Page 14 of Fourth Wheel
“And yet I came home alone.”
I don’t have to feign disappointment. Had she been anyone else—anyone else in the whole goddamn world—I would be making her scream my name at this very moment. Just because I can’t have her doesn’t mean I didn’t want her.
“Don’t worry, Dumpy. You’ll get her next time.”
I smile sadly and mentally accept the truth my brother can never know. Maddie Wheeler will never be mine. Despite how much I wanted her tonight… despite the connection I felt when she shoved me up against that clock tower and kissed the shit out of me…
I won’t get her next time because there can’t be a next time.
I peel myself off the couch, stand, and offer my brother a hand. He stares at it sleepily, then meets my gaze before shaking his head in dismissal.
“I’m good out here,” he insists through a yawn as he strums his guitar again.
I yawn in reply, then duck to kiss his forehead and ruffle his hair.
“Love you, bro,” I call over my shoulder as I head to my wing of the house.
“Love you more,” he replies. Like he always does. Like I know he always will.
Chapter 8
Maddie
Iadjustthestringson my bathing suit bottoms and glance up to see what the hell the boys are doing now. They’re so obnoxiously loud I’ve given up on trying to listen to music or take a nap. Paige is on the lounger next to me. We’ve been out here all afternoon tanning and taking periodic dips in the pool to cool off.
Of course, she invited the boys, too, which is not my idea of a good time.
Travis and Kyle showed up half-drunk, even though it’s only two in the afternoon. They pulled my brother’s old paddleboards out of the garage, and they’ve invented some sort of jousting game where they try to smack each other off balance. I swear there’s more water out of the pool than in it at this point.
“Kyle looks so fucking hot in those white swim trunks,” Paige groans as she sits up and adjusts her chair.
I’m grateful my oversized sunglasses hide my eye roll. She’s been into Kyle since our sophomore year of high school. You’d think she would be tired of being led on after five years, but my best friend just doesn’t know how to quit. She’s a catch, and she could do so much better than Kyle Slater. The guy’s destined to be an insurance salesman.
I was sure she’d get over him when we all went our separate ways for college. Kyle and Travis both ended up a solid four hours from here at Easton. Paige goes to Holt, which is only about twenty minutes from Hampton, but she lives on campus during the school year. She could have her pick. She’s just really bad at picking.
“Meh,” I finally reply. “I’ve seen better.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me Hampton guys aren’t good enough for you anymore.”
“Thosearen’t guys.” I jut my chin in the direction of the pool as Travis tries to stand on top of Kyle’s shoulders while the latter is fully submerged under water. “Those are boys.”
“I mean, I guess,” she relents. “But it’s not like we’ve got better options this summer.”
I almost did.
My mind goes to him again, just like it has all weekend. Visions of the tall, broad man I made out with on Friday night invade my consciousness. I’ve replayed that moment so many times. I’m still mad at myself for fucking it up by bringing him here. I almost had him, dammit. Only two days have passed, but I won’t be over him anytime soon.
Which is fine. Dempsey Haas has most definitely not seen the last of me.
As soon as I walked into the house alone on Friday night, I realized I was still wearing his jacket. Plus, I have his cell phone number. He’s not getting off the hook that easily. I’m just trying to figure out my next move. Maybe there’s something I can do to get back in his good graces or to change his mind about not following through with what we both so clearly wanted two nights ago.
“Do you think you’ll hook up again?”
“Wait, what?”
I haven’t been paying attention to a word Paige is saying—I don’t know what she’s even talking about right now.
“Trav-is,” she says, emphasizing each syllable like I need her to slow down. “Do you think you’ll hook up again this summer?”
