Hammered (Blue Bay Crew #3)- Cathryn Fox Page 0,56
Harding hated staying after school and spent more time outside smoking than watching us. That was to my advantage because there was this sweet girl with the curliest red hair. Her name was Carly Hopkins.”
“Oh, I think I can see where this is going.”
I tug on the blanket so I’m under it with her. “She was a good girl. Like you.”
“You think I’m a good girl, do you?”
Frogs croak nearby, and I nudge her chin. “Well, you used to be.”
She whacks my chest, and I capture her hand and bring it to my mouth. “I still am. Mostly.” She laughs. “It’s been fun being bad with you, but go on. Tell me how you corrupted Carly.”
“I was in grade seven.”
“Of course you were.”
“I tugged her ponytail and she threw her backpack at me. We both landed in detention. She was so pissed. Man, that girl hated me.”
“What did you do to change that?” She blinks up at me, like she senses a fun story coming on.
“See,” I say, wanting to entertain her. “I knew she had the hots for Jayden Barkhouse.”
“Okay…”
“I told her, if she had a boyfriend like me, a guy a good girl like her probably shouldn’t be seen with, that would make Jayden take notice of her.”
“Did it?”
“Yup.”
“So, circle back for me. How did you end up with her if you were just pretending to be her boyfriend?”
“Pretending was the best part, Haven. We got to kiss and touch in public, and in detention, we did a whole lot more than that. She started getting into trouble more and more, so we could hang out together in detention.” I wink at her. “Fun times.”
“Oh my God, Tyler. You are so bad.”
“Hey, I had a service to offer.”
She laughs, hard. “Yeah, you’re a real entrepreneur.”
“Lucky for you, right? I started understanding this pretend relationship thing at a very early age.”
She rolls her eyes playfully. “Yeah, lucky for me is right, and what a hardship for you, huh?”
“Not a hardship at all,” I say and kiss her hand.
“What ever happened to Carly?”
“She married Jayden.” I can’t help but laugh when I blow on my knuckles and say, “I’d like to believe it had something to do with all the things I taught her.”
“You should hire yourself out.”
“Hey, I’m not a gigolo. My actions were purely altruistic. I like helping others, for no other reason than the fulfilment it gives me.”
“Yeah, you do and while you might not have been a great student, you’re one hell of a teacher.”
“You mean in bed, right?” I tease.
She laughs. “Ah, I realize you wanted to take me fishing, I didn’t know it was for compliments,” she teases and takes my face into her hands. “But yes, Tyler. You’re a great teacher and not just in bed. Those kids in your class adore you.”
For no reason, other than the need for the connection, I lean into her and plant a soft kiss onto her mouth. Our lips linger, and warmth and intimacy arc between us, a strange new shift in the air. My heart beats that much faster, and my blood pumps a little quicker as a peculiar need tugs at something deep inside me.
“All right, let’s get fishing, but there’s one more thing I have to show you.” I point. “Look over at that cluster of stars.”
She follows my gaze. “I see it.”
“Any idea what it is?”
“Nope,” she says.
“That’s called Solomon’s Pentagram,” I tell her. As she follows the cluster of stars with her finger, I add, “That protects you from danger.”
She puts her hand on my stomach. “I thought you were the one who was going to protect me from danger.”
“You’re right,” I say with a laugh, and we both look up again in time to see a shooting star.
“Oh my God, Tyler, did you just see that?”
“A shooting star. Quick, make a wish,” I say and slam my eyes shut. Haven goes quiet beside me and I can’t help but wonder what it is she’s wishing for. Me? Well, I know what I want. I’m ready to settle down with a family of my own. The wish I made was that it was with the one person who was made for me. My heart misses a beat when I inch one eye open and see that Haven’s lids are still pinched shut. They finally open and a wide smile lights up her face.
“You should always wish on a shooting star,” I tell her. “Gram always told us that since we were