“Come on, I’ll show you the bathroom and you can take a shower.” He jerked his head toward the hallway and I followed him.
It was a short walk since his living room, dining room and kitchen was all one big—or small—room. I smiled a little at Rhys and Jonah as I passed them, to let them know I was good. Dreading what I had to have looked like, I probably resembled the guy on the corner. Only wet.
Thatcher stopped at the first door on the right and flipped the switch. “Go ahead and get cleaned up. I’ll knock before I bring clothes. Washcloths and towels are under the sink.”
I shuffled past him, sucking in my breath so we didn’t brush against each other in the doorway. He didn’t stick around, slamming the door as he fled. I would wonder if I stunk, but you know, I did.
The bathroom was tiny. The four of us couldn’t have fit in here if we tried. It was old but clean and I was stalling. I needed to go ahead and get it over with. One deep breath later, I lifted my eyes and met my reflection.
“Ugh…” I groaned. It was as bad as I had feared. Half of my hair was wet and slightly curling, but the other half was dry. The little bit of make-up I did wear, mainly the mascara, ran down my face. I had always hated the waterproof stuff, it broke off my lashes when I tried to get it off. But now, I was rethinking my choice of make-up. I should be better prepared for next time.
I stripped down, but left the door unlocked. The guys wouldn’t come in on me, right? I needed Thatcher to be able to set my clothes down when I was in the shower.
The hot water was amazing, pelting my chilled skin, beating down and erasing the last hour. I couldn’t believe it had only been an hour since those stupid guys did that to me. With every minute I stood under the spray, my anger ratcheted up a little higher.
Those girls didn’t know who they were messing with. I had my flaws, I hated being under so many pairs of eyes, I preferred the background to the stage, and I had been incredibly sheltered all of my life. But I was not the person to fuck with. Maybe the girls in the past hadn’t ever stood up to them, but that was about to change. The only thing was, I needed to figure out a way to bring them down without jeopardizing my scholarship. Or my potential chance at a scholarship.
A soft knock came at the door. Clean clothes never excited me so much.
“Come in.” I called and stuck my head around the curtain, holding it to my chest to cover the rest of my body.
And then it happened.
I was not a clumsy person. Maybe today just wasn’t my day.
Right as Thatcher opened the door, I stepped on the shower curtain, falling forward and taking the curtain with me.
I screamed as my knees and elbows slammed into the creamy linoleum, droplets of water hitting my back now that the curtain wasn’t containing the spray.
“God, Astrid!” Thatcher maneuvered hands under my armpits and lifted me up against him.
Jonah busted into the bathroom and slid around us to turn off the water. Rhys also joined us, blocking the entrance completely with his massive frame.
My breathing was the loudest, followed by Thatcher and Jonah. I didn’t think Rhys was breathing at all. That was it. The rest was silence. Heavy, heavy silence as my situation actually penetrated the fog of my mind.
“Fuck, I’m naked!”
Thatcher failed to pick up the curtain with me, so I burrowed deeper into him to hide my nudity. His arms twined around me, rubbing soothing circles on my wet back. He turned, pressing me into the wall, so there was that.
“We heard you scream and we were worried something happened. Like you fell.” Jonah pointed out the obvious.
“Yes, and you got a nice eyeful of my ass as payment for your concern.” I snapped.
Jonah’s lips twitched. He was laughing at me. Bastard.
Just you wait, nerd man. I narrowed my eyes into slits and apparently it wasn’t intimidating at all, because he lost his battle and beamed us with a bright smile.
Rhys smiled sheepishly as his gaze trailed down the side of my body. When our gazes locked, his eyes widened and he tried to step back.
Tried, because he stepped on Beck in the process.
Please don’t tell me one of the guys, most likely Thatcher, called in Beck. How did I get into this situation? All I wanted was to leave school and go sit in silence somewhere after I showered and found clean clothes. Instead, I was cursed to continually embarrass myself all afternoon.
“Watch it there, Goliath. You’re going to break my goddamned toe.” He peeked around Rhys and if I wasn’t mortified, I would have laughed at the way his face went completely slack.
“Damn,” he whistled. “I didn’t realize it was like that, but I’m game.” He grinned and winked at me.
No one laughed. Although, there were some grins going around. They tried to hide them by turning away or covering their mouths, but I saw them.
“I fell. They wanted to rescue me. I think I’m good now guys.” I really needed to get them out of here so I could forget this ever happened.
“All right. You guys go on out and I’ll follow behind you.” Thatcher used an authoritative voice. Beck tossed me one last wink as he disappeared.
“Don’t look so embarrassed. I’m glad you weren’t actually hurt.” Rhys raised a hand as if he was going to pet my hair, then thought better of it and backed out of the bathroom.
Jonah didn’t say anything, he only smirked and shook his head as he left.
Now that we were alone, the position we were in was doing crazy things to my body. I glanced up and the heat in Thatcher’s eyes assaulted me like a heat wave in the heart of a Louisiana summer.
His arm that was wrapped around my back tightened, bringing me flush against him and my hands went to his shoulders. The smell of man and oil paint was almost as intoxicating as the feel of his hard body against mine. Something hard pressed into my stomach and I gasped.
So, so slowly, he started to lower his head and my eyelids fluttered shut.
I knew Thatcher the least of all the guys, but I couldn’t snap out of it. I didn’t want to. I was numb to the real world as I waited for my first kiss. One that would count.
“Hey, wh—” Beck popped back into the small room that seemed to be shrinking by the second.
Thatcher jumped back. Cold air rushed over me and I crouched to grab the curtain. It was under Thatcher’s foot and I gave a good yank to get it loose. I wrapped it toga style around me as quickly as I could, but it hadn’t even mattered.
Thatcher and Beck were locked in a death stare, not paying attention to me at all. Against my will, my gaze dropped to Thatcher’s dick to see the thick outline in his jeans. I did that. He had that reaction from being close to me.
I swallowed hard and forced myself to intervene, although it was the last thing I wanted to do right then.
“I need to get dressed.” I prompted them to leave, hoping they would take the hint. They did.
They exited and instead of going toward the living room, they went into the room across the hall. Whatever, as long as they weren’t fighting it wasn’t an issue. Right?
The cheap wooden door closed on its own. I made sure it was locked this time with shaking hands. Water covered the floor and a few of the clips that held the shower curtain up, lay bent by the tub. Those were now trash, unfortunately. Whenever I got around to making cookies for Beck, I’d add a few extra batches for Thatcher and the mess I’d made in this bathroom. At least I’d already washed my hair and body. I wasn’t in the mood to jump back in the shower.
Taking my time, I got dressed in a pair of old sweats and fixed the shower curtain as much as I could. Four clips had fallen casualty to my accident; I guessed that wasn’t that horrible. There was a hairbrush under the sink, but I used my fingers instead. I wouldn’t have minded using her stuff, but she might. This way I wouldn’t make an enemy before we even met.
“Astrid, are you okay in there?” A bang on the other side sounded like Rhys dropped his forehead on the door.
; I walked over and did the same, the texture of the wood grounding me.
“I’m okay. Embarrassed, but okay.”
“It’s okay to come out. We aren’t going to make fun of you. Well, Jonah might laugh because he’s a dick, and Beck might smile or wink at you because he seems like a player. But I think they’re both harmless and care about you.” The more he talked, the more he lowered his voice. If I hadn’t been leaning on the door, I wouldn’t have been able to understand his muffled words.
“I know. Today has been a shit day. I can’t tell you how glad I am that you guys are here. I feel fine with you guys, like what happened at school was a million years ago. It’s so far removed from my present. If I was alone, I know it would be different. I’m sure I’d be bawling my eyes out.” I could say these things when I didn’t have to look him in the eyes. Courage was abundant when people couldn’t see me.
The door moved again, but I had no idea what he did.
“Come out?” He left it at that. As a request.
I’d have to get it over with sooner or later. As much as I wanted to hide in the bathroom forever, I didn’t believe Thatcher would feed me Gogurts through the gap under the door.
In my mind, I imagined I was strong and I was confident. I was trying that whole fake it ‘til you make it motto. I twisted the lock and opened the door, slowly lifting my gaze to his. Rhys was there with his hands locked on the doorframe above my head.
A look of relief and something else passed through his eyes as he nodded. “Jonah went through the cabinets and pulled out snacks.” He smiled and went back to the living room.
Was he afraid I was going to run? I couldn’t do that with him blocking the way.
It was only Rhys and Jonah in the big room, sitting at the table with wavy chips and ranch dip. My stomach rumbled as I approached the table.
“Hey,” Jonah said. I studied him for signs of any assholery, but he seemed to be attempting to bring us back to normal ground.
“Hey.” I pulled out a chair and immediately dug in after I settled. Where our silence was companionable earlier, now it was awkward. We all studiously ignored each other while picking at the snacks.
A few minutes later, Beck and Thatcher walked in, expressions eerily blank.
I started to ask what was wrong, but Rhys decided to go in another direction.
“What are we going to do about the twitch bitches?”
The other guys were confused, so I explained. It was nice being on the inside of a friend circle for once. Were we friends?
“Back to the question, what are we going to do?” A hard glint entered Rhys’ eyes, and if I hadn’t known the softer side of him, I would have been afraid.
Jonah straightened in his seat and pushed his glasses up. “Is there anything we can do? I’m all for protecting Astrid, but I have scholarships on the line. I can’t be enacting revenge. I’d lose everything.”
Beck made a noise at the back of his throat. “Then why are you here?”
That was harsh. I really liked Beck, but he had a chip on his shoulder when it came to Jonah. I scowled at Beck until he met my gaze, then he shrugged and looked away. He was completely unrepentant about how he treated Jonah. I’d have to corner him at some point and have a Come to Jesus chat. We had this flimsy circle of friendship we were building between the five of us, and if he didn’t stop his antics it could break. I had a feeling once it broke, there would be no fixing it.
“I’m her friend. And what they’re doing to her is wrong.” Jonah growled, bending aggressively toward Beck.
It was time for me to wade in before they decided to whip their dicks out. If this conversation kept going, someone was going to open the measuring app on their phone. “Guys. No one has to get revenge on my behalf.” Because that was my mission. “I don’t want anyone to get in trouble over me.” I made eye contact with Rhys, remembering the words I told him through the door. Even though it was weird to profess my gratitude, they deserved to hear it. “Thank you all for coming to my rescue. It means a lot to me. You all don’t know me, and I don’t know why you would even bother.”
That wasn’t how I wanted my thank you to come across. I wanted it to be heartfelt, but it sounded like I was fishing.
“I’m just really grateful.” I made eye contact with each of them to make sure that they knew I appreciated what they had done, but I didn’t expect anything else.
Thatcher stepped forward but stopped. He pivoted and bent down to reach in my bag by the entry door. One of the guys must have brought it in, because I hadn’t.
He pulled out my phone, which was manically buzzing.
No one ever called me. Hardly ever.
Maybe it was Ryan. He could have heard what happened at school.
The phone stopped as Thatcher reached the table and immediately it started again. Trepidation trickled down my back as I held out my hand.
Mother flashed across the screen. That could mean nothing good.
I got up and robotically walked toward the door. This was going to be so bad.
“Hello?” I tried to hold my voice steady.
“Astrid Elizabeth Scott! Of all the foolish things you’ve ever done, it shouldn’t even surprise me.” My mother’s harsh tone beat at me.
“What, Mom?” Did she know about what happened at school? I didn’t see how she could but somehow she found out.
“Skipping is for delinquents. I told your father we should have shipped you off, but he didn’t want to. It would look bad. Well, guess what. He’ll have to face what a stupid girl you are. It’s better if you were gone than to allow you to ruin our reputation like this.”
I felt the same exact way, but in an entirely different context. What did I say to her? Logic dictated I tell her what happened, but she wouldn’t care. She’d believe I did something to deserve it. Dad wasn’t the greatest dad, but if I could get to him, he might understand.
“Nothing to say for yourself? I didn’t think so. If you’re not home in fifteen minutes… You don’t want to know what will happen.” The phone went dead.
Fuck. This was a fuck moment.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I slowly turned around to face the guys. When I answered, I had meant to slip out the door and take the call in the hallway, but it happened so fast, I was too stunned to move. Or even speak.
“What’s going on?” A thunderous expression darkened Beck’s face.
Was he angry something bad had happened?
“It’s nothing to do with school. Or not with the girls. My mom found out I skipped this afternoon. I have to get home.” I rubbed my shoes together, afraid and nervous about what they heard and what waited for me at home.
The importance of following orders plowed into me and I raced back to the bathroom. Luckily my clothes were still there. Did I change and wear my wet clothes home? No, I couldn’t handle that. Mother Dearest was on a warpath regardless of what clothes I wore. Maybe this way I could shove the fish smell in her face. Even then it was doubtful she’d believe me.
All four guys were standing and facing the hallway in some kind of line of protection. My own barrier to keep the bad at bay. Too bad it wouldn’t work on my mother. She was immune to almost everything.
“I’m so sorry. I really have to go. Thank you. All of you.” I ran past them and scooped up my bag.
“Wait!” Thatcher rushed to the cabinet and pulled out a grocery bag. “Here, so the clothes don’t get your backpack wet.” He helped me shove the clothes in the bag and handed me the keys to Freda. “We’ll talk tomorrow at school.”
Oh, yeah. He was my tutor. I couldn’t stand here wasting any more time, so with a wave, I raced down the stairs.
What the fuck was that?
One minute, we were about to tackle the messed up situation that surrounded Astrid. Then she got a phone call from her mom and acted like she got caught peddling meth to toddlers. Now she was gone.
I glanced around at the others and they looked even more confused than I was.
At least I knew it was her mom that called.
“Does Astrid have bigger problems than just the cunts at school?” Beck said as he prowled to the window to watch her back out.
I had the least amount of information here, so I waited to see if the other two knuckleheads would answer. They couldn’t have been more different from each other if they tried. Were those two actually friends?
When no one offered anything up, I shared what I knew. A small twinge of guilt passed through me at the idea I might be betraying her trust, but I ignored it. I couldn’t be there at school or in her personal life the way the nerd and jock could. They needed to know what to watch for so they could keep her safe. I hadn’t had a good feeling during our chat in the car.
It got awkward because I hadn’t known how to answer her without feeling like an asshole. So I turned up the music and ignored what she wasn’t saying.
She didn’t have a good home life. Not now. Maybe not ever, but I was too chicken shit to ask her. Astrid wouldn’t have shared anyway. She was young and naïve. She was also guarded and prickly.
“Her mom called. You guys know anything about her home life?” I swiped a hand through my hair, pulling it away from my eyes.
Jonah had no idea. He seemed like a bright guy, but he impersonated a deer in headlights flawlessly.
Rhys was the only one that might know something. He gritted his teeth and went to stand next to Beck. Astrid was long gone by now, so I didn’t know what he was looking for. Beck took the opportunity and smacked him in the shoulder in an out with it gesture. With a cut of the eyes, Rhys growled something too low for me to hear and Beck rolled his eyes. That guy wasn’t ever phased by much.
“I’ve had dinner with her family. Our dads do some kind of work together, but I don’t know why, unless it’s some kind of charity donation my dad can write off.”
“And…” Jonah leaned forward, very interested in this answer.
“It was weird. There wasn’t anything that said she was abused or anything like that. It was just weird. I can’t explain it.” He scrubbed a hand down his face and sat on the window ledge.
Pretty Lies: A contemporary YA Romance (Astrid Scott Series Book 1) Page 20