Better If He Goes (Always You #1) - Allie Everhart Page 0,3
which explains why she gets so many guys. And she's still young—only 37. She had me when she was 15.
"Mom, your boyfriend is naked. I really don't want to see that."
"Aren't you sweet?" She laughs and I get a whiff of the alcohol on her breath. "Riley, honey, you're an adult woman now. You can look at all the naked men you want, even your mama's boyfriend. There's no shame in that."
"Yeah, well, I'd rather not, so if you two could just go in the bedroom...."
"Dave, go cover yourself up!" my mom yells at him. She turns back to me. "What are you doing home so early? You sick?"
"No. Renee gave me the afternoon off so I could hang out with Nate. He's home from college and came to the salon to surprise me."
"Does that mean you're done now?" she asks Nate, walking over to him.
"Graduated last week," he says with a smile.
I'm so proud of him. I really wanted to go to his graduation but couldn't get the time off work. He went to college in California so just driving there and back would've taken a couple days.
"Congrats," my mom says, hugging Nate, her skimpy robe riding up and exposing her lacy thong panties. Nate attempts to hug her back but seems unsure where to put his arms since my mom is practically naked.
"We should probably get going," Nate says to me, his face begging me to hurry up so we can leave.
My mom lets him go. "Where you two going?"
"Out for lunch, then maybe to Nate's house." I race over to him and grab his arm. "C'mon, Nate. I need to change clothes and then we can go."
He looks surprised that I'm taking him to my room. Why would he be surprised? We always go to my room. Growing up, we'd always hide in there when my mom had her boyfriends over so we wouldn't have to watch them make out in the living room.
"Have fun!" my mom says with a wink and a smile. She thinks there's something going on between us. She's thought that ever since we met. She can't imagine being just friends with a guy. She said the attraction between a guy and a girl makes it impossible to not act on that attraction.
But I'm not attracted to Nate. It's not because of his looks. He's definitely hot. Tall and lean with dark hair and eyes and that big friendly smile. Girls are always checking him out. I just don't see him that way. If we hadn't started out as friends all those years ago, maybe I'd feel an attraction to him, but years of confiding in him, letting him see me at my worst, makes me see him as more of a brother than a boyfriend.
And actually, I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful to have a best friend like Nate that I can always count on to be there, who will never try to hit on me or kiss me like other guys would.
I'm so glad he's back. I've missed my best friend.
Chapter Two
Nate
Riley looks so damn beautiful. How is it possible she gets more beautiful every time I see her? I was home on spring break and thought she was beautiful then, but she looks even more beautiful now.
We're at lunch, sitting across from each other at Pete's, our favorite pizza place, and as much as I try, I can't stop staring at her. Her silky brown hair is longer than it was last time I saw her, and she didn't straighten it today, leaving soft waves that look like the kind my ex-girlfriend used to pay a fortune to get at the salon. Riley's toned down her makeup, going for a more natural look, which I love. For years, her mom kept pushing Riley to coat her face in makeup, but it always looked too overdone. Her mom can pull it off, but Riley looks better wearing little to no makeup. She doesn't need it. Her skin is flawless.
"What's wrong?" she asks, bobbing her straw up and down in her soda.
"Nothing. Why?"
"You keep staring at me. Is there something on my face?" She touches her chin, then around her mouth. I love her mouth. Her full lips. I've dreamed about kissing those lips more than I should, but I can't help what I dream. I think about Riley all day long, so it makes sense she'd show up in my dreams.