Don't Trash the Heartthrob (Rockford High Book 5)

by Victorine E. Lieske

  “Where’s your sense of adventure? Let’s go.” Brandon grinned at her and she swore her legs were going to buckle. Oh, this was so not good.

  “Come on. It will be fun,” Jade said.

  How could she say no? She’d look like the lamest person. “All right. I’ll follow you.”

  Stephanie hopped in her car, tossing her phone in the cupholder. That’s where she always put it when she drove. Brandon climbed into the passenger seat. He pulled the seatbelt with his right hand. “I’m kind of glad it wasn’t my right arm that got hurt. Doing things one-handed is a pain.”

  “I bet.” Stephanie pulled out into traffic. She glanced at his arm in the sling. “Does it hurt?”

  “Yeah. But I have pain killers so it’s not so bad. And it’s getting better.”

  “How’s Tony?”

  Brandon winced. “He’s still in the hospital. I guess they don’t know how long he’ll be in there. He was messed up pretty bad.”

  “I’m sorry.” She bit her lower lip. “That must feel weird.”

  Brandon’s eyes widened. “It is weird. Like it’s my fault or something, but I know it’s not. He was driving. I didn’t force him to take drugs. I didn’t even coax him into driving fast. He did that too. Yet, I feel kind of responsible.”

  “I think it’s a form of survivor’s guilt.”

  “Yes.” Brandon slapped his leg. “That’s it. No one else understands.” He turned to her. “Why is it that you do?”

  Emotion swelled in Stephanie’s throat. She didn’t want to talk about why she knew what survivor’s guilt felt like. She swallowed and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Brandon studied her. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  She couldn’t get into it. Not right now. “How long does your arm have to be in that sling?”

  He made a face, like he knew she was evading his question, but then settled back into his seat. “A few more weeks. They said I was super lucky. I guess a piece of the guard rail ripped off and got embedded in my arm. It severed some muscle, but that’s it. The surgery went well. With physical therapy, I should regain full movement.”

  “You are lucky.”

  “I’ve learned my lesson. No more getting into the car when I know someone is high.”

  “And no more pill-popping?” Stephanie gave him a sideways glance.

  “Not when I’m about to get into a sweet ride. I can’t imagine how mad Tony was when he found out what he did.” Brandon laughed and then pinched the bridge of his nose. “Oh, man. He probably passed out.”

  She stared at him. Did he think this was a game? Even now, after almost getting killed? What was the matter with him? “You don’t think it’s time to give it up for good? Even when your career and your life is on the line?”

  “My career?”

  “Yeah. Don’t you think getting high affects your performance?”

  “What?” Brandon gave her an incredulous look. “You’re not serious.”

  “Of course, I’m serious.” She frowned. “You can’t tell me you never went to work high while you were filming The Paper Pirate.”

  Brandon opened and closed his mouth a few times before he huffed. “Yeah, but I didn’t think anyone could tell.”

  “I could.” Stephanie said the words before she really thought about it, then wondered if she was being too harsh. “I mean, maybe no one else would have.”

  Brandon snorted. “Now you’re just trying to be nice. Which is funny, coming from you. After all, you did compare my acting to a drunk monkey.”

  Her cheeks heated. She had been mean to him. But she wouldn’t take it back. “You did look quite hungover in the forest scene.”

  “Oh, I was. You’re right.” He shook his head. “But that happens all the time in Hollywood.”

  “I know. I review movies, remember?”

  He laughed, but it came out stilted. “You are one harsh girl.”

  “Just think about it. If you’re having trouble getting jobs, maybe it’s time to get more serious about your work. Give up the booze and the pills.”

  “Then what will I do for fun?”

  She shook her head. He really didn’t get it. Even now. He’d almost been killed. If that wasn’t his wake-up call, then he would never figure it out.

  “Hey, I’m only kidding,” he said, twisting so he could nudge her with his good arm. “We’re having fun, and I’m not high.”

  Her phone buzzed and Brandon picked it up out of the cupholder. “You got a text from someone named Marissa.”

  Stephanie groaned. “Oh, no.”

  “What? Who’s Marissa?” He peered closer at the phone. “Why does she want to know your answer?”

  “She’s running the drama club’s booth at the harvest festival tomorrow, and she wants me to help.”

  Brandon shrugged. “Why not? I’ll come too. It will be fun.”

  Heat crept up her neck. “No, you don’t understand. It’s a kissing booth.”

  “Then definitely count me in.” He grinned at her, showing all his perfect, white teeth. Man, why did he have to have such a gorgeous smile? It was making her insides all warm and gooey.

  “You want to kiss total strangers?”

  He faltered, then seemed to choose his words carefully. “Just a peck, right? I mean, that’s nothing. I think it would raise a lot of money for your club.”

  “I thought you wanted to keep a low profile.”

  He shrugged with his one good arm. “People are going to find out who I am eventually. I don’t care.”

  “Then, you want me to tell Marissa that Brandon Travers is going to be at our kissing booth?”

  His sexy smile was back. “Yeah. For the sake of the drama club, I’ll do it.”

  Stephanie let out a breath and shook her head. “Then Marissa’s going to die.”

  He held out her phone. “Here. Unlock your phone. I’ll text her.”

  Why did it make her jealous to think about him kissing all the other girls at school? She pressed her thumb on the phone and unlocked it for him, trying not to let it bother her. Why should she care whom he locked lips with? It didn’t matter at all to her.

  He fiddled with her phone, then set it down. “You’ll be there too, right? How much do I have to pay to kiss you?”

  She scoffed. “I’m not going to be behind that booth!”

  “What? Why not?”

  “It’s not my thing.” Stephanie followed Jade’s car as it turned onto the dirt road toward the lake.

  Brandon pouted. “You mean, I won’t get to kiss you? That’s the whole reason I wanted to do it.”

  Shock rang through her. Stephanie opened her mouth, but she had no words, so she closed it again. What was he saying? He knew the rules. Why was he trying to break them?

  “I mean,” he rushed on to say, “not that I wanted to kiss you to start a relationship. That’s not it at all. We agreed on that. I’m just saying, a kissing booth is different. It’s just for fun. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “Doesn’t mean anything?” She wanted to whack him, but his injured arm was the closest thing to her, and she didn’t want to hurt him. “Kissing doesn’t mean anything? See? That’s why I don’t want to get into another relationship. The last guy I dated felt the same way.” She huffed. “I happen to disagree. To me, kissing him meant something.”

  She didn’t mean to get emotional, but she couldn’t help the moisture that gathered in her eyes. She blinked it back.

  Brandon shook his head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  Stephanie parked her car next to Jade’s. “We’re here.”

  “But I want to explain what I meant.”

  She didn’t really want to talk anymore about kissing. Or about relationships in general. She just wanted to get away from Brandon. “You can explain later. Let’s get out of the car, or Jade and Chris will think something is weird.”

  Chapter 18

  Brandon got out of Stephanie’s car, frustrated with himself. Why had he s
tarted getting flirty with her? He knew she didn’t want that. He should have kept his mouth shut. Why did he volunteer for the kissing booth? Stupid. He was just being cocky, and hoping he’d get a chance to kiss her.

  Jade turned around. “I don’t see anyone yet. Maybe we’re the first ones here.”

  “We should build a bonfire,” Chris said. “There’s a perfect spot over there.” He motioned toward the lake where a fire pit already sat. Logs lay around it for people to sit on.

  “Good idea.” Stephanie started toward the trees. “I’ll gather some wood.”

  Brandon hurried to catch up to her. “I’ll help you.” He pulled his jacket over his sling. It was much colder outside than he’d thought. A fire sounded nice.

  Stephanie bent to pick up a branch. “You don’t have to help. You only have one good arm.”

  “I can carry a bundle of wood.”

  “You probably should be taking it easy. Didn’t your aunt say something about that?” She gave him a skeptical look.

  “I feel stupid standing around, watching you do the work. Just give me that branch. I can carry the wood if you pile it on my arm.”

  She walked to him but must have stepped on a rock because she stumbled forward. “Oh!”

  He reached out and caught her, pulling her to him. She pressed up against him, and the floral smell of her made his heart speed up. It felt amazing to have her so close. He gazed into her stormy gray eyes. They were mesmerizing. He’d never met anyone like Stephanie. She was refreshingly different than the girls in Hollywood. “You okay?”

  She nodded. Neither of them moved. He could barely breathe. His gaze involuntarily dipped to her lips. Her red, full lips. “I take it back,” he blurted out.

  She blinked. “You take what back?”

  “That kissing doesn’t mean anything. It does.” And right now, he wanted to kiss her more than he wanted to breathe. But he wasn’t about to mess up things between them by doing so.

  She opened her mouth, but all that came out was a small gasp. She continued to stare up at him.

  “And if it bothers you, I’ll back out of doing the kissing booth.”

  For a moment, she didn’t speak. The only sound was the rustling of the leaves blowing in the night breeze. Then she stepped back and the mood shifted.

  She exhaled and shook her head. “No. I was being stupid. You were right. A kissing booth kiss is just a peck. It’s not like you’ll make out with everyone at school. You should do it.”

  He raised one eyebrow at her. “Really?”

  “Yes.” The wind picked up and she wrapped her coat tighter. “The club could use the money.”

  “All right, then.”

  She continued to pick up branches and sticks, and he helped her haul them back to the fire pit. Chris had cleared the area out. “Here. I have a lighter. And we can use this paper to start it.”

  Brandon made a face. “Is that your homework?”

  Chris smirked. “My paper on Moby Dick. I got a C-minus on it. Believe me, it will be therapeutic to light it on fire.” He crumpled it to show he meant it.

  Stephanie laughed as she piled the wood over his English paper. “All right, it’s ready.”

  A gust of wind blew, and Brandon shivered. “I’m not used to this cold.”

  Stephanie turned to him. “You look frozen.” She reached out and touched the hand sticking out of his sling. “Oh, my gosh. You’re ice.”

  Before he could respond, she tugged his jacket around him and zipped it up. Her feather-light touches made his pulse jump. She peered up at him. “Is that too tight on your arm?”

  “No.” And he wasn’t thinking about his arm right now. He couldn’t get the thought of kissing Stephanie out of his mind.

  Chris flicked his lighter. The paper started on fire immediately. “This will help.”

  The fire grew and warmth enveloped him. “Oh, yeah. Much better.”

  He sat on a log next to Stephanie. As they chatted, a few other groups of teens showed up. Someone turned on some music. One brought a cooler with soda and beer in it. Brandon walked over to the cooler and grabbed a Coke from the ice.

  “Will you open this for me?” he asked Stephanie as he sat back down.

  “Sure.” She popped open the top.

  “So, is this what small-town teen life is like?” He took a drink from his can of soda.

  Stephanie gave him a sarcastic grin. “Pretty much. We’re living the high life.”

  “I don’t know. This is kind of fun.” At least, it was fun because he was sitting next to her.

  She raised an eyebrow. The firelight flickered in the reflection in her eyes. “More fun than Hollywood parties?”

  “Definitely more fun than the one I was at last weekend,” he muttered under his breath. “And not just because of the accident. Hollywood life looks glamorous, but it’s not all glitz. It’s a lot of ‘do this’ and ‘do that’ because that’s what will help your career. I get so tired of doing what others tell me to do. I just want to have a normal teen experience for once.”

  Stephanie slowly nodded. “Well, you’re in the right place. There’s nothing more normal than a bunch of teens hanging out by a frozen lake and drinking beer.” She glanced at one of the boys, who was already acting like he’d had too much to drink. He must have started partying before he arrived. She seemed uncomfortable.

  Maybe they could get away from the partying kids. “I’m warm enough now. Do you want to go for a walk?”

  “Sure.” She stood, and he followed her away from the bonfire and all the noise.

  He looked up at the night sky. “Wow, look at all the stars you can see out here. Is that the Milky Way? I’ve never seen it like that. It’s so bright.”

  “Yeah, you can really see them good out here, without the city lights.” Stephanie stuck her hands in her coat pockets.

  He walked with her until they came to the edge of the lake. The ice reflected the light of the moon. “It looks like glass.”

  “It does. It’s really pretty.”

  “How solid is it?”

  She tapped it with her foot. “Seems pretty solid. It’s been below freezing for the past couple of weeks here.”

  He took a step on it. “Do people ice skate on this lake?”

  “Not really. There’s an ice-skating rink in town most people go to. But they ice fish out here in the winter.”

  Brandon stepped out a bit farther. It seemed really solid. “How far do you think I could slide if I got a running start?”

  Stephanie smiled, but she shook her head. “You’d better not. I don’t know how frozen the middle is. And if you fall, you could hurt your arm even more.”

  “I won’t fall.” He took a few steps and slid. “Come on. This is cool.”

  A look of indecision crossed her face before she stepped onto the frozen lake. “Just be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  He ignored her comment and continued to slide across the ice. The night air didn’t even seem to be that cold, now that he was being active. The ice was smooth, and it felt amazing to slide across it. He built up momentum, then posed like he was flexing his muscles as he slid past Stephanie.

  She laughed. “You’re such a goof.”

  “Let’s have a contest. See who can slide the farthest.” He pointed. “We’ll start there.”

  He thought he detected a bit of an eyeroll from her, but she followed him to the starting place. “Okay.”

  “I’ll get a running start, then when I stop and slide, that’s where you’ll slide too, okay?”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  His Converse shoes slipped a bit as he tried to get going, but he managed to get a good enough start. Then he stopped and slid for at least a couple of yards. When he came to a stop, he threw his good hand into the air and whooped. “Okay, your turn.”

  She readied herself, then took off running. She didn’t slip. It looked like her shoes were made for the ice. She gained a lot of speed before she came to the po
int where she stopped and slid. The only problem was, she was sliding right toward him. Fast. He scrambled to get out of her way, but he couldn’t find purchase. Her eyes widened as she came directly at him.

  The next few moments happened in slow motion. Stephanie came closer, and he could see her trying to slow down, but she was on the ice, and it had no effect. As she was about to run into him, he grabbed her, thinking this would be better than her hitting him wherever she happened to hit. Her momentum made him lose his footing, and they both toppled over onto the ice, Stephanie landing on top of him. “Oh!” she said.

  He winced as pain shot up his injured arm, but he didn’t care so much about that. Not with Stephanie so close he could smell the cola on her breath. His heart beat a crazy rhythm as he stared into her eyes.

  A moment stretched between them, when he was holding her once again, and she was too startled to move. He loved the look of surprise on her face. And then the moment dissolved and she let out a gasp.

  “If you were anyone else, I would think you were coming on to me.” He winked at her and gave her his best sexy grin. The one the cameras loved.

  Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink as she scrambled to get off him. “Oh, my gosh. I’m sorry! Did I hurt your arm?” She reached out to help him up.

  “It’s fine.” He’d never tell her it hurt. Not in a million years.

  “Are you sure? I think I landed on it.”

  He shook his head. “I barely felt anything.”

  Her eyebrows pulled together. “You’re lying.”

  What? How did she know that? No one could tell when he lied. Not even his mother. He squinted at her. “What makes you say that?”

  “I don’t know. You just look like you’re lying.”

  “Okay, it hurt a little, but not that much.”

  She bit her bottom lip. “Should we get your arm looked at?”

  “Geesh, woman. I said it’s fine. I’d know if I reinjured it. You’d probably hear me screaming.”

  “All right. If you’re sure…”

  “Come on.” He reached out and took her hand without thinking about it. He expected it to be cold, but it wasn’t. Warmth flowed over his skin. He stared at her, suddenly self-conscious.