“He is gorgeous,” Piper says when she catches me looking in Zeke’s direction.
“Piper,” Dalton warns. His jealousy is clear, and it makes me smile—the first genuine smile I’ve managed all day. “I’ll spank your ass right here in front of everyone.”
My jaw snaps closed as Piper giggles. My best friend doesn’t giggle. What in the world is going on? I look over at Dalton, ready to claw his eyes out, but his threat isn’t filled with malice I realize when I see the heat in his eyes.
One of the other girls at the table clears her throat. “Do you guys need a moment alone?”
A slow smile spreads across Dalton’s face, and my friend winks at him—a promise for later—and things go back to normal. Well, as normal as they can be with the guy I gave everything to a mere twenty feet away and treating me like I never existed.Chapter 33Zeke
I scrape a hand over my face, grunting when my duffel bag slips off my shoulder and catches in the crook of my arm. I should turn around and leave. Today at school was miserable, and now I’m standing on Frankie’s front porch like an idiot too afraid to knock and come face-to-face with her.
“Sleeping in my truck wasn’t so ba—”
I snap my mouth shut when the front door swings open.
A tall, slender man with the same color hair as Frankie looks down at me, clearly unimpressed with me standing on his front porch.
“Hi. Mr. Young?” I stretch my hand out. “I’m Ezekiel Benson. My mom—”
“I know who you are,” he interrupts, turning to go back inside without reaching for my hand.
At least he leaves the door open for me. From the way he looked down at me like I’m something he’d prefer to scrape off the bottom of his shoe, I wouldn’t be surprised if he slammed the door in my face and refused to let me inside.
I swallow thickly, ready to apologize for everything I said to Frankie this summer since it’s clear she must’ve told her parents about how I treated her. I never considered she’d out me to her parents when she never breathed a word of it to Mrs. Jacobson, but maybe she’s close to her parents.
“Come on in, Ezekiel. Let’s go over some ground rules.”
I slide the strap of my bag off my shoulder and leave it near the front door. There’s no sense in carrying it in further on the off chance he makes me leave soon.
“Zeke, please,” I offer as I follow him into the kitchen.
Mr. Young takes a can of soda from the fridge and grabs a bag of chips off the counter before placing them down in front of me. I don’t bother reaching for either because I don’t deserve the man’s hospitality, even if it seems forced.
But then he uses the tip of one finger to push the can of soda closer, and not wanting to be disrespectful, I thank him and pop the top, using the silence as I take a long drink as a buffer.
“I’m going to be up front with you, Zeke. I don’t want you here.”
That was evident the very first time you laid eyes on me.
“Martha and I spend a lot of time away for work, and I don’t think it’s appropriate for you and my daughter to be left alone for long periods of time.”
Excitement fills my blood at the prospect of having unsupervised nights alone in this house with Frankie. Maybe Westover won’t be so bad.
“But I’m told you’re a respectful young man.” His eyes search mine for that truth, and since I don’t want to do anything to keep him from leaving me alone with his daughter, I give him a small smile that I hope translates as agreement.
“Yes, sir.”
“And to remain a respectful young man with permission to be in my house, I expect you to keep your hands off of my daughter.”
“Of course, sir.”
Is it possible that Frankie didn’t mention my asshole ways to them? All he seems concerned about is me not sneaking into her room at night for a little action between the sheets.
I clear my throat, trying to push those thoughts out of my head. He will definitely know I’m lying if he notices the bulge growing in my jeans.
“Did you date her while she was in Utah?”
Is it getting hot in here?
I take another sip of soda before answering as honestly as I can without giving too many details.
“We went to the county fair.” He glares at me. “As friends. She’s a lovely girl.”
“She is,” he agrees. “But she’s off-limit—”
He stands straighter, and until he does, I don’t realize that he was leaning in closer to me, an attempt at being intimidating I’m sure, but the front door opening keeps him from finishing his warning.
Frankie walks inside of the house, and I catch a glimpse of her pretty face before she notices me. It’s why it’s so easy for me to read her emotions. Her dad doesn’t want me here and from the glare in her eyes, it’s clear she doesn’t want me here either.