Lenny laughs before slowly lowering his eyes down the front of me, making it obvious and deliberate that he’s checking me out. “Did I mention this was his idea, and that I’m the starting tight end for the team and am currently single?”
“Nice resume,” Nolan says, patting him on the shoulder.
“I didn’t catch your name,” Lenny continues.
“It starts with she’s and ends with not interested.”
Lenny laughs jovially. “Summer? Sarah? Anna? Kylie? Keely?”
“Hadley.”
“Oh! That was my next guess.” Lenny flashes another grin.
Nolan shakes his head, but I swear I note the flex of his jaw, and I hate how much I hope it’s due to jealousy.
“You know, my phone hasn’t been working right. Could you call me and see if it’s working, Hadley?” Nolan asks.
“You’re past curfew,” Nolan says, gripping Lenny’s shoulder and directing him toward the door.
Lenny chuckles, letting Nolan steer him. Before he reaches the door, I grab the handle of the ax still in his hand.
“I’ll take this since the school won’t let you have it on campus…”
Lenny exchanges a look with Nolan as he releases the ax. “I hope I’ll see you tomorrow…”
I do my best to give a threatening smile, and turn, making my way to the kitchen so I can sample my lasagna with the ax swinging at my side, over the idea of going out. “Watch your back,” I sing.
Chapter8
Nolan
My eyes feel like sand is in them as I roll over to turn off my alarm. I spent far too much time regretting the prank Lenny and I pulled on Hadley last night. I wasted even more obsessing over the duplicity that shined in her eyes when she’d looked at me after realizing it was all just a joke gone wrong—and then how her eyes had shined with what I swore was desire. I’m not sure if it was the desire to tie me up or straddle me, but I imagined her doing both.
I bury the dirty thoughts of her once again and send out another prayer that Hadley doesn’t hate me or will at least be willing to forgive me. An idea for an apology sparks that I set up before rolling out of bed. I head upstairs to the main level of the house which is still dark and silent. None of the girls wake up early. I head for the shower, working to get my thoughts on tonight’s game and far from sinking into Hadley because that is a line Katie won’t forgive me for.
Once showered, I retreat to the basement to get dressed. My movements are sluggish, and my thoughts are on autopilot. I might need two coffees today.
I grab my phone and the garbage from last night’s snack and head back upstairs, hoping some electrolytes and caffeine can wake me up. Hadley’s in the kitchen, sitting at the rectangular dining room table, typing on her laptop. She hums quietly to herself, not a song but almost as though humming whatever words she’s thinking.
Her dark hair is down, loose around her shoulders, teasing my thoughts from last night as I imagine her astride me, hair down rather than up as it was last night. I picture the silky strands tangling between my fingers as I bury inside of her.
She stops typing and humming, turning those electric blue eyes to me. The desire that was present last night is gone, making me question if it was ever there. The gray T-shirt she’s wearing has a V-neck that reveals a thin gold chain around her neck that I want to ask her about on the long list of things I’m curious to know about my new roommate including why she loves pranks, how the prank war with her brother-in-law got started, if lasagna is her favorite food, and who the fuck is Ezra?
Hadley rolls her lips, fighting a smile as her eyes shimmer with devious intent.
Watch your back.Her warning from last night plays in my head and has me surveying the kitchen, living room, and the front door, searching for what she’s hidden for me.
“You look paranoid,” she says, lifting her coffee. Her nails flash a shade of deep maroon.
I grin, feeling paranoid, though I refuse to admit that to her. I know damn well I opened Pandora’s box and encouraged this war, and her gaze last night assured me she was planning to retaliate.
“There’s fresh coffee,” she says, taking another sip and turning her attention back to her laptop.
I give myself a free pass to study the softness of her mouth, the way the corners of her lips tip upward with a permanent smirk. Gold flashes in her hair, pulling my attention to the rings around the top of her ear as well as the lobes, and for a second I want to ask about them, too, when she got them and how many she has. This sparks more questions. I want to know if Hadley and her sister have always been close, and how she met Katie.
The reminder of my sister has a stab of jealousy hitting me squarely in the chest. Hadley is gorgeous, sexy, and funny. Under any other circumstance, I’d be working to impress and pursue her, but Katie met her first, befriended her first, and by doing so wrapped her in yellow caution tape.
The only way Katie’s going to allow me to remain living here is if I keep things entirely platonic between Hadley and myself.