Until the End (Sea Breeze #9)(28)

She was right. I did need to do those things if I wanted to survive going back to my house. My dad was going to be furious. But she was more important than any of that. “I have it under control,” I reassured her, which was sort of the truth. Dewayne had been getting my work every day, and his dad had written me an excuse for missing school. I had the flu as far as anyone else knew.

Trisha sighed and leaned back on her pillows. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because you need me,” I replied, then headed for the door. I wasn’t telling her anything more than that.

“Get milk,” Krit called out to me.

Trisha

After missing a week of school, I was ready to go back. Fandora ignored me completely, treating me as if I didn’t exist, and this was a wonderful thing. She hadn’t been at the trailer much. She stayed gone most of the time. Rock left school and came home to check on me at lunch every day and after practice. He was pleased Fandora was staying away. He’d also bought so many groceries I knew it wasn’t just fifty dollars’ worth. He’d added money to that. When I had tried to argue with him about it, he just blew me off like I wasn’t talking.

When Krit had been so excited over corn dogs and grapes, I decided to forgive Rock for spending his money on us.

This morning Rock was coming to get me for school. Krit wanted to ride the bus with Green, but he was insistent I ride with Rock to school. I was also not to carry my book bag or my books. Rock was planning on doing that until my ribs healed. The idea of walking through Sea Breeze High with Rock Taylor at my side all the time was exciting and intimidating. I knew girls wouldn’t see me as a reason to stay away from him.

“Bus is here. See you after school!” Krit called as he ran out the front door. Fandora hadn’t come home last night. So luckily she wasn’t here for us to worry about. Krit had carried my book bag to the living room and made me swear not to pick it up, to wait on Rock till he arrived.

I felt helpless and I hated that.

When the gravel crunched beneath tires outside, my heart fluttered. Silly heart.

I walked over to the window to see Rock open his truck door and step out. He was dressed in jeans and his practice football jersey. They wore them on Mondays after winning Friday night’s game.

It looked real good on him.

He knocked once and walked inside. Having him in the trailer made me remember how safe I felt when he had stayed with me. I liked that feeling. I liked him being here.

“Morning,” he said in a sexy drawl.

“Good morning,” I replied, feeling my face heat. I had to get control of this. Rock was my friend. He hadn’t flirted with me again after the night he’d picked me up on the side of the road. Our whole dynamic had changed. We were . . . friends. Just friends. That thought made me sad.

Shaking it off, I knew this was all we would ever be. I needed to be thankful for that. He was a great person to have as a friend. His protective nature was a major plus.

“You ready to go back?” he asked, picking up my book bag.

Not really, but it was better than being here. “Yeah. I have to catch up.”

He nodded, then held open the door. “I’ll help you.”

He was always helping me. It was going to get old for him soon enough. I was going to become a burden.

“You’ve got your own work to catch up on. I’ll be fine,” I assured him.

Rock just chuckled behind me. I didn’t glance back at him. My cheeks were warm and I wasn’t even sure why.

He stepped around me and opened the truck door for me, then held out his hand. I glanced down at his hand and frowned.

“Take my hand. I need to help you up so you don’t strain yourself,” he explained, clearly amused.

I wasn’t sure touching his hand was a good idea. My heart was already all fluttery and my face was warm. Rock was suddenly causing my body to react in crazy ways. “Okay,” I said almost too softly.

When I placed my hand in his much larger one, his closed around mine, sending warm shivers through my body from the contact. I was losing it.

“You good?” he asked me when I still hadn’t moved my hand from his once I was seated in his truck.

I jerked my hand away, feeling like an idiot, and nodded. “Yeah, thanks,” I muttered, and didn’t look at him.

He didn’t move right away, and I was finding it hard to breathe knowing he was looking at me. Finally I turned my gaze to see him staring at my legs. I glanced down and realized that my shorts had ridden up even shorter than they were. I had to get some bigger shorts. Not getting exercise was not helping me lose weight. I tried to tug on them. Rock cleared his throat and closed my door.

I took several calming breaths before he opened his door and climbed inside. I didn’t have a shirt loose enough to cover the fact that my ribs were wrapped either. My clothes seemed to be shrinking.

He started the truck and Tim McGraw’s voice filled the space. Rock grinned and reached over to turn down the music. “I blare music to wake up in the morning,” he explained.

I nodded. “Good idea.”

He looked at me a moment longer than necessary, but I wouldn’t meet his gaze. I was afraid my feelings were all over my face, and I needed to figure this out and protect that. Rock wasn’t asking for something more with me. He wanted to be friends and I had said yes. I needed to respect that.