Locke (Rosewood High #0.5) - Tracy Lorraine Page 0,1

wait.”

“Start as you mean to go on, Lys.”

I utter words of agreement as I walk away, but really, all I feel is dread. Weeks locked in this house with them tormenting me at every turn is the last thing I need.

2

Emerson

“I get it. I do. But still, don’t you think it’s kinda fucked up? They could just strip you naked and spray you down with Lysol.”

“Oh yeah, because that’s less fucked up,” I mutter, staring out of Levi’s passenger window at the familiar surroundings as we head for home.

I didn’t give it two thoughts when we got word that the university was closing and sending us all home. I thought I’d just return to my childhood bedroom and wait out the next few weeks while trying not to get into a fight with my dad, and shooting hoops in the driveway like the good old days. What I wasn’t expecting was the teary phone call from my mom telling me that I couldn’t come back.

I knew she was at risk, I’m not stupid. I’ve lived with her illness my entire life. And my parents are older, having my siblings long before I was born. We’re doing this to protect the vulnerable and she is most definitely one of them. I just didn’t think the imposed self-isolation they put themselves into when the first cases were announced early last week would extend to not allowing me inside the house with them.

She told me that my brothers and sister had offered to have me, but like fuck do I want to go and put myself in the middle of their growing families. Being the youngest by quite a few years meant I’ve never had a great relationship with any of them. We’ve always been at totally different stages of our lives and right now is no different. They all seem to be scoring as many babies as I am hoops these days, and I have no desire to go and be a live-in nanny for any of them.

When Levi’s mom got wind of what was going on, thankfully, she wasted no time in demanding that Levi invite me to stay with them.

I was grateful; of course, I was. I’d much rather be stuck with Levi than my siblings. But moving into the Perkins’ house came with one issue I really didn’t need while we’re all locked up inside like a bunch of dysfunctional inmates.

His sister.

Alyssa Perkins has been under my skin since the moment my hormones started racing as a pre-teen, and no matter what, no matter who I fuck, she’s always fucking there. Her big, innocent blue eyes, her sinful curves, and her sharp mouth. She calls to me in the exact way she shouldn’t.

I’ve managed to stay away from her over the years. I’ve snapped at her, belittled her, told her she was young and stupid—which is laughable at best seeing as really there are only a few months between us. I’ve done everything I can to make her hate me in the hope she becomes less tempting. But as I sit here approaching the house, I can’t help my cock swelling with excitement that she’s going to be in touching distance for weeks, if not months, if this plays out like the experts are saying.

It’s wrong. So fucking wrong. Levi would kill me if he knew I’d been pining after her for all these years. But fuck. I want her.

My eyes lock onto my own home the moment Levi turns the car up our street. I wonder how the two people inside are really coping right now. Dad’s always wrapped Mom up in a protective bubble. I can only imagine what he’s like right now. A part of me is glad that I’m not about to find out, but then guilt washes that away. That is until Levi brings the car to a stop around the side of his house and movement in the window above catches my eye.

It’s her usual spot on her window seat. The one that looks out directly into my bedroom and has a great view of Levi’s homemade court.

I blow out a long breath. I don’t need to be able to see her to know she’s looking at me right now. I feel it.

“I know it sucks, man. We’ve just got to make the best of it. You can shout at them through the window from a distance, maybe.”

“It’s fine. We’ll just chat on the phone. They’re doing the right thing.” I don’t want