Keep (Seaside Pictures 2)

When the movie was over, so was my time. I quickly stood and bolted for the door. It wasn’t fair that I couldn’t enjoy my time with him, but it was a mirage, completely fabricated in order to help him and throw me off my rocker.

Oh, Grandma. Ugh.

“This time tomorrow?” Zane called.

“Bye!” I called back.

“How are you getting home?” He asked from behind me.

I froze, cursing myself. “I um, was going to call a cab.”

“Bullshit.” He grabbed a hat, not a shirt, but a hat, and then pulled out his keys. “I’ll drive you.”

“That’s really not—”

“—necessary?” He shrugged. “It is. After all, you inspired me today. Granted, it didn’t exactly go as planned, but it worked out, better.” His smile grew. “Different, but good, you know?”

Curiosity was basically pumping off my body in waves. “Oh yeah?”

“Yup.”

“How’s that?” I asked as nonchalant as I could.

He shrugged. “You were my friend.”

“We spent just as much time insulting each other as we did breathing.”

“You kept track?” Disappointment colored his voice. “And yes, a friend. Which I’ll have you know, is also a type of love, brotherly love. But since you’re a chick, I’ll just call you my sister.”

God hated me.

That was what I took from this entire conversation with Zane. That somehow, I’d done something wrong, and God was pouring out His wrath. Because not only was I stuck with one of the hottest guys in the world—but he’d just referred to me as his sister. How do you even recover from that? It’s not even close to the friend zone!

“Great,” I managed to choke out.

“Which means I probably shouldn’t kiss you anymore. Sorry.”

“Apology accepted.”

“So where to?”

I gave him directions to my parents’ house on the other side of town. It was nice enough, a middle-class two-story beach house with blue and white paint that had seen better days.

“Cool,” he said as we pulled up in front. Then he nodded and turned off the truck.

“Whoa.” I held out my hand. “What are you doing?”

“Meeting your parents.”

“The hell you are!”

“Aw, did you just curse?” He chuckled darkly. “And why not? We’re practically family now.”

“How did this happen?” I asked the universe. “This is why you don’t lie about dead cats!”

“Quick, what’s his name?”

“Otto!” I blurted while Zane laughed harder. “And you aren’t meeting my parents!”

“Tomorrow night then?”

“NO!” Frustration welled up inside me. “You can’t just march into strangers’ lives and force them to be friends with you. It’s not fair.”

“Life is hardly fair.”

I let out a pitiful groan. “Zane, no more joking, no more laughter. Why? Why are you doing this? I’m sure you have plenty of people to bother, a family to annoy.” I drew a breath. “A girlfriend to kiss.”

His face sobered or what I saw of it. And suddenly he was putting his seatbelt back on, as if I was the one rejecting him, which was crazy!

“Yeah.” He licked his lips and glanced out the window. “Have a good night, Fallon.”

Guilt stabbed me square in the chest.

He looked like a kicked puppy.

And I was more dog girl than cat anyway, which was how I found myself reaching for his hand and saying, “Fine. Come inside. But ten minutes, and only ten minutes.”

He grinned wide. “Let’s set a timer shall we?”

Chapter Seven

Zane

DON’T ASK ME WHY I did it. I’d probably lie to you just like I was lying to myself. I didn’t want to go back to the house.

It was lonely.

And I honestly hated being there when it was empty. Typically, I at least had one person stumbling around, but now that Linc was shacking up with Dani I didn’t really have anyone.

She loved helping him on set.

Amongst other things.

And Jay was busting his ass making sure they all stayed on schedule for production.

I had a date with a pizza carton.

That was my future.

Half was loneliness, the other half was curiosity, what type of family did this odd girl come from? My little four eyes. She probably thought I was insulting her, when really, it was the exact opposite, almost like the type of name-calling you do on the playground, where rocks are reserved for the cute girls and all that shit.

“Don’t ask questions!” Fallon smacked my arm as though we’d known each other for years. I liked it. Damn it. “And just, when my dad starts talking about hunting, nod your head and don’t make eye contact with the deer.”

“The deer?” I asked just as she opened the door and nearly collided with both of her parents. They had frozen smiles on their faces.

Her dad was the first to stretch out his hand. His grip was firm, his smile friendly. And from his camo pants to his dark brown shirt, and even up to his tortoiseshell horn-rimmed glasses, he just looked…nice.

“Fallon! Who’s this?” Still smiling, her dad released my hand then patted me so hard on the back that I nearly choked on my tongue. “Good strong man! Say, do you hunt?”

“I’ve never tried it,” I answered honestly while he steered me away from Fallon and her mom.