His Reverie (Reverie #1)(34)
“She live with her parents too?” Michael comes home every summer to work, though he lives on his own during the school year, when he’s away for college. He’s told me more than once he’s sick and tired of being under his parents’ roof, always having them tell him what to do.
I say nothing. I’d look like a total wimp if I confessed I wished I still lived with Mom. Yeah, I lost her only a few months ago but still. I need to man up. I can handle this on my own.
“Yep. She’s going away to school in the fall, just like I am,” Michael says, our feet crunching on the graveled driveway. “This is definitely going to be a summer romance, nothing more.”
“And you’re okay with that?” I ask, shoving my hands in the pockets of my shorts.
“Do I have a choice? Besides, it’s not such a bad thing, walking into a relationship knowing it won’t last beyond a few months. So yeah, I’m good with it,” Michael says with a shrug. “Really it’s perfect. No strings attached. We walk away from each other at the end of the summer and no one’s feelings are hurt.”
Not a bad idea, approaching the relationship knowing it’s going to end for good in a limited amount of time. Something I could consider with Reverie though I wonder how she would feel about it. She’s not someone to trifle with. She deserves more than a summer fling with a loser like me.
Not that I can do something like this with her anyway. I’m supposed to be giving up on that angle and I need to remember it.
“Plus, working with her, we can sneak off during breaks and get some personal time in if you know what I mean.” Michael waggles his eyebrows at me like he’s some sort of cartoon character, making me laugh. I’d been in such a bad mood since yesterday it felt good.
I shove him away from me. “I better not walk into the storage barn or whatever and find you half naked with Heather, tumbling around in the hay.”
“Like I found you with Rev in the stables?” More waggling of the brows on Michael’s end. “Besides, hay’s too damn scratchy.”
My lungs freeze, making it hard to breathe. “What the hell are you talking about?” I wave my hand, trying to blow off his statement but it feels forced. Phony.
“I’m not blind, dude. She may have been clear across the room from you but something was going down between you and Rev in the stables.” I can feel Michael’s eyes on me, steady and pointed.
I stop walking and so does Michael. “It was nothing,” I lie.
“Bullshit,” Michael says cheerfully. “Deny it all you want. I saw the way you chased after her on the Fourth. And I freaking felt the tension between you two in the stables. You’re still pursuing that even after everything I told you? Are you crazy?”
No way can I answer him. Instead I start walking fast, headed toward the shed near the patio where the Hales keep all their lawn equipment. Michael chases after me like the persistent dog he is, chattering the entire way.
“Listen, if you’re gonna go all balls to the wall and go for it anyway, I’m not going to stop you. Who am I to get in the way of true love? But I need to warn you dude. This isn’t going to be easy.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I say between clenched teeth, glancing around to make sure no one else is listening. Michael’s volume is always high. The guy doesn’t know how to be quiet. The last thing I need is someone else hearing him give me permission to go for Reverie.
“It’s all good if you do like her, dude. I won’t tell a soul. Not even Heather.”
I turn on him, thrust my finger in his face. “Especially not Heather,” I practically growl.
Michael’s smile fades as he throws up his arms in surrender. “Don’t worry. I won’t blow your cover.”
Irritated with my reaction, I drop my hand and turn away from Michael. “It’s nothing between Reverie and me. Nothing.”
“You’re the only one who calls her that you know,” Michael says.
I turn to look at him again. “What?”
“Reverie. No one else calls her that. She’s just Rev.” The smile is back, not as shit-eating as usual though. More like he can see right through me and is realizing that I really do like her.
Which just leaves me feeling weak and vulnerable. And I hate that.
“Rev. It doesn’t fit her,” I mutter, headed toward the shed once more.
“Whatever dude,” Michael calls after me but I ignore him this time. We don’t need to get caught by Valerie Hale talking. She’d love nothing more than to give us twice the work to finish in half the time.
I start my daily washing of the patio, a mindless chore I like to do first thing in the morning, when I’m not one hundred percent awake. Though at the moment I’m hopped up on that extra large cup of coffee I had and I feel all jittery. Or that could just be nerves. I still have no idea how she’ll react the first time she sees me after we kissed. Will she act casual, like it was no big deal? Ignore me completely? Yeah, that would probably be for the best. It sucks though.
Maybe I should go seek her out and get this over with. Be the one to approach her, tell her it was all a mistake and hope like hell she understands. This was all just a fluke. It had to be. Kissing the reverend’s daughter is the stupidest thing I could’ve done since getting out of jail with all charges dropped. I’m supposed to be on the straight and narrow, not playing with danger.