Path of Destruction (Broken Heartland, #2)(62)

Sure they talked about the farm more now, each of their parents, and how much they wanted out of Summit Bluffs High School. But he wanted to seek her advice about Cameron, wished he could come out and ask her point-blank if he was an idiot. If she was so far out of his league that they weren’t even in the same conference.

He wanted to ask if she would hate him for wanting some type of relationship with a girl she didn’t like very much, though much as she tried to hide it, he suspected she was harboring some serious feelings for Prescott. After their huge blow-up after prom, he’d thought the lines of communication would be a little more open—but if anything, she’d become more withdrawn. He wasn’t sure why or if there was anything he could even do about it.

It all made him tired to think about. There were never enough hours in the day and he was exhausted.

The barn hadn’t held livestock in years, but the faint animal scent still remained. It was dark, but Cooper knew the way to the ladder by heart. Once he reached it, he gripped it with his two hands and began his ascent. Bed sounded so good right now. Part of him wished he’d just slept in his old room in the house, but his parents had turned it into an overcrowded home office after he’d started sleeping in the loft.

After flicking the lamp on in the loft, he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the couch. His eyes flickered to where it landed. Next to a girl.

His heart rate accelerated so fast he wondered if her unexpected presence might actually give him a heart attack.

“Cameron?”

She’d fallen asleep, her knees tucked under her on the end of his couch. He said her name again, slightly softer as he recovered from the shock.

She blinked herself awake, her eyes opening wide when she spotted him standing there. Shirtless.

“Hey,” she said softly. Her voice permeated the protector layer of * he’d been keeping up around her at school.

The school had kept up on its tornado preparedness, setting off the sirens on Tuesday. He’d wanted to go to that damn closet and comfort her so badly that he’d had to go outside to keep from breaking his own self-imposed rule of leaving her alone.

“I didn’t know you knew where I lived.” It was a lame opening line, but he didn’t know what else to say. What the hell are you doing here seemed rude.

Her cheeks flushed a sexy shade of pink and her eyes lowered. “I followed you home from school.”

Cooper glanced over at the clock on his nightstand. “It’s after nine, Cameron. You’ve been out here for that long?”

She shrugged. Then she stretched out long, her legs tensing beneath the denim of her jeans. He’d never seen her in jeans. Skirts, yes. Those damn jegging things, yes. But jeans, no. They looked good on her. Really good. Other parts of his body took notice. She was adorably sexy with mussed hair and dreamy eyes.

“We need to talk,” she said, standing and stepping toward him. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

Hurt rippled across her features. He could only imagine how difficult that was to say and how much pride she’d had to swallow to come here and wait for him. His fingers twitched at his sides, aching to touch her. All of her. Any of her. Her silky skin, her tousled hair, her perfectly plump lips.

“Didn’t really think you’d notice.” Or care, he started to say but thought better of it. She’d followed him home and waited over five hours in an empty, dark barn. He had no idea why, but she definitely cared.

“There was a drill on Tuesday. You didn’t…you didn’t come. Guess I deserved that.”

She wrapped her arms protectively around her body, causing him to flinch.

Cooper clenched his jaw shut. There was a lot he wanted to say. He had plenty of questions for her. The most prominent one being what do you want from me? But hearing it all in his head, he knew none of it would come out right.

He’d never been good with words. And the truth was that he was angry. Angry that he’d let himself become some dirty secret to hide in the janitor’s closet, angry that he’d been stupid enough to think she could ever want more than a good time with a guy like him, and damn near insane with jealously that, when she’d needed someone, it was Prescott she’d turned to instead of him.

No, none of that would come out well.

She took another step closer and his willpower broke. He knew he should take a step back instead of one toward her, but he ignored his instinct.

“I’m not very good at guessing games, Cameron. Feel like telling me why you’re here?”

Her gaze met his, a storm of emotions he didn’t have names for swirling in those depthless brown eyes.

“I heard you punched Hayden in the face. Must you be so barbaric all the time?”

Cooper shrugged. “I am who I am. Been this way most of my life. If you’re here to tell me I need to change to be with you or—”

“I’m not.” Cameron tugged her bottom lip with her teeth. “I don’t want to change you.”

“So you just wanted to hang out in the loft then? I mean, it’s not the Ritz and it doesn’t quite have that antiseptic scent of the utility closet, but I like it well enough.”

“Brantley,” Cameron began quietly. “I came here because I have to tell you something. Something really important. Once I do, though, you might never speak to me again.” She sighed and tilted her head a little to the left. “So I’m mostly stalling for time by admiring your abs.”