Holding On To Heaven (Allendale Four 2)

“Hey,” he said, reaching for my leg to squeeze. I shifted, keeping an eye on everyone around me. Ruthie sat in the front row, ignoring us for once, but with what Noah told me about his father’s spies, I no longer could be sure. “You okay?”

I evaded the question. “How was your meet? I’m sorry I missed your text Saturday night. I crashed.”

“Eh, I did okay. No records or anything,” he said. “I think I missed my lucky charm.” He glanced down at the twin-set sweater and jeans. Amber had the sweater set in her closet, part of her retro flair. “You look different.”

“I was in a rush.” Which was the biggest lie. It took me hours to get ready, feeling the added pressure of pleasing Noah’s whims.

“Heaven.” He frowned. “What’s going on?”

The professor walked in and I opened my laptop, using it as an excuse to avoid Anderson. He knew me well—better than most—and I’d crack if he pushed me too hard. I flashed him what I hoped was a convincing grin. “I’m fine, babe. Just a busy weekend and this week looks like a monster. Hopefully it will calm down after mid-terms.”

Fall break. That’s what I had to get to. Fall break and everything would go back to normal.

22

Anderson

“Something’s wrong with her.” I’d run into Oliver and Hayden outside the student center.

The change had been slow but distinct over the past few days. Each time I saw her, Heaven seemed different. At first it was her affect, the way she carried herself and the fact she’d stopped flirting all around. Heaven always flirted with me, even when she was busting my balls.

Then it shifted to her clothing. My girl was hot even just in a hoodie and baggy jeans. But when she’d shed that style and moved to the curve-revealing, cleavage-exposing outfits of the last year, she’d gained so much confidence. Heaven was like a caterpillar turned into a butterfly. Cute and fuzzy before, breathtaking after.

I didn’t know how to explain what was going on this week or exactly what the difference was. She still looked gorgeous, but also tired. Her outfits lacked the spunk of her middle-fingered fuck you. Instead it was sweaters and conservative jeans. Sensible shoes and not a trace of the sexy boots she routinely wore to class to drive me wild.

Something was off and I was determined to figure out what.

Oliver frowned. “Do you think she’s depressed again? I know the stuff with her dad has been bothering her.”

The idea terrified me and had definitely crossed my mind. She’d worn long sleeves all week. “I don’t know, but I think we should keep an eye on her.”

“How long has it been going on?” Oliver asked.

“A week? Maybe two?”

“We went to the library last Tuesday. I helped her with Spanish. She seemed okay then.”

That was good to know.

“What about you?” I asked Hayden. His eyes had darkened and I noticed his fist balled tight. “What?”

“Last Saturday she and I were together.”

“Okay…” Oliver and I looked at one another. “Together how?”

His jaw clenched. “Together together. Things got a little intense.”

I trusted Hayden with my life—he was my brother—but I’d kick his ass if he hurt her. I’d worked into a mid-level fume when Oliver jumped in, “Did something go wrong?

“No,” he said. “I made sure but she wanted to push me and I let her. She was really into it, I swear.”

I grimaced. “Maybe you read the signals wrong. I know she thinks she wants to get adventurous but maybe she’s not as ready as she thinks she is.”

Hayden nodded. “I’ll talk to her.”

“Maybe we can hang out this week? All together. Make sure we’re all on the same page.” Managing a relationship like this was hard. It took commitment from all of us.

“This week is slammed,” Hayden confessed. “We’ve got a game Saturday and Coach is all over us with extra practice and training.”