“Have you seen some parks after a good rain? Some need new draining in sections. Let’s hope this is not the case here. Otherwise, this could be way more work than we want to get into.”
I curl my lip. I was not in the mood for any more work, especially if only two of us showed up. We might as well slap a big F on this thing right now. And if I get an F, what will that mean for my future? I won’t be taking those college classes like my parents want me to, that’s for sure. I can’t bear to see my parents looking at me like I’m a failure.
Austin nudges me as we walk toward the spot where we plan on building. “You have that glum expression again. Everything is going to be okay. I promise.”
I stop walking and stare at him. “How can you say something like that? You can’t promise this will be fixed. You know as well as I do this is a disaster.”
Austin turns and continues walking backward. “Adaline Bea Frost, the girl with the most interesting name ever. I promise I won’t let you down. Not again. Now, quit scowling at me and get over here.”
He calls my name interesting, and for the first time ever I find myself liking my name. Strange. Argh. What am I saying? This is a no. This is how he pulls me in, and then I’ll be pining after him again.
I reluctantly walk over to where he is but refuse to look at him.
“Well, the ground seems solid. No soft spots. Go check that side.” He directs me near a set of trees to the left of us.
I don’t see any mud puddles, but according to him, that means diddly squat. I walk the path, and my shoe is instantly soggy. I pull out my tennis shoe and make a face. Mushy mud cakes it. I say, “Gawh! This is gross!”
Austin snickers. “Did you find a spot?” He runs over still chuckling. “Oh, yeah. Didn’t you see the grass is two different shades?”
“I don’t find this funny.” I’m about to shake off the mud from my sneaker on him like a dog shakes out its wet fur. Bet he’d stop laughing then.
As I imagine him squirming and getting all ticked ‘cause mud landed on his face, shirt, and jeans a giggle pops out of my mouth. Then I suddenly squeal as he scoops me up and pulls me away from the squishy ground.
“What are you doing? Put me down!” I demand.
Austin is still laughing. “It’s fine. Hold still, or you might have your ass covered in mud too. I don’t want to drop you.”
“I can walk, Austin.” His face is so close to mine. I don’t like this position; I also don’t hate it either. From here I can easily kiss him. I can count every stray freckle. I can see the stubble growing along his jawline. And don’t get me started on his scent. Man, why does he have to smell so good? Like rainwater and lemons.
He smiles. “You okay there? I don’t want you to fall asleep on me.”
“I didn’t fall asleep.”
“Your eyes were closed.” He sets me down on a bench far from the spot where we were. “Give me your shoe.”
“No.” I remember this trick when we were kids. He stole my shoe and threw it up in a tree. I had to climb it to get it back down. I’m not doing that again.
He shakes his head. “So stubborn.” He yanks my sneaker off my foot.
“Hey! You better put that back on my foot, Austin, or I’ll find a stick to beat you with.”
He looks back at me with an amused expression. “Testy. I’ll be right back. Just stay put. Please.”
I hobble off the bench. “You come back with my footwear.”
“For the love of it, will you go sit your ass down? I will bring back your precious shoe in a second. Trust, just a little is all I’m asking here, Ads. Now, go sit down. We all know how you are in one-legged races.”
I flush at his words and hop back to the bench. I plop down with my arms folded and sneer at his backside. Austin was a dirty cheat in that race when we were kids. He tripped me right before I hit the finish line.
A few minutes later, Austin returns with a white and pink sneaker free of any mud. He kneels in front of me and says, “All right, Cinderella, let’s get you your slipper.”
I slide my foot into my shoe, and he laces it up and ties it. I’m gushing at this silly moment. At the same time, I want to put my wall up and yell at him that I’m not five and can tie my own darn shoes. I don’t want to fall for him again, but it’s becoming more and more difficult when he keeps doing stuff like this. I need a new strategy.
“I uh … gotta go,” I say as he gently releases my foot.
He gives me a puzzled look and says, “How are you getting home?”
“Bus.”
“The hell you are. Come on.”
I shake my head. “I can take the bus.”
He stands up and extends his hand out to me. “You aren’t taking a bus.”
“I really—”
“I said no.” He leans in and takes my hand then pulls me, so I’m next to him. “Get a move on, or I’ll carry you. Either way, I’m not letting you ride a bus.”
Did I ever mention he’s the most persistent person I’ve ever encountered, and sometimes it can be really annoying? Like now. He’s getting on my nerves. Why can’t he just let me be? Doesn’t he know I need this space to clear my head and my heart? There’s gotta be some way out of working with him. Has to be. Otherwise, my heart is in total trouble.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Austin
Adaline is so set in her ways. Sometimes it drives me crazy. Sue me—I don’t want the girl I like a lot to ride a freaking bus. I know what types of people are on the bus. They live in my section of town. Those people don’t need to be anywhere near someone as sweet and innocent as Adaline.
As I close the passenger door, I walk over to the driver’s side and pause when my cell rings. I slip it out of my jeans and hit answer on the unknown caller. “Hello?”
“I’m looking for an Austin Reed.”
If this is a bill collector, so help me, I’m not in the mood. “Yes.” I walk away from my car in case that’s what this happens to be. I can’t have Adaline overhearing me.
“Joe called me. Told me you were the hardest working kid he’s had at the shop. Said you needed some work. Are you interested?”
“Uh, sure. Who is this again?”
The guy laughs. “Sorry, I’ve been so busy around here I thought I said my name. I’m Harvey. I have a shop just outside of Riverside. Are you able to come in today?”
“Yeah. You fixed my friend Jared’s truck?” I start to return to my car with a smile.
“I did. You know my shop then, that’s good. What time can I expect you?”
I throw a fist in the air and smile. “I can get there in thirty minutes.” Finally, my luck is starting to change.
“All right.” We hang up, and I slide into my car.
“Was that good news or something?” Adaline says from the passenger seat.
I shrug. “It was good. Why?”
“You’ve been looking stressed out lately,” she says as she looks away from me.
Stressed? Of course, I am. “I’m fine.”
I catch the slight lift of her shoulders from the corner of my eyes. “You’re such a liar.”
“I’m not stressed.”
“Bull. Anyone with your life would be stressed out. Austin, it’s me. I know what you are going through.”
I know she’s trying to help, but her words tick me off. “You know what I’m going through, do you? Tell me something, Adaline, have you ever had to worry about if this is the day someone will evict you? Have you ever had to worry about having hot water in the morning? Or even heat during the winter?” She doesn’t say a word, so I continue. “That’s what I thought. Face it, Ads, you live in a palace. You don’t have shit to worry about. I have to deal with this crap on the daily, and my home is far from luxury. So never, ever, tell me you know anything of what I’m going through.”
“I only meant—”
“I know what you meant. Everyone says the same shit to me. Just be lucky it’s not how you live.”
I
glance over at her in time for her to dart her eyes out the side window. “I’m sorry. I won’t ask again,” she mumbles.
My shoulders slump. Way to wreck any progress you made with the girl. I keep driving to her house in silence.
She hops out of my vehicle as if the thing is on fire. I don’t bother getting out because she’s almost at her front door. I do wait until she enters her house. After that, I hightail it out of there. No use sitting around waiting.
I drive to the garage where I am now going to be working. Joe’s garage wasn’t the nicest joint. Some of the windows were different colors. Not on purpose. I think he was just fixing it cheap. There were a few times I was worried a skinny kid like me would become someone’s lunch. So I’m happy that this new place is on the better side of town.
The garage I pull up to is packed, hardly any parking left in the lot. The other thing I notice is how nice the outside of the shop looks.
I step out with my coveralls and boots in my hand and walk in through the main door. What I assume are customers in business attire and way better clothes than me look over at me. One lady sneers as if I was gum on the bottom of her fancy heels. Great. Country club types come here.
A girl behind the desk whips away from me with a yellow slip in her hand and says, “Just a second.”
“No problem.”
Her red hair swishes from one side to the other as she spins in her chair to a sliding glass window. She jostles it open and shouts, “Yo. Harv. Your newbie is here.”
She slams the window shut then looks back at me. “He’ll be with you.”
As I stand there waiting, she works away on her computer or whatever. She looks a little older, like she may have already graduated from college, or is attending it. Not sure. Somewhere in there, though. I definitely wouldn’t peg her for a high school student because she’s got a small sign of crow’s feet at the edges of her eyes.
“Hey, you must be Austin.” A fairly tall man says in a gruff voice. He wipes his hands on the rag then sticks one out at me. I grab and shake like I should.
“Come with me,” he says. He leads me to a door past the customers and off to the side. I assume we are going to his office, but he redirects me to a break room of some sort. “I’m Harvey, where do you go to school at? You look a little young.”
“Riverside High.”
He takes a seat at a table and motions for me to do the same. “My nieces go there.”
“Yeah, what’re their names?”
“Valentine. Juliet and Layla.”
I almost topple out of my chair. “Wait a second. Juliet and Layla Valentine, yeah, I know them.”
He laughs. “Joe and I have been friends for a long time. Anyway, he said business has been a little slow lately, and he didn’t have any work for you. But you were a great worker and since I’m in need of some more hands to give you a call.”
I run my hands through my hair. “Joe is really great.”
“So, are you okay with working from 5:00 to close. We close up around 8:00 Monday through Friday and at 9:00 on Saturday. We don’t work Sundays because that’s the Lord’s day. Does this sound like a schedule that fits yours?”
It does, but also it doesn’t. I’m not going to be able to help with the class project Monday to Friday, and Adaline is gung-ho set on her schedule. But my mom and I need the income. “It’ll work. I’ll be here,” I say.
Harvey stands up and shakes my hand. Great. Let’s get the paperwork started.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Adaline
The weekend feels like a blessing and a nightmare all rolled in one. I can sleep in past seven, so it’s a blessing. My mom gets to harp on me about my college choices, so it’s a nightmare. I just don’t want to deal with it today.
“Adaline, we need to have a discussion about this. We’ve got to figure out your options now, so you can focus on the things you need to do to get there. Instead of going about it blindly like everyone else does. If we wait until you’re a senior, it’s too late. And technically, you are taking senior courses now,” my mom says as she waves her top college choices in my face as I enter the kitchen heading to the coffee pot.
I want to groan at her and tell her coffee first, everything else second. But she’s not letting up. “Are you going to talk to me about this?”
I give her side-eyes. “I just woke up. Give me a minute.”
“Fine. I suppose your future has a minute.”
I swear she acts like my future is on a time-bomb, like if I don’t have a decision right this second, it will blow up. I pour coffee into a cup and start drinking as I walk around my mom. She’s following me into each room I enter. I take a seat on the couch and flick on the TV.
“Really? Adaline, I’m trying to talk about your life, and you want to watch reality TV?”
I set my mug down and turn to her. “Mom, I love you, but you need to back off. It’s too much.”
She frowns. “I want what’s best for you. That Reed boy, I fear, is a distraction for you.”
“Austin is not even an issue. We just have to do a project together.” It’s not a total lie. Austin made it clear he doesn’t want me involved in his life. So I’m not. “Since the first day of my junior year you’ve been on my case about choosing a college.” I just don’t want to think about it. I don’t want to make this so final.
My mom sets down her college books and sighs. “You’re right. I guess I’ve been a little harsh on you.” I give her the “ya think” look. “Okay. Way harsh. I just know how these things go. Your cousin is a prime example. She waited until the last minute to decide where she wanted to go and got waitlisted. I don’t want that to be your same mistake.”
I pat her leg and smile. “I promise I will let you know where I want to visit before spring break.”
“Okay. Can you do me a favor, though? Can you at least look? Show me you are doing your research.”
I nod and go back to enjoying my coffee. As soon as she leaves the room I push the book aside. My phone rings, jolting me, scaring the crap out of me. I answer it without checking the screen. “Hello?”
“Oh, you’re up. Great. Want to hang out today? I feel like we hardly see each other,” Juliet says.
“Hi. Yeah. Okay. I’m currently slumming it in my PJs,” I say as I glance down at my comfy sweats.
“That’s cool. I’m in bum mode too. Wanna hang out at my place or the book café?”
“Ooooh, good question. Hmmm. Will you still be in bum mode if we go to the book café? I’ll be honest, I don’t feel like changing out of this plush of comf yet.”
She laughs. “Totally. We can rock the just-waking-up look. Although to be fair, I had a game this morning, so this is actually my relax gear.”
“Sorry I missed it. How did you all do?”
“We won. I scored a few times.”
“Why do you sound so depressed?” I ask.
“It’s nothing. I’ll be at your house in ten. Cool?”
“Yep.”
We hang up, and I can’t help thinking my friend is keeping something from me.
“Want to stop at the mall before we go to the book café?” Juliet asks as we drive farther from my house.
“Um, no. I look like I came straight out of a twister.”
She looks over at me and smiles. “Me too. Who cares though, right? I gotta get something for … ” she fake coughs, “tonight.”
I roll my eyes. “What’s with the cough-tonight crap? What are you trying to do, Juliet?”
“I want to say. I really do, but I can’t.”
“Why?”
She turns the wheel of her Wrangler and into the entrance of the mall. Once she finds a parking spot, she hops out. I reluctantly do the same. We enter one of the side doors leading us down a mostly deserted hallway aside from some stray candy machines which probably has ten-year-old candy inside them. Gross.
Juliet heads directly into Express. I raise a brow. “Um, so why are we in here? You never wore anyt
hing from here before. Oh, did Layla con you into getting her a top for her again?” That would make sense.
“No. I … uh … there’s this party tonight, and I don’t know. I want to look hot or hotter for Jared. Most of the in crowd wears this kind of stuff, so I figured it was the best place to start.”
I glare at Juliet. “Please tell me this is not a repeat Mark thing. I will punch Jared right in his nose if it is.”
“What? No. I’m doing this because I want to. Not because he said or did anything. He loves my wardrobe.”
I study her a little more then nod. “All right.” Mark, her ex-boyfriend, the douchewad who turned Austin against me when we were kids. He told her she should start dressing sexier so his friends wouldn’t rag on him. So, Juliet started wearing makeup, not a lot, like blush and lip gloss and mascara. Before Mark, she wouldn’t touch things like blush and mascara. Hell, the girl barely plucked her eyebrows. I had to do that for her, otherwise she might be walking around with two caterpillars stuck on her face.
I like Jared. He’s good for Juliet. He always makes sure she’s happy, and I for one am glad of that. I’m worried she’s trying to change, when he likes her for who she is now. I think the vultures at our school may be getting to her. The ones who are waiting for her and Jared to break up, so they can swoop in and date him.
I pick up a pink lacey top and say, “What about this?”
She sticks her tongue out. “You know I don’t like pink. That’s something Layla would wear.” Exactly.
I find the same top in black and cream. “How about these, then?”
“I like the black one. What do you think, though? Should I get something different?”
“Considering this is way different than you normally wear, I think you should probably keep one thing the same.”
She nods. “Good thinking. What size do you have?”
“Small.”
She grabs it from me and walks toward the changing rooms. “I’ll be back.”
I pretend to look through the clothes on the rack where I’m standing. A woman with a short, blond bob says, “Is there something you’re looking for that I can help you find?”
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