Page 44 of In The Weeds
I knew it. I fuckingknew it. Every single time Harper has had that look on her face, it’s been because of one man. A stupid fuckboy with blonde highlights and a fucking puka shell necklace. “What did he say to her?”
Nessa sighs. “I don’t - “
I make a frustrated sound into the phone.
“He told her she’s only fling material,” she whispers, like if she says it quietly, I won’t turn into a giant ball of rage. Too late for that. “He said that she’s a lot of fun, but that’s it.”
I take a deep breath in. Let it out slowly. I tap the speaker button and pull up my text messages.
“I already keyed his car twice, but I’m pretty sure Dane is onto me.” Nessa hesitates. “What are you doing?”
“I’m texting,” I say.
“Who are you texting?”
“Luka.”
“You guys cannot do that thing you do where you hide in the bushes in camouflage and jump out with baseball bats. You could give him a heart attack, and Dane told you he’d arrest you if you do it again.” She makes an amused sound under her breath that she does her best to hide. “I don’t have the bail money for you this month.”
I brace my hands on the edge of the dresser and flex my fingers twice. She’s right. Dane did threaten to arrest us after the last time.
And I’m pretty sure we used the last of Stella’s face paint.
“Okay.” I tap out of my text messages. It would take too long for Luka to get here anyway.
“Okay? That’s it?”
“Mmhmm,” I hum. Comet and Vixen poke their heads into my room, see the look on my face, and quickly scamper away.
“What are you planning?”
“Nothing.” I keep my voice carefully neutral. I’m planning on going down to the bar and slamming Carter’s face into a basket of french fries fifteen times in a row. Then I’ll have a burger with a beer and come home. Maybe I’ll get one of those veggie sandwiches Evelyn seems to like so much.
“Okay,” she blows out a deep breath. “Okay, I don’t believe you. But okay.”
“Okay,” I parrot back, looking for my car keys. I could have sworn I left them on top of my dresser. I stomp out of the bedroom, almost mowing down Evelyn on my way into the kitchen. She grabs at my arms to keep herself upright, a startled sound spilling out of her.
“Shit, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she says, her nose against my neck. I slip the hand not holding my phone from between her shoulder blades to the small of her back, palm dragging down her spine as I make sure she’s steady. I suck in a sharp breath when my fingers graze bare skin. Her shirt must have gotten caught between us.
She answers with a shaky sigh against me, fingertips digging just slightly into my skin. Her nose nudges up, the brush of her lips just below my ear. My entire body goes rigid.
“Beckett Porter, do you have a WOMAN OVER?” Vanessa’s voice shrieks through the phone directly into my ear.
“Gotta go, Ness.”
“Do not hang up, you—“
I hang up the phone and slip it into my back pocket, leaning back and looking down at Evelyn plastered against my front. She’s cleaned the dirt off of her face and all that’s left is a rosy glow from a day spent outside, her hair curling at the edges. I thumb a strand behind her ear.
That’s twice today I haven’t been able to keep my hands off of her. I feel trapped between holding her at a safe distance and tugging her closer. A pendulum swinging endlessly back and forth.
I step back and clear my throat. I scoop my keys off the kitchen counter and try to scoop some of the feelings playing Plinko inside of my chest back where they belong.
“Going somewhere?”
“Yep.” My lips pop the last letter of the word, irritation slithering through me when I think about Carter. That fucking idiot. I frown and glance at the two chairs on the back porch, our dinner plans never discussed but a new habit, all the same. “Want a veggie sandwich while I’m out?”
