Page 33 of Eye of the Hurricane
Chapter 10
Katherine
Ares knockson my door and a rush of adrenaline courses through me. I’m determined to hook up with him tonight. I’ve spent the past week thinking about my conversation with Luna and she’s right. I’m doing all of the parts of dating that I’ve been so worried about but not enjoying the fun parts.
Of course, I lose all of that nerve as soon as I open the door and see his face. He looks so fucking sexy and it feels good to not pretend he doesn’t for once.
He’s got on a pair of gray sweatpants, a plain black t-shirt and a chain hanging over it. He looks…Slutty.
“We have plans tonight,” Ares announces as soon as he walks in the door.
“You can’t just spring plans on me. What if I’m not dressed for it?” He looks me up and down, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. I can’t tell if there’s something extra enticing about him tonight or if I was just a master at ignoring it before.
“You’re overdressed for it.”
“Do I needto change?”
“No, this is good,” he assures me, looking me over once more. “Really good.” I can feel the burning in my cheeks.This is ridiculous. I need to get it together.
“So, what are these last-minute plans?” I question.
“Family dinner at Audi and Roman’s.”
“No no no. I’m not crashing a family dinner. I’m not family.”
“You’re not crashing. I’m taking you as my date. This is our trial run. If we can convince my best friends, we can convince anyone.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea… if I wasn’t crashing a family dinner. Absolutely not!” I protest.
“They don’t mind. You’re not crashing. And we’re all just best friends. Family dinner is what we call it because we’re all like family.”
“You’re sure they don’t mind?”
“Positive.”
“Okay, fine. I need a half hour to get ready.”
“Well, honey, you’ve got fifteen minutes.”
He’s the biggest pain in my ass. I should refuse to go for springing it on me. But we need the practice and he isn’t wrong about needing to be able to sell it to his best friends. I’m a girl on a mission and this feels like a good step to get there.
Ares knockson the door and Audra opens it to greet us. She looks surprised to see me and I immediately want topunch him. I’d venture to guess that he didn’t tell anyone he was bringing me.
“Oh, hi!” Audra exclaims, greeting us with a sweet smile. I offer her the brightest smile I can muster. Not because it’s fake, but because she’s welcoming me into her home despite not inviting me.
Ares’ hand hovers behind my lower back, millimeters away from touching me, guiding me into the house. It sends a buzzing feeling up my spine, one I’m not familiar with.
“You have such a beautiful home, Audra,” I gush, walking past her and scanning my surroundings. When Ares brought me here before, we didn’t come inside. The outside of their house is beautiful but it doesn’t hold a flame to the inside. It’s a warm and comforting mix of coastal and country style.
Audra walks around to the front of us, leading Ares and me into the dining room. The table is big enough to seat multiple families. I envy the closeness they all share to get together like this every week.
“Are burgers alright? You don’t have any restrictions, do you?” she asks, nervously.
“I love burgers on the grill. No restrictions, just love to eat. Ares didn’t tell you I was coming, did he?” I ask.
“No, he didn’t. It’s perfectly fine though! Might have thrown on a skirt or something, though,” she says with a laugh. I look down at my own outfit before looking back up to her.
I’ve got on a baby blue dress covered in glitter that sits just above my mid-thigh and strappy baby blue heels to match. She’s got on ripped jeans and a band t-shirt. I’m the odd one out here. Everyone else is dressed casually, even Ares.
