"How am I so different? Is it because I don't melt the minute you look my way? You've known me for three days and have yet to see me naked? Different like that?" I stopped at the cross street and looked to my left and right.
"It's to your right. Tucked away right here." He took my elbow and turned us, ignoring my question. "What kind of movie do you girls like?"
"Chick flicks, mysteries, porn." I shrugged and walked beside him as I kept my eyes ahead of me. I'd almost embarrassed the hell out of myself by running into a pole in front of him. The last thing I needed was to owe him something for saving my ass again. He'd done it twice already.
"Hmm...porn sounds fun. It's been years since I've seen one. I bet money with the cinematography and stuff that they're pretty awesome nowadays."
"Do you really expect me to believe that you haven't seen a porn recently?" I shook my head, unable to pull myself back from being a complete ass. What the fuck was I doing? This wasn't me. My need to protect myself was working overtime.
"No need to watch one on TV when you live it every night, right?" He gave me a “fuck you, too,” smirk and held the door open. "Pick out whatever you want and I'll get it. The guys won't let me live it down if I don't, not that any of that should be your concern."
He walked down the aisle farthest from me, and my stomach dropped. I owed him an apology. I hadn't acted this shitty since I was a teenager with raging hormones. Following him down the horror aisle, I picked up Friday the 13th and turned it over.
"I've seen this one lots of times, but it's always a good scary date-night movie." I glanced up, thinking he might have given me a smile or a shitty comment over me calling the evening a “date-night.” Nothing. "Okay, so let's get it."
"Yep. And let's get this." He handed me The Notebook and walked toward the front, not giving me a second glance.
"Really? I'm not sure your friends would be too hip on a sappy love story."
"It's far more than that." He glanced over his shoulder as he pulled his wallet out. "Not that I'd know. I was too busy making out the 10,000 times I've seen it, but the opening scene is pretty good. Hooks you right away."
The sarcasm in his voice was hard to swallow. He was pissed that I was being so judgmental, and I could understand it all too clearly. I hated being judged for anything and by anyone. Nothing felt more condemning. He might deserve it, but it wasn't my place to give it.
The cute blonde cashier’s face lit up as Brody walked just in front of me.
"Hey, you. Where were you?" She pushed at his chest as her smile lifted to her eyes. "You push me in the lake and disappear. What are you, 10?"
He chuckled. "Naw. I like the courtship to go slow, and you were...aggressive that day. Just figured I'd cool you off a little."
I stopped beside him, having half the mind to reach over and wrap my arm around his back like he meant something to me.
Her eyes moved toward me as she picked up the movies and started to scan them. Her cute smile faltered, and some part of me loved it.
"Who...who's this?" She said like I wasn't there.
Brody glanced down at me and back to her. "Oh, this is my sister, Kelly. She's here for a few days, and we're hanging out tonight, but I should be done around 11 if you're off by then?"
"Yeah. I will be." The girl extended her hand to me. "Hi, Kelly. I'm Tanya."
I shook her hand as warmth coated my chest and rose up my cheeks. Had the cock beside me really just called me his sister?
"Nice to meet you." I took the movies from her and walked to the door as Brody finished making his plans for the night. Asshole. He was exactly the guy I thought him to be. That I would even began to feel bad over my thoughts was sickening.
"Alright. One chick-flick and one scary movie for those in the group with someone to cuddle up to." He put his wallet in his pocket and glanced over at me. "You want me to carry those?"
"Nope. Your little sister has it." I kept my voice flat.
"Little? You definitely look older than me." He chuckled and moved back as I swatted at him.
"You're a pig, you know that?" I gave him a sideways glance before turning back toward the house.
"Why? I was just kidding. You know you're the hottest girl in this town. Stop getting offended so easily. You're wearing your emotions on your shoulders. That never works well for people like us." He reached out and pulled me closer, helping me to avoid the bikers coming our way.
"People like us?" I huffed and hugged the movies to my chest. "I'm nothing like you."
"No?" He jogged up the steps to the house, pulling the door open. "Maybe not. I guess I would need to know you a little better before imposing my own assumptions about you. Otherwise, I'm just being a complete ass, right?"
"Asshole." I walked into the house, clearly getting his underlying hints. He wasn't the only one being an ass. I was, too.