I nod. “Okay, that works.”
Tom gives me another nervous grin and then tells me goodbye. I wave at him as he backs out of the driveway and then I turn around and rush back toward the house. It’s freezing out here. I jog into the open garage and then stop short.
Clay is standing there wearing that hoodie he loaned me in Florida, hands in his pockets. His earbuds are gone.
“You scared me,” I say, stepping around him.
“Wait,” he says.
I stop, just a few steps away from the door that would take me back inside where it’s nice and warm and away from Clay.
Clay’s lips press together and he looks down at the concrete floor. “Did he just ask you out?”
I lift an eyebrow. Clay watches me silently, waiting for an answer. I shrug. “We’re going to dinner tonight.”
I catch a flash of something in his eyes, but I’m not sure what. Clay stares at me for a few seconds that seem to stretch on forever. I’m shivering, my jaw rapidly shaking. I wish he would get on with it.
“You really need to buy some warmer clothes,” he says.
I roll my eyes and start walking toward the door again.
“Avery—” His voice makes me stop again. There’s something pained in it, which is weird because this boy never shows any emotions. “Don’t go out with him,” he says, sounding like the words cause him physical pain.
Something flutters to life in my stomach.
I turn around and face him. “Why? Is he some kind of serial killer?”
“No,” Clay says, breaking our eye contact to glance at the floor again. “He’s actually a nice guy. That makes it even worse.”
I pull the blanket tighter around my shoulders. “Makeswhateven worse?”
Clay stares at me again. It’s like hewantsto say something but just can’t. I’m losing my patience with this guy. One second he’s a total jerk to me, and the next he’s doing something kind like loaning me his hoodie or helping me deal with crazy motocross moms.
“What?” I say, my voice louder and ruder than necessary. But I’m totally over this. I throw my arms up, which lets in a cold rush of winter air under the blanket that chills me to the core. “Why are you even talking to me? You made it very clear you can’t stand me, and I’m fine with that, okay? So leave me alone. It’s not like you like me or anything.”
“Dammit, Avery.” He scrubs his hands down his face. “Maybe I do, okay?”
I’m not cold anymore. I stare into Clay’s eyes, see the pain beneath the beautiful chestnut color. If he’s only said one true thing in his entire life, I’d bet my life this is it. You can’t fake that kind of sincerity. But if he actually likes me, why does it look like it hurts him so much to admit it?
I am suddenly very aware of my heart pounding, as if it hadn’t been beating for the last few minutes and now it needs to work overtime to catch up. My ears pound and my vision goes a little blurry around the edges because I haven’t looked away from Clay in so long.
It’s probably only been a few seconds, but it feels like an eternity.
I open my mouth to say something. I’m not sure what, because I’m still in shock, but whatever it is will surely change everything between us.
The garage door swings open and Zach pokes his head out. “Ah, there he is! Dude, I found that picture from Ponca and you’re right—we were both on the podium together. Can you believe that? Ten years old and we had no idea we’d be on a race team together later on.”
Clay’s expression flips like a light switch and he goes from staring at me to smiling at Zach. “That’s crazy,” he says, turning to face Zach.
Zach is grinning and obviously so excited about whatever the hell Ponca is, and he doesn’t seem to realize there’s some serious shit going on between Clay and me. He waves a hand. “Come see it.”
Zach heads inside and Clay glances back at me. I get the feeling I could ask him to stay, but I don’t, and he gives me an uncertain smile before heading into the house. I don’t follow them right away. The moment is gone so quickly that I start to wonder if it even happened.
Chapter 13
Talk about bad timing. I finally get the courage to say something and Zach bursts in and ruins the moment. Maybe it was actually good timing. Honestly, I had no idea what I was going to say next. Just straight up confess that I’m crushing on her despite my best efforts not to? I definitely,definitelycan’t tell her that. It would ruin everything. I guess it’s for the best that Zach interrupted us even if I hate walking away from her.
I should have never said those words. I was just so caught up in the moment, feeling a rush of white-hot jealousy surge through my veins as I watched that guy Tom pathetically ask her out. That is not how you ask out a girl. He was so nervous and boring about it. He wasn’t treating her like the only girl in the world. She deserves so much better than that guy.
