Cricket (Cricket Kendall Book 1), page 22
Theo snickers, and I’m relieved to see that he’s not so worked up anymore. “I have a feeling she would have gotten us into even more trouble if she had been.”
Hollis laughs. “I didn’t tell you guys, but she actually got me into trouble yesterday when my mom caught me shifting with her in the house.”
Theo and I give him a weird look, and I ask, “Why the fuck were you shifting with her in your house?”
Hollis gives me a sheepish grin. “It’s easier to play with her as a wolf, and I think I would have kissed her if I didn’t shift when I did.”
I bite my tongue before I say something fucked up. I’m relieved when Theo parks in front of Hollis’s house. If I’d been Hollis yesterday, I would have kissed her. But now that Theo’s given the order that we can only be friends with her, I’ll never get the chance.
Before Hollis gets out of the jeep, he puts his hand on Theo’s shoulder. “Listen to Cas, alright? Cricket’s not going to stay mad. Stop needling her, and don’t go to her house to bug her later.”
I keep my face blank. I’m definitely going to her house to bug her later, but they don’t need to know that.
Theo turns around and chuckles. “That’s something I never thought I’d hear. Listen to Cas.”
“Fuck you, dude.” I snort and flip him off again.
Erin
“I can’t believe she gave you her number. We totally need to figure out a way to become best friends with her!”
I giggle and roll my eyes at Brennan. I’m sitting up on the counter while he’s behind the register at his parents’ store. They own a shop downtown called The Sweet Spot that’s a sweet shop and ice cream parlor. They also sell kitschy little gifts and toys. It’s the kind of place that really only makes money in the summers and winters during tourist season, but his mom is in love with it. His dad is in the back office doing paperwork. I came by to bring them some leftovers from dinner and to hang out for a bit.
Brennan was doing his calculus homework when I walked in, but he’s abandoned it now that he has food and something new to gossip about.
I tuck my hair behind my ear and admit, “I’m kind of scared to text her though.”
“What, why? She seems nice! And she’s so cool and pretty!” Brennan says with his mouth full.
I make a face at him for being gross. But he’s right. Cricket Kendall is the coolest girl I’ve ever met. She’s so pretty, funny, and confident. When I noticed that she was friends with Theo, Hollis, and Cas—the most popular guys in school—I assumed me and my friends would be totally invisible to her. Which is fine. I mean, I’m used to it. And it’s not like those guys have ever been mean to us like other people have.
“Yeah, but I’m not cool or pretty,” I whine.
“Shut up. You’re pretty, and you’re totally cool!” Brennan rolls his eyes.
We look at each other and giggle.
“Okay.” He waves his hands dramatically. “You’re right. You’re not cool. But neither am I! And it seems like she wants to be friends, anyway.”
I can’t help blushing when I smile. “I told her about my crush on Jack. She said he was checking me out yesterday in AP Chemistry.”
“Oh my god, see?” Brennan squeals. “This is why we need to be friends with her. You and I suck at flirting and figuring out if guys like us or not.”
Brennan finishes eating the dinner I brought for him and sets the Tupperware container to the side. He gives me another conspiring smile. “Did she mention if she’s really dating one of those hotties or not?”
I’m about to dish out all the juicy details she gave me about liking all three of them, but I stop myself. Cricket looked overwhelmed when she admitted that to me, and she seemed so genuine.
“She says they’re just friends.” I shake my head. “I think they like her, though.”
He grins. “Theo’s in my English class, and some girls were asking him about her today. And oh my god, the look on his face! He’s totally in love with her! It’s the cutest thing ever. And you’ve seen them in the hallways, right? Like yesterday? Some guys are making fun of him saying he’s whipped, but he doesn’t even care.”
“It’s seriously the cutest. You should have seen her with Hollis in our English class this morning! She was upset about something, and he hugged her and kissed the top of her head. It was freaking adorable!”
“Holy freaking crap!” Brennan claps his hands, making me giggle. “She is so lucky. Don’t even tell me Cas has been caught being cute with her too.”
I give him a Cheshire cat grin. “Well, I saw them flirting outside of astronomy earlier. Sara was glaring at them from across the hall, and I don’t even think they noticed.”
We’re interrupted by the bell over the door. We look up in surprise. I don’t think there’s been a customer in here for hours now. When I see who walks through the door, my eyes widen. I feel myself blushing, like I’ve just been caught doing something wrong.
Cas Seymour walks in, looking totally drop dead gorgeous like always. Except, he also seems kind of nervous, which is a look I’ve never on his face before. He slowly looks around the shop, and when his eyes land on me and Brennan, he pauses like he’s surprised. I slowly slide down off the counter and exchange astonished glances with Brennan. We watch as Cas makes his way up to the counter and looks at all the candy and treats in the display case.
Brennan lets out a nervous giggle. “We were just talking about you.”
Cas jerks his head up and scowls at Brennan. Brennan’s eyes get wide. We’ve never talked to Cas or his friends before. It’s terrifying.
But then Cas blinks and glances at me before clearing his throat. “I feel like a dick for having to ask, but what are your names again?”
Brennan lets out another nervous giggle, his face turning bright red. “I’m Brennan, and this is Erin.”
He turns to focus all of his attention on me and smirks. “Cricket text you about any boys yet?”
I don’t know where the insane courage comes from, but I actually laugh and talk in a normal voice. “Nope, not yet. Sorry.”
He runs his fingers through his hair and sighs. “I didn’t think I’d see anyone from school in here, but fuck it. I’m about to head over to Cricket’s house, and I want to surprise her. I don’t know what to get for a girl who’s not my girlfriend. And she’s been really fucking sad all day.”
“Oh my god, aww!” Brennan gushes and puts his hand over his heart.
Cas grimaces at him. At first, I assume it’s because Brennan is being so flamboyant. I feel myself start to get angry until Cas runs his hand through his hair again. “Please don’t tell anyone about this.”
Brennan and I grin at each other, and I point to a couple of treats in the display case. “You should get her these. They’re super chocolaty and amazing.”
“And you should get her a teddy bear!” Brennan bounces on his toes excitedly.
Cas looks annoyed and doesn’t say anything before he groans and points to the treats I suggested. “Alright, give me all of those. And show me where the stupid teddy bears are.”
Brennan hesitates. “Um, all of them?”
“Should I get something else too?” Cas asks, looking at everything in the display.
I slap my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Holy crap. He totally loves Cricket.
Brennan grins like an idiot and puts the treats into a box. “No, these will be great! Give me a second.”
After Brennan finishes boxing them up—there are a freaking ton of them so they barely fit—he ties a ribbon around the box and walks around the counter to the back of the store. Cas and I follow him to a wall filled with stuffed animals, toys, and games for kids.
Brennan picks up different teddy bears and chatters animatedly. I can tell he’s still nervous. To be fair, Cas is extremely intimidating. He stands there, scowling at all the stuffed animals with his arms crossed. It’s hard to tell, but I think he’s just embarrassed that me and Brennan are here to witness him freaking out over a girl. He easily could have left without talking to us at all.
Cas steps forward, completely ignoring Brennan. Brennan’s holding six different teddy bears. He stops talking mid-sentence to watch Cas grab a stuffed animal from one of the higher shelves. He gets this huge smile on his face, which he fixes on me and Brennan.
“I’ll take this one.” It’s a black wolf with green eyes. There are a few other wolf stuffed animals that are supposed to represent some of the local wildlife here in the Rocky Mountains.
“Are you sure? There are some cuter ones.” Brennan holds his arms up, showing off his teddy bear stock.
“Nope, this is perfect. Cricket loves wolves.”
Brennan shoves the teddy bears back on the shelves and practically skips back to the register. “Okay then! Let’s ring you up!”
Cas barely glances at the total before shoving a black American Express card at Brennan. My eyes are probably as wide as Brennan’s. Our families aren’t poor or anything. I even have my own car, but it’s not new or fancy like some kids at school. I’ve still never seen someone our age pull out a credit card like that.
Brennan gives Cas a glowing smile and hands him the bag with the treats and stuffed animal. “Good luck! I’m totally shipping you guys now.”
“What?” Cas looks at Brennan like he’s from another planet.
Brennan blushes and looks at me for help. But I’m trying really hard to keep myself from laughing. Brennan giggles. “Well, I was shipping Cricket with Theo, and Erin was trying to convince me she’s actually really cute with Hollis. But this is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. So, I’m shipping you with Cricket instead!”
Cas looks really pissed off as he glances outside. It’s just after seven, and the sun will set soon. I should probably go home, but there is absolutely no way I’m missing a second of this.
Just when I think Cas is going to storm out of the store without replying, he turns back to Brennan. “I’m kind of afraid to ask, but what the fuck is shipping?”
I lose it and release all the giggles that have been building up since he came in here. Brennan giggles too, staring between me and Cas nervously.
“Okay, never mind.” Cas blushes. He actually freaking blushes. He runs his hand through his hair again and turns to the door. He stops once with his hand on the knob and clears his throat.
“Thanks, guys.”
We stare at the door for a full minute after he leaves. Brennan reaches over the counter to squeeze my hand. “Holy crap, Erin. That was the greatest moment of my life!”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Cricket
By the time I get home from Mrs. Gallagher’s studio, I’m exhausted. I feel a million times better, and way more relaxed. Her studio is huge, and she’s crazy intense when she’s in the zone. I kept up with her routine and perfected every yoga pose, so I officially have the job. She wants someone who can stay in the correct pose for people to compare to and someone who can help people get into the proper poses during classes. It’s going to be a piece of cake. Plus, it’s an added bonus that yoga helps me relax and rebalance my magic.
I consider texting Theo when I get home, but I remind myself that I need a break from the guys tonight. It sucks, and I already miss them so much. But no matter what I feel, I can’t let myself get any closer to them. My heart’s already going to be broken someday when they meet their mates.
Just when I’m about to give in and ask Theo to come over like he originally wanted to, I’m saved by a group text from Killian and Emerson. They want me to get on Xbox and play PUBG with them. We used to play together all the time when they were at school last year. They set up my Xbox for me when I first moved here, but I’ve been so busy with Theo and the other guys, I haven’t turned it on once since I’ve been living here. The twins’ pleading to play with them tonight is more than welcome.
An hour into playing, I’m distracted from all the craziness in my life. Luckily for me, Aurora doesn’t mind me being loud. I’m sitting in the living room perched on the edge of the couch, screaming my ass off at the TV. Emerson and Killian are just as intense, but we always play really well together no matter what game we’re playing.
There are only eight left alive in the current game, and we’re so fucking close to winning. I have five personal kills so far, and I’m barely blinking at this point. And then, of fucking course, I get killed.
“God fucking dammit!” I scream and throw my controller into the couch cushion next to me. “Fuck. Sorry, guys.”
I slump back into the couch and pout while I watch Killian play on the screen. He and Killian are killed a few seconds later.
Emerson is just as grumpy as I am. Killian laughs. “You guys take it way too seriously. We’ll win the next game. You up for it, Cricket?”
I’m about to exclaim that fuck yes, of course I am until I see something move from the corner of my eye. I look up to see Cas leaning against the wall between the living room and kitchen. He has his arms crossed and a sexy smirk on his face as he watches me.
My mouth drops, and I sit up so fast I fall halfway off the couch. Cas laughs, and I ask, “How long have you been here?”
“Who the fuck are you talking to, Cricket?” Emerson asks with a laugh.
I know my face is bright red when I mumble into the mic. “Cas is here. I’ve gotta go.”
Killian and Emerson laugh, and Emerson says, “Wait, which one is he? The pretty one or the hunky one?”
I know Cas can hear them because of his stupid wolf ears, and he grins even wider. I groan in embarrassment. “The pretty one.”
“What? I want to be the hunky one.” Cas whines.
“Text us if you decide to get back on later.” Killian cackles.
“But we’ll understand if you get too busy.” I can practically hear the smirk in Emerson’s voice.
“Shut the fuck up. I hate you guys.” I exit the party and rip my headset off.
I look up at Cas and try not to think about the fact that I’m in my pajamas and have a half-empty box of Oreos on the couch next to me. I clear my throat awkwardly and grin. “What’s up?”
He laughs and walks over to sit on the couch beside me. He picks up the Oreos and smirks at me before setting them on the coffee table in front of us.
“Huh, where did those come from?” I furrow my eyebrows.
He snickers. “Goddamn it, Cricket. I came in here with a whole speech prepared, expecting you to blow me off and tell me to leave.”
I raise my eyebrow and smirk. “I still want to hear the speech.”
“Uh-uh, not until you admit I’m the hunky one.” He shakes his head.
“Sorry, Cas. The title has already been awarded to Hollis.”
Cas glares and then smirks. “Yeah, well, you haven’t seen my abs. They might change your mind.”
The bastard lifts his shirt up and shows off his perfect fucking abs and chest, with a sexy little happy trail leading down from his belly button. I’m on the verge of drooling and running my fingers over the yumminess he’s presenting me with.
I force myself to avert my eyes and blink innocently. “Well, now I’ll have to see Hollis with his shirt off. To make a fair decision and everything. I’m sure you understand.”
Cas bursts out laughing and lightly shoves me. I grin at him. “Okay, seriously. What are you doing here? I’m assuming Aurora let you in.”
“Yeah, she was downstairs when I rang the bell outside. She said I could come up.” His eyes soften and he scoots closer. “I wanted to talk to you without Hollis or Theo butting in or trying to sugarcoat anything.”
My pulse quickens. I’m about to say no, that I still don’t want to talk about it. But I’m not sure if I can keep trying to pretend my fears away. I have a feeling Cas will be honest and not just tell me what he thinks I want to hear.
“Okay.” I bite my lip and nod.
He leans back and pulls my legs over his lap so we’re snuggled close together. I lean sideways into the couch and wait for him to say something else.
He lightly rubs his hand over my bare calf, his eyes following the movement intently. It’s somehow equally distracting and calming. “I don’t know what Hollis told you word for word or anything. All I know is he said he wasn’t sure if you were more upset that you don’t have a mate mark, or if you were upset that we don’t get to choose our mates.”
“Both, I guess.” I decide to be totally honest, even though I’m still really embarrassed.
He stops moving his hand to look into my eyes. He squeezes my leg lightly before continuing his previous movements. “Okay. Let’s talk about the latter first. I agree that it’s totally fucked up that we don’t get a choice.”
My lips part in surprise. “Hollis didn’t sound upset about it at all. He said it wasn’t a bad thing. He trusts that his mate will be perfect for him.”
Cas rolls his eyes. “Most wolves feel that way, but I’ve always thought it was bullshit. Yeah, my parents are mated, and they love each other. But the idea of being forced into something pisses me off so much. I’ve never wanted a mate. Everyone I’ve ever known who’s met their mate acts so fucking brainwashed. Like my sister and Hollis’s brother, for instance. Hollis will tell you they were best friends their entire lives and all this other bullshit. But they fucking hated each other. They were forced to spend time together because they were in the same pack with Hawthorne’s son, Elias. As soon as Lettie and Ezra got their mate marks, they became different people. Overnight, all they cared about was each other. Everything they’d been interested in before faded away. Now, I’ve never been in love or anything close to it, but that sounds so shitty to me. Shouldn’t you be with someone who encourages your interests and supports you? Not somebody who becomes your entire fucking universe so that nothing else matters.”
