Page 80 of Nerdy or Nice
Not only had Lexie not returned, Drake hadn't stayed put. He was striding down our driveway wearing the red flannel shirt. I watched in growing horror as he stopped near our mailbox and called out toward the house across the street, "Hey, Buddy!"
From the neighbor's front porch, Lexie and the neighbor guy turned to look. Neither one of them looked thrilled with the interruption.
Iwasn't thrilled either. Was Draketryingto make a scene?
When they didn't reply, Drake moved toward them and called out again, "Can you snag my duffle?"
Goodness gravy.
Across the street, the neighbor guy looked to Lexie and said something that made her shake her head.
I watched in shocked silence as Drake crossed the street and headed toward the neighbor's mailbox. He stopped just short of the guy's property line and called out again, loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear. "Or forget the coat. Just toss me the keys, alright? They're in the left pocket."
From the neighbor's front porch, Lexie stared for a long, terrible moment before she started ripping the coat from her body as if Drake might murder her if she didn't.
But now,Iwas the one who felt murderous.Had Drake lost his freaking mind?I had to do something, but what? I was still wearing only my bathrobe and nothing at all on my feet. Cursing all the way, I rushed to the nearby coat closet and yanked out the first winter boots I could lay my hands on.
I yanked them onto my feet, rushed back to the front door, and flung it open to call out, "Drake? Seriously?"
When he turned to look, I scrambled out of the house but then paused at the sound of a thud from somewhere inside. I turned back and flicked on the living room lights but saw nothing worth investigating.
With my pulse racing, I turned and lurched out of the house, shutting the door firmly behind me. Clutching the bathrobe tight around my torso, I strode forward and gave Drake a dumbfounded look. "What are you doing?"
With a loose shrug, he replied, "Getting my coat – or hey, just the keys. I'm not picky."
What a total liar – not now, but back in my bedroom.I clomped toward him. "But you promised you wouldn’t!"
"No," he said with a tone of exaggerated patience. "I promised I wouldn't askher. So I'm askinghim. See?"
I felt my eyes narrow.Oh, I saw, alright.
The guy was too devious for words.With an irritated sigh, I crossed the street and joined Drake at the neighbor's mailbox. "But I asked you not to."
"No," he said in that same patient voice. "You asked me not to askher.And I didn't." With a self-satisfied grin, he repeated, "See?"
I wasn't amused."Oh come on! You knew what I meant. It's not like I kept it a secret."
His grin faded. "No, but you keptmea secret."
"So whatisthis?" I demanded. "Payback? A lesson? What?"
"It's getting it out in the open," he said. "And it's about time if you ask me."
I stared up at him. "But if it was so important to you, why didn't you let me know?"
"I did," he said. "And you kept putting it off."
"Oh, come on!" I said. "They'remycousins."
"Yeah, so?"
With an effort, I lowered my voice. "So I'm just saying, you have serious boundary issues. You know that?"
"Me?" he scoffed, jerking his thumb toward Lexie. "She'sthe one wearing my coat."
"Oh, soyoucan borrow her scarf, butshecan't borrow your coat? Is that what you're saying?"
He looked offended by the reminder. "Hey, I thought it was yours."
