11. She’s not his sidekick
11
SHE’S NOT HIS SIDEKICK
ASHER
She’s something else, Halle. All night, I haven’t been able to keep my eyes off her. They track her every move, and the sound of her voice draws my attention every time. I can’t help but notice the way those skin-tight jeans hug her long legs and hips, making me feel things I shouldn’t. My fingers twitch with the need to touch her, to drag her close to me and sit her down on my lap. I’m surprised her brother hasn’t pulled me up on it and smacked me over the head yet. I’d like to see him try, though.
The chair next to me scrapes against the deck as Connor pulls it out and takes a seat. Leaning back, he pulls his hair up and ties it. Glancing over the bottle of beer in my hand I see his chest shaking with quiet laughter and I know I’m screwed.
“Dude, Hunter may be oblivious as hell, but you gotta stop undressing his sister with your eyes right in front of him,” he says with a smirk.
Taking another sip of my beer, I try to play it off casually, but my eyes betray me. They land back on her, stealing another glance.
Funny how everything can change in a few short weeks. I haven’t seen her try to get near Hunter’s money or bar, and now that I’ve been around her, I don’t think that’s what she’s after.
Her laugh reaches me from across the yard, where she’s playfully throwing a ball to Ace. Tessa and Madi are standing near her, trying to get Ace to go to them, but he’s only got eyes for Halle. My lips twitch slightly with that thought. I know the feeling, buddy.
“You know, I used to be Ace’s favorite, but he hasn’t left her side all night,” I say, turning to give Connor my best what the fuck look. “What’s up with that, Con?”
He holds his hands up in surrender. “Hey, don’t look at me, man. My boy just knows when someone needs him. Remember how attached he was to you at first?”
He watches Ace with the girls, a smile spreading across his face. Lifting two fingers to his mouth, he lets out a loud whistle and yells, “Come here, boy.”
Ace’s ears perk up, and he spins quickly, facing us. He hesitates, looking back at Halle, and barks once at her, causing her to giggle. She gives him a gentle nudge, and he bolts toward us.
“You know, I got Ace when I needed someone to listen to me. He’s been my best friend ever since, a constant, and over the years, Asher, he’s been there for everyone else in some way too. Even you.” He glances at me quickly before pushing his chair back to give Ace room.
“I think he knows it’s Halle’s turn. She needs him and his friendship more than us right now.” Ace leaps onto his lap with that, and we both chuckle at his excitement.
I lean over, scratching Ace behind his ears. “You’re right,” I say before I lean further down and say to Ace. “I guess I’ll just have to share you, huh?”
“Who’s sharing who?” Hunter yells from down the other end of the table.
“Your boy over here is getting jealous of your sister, Hunt,” Connor announces to the whole table.
I kick the leg of his chair and mutter, “Seriously?”
But he just grins wider and continues, “He’s pissed off because Ace is no longer his sidekick. He’s all about Halle baby.”
I sink lower in my chair, spinning my lip ring between my teeth as my eyes narrow on Connor. Did he just call her baby? Nope. Not happening.
I kick his chair again. “Don’t call her baby,” I hiss at him, but this time, the legs on his chair go out from under him and he falls to his ass.
I watch Ace run back to Halle, startled by the fall, and catch her watching me with an amused smile on her face. That look makes my stomach flip, and the longer she stares at me, the more frozen I become, my mind racing away with thoughts I shouldn’t have.
“What the hell, man!” Connor yells, bringing my attention back to him.
I snicker at the sight of him, the way he’s glaring up at me, looking half-annoyed and half-entertained. Hunter and Jace lose it, both doubling over as they hold their stomachs, laughing uncontrollably.
“Sorry, man.” I reach over to give him a hand up. He takes it, grinning at me, and picks the chair up from the ground, sitting back down.
The girls come over, looking amused by the commotion of the guys' laughter .
“What just happened?” Tessa asks curiously, her eyes bouncing between each of us.
“Just Con testing gravity,” I joke, winking at Connor as Hunter and Jace chuckle again.
“Fuck off, man. Halle,” Connor calls her attention to him, “Ash here is jealous because Ace is your best buddy right now and not his.”
Halle bends down and picks Ace up, scratching under his chin. “We don’t like being friends with Mr. Angry, do we?” she teases.
I drag my hand down my face and groan as the whole group erupts in laughter at my expense. Peeking at Halle through my fingers, I notice her eyes widen at me with shock as she mouths sorry.
Why is she always sorry? There’s nothing to be sorry about here. I shake my head at her and join in on the laughter in hopes of calming whatever panic is about to begin in her head over this.
“Mr. Angry couldn’t be more right, lil sis,” Hunter calls and smiles widely at me.
I roll my eyes at everyone, mumbling, “Whatever.”
Grabbing my beer from the table, I finish it off, glancing back at Halle. She’s standing there, looking from the table to the door, and I can tell she’s ready to call it a night. I’ve never been so attuned to someone before; it’s like I can feel her mood shift.
“Who’s up for a movie?” Connor asks, breaking through the guys’ laughter.
I catch Madi leaning into Tessa slightly, her eyes looking more glassy than they did earlier. She clearly didn’t take Halle up on her “more water, less wine” suggestion. She’s going to hate it tomorrow when she wakes up with a wine-induced headache .
“Oh, a movie sounds good,” she says excitedly, turning to face the girls. “Don’t you think, girls?”
“Argh, I gotta get going. I’m on the opening shift tomorrow at the coffee shop,” Tessa replies, glancing down at her watch, her bottom lip popping out in a pout.
Jace chuckles softly at her, pushing his chair back to stand. He grabs his keys and phone off the table. “I’ve got an early start in the morning, too. This was chill. Thanks for the invite, Hunt. It’s been too long since we’ve had a night like this.” He claps Hunter on the back and nods to the rest of us before heading toward the door.
Tessa passes Madi off to Connor, giving him a stern look. “Don’t let her drive, and look after her tonight, please.”
“Connorrrrrr,” Madi drawls with a wide grin as Connor pulls her down to sit next to him. “You’ll watch a movie with me, won’t you?”
He smiles at Tessa. “Don’t worry, we’ve got her, Tess. See ya in the morning for coffee.”
I catch Hunter across the table with his jaw clenched, watching on. Damn, I wonder what’s happened there.
Halle moves around the table, joining Tessa at the back door. “I’ll walk you guys out,” she offers with a small smile.
Fuck, she’s pretty when she’s shy. I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to keep my thoughts at bay. What would she be like behind that wall of shyness? I think about how she’d be when she finally lets go.
“Bye, guys!” Tessa calls out to us over her shoulder.
Hunter nods to her, Connor lifts his hand in a casual wave, and Madison yells dramatically, “Love you, girl!”
All night, I’ve wanted a moment with Halle to myself, but she’s stuck close to the girls as if they’ve been her safety net. Sitting in between them when we ate, hanging with them inside, and if she had been around me, everyone else was there, too.
I stare at the back door to where she disappeared. Without a second thought, I stand and head inside to see if I can catch her before the night ends. The house is quiet when I move through the hallway trying to find her. Madison’s laughter and Ace’s barking float through the back doors as I glance into each room, but there’s no sign of Halle anywhere. Confused, I step out the front door to see if she’s still saying bye to Jace and Tessa, but there’s no one out here.
Not a soul in sight. A slight breeze carries through the front yard, cooling down the summer night. Frustration starts to gnaw at me as I scan the street. Where the hell did she go?
Her car is parked in the driveway, so I know she hasn’t taken off.
Grabbing my phone from my back pocket, I check for any missed texts. If she left with Jace and Tess, one of them would have let us know. I frown, scrolling through my notifications and coming up empty.
Shoving my phone back in my pocket, I jog down the few steps and hit the sidewalk. My pulse starts to quicken, and a lump forms in my throat, not knowing what to do here. Do I go and tell Hunter his sister disappeared, or do I keep looking? Running my hand through my hair, I tip my head back and stare out at the clear night sky, the stars… Like a rubber band, my mind snaps back to Halle. The stars. Fuck, of course that’s where she would be.
I take off toward the park, my pace quickening to where I found her that night on the swing, her words echoing in my head, “Sometimes turning it all off with the stars makes more sense.”