Page 47 of Spencer and the Younger Girl
“Hey!” She jumped up, her muscles protesting. “That hurt!”
“I couldn’t kill a fly with that swat, ya baby.” He swatted her again, this time connecting to her back. “Shower.”
“You’re mean.”
“Yes.” He raised the newspaper.
“Fine,” she huffed. “I’m going.” She walked out of the room slowly, emphasizing her aching limbs.
After building a fence, cleaning out stalls, and feeding animals, she’d be happy if she slept for the next week. And that was only after one day.
As she stepped under the spray of the shower, she sighed, letting the water erase the day from her memory.
Well, part of the day. She’d never forget how Spencer’s eyes flashed with each question she asked him.
How the muscles in his jaw flexed when he was irritated.
The man had secrets—that much was plain. And she wanted to peel them back layer by layer.
She thought she’d wanted the kids at school to remember her. That was the purpose of the prank, but that didn’t matter anymore.
Not when all she wanted was to find a place in Spencer’s mind that wouldn’t let go of her.
He’d come into her life out of nowhere and would one day probably disappear from it just as quickly. But for the short time in between, she wanted to be seen, for him to know she saw him.
Through the anger and the gruff persona, she saw the man hiding from the world. The one who hadn’t wanted to return home, but did it for a reason she still didn’t know.
Once she’d finished scrubbing the grime from her skin, she turned off the water and toweled off.
Leaving her filthy clothes in a pile in the corner of her room, she slipped into yoga pants and a long t-shirt. She contemplated going back down to her friends who’d come to hang with Roman but curled up on her bed instead. She fell asleep within minutes.
When she woke an hour later, a person lay on each side of her.
“About time.” Charlotte nudged her.
Cassie lifted her head. “We were sent to wake you for dinner like half an hour ago.”
“Then why didn’t you wake me?” Every limb ached as she tried to sit up.
“You looked like you needed sleep.” Charlotte ran her hands through Hadley’s damp hair, trying to brush it flat. Giving up, she took a hair tie from her wrist and pulled Hadley’s long locks into a messy bun.
“Want to tell us how the first day of suspension really was?”
Cassie nodded in agreement at Charlotte’s question. She didn’t say much, having only become friends with them two months before, but Hadley loved her like they’d been friends their entire lives, like she loved Charlotte.
The three of them leaned back on Hadley’s bed staring at the ceiling.
“It was different.”
“Different?” Charlotte prodded her.
“It’s like… there’s this whole other side to Gulf City, one that doesn’t revolve around hockey or the beach. I don’t know, guys. It was hard work, like really hard. But being out there surrounded by animals and fields… I can’t really explain it.”
“And cute guys.” Charlotte laughed. “Surprised you haven’t mentioned Damien’s brother yet.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t work with him.” She didn’t know why she lied. Part of her wanted to keep Spencer to herself for a little while. Charlotte would make a big deal about it because Hadley wasn’t one to crush on someone she’d just met.
“How cute are we talking?” Cassie asked.
