In Your Heart - Smeltzer Micalea - Страница 21
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I’d asked Ezra if they hurt once and he said it looked worse than it felt.
“How was your tour?” I asked.
“Fun,” he grinned.
I chose not to comment. I’d heard stories of what Hayes did on tour and most of them involved him getting naked with groupies.
“I wish I could’ve gone to a show.” I’d been planning to attend their concert in D.C. at the Verizon Center, and maybe two others in Virginia, during their Coming Home tour, but after the blow up at New Year’s I’d decided it was best not to go. I’d seen them in concert plenty of times, though, and the excited rush I felt never diminished.
“There’s always next time.” Hayes winked, his arm bumping into mine as he drew closer to me.
“Yeah—” I started to say, but the word quickly turned into a scream when someone cannonballed into the pool right behind me, drenching my upper body which had remained dry up until this point. I turned, ready to go off on the ignorant asshole, when Ezra surfaced beside me. “Ezra?” I asked. “What the hell are you doing?”
He shook his head, sending water droplets flying. “I was hot, so I’m cooling off.”
I was tempted to shove him under water. I glared at him, my tongue working behind my closed mouth as I tried to form words. “You’re ridiculous,” I finally settled on. With an apologetic smile thrown in Hayes’ direction, I said, “Excuse me.”
I swam to the steps and climbed out of the pool. I rang out my hair, heading for the side of the house. I needed a moment to collect myself before I hit my best friend. His odd behavior the past few days, coupled with his obvious attempt to disrupt my conversation with Hayes, was more than enough to piss me off. And let’s face it, with all the shit thrown my way lately I was already a little testy.
I’d barely rounded the house when a warm hand caught my elbow. Tiny little pinpricks zinged down my spine and I knew before I turned around who would be standing there.
“Let me go.” I jerked my arm from his grasp and he did.
I glared at Ezra, letting him see the anger simmering in my eyes.
His bronzed chest glimmered in the sunlight from the reflection of the water droplets and his flowered board shorts hung dangerously low on his hips, enhancing the V shaped muscle that disappeared beneath along with the trail of dark hair.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I snapped at him, my tone venomous as I crossed my arms over my chest. “Because from where I’m standing you’re acting like a five year old.”
He looked away from me, a muscle in his jaw ticking. He turned back, lowering his face into his hands. He let out a small groan. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing,” he admitted.
“You cannot tell me that you want nothing more than friendship from me and then get into a pissing contest. This isn’t high school. This is my life.” I stared him down, daring him to dispute me. “I’ve been through a lot in the last few years, especially the last few weeks, and I don’t need to be worried about my best friend hating me for trying to rebuild my life.”
“I know,” he hung his head in shame, “I’m sorry.”
“I’ll call my brother tomorrow and see if I can crash on his couch. I’ll be out of your way,” I vowed. I felt like living with him was only serving to bother him more. The close quarters were wearing thin for both of us because they only served to intensify the attraction between us.
“No,” he said adamantly, shaking his head, “that’s not necessary. I’ll get my shit together. I promise.”
I stared at him, calculating the sincerity in his words. Finally, I nodded. “Okay, I believe you.” Anytime Ezra had made me a promise in the past he’d always kept it.
He swallowed thickly and took a deep breath. His lips lifted in a slow smile of relief. “Let’s pretend the last few days didn’t happen.”
“I can do that.” I smiled and his shoulders relaxed.
He rubbed his hands together and pointed over his shoulder. “I guess we should get back over there.”
I nodded and followed him. We’d no more than rounded the house until we bumped into Hayes. He gave us each a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head.
“I thought I should come check on you in case you guys were trying to claw each other’s eyes out or something.” He shrugged, letting his hand drop.
I lifted my hands and wiggled my fingers. “No claws. See?” I joked, hoping to ease the tension.
It seemed to help as both of the guys relaxed.
“I’m going to go see Emma.” I nodded towards the cabanas. Before either of them could reply I ran off. I hoped if I left them alone for a bit that it would help ease the awkwardness between them that was my fault.
I found Emma and Maddox in one of the various cabanas along with Remy and Mathias.
Remy and Mathias shared one of the lounge chairs with her sitting in front of him. Mathias rubbed her shoulders and she relaxed against him.
Maddox and Emma occupied two of the other chairs, quietly talking together. They looked up when I entered and I grabbed one of the regular chairs and pulled it over to Emma’s side.
Her blonde curly hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun and she was wearing a cute pale blue floral bikini set. The top came down farther on her midriff, reminding me of a corset.
“We saw what happened.” She said immediately, refusing to let me skirt over the events of a few minutes ago.
I sighed, propping my feet up on her lounger. She made no move to push them away.
I sat back, weighing my words. “You know Hayes asked me on a date,” I started, “and Ezra has been weird since then. This was the culmination of that. I think everything’s settled now, though.” I shrugged.
“Settled?” She repeated and Maddox leaned forward to peer at me around her.
He lifted his black Ray Bans to the top of his head. “I’ve never seen Ezra act like this before and I’ve known him since we were little.”
Emma turned to look at him and then back at me. “We’ve noticed things…”
“Oh my God,” I groaned dramatically, “here we go again. Ezra and I don’t like each other like that. Stop trying to make something out of nothing. It’s annoying.”
“I think you guys would make a cute couple.” Remy piped in behind me and I heard Mathias chuckle.
I ignored those two, remaining focused on Emma and Maddox.
Emma looked at me pityingly. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”
I glared out at the pool and away from my friend. When I looked back at her I let out a sigh. “It is what it is.”
I jumped when Mathias yelled behind me, “Collin, stop that!”
I looked over to see a kid of about six or seven running after people, squirting them with a water gun. I’d never met him before and I was confused as to why Mathias would be calling him out.
I swiveled around in my chair to look at the brooding lead singer. His lips were pursed in a snarl as he pointed a finger in warning at the boy.
“Who’s Collin?” I asked.
Mathias hands fell to Remy’s exposed baby bump. She was dressed in a white bikini with a crocheted black tank top that covered her top half. A floppy hat was perched on her head and when she turned to look at me it smacked Mathias in the face. He laughed and reached up to remove it, smoothing down her ruffled blonde hair with a stroke of his fingers. I never thought I’d see the day where Mathias was a loving and doting husband. It was weird, but a good weird.
“He’s my little brother,” Mathias replied, returning to massaging Remy’s shoulders. “I signed up with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program a while back and they assigned Collin as my Little Brother,” he explained. “His mom had to work today, so I offered to watch him so that she didn’t have to pay a babysitter.”
“That’s…nice of you.” I mumbled, shocked that those words had left my lips.
He smiled, ducking his head. “I can be nice when I want to be.”
Remy reached back, rubbing his thigh. “Go get in the pool with him. He’s restless.”
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