Page 6 of Crazy for You
“Are you back for your senior year?” Georgia asked Colton.
“Something like that,” Colton replied, not looking at Georgia but at me.
I was hypnotized by the one guy who could tell me the Earth wasn’t round, and I would believe him.
Locks of his hair fell forward, creating a curtain around his strong, angular jaw, shielding us from everyone near us. Suddenly, I felt as though he and I had been transported to a secluded place, where it was just the two of us.
My heart pitter-pattered at a rapid rate.
“Come with me,” he said.
Georgia grabbed my skateboard, her pink painted lips splitting into a brilliant smile, her eyes alight with mischief. If anyone knew how I felt about Colton, it was my bestie. She and I used to sit on my porch and watch him cut the grass. We were lowly freshmen then, as was Colton, but man, he’d been the hottest guy in school.
Mia said something, but I tuned her out as I followed Colton like a puppy. He led me to the passenger side of his truck.
Most guys in school drove trucks—in the South, souped-up trucks were like Mercedes cars. The girls in school—the rich girls, anyway—drove expensive convertibles. I didn’t keep track. Dad had an old Toyota that was officially mine since he couldn’t drive anymore, but frankly, I preferred to get around on my skateboard.
I finally swallowed the dryness in my throat and attempted to speak. “So…”
Colton opened the glove compartment and took out a first-aid kit. “I stopped at your house earlier. Sorry to hear about your dad.”
And just like that, the lust tethering me to him snapped. A rush of sadness blanketed me.
Georgia bounced up, her blond curls swaying with her jean-clad hips. Like Mia and me, she was wearing shorts, soft blue to be exact. We didn’t switch our summer wardrobe until late December or January, when the weather cooled down. “We should get going.”
I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay and talk to Colton. He’d never given me the time of day before.
He hit you with his car. He’s feeling guilty.
It was best if I left, though. I didn’t want to talk about Dad, and I didn’t want Colton’s pity.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Skyler?” Colton’s eyes swam with concern—maybe he worried that I would press charges.
The ache was stronger in my shoulder than my hip. “I’m cool.” I was anything but. My emotions were all over the place. “I’m sorry too. I probably whizzed by too fast, and you couldn’t track me.”
“You need to get that elbow looked at,” he said, his gaze melting me into gooey and warm saltwater taffy.
“I’ll get a Band-Aid from the school nurse.”
“Colton, is that you?” Grady Dyson’s gruff voice scraped every nerve along my arms. Then, like a hurricane, he barreled through, pushing poor Georgia out of the way.
Definitely my cue to leave. I couldn’t be responsible for what happened if he so much as glanced at me in front of Colton.
My BFF’s feistiness blossomed as she pushed the beefy guy back. “Watch where the fuck you’re going!” She snarled up at him.
He laughed, ignoring her as he all but swatted me out of the way.
I didn’t take shit from anyone, either. “Asswipe.” I kicked him in the calf when I wanted to punch him in the jaw. That would probably have broken the bones in my hand, and I already had an elbow to heal and a shoulder to nurse.
Grady spun around, his ice-blue eyes glaring daggers. “Did you just kick me, Lawson?”
I snorted, puffing out my chest. “Is your dick small?”
His pudgy cheeks burned red as his gaze dropped to my average-sized breasts. “Want to see for yourself?” He grabbed his crotch.
Colton mumbled something I couldn’t make out, and Georgia full-on laughed.
“You’re lucky I didn’t use your balls as my punching bag this time.”
