Page 24 of She is the Darke
“This place is going to look so good,” Rachel said, hooking her hands on her hips beside Demi in the yard, scanning the neighborhood with her. “Except for that skank Danielle’s houses. Hers look boring and generic and soulless.”
“I love you,” Demi murmured through a smile. Her best friend had always had her back, no matter what.
“I know.” Rachel sauntered off toward the trailer. Demi, unable to help herself, looked over at Tyler again. He was off the phone now and staring at his work truck, a frown etched on his handsome face. He turned and locked eyes with her. Where she had expected that charming-boy grin or a quick middle finger in his teasing manner, he just looked at her with this unreadable, serious expression.
Confused, she lifted her hand and offered a little wave. He inhaled deeply and forced his gaze to the ground, then quickly turned and climbed back on the ladder like he’d done it a thousand times. He probably had.
Demi let her hand fall to her side, feeling like that was an important moment somehow, but she didn’t understand.
She made three trips to the trailer to load pumpkins into a wheelbarrow and haul them to the house before she pulled her phone out of her back pocket to text Tyler.You good?Send.
She tried to hide that she was looking over at him, seeing if he would pick up the phone quickly, and he did.
He looked over at her from the top of that ladder, and nodded at her once.
That was supposed to be enough, right? He was good. He’d given the nod before he shoved his phone back into his pocket. But for the rest of the workday, until the shadows of evening made it too dark to work any yard jobs, she kept track of the houses he was lighting up, wondering at his serious demeanor.
“His professional side is pretty boring, huh?” Rachel asked as they loaded the wheelbarrow into the back of Demi’s truck.
Was that it? He was just serious when he was working for clients? “I can’t believe how many houses he talked to, and finished, today. At least four.”
“Oh yeah, he’s a go-getter, I guess. When he’s not being an idiot.”
Demi snorted. “You always speak so highly of your brothers,” she said sarcastically.
“Hey, I threw a compliment in there. Tasted horrible in my mouth, but I did it. Best sister ever.”
“Why didn’t you come hang out with us last night?” she asked.
“Because I’m not third-wheeling your weird date with my brother—”
“Whoa! There was no date. He was over signing the business contract. That’s it.”
Rachel cocked her head and pulled a face at her. “Come on, Demi. It was football and pizza. I’m not sitting between you two and all your sexual tension.”
“I don’t like him like that!”
“I know, I know. You’ve maintained that for years. I get it. Come on, I’m hungry. We have earned something better than a TV dinner tonight. My treat.”
“You don’t have a paycheck right now,” Demi pointed out.
“Oh, yeah. I was just being polite. Your treat.”
Demi laughed, climbed up into her truck, and then eased it toward the end of the street, where Tyler was working on a house she’d finished decorating on Wednesday. She probably should’ve hired a lights specialist years ago.
He was shutting the tailgate of his truck, all packed up for the night. He made his way toward her truck. “You ladies headed out?”
“Yep,” she said, easing back so he could rest his hands on her open window frame. “We’re going to grab some food.” Shecouldn’t force the next part past her vocal cords, because she felt awkward. All of her confidence leaked out in a moment, looking into those bright-blue eyes that still lacked the spark in them.
Something was wrong.
“All right, sounds good. You girls have fun,” he said low. “See you tomorrow.” He patted the window once, pushed off, and strode for his truck.
“Hey dipshit,” Rachel called. “Want food?”
He turned, and frowned. “With you guys?”
Demi parted her lips to reiterate the invitation, but the words got stuck again. “Um, if you would like…food…or you’re hungry…” She cleared her throat and stared straight ahead; strangled the steering wheel like that would help ease her mortification.