Page 24 of Find Me
“Really? She blushed when talking to you,” I pointed out.
They both laughed. “You blush all the time,” Creed said.
“That’s because I’m shy,” I grumbled as my checks scorched.
Creed gestured to my face, laughing harder. “You’re like an innocent cherry tomato.”
My mouth fell open slightly as I gawked at the both of them. Were they making fun of my height? I might have only been five-four, but that wasn’t that short. I wasn’t going to even attempt to decipher the innocent part.
“Whatever,” I grumbled and tried to veer off toward my car.
Colt grabbed my hand and pulled me back to them. “We think it’s adorable that you blush.”
I frowned. “I understand your reasoning for not wanting to be referred to as adorable.”
“Would you prefer hot?” Colt asked and Creed followed with, “Or sexy?”
Even though they were teasing me, I couldn’t stop myself from laughing no matter how hard I tried.
10
I had gone to the twins’practice on Monday. I’d been impressed. They had been so fast, they’d soared through the water like torpedoes. I wanted to go to their practice today, but I had some errands to run, like grocery shopping. I was embracing my old love for cooking and there were a few recipes I’d seen on the Cooking Channel I wanted to try. I also needed stuff to make my lunches with. It wasn’t that I had anything against what they served at the cafeteria, but a lot of their food was deep-fried and, I dared say, terrible. Yes, I was a food snob. Cafeteria food grossed me out, which was why I had bought a prepackaged sandwich my first day of school. I also avoided fast food like the plague as well. I didn’t fault others who enjoyed fast food, like the twins, but I just couldn’t. To me fast food was too salty, made with cheap and fatty cuts of meat—if it was real meat at all—and it was too greasy.
Colt had been bummed that I wasn’t going to their practice. That had made me feel bad, which was how I had ended up promising to make him and his brothers the new lasagna recipe I was currently putting together. I shook my head, smiling at the memory, as I set down the last layer of pasta, ricotta mixture, and sauce.
I covered the lasagna with foil and put a sticky note on top with instructions to bake it at three hundred and fifty degrees for thirty minutes before eating. I also wrapped up some homemade garlic bread and Caesar salad. It was a complete dinner. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my phone.
Are you home?I texted Colt.
Pulling into the neighborhood.
After reading his reply, I scooped up their food and headed for the door. I was making my way down my driveway when the twins pulled up in Creed’s black F-150 Raptor.
“How was practice?” I asked as they climbed out of the truck. Both had wet hair from their showers after spending the past couple hours in our school’s giant pool. Colt took the food from my arms.
“Same old shit,” Creed grumbled as he slammed his truck’s door.
That didn’t sound good.
Colt sighed. “Ignore him.”
“Well, I hope you’re hungry. This is the biggest tray of lasagna I’ve ever made. I’m sorry to say I stereotyped you boys. I kind of assumed you four are bottomless pits and I got worried I wasn’t going to make enough.”
“Is that why you sent Colt home with two huge containers of baked goods?” Creed asked.
He was talking about the day Logan had left. “Uh, no. I just made a lot and begged Colt to take most of it home. I would have been upset if it all went to waste. I was having a bad day and kind of went overboard with the baking.”
Colt plastered on a smile. “It didn’t go to waste. Between the four of us it disappeared quick.” That was good to know. I’d had to throw most of my portion away. “Do you have plans for dinner?” Colt asked.
“I have my own small tray of lasagna in the fridge. I was just going to eat that and binge watch the Food Network.”
“Why don’t you eat with us?” Colt asked.
I looked to Creed. He didn’t seem put off by the idea.
“Um…okay,” I said, suddenly feeling nervous.
I followed them inside their house. Similar to my house, the front door opened to their living room. Theirs was almost twice as large as mine. They had a large leather sectional curved in front of the biggest flat-screen TV I’d ever seen mounted on the wall, which was surrounded by a giant entertainment center filled with gaming consoles, games, and movies. The whole setup screamed bachelor pad. Straight past the living room, there was the dining room and to the right of the dining room appeared to be the kitchen. There were hallways off of the left and right sides of the living room, giving me the impression that this house had a split floor plan.
