said, but kept going without waiting for an answer. “Tennis.
Man, I’m bad at tennis.”
“Me too,” Lexie said. “It’s –“
“What did you say your name was?” he asked, shoving his hands in his
pockets. He was wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, and she wondered if he
was melting in the heat but too cool to admit it.
“I didn’t,” she said. “Um. It’s Lexie.” She unwrapped the chain from her bike
wheel and stashed it in her shoulder bag. She tried to move as slowly as she could
without looking like a mentally challenged alien. She really, really wished Jake
would show up. Or else she’d have to stay and make conversation with this
strange guy, because of course she couldn’t leave without Jake, could she? That
wasn’t a girlfriendly thing to do.
“Lexie,” Riley said. “That’s cute. Has anyone ever told you that you look like
Sophia Bush?”
“Who’s that?”
“Wow, really?” he said. “Or are you just trying to trick me into admitting I
watch One Tree Hill ?”
Lexie giggled. “My brother would kill me if he found that on the TiVo.”
“Uh, yeah, me too,” Riley said, affecting a deeper voice. “Me, I only watch
wrestling. And monster truck rallies. Grrr.”
“You’re so busted,” Lexie said. “Admit it – you stay home whenever Grey’s
Anatomy is on, don’t you?”
He laughed, and she found herself smiling despite her nervousness. She
liked it when people got her jokes.
“Hey, Lexie,” said Jake from behind her. She’d forgotten to keep watching
for him, but her heart still leaped into double time as he paused next to her. His T-
shirt was slightly damp from his wet hair, so it clung to his shoulders, which were
strong from all the swimming and tennis. The light blue colour made her want to
lean into it, like falling into the sky.
“Who’s this?” Jake asked. His gaze was fixed on Riley, and he didn’t look
too friendly.
“This is Riley,” Lexie said, wondering why her voice sounded higher than
normal. “We just met. He’s waiting for someone.”
“Oh,” Jake said. Riley reached out his hand, and Jake shook it, the tendons
in his arm tensing like he was slamming a hammer down.
“And you are?” Riley said.
“Jake.” Pause. “Lexie’s boyfriend.”
Lexie was astonished. Why on earth did he say that? Bree was nowhere in
sight. There was no one around to run back and report to her. There was no
reason at all to volunteer that information, far as she could see. Not that she
minded, but it was odd.
“Ah,” Riley said.
“We’d better get going, Lexie,” Jake said, touching her bike but not looking
at her.
“Yeah, okay,” she said. She pulled her bike free and stood for a moment
awkwardly, waiting for Jake to unlock his bike. Riley was still watching her.
As Jake rolled his bike free, she swung onto hers and said, “Well, see you.”
“Nice to meet you, Lexie,” Riley said. He gave her the smile again, and she
ducked her head and pushed off.
Jake was quiet all the way back to her house. She felt the wind blowing her
hair dry and she wondered what he was thinking. At the bottom of her driveway,
he braked but stayed straddling his bike.
“Don’t you want to come in?” she said. “We can make fun of my lazy slug
brother.”
“Nah, not today,” Jake said. “I’ve got stuff to do. Tell him I said hi.”
“Oh, okay,” Lexie said.
He ran his hand along the top of his hair, looking like he was going to say
something else, but in the end he just stood up on the pedals and rode away. She
watched him ride to the end of the block, where he glanced back and waved at
her, and then she rolled her bike into the garage and went into the house.
Colin was lying on the floor in front of the couch, where she’d expected him
to be. As she went into the den, he quickly slid something underneath a pile of
cushions.
“What was that?” she said.
“What?” he said, pretending to be focused on a plate on