“No, I’m good. Go eat and rest before work.” When she looked back at me, I could see on her face she wanted to say more, not about the texts or girls, but about life stuff in general.
She hated that I worked. She didn’t want me to have to be the one to provide for her. I lost count of how many times she’d said this. But she’d worked her ass off for so long so we had a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs, and clothes on our backs. I might not have had a lot of superficially things while growing up, but the one thing she always made sure I had an abundance of was the knowledge of how much she loved me.
So when she got sick, there was no hesitation in me stepping up to be the one to take care of her. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I headed into the kitchen and grabbed some items to make a sandwich. My phone felt like it was burning a hole in my pocket, the thought of that text from Harlow heavy on my mind. Now that I was alone, I pulled the phone out and opened up the messages.
Harlow: Thx again for the ride. I really appreciate it. Maybe I can return the favor soon. :)
Her text was innocent enough, but hell, it made me pretty fucking happy, like I’d just been told the best news. And then there was the fact that she’d ended it with returning the favor. Of course, my mind went right in the fucking gutter as I thought of all the ways she could repay that favor.
Her body pressed against mine.
My lips on hers.
The sound of her breathing hard because of what we were doing.
I shook my head to clear it, but it did no good. I didn’t need the complication of a girl right now. I had to focus on school and work, making sure the bills were paid and I stayed out of trouble.
I opened up the messages again and typed out a quick reply. It was friendly enough but wasn’t open ended that anything could be misinterpreted.
And I didn’t like that. I didn’t like how it made me feel as I shoved my phone back in my pocket and tried to push Harlow out of my head.
But shit, it was hard and impossible. And the longer I tried not to think of her, the more it had the opposite effect.
Her alabaster skin.
The tumble of her auburn waves around her shoulders.
Her big blue eyes.
Fuck.
My cock was hard, digging against my zipper. This was bullshit, the fact that I couldn’t even keep my arousal down. I don’t know why Harlow got under my skin so badly, but it had been immediate. I’d been interested, curious about her from the start, but after actually speaking to her, seeing her personality come out… yeah, that curiosity turned to immediate need.
Possessive, hard, sexual need.
I cleared my throat and braced my hands on the counter, focusing on the items I pulled out of the fridge, hoping for a distraction. Of course, nothing helped.
It was like Harlow was a drug… my own specialty drug, and there was no chance of me ever breaking that addiction.
But I had to, because I didn’t need a complication in my life that was of the female variety.
Chapter Six
Harlow
“You didn’t have to come, sweetheart.”
I glanced at my father. We were in his car and heading toward the mechanic shop in town. They’d towed my Civic from school to their shop to get fixed. Of course, the part may not be in stock, which meant until they figured out when it would come in and then factored in labor time, I’d be riding that big, old yellow school bus. Not the end of the world, but what senior wanted to give up her mode of transportation to ride in a crammed bus with people screaming in your ear?
“It’s okay. I don’t mind coming,” I replied and looked out the passenger side window. We were nearing Mickey’s Auto, the main mechanic shop in town. My dad turned on the stereo, his love of the oldies station something I teased him about. As a song from the ‘50s came on and I heard him starting to sing, I focused on the scenery passing us by.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Aiden and our short interaction in his car earlier today. I contemplated what it all might mean. I’d never been so curious about another person before, never been so interested. But with Aiden, I felt like there was more to his story, this deeper side of him. He’d obviously been to more than one high school, seeing as he was a senior and a new transplant at Silver Creek. But I wanted to know the why of it all, not because I was nosy, but because I wanted to understand more about him. And I had a feeling he could use a friend. I assumed he preferred being a loner, but everyone liked having someone they could talk to, didn’t they?