Page 58 of Waiting for Her

“I came to visit Bri. A spider attacked her, and she got scared.”

“Someone may have mentioned that,” he says, eyes shifting to me ever so quickly before returning back to Hazel.

Huh? Where did he hear that?

“Daddy said she was screaming really loud.”

“That she was.”

I scoff and cross my arms.

“So this is where you live, huh?” he asks me. I nod. “I take it you knew I lived right there?” he says, pointing back to his house. Another nod. “I see. And you’ve known this since…”

I shrug and mumble, “The night we talked on the phone.”

His lip twitches. “All week, huh?”

My face burns bright.

“Possibly?”

He smiles.

Huh. That’s better than him looking at me in disgust.

I look around, grateful it appears the rest of the neighborhood hasn’t come outside to see what the commotion is.

“We’ve been having morning coffee together all week,” I admit, wishing there was a pebble I could kick. Or, you know, a rock to climb under. That’d be good too.

Another smile.

Drew walks over to join the party with a knowing smirk.

Even from this distance, Grady’s wide shoulders look even broader, more powerful. The angles of his jaw sharper. His bare toes visible from the black flip flops his feet are slid into. He always had nice toes. Kept the nails trimmed and sounds odd, yes, but as someone who hates feet, it’s an important trait to carry.

“Come in here, Grady!” I hear my little sister shout, breaking into my mental cataloging of his body.

“As long as it’s okay with your sister.”

“Of course it is!” she scoffs, like there would be any other answer.

He winks at me – so carefree – as he launches himself over the fence. As if he didn’t just discover I’ve been basically like a Peeping Tom for the past week. How is he so chill? Inside, I’m freaking out.

He could have at least taken the time to simply reach over and unlatch the door a few feet down from where he’s standing. Drew, on the other hand, comes in like a normal person, along with Rocky hot on his heels.

Hazel watches as Grady eats up the space between them, her affection toward him is so obvious, there’s no way he can’t see it.

I look at my mom and point at Hazel, wondering if she’s seeing this drama. She simply shrugs. “Sisters have the same taste, it would seem.”

My mouth flops open like a fish out of water. I want to protest, tell her to shut up and she’s embarrassing me. But, I’m not in high school anymore, despite how this entire situation is making me feel… and act.

Grady barks out a laugh. Drew shoves him to the side and says, “I’m so glad you cleared everything up, or I’d be even more confused now.”

Sounds like Grady must have explained our past to Drew.

“Squirt, wanna come here and see me? I can introduce you to Rocky, okay?” he points to his dog who’s sitting by his feet, tail wagging.

She bounces down from where she was standing on the railing around the deck, grabs hold of my hand and tugs me along.

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