Something Like Rain (Something Like... Book 8) Read Online Free

one he meant. Spencer the Marine. “He’d get the guy in a headlock,” William answered, “hold him there, and tell him he didn’t want to fight.”
    Lewis barked laughter. “Exactly! How’d you know?”
    “Because he did the same thing to me whenever I talked back to him.” William smiled at the memory. His brother had been gentle most of the time.
    “We saved so much money on babysitters, you have no idea. Spencer is a born leader.” Lewis gestured at him with the apple. “You are too. You just have to believe in yourself.”
    And get punched around by some angry guy at school. William still didn’t like the idea, so he tried changing the subject. “Why are you home already?”
    “Don’t concern yourself with my business.”
    “I’m just surprised. You always work late these days.”
    Lewis studied him. “I won’t tell Mom if you don’t.”
    William perked up. “Really?”
    “Sure. If the school calls, I’ll tell them I picked you up for—I don’t know—a doctor’s appointment. But you need to take care of this bully situation. Understood?”
    William swallowed, and although it was a promise he didn’t want to make, he nodded. “Okay.”
    * * * * *
    William paced his bedroom, unable to enjoy his free time. Instead he thought of Kelly, trying to work up the courage to drive back to school. If he went now, right now , he would get there in time to fight. But would Kelly be waiting for him, or that Jared guy, or maybe even both? That made him stop in his tracks. What his father had said made sense. William needed to prove he wasn’t an easy target, but if that meant getting beat up by two guys at once…
    He clenched his jaw, wondering what he had done to deserve this. Entered a triathlon? Fun had been his only motivation. And to keep busy. His lawn-mowing business didn’t occupy as much of his time as it used to, which wasn’t good for his mental well-being. The busier he kept himself, the less he worried about other issues, such as girls who wanted more from him or what he wanted from guys. Not having time for either was a good excuse and a helpful distraction. Except now, entering into a simple race had made him a target. Why? Were all the other entrants facing similar scare tactics? Perhaps that’s all this was, a couple of guys trying to frighten away the competition.
    William blinked. Maybe there was another way to prove he wasn’t a pushover. He went to the dresser, stripped off his clothes and put on an old T-shirt and athletic shorts. They wanted to keep him from competing? Both Kelly and Jared had bragged about how fast they could run. A triathlon wasn’t about speed. Endurance was key, and William had been training tirelessly to make sure he had plenty of that. He flung open a drawer full of letters and knickknacks he had kept over the years. This included a number of medals and ribbons. William might not swagger around the school picking fights, but he was still an accomplished athlete. He gathered these up, spreading them on the dresser’s top. Then he grabbed his phone and texted Holly, who prided herself on knowing everything about everyone. Being friends with a hopeless gossip could be useful at times.
    Kelly and Jared, he texted. I think they might be on the cross country team. Ever heard of them?
    He had to wait longer than usual, picturing Holly covertly poking at her phone while in class.
    Yup! You fight Kelly after school, right? In the parking lot?
    William grimaced. News sure traveled fast.
    I won’t be in the parking lot. I’ll be on the track. Can you give one of them the message?
    Okay. I’m scared!
    Don’t be.
    That sure made him appear confident! If only he could face this conflict using text messages instead of fists. Still, his plan wasn’t bad. It might even work. William left his room, grabbing a towel and a bottle of water before he went to his car. He cranked up the music on his car stereo to maintain the illusion of confidence during the drive back to