Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits #1)(75)

We sat on the massively wide stairs of her back deck, overlooking the field behind her house. Wind chimes tinkled with the gentle breeze and the sun kissed my bare arms. “Is he coming to get me?” He had to know I’d skipped school.

“No, but he did ask my mom to remind you that your curfew is midnight.”

The urge to laugh shook my body and the harder I tried to keep it in, the more powerful it grew. Finally, I let it out. Lila smiled at first and then began to laugh with me. “What’s so funny?”

I took a deep breath and wiped my eyes. “My father left me for dead and I’ve got a freaking curfew.”

Lila giggled. “That is kind of funny.” She sighed. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.” And I didn’t. The mere idea of going home grated on my nerves like sandpaper. “You know what I do know?”

“What?”

I extended my arms. “I miss the feel of the sun on my skin. Just curious, how would you react if I wore short sleeves to school?”

Lila’s mouth twitched up. “No differently than if you wore long sleeves.”

“Grace would have a coronary.”

“Grace can go to hell.” Lila’s uncharacteristic outburst of anger surprised me. “We’ve got two months until graduation. You can live life to please everyone else or please yourself. Come next fall, I’ll be living large at the University of Florida and forgetting that I ever made friends with people like Grace. I’ve made my decision. What’s yours?”

NOAH

As soon as I finished my shower, I planned on calling Echo then heading to Antonio’s for the rest of the party. At eleven, Echo would easily still be awake. Hopefully, Lila had helped lessen the blow of her new memory. I shouldn’t have gone to work. I should have stayed with her. Man, I was a dick. I’d make it up to her tomorrow.

Three years ago, I’d imagined spending my senior year choosing where to play college ball, not negotiating my salary and benefits for becoming the day manager at the Malt and Burger. But how could I argue with a salary, insurance and steady hours? I wouldn’t break the bank though I could afford something small and decent for me and my brothers. I had a long list of things I preferred to do over flipping burgers. Flipping burgers and teaching people to flip burgers: my f**king dream come true.

The hot water washed away the grease from my shift. Apartment hunting would be next: a two-bedroom, maybe one. I could sleep on the couch and give my brothers the bedroom. Either way, my apartment required a good showerhead and lots of scalding water to erase the flipping-burger tedium.

After ten minutes, the hot water faded, leaving only steam. The fog crept into the bathroom and into my brain. What was I doing? My mother had taken me to her office on campus at least once a month. “College is a must, even if you’re military bound. College first, then decide your future,” her smooth voice preached.

I wiped the mirror and saw my mother’s eyes staring back. “You didn’t tell me what the f**k to do if you died.”

Water droplets hung in the heavy damp air and on my body. The heater in the basement pounded several times before kicking on, sending cooler air through the vent on the floor. I stood there staring, waiting for her answer.

“Noah?”

A welcome voice—not my mother’s, but welcome all the same: Echo. A smile spread across my face. This was too good. Me in a towel, alone in the house with my nymph. I left the bathroom. “‘Sup, baby.”

Echo peeked around the corner and red curls bounced when she rapidly turned her head in the opposite direction. “Oh, my God, I am so sorry. I’ll wait outside or something until you … um … you know, get clothes on.”

I padded into the living room behind her, running my hand down her back. “What are you doing here? You and Lila run out of girl gossip?”

“I, um, made a decision. Can you put some clothes on?”

“Cutting it close to curfew, aren’t you?”

She shrugged and avoided looking in my direction.

“Come on.” I grabbed her hand and led her toward the basement.

“No, really, Noah,” she said. “I’ll wait until you’re dressed.”

So I could miss that blush creeping across her face? No way. “Turn away if you want, but I don’t mind you looking.” I let go of her hand when we reached the bottom of the stairs and walked over to my basket of clothes, picking up a pair of jeans. “Turn away now. Or not.” I glanced over my shoulder. Echo had her back to me and her eyes covered. I chuckled to myself. “What’s going on, baby? You’re not a rule-breaker.”

“I don’t feel like going home. At least not yet.”

I zipped my jeans. “You can look now.”

Echo turned and her smoldering emerald eyes drifted to my bare chest. She licked her lips and quickly focused on folding a blanket Beth had left on the couch. “You’re still wet.”

She wanted me—just not as badly as every throbbing muscle in my body wanted her. Behind the hunger in her eyes rested a quiet pain. Echo placed the expertly folded blanket back on the couch and smoothed it several times, insisting on finding perfection in a world where none existed.

“If you don’t want to go home, what do you want to do?” I asked, sitting on the bed.