Carly laughed nervously. “Not much. I avoid it as much as possible. Usually Becca spends the night. Her parents don’t care. Actually, I think they prefer it when she’s not home. Sad, huh?” She frowned. “The last time I stayed here alone was over a year ago. It was awful. I tried everything, but I was too scared to sleep. Every little noise made me jump. When the sun finally came up, I crawled into bed and crashed.”
“That sounds terrible.” I moved my hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.
“It was,” she whispered. “That’s why I’m so glad that you can stay.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. Her words turned me on. I crushed my mouth to hers, and she wrapped her hands around my neck. I easily lifted her onto the counter and stepped between her legs. I devoured her mouth, leaving her breathless. I moved onto her neck, taking little bites here and there, conscience of the fact that if I nibbled too hard, I would leave a mark on her flawless skin. This wasn’t my first rodeo, but Carly’s touch was making me feel things I’d never felt before.
I pulled my lips off her neck and leaned against the counter opposite Carly. Wouldn’t you know, the first words that came out of my mouth were, “I can fall asleep anywhere. I sleep in pajamas. Lots of girls have invited me to sleep over when their dads weren’t home and their twin brothers were out for the night.” Whoever invented this game already deserves a spot in the game Hall of Fame. Obviously Carly knew what I was referring to.
“The first one is the lie,” she said.
“Wrong. I can fall asleep just about anywhere, like cars or airplanes.”
“You don’t wear pajamas?” Her face was as red as a lobster and I imagined she was thinking about what I looked like naked.
“Wrong again. I sleep in pajama pants in the winter and an old pair of basketball shorts in the summer.”
“Then I must be the first girl who’s ever invited you to sleep over,” she said, as I nodded. “Well, it’s a first for both of us, then. You’re the first boy I’ve asked.”
“I was hoping that was the case,” I grinned.
“Actually, you’re the only boy I’ve ever invited over.”
“Really?” I asked, incredulously. “You mean to tell me that a former boyfriend never once came over to hang out or watch a movie?”
Red crept up her neck. “I’ve never had a boyfriend,” she confessed. “Boys never pay attention to me. I’m too shy and regular.”
My mouth hung open. There was nothing regular about Carly. She was smart, talented, and beautiful. There had to be a reason why guys hadn’t asked her out. I knew she didn’t have a boyfriend this past year, but I didn’t realize she’d never had a boyfriend. I sputtered the only explanation I could think of. “Maybe they’re all just scared that Drew will beat the crap out of them if they ask you out.”
She laughed. “Drew acts tough, but he’s a giant teddy bear.”
Teddy bear, my ass. He was taller and broader than I was, and I knew he could easily punch someone’s teeth out if he wanted to.
“He let you through the door,” she said.
“True that.” I really didn’t know what to believe, but I knew Drew well enough to know that he was protective of Carly and wouldn’t approve of her dating just anybody.
She yawned. “Speaking of pajamas, I’m going to go put mine on. I’ll bring you a pair of Drew’s shorts.”
I wanted to help Carly down from the counter, but I didn’t trust myself. Instead, I shoved my hands deep into my front pockets. “Okay,” I finally answered, watching her jump down. I followed her with my eyes as she left the room. I stayed in the kitchen and filled a glass of water, hoping it would cool me off. I had a feeling it was going to be a long night.
She returned a few minutes later wearing pink plaid pajama bottoms and a black T-shirt. I never knew plaid could be so hot. She handed me a pair of Drew’s shorts and told me I could change in the bathroom.
We popped in a movie and curled up on the couch. I kept my promise and nothing else happened between us. When she told me she’d never had a boyfriend before, I decided I needed to be extra careful. I didn’t want her to think I’d only agreed to stay over to get in her pants. I wanted to take things slow and get it right. Carly was giving me another chance and I refused to fuck it up.
Chapter Thirteen
Carly
“Dude, you have two seconds to get the fuck off my sister!” Drew shouted, startling Gavin and I. Our legs and arms were tangled, and we practically tripped over each other trying to stand. “Hey, are those my shorts?” I thought he was spending the night with Luke.
“Yup,” Gavin said calmly.
“I … I … we … fell asleep.” My face flushed, making me look guilty.
“You got balls, dude,” he smirked. “I like that. Standing up to me even though I come home to find the two of you spooning on the couch, wearing my shorts. I thought you were just friends.” He raised his eyebrows.
I guess the movie wasn’t that interesting considering Gavin and I had almost immediately fallen asleep. And in all honesty, I was sad things hadn’t escalated further. He didn’t even attempt to kiss me once we settled in. I sighed. I thought he liked me, but now I wasn’t so sure. Maybe he only wanted to be friends. I looked at Gavin with uncertainty.
“We’re just friends,” Gavin and I answered at the same time.
Drew studied us closely, and I felt like a caged animal. Suddenly, he burst out laughing. “You two kill me. The best part is, neither one of you has a clue.” He turned and laughed all the way up the stairs to his room, stopping halfway to remind Gavin that he wanted his shorts back—washed!
“I don’t find anything funny,” I yelled at the top of my lungs. Drew didn’t say respond, and a few seconds later I heard his door close.
“I’m sorry about that. Drew can be an ass.”
“It’s alright. I should bounce anyway. I have to tutor early in the morning.” He paused, and I waited for him to say that what he told Drew wasn’t true. That he did want to be more than friends. But he never did. “Tell Drew I’ll return his shorts by the end of the week.”
“Okay,” I said, trying not to show any emotion. Just because Drew was home now, didn’t mean I wanted Gavin to leave. Did this mean the kisses we shared hadn’t meant anything? What about all the things we’d said to each other? I was hurt by the fact that Gavin pretended the whole night hadn’t meant anything to him. I walked to the front door and opened it, hoping I could hold back the tears until he left.
“See ya,” he waved, as he made his way to the car.
“Bye, Gavin.” Why do those words seem so final? And what should I do about it?
Deciding that a shower was the perfect remedy to clear my mind and relax, I went upstairs. Turning the dial to hot, I stepped in. I didn’t understand why suddenly, Gavin only wanted to be friends and was in such a rush to get outta here. I felt my heart breaking with each drop of water. I thought he really liked me.
I’d dried off and returned to my room when I heard my cell ringing. I knew by the ring tone that it was Becca. She’d called several times while Gavin and I were at the diner, but I hadn’t felt like talking to her yet. I reached to grab it before it went to voicemail. I knew she was going to be pissed at me for ignoring her this long.
Before I could even say hello, she started yelling into the phone, “Thank God you answered! Where are you?”
“Home,” I said meekly.
“What? I thought you were lying in a ditch somewhere. Where the hell did you go tonight? Nate told me what happened, and I’ve been worried sick. You took off and I couldn’t find you anywhere. It was like you disappeared. I thought maybe someone kidnapped you, or worse. I’ve called you a million times, but you haven’t answered. What’s up with that? I even tried calling Drew to see if he knew where you were, but he didn’t answer, either. I was just getting in my car to drive over to your house to see if you were alive. Now that you’re home, I’m on my way over to kill you!” I could hear Becca start her car in the bac
kground. “You have no idea how upset I’ve been.”
Becca took a breath from her rant and I squeaked out, “I’m alive, okay!” I felt bad for making her worry, but at the same time, I was happy that I had a best friend who cared so much. “I’ll explain everything when you get here.”
“Damn straight, you will. I’ll be there in a minute,” she said, hanging up.
As soon as Becca walked through the back door, I filled her in. I told her how Gavin had come to my rescue and how we’d fallen asleep watching a movie. I apologized for not answering her calls, and she forgave me for scaring her half to death. I told her that Gavin had kissed me several times but kept his distance when we settled in to watch the movie. It still remained a mystery how we ended up wrapped in each other’s arms.
“You should’ve hit that, Car,” she said. “He’s hot as hell. What were you thinking?”
I blushed. The thought had crossed my mind, but I’d been too afraid to make a move. I didn’t have any experience with boys and I was embarrassed. Gavin’s kisses were proof that he knew what he was doing. When he pulled his lips away, I felt like a puddle lying on the kitchen floor. Maybe my lack of experience frightened him.
“I don’t know,” I said.
“Well, he’s a fucking fool for not …” Again, I knew what Becca was going to say, so I stopped her.
Nevertheless, her comment made me laugh. Becca always made me feel better about myself.
Drew walked into the kitchen wearing nothing but shorts. He must’ve been on the prowl for a late-night snack and by the looks of it, he’d just stepped out of the shower himself. His hair was still damp and he smelled like soap. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Becca’s eyes scanning his bare chest. I couldn’t believe my best friend just checked out my brother right in front of me. Gross. I remembered the night at the park when she said Drew had a great can and was hot, but I didn’t think she meant much by it. I wasn’t so sure anymore.
“Hey, Becca, did you hear that I had to break up Carly’s little sleepover?” Drew teased. “You might want to ask her about it. I wouldn’t want anyone moving in on your best-friend territory.”
Becca laughed. “Are trying to cause trouble, Drew? I’m the best friend, remember. I already know everything. I know Gavin was here just a little while ago, so shouldn’t I be the one asking you how you feel about a boy sleeping with your sister?” Becca looked at Drew, and I noticed that every once in a while, she let her eyes drift down to his abs.
“You should’ve seen their faces when I walked in and the two of them were spooning on the couch. Priceless. They jumped up so fast I think they set a new world record. They looked guilty as hell, but it was obvious they hadn’t done anything.”
What made Drew so sure? Had he read something on Gavin’s face? Could it be true that Gavin only wanted to be friends and that the kiss didn’t mean anything to him?
“How would you feel if Carly hooked up with a badass like Gavin Johnson? We all know he didn’t make a lot of friends last year,” Becca challenged.
Drew looked at me closely. “I wouldn’t have a problem with it,” his jaw tightened, “unless he hurt her.”
“Good to know.” Becca winked at me. Earlier, Becca and I had tossed around the possibility that Gavin suddenly backed off because he was afraid of Drew. Gavin didn’t strike me as the type who was afraid of anything, but if that were the case, this would be good news. It seemed Drew wouldn’t mind if Gavin and I dated after all.
Drew patted his flat stomach. “I’m hungry. What is there to eat?”
“Not much,” I replied, watching Becca to see is she was staring at Drew’s abs again, but she wasn’t. She’d stood up and was busy poking around in the fridge. I was happy that everyone was acting normal again. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel if my best friend started going out with my brother. Part of me thought it would be really great, but mostly I thought it would be weird. I reminded myself that Becca had a boyfriend right now anyway, and she seemed to really like him.
“How about we make waffles with strawberries and whipped cream? It looks like you have everything we need,” she said, pulling the contents out.
“Sounds good to me.” I got the waffle mix and the waffle iron out of the pantry.
Once the waffles were served, I strategically sat between Becca and Drew, my waffle drenched in syrup and piled high with strawberries and a mountain of whipped cream.
“Hey, save some whipped cream for the rest of us,” Becca said, reaching around me to grab the can.
Laughing, she squirted an even bigger mountain of whipped cream onto her creation.
“Can you pass it to me when you’re done?” asked Drew, eyeing the ridiculous amount of whipped cream on our plates.
“Sure,” she smiled sweetly. She pretended to hand him the can, and then sprayed it in his face instead.
“I’m going to get you for that,” he shouted, jumping off his stool and knocking it over. He chased her around the kitchen while she continued to spray him, laughing her head off.
“Car, help me!” she squealed, as Drew made a grab for her.
I ran up behind him and jumped on his back. He missed Becca, but he managed to grab her plate off the counter instead. I knew what he was thinking, and it wasn’t a twin thing either.
“I’m about to get even,” he cackled. And just as predicted, he scooped up a handful of whipped cream and strawberries from her plate and launched it at Becca’s face.
She laughed and stuck out her tongue to lick off what she could reach. “Yum, this is really good.”
Drew reached around and easily pulled me off his back. I shrieked but before I could stop him, he had my plate in his hand.
“No, Drew, don’t,” I begged.
“This is for trying to help your BFF.” He grinned wickedly, smashing the plate and its contents in my face.
“Ugh!” I wiped the cream out of my eyes before joining Drew and Becca in the food fight.
By the time the last waffle was thrown, the kitchen was a mess. Whipped cream, maple syrup, strawberries, and waffles smeared every surface. The three of us sat on the floor, laughing and licking our delicious wounds. “This place hasn’t looked this bad since we were in middle school and had a food fight with cookie dough,” I said.
“I remember that day. If I recall, I won that battle too,” he said smugly.
“You didn’t win then, and you didn’t win now,” retorted Becca, picking a strawberry out of Drew’s hair and showing it to him. He grabbed it out of her hand and happily shoved it into his mouth.
“The truth is, we’re all losers, because now we have to clean the kitchen,” I said.
“And I have to shower again,” groaned Drew, running his hand through his sticky hair.
By the time we finished sanitizing the place, it was well into the night, which I had originally planned on spending alone with Gavin, but this turned out to be a fun alternative. Finally, with Becca, not Gavin, by my side, I dozed off.
The sun peeked through the curtains in my room, waking me. My alarm clock showed it was already past noon. Becca was sound asleep, so I nudged her awake. After everything that happened last night, I wanted to stay home and hang low, but Becca wouldn’t hear of it. She said it was important for me to put on a brave face and carry on, which included spending the afternoon by the pool. The only reason I agreed to go was because she assured me Nathan had the day off. I really wasn’t in the mood to face that disaster today. The wounds were too fresh.
As I baked in the sun, I replayed the night’s events over and over again in my head. I discovered that I was more upset about learning Gavin liked me and then simultaneously losing him than I was about the situation with the band … although I was plenty pissed about that too.
“Am I ugly?” I asked Becca, who sat reading a magazine on the towel next to me. “And tell me the truth.” Usually I was content with my lot in life—wavy brown hair, brown eyes, average height, but this thing, or lack of a thing, with Gavin
had me questioning everything.
Becca sat up, flinging her magazine to the side, and pierced me with a strange look. “Are you on crack? Of course you’re not ugly. Have you ever looked in a mirror? You’re gorgeous.”
“Then why haven’t I ever had a boyfriend? And why did Gavin run off last night?” I needed answers and so far nothing I’d come up with made any sense. “Something must be wrong with me.”
“Nothing is wrong with you. And I’ve seen the way Gavin looks at you. He thinks you’re hot. All the boys do. They stare at you when you walk down the hall; you just don’t notice.”
“No, they don’t. You’re just saying that to make me feel better,” I pouted.
“I am not. It’s true. Lucas especially can’t keep his eyes off your ass. Why do you think Drew’s always hitting him on the back of the head whenever you’re around?”
“I thought they always did that.”
“Nope. It’s because he doesn’t like Lucas looking at you like that.” I drew my eyebrows together. Lucas stares at my butt? The thought intrigued me.
I opened my mouth to argue, but Becca continued. “And Lucas isn’t the only one who checks you out when you’re not looking.”
“If that’s really true, then why hasn’t anyone ever asked me out?” This conversation wasn’t making any sense. “Is it because of Drew?” I was sure it wasn’t, but I had to ask.
“I’m pretty sure it’s not because of Drew.”
“Then what is it?” I couldn’t imagine what it was about me that guys found so unattractive.
“It’s because they think you’re unapproachable.”
“Unapproachable? What does that even mean?” I pushed my sunglasses onto my head so I could look Becca in the eye. Becca was speaking her own language again.
“I just read about it. It means that guys are afraid to ask you out because they know you’ll say no. They’re smart enough to realize that you’re too good for them. And let’s be honest—you are. Most of the guys at school only want to get laid. They aren’t interested in having a relationship. Believe me, I know.”
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