Rounding Third - Michelle Lynn Page 0,19
a kid from the room next door peeks his head out. “You looking for Spencer?”
“Yeah.”
“He’s indisposed at the moment.” He wiggles his eyebrows.
I draw back because I swear that my little brother has never made it to second base.
Then, Ella opens up the wing door and walks toward me.
“She’s not home. Her roommate said she’s with her boyfriend. I didn’t even know she had a boyfriend. School only started three days ago.” She’s as perplexed as I am.
“Well, at least she isn’t screwing her boyfriend. According to this guy, Spencer’s ‘indisposed’ in there with some girl.” I thumb toward the kid currently admiring Ella.
He appears in front of her before I glance back, holding his hand out. “Hi, I’m Caden.”
Ella shakes his hand while her eyes move from me to him and back to me. I bite back a smile.
“Ella.”
“Well, Ella, are you free on Friday night?”
Ella laughs, and I’ll never grow tired of that sound.
“Um, I have a boyfriend.”
He glances to me, and I hold my hands up.
“This guy? What does he have that I don’t?” he asks.
I shake my head, pushing back my laughter. I could make a list, but I don’t want to shatter this kid’s ego.
“I’m not her boyfriend,” I comment.
Ella’s eyes switch from amused to sad.
I feel the same way, baby. You’re mine.
Spencer’s music turns off, and giggling commences from inside. Ella ignores Caden’s advances, placing her ear closer to the door. There’s more giggling and Spencer chuckling.
“Oh my God.” Ella’s eyes peer over to me with a look that conveys, You’ll be shitting in your pants any moment.
The door springs open, and there stands a bare-chested Spencer with a brunette in his arms.
“Ariel!” Ella screams.
My mouth hangs open.
“El.” The girl’s panicked eyes glance to me. “Crosby.”
I tuck my hands in my pockets and lean against the opposite wall. He’s about to get his ass handed to him by Ella and I can’t wait to witness it.
Caden gets in Ella’s face again. “You know Ariel?”
“She’s my sister,” Ella bites out, her eyes zoned in on Ariel like a judgmental mother.
“No wonder you look familiar. Man, you’re both knockouts. How about a Caden sandwich? There’s more than enough of me.”
“Shut up,” the girls say in unison.
He places his hands up in the air and backs up toward his room.
“What are you doing?” Ella asks her sister, grabbing her hand and thrusting her out of Spencer’s arms and into the hallway.
“Whoa, Ella. You know exactly what I’m doing.” She stares over to Spencer.
My little brother hasn’t looked at me once during this exchange, only Ariel. Looks like we each love a Keaton girl.
“Not with Spencer. He’s Crosby’s little brother.” She tries to whisper, but we all hear her. Hell, the kid wearing the Beats headphones down the hall probably heard her.
“So what?”
“So…” Ella fights to find a legit reason the two shouldn’t be together. “He’s Crosby’s little brother,” she repeats.
The laughter that’s been burning in me pours out.
Her head whips around and she narrows her eyes at me. “A little help?”
“What? I think it’s great.”
Ariel looks over with a proud smile. “Thanks, Crosby.” She removes her wrist from her sister’s grasp and saunters over to me. Rising onto her tiptoes, she wraps her arms around my neck. “It’s good to see you.”
I hug her in a tight embrace. The little girl I remember grew up and now has a thing for my brother. “You, too.”
“I’ve missed you,” she whispers in my ear. “So has El.”
My stomach bubbles with hope from her words. I knew I always like Ariel. Even when she was the persistent little sister that never left El and I alone.
She backs away, and instead of going to her sister’s side, she cozies up to Spencer.
His eyes finally focus on me. “We’re dating,” he divulges.
I shoot him an accepting smile. “That’s great,” I say.
Ella twists around, still not pleased with the new revelation. “I need to talk to you, Ariel. Now.” She turns on her heels and stomps down the hallway.
Ariel glances to Spencer, me, and back to Spencer.
“Go,” he urges her. “I’ll catch up.”
She gives him a big hug and kisses his cheek. “Love you,” she whispers.
And those words throw me back. My gut twists at the thought that this is something more than puppy love. The question of whether the Keaton’s will even let Ariel date my little brother is now overpowering my happiness for him. What if they don’t accept him?
I was all on board with this being simple and innocent. But