Going Full Throttle

Chapter 26 - Tyler's POV

Pia had been acting weird all afternoon. I'd thought we were having a good day at first. Something about this holiday seemed to invigorate Pia. From the second I saw her this morning she was a bubbling little ball of energy. As much as I tried to hide it, she was fucking adorable and it was hard not to let it affect me.

Everything about this thing with Pia was different than what I was used to. Normally, I didn't have to work for women. It was quick and dirty, and once it was over we'd part ways. Every once in a while they might get a little clingy, but eventually, they'd realize I wasn't interested.

Even if I wanted it to be like that with Pia, it couldn't be. She was right next door and always a stone's throw away. It was oddly fun to have her close by though. I found myself going to my window at night just to see if she was out on the dock for a late-night tryst. Plus, even when we were just hanging out with the group, I found myself enjoying her. I have definitely never hooked up with a girl who had such a good personality.

Well, not that I would have known if they did.

On days like this though, when obviously we wouldn't be hooking up, I didn't really know how I was supposed to act. Every time I saw her my pants got tighter. If she was within arm's reach, my hands twitched to touch her. We weren't dating though, not even close. So did she find it weird that I touched her? This was unchartered territory for me and apparently, I was already messing it up.

I had thought maybe it was all the attention that bothered her. People were staring at me all day and honestly, more than a few noticed her too. I'm sure for such a small town, word travelled fast. The attention she was getting online had to be intriguing even to people who knew her.

Except even when we all sat on the lawn in the shade and privacy of a large oak tree, Pia still wouldn't make eye contact with me. She sat on the far end of the blanket that Twyla had laid out. Grace and Jedd had immediately sandwiched her in so there was no chance I could get any closer.

"Poutines all around?" Scotty asked as he sat down with a large cardboard box in his arms. I leaned forward as the mouthwatering scent of something savoury wafted up from the box. There were eight white styrofoam containers stacked inside that seemed to be the source of the smell. Scotty handed them out to each person and I eagerly took mine.

"Shit," I moaned as I took a bite of the fries smothered in cheese and gravy.

"Language," Pia glared across at me. I grinned through a huge mouthful and tried to say more but she had already turned away from me. I was glad to see her hungrily eating her own poutine though.

When I'd first arrived in O'Hara, Pia had been a little on the skinny side. Nothing crazy, but her shoulder blades had cut too sharply across her back. Almost like she forgot to feed herself sometimes. She had a healthier glow to her skin now and her body wasn't as angular. It probably was thanks to all the huge dinners Twyla made for everyone. Would she lose the weight again when we left? My chest squeezed with an emotion I didn't recognize.

It was the first time I had considered what would happen at the end of the summer. We would all go and Pia would be left alone again with Finn. She was perfectly capable of taking care of him, obviously. There was just so much for one person to do. We all watched Finn at some point or another, even if it was just having an extra set of eyes on him while he swam. Twyla and Beau were always cooking meals for everyone, so it was impossible to miss a meal.

I looked across at Pia as she laughed at something Beau said. She blushed and covered her mouth when a fry missed her lips and patched her chin with a dribble of gravy. I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth and wished I could lick it off for her.