Distraction (Westbrook Series Book 1) (26 page)

"Sounds great, Dad. Thanks."

"Are you going anywhere tonight?" he asks.

"I'm not exactly sure. I think I might stay in, and see if some friends want to come over to swim, if that's okay?"

"That's fine. Just make sure you put away the cushions and turn the umbrellas down before you go to bed. We're supposed to get a pretty nasty storm overnight."

I nod, wondering to myself whether or not I will really have anyone else over. Part of me thinks I should, just to keep up our cover. Then again, I really want a night home alone with Sam.
Who knows when our next opportunity to spend time together will be?

"Your mother and I will be staying out overnight tonight. We're going to a bed and breakfast in Herman. We'll drive back in the morning."

That is almost a four-hour drive from Westbrook. I'm suddenly feeling giddy. Everything seems to be falling into place.
Could this night get any better?

Kyle pops into the kitchen briefly to grab his keys. He is wearing a nice plaid button-down, tucked in with flat-front slacks, a belt, and his dress shoes. Once again, he is wearing an obnoxious amount of cologne. I truly do not understand how Georgia is able to breathe when she is anywhere near him. It makes me cough, and I am literally sitting five feet away from him.

"Where are
you
going?" Dad asks Kyle pointedly.

"Out." Kyle's flat, vague response makes my dad's eyebrow twitch in annoyance.

I shake my head and roll my eyes.
Typical Kyle
.

"Out
where?
" Dad asks with enough edge to startle Kyle's cocky demeanor.

"Just out, Dad. Why do you
even care?
" Kyle's flippant tone makes my stomach uneasy.

Dad snatches Kyle's key ring out of his hand, as if to remind him that
his
name is the one that is on the title. "Do you want to try that one more time?" he asks sternly.

Kyle sighs, as if he is being put out. "I'm going on a date, but
please
don't tell Mom," he whines. Dad glares at him. "
Come on
, Dad. You
know
how she
is
. She will make a bigger deal out of it than it
really
is." His smirk is gone. Now, he just looks like a desperate little kid.

I have no idea why he insists on being so evasive with Mom.
Well, I understand it a little bit
. Then again, I have to wonder if she wouldn't be less
Mom-like
if he would just open up a little, and talk to her every once in a while.

"You know, you can be
really
hard on your mother. She just worries about you, Kyle. She wants you to be happy."

"She wants to marry me off before I graduate from college,
Dad
." Kyle's snarky attitude seems to be making its reappearance.

"You
will
be nicer to her, or I will be taking
these
away, and you can take your date out on your bicycle," Dad snaps, while dangling the keys in front of Kyle. He casually slides them into his jeans pocket, grabs his beer off the counter, and leaves the kitchen. Kyle grunts and stalks off after Dad, to no doubt, beg for his keys back.

"
Whatcha
doing?
" Sam asks in a sing-songy voice as he strolls into the kitchen. He plops down on the bar stool next to me. With his chin resting on his hand, he waits for my reply. His eyes dance wildly, as they quickly scan my body. I gaze in awe at his perfect, lopsided smile.

"I just got wind that we have the house to ourselves tonight," I whisper. Sam's half smile stretches the rest of the way across his face, revealing his perfect, toothpaste-commercial-worthy, white teeth.
Oh, how I love that smile.

"I
know
," he says, while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. He starts to move closer to me, as if he is about to wrap his arms around me, but I shake my head. I cock my head towards the family room, to let him know that my dad and Kyle are still close by. He bites his lip and nods, before walking over to the refrigerator.

"So, what is your story going to be?" I ask with my voice barely above a whisper. He closes the door and turns around to face me, with a cold bottle of Blue Moon clutched in his hand.

"My cousin, Brad, is picking me up. We’re going to watch our other cousin, Gavin's, baseball game. Then we're all going to hit some parties together afterwards." He says this loud enough that my dad and brother could hear, if they are even listening. He is so convincing that for a brief moment, I wonder if it isn't true. He must have seen Kyle rounding the corner.

"Sup," Kyle says to Sam with a quick nod, but he doesn't stop. He must have been able to convince Dad to give him back his keys, because he is jingling them around in his hand. "Tell Brad and Gavin hey for me. I'll probably be late."

"Will do. Later, man," Sam replies with very little enthusiasm.

I've always wondered why guys speak to each other as if they are bored out of their minds. It's almost like there’s this unspoken guy code. They can't sound like they actually like each other when they are talking.
Girls are so not like that
.

"Later, bro. Later
loser
," Kyle says to me, while ruffling my hair, as he passes by. I roll my eyes and try to smooth my hair out.

When the back door clicks shut, I turn back around to face Sam. He is leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest.

"
Seriously?
Are you
really
going out with your cousin?" I ask him.

"Yes," he says a little to loudly, while shaking his head and mouthing a big, "No Way."

"So, what are
you
up to tonight, lil sis?" he asks, his voice still way too loud.

I notice how he is using my old nickname instead of the new one. I'm sure that it was more for my father's benefit, but hearing it still makes my heart ache.
I wonder if he will ever call me Lis in front of my family.

"I'm not really sure. I'm probably just going to have some friends over to swim."

He leans over the counter, as if he suddenly is more interested in what I am saying. "Oh yeah? Maybe, I should just stay here and go swimming with you girls instead. I'd sure like to see you in that purple bikini again."

He is making absolutely no attempt to keep his voice down. I glare at him, but he just chuckles.

"
Relax
, Lis. I saw him go upstairs when Kyle came into the kitchen. I was just messing with you. You should have seen the look on your face. I don't think I've
ever
seen your cheeks
lose
color like that."

He stands behind me, places his hands on my shoulders, and kisses my neck gently. I shrug him off, knowing that my dad could walk in and catch us, any moment now.

"Guess I'm going to go get ready to go to the
game
," he says teasingly.

I roll my eyes, but my cheeks are almost hurting, because I can't stop smiling.
Sam and I are finally going to be alone.

Chapter Twenty:
Does This Mean I Get a Rose?
 

Mom and Dad are busy shuffling around, getting ready for their overnight date, while I sit patiently on the couch watching TV. Okay, I am anything but patient, but I'm trying to be. The doorbell rings. Avery is standing on the front porch with a big smile plastered on her face, while she chomps on a piece of gum. She has her swim bag draped over her shoulders.

Oh, she is good
. There is no doubt my parents will believe that she is here to hang out, eat pizza, and swim. She's even wearing a t-shirt with cut-off shorts and flip-flops. I wasn't smart enough to change my clothes, and my mom even called me on it. She wanted to know why I was so dressed up, if we are just going to stay here and swim. I told her I went out to lunch earlier, and that I hadn't changed clothes yet. Luckily, she was distracted enough to buy it. I really don't like all this lying and sneaking around. It will be nice when Sam and I can finally just be together openly.

"Ready to swim?" I ask almost sarcastically.

"You
betcha
, Lays. Been looking forward to it all day," she says with a wink. My mom and dad are watching this little exchange from the foyer. I am praying they do not pick up on our sarcasm.

"You girls have fun tonight, okay? And remember, absolutely
no
boys
are allowed without your brother or Sam home."

We are all startled by a loud choking noise. We turn to see Sam coughing, while clutching his throat. "
Sorry.
I must have swallowed wrong. I'm okay now," he recovers quickly. My eyes are burning into him.

"Sam, are you
sure
we can't drop you off somewhere?" Mom asks, while lingering by the front door.

"No thank you, Mrs. P. I'm all set. My cousin's dying to show off his new Audi. He should be here any minute now.” The lies just roll off Sam's tongue. He is almost
too
convincing. He even peeks out the window, to make it look like he is looking for his ride. I certainly would not question him, if I were my mom.

"Alright. Well, you guys have fun and Sam, be safe. Don't let your cousin drink too much, and if he
does,
take his keys. Just make sure everyone gets home safely, okay? See you girls later."

It's funny watching my mom be parental with Sam. Unlike Kyle, he handles it like a pro. When Mom is out the door, Dad circles back.

"Hey, Sam? Thanks again for
everything
." He shakes Sam's hand, before picking up the last bag, and leaving.

What was that
about?
When the front door shuts, Avery picks up her bag, and heads for the stairs. "I gotta go get changed. Trevor is picking me up in like ten minutes," she says in a panicked voice.

She's going out with Trevor?
She didn't tell me that before when we talked. I had called her earlier, to see if she could stop by on her way out tonight, so she could help me convince my parents that we are having a swim night at home. Being the awesome friend that she is, she didn't even hesitate to say yes. She is going to stay the night, too. I was so focused on my own situation that I hadn't even thought to ask her what her real plans are. I thought I had at least another twenty-four hours before I'd have to face Trevor again.
Damn
.

Sam hops over the couch and extends his arm around my shoulder. "Are you ready?" he asks.

"Ready for
what?
" I look at him curiously.

"For our date. I figured we could finally have that date tonight."

"I thought we already had our first date." Part of me is disappointed, because I was looking forward to being home alone with him. I'm not really in the sharing kind of mood.

"That wasn't a
real
date. I mean, it kind of was, but it wasn't really special. I want to do something special for you."

"Really? What did you have in mind?"

"We could go
out
-out, but I kind of already planned this whole romantic evening here. Either way is fine, though. It's totally up to you. We'll do whatever
you
want."

I notice he has changed clothes. Now, he is wearing a simple, fitted black t-shirt, jeans, and a black belt. His hair is freshly damp, and his woodsy, soapy scent already has my pulse quickening. He must have just shaved, too, because he has a tiny piece of tissue with a red dot on it, attached to his neck.

I laugh while peeling it off. "Razor slip?" I tease him, while holding up the tissue.

Sam actually blushes, which makes me laugh. This is a very rare occurrence. He is usually so smooth and sure of himself.

"You smell
really
good," I whisper close to his ear. He takes a deep breath, and closes his eyes. I wonder if I am driving him as crazy as he drives me, when he breathes on my neck.

"I'm going to try my best to be good tonight, but you can't do things like that," he responds, in between heavy, labored breaths. He pulls my lips to his, and kisses me a little more gently than I want him to.

"What if I don't
want
you to be good?" I ask playfully, while messing with the neckline of his t-shirt. The fabric is pulled across his chest perfectly, revealing his broad, sculpted shoulders and arms.

He wraps his other arm around my waist, pulls me closer, and starts nibbling on my neck. "Don't be a
tease
," he whispers playfully. Once again, he covers my mouth with his. He cups the back of my head with one hand, while the other roams down my back, stopping on my thigh, right below my bottom. I am still wearing my maxi dress, but the fabric is thin enough that his touch still sends a flurry of tingles down my leg.

The sound of the doorbell startles us. I had momentarily forgotten that Avery is still here. Even worse, I had forgotten who was coming here to pick her up. I slowly drag my feet to answer it. The first thing I see when I pull open the front door, is Trevor's gleaming silver Mustang parked in the driveway.

I almost can't look at him directly.
Almost
. It would have been better if I hadn't. He is wearing a short sleeved, white polo.
Why does he have to be wearing white tonight?
When my eyes find his, I realize he isn't looking at me. In fact, I'm pretty sure he is making it a special point to show me just how much he is
not
looking at me. He has his arms crossed across his chest, as he pretends to stare off down the street. I take a deep breath before motioning for him to come in.

Neither one of us says anything to each other, not even a quick
hi
or
how have you been?
I suppose we aren't even going to acknowledge the fact that he basically did the equivalent of hanging up on me in the IM world, right in the middle of our conversation.
I want an apology, but I'll be damned if I'm going to ask for it
.

Trevor gruffly brushes past me and walks into the family room. He forces himself to nod at Sam. "Hey, Sam," he mumbles, less than enthusiastically, while fighting back a frown.

Sam returns the nod, and cocks his head to the side in a questioning manner. He's probably wondering what the hell is up with Trevor's bad attitude. There is a thick tension in the air that is slowly building, as we all stare at each other. Regardless of how uncomfortable it is, we refuse to break our unspoken vows of silence.

"So, you and Avery are together now?" Sam finally asks, attempting to fill the absence of conversation.

Trevor decides to finally acknowledge my presence, by shooting me a stern glare. I am sitting next to Sam on the love seat. His eyes travel down to my lap, where our entwined hands are resting. He blinks with irritation, and quickly looks away. He shakes his head slightly, as if he is having his own private debate in his head.

After an exceptionally long pause, he looks right at me, and finally responds. "Yeah, Sam. I
really
like her. I guess you could even say we are
dating
. We will be after tonight, anyway." He doesn't so much as blink while he says this, and he is staring directly at
me
the whole time, even though Sam was the one who had asked.

I try my best to hide my frustration. However, he must have been able to pick up on it, because he has the most pompous smile on his face. His eyes might as well be light sabers stabbing me right in the gut.
Does he really think that is going to piss me off?
There is no way I'm going to let him get to me. I was trying to be nice, by not overly flaunting my relationship with Sam, but screw that.
Game on.

I scoot my body closer to Sam, so he is forced to wrap his arm snugly around me. I glance up at Sam and smile, before resting my cheek and palm comfortably on his chest. Sam's heart rate picks up. I can hear it echoing against the walls of his chest. He squeezes me tightly against him.

"I think you guys will make a
really
cute couple," I say in a sickly sweet voice.

Trevor's cheeks are flaming red. He looks away, as if he can't stand to look at us together for one more second. For a brief moment, I think that maybe I’ve taken it too far, and am being too hurtful.

But then, he opens his mouth again. "I see that you two made up," he snaps.

That was totally uncalled for
. Now, Sam knows that I told Trevor about our fight.
I am going to kill him
.

Sam shifts uncomfortably next to me, as if to get my attention. "
Really
, Laila? You told
him
about that?" he asks me, with a hint of accusation in his tone.

Before I can respond, Trevor chimes in yet again. "Yeah, she told me, and can I just say,
not cool
, dude. Not cool at
all
."

Sam's eyebrows furrow, and he shoots Trevor a look that could silence Iron Man. "Did it look like I was talking to
you?
And
no,
you cannot
just say
anything about it. It's none of your
fucking
business. So, back the hell off," Sam growls.

"Well, it was my business, when your girlfriend was bawling her eyes out to
me
, because you were out with another girl. It's not
my
fault you were too much of a
chickenshit
to tell her the truth," Trevor fires back.

I can feel all of the muscles in Sam's body tensing. He grips his hands into fists so tightly that his knuckles are turning white. I have never seen him this angry before. He looks like he is about ready to pound on Trevor. I'm starting to worry that this whole thing has gotten out of hand, and I'm not sure what to do about it.

"
Holy hell on wheels
. What crawled up
your
asses?" Avery's eyes look like they are about ready to pop. She is standing at the bottom of the staircase, clutching her purse tightly against her body in total shock.

“It's nothing. Trevor is just anxious to
leave
, right?" I stammer, while walking over to the front door. I hold it open, gripping the handle tightly, while glaring at Trevor. I hope he reads between the lines, and realizes that I am basically telling him
to get the hell out
of my house.

"Call me later, Aves. Oh, and thanks again for coming over," I say, to let her know that this has nothing to do with her. The tension on Sam's face eases slightly, as he watches Trevor and Avery walk out the door. I shut the door behind me in relief. My cheeks puff up and I let all the air out in one big gust.

"What the
hell
was that about?" Sam asks me, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I don't know. Look, it's not like I
meant
to tell him. He was just over at Avery's when I got there. That is the
only
reason he knows anything. If I wouldn't have been so upset at the time, I probably would have been more careful about what I said in front of him. I'm
really
sorry, Sam."

When Sam looks at my pleading eyes, his eyes immediately soften. I can tell he is not angry with me.
Thank God
.

"It's okay. The whole thing is my fault, anyway. I shouldn't have made you so upset in the first place. It just pissed me off, having him call me out on it. That's all. Who does he think he is, anyway? You know, Avery could do
way
better than that little prick."

"He's definitely an
ass,
and I'm not saying that what he said was okay, but . . . in his own stupid way, I think he was just trying to protect me." I try not to defend Trevor too much, because I'm still furious with him. However, I must admit that him standing up for me like that was kind of cute and sweet. I need to force that thought right out of my head, and remember that I'm mad at him. I
need
to stay mad at him. It's so much easier that way.