“When’s that day going to come?” I grumble, turning away from the front door to block out the noise of the boys’ conversation outside, but the familiar tone of Maxen’s deep voice continues to drag me back in.
“Who knows?” Kaylah shrugs, continuing to put the mugs away in an order that I know I’ll be rearranging the second she leaves tonight. “I only have my own personal experience to go by and if this was me and Jesse, I’d be screwed. So, let’s hope for your sake that you’re a much stronger person than I am.”
“Shit,” I sigh. “I’m definitely screwed.”
Chapter 4
Maxen
“Don’t,” Tora screeches, desperately trying to pull herself free from Nate’s evil clutches as he tries to drench her with her own goddamn water bottle.
“Don’t what?” he grins. “Don’t do this?”
Tora screams, knowing she has no chance of escaping as his hand comes up and he squeezes the bottle while still managing to hold her still. The water soaks every inch of her while Nate gets hit with the splash back, not giving a shit that he’s getting wet.
We can’t help ourselves.
Me and the boys rush in with our bottles, laughing at how Tora squeals for freedom while Nate and Jesse hold her down. “I’m going to kick your asses,” she shrieks, getting five equally as amused scoffs from every corner. I mean, she’s like a little chihuahua with a nasty bite. She has no chance while we have Nate on our side.
I hear her angelic voice before I see her standing by the front door beside Kaylah. “What the hell is going on out here?” Brooke grumbles though the amusement in her tone is clear, the grin is the dead giveaway.
As if feeling my eyes on her, she looks at me, piercing her stare into mine. We remain locked in each other’s gaze and I don’t miss the way her face falls. She hates that I’m here. She’s been doing this all day, yet when Nate said that it was moving day, I got in my fucking car and was one of the first to show up. How could I miss this? But right now, this is something different.
My hand tightens on the water bottle between my fingers and Brooke’s eyes light up in excitement. I don’t know what this is, but right now, we’re unable to look away from each other. It doesn’t matter that we have the eye of every one of our friends on us, it doesn’t matter that our history is something that never got resolved, and it doesn’t matter that she hates me with every fiber within her sexy little body. Right now, only one thing matters to her and that’s to fucking run.
My lip arches up in a grin and that’s all it takes for Brooke to get moving. She runs, pumping her legs harder than she’s probably ever moved them before. I bound after her, just missing Kaylah as she hurries back and locks herself inside the house, no doubt knowing that if she’s not careful, Jesse will come after her next.
“No,” Brooke screams out, laughing as she glances back over her shoulder, transporting me back into a time where things were different. Why did I have to go and fuck it all up? God, I’d give anything to have this back.
I quickly gain on her and I catch her around the waist, feeling our skin burn against one another’s. At my touch, she desperately tries to get away, though I don’t know if it’s from me or if she’s just trying to save herself from getting drenched, either way, she starts going down.
I throw myself at her, caging my arms around her, knowing that without a doubt, she’s going to fall, face-first into the grass. I take the brunt of the fall, letting her crash into me and despite the fear on her face, there’s no mistaking the laughter in her eyes. The momentum of our fall has me rolling over her, pinning her beneath me.
She looks up at me and everything stops. Right here, right now, it’s just the two of us, exactly how it was always meant to be. My breath catches in my throat and all I feel is her body wrapped around mine as my heart races.
Fuck, what I wouldn’t give to kiss her right now. She’s so beautiful, especially with that quick mouth that has a habit of saying the things that everyone else is thinking and far too afraid to say.
She continues watching me, both of us in some kind of trance. I give her waist a gentle squeeze and she sucks in a breath as the look in her eyes begins to morph. They fill with emotion and I realize that in only a matter of seconds, these big beautiful eyes are going to be filled with tears.