Loving You {Chicago Book 1}

five

CHAPTER FIVE - BRODY MILLER

I stare at my phone, waiting for the text from Hailey to come in.

"Dude, what the hell is the matter with you? For the past two weeks, you haven't put your phone down and you've seen texting somebody constantly," Liam says, collapsing onto his bed after putting his X-Box on.

I can see she's typing and she's taking her time. A sudden wave of insecurity washes over me. What if she says no? I get that it's just coffee and chemistry but still. It's still stressing me out and that terrifies me. Brody Miller doesn't do insecure.

"Your point?" I question just as my phone chimes with a reply.

He can probably hear my heart as I unlock my phone.

Cupcake: Yeah sounds good! Say three outside Cravings?

Me: Perfect, see you then

I tuck my phone into my pocket. "Hannah came over this morning when you were out for your run," Liam mentions as I grab the other controller and settle into his beanbag.

"Why the hell was she here that early?" I question before shaking my head and rewording the question. "No, scratch that. Why was she here at all?"

"She said that you text her last night and told her to come round this morning," he says, loading up the game.

I shake my head again. "I didn't text her. I don't even have her number. I don't give any girl my number."

"Except one," he casually drops in. I knew it was coming but I'm just not prepared to talk about Hailey yet.

I give him a faux confused look and he just smirks at me. "Don't give me that shit, bro. We've been friends for six years. I know what your face looks like when a girl you like is texting you. You have the same look on your face now as you did when you were with Sara, you know, before she turned into the psycho bitch she is now. Are you going to tell me who she is?"

"There's not a she," I lie with a sigh. "Let's just play."

He shakes his head smugly. "Not until you tell me who this girl is and how the hell she's managed to make you, you again."

"Me, me again?" I question him curiously. What the hell is he on about?

"Yeah, the guy I knew throughout high school. Not this new college hotshot hockey captain. Have I ever told you that you turned into a douchebag when we graduated high school?" He asks.

I nod. "Yeah, you have, and I've never disagreed, but I don't know how this has anything to do with Hailey."

It takes me a few seconds to realize what I've just said. Fuck. It wasn't supposed to just slip out like that. I don't know exactly why we've decided not to tell anyone we've been hanging out, it's just been like some unspoken agreement.

Plus, it's not as if we're dating or anything. We're friends and I don't see why no one can know that. Being friends isn't something that really needs to be kept on the low down, but apparently, we both feel that way.

"Hailey?" Liam repeats in what almost sounds like disbelief. "Allen's sister? She's the one that's got you all happy-go-lucky?"

"Dude, fuck off," I mumble in return as my body sinks further into the beanbag, the crinkling of the polystyrene balls filling the otherwise silent room.

"You're fucked," he chuckles drying. "Allen is going to kick your ass, and bro, he's going to kick it good."

My phone then buzzes, saving me from having to reply from that very obvious statement. I'm well aware of the shit I've gotten myself into, but my instincts tell me that Hailey is worth the risk.