Enemies with Benefits by J.D. Hollyfield

Author:J.D. Hollyfield [Hollyfield, J.D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-08-28T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Makayla

“I’ll catch you all later.” I hear the voice seconds before somebody plows into me. My books fall as my nemesis almost tackles me to the ground.

“Ah, look who it is. What are you doing out so late, duckling? Lost your flock?”

I straighten my glasses and peer up at Ben. His hair is wild as always. He glides his fingers through it to push it out of his face, allowing the moon to light up his features. In another lifetime, I would find him attractive. His cheeky smile. The way his one brow always rises when he’s amused. But in this lifetime, I hate him. “Not as lost as you are. Clearly you forgot how to walk in a straight line.”

“Me? You’re the one who threw yourself at me. I was just leaving. What are you doing hiding in their bushes? Stalking me again? I already told you, I don’t go for little girls like you.”

I wish I was stronger. Had more fight. I would take my closed fist and beat it against his nose. “For the record, turd breath, I was trying to find my house keys. I must have dropped them when I left earlier. I got home and didn’t have them.”

“Just ring your doorbell. Or do you not know how to do that?”

I open my mouth to explain. Tell him if I ring the bell and wake my dad, there’ll be consequences. The last time I lost my keys, I was home “sick” for two days because he didn’t want the school to see the bruises and suspect anything. I clamp my teeth and shake my head. “Wow, is that what I have to do? Thanks for the tip, genius. Now that I know, I’ll just be on my way.”

I grab my books and step off the Matthews’ front step when he calls for me. “Hey, wait up.”

“So you can knock me down again? No thanks.”

“No, wait. Why are you always here so late? I mean, isn’t it past your bedtime?”

I exhale a deep breath, too tired to deal with his crap. “Yep. Sure is. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to hurry home. My nighttime bottle is waiting.” I walk off, but for some reason, he runs after me. “Seriously? What do you want?”

“Same thing I want every time. Make sure you get home safe.”

I slam on my heels and turn to face him. “Cut the crap. What do you want?”

He stares back at me, trepidation in his eyes.

“Hello? Are you suddenly deaf?”

“I. . . I just want to. . . maybe I'm trying to—I want a truce.”

My brows shoot toward the sky. “A truce.”

He shoves his hands in his pockets and starts walking. I follow. “Yeah. A truce. Where we both try to get along.”

“Get along. . .” Have we entered some sort of alternate universe?

“I’m not speaking Spanish, Mak, yeah. I’m saying we should just get along. School’s almost out. And we have the whole summer. Figured we might as well not waste it.

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