Better If He Goes (Always You #1) - Allie Everhart Page 0,50
open until everyone's in place!"
Giada scurries off while I climb up in my chair. I look over and catch Nate's eye. He smiles and gives me a wave. I do the same, then look forward and see Brad right across from me.
He gives me a smile, but for some reason it's so much sexier than Nate's. It's causing that fluttery stomach thing again. Why does Brad stir up all these feelings in me? Is it because I know he's off limits? I need to find a way to make it stop.
People start arriving and the pool quickly fills up. We're so busy I don't have time to do anything more than glance at Brad, but the few times I do, I catch his eye and he gives me that smile. And every damn time, it causes a reaction in me. A flutter. A rush of heat. A tingle of pleasure. Damn him and that smile!
When the pool closes, I'm heading to the locker room when Nate stops me. "Long day, huh?"
"Yeah. I don't think I've ever seen it that busy."
"It's because of that online special they're doing."
"What online special?"
"The one TJ keeps talking about in our staff meetings. Weren't you listening?"
I wasn't. My mind always wanders during those meetings, especially when Brad's sitting next to me and my thoughts go to us doing things we shouldn't.
"It's two for one admission," Nate says. "They have to go online and print out the coupon in the ad, but it's only good on certain days. Today was the first one."
"Oh. I guess I forgot about that."
"He just reminded us about it this morning," he says in that judgmental tone I find so irritating. "How could you forget already?"
"Nate, I need to go," I say, walking past him.
"I'll go change and wait by the car."
That's right. He's my ride home. I forgot I didn't drive.
"I could take her." Brad appears next to me. "I'm going that way anyway."
Nate looks at me. "Does that work? If not, I don't mind driving you home."
"Don't worry about it. I'll just go with Brad." I glance at him. "Did he tell you we're going to the movies tonight?"
"No," Nate says, not seeming at all jealous or upset by the news. "What are you going to see?"
"We haven't decided yet," Brad says, giving me a look like he's surprised I brought it up. Why would he be surprised? Did he think I'd try to hide it from Nate?
"Don't go to one I want to see," Nate says to me. "Our agreement still stands."
"What agreement?" Brad asks.
I answer. "If there's a movie we're really excited about, Nate and I agreed we'd go together. It's something we've been doing for years."
"It started after Riley went to see a movie without me that I'd been dying to see. She was telling me about it and let the ending slip."
"It was an accident," I say, remembering how upset Nate got when I told him. "After that, we made the agreement to make sure it didn't happen again."
"Seems a little restrictive," Brad says, "but I don't want to mess up your arrangement. So what's off limits?"
"I'll tell you later," I say. "I need to go change."
Heading to the locker room, I'm annoyed once again with Nate. I've never liked that agreement and felt like he was punishing me when he made it. So I accidentally told him the ending. Big deal. It was one time and I promised to never do it again.
"Hey." I feel a hand on my shoulder, stopping me. I look back and see Tara there. "You almost ran me over."
"I did?" I sigh. "Sorry. I wasn't looking."
"You okay?" she asks.
"Yeah. It's just been a long day."
She follows me into the locker room. Her locker is right next to mine and as she opens it, I notice the inside is neatly organized with tiny hooks and hangers, little boxes, and shelf inserts.
"Wow." I peek inside. "Where'd you find all that stuff?"
"Online." She pulls a tiny hairbrush from one of the boxes. "I like things to be organized."
"You weren't like that in high school," I say, remembering how things were always falling out of her backpack, which was stuffed so full she could barely zip it.
"I know. Weird, huh? For some reason I suddenly got obsessed with organizing stuff my junior year of college." She puts the brush back and closes her locker. "You've changed a lot too since high school."
"What do you mean?" I open my locker and grab my clothes.