Page 52 of When You're Home
“Fine,” she relented. “But I have to change, and I amnotwalking across the yard by myself. Stay here and I’ll be back down in five,” she instructed, looking first at Fielding, then over to Jake to make sure they knew she was serious.
“YES!!” Jake let out a holler as he punched the air. “I knew we could do it, man!”
Tori turned around and hurried back into the house, hoping her bravery would outlast her consciousness.
She took the stairs two at a time back up to her room.
“Yahtzee,” she muttered to herself as she pulled out the navy bikini she wore last time she and Rhett were in the hot tub. That had been the weekend that everything had shifted between them. The memories from that night were too much for her to think about right now. He had made his decision. And now she was making hers.
Once she had changed into her swimsuit, she threw on a dress as a cover-up and headed to the bathroom. She pulled her hair out of its messy bun and quickly brushed through the waves. She braided the front along her hairline and pinned it back. Then she added a bit of concealer under her eyes and swiped on two coats of waterproof mascara. She finished the look with a perfect application of bright red Super Stay lipstick. She was wearing more makeup than she had worn in months, but she refused to show up to this party looking like a mess, even if that’s how she felt on the inside.
Satisfied she was as ready as she would ever be, Tori quietly made her way back downstairs. She detoured to the fridge and grabbed three cans of her dad’s favorite beer. She made a mental note to restock the beer supply this week when she went to the store. She had put a considerable dent in his stash today.
Next, she grabbed her cell phone and keys, then slipped on a pair of sandals before heading back outside.
“Ready!” she called out to the two men waiting for her. “Catch,” she added to Fielding, tossing him a can of beer once she was within tossing distance.
Fielding smiled as he pulled the can effortlessly from the air. “What’s this? She comes bearing gifts? I think I’m in love.”
“It’s a roadie for our commute,” she explained as she handed a can to Jake and cracked open her own.
“Oh, nice, Tori. You didn’t think I could catch it?” He sounded personally offended by her actions.
“Correct.” Tori smirked before taking a big swig. Fielding let out a loud laugh before turning to Jake.
“She’s not wrong, man,” he gloated as he shoved Jake in the side.
“Let’s go, boys,” Tori instructed, sounding more confident than she actually felt.She led the way since she knew the exact spot in the broken fence that connected her yard to the Wheelers’, even in the dark.
“Tori, you look like a whole damn meal right now,” Jake announced as both men trailed behind her. Fielding hummed in agreement.
She was used to Jake’s shameless teasing, but now that there was someone else with them, she felt a little uneasy. If they both noticed the extra effort she had put forth tonight, Rhett certainly would, too. She hoped she knew what she was doing.
“That was kind of the point.” She glanced over her shoulder in time to see a new layer of understanding blossom on Jake’s face.
He groaned as he took a long sip of his beer.“Why do I have the feeling that I didn’t think this through? Rhett’s about to freak out, isn’t he? He is already so pissed at me.”
“Why do you think I agreed to come over in the first place?” She caught Fielding’s eye and smiled, trying to reassure him as much as herself that this was a good idea.
“No turning back now.” Jake turned the can up and chugged the rest of his beer.
Chapter 30
Rhett
Heheardherbeforehesawher.Hewasgenuinelysurprised—hefiguredtherewasnowayJakewouldbesuccessfulinconvincingToritojointheparty.Hesethisgazeonthebrokenspotinthefenceandsanklowerintothehottub,reachingforhisGatoradebottlewhilehewaitedforthefirstsightofher.Hetookaswigofwhiskeyandswisheditaroundhismouthbeforeswallowing,revelingintheburningsensationasitslippeddownhisthroat.Theburnwasagoodenoughdistractionfromtheachehefeltinhisgut.
He watched as Tori traversed over the broken part of the fence between their yards and stepped into his orbit. Jake and Fielding Haas followed. They were too far away for him to hear what they were talking about, but his spine stiffened when he heard Haas laugh in response to something she said.
Rhett sat up straighter, willing her to look at him. If he could just catch her eye…
But it was Jake who glanced at him first. Even from across the yard, Rhett could read the expressions on his best friend’s face: first a warning, then an apology. He raised a wet hand out of the water and ran it through his hair. This day just kept getting better and better.
“Look who decided to finally join the party,” Dempsey shouted as the trio circled the pool deck and made their way over to the hot tub.
“Tori!” Cole called out to her from his spot near the waterfall. “I haven’t seen you in forever!! Get in here, girl!”
Rhett shot a warning in Cole’s direction, but it didn’t land. Cole hadn’t taken his eyes off Tori. A quick scan of the other hot tub occupants confirmed what he already knew: all eyes were on her as she made her way toward them.
