Secrets, Lies, and Summer Skies

Chapter Twenty-One

"Not yet. I didn't notice the time, I guess."

"I'll order extra and shoot you a message when it gets here. You've got studying to do tonight anyway, right?"

"Yeah," I lied. Okay, I didn't lie. I had studying to do; I just had no intention of looking at it. "I'll stay out of your way. Just clean up after yourselves and use coasters. I'm gonna grab some snacks before I head up, otherwise, you'll shove them all in your stupid faces."

I clutched my phone and the blanket tightly as I left the room for the kitchen. I figured I might as well play up the part of the bratty kid. Besides, Grayson would totally take my snacks if I didn't rescue them from the pantry before I disappeared to my bedroom. He wasn't about to change the habit of a lifetime just because we were sleeping together. I had half a mind to take all the beer, too, just to spite his friends. The only thing that stopped me was the idea that one of them might come looking for them and I didn't want any of those guys to come near my room. Well, except Grayson, but not while he had company.

There were piles of reusable eco-totes under the counter and, given I didn't have a free hand to carry all my junk food upstairs, I figured it was better to load up one of those than to leave the blanket behind, and just hope that none of his pervert friends came to watch me while I walked up the stairs. I pulled bags of chips from the pantry, a box of snack cakes, and some dried fruit. I couldn't imagine I'd get through half of it, but at least it was there if I wanted. I turned to the fridge, an untidy mess of magnets, reminders, receipts, and contact numbers Dad had left for Grayson, and chewed on my lower lip. I knew there were leftovers inside, but they wouldn't taste great cold.

"Need a hand?" Mark asked.

I jumped. I hadn't heard him enter the kitchen. He must have been light on his feet. That, or I was too focused on filling my stomach to notice his arrival. I cleared my throat and steeled my nerves. If I was too jumpy then they'd all know something was wrong. I'd managed to keep my cool at Grayson's office. I could do it at home, too.

"I got it." I opened the fridge and removed some water and soda. "Shouldn't you be setting up poker or whatever it is you guys said you're doing?"

"They can manage without me." Mark was handsome as ever. Charming to a fault. It was strange not to be remotely attracted to him. "I said I'd grab some beer but, honestly, I wanted to greet you properly. I'd say it's nice to see you, but I figured that'd be creepy given you're in a bikini."

I couldn't help but smile. "Maybe a little."

Mark pushed his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "Also, I hoped you'd have called me by now, you know?"

"Oh... I've been busy. Studying and junk," I said evasively. "Summer's not much of a break when you're at college."

Mark's gaze flicked downward. It wasn't a long, lurid appraisal of my body, thus didn't feel invasive. Maybe he wondered how I had time to swim but hadn't found five minutes to shoot him a message. "I guess I can understand that. I was a student once."

"Can't have been that long ago."

I was relieved that he didn't seem all that mad about it. It wasn't like I'd told him that I'd call so no promises had been broken, but it still wasn't a nice feeling to know that you'd been indirectly turned down after shooting your shot. Had Mark been heartbroken, I might have pitied him, but he didn't seem the type to get so caught up over a girl. I mean, he was an adult, not a bratty kid like Trey. There had to be more important things on Mark's mind than just taking me out to dinner.

The silence between us began to feel awkward. I finished loading up my bag and said, "Beer's in the fridge. Don't touch any of Dad's whiskey or he'll freak."