Page 43

Chapter

Forty

JONAS

Jonas: I’ve barely seen you since we got back from Boston. Wanna go to the gym with me?

Evan: You work too hard in the off-season.

Jonas: Just trying to stay in shape.

Evan: I’ve been partying pretty hard. I should be more like you.

Jonas: Nah, be yourself. But come for a run with me soon?

Evan: Sure.

“Hey, come’ere.” Stepping over the threshold to our apartment, I pull Hadley close and brush my lips against hers.

Giggling, she fumbles behind her back to latch the door and loops her arms around my neck, leaning into me. She returns my kiss with gusto, and the concerned part of my brain relaxes.

We’ve been back from Boston for a week, but things have been off ever since her phone rang, calling us to her mom’s side.

While she hasn’t been uptight, there’s a distance between us.

But her walls come down when we kiss. So I thread my fingers through her ponytail, effectively destroying it, and tilt her head back.

I taste her—all of her. The salty sweat that lingers on her skin from our workout, her enthusiasm for what’s about to come next, and her desire to lose herself in me.

And if her urgency masks a hint of desperation, well, I’m happy to ignore that.

She hitches her legs up, straddling my waist, and I move my hands to support her. Spinning us, I pin her against the door and ravish her mouth. I’m about to strip her naked right here in the entryway when she pulls back, panting.

A weird thrill of pride lances through me at how swollen her pink lips are. I made them that way. I want to?—

“I think I’d like to shower first.” She raises a coy brow. “If you give me a second to wash my hair, you could join me. Scrub my hard-to-reach places?”

Um. My brain misfires as all the blood in my head moves south. Then her stomach growls.

“Hungry?” I ask.

She blushes. “A little. That was a good run. I worked up an appetite.”

I set her down and brush my fingertips over the sensitive skin of her belly. “What if I ordered food for us? For when we’re done with our shower…or whatever?”

Whatever is definitely code for fooling around, and Hadley’s answering smile is a mile wide. Which means I’m about to get lucky.

“That sounds great. Pizza?”

“I’ll do you one better. How about a cheese stick?”

“Oh, god, yes. That sounds amazing.” She moans, and I have to adjust my shorts.

A cheese stick is a marvelous invention, concocted by Mad Max’s, a local pizza place.

It’s a pizza crust with a garlic butter sauce instead of marina and cut into breadstick bites rather than slices.

It’s the best marriage of pizza and garlic bread that has ever existed, and it’s addicting.

I do some quick calculations in my head, based on what I ate already today. I might have to make some different choices tomorrow. I’ve gotta stay healthy. But for now, I wink at Hadley. “I aim to please.”

She brushes one more lingering kiss on my lips before heading to her room to shower.

With my mind half on what she’s doing in there, I place a quick GrubHub order and tidy the living room.

Evan and I really need to get a couch for this place.

Camp chairs won’t cut it forever. Although I’m eternally grateful we didn’t have a sofa for Hadley to crash on earlier in the summer.

I’m about to go check on her progress in the shower when there’s a knock on the door. Wow, that was fast. I could probably put the food in the oven to stay warm and still have time with Hadley, right?

I open the door, then blink to school my features. “You’re not my GrubHub delivery.”

“I’m happy to say I’m not!” Natalie laughs, staring up at Hunter. She smiles wide, perfectly at ease in a simple black sundress.

He slings his arm around her shoulders, stretching his burgundy Wolves polo across his chest. “She’s officially retired from that.”

“This is an unexpected surprise.” I swallow as anxiety makes my heart beat faster. “What’s up?”

I open the door wider to the apartment, ushering them in, because what else can I do?

“We came to visit Natalie’s family and thought we’d swing by and see you and Hadley.” Hunter clears his throat and adjusts the collar of his shirt. “After she had to leave early, I wanted to check on her, make sure she was okay.”

“Oh, um, yeah, that’s awesome.” I run my hand through my sweaty hair. “We got back from a run a few minutes ago and ordered dinner. Mad Max. Wanna join us?”

Natalie’s eyes dart around the apartment, and Hunter pats his stomach. “Mad Max? Of course.”

“It should, uh, be here soon. Let me check.” A fine tremor makes my fingers shake as I pull out my phone. It’s a flimsy excuse, but I use the opportunity to text Hadley.

Jonas: Your brother is here. And Natalie. It’s cool but I wanted to let you know.

I hear a buzz. Her phone, lighting up on the kitchen counter. So much for giving her a heads-up.

Hunter walks farther into the apartment, raises a brow at the lack of furniture in the living room, and settles on a stool at the counter. “So, how was your time in Boston?”

“It was fine.” I shrug, not sure what to say. “We didn’t get to see any sights, but I think Marissa is recovering well.”

“It was sweet of you to go with Hadley and help,” Natalie says, leaning against Hunter.

“Yeah, you didn’t have to give up the rest of your vacation like that.” Hunter gives me an appraising glance.

“Just being a good friend. And getting some experience. It was like a real-life clinical.” I laugh. It sounds a little forced to my ears, but Hunter’s expression relaxes, and my tension ratchets down a notch, too.

Maybe we can pull this off. Maybe they won’t suspect. I mean, I wouldn’t care if they found out—I’d tell everyone—but it’s important to Hadley to keep things under wraps, so it’s important to me.

“How was the rest of the family event?” I ask, trying to shift the subject.

“Good.” Hunter nods, frowning. “I was sad to miss the fireworks with Hadley, though. It was our tradition, of sorts. Is she around?”

“Oh, um, yeah.” I guess I didn’t tell him when he arrived. “She’s just?—”

“Jonas?” Her voice carries through the apartment, and I try to send her telepathic messages.

Your brother is here. Do not say anything to imply I’ve ever seen you naked.

But telepathy does not work.

“I had to shower by myself. Why didn’t you join me? What gives?” She appears in the hallway, wrapped in a white towel. Her wet hair drips onto her collarbone, and her mouth drops open. “Hunter! Natalie. What are you doing here?”

Hunter stands, knocking over the stool. His hands fist at his side, and he glowers. “What the hell, Hadley? Why would Jonas be joining you in the shower?”