Defiance Falls by Ali Dean

Author:Ali Dean [Dean, Ali]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-18T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

“Sometimes, Hazel, you’re the most intimidating person I know.”

I glared at Cruz in the seat beside me and he blinked at me innocently before biting into a hot dog. We were at the game together. I’d forgotten I needed a ride home from the school earlier, and had to catch a ride with my teammates, who were more than happy to get extra time to grill me about Cruz. I couldn’t decide if their invasive opinions about me and Cruz were worse than their usual commentary and questions about my dad.

Dad was home, too, and I’d tried to ignore him. I had to go into the kitchen for food at one point, and he’d camped out at the center island. He was rarely away from his office downstairs that housed multiple computer screens, but he’d moved his laptop to the kitchen. This was Dad’s way of being more accessible to me, in case I wanted to talk. But I didn’t want to talk. Nope. Not at all. I’d had enough talking to last… well, to last a few days, minimum.

Dad didn’t push, but he hadn’t hidden his hurt when I’d left for the night with Cruz. What did he expect, though? The house was likely bugged, so I wasn’t about to initiate a heart to heart at the kitchen counter.

I wasn’t going to respond to Cruz’s statement now. “I’m done talking for the day about anything other than food or soccer. No more cryptic statements or psychoanalyzing.” It was time to make my own demands.

“Fine. What about hand-holding? Is that allowed?”

I side-eyed him. “If you’re good.”

He burst out laughing at that. “You still do that shit?”

I hadn’t used that line in a while, actually. The other guys used to ask me to do things for them, like set them up with a girl on my team, put in a good word, invite so-and-so to the beach and try to get her to wear a certain bikini. I’d tell them they had to “be good,” which basically meant they had to kiss my ass an appropriate amount in line with the level of effort required for the favor requested.

Cruz wiped his eye. “Shit Hazel, I’ve missed you.”

I punched him in the shoulder. “Cruz, that’s not being good. I just said no talking unless it’s about food or soccer.”

“Okay, okay. Damn, woman, I forgot how feisty you can be.” I almost punched him again. “Right. You want something to eat? Or maybe a beer. I think you could use a beer.”

“I’m not going to drink in the stands at UMass, Cruz. I’m trying to get a soccer scholarship here. I can’t afford to mess around.”

Cruz’s mouth flattened into a hard line. He wanted to say something but instead held it back. If he tried to talk to me about colleges right now I’d definitely punch him. In the nose.

“You can get me popcorn.”

“Will that get me a pass to hold your hand?” he asked, and I relaxed at his playfulness.

I decided to reward him.

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