Page 2 of Hooked On Him
Looking at my phone, I see I have ten minutes to spare. Just enough time to get myself presentable and slip into the church. If I’m lucky enough, maybe no one will realize I just got here by the skin of my teeth.
I lean against the stone wall of the church, tipping my head back against the hard surface as I focus on steadying my breathing.
We’re okay. We’re here. Everything is fine. No need to panic.
“Need a drink?” a husky voice asks, making me jump.
My gaze meets a set of bright blue eyes, stunning me momentarily. I blink a few times, my brain not quite catching up fast enough to the moment.
The side of his lips quirk up at the sight, giving me an amused smile.
Lips parting, I try to answer him, but it seems that I’ve forgotten how to fucking speak.What the hell is wrong with me?
The man in front of me is Austin, my brother’s best friend. Someone I’ve grown up with, seen almost every day of my life, until we went to college.
So why, now of all times, do I suddenly forget how to speak?
“You good, Lee?” Austin asks, his dark brow lifting in question.
“Ah, yeah.” I blink a few times before I clear my throat. “Fine.” And then I die inside due to how high-pitched my voice goes.
There’s this twinkle in his eye, telling me he’s loving my awkward fumbling.
“Good,” he chuckles. “So, is that a no on the water?”
“Huh?” My brows furrow together, not sure what he’s talking about.
“You look out of breath. I thought you could use a drink.” He gives the water bottle in his hand a little shake, emphasizing what he’s talking about.
“Oh.” I push myself off the wall. “Ah, sure, thanks.”
When I reach for the bottle of water, my fingers brush his, and I swear there’s this zap that shoots through me at the contact.
Snatching my hand back, I quickly look away and uncap the water bottle, taking big, long gulps.
When I’m done, I place the cap back on and hand it back to him. “Thanks,” I say, wiping my mouth off with the back of my hand. My eyes land on the water bottle, cheeks heating in embarrassment when I realize how thirsty I must have been because it seems I nearly chugged the whole thing. “Shit. Sorry.”
“It’s no problem.” He chuckles. “Keep it. There’s more inside.”
“Right.” I nod, taking the bottle back.
We stand there awkwardly, neither of us saying anything to the other. I use this moment to check him out.
Fuck. Me.
Austin looks good. Too damn good. His dark hair is styled longer on the top, shorter on the sides. He stands over six feet tall, a good half a foot taller than me. And I can tell he works out by the way his dress shirt hugs his muscles. I guess that comes with the territory of being a rugby player.
I mean, he’s always been a good-looking guy, but I haven't really seen him since he graduated high school.
We used to be close friends. I wouldn’t call us best friends; that title is for my brother, Charlie. The two of them did everything together. But since Charlie and I were only a year apart, we were close, and I hung out with him and his friends a lot over the years. Including Austin.
With him being in the grade above me, he went off to college with my brother while I stayed in high school for another year.
By the time I joined them at college, the two of them had already created this whole new life with new friends, and I felt like I didn’t fit in anymore.
My brother tried to include me in things, inviting me to parties or outings with his friends, but it wasn’t really something I enjoyed. I never like parties.
Drunk people annoy me. Pretty ironic, seeing as how I work at a bar and serve drunk people all the time. But hey, money is money.
