Page 35 of Crazy for You
I cried most nights, and if someone looked at me the wrong way, I broke down.
Every night, I got up at the same time—three a.m.—and checked on him. Nan and I were taking turns, but Nan wanted me to get as much rest as possible because of school.
I didn’t care about school.
A tear escaped as I lifted my gaze to my BFF.
She was at my side in less than a second, throwing her arm around me. “I’m here for you.”
I couldn’t cry in a room full of nosy students. It wasn’t that I cared what they thought. I didn’t want to fly off the handle. If one student mocked me, I would probably punch her lights out. And Amanda had been testing me for a few weeks.
Apparently, she blamed me for Colton wanting nothing to do with her anymore. I didn’t know how that was my fault. Colton hadn’t said a word to me since that morning in the bedroom at Grady’s place. Well, that wasn’t all true. I did ask him about my skateboard.
“Sorry. I’ve been busy,” he’d responded in a terse tone, as though I’d been the one to ruin his relationship with Amanda. I suspected his irritation with me stemmed from that night in Grady’s bedroom, when I made the comment about how my dad might’ve thought I’d drowned. I knew the word “drowned” had to have spurred memories of his brother’s drowning.
In all fairness to me, he and his dad were arguing more and more as of late. It was hard not to hear them, or when Colton peeled out of his driveway like he was taking off in a drag race.
My bottom lip quivered. “I need to go to the skate park.” I was itching to get back on my board and ride. The strands of my sanity were on the verge of snapping if I didn’t.
“It’s not fixed,” she reminded me.
I scanned the room for Colton. “I know. I’m going to take it down to the skate shop.” That would cost money, but I had a few dollars saved. First, I had to get it back from Colton.
My search for the hunk came up empty. He was probably down on the field, making out with some girl, which was the rumor running around school. Apparently Amanda wasn’t mad only at me, but also at a petite brunette who had been sticking her tongue down Colton’s throat at lunch only days before. I couldn’t say I blamed Amanda. If I’d seen the girl glued to Colton, I might have unleashed some of my jealousy too. On the other hand, I knew how rumors went. Some were true. Some weren’t.
Mia bounced up, her dark hair braided, her hazel eyes sparkling, and her smile was as electric as if she’d just gotten laid in the janitor’s closet, until she saw me. Then she frowned as she set down her leather bag and came over to my other side. She rubbed my arm. “What’s wrong? Please tell me your dad is okay.”
Lately, Mia and Georgia had been very attentive. They both knew Dad was getting worse, and they dropped what they were doing to console me.
I dashed away an errant tear. “Can you both sit down and look like nothing is happening, please?” I could feel eyes lasering on us.
My friends took their seats beside me like bodyguards.
“We should have that beach party,” Mia said. “You know, the one Georgia was supposed to have but didn’t.”
“After the drunk fest all of us had,” Georgia piped in, “I figured it would be best to push the party out. How about a Halloween party? My parents are away at some medical conference that weekend.”
“Ooh, costumes,” Mia practically squealed. “I want to dress up as Snow White. One of you can go as Cinderella and the other as Princess Aurora.” Mia had a fascination with Disney characters. “We can make it a Disney theme.”
Georgia nudged me. “What do you think?”
I shrugged. I wasn’t in the mood for a party. And after Grady’s, I wasn’t ready to make an ass out of myself again. Mia had filled me in on what she’d witnessed that night, which was exactly as Georgia had described it.
I’d been dancing and having a great time when I’d gotten the harebrained idea to go skinny-dipping. When I’d started to run toward the ocean’s edge, trying to take off my top, Colton had bolted to my rescue. Over the last few weeks, I’d been remembering bits and pieces of my actions after the fight with Amanda.
I’d downed more marshmallow vodka while dancing—the more I danced, the more I drank. The one thing I couldn’t piece together was Colton carrying me up to the house. Then again, Georgia had said the minute I was in his arms, I mumbled something about his dick before passing out.
Heat gripped my cheeks. That was probably another reason he wouldn’t look my way when I passed him in the halls. He probably thought I was just another chick hungry for his body. Well, that wasn’t far-fetched. But I also wanted… I didn’t know what I wanted from him.
As if Colton could hear my thoughts, he strutted into the cafeteria with a bad-boy swagger that most girls drooled over. He searched the room.
I guessed he was looking for Grady, who was at a table in the back somewhere.
Georgia squeezed my thigh.
Mia nudged me. “Grady tells me Colton has sworn off girls.”
I wanted to remind her that the rumor mill said otherwise until Colton looked directly at me. I would like to have thought his eyes lit up, but that deadpan look he always sported was replaced with anger. He hated me. I could feel it in my bones. Or maybe the guilt was getting to me.
