Prince Charmings (BOOK ONE)

35

Dumping Tommo's new wardrobe at his house, we both agreed to walk the rest of the way back to mine. The sun trekked its way across our backs as we wandered the streets. I tugged up my collar in fear of burning my neck. Tommo remained unfazed, hands in his pockets as he surveilled the near empty sidewalks and bustling cars. When we hit the bridge, Jenny texted to let me know dinner was fully vegetarian, lacking any form of pasta, and most likely ready by the time we got to the house.

"Can you handle a stomach filled with kale and broccoli?" I asked, glancing at Tommo over the top of my phone.

Busy looping his jacket around his waist and tying off the sleeves, he arched a brow over at me. "I'm guessing April's in charge of the menu tonight?" he replied, nodding that the food sounded fine.

"Thomas, actually." Tommo let out a surprised noise and I shrugged. "I'm guessing he's bringing Willow over tonight. I vaguely remember him mentioning they were on some weird health kick together."

Tommo laughed at that, rubbing his jaw in thought. "The things you do for love."

"I told you he's reading War and Peace now." I shook my head, typing a response back to my Aunt. "I asked him to explain what it's about the other night. Dude doesn't understand a thing."

"At least he's reading," Tommo said, thumbing the side of his nose as we crossed the road onto my street. "I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen a book in your brother's hand in my lifetime."

"Fair point," I noted, putting my phone away only to stop dead in my tracks at the sweatpants wearing figure making their way up my driveway. "Jeremy?"

Spinning on his heel, Jeremy turned. His eyebrows raised in surprise as an easy smile broke out across his face. Dropping twin plastic bags to the ground gently, he waved over at us from across the street. "Buenos noches mi amigos."

"Disgusting. Absolutely offensive. And it's not evening yet, idiot," Tommo said, shaking his head as we made our way over.

"Not my fault I all but flunked out of Spanish freshmen year," Jeremy gripped, hugging Tommo briefly before pulling me into his side. I jerked back when he ruffled my hair, earning a throaty chuckle from him. "Still not used to the short trim."

"What're you doing here?" I asked when he took a step back.

Jeremy kicked the bags by his feet, alerting me to their contents. "Mom asked if I could drop off the drinks today, worried she'd forget about them for tomorrow."

"You lug these the entire way yourself?" Tommo asked, eyeing the road dubiously at the absence of Mitchell's eyesore.

Jeremy shrugged, picking non-existent lint from his red crew-neck. "Grabbed the bus. Mitchell had 'business', which I'm pretty sure meant he was off to see his secret lady friend."

"You took public transport?" I stared, disbelieving, as Jeremy grew more uncomfortable, neck slowly growing red. "I was sure just looking at a bus would result in you getting a fine."

"You manage to keep your hands to yourself this time?" Tommo threw in and Jeremy rolled his eyes, shoving both our shoulders.

"Laugh it up while you still can," he grumbled, reclaiming the bags and hefting them over his shoulders. "Where we storing this crap?"

"Chest freezer," I said, jutting my chin over to the garage. Jeremy grunted, readjusting his grip as we walked along the front yard. Punching in the electronic combination, I waved him toward the fridge when the garage door finally raised, popping the lid open.

"Ugh, why do you own so many bags of peas?" Jeremy commented, haphazardly tossing cans and bottles on top of the frozen produce.

"Why do you act like I have a say over anything that happens in this house?" I scoffed at Jeremy, dropping the lid just as Tommo made to pull a popsicle loose from under a gallon-sized bottle of 7-Up. Herding them back onto the lawn I locked up the garage, double-checking my phone for messages. Spencer wasn't due for a break for a while so my notification screen was a little bleak, mainly just Iris' insistent commentary on the latest television show she was binging at home.