Besides, I’ve never been that into blondes. I prefer brunettes. Always have.
But I caught her walking by the lake earlier, all by herself, staring out at the water with a look on her pretty face that told me she’d rather be anywhere else but here. I took one look at those long legs of hers hanging out of her too short shorts, and I had to do a double take. Tanned skin on display, the wind whipping through her long, blonde hair and I couldn’t move.
She’s gorgeous.
Up close? Even more gorgeous. Green eyes. Pert nose. Lush mouth. And full of fire. Fuck, I love it when they’re like that. Girls with strong personalities who have no qualms in telling you how they really feel.
That’s hot.
Even though I feel like I just got my ass kicked, and my skin literally stings like I got beat up, I walk back into the dining hall with a giant grin on my face, making sure to aim it in Jake Callahan’s direction. He glares at me, nudging his sidekick in the ribs. That Diego asshole. Now they’re both glaring at me.
I could give two shits about them.
If he only knew I talked about his sister’s panties not a minute earlier, he’d come for me.
It’s rather satisfying, knowing that he’ll never know.
Finally, I’m back at my table, happy to see a plate of salad sitting in front of my empty chair. I’m starving. Settling in, I grab a fork and start eating, listening in on the conversation that’s happening around me.
My best friend Brenden sends me a look from across the table.
“What?” I say to him after I swallow.
“Where were you?” he asks. Every dude sitting at my table swivels his head in my direction, waiting for my answer.
“Outside,” I say with a shrug before I shovel another forkful of salad in my mouth. It’s not that great. Standard Italian dressing covering iceberg lettuce. My mom—when she’s not hitting the bottle—makes healthy salads mixed with kale. She’d shudder in disgust if she saw this one.
Glad she’s not here. I don’t care what I’m eating. I’m hungry.
“With who?” Brenden asks, his voice lowered. Everyone else has resumed eating. They’re not paying attention to me.
“No one,” I say, ignoring the unease slithering down my spine. Did he see me with Ava? There’s no way. “Why do you ask?”
“I just saw Ava Callahan come back inside no less than two minutes after you suddenly reappear,” Brenden says, his eyes narrowed. He’s been my friend for a long time. He knows me well. Sometimes, I think too well.
But it’s cool. As in, I know how to play it cool.
“In my dreams I was outside with Ava Callahan,” I say with a snicker. “You know me. I’d give it to her just to piss off that asshole brother of hers.”
“You would,” Brenden says with a sharp laugh. He feeds my hatred for Jake Callahan because he feels the same exact way. We both can’t stand the guy.
Though really, it’s not like I hate Jake. I’m competitive. So is he. We clash because we both want the same thing. During our youth league football days, we both wanted to play quarterback. I ended up going to another youth team just so I could play the position I wanted.
And now, I’m at the high school that helped sponsor that league. I’ve been the QB for the Mustangs for one and a half seasons. I stepped in as a sophomore, when our senior quarterback got hurt and was out for a few weeks. I took over and never looked back. I made that position mine. That guy never got another chance. Coach Watson gave the position to me and that was it.
We’re not as good as I want us to be, but we’re trying, damn it. And I’m having fun. Isn’t that what it’s all about? I know that’s Jake’s problem. He takes all of this shit so seriously. It’s a game, for the love of God. Life is just a game.
You know what game I wouldn’t mind playing?
How fast can I get Ava Callahan to fall in love with me.
Yeah. That sounds like a lot of fun.
Four
Ava
Dinner was boring. They had a speaker and I have no idea who he was or where he came from, but after about two minutes, all it sounded like he was saying was blah, blah blah. Beck kept wiggling in his chair, and Mom kept shushing him, until finally, I told her I’d take Beck back to the cabin. She was so grateful, she let us both go without protest.
“That sucked,” Beck says the moment we hit the trail that leads to our cabin.
I laugh. “Yeah, it did.”
“I like football, but I like playing it, not listening to some old guy talk about it,” Beck says, kicking a rock so it goes skittering across the dirt trail.
“I would guess pretty much everyone in that room feels the same way you do,” I tell him.
“I wanna go swimming,” Beck says, his lips formed in a semi-pout. He looks like Dad too, though his hair is lighter. A golden-brown shade that reminds me of my Uncle Owen, my mom’s brother.
“We could probably do that tomorrow,” I say.
“In the lake?” he asks hopefully.
“Isn’t there a pool?” Not sure if Mom will let him swim in the freaking lake if she’s busy. I don’t particularly want to be my brother’s babysitter, but tonight, I gladly volunteered.
I wanted out of there. The longer dinner took, the more I could feel eyes on me. Watching me. There were a lot of boys in that dining hall. And I’m one of the only girls.
It’s a little—nerve wracking, if I’m honest.
“Yeah, but I want to go out in the lake. Maybe even go on a boat and go fishing. Dad said we could,” Beck says, right before he launches into a full-blown run, heading straight for the cabin, which now appears in the near distance.
The sun is going down, the sky a pinkish-orange haze, tinged with purple. I can already see stars twinkling, and that breeze is still blowing, though it feels decidedly cooler.
It’s a night for romance. I don’t know why I have these thoughts, but since I was about thirteen, if the evening air was a particular way, I’d always think that.
Those thoughts have always been futile, though. I’ve never had a serious boyfriend. Not even a semi-serious one. So why am I always thinking about romance? Um, that’s because I want a boyfriend. A serious one. One who falls totally and completely in love with me and makes me feel like a princess, just like my sister and her boyfriend. I want what Autumn has and more. I’m a romantic. I can’t help it.
Autumn makes fun of me for reading romance novels still to this day. Whatever, she’s got romance in her life, thanks to Ash Davis.
Me? I’ve got no one. None of the boys will even look at me at school. One, because of my dad. Two, because of my brother.
It sucks.
I figure, once Jake graduates, I’ll have some freedom. Is Dad still going to coach the football team? He hasn’t confirmed yes or no, but I’m hoping no. What’s the point? Jake will be gone. And if they are both gone for my senior year? Holy crap, I don’t know what I’m going to do, but it’s all going to be great. I can’t wait.
For now, I’m patient. I can wait this out. I have one more year.
One.
More.
Year.
And then I will be free.
“Ava! Wait up!”
Whirling around, I see Jake jogging toward me, Caleb close behind him. I stop and wait for them, crossing my arms and tapping my foot impatiently. I don’t like Caleb. He always stares at me as if he’s trying to imagine me naked, which he probably is. It’s kind of gross.
“What do you want?” I ask my brother warily as they stop in front of me.
“I need you to hold onto something for me.” Jake glances around as if he’s making sure no one is looking, before he reaches into his shorts pocket and withdraws something from it. “Hold out your hand.”
I don’t automatically do as he says. Last time he asked me to hold out my hand, he put a disgusting slimy frog on it. Of course, he was only thirteen, and I was almost twelve and pissed. It was dumb.
This describes our relationsh
ip. Friends. Enemies. Take care of each other, yet torture each other too.
“Come on,” he says, sounding exasperated.
With a huff, I hold out my hand, ignoring Caleb, who’s watching us with eager eyes. Jake rests his curled fist on my palm for a long second before he releases whatever he’s holding. Whatever it is, it’s hidden within a crumpled brown paper bag.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Promise me you won’t tell,” he says, his gaze serious.
I roll my eyes. “If you’re giving me drugs to stash for you, I’m going to flush it down the toilet the second I get into the cabin.”
Caleb makes a noise. “Damn bro, that’s a smart idea. We should’ve brought some weed. Ava could’ve held it for us in case they searched the cabins!”
Jake sends him a look, rendering Caleb silent, before he faces me once more. “It’s not drugs.”
“Then what is it?”
He flicks his chin at me. “Look for yourself.”
I open the bag and peek inside before I glance up at him. “Really?”
Firecrackers. A small box of those little popping ones kids used to throw at each other’s feet when I was younger. A box of smoke bombs. And some red ones that look potentially dangerous.
“We’re going to set them off later tonight around the Mustangs’ cabins,” Caleb explains, a giant grin on his cute face. Yes, I can admit he’s cute, even if he annoys me.
“Shut the hell up, Caleb,” Jake snaps.
“This is such a bad idea,” I tell them, shaking my head. Yeah, I’ll hold these firecrackers for them. I’ll hide them so well, they won’t be able to go through with their lame plan. “What happened to the toilet paper?”
“That’s dumb,” Caleb says with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Middle school type shit.”
“And setting off firecrackers in a forest isn’t dumb?” I ask, raising my brows as I curl the bag back up and then hide it casually behind my back. I should toss this bag into the lake. “We could catch this entire place on fire.”
“We?” Jake asks. “You’re not a part of this.”
“You can totally help,” Caleb says at the same time.
“I’m not helping. I just feel like I’m a part of it because now I’m involved.” I shake the bag at Jake and Caleb, the paper rustling.
“Whatcha got?” Beck appears out of nowhere, his blue eyes wide as he stares at the bag. “Candy?”
Caleb muffles his laughter with his hand as Jake snatches the bag from my fingers. “Nope. But I’ve got five bucks for you if you go back to the cabin and wait for Ava,” Jake says, a five-dollar bill somehow magically appearing in his hand.
Beck takes it eagerly, stuffing it into the front pocket of his jeans. “I’ll see ya at the cabin, Ava!” he calls as he takes off.
Jake smirks at me the moment our little brother disappears. “Stash this in your room. I’ll come by later tonight. Wait outside behind the cabin. I’ll be there by eleven.”
He dangles the bag in my direction, but I don’t want to touch it. I don’t want to take part in this.
“This is a terrible idea,” I remind him.
“Yeah well, we’re doing it anyway.” He slaps the bag against my chest, and I have no choice but to take it from him or else it would drop to the ground. “Thanks for helping us out, Ava.”
He and Caleb stalk off, then burst into a full-blown run. I can hear them laughing, and for the slightest moment, I’m jealous. At least he has someone to hang out with for the next four days. A bunch of someones. Jake is always surrounded by people, no matter where we are. They’re just drawn to him. Same with Autumn. Same with Beck.
Not really with me. I’m more outspoken—and not always in a good way. At least, not to the people I offend. I have friends, particularly my best friend, Ellie. I still can’t believe I’m actually doing cheer. I made fun of Autumn when she did it and now look at me.
I must be bored if I want to actually do this.
But anyway. Yes, I have friends. I also have a few enemies who don’t like my big mouth. Most of them boys. Oh and Cami Wakefield, Jake’s ex-girlfriend, who also happens to be the captain of the cheer team.
That ought to be fun.
A loud sigh escapes me as I turn and head for the cabin. Maybe Beck and I could watch something on TV together. A movie. Yeah, that won’t be so bad.
A way to pass the time at least.
Turns out, there is no way to watch TV here unless you pop a DVD into the ancient DVD player. Beck had no idea what that even was. I only remember because we had players in the back of Mom’s SUV when we were little. To keep us entertained whenever we were in the car and she wanted some peace and quiet.
We went through the pitiful library that was on a bookshelf and found a movie we could both agree on.
The Incredibles.
This is what my life has been reduced to. It’s a Friday night, and I’m spending it in a cabin by a huge, beautiful lake, with hundreds of teenage boys on the premises. Yet I’m hanging out with my little brother, watching a kids movie. Pitiful. My parents aren’t even back from the dining hall yet. They’re probably having more fun than I am.
Oh, who am I kidding. They’re definitely having more fun than I am.
By the time the movie is almost over, Mom and Dad finally show back up at the cabin. The moment they walk through the front door, looking at each other as they laugh with their hands linked, I feel a twinge of envy that I immediately banish.
At least my parents are still in love. At least they treat each other with respect and stare at each other with lust in their eyes. Sometimes, it makes me a little uncomfortable, but for the most part, I’m glad they’re in a loving relationship. I can only hope I’ll have the same thing when I’m their age.
Is that possible though? My parents got together when they were pretty young. Dad was in college. Mom was nineteen and working, taking care of her brother. They came from different worlds. Mom has told me that more than once. Despite that, they still found each other. Together, they found love.
That’s so romantic.
“Sorry we took so long,” Dad says as he shuts and locks the front door. Mom makes her way to the couch so she can grab Beck and wrap him up in her arms. He lets her cuddle him for about ten seconds before he’s worming his way out of her hold.
“We were talking with the other coaches and their wives,” Mom says, smiling over at me. “What have you guys been doing?”
“Watching The Incredibles,” Beck says. “I’ve seen it a lot, but there was nothing else good on the DVC player.”
Dad laughs. “You mean DVD?”
“Whatever,” Beck says with a little shrug.
Mom’s gaze locks with mine. “Have you seen Jake?”
I slowly shake my head, sending Beck a meaningful look when his big-eyed gaze meets mine. I am not going to rat my brother out. He would do the same for me. And I’m not going to let Beck open his mouth either.
“He’s staying the night in one of the team cabins, remember?” Dad says to Mom.
“Right.” She nods, appearing sad for a brief moment, before she rises to her feet. We all know she’s sad that we’re growing up. But we kind of can’t help it. “I’m going to take a shower. Beck, you should take one after me.”
“I’ll swim in the lake tomorrow,” he says. “That’s like a bath.”
I make a face, and Mom laughs. Boys can be really gross sometimes. Worse? He’s completely sincere. Jake used to do this sort of thing too.
“I’ll probably take a shower after you do, Mom. I’m going to my room,” I tell my parents as I stand. I stretch my arms above my head and yawn loudly, putting on a proper show. “Good night guys.”
Dad pulls me into a quick hug, kissing the top of my head. “Night, sweetie. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I follow Mom up the stairs, and we hug before she goes into their bedroom. “See you in the morning,” she tells me before she closes the door.
/> I keep my bedroom door partially open as I unpack my suitcase, all the while listening for the rest of my family to come to bed. Within a few minutes, Dad and Beck are running up the stairs, making enough racket to sound like they’re a herd of elephants stampeding. Doors are opened and closed. Water runs, then shuts off. I hear the click of a lamp, Dad telling Beck goodnight. Feet walking down the hall, a door opening and closing. And then silence. I wait another five minutes. Then…
That’s my cue to head outside.
Grabbing the bag of firecrackers Jake left with me from the side pocket of my suitcase—where I hid it when I first came back to the cabin—I grab a hoodie and exit my room. Quietly sneaking down the stairs, and when one of them squeaks, I pause, waiting for Mom or Dad to poke their head out the door.
That doesn’t happen, so I keep going.
Within minutes I’m outside, and even wearing the hoodie, I shiver when that breeze hits me now. Though I’m still wearing the denim shorts I wore when we arrived, so my legs are exposed, and it’s freaking cold.
I wait out behind the cabin, closer to the lakeside, where Jake told me to meet him. It’s even colder back here, and I wrap my arms around my middle, clutching myself as I hop from one foot to the other. The bag of firecrackers is safely tucked away in the front pocket of my hoodie, and as I continue staring out at the lake, I’m tempted to toss that bag into the water.
But that would be like littering and no way can I do that.
Five minutes pass. Then ten. I try to send Jake a text, but it keeps coming back as undeliverable. Frustrated, I’m about to return to the cabin when I hear noise. People walking. Talking. Boys? Of course, boys. It’s got to be Jake.
I run in the direction of their voices, fully expecting to find Jake with his friends, but it’s…
Not them.
Shit.
It’s Eli leading the way, with a couple of guys behind him. He comes to a complete stop when he sees me, his eyes going wide, as he drinks me in.
I check him out as thoroughly as he does me. He’s clad in a pair of low hanging black swim trunks and nothing else despite the cold. He’s got Gucci—I’m not kidding—slides on his feet, like he’s some rich boy flexing how much money he’s got. A black towel is slung over his shoulder, and my gaze drops to his chest. His six pack.
Addicted To Him Page 3