Chapter 7
7
Torrin
Two months later…
“W ell, you’re all set, kiddo.” Walter rubs the top of my head like he always does, messing up my hair. I bat him away, giggling. “We’re going to miss having you around the house. Especially me. Now, I’m going to have to be the one to listen to your mom rant about the drama with the tennis ladies.”
Mom shakes her head. “No, you won’t. You give the worst advice. I’m still going to call Torre. We’ll still have our coffee talk .” She does her best to make a New York accent, but I still hear the Southern twang in her voice. Gosh, I’m really going to miss her. I’m going to miss them both.
“We can have Starbucks Sundays,” I tease, “and you can give me all the tea.”
Because unlike Lukas, I’m not going to abandon my family and act like they don’t exist anymore. Nothing will ever be more important. I hate that I can’t even think about him without getting angry. Once again, he failed to show up. He said he was going to come help me move into my dorm today, but then he texted this morning saying that he had an impromptu meeting after football practice and wouldn’t be able to make it. I’m wondering whether there really was a meeting or if he just didn’t want to be bothered. I’m betting on the latter.
I’ve seen all his social media posts from this summer. All the parties he’s been going to. All the girls he’s been going out with. He’s been hanging out poolside with his buddies nearly every day. It doesn’t look like he needed to get back to help his coach. It looked like he was suffering from some serious FOMO and didn’t want to miss out on all the action. Football was just his lame excuse.
“All right,” my mom says, distracting me from my downward spiral leading me straight to my bitterness. “Are you ready to go grab something to eat before Walter and I get on the road?”
I’m kind of bummed they can’t stay the night, but the hotels were completely booked up. Everyone is moving their kid into college this weekend, and the city doesn’t have enough accommodations to house everyone. And, of course, my brother didn’t offer for them to stay at his place. He could’ve given them his room and slept on the couch for the night. But that would cramp his style and hinder his fun, wouldn’t it? Instead, our parents are forced to drive the six hours back home tonight.
“Yep. I’m starved.” I try to squelch the livid feeling creeping in. The good news is I’m no longer confused about my feelings for him. Hostility is now the only thing I feel when someone mentions his name.
“What restaurant did we decide on?” Walter asks as he types on his phone. “I just need to let Lukas know so he can meet us.”
I’d rather he didn’t. But I know Walter misses his son. Lukas didn’t even come home to spend Father’s Day with him. I’m actually shocked the jerk has a moment to spare for us now.
“We’re going to Margaritas,”mom says. “Tell him we’re heading there now.”
I excuse myself to the bathroom and splash some cold water on my face. It’s just dinner. I can handle an hour with the guy. Although, I’m no longer hungry.
“All set?” mom asks when I come out.
“Yep. Let’s go get some margaritas.” Because I could really use one. Or two. Or a whole feaking pitcher.
“You’re only nineteen.” Walter shakes his head, “but I’ll let you have half of mine since I have to drive back tonight.” And when my mom isn’t looking, I’ll be drinking down half of hers too.
* * *
As soon as we pull into the parking lot, my stomach is gnarled by my nerves. Lukas has already arrived, standing outside the restaurant, a foot taller than all the rest. He looks like a bodyguard with his arms crossed over his chest and his jaw tensed. A thin line across his lips. If he didn’t want to be here, he didn’t have to come. No one forced him to.
I was hoping the anger would kill the attraction, but apparently it didn’t even numb it. I wanted to show up and be indifferent to him, but now I’m checking myself in my phone and making sure I don’t look like a hot mess. I wish I’d changed out of my leggings and tank top and put on something cute. All the girls standing outside the restaurant look cute. Little skirts and summer dresses. And every single one of them is checking him out.
It’s almost ridiculous to watch. All of them flipping their hair, biting down on their lower lips, and giggling loudly in hopes to get his attention, but he still doesn’t notice them. His eyes are locked on me, sending my stomach straight into overdrive. I don’t know how it’s even possible, but somehow he’s gotten even hotter.
“Lukas!” My mom goes right up and wraps him in a hug, barely coming up to his chest. “We’ve missed you.”
She should speak for herself. But the begrudging tension in my shoulders proves I missed him too.
“I missed you all too.” He hugs her back.
No, he didn’t. If he missed us, he would’ve called or texted. Let’s just be real.
“Hey, son. I’m glad you could come have dinner with us.” Walter moves in for his hug.
“Yeah. Sorry, I couldn’t come help Torrin move in. Coach is really riding our asses right now.”
It’s always football, football, football. Nothing else seems to matter. Except…girls. He’s been spending time with a bunch of them this summer, according to all the social media posts.
“Hey, Torre.” He finally turns in my direction and it almost looks as if there’s a hint of reluctance in his eyes. Or maybe I’m just projecting. He pulls me in against his rigid frame, wrapping his big arms around me, and stupidly, a shiver rocks through my body. I quickly step back, pretending like he shocked me, but static electricity is not the type of current running through my veins. “Did you get all moved into your dorm?”
“Yep. I’m all set.” No thanks to you . “I just have a couple things to get at the store later and then it will feel like home.”
“That’s great.” He turns back to our parents, and I’m grateful not to be under his scrutiny anymore. I’m sure my cheeks are bright red from the heat coursing through my body. It’s ridiculous that I have this kind of reaction toward him. “I put our name in for a table, but they said it’s a thirty-minute wait.”
And during those thirty minutes, I open my phone and pull up Pinterest, looking for cute ways to decorate a dorm room, while Walter and mom ask Lukas all about what he’s been up to this summer. I already know exactly what he’s been doing. The pictures tell a thousand words. None of which are the words coming from his mouth. He tells his tall tales about how he spent his time with his coach, ironing out the details for the season. Running through plays. Training with the guys morning, noon, and night. Failing to mention all his poolside fun and partying.
The more he rambles on, the more I want to pull up his profile and call him out on his bullshit. But I don’t want to give him the impression I’m jealous. I just want to sit here in my bubble and pretend to ignore his existence.
“How was your summer, Torre?”
“It was fine.” I shrug, adding another picture to my favorites. I don’t even know if I liked it or not, but I want to make myself look busy.
“Torrin spent a lot of time with her friends,” mom adds. “And a certain someone.” I raise my eyes, seeing her smirk. She’s referring to me spending time with Corbin. Who just so happens to be one of Lukas’s friends from high school. Corbin was my attempt at getting over my awkward feelings, and maybe my attempt at spiting my stepbrother, but it didn’t work. I could never find a spark with him, so we ended up leaving things as friends. He was fun to hang out with though and made for some seriously hot photos for my social media feed.
“Who were you dating?”
And now I know Luke never saw a single one of them. He never looked at my social media page. Clearly, he didn’t think about me at all this summer.
“Corbin,” I say, smiling up at him. “You remember him from high school, right?”
“Corbin Makerson?”
“Yep.”
“He’s too old for you.”
His sharp tone settles roughly against my nerves. I’m tired of him thinking of me as a little kid.
“He’s four years older than me. It’s not like he’s ancient.” I shake my head and go back to what I was doing on my phone. He can glare all he wants, but I’m done listening to his opinion.
“Yeah, well, he’s no good for you.”
“He’s a really nice guy,” I defend.
“Williams party of four,” the hostess calls for us, and I’m saved by a girl who happens to be blushing fiercely as she checks my brother out, unabashedly staring. But he’s too busy glaring at me to notice.
“Long distance relationships don’t work, Torre, so you may as well end things now.” Another shiver trembles though my shoulders as his gritted whisper hits my ear. I wish that would stop happening. He doesn’t deserve to have my attraction. And it certainly isn’t appropriate.
Things ended between me and Corbin before they even began, but I’m highly enjoying ruffling my brother’s feathers.
“I’m serious, Torre. He’s no good for you.”
“Don’t worry. They already broke it off,” mom spills the beans as she takes her seat at our table, and Lukas looks all too pleased with that response. I wanted him to stew on it for longer, watch his face turn redder. But she ruined my fun.
“Yep. I definitely agree that long distance doesn’t work. Besides, I want to keep my options open. There are way too many cute boys at this school.” I scan the restaurant, looking through the crowd, but there isn’t a single hottie amongst the men in the room. Except for the one sitting in front of me.
“Yeah, well, you’re here for school. Not to find a husband, Torre, so you need to focus on your studies.”
Wow. Says the one who has a different girl on his arm every other day.
“I’m not going to become a hermit, Luke. It’s college. I’m going to date and have fun.”
For emphasis, I’m tempted to pull up his Insta page and scroll through the images of all the fun he’s been having, but I leave it be and turn to the waitress, giving her my drink order.
“Yeah, well you need to be careful,” Walter says. Great. Now, they’re all ganging up on me.
“And always make sure you’re in a public place with a guy until you get to know him better,” my mom decides to side with the enemy.
“Can we talk about something else now?” I can’t even think about dating anyone right now. I’m too much of a mess for that. “What are you and Walter going to do now that you’re empty nesters?” I pass the baton, wanting a reprieve, and anxiously wait for the margaritas to show up.