Page 31 of No Apologies
She hadn’t thought to ask what he was apologizing for. Being an ass? Pushing her away? Forgetting to order her fries the last time they had lunch? She didn’t care what he was apologizing for honestly, only that he had.
In all the time that they’d been friends, he’d never apologized, not once. She’d let him get away with it, chalked it up to a flaw that she would just have to deal with if she wanted him in her life. He made up for it in other ways. He might never have said the words but after they fought he always went out of his way to do something nice for her. But it was better to get the actual words, to know that she meant enough to him to earn a real apology.
He cared about her. He’d shown up when she was sick. He cared that he’d hurt her feelings. He’d apologized and given her a gift. They were more than friends, just like she’d tried to make him admit yesterday. He hadn’t said it but surely between the note and the drawing and telling her she was beautiful and holding her, that was his way of agreeing with her. Right?
As she turned her car into her parent’s driveway, she was still thinking about Colt and the fact that he’d told her she looked beautiful. He’d never told her that she was beautiful before. He’d told her that she looked nice once or twice but usually if he was commenting on her looks he was making some joke about her pointless heels. He’d called her beautiful and the only thing that could wipe the smile off of her face was the sight in front of her as she stopped the car.
Her parent’s house loomed ahead. The two story ranch house where she’d grown up was huge by Old Settler’s standards. Most everyone that lived in the tiny town fell into the wide middle-class heading. There were some, like the Bomars, that sat well below that line. Then there were some, like the Hollands, that sat well above it.
The disparate upbringing between her and Colt was never more obvious to her than in that moment.
“Hey! There you are!” A booming male voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
“Hey, sorry I’m late.” She answered as she stepped out of the car and her brother crossed the yard towards her.
“Yeah, I told them ya were probably just hoping to avoid the fish guts.” Owen grinned, holding his hands out as he neared her, “But lucky for you I haven’t showered yet. Come on, give big brother a hug.”
“Eww! Gross! Stay away from me!” She squealed and high-tailed it around the back end of her car.
“Aww, come on Sky. I missed you.” Owen laughed as he circled after her.
She squeaked and darted away from his grabby hands. Owen chased her of course and she rounded the car, using it as a shield between them. She laughed even as she thanked her good sense not to wear heels. He totally would have caught her if she’d been wearing heels.
Owen might be four years older than her but he was still a boy. If he could get fish guts on his little sister, he was going to do it. She grinned and feigned a turn before darting to the other side of the car when he tried to reach across the hood and grab her.
“You’re getting slow in your old age.” She taunted playfully.
He barked out a laugh, “You think so?”
“I know so. It never used to take you this long to catch me.”
“Maybe I’m just buying time until reinforcements arrive.” He wagged his eyebrows and it hit her what he meant at the same time she felt two arms wrap around her waist and haul her off the ground.
“No!” She screamed and flailed uselessly, “Trey! Put me down!”
Deep male laughter vibrated against her ear as her attacker easily repositioned her, holding her gently but securely against his front. She was in her boyfriend’s arms. She should have experienced some sort of shiver, some flare of awareness, of heat, of something, but all she felt at the moment was annoyance.
“Trey! Let go!”
“Sorry Sky, no can do.” He chuckled.
“You’re supposed to be on my side.” She knocked him in the ribs with an elbow and caught the hint of movement out of the corner of her, refocusing on her brother as he came closer, “Don’t you dare, Owen! Stay back or I’ll kick you in the balls.”
Owen only laughed, wagging his eyebrows like a madman as he taunted her with his fish covered hands. Trey didn’t release her and his grip was iron clad. She was trying to decide whether to knock her head back into his face to force him to let go or kick out towards her brother when she was given a reprieve from the danger.
“Boys! Let her go!” Her father called good-naturedly, “You know we’ll have to listen to it all night if you get her dirty.”
Owen laughed and dropped his hands, “True.”
“You’re all a bunch of dicks.” She squirmed when Trey still didn’t release her.
Her father smirked, “O, get inside and get cleaned up. Leave your sister alone.”
“Come on, I’m notthatdirty.” Her brother pouted as he walked away.
She breathed a sigh of relief when Trey finally loosened his hold on her and she immediately stepped out of his arms. Wrong. He might be her boyfriend but it felt all wrong. She spun to face him, fully prepared to berate him for engaging in Owen’s shenanigans but she stopped short when he held his hands up in surrender.
“I’m clean. Swear. I already took a shower or I wouldn’t have grabbed you.”
