned in this book are the property of, and belong to, their respective owners. The publication/ use of these trademarks is not authorized/ associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Chloe Walsh is in no way affiliated with any of the brands, songs, musicians or artists mentioned in this book.
All rights reserved ©
Table of Contents
Copyright
Disclaimer
Author's note
Dedication
Preface
*THE PAST*
Andi – age 5
Nate – age 6
Nate – age 10
Andi – age 10
Nate – age 12
Andi – age 12
Nate – age 14
Andi – age 14
Nate – age 16
Andi – age 16
Nate – age 17
Andi – age 17
Andi – age 17
Nate – age 18
Nate – age 18
*THE PRESENT*
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
*EPILOGUE*
Acknowledgements
Other books by Chloe Walsh
Playlist for Off the Hook
Social Media Links
Upcoming Titles
About the author
Join Chloe's Mailing List
Dedication
This book is for my readers.
You came, you stayed, and you changed my future.
Thank you.
Clo xx
Author's Note:
Off the Hook is the final book in the Faking it series. I'm both shocked and humbled by the success of this series. I didn’t imagine it to become so successful, so for that, I thank you guys. I began writing Nate and Andi's story during New Years, right after Torment, book four of the Carter Kids, because I needed something new and fresh and light. I intended for these books to be short, sassy and sexy. Hopefully, I have done my job correctly. I really hope you guys enjoy the final part of Nate and Andi's story.
Thank you all so much.
Chloe xox
Preface
Contentment wasn’t something I had ever known much about growing up in a town as tight knitted and narrow minded as Springhill.
Putting up with the challenges life threw at me and being content with life were two entirely different feelings.
I had put up with a lot while living in my parent's house, but I had never once felt contentment. Suffocating and withering inside was how I had spent the majority of my childhood feeling. Being strong wasn’t my forte and being outspoken could cost me my freedom.
I was a ghost.
Just a ghost.
Like a bird in a cage, I had complied. I had lived the life of a caged animal, taking the scraps I was given, and never daring to push for more.
Until him.
Until Nathan Cole…
The
Past
Andi
(Age 5)
JACKSON BROUGHT A NEW friend home today.
They spent all afternoon in the back yard, building a fort. I wasn’t sure about this boy. He wasn’t like the rest of the kids on our street. No, this boy was different. His black hair was all floppy, sticking out in forty different directions, and the jeans he had on were muddy and grass stained at the knee. He had these big ole brown eyes and a real friendly smile, but he made me nervous. He was tall, too. Much taller than Jackson. He made my belly do these strange flip-flops inside.
It was weird.
And he cussed. I heard him say dang and shit and even the f-word.
Our father said we weren't 'posed to be friends with any of the kids from Riverside, but Jackson had brought him here anyway. I was kind of scared for Jackson. If Momma woke up and came downstairs, there'd be trouble. If she told on Jackson, he'd get a whooping when Daddy got home from his trip…
"Yo, Andi-Pandy!" Jackson called out and I jumped with fright. "You mind passing me that hammer over there?"
I looked across the garden at my brother and quickly shook my head. The hammer Jackson wanted was right beside me, but I didn’t want to get in trouble with Daddy. I was real scared of my father, my momma too, but Daddy was much worse. He made my palms sweat and my teeth chatter.
"I'm busy," I called out from the bottom step of the deck as I continued coloring in my Barbie coloring book.
I concentrated real hard on staying in between the lines. This was my favorite picture in the book. It was the one of Barbie in her wedding dress. It was a real pretty dress, too. Like the princesses in the movies.
"Are you scared of me or something?"
The sound of the boy's thick, southern accent close by distracted me and I jumped – and ended up going over the line.
Disappointed with myself, I sighed heavily and placed my coloring book and crayon on the step beside me.
"Sorry," the boy mumbled, noticing my mistake. "Didn’t mean to spook you."
I shrugged and placed my hands on my lap. "It's okay."
He reached around me and retrieved the hammer before sinking down on the step beside me, still looking at my face.
"Why are you staring at me?" I finally worked up the courage to ask. I felt really confused right now, but I didn’t know why, and that made it even more confusing. My belly jolted around again, too.
"I aint never seen a girl like you before." He frowned as he stared hard at my face. "You've got hair like snow."
"I've never seen snow before," I whispered.
"Me neither," he added, still looking at me with his big brown eyes. He had dirt on his cheek and smelled like freshly cut grass. "What's your name?"
"Adriana Davis."
He nodded. "I'm Nathan Cole, but my friends call me Nate." He smiled at me. He had white, straight teeth. "You can, too – call me Nate, I mean. You don’t gotta be scared of me…"
"Jackson's gonna get in big trouble for bringing you here, Nathan Cole," I blurted out as I looked up at him. "We're not 'posed to play with the kids from Riverside."
His smile turned sad then. "And why's that?"
"My Daddy says everyone from Riverside is dangerous or a trouble maker."
Nathan Cole was quiet for a long time before saying, "And what do you think, Adriana Davis?" He looked at me as he spoke in a soft voice. "Do you think I'm dangerous?"
I thought about it. "I think you're nice."
He smiled again. "Good."
"Are you dangerous, Nathan Cole?" I asked. "Are you a trouble maker?"
"Not to you," was all he replied.
****
Nate
(Age 6)
"Momma, I met a girl today!" I called out the second I burst through the door of our trailer.
Jackson's sister was all I could think about the whole way home. "She's real pretty and she smells like a real girl, too."
"All girls smell the same, Nathan," my sister Kim teased from where she was doing her homework on the couch.
"Not this one," I assured her. "This girl is different. I think I'm gonna keep her."
"You're such a little weirdo," Kim shot back with a roll of her eyes. "Girls aren’t like cats and dogs, Nate. You can't keep one because you decide you like her."
"Well, I'm gonna keep this one," I shot back defiantly. "And you aint gonna stop me, Kimmie."
"Oh yeah?" Kim slapped the cover of her book closed and grinned at me. "And how are you going to do that?"
I jutted out my chin. "I'll bring her some flowers and be her very best friend." Yeah, that would do it. "And I'll share my lunch with her."
Kim's smile broadened. "You're almost too cute, kid."
"She'll wanna keep me, too, right?"
"Absolutely," my sister assured me. "All the girls are gonna wanna keep you, Nathan Cole."
"I don’t want no other girls." I scrunched my nose up at the thought. "Just that one."
"What's he yapping on about?" Momma demanded, appearing from her bedroom.
Kim didn’t look happy anymore. "Nathan has a crush, Momma." Kim looked mad now, but she was still talking in a real nice voice. It confused me. "I was telling him that any girl would be lucky to have him as her friend."
Momma snorted. "Who's the girl?"
"Andi," I answered proudly. "And she's got white hair, Momma. It aint even yellow." I threw my hands up in excitement. "It's all white!"
"Andi?" Kim smiled. "Your friend Jackson Davis's little sister?"
"Uh-huh." I nodded happily. "She said she thinks I'm real nice, too."
"You think the Davis girl's gonna wanna hang around with you?" Momma threw her head back and laughed then. "Boy, you must have rocks in that head of yours."
"It aint funny." I glared at my mother. "Quit laughing at me."
"Don’t listen to her, Nathan," Kim said defensively. "Andi Davis would be lucky to have you as her friend. Momma's just messing with you."
"Don’t be filling his head with nonsense, Kim," Momma shot back before turning her attention back to me. "Now listen here, boy. You aint never gonna be friends with that girl."
"But…"
"No buts," Momma interrupted, staggering a little. "Girls like that don’t hang around with boys like you. Now go on outside and play with Dallas."
"I don’t wanna play with Dallas," I grumbled. "I wanna play with Andi."
"It aint happening, boy. Now scram," Momma hissed, nudging me towards the door. "You'll thank me for this when you're older."
****
Nate
(Age 10)
"DAMMIT, NATE, YOU SHOULD'VE SAID NO." Jackson glowered at me, his cheeks stained red. "Now I'm gonna have to watch after her all day."
"She's not a baby, Jacko," I defended as I glanced over my shoulder at the pigtailed blonde chasing after us. Our eyes met and my heart thumped hard against my chest, making me feel a little queasy. "She's only a year younger than us," I added, rubbing the sore patch on my chest.
"I was really looking forward to this," he muttered, kicking the dirt with the toe of his sneaker. Small pebbles and stones scattered from the impact. "Now, I'm gonna have to be worrying about her blood sugars."
I knew Jackson had been looking forward to us going fishing today. It was all we could talk about at school this week. But I'd be damned if I left her behind. 'Specially since their folks were in town. No, sir. I'd rather spend my whole weekend watching after Andi Davis and checking her blood sugar levels than leave her at home with them.
See, Andi had diabetes. The bad kind. Type one. The one with the needles and injections and pumps. Her body was crazy unpredictable and I understood why Jackson needed a break from it. I just didn’t understand why I didn’t…
"Whatever, Nate. You invited her so she's your responsibility for the day. I'm gonna have some fun." Huffing loudly, Jackson pedaled faster and further ahead of me, reaching up with some of the guys from our football team.
Slowing down on my bike, I dropped one foot to the ground and waited for Andi to catch up.
"Is he really mad at you?" Andi puffed when she reached me on her pink bike with streamers hanging off the handle bars and a basket in the front.
"Don’t worry about him," I replied as I watched the guys’ cycle until they were out of sight.
"I could have stayed at home, you know," she added softly, stopping beside me. "I don’t wanna get you in any trouble, Nate."
"You won't," I assured her before taking off again, this time at her pace. And either way, you're worth it.
****
Andi
(Age 10)
JACKSON DAVIS HAD TO BE the worst brother in the history of brothers.
He forgot me.
In the ball park.
Again.
But this time was worse than the last three times because I'd hurt my ankle really badly on the monkey bars earlier. I was having a real hard time putting weight on it, and pushing my bike home one-footed had proven to be an impossible task – especially with the front wheel punctured.
Sinking down on the draught ridden dirt beside my bike, I dropped my head in my hands and cried. I was starting to get real panicked because I had to take my medicine. My ankle throbbed, making the tears spill quicker.
Stupid Jackson and stupid Jennah Elizabeth.
He was always forgetting his head and chasing after her when she was around.
This time he'd forgotten me.
I had been playing on the monkey bars in the playground area while they played ball.
Jackson had promised me he'd come get me when it was time to go.
It was growing dark now and there was no sign of him…
"Andi!" The sound of Nathan Cole hollering out my name stirred me from my thoughts and my head snapped up. "Andi? Where you at, girl?"
"I'm over here," I called out. Making a circle around my mouth with my hands, I yelled, "Down by the monkey bars, Nate. I'm down here…" my words trailed off when Nathan Cole came into sight, jogging towards me with his baseball cap slung backwards on his head.
"You okay?" he called out, panting.
I shook my head. "It's my ankle."
His frown deepened. "What about it?" His pace quickened.
"It hurts real bad," I explained, relief flooding me, when Nate reached my side and noticed the way I was cradling my foot. "I think I broke it."
"Let me see," he muttered, kneeling down in the dirt in front of me. With gentle hands, he took ahold of my foot and carefully twisted it back and forward. "Does it hurt here?" he asked, probing my foot with his thumb.
"No," I moaned, biting down on my lip in pain. "Just the ankle part."
"I think it's a sprain," he replied with a nod. "Can you walk?"
I shook my head. "I tried, but I can't keep my balance." I pressed my hand to my forehead, wiping a bead of sweat away. "And I'm feeling weak. I need to take my insulin." Exhaling a shaky breath, I added. "And I've got a puncture in my tire."
Nate frowned hard for a brief moment before jumping to his feet. "Come on," he told me as he caught ahold of my arms and helped me up. "I'll give you a piggyback."
"You will?"
"Yeah. Get on."
Nate crouched down and I quickly climbed onto his back. With one hand wrapped around my thigh, he grabbed the handle bars of my bike with the other.
"Hey, Nate?" I asked as I wrapped my arms and legs around his body and held on. "How'd you know I was down here?"
"You weren't at the house when I stopped by," he explained, carrying me effortlessly. "I kicked Jackson's ass for forgetting you."
"Thanks," I whispered. "He always forgets about me when Jennah Elizabeth is around."
"Yeah," Nate grumbled. "He's so weird around her."
"I wish I had someone like that," I sighed.
"Like what?"
"Someone who wanted to play with me so bad they forgot everyone else." Sighing, I added, "I guess I just hate being forgotten about." Which was always…
"I didn’t forget about you," Nate replied quietly. "And I never will."
****
Nate
(Age 12)
I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO be in her room.
If Jackson or her father found out, we'd both be in trouble, but for some crazy reason I never seemed to be able to say no to this girl.