Page 51 of Teach Me How

I was hoping to get in on tossing the ball around, but when I step outside, it’s like I’ve wandered into the middle of some sort of tableau. Josh is standing off to the side, his hands on his hips, that trademark worried look on his face.

Cody and Mitch are hovering near Skyler, who looks downright pissed. He looks around, realizing he’s in the spotlight, and his cheeks flush red. “I’m good.”

But his tone suggests otherwise. It suggests that he’s irritated.

Embarrassed.

Snagging his glasses from a pile of leaves, he climbs to his feet and stomps up the sidewalk.

He barely makes eye contact with me as he brushes past, letting the screen door slap shut behind him. Cody winces, glancing over at Mitch, who’s rubbing the back of his neck. “I swear I didn’t see it.”

“You couldn’t have.” Cody slaps his arm.

Josh closes the distance, looming over me. “Why don’t you go help him?”

Skyler barely looked at me when he went past. I highly doubt he wants me chasing after him. I shove my hands into the pockets of my zip-up. “Why me?”

“Because you are literally the only one that could get near him right now. You know how he gets.”

I do know how he gets. He has a tendency to peel off from the group when he’s going through a rough patch. Josh crosses his arms, giving me the best silent-guilt trip known to man.

With a gusty sigh, I shrug. “Fine.”

I’m torn as I step back into the foyer. It takes my eyes a second to adjust from the bright sunlight to the cool, dim living room. Skyler’s nowhere to be seen. Part of me wants to run after him, make sure he’s okay. The other part isn’t so sure I’m the one he wants to see. From the way he’s been ignoring me, it’s almost like something is off.

Padding into the kitchen, I glance around. Erin looks up from the cinnamon rolls she’s pulling out of the oven.

“Skyler come through here?”

She shakes her head. “Not unless he’s very sneaky.”

“Okay, thanks.” I step back into the hall and make my way upstairs. If he didn’t go straight to the kitchen, he probably went upstairs to gain as much distance as possible.

Sure enough, when I peek into the hall bath, I find him standing by the sink, trying to look at the cut on the back of his head. He catches sight of me in the mirror’s reflection. The anger in his dark eyes eases and he even manages a lopsided grin. “Can’t take me anywhere.”

“Such an attention hog, Skyler.” I smile, easing into the small bathroom. “Sit.”

With a sigh, he flips the lid shut on the toilet and sits. This puts his eyes right at chest level, which would probably be more exciting if I wasn’t wearing an oversized hoodie. My thighs press against the outside of his leg as I gently comb through his hair. I find the bump in question, a shallow cut slices across it. “It’s not too deep. Won’t need stitches or anything.”

“Well, that’s something I guess.”

Getting a washcloth wet with warm water, I turn back, trying to read his expression. “Are we good?”

I start carefully dabbing blood out of his hair.

His eyebrows briefly crease together. “What? Yeah, of course. Why?”

“I don’t know.” My voice has a playful lilt to it. “Maybe because you’ve been ignoring me?”

“Ignoring you? Did you want me to sit on Mitch’s lap, too?”

“I wasn’t sitting on his lap.” I pause, scowling at him.

“Close enough.” He scowls back.

“Is that jealously I detect, Skyler?”

His hands slip up the backs of my thighs and he tugs me closer. “Not in the least.”

---