Crazy For You by Alexander, S.B. (love story novels in english TXT) 📗

it’s great,” I said. “He seems different this year. I had my doubts on the first day of school.”

Mia rested her head on my shoulder briefly. “Thank you. And he knows if he so much as looks at another girl, or is an ass, he’s toast.”

Georgia and I busted out laughing. The act for me was exhilarating. I definitely needed to laugh more.

I grasped Mia’s small hand. “I’m so happy for you.” Grady might have been an asshat, but he was a handsome guy. And if anyone could tame the beast, Mia was the gal to do just that.

“Me too,” Georgia piped in.

Mia perked up. “Now my mission is to get you both some boyfriends.”

“Good luck with that,” I muttered. I wasn’t interested in anyone but Colton, and he didn’t want a thing to do with me. Besides, he’d sworn off girls. So there was that.

Georgia sat back. “I think we can find our own. At least we know where to find one for Skyler.” She giggled.

“You never talked about the night he slept next to you.” Mia sounded eager for the details.

“I also never told you I heard you and Grady having sex either.”

“What?” both girls asked in unison.

I laughed, and again, it felt liberating. “Harder,” I said, trying to emulate the breathy tone Mia had used that morning.

Georgia keeled over, laughing.

“Hey, I like it that way.” Mia’s tone was so serious that she defied us to argue with her.

I raised my hands. “All I know is I hope one day I’m as free with sex as you. You’re my hero.”

“Are you mocking me, Skye?” Mia’s tone had a hint of playfulness to it.

“Serious as I sit and breathe,” I responded.

“If you ever want pointers, I’m your gal.”

What I wanted first was for Colton to notice me without a blank look or an angry expression, to talk to me like I wasn’t the one who’d crashed his world, and to stop ignoring me as if I had some sort of contagious disease.

14

After lunch, the rest of the school day had dragged by like a slow-moving train going nowhere. When the last bell rang, I tore out of the building, hungering for that fresh, cool Southern air that had a myriad of scents—ocean, newly cut grass, and fall flowers that provided a sweetness to the air.

Georgia wheeled into my driveway. “I’m sorry I can’t go to the football game tonight. It’s family time with Mom and Dad. It’s their only day off together.”

“No biggie. I want to hang out with Dad, anyway.” I could have gone to sit in the stands and watch Colton play and Mia cheerlead, but Mia had told us right before we left school that Colton wasn’t playing. He’d asked the coach for a night off. He probably had a thing with his parents, too, though I sort of found that hard to believe. His dad was a martyr.

Georgia flicked her chin at Colton’s house. “Is that his dad? He looks just like Colton, only old and weathered.”

I giggled at her reference. The man did look as though he’d gotten too much sun when he was younger. “Call me tomorrow. Oh, and say hi to your parents for me.” I hopped out and waved as Georgia left.

Since I didn’t have my skateboard, Georgia had been my chauffeur. Sure, I could have driven my own car to school, but spots were limited, and frankly, I wanted the company. It had been good to have someone to take my mind off my troubles, and Georgia was just the person to do that. She would ramble on about parties and college and boys, leaving me to daydream out the windshield.

I hesitated before going inside. Colton had said to find him later. I’d taken that to mean at home, but his truck wasn’t in the driveway. Maybe he had gone out of town, hence why he wasn’t playing football. Or maybe he just didn’t come straight home from school.

“Skyler,” Mr. Caldwell said. “How are you?”

I couldn’t remember the last time Mr. Caldwell had said two words to me. “I’m good.” I gripped the straps of my backpack as I crossed the yard in his direction. “Is Colton around? I mean, I don’t see his truck, but are you expecting him soon?”

He regarded me with brown eyes I knew all too well as he toked on a cigar and rocked in his chair. “Don’t know where my son is. How’s your dad?” The cigar smoke billowed around him.

“Fine.” That was the easy answer. I was tired of going into detail about Dad’s decline. Sometimes I wanted to answer people with, “What do you think? The man is dying of ALS.” But I wasn’t rude to my elders. “I have to go.”

“Skyler.” Mr. Caldwell’s deep tone scraped my skin, and not in a good way. “Do you know where my son goes at night? He hasn’t been coming home until the wee hours of the morning.”

I cocked my head so hard my neck kinked. “No, sir.” How would I know? “Maybe he has a girlfriend.” Okay, that shouldn’t have come out of my mouth, but it could be the truth, even though Mia had told me he’d sworn off girls. “Or maybe he goes to his friend Grady’s house.”

“So he’s not at your house or in your bed?” he asked.

The man was insane. I didn’t know how to respond, and my face had to be contorted.

Thankfully, the screen door squeaked open and Bonnie came out, wiping her hands on her apron. “Arthur.” Bonnie gave her husband the look of death. Then she turned to me with an apologetic expression in her soft dark eyes. “I’m sorry. My husband seems to have lost his mind.”

My feet were moving way before my lips. “I have to run.” And I did, like the freaking wind.

“Awkward” didn’t begin to describe that interaction. In my bed. Where in the fuck did that come from? I wouldn’t have minded if Colton was in my bed. But in