Empty Net
Page 34
Audrey was never one to turn down sweets and it wasn’t like he was asking her to sleep with him. So she nodded eagerly, sitting in the chair beside Piper. Once there, Tate handed her a stick with a marshmallow already stuck on the end.
“Thank you,” she said, placing her stick over the fire.
“Anytime,” he said in a low voice.
Audrey refused to look over at Tate; instead she cuddled into her jacket, holding tight onto her stick. The temperature had dropped again and everything was dying quickly. It was probably the worst thing about winter. She hated when everything went from orange to dead. Tennessee was much prettier with color on its rolling hills. The only thing good about winter, Audrey decided, were the Christmas decorations, which she just loved.
“So, Tate,” Piper said in a cute little voice. Audrey knew the voice well. It was Piper’s ‘pick them up’ voice.
Who the hell was she trying to pick up?
Audrey glanced over to see Piper giving Tate a wide smile as she bent into the fire, showing off her skinny figure.
What the hell was she doing?!
“What made you want to make a fire in the middle of your yard?”
Tate chuckled as Audrey stewed with anger. She didn’t understand Piper’s game but Piper needed to cut it out.
Holy crap, am I jealous?!
“I was in the mood for s’mores.”
Piper giggled, “You can’t just go making fires on your front lawn! What if the cops come by?”
“Apparently, as long as it’s not higher than five feet and you are only burning wood, you are okay. But when you burn say, furniture, or an Xbox, there is a hefty fine.”
Laughter escaped Audrey’s lips causing everyone to glance over at her. She swallowed her laughter, shrugging her shoulders while Tate gave her a knowing grin. “What?”
Piper glanced between Tate and Audrey and then shrugged her shoulders, “Nothing.”
“My mom and dad are coming home in two days, Tate! Isn’t that awesome!?” Aiden exclaimed with a big grin.
“Sure is. I bet you are excited to see them,” Tate said. He took Aiden’s burnt marshmallow and squished it between the two graham crackers and chocolate before handing it back to him. It was weird seeing someone else who was so great with Aiden.
“I am! I’m gonna miss my AA though, and Will.”
Audrey looked up, “You can take Will with you.”
Aiden shook his head quickly, “He says he wants to stay here and protect you.”
Audrey smiled, “Baby, I don’t need protecting, I promise. Take your friend with you, please.”
“I’m so confused right now,” Piper chimed in beside her.
Audrey shook her head as Tate said, “Yeah, me too.”
“Who is Will?” Piper asked.
“Will is my friend. He’s sitting right there.”
Tate, Piper and even Audrey all looked over at the empty chair, before looking over at Aiden.
“Oh,” Piper said as Tate said, “Cool.”
“Yeah,” Audrey responded. Will freaked her out and Aiden really needed to take him to Fallon’s.
“You know Aiden, I could watch over Audrey for you and Will. I’m really good at protecting things.”
Audrey looked up to see Tate grinning at her. Aiden nodded slowly, “You can protect a goal, but I don’t know about my AA.”
Audrey rolled her eyes, “I’m a big girl, Aiden, I can protect myself.”
“I promise I’ll keep an eye on her.”
Tate was the last person Audrey needed keeping an eye on her. That spelled disaster.
D.I.S.A.S.T.E.R.
His aunt’s sanity not a consideration, Aiden nodded his head slowly, “We hope you keep your promise,” he said. He turned to the empty chair, “At least you get to come home with me instead of staying here, and watching AA divide her shoes by color!”
Tate chuckled before glancing over at Audrey, “You divide your shoes by color?”
Audrey shrugged her shoulders, “Yeah, so?”
“What, do you have a lot of them or something?” he asked, his eyes not leaving hers. She took in a deep breath. She was nervous, and that made no damn sense! Why did she care if this guy thought she was even more crazy?
“Um, yeah. She has a whole room,” Aiden scoffed, “It’s crazy.”
“It is not!” Audrey countered while Piper giggled.
“Yes, it is. And the shoes are all high ones, not flat ones like I wear. Ones with high sticks and glitter and stuff.”
Audrey glared at Aiden, “Wow, anything else you want to say, bud?”
Aiden gave her a wide grin, “No ma’am.”
Audrey shook her head while stealing a glance at Tate. He was still watching her, a smile tugging at his lips. But then Piper started to talk, taking his attention.
“It’s really intense, Tate,” Piper said. She then took a huge bite of her s’more, making everyone wait while she chewed and swallowed. “She has this massive closet and I swear there is no room for anything in there but her heels. I bet she only has two pairs of sneakers.”
Was it pick on Audrey night or something?
Still staring down at her s’more, Audrey said, “It’s really not that bad.”
Piper giggled, “Sure it isn’t.”
“Isn’t Lucas working on your closet?”
Audrey looked up from her s’more. Tate was making another s’more for Aiden, but still had his eyes on her. She nodded and said, “Yeah.”
“Thank you,” she said, placing her stick over the fire.
“Anytime,” he said in a low voice.
Audrey refused to look over at Tate; instead she cuddled into her jacket, holding tight onto her stick. The temperature had dropped again and everything was dying quickly. It was probably the worst thing about winter. She hated when everything went from orange to dead. Tennessee was much prettier with color on its rolling hills. The only thing good about winter, Audrey decided, were the Christmas decorations, which she just loved.
“So, Tate,” Piper said in a cute little voice. Audrey knew the voice well. It was Piper’s ‘pick them up’ voice.
Who the hell was she trying to pick up?
Audrey glanced over to see Piper giving Tate a wide smile as she bent into the fire, showing off her skinny figure.
What the hell was she doing?!
“What made you want to make a fire in the middle of your yard?”
Tate chuckled as Audrey stewed with anger. She didn’t understand Piper’s game but Piper needed to cut it out.
Holy crap, am I jealous?!
“I was in the mood for s’mores.”
Piper giggled, “You can’t just go making fires on your front lawn! What if the cops come by?”
“Apparently, as long as it’s not higher than five feet and you are only burning wood, you are okay. But when you burn say, furniture, or an Xbox, there is a hefty fine.”
Laughter escaped Audrey’s lips causing everyone to glance over at her. She swallowed her laughter, shrugging her shoulders while Tate gave her a knowing grin. “What?”
Piper glanced between Tate and Audrey and then shrugged her shoulders, “Nothing.”
“My mom and dad are coming home in two days, Tate! Isn’t that awesome!?” Aiden exclaimed with a big grin.
“Sure is. I bet you are excited to see them,” Tate said. He took Aiden’s burnt marshmallow and squished it between the two graham crackers and chocolate before handing it back to him. It was weird seeing someone else who was so great with Aiden.
“I am! I’m gonna miss my AA though, and Will.”
Audrey looked up, “You can take Will with you.”
Aiden shook his head quickly, “He says he wants to stay here and protect you.”
Audrey smiled, “Baby, I don’t need protecting, I promise. Take your friend with you, please.”
“I’m so confused right now,” Piper chimed in beside her.
Audrey shook her head as Tate said, “Yeah, me too.”
“Who is Will?” Piper asked.
“Will is my friend. He’s sitting right there.”
Tate, Piper and even Audrey all looked over at the empty chair, before looking over at Aiden.
“Oh,” Piper said as Tate said, “Cool.”
“Yeah,” Audrey responded. Will freaked her out and Aiden really needed to take him to Fallon’s.
“You know Aiden, I could watch over Audrey for you and Will. I’m really good at protecting things.”
Audrey looked up to see Tate grinning at her. Aiden nodded slowly, “You can protect a goal, but I don’t know about my AA.”
Audrey rolled her eyes, “I’m a big girl, Aiden, I can protect myself.”
“I promise I’ll keep an eye on her.”
Tate was the last person Audrey needed keeping an eye on her. That spelled disaster.
D.I.S.A.S.T.E.R.
His aunt’s sanity not a consideration, Aiden nodded his head slowly, “We hope you keep your promise,” he said. He turned to the empty chair, “At least you get to come home with me instead of staying here, and watching AA divide her shoes by color!”
Tate chuckled before glancing over at Audrey, “You divide your shoes by color?”
Audrey shrugged her shoulders, “Yeah, so?”
“What, do you have a lot of them or something?” he asked, his eyes not leaving hers. She took in a deep breath. She was nervous, and that made no damn sense! Why did she care if this guy thought she was even more crazy?
“Um, yeah. She has a whole room,” Aiden scoffed, “It’s crazy.”
“It is not!” Audrey countered while Piper giggled.
“Yes, it is. And the shoes are all high ones, not flat ones like I wear. Ones with high sticks and glitter and stuff.”
Audrey glared at Aiden, “Wow, anything else you want to say, bud?”
Aiden gave her a wide grin, “No ma’am.”
Audrey shook her head while stealing a glance at Tate. He was still watching her, a smile tugging at his lips. But then Piper started to talk, taking his attention.
“It’s really intense, Tate,” Piper said. She then took a huge bite of her s’more, making everyone wait while she chewed and swallowed. “She has this massive closet and I swear there is no room for anything in there but her heels. I bet she only has two pairs of sneakers.”
Was it pick on Audrey night or something?
Still staring down at her s’more, Audrey said, “It’s really not that bad.”
Piper giggled, “Sure it isn’t.”
“Isn’t Lucas working on your closet?”
Audrey looked up from her s’more. Tate was making another s’more for Aiden, but still had his eyes on her. She nodded and said, “Yeah.”
