by Summer Rose
“What do you want to talk about?” Mason asked with a grin, but I had nothing in mind, so I simply shrugged.
When they resumed their conversation again, I rolled my eyes. I went to pick up the ketchup at the same time Aaron did, causing our hands to brush against each other. My heart skipped a beat as my gaze met his deep green eyes, and the memory of the kiss we shared filled my mind.
As we stared into each other’s eyes, it felt like time stood still. Then someone cleared their throat, making me pull my hand back in a flash. It was Jake, and it was clear he had caught the moment shared between Aaron and I because he looked hurt. It was something I felt, just as I could feel Mason’s eyes on me. My heart yearned for all three of them, a constant torment.
Months ago, when my mom and I had moved to Redwood, I never would have thought I would end up having feelings for any boy, let alone three boys who were my best friends. I had been so heartbroken at the time about my father’s death.
Jake was the one I had met first, and my feelings for him had developed almost immediately. We had been about to take things further when I found out that Mason and Aaron also had feelings for me. With everything that had happened recently, it had been easy to ignore my feelings for all three of them. Now that things were reasonably back to normal, I didn’t think it would be so easy to do anymore.
I knew I had to make up my mind pretty fast, especially since my decision could end up hurting all of them if I kept prolonging it. The only problem with making up my mind was that I wanted all of them. Maybe Leila had been right. Maybe I was a slut.
“Are these seats taken?”
We all looked up and came face-to-face with the new students, Noah and Noelle. The shock on our faces must have been evident. No one ever approached our table, but it was understandable since they were new.
We didn’t protest, so they took their seats, Noelle sitting in the one that had been Liam’s. Noah turned to me with a smile, “You must be Katrina, it’s lovely to meet you,” he said with an outstretched hand.
I took his hand in mine. “It’s just Kat,” I replied cautiously, wondering how he knew my name in the first place.
Jake, however, beat me to question him. “I see you’ve been asking around about her. Why?” he asked with a raised brow.
Noah directed his answer at me instead. “I saw you in class when we arrived, and I wanted to get to know you. My twin sister and I just moved to town, and I thought it would be nice to make some new friends, I heard you had recently moved here too, so…” he trailed off.
So, Noelle was his twin then. That explained how alike they were and why they were in the same class. It seemed strange that he would purposely seek me out, but I knew how hard being the new kid could be. It couldn’t be a bad thing to make new friends. Unfortunately, I must have been the only one thinking this way because my friends didn’t look happy about this recent development.
“Kat has enough friends already, she doesn’t need new ones,” said Mason, who was usually the cheerful and friendly one amongst us, with a glare.
“Mason…” I whispered, surprised at his hostility, before turning back to the twins.
“I’d love to be friends with you both.” Noah smiled happily at my response while Noelle continued to eat her burger, seeming uninterested in our conversation.
Just then, the bell rang, and Noelle stood up abruptly and walked away from us and out of the cafeteria.
“Sorry about that,” Noah started, looking flustered at his sister’s behavior. “Noelle isn’t good with people, I should go after her,” he finished and hurried out after his sister.
“I don’t like those two hanging around; there’s something strange about them,” Jake said as soon as we were alone again.
Mason nodded in agreement, just as Aaron said, “I think you are right.”
I scoffed. “Aaron, even you?”
“Just be careful, okay? After what happened the last time…”
“Not everyone is like Liam, okay? Just because he did something awful doesn’t mean we should push all other people away,” I argued.
Mason leaned towards me. “You haven’t been around lately, Kat, but everyone has been avoiding us because of what happened. They don’t just blame you, Kat; they are afraid of us too. They think we are going to end up doing the same thing Liam did. I’m sure with how fast news travels in Redwood, those two already know what happened, so why do they want to be friends with us?”
His words were enough to create doubt in my mind, but I still wasn’t willing to write the twins off just like that. “Well, maybe they decided to hang out with us anyway. Not everyone thinks the same way, guys.”
“Or maybe they just haven’t heard about what happened,” said Jake.
“Just be careful, Kat, please?” Aaron pleaded with his eyes, and I nodded as my eyes wandered towards the door the twins had left through.
CHAPTER FIVE
I watched from the entrance of her room as my mom fidgeted with her gown, staring at the mirror by her bedside. She looked beautiful in the tight-fitting, short red gown, her long brown hair styled in an elegant bun, and silver sandals accessorizing her attire. Nervously wiping her palms against the dress, she turned just in time to see me leaning against the door to her room.
“Oh, Katrina, how do I look? Do you think I should change into something else? Is this too much?” she questioned erratically, gesturing for me to come into the room.
“I thought this wasn’t a date,” I said as I walked fully into the room and sat on her bed, watching as she hovered over me.
She avoided my eyes and took her seat beside me. “Of course, it isn’t a date, Danny is just a friend,” she said, twisting her fingers together. “This is just a thank you and welcome dinner. I haven’t really made any friends here, and I’m hoping Danny will be one.”
“Then why are you so nervous?”
Her gaze fell on me hastily. “I’m not nervous,” she protested.
“Okay, mom,” I agreed, stroking her back gently before changing the topic. “How about you put this on? It will go perfectly with your dress.” I pointed at the butterfly-shaped silver studs peeking out of the jewelry box placed on her dresser, and she agreed with a smile.
When she was done dressing, I asked the question I had been itching to ask ever since she told me about the dinner with Danny. “Do I really have to stay, though? I don’t want to impose, and I could use this time to go to Aaron’s and catch up on the subjects I’ve missed.”
As soon as I uttered those words, I immediately wished I hadn’t because the hurt on my mom’s face was glaring, and I hated that I had caused it.
She took my hands in hers and squeezed them.
“Of course, you do, Katrina. I want you here. It’s only proper that I introduce you to the man who has helped us to get where we are right now. Besides, I already told Danny about you, and he’s really excited to meet you.”
I tried not to glare at my mom, especially since she seemed so happy about the whole arrangement. I gritted my teeth and swallowed my unwillingness before managing a smile for her.
“Okay, mom, I will stay,” I said. I decided that the vast beautiful smile and happy laugh that escaped her mouth were worth stomaching dinner with a stranger. After seeing my mom drunkenly weeping over my dead father’s picture, I had vowed to do anything I could to make her happy, especially after I had hurt her so badly by accusing her of moving on too quickly following his death.
Soon, we heard a knock and my mom rushed down to open the door for her friend after attempting to persuade me, to no avail, to change into something more ‘welcoming.’ Instead, I insisted on wearing my t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers to dinner; after all, I wasn’t interested in impressing anybody. He was her friend, not mine.
One thing I noticed during dinner was that Danny, Mr. Lance, definitely had a crush on my mom, and the feeling seemed to be mutual. I could see why. Danny was a handsome man, even for his age. He had shoulder-length dark hair, w
hich he pulled back in a ponytail. He was well built and tall; something most women found attractive. His smile and personality were quite endearing too, and I understood why my mom was eager to befriend him.
All in all, Mr. Lance seemed harmless. Yet, there were something about his deep, hauntingly beautiful green eyes that just didn’t sit well with me. While he seemed perfect, whenever those eyes met mine, I felt a shiver run up my spine.
Of course, I didn’t say anything to my mom, not even when Mr. Lance left. She had been so happy during dinner, more comfortable than I had seen her since my dad’s death. I knew for sure that her happiness wasn’t faked this time. I chalked up what I felt to the fact that I just didn’t like seeing a male adult that wasn’t my father sitting down for dinner with us. And the fact that my mom seemed quite infatuated with him.
As soon as I was done eating, I muttered a begrudging goodnight to them both and headed to my room to sulk. Seconds later, I heard the familiar sound of rocks hitting my window.
I jumped off my bed with a smile and hurried to the window, opening it for Jake to enter.
“Hey, I missed you.”
I threw my hands around his neck and felt his arms on my waist as we hugged. He kneaded his fingers in my shoulders. I hadn’t realized how tense I was until he began to work through the knots. I moaned slightly as his hand moved to the back of my skull, his fingers trailing through my long hair.
“If you hadn’t stubbornly refused to grant me entry into your room for the past two weeks, we wouldn’t have this problem,” he said.
The massage ended abruptly as he pulled back from me and led me towards the bed. We always sat just at the foot of my bed. Today was different, though. I sat down cross legged behind him. I thought he would just take a seat next to me, but instead, he pulled me into his lap. I could feel the strong muscles of his thighs beneath me. He brought his hand to my face, touching my cheek gently, eyes burning into mine.
I lowered my eyes as if I had been chastised. “I’m sorry, Jake. I just needed time to process everything.”
Jake and I had spent every night in my room talking ever since the day he told me his story. Still, I had refused to allow him into my room since the incident with Liam because I just wasn’t ready to talk.
His finger pushed my chin up, his face inches from mine. He stared into my eyes with that dark gaze that always held me captive. “I understand, Katrina.”
The sound of my full name on his lips made my heart beat faster even though I had told him several times to call me Kat. “I told you to call me Kat,” I whispered.
He smirked, his lips calling to me. “You love it when I call you Katrina,” he countered, and he was right. I did love it when he called me by my full name. Exactly two seconds passed, my heart pounding even faster than I thought possible, then Jake lowered his mouth to mine, and our breaths mingled with one another.
His lips brushed against mine, and all that was left was for me to capture them in a kiss, when suddenly, the memory of Aaron and I kissing in the woods resurfaced.
“I kissed Aaron,” I blurted and pulled back from Jake. My eyes searched for anger, hurt, or jealousy in his eyes as I waited impatiently for his response.
“I know,” he said after a beat of silence.
“What?”
He sighed and leaned against the bed, pulling me with him as he played with my hair.
“When you wouldn’t talk to any of us during the first three days after Liam…”
I nodded hastily; I didn’t want to be reminded, so he continued.
“Aaron thought you were avoiding us because you felt guilty, so he came clean and told me he kissed you. Mason told me what happened between the two of you, too. So, yeah, I know.”
“Oh.” I stared at my clutched fingers on my laps. “I’m sorry.” He deserved an apology because, even though we hadn’t been official, the two of us had been ready to see where things would go. I had screwed it up with the moment I shared with both Aaron and Mason. The thing was, I had been so sure Jake was the one I wanted to be with, and I had no feelings whatsoever for Aaron or Mason. I wasn’t so sure anymore.
“You don’t have to be sorry, Katrina. If you have feelings for all three of us, it’s not something to feel bad about. In the end, it’s your choice.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “You’re not mad?” I asked. “What if I end up choosing one of them instead of you?”
He grinned like he was unbothered. “I guess I’m just going to try harder than those two knuckleheads so you fall head over heels in love and choose me.” His smile was so reassuring that I felt my heavy heart settle almost immediately. Perhaps if the others were as understanding as Jake, I wouldn’t feel as guilty or pressured as I had been.
CHAPTER SIX
I f I thought choosing one of the boys was going to be easy, the following week proved me wrong. Sure enough, Aaron and Mason were as understanding as Jake. Still, they had all taken it upon themselves to outdo one another, attempting to impress me. Rather than feel cared for and adored, I felt smothered.
Gifts upon gifts were lavished on me, attention was showered, and they followed me around everywhere trying to do things for me. As if that wasn’t enough, Noah and Noelle had inserted themselves into our group. Still, while I was okay being their friend, the boys were not as accommodating. They insisted the twins were odd.
“Mason, it’s fine, I can do it myself… Mason!” I was as frustrated as anyone could be, dragging the books Miss Paige, the new biology teacher, had asked me to bring from her office with Mason. “How did you even follow me out of the class while Miss Paige was teaching?” I glared at him, still trying to take the books from him.
He shrugged and pulled the books out of my hands once and for all.
“I told her I wanted to help, and she let me go.”
Groaning, I tried to take them back, but he raised them above his head and out of my reach. “You didn’t have to, Mason. I could have done it myself.”
He brushed up against me. I could feel the charge of his desire when our bodies touched. But he didn’t act on it. He only shrugged again and began to walk back to class. I sighed and followed him, defeated. “Look, I know you and the guys are having some sort of weird competition to see who ends up getting me, but you don’t have to do everything for me. I’m not helpless.”
“Nobody said you are Kat. Just… let us do these things for you, okay? As understanding as we might come off, it still isn’t easy to know that in the end, you’re going to make your choice, and you’ll only choose one of us. This is a way to take our mind off it and feel like we’re making an effort, okay?” He watched me with pleading eyes.
In a way, I could understand what he meant; doing things for me made them feel like they had a chance at being the one I would choose, and trying to stop them didn’t help. “Fine,” I agreed.
“Why me? What is it about me?” I asked him. I wasn’t exactly the most beautiful girl in school. Instead of answering, Mason simply smiled and caressed my cheek before resuming his journey to class.
I hastily walked after him, still confused. I regretted agreeing to their ridiculous idea more than ever when I returned to class and found out that Aaron had finished my experiment for me without the teacher knowing and without my permission.
When Miss Paige graded my work with an A and a proud smile, Aaron turned to me with a wink and a smile of his own, apparently feeling pride that he had given me the help I hadn’t even asked for. I rolled my eyes and ignored all three of them throughout the rest of the class.
“Are you still mad? I’m sorry.” Aaron pleaded just as he had been doing for the past three hours while I glared angrily at my food as if it were the one that had offended me.
“Please, Kat, I’m sorry. I really didn’t know you wouldn’t want me to do it for you.”
I raised my head and watched as he sent me a cautious smile. Ugh, those damn beautiful eyes that made me forget everything else.
“Fine, I
forgive you,” I gave in. In his own way, Aaron had thought he was helping me.
He immediately perked up upon my acceptance of his apology. He gave me the brightest, most beautiful smile I had ever seen on him.
“Thank you, Kat.”
I returned his smile and accidentally caught Noah’s stare across our table. His smile kind of creeped me out. I got the feeling he had been watching me for a long time, too. No wonder the boys thought the twins were odd.
Quickly, I averted my gaze and realized that two people were missing from our little group.
“Where are Jake and Noelle?” I asked no one in particular.
“Didn’t you hear? He said he would be at his usual spot during lunch because he needed to think, and then Noelle followed him,” Mason answered.
I raised a brow as I wondered what Jake wanted to think about. This was the first time since he had reconnected with his friends that he had returned to the spot where he used to sit alone. Mason and Aaron didn’t seem surprised by it, though.
“Has he done this before?” I turned to Mason because, as disconnected as he might seem with his environment, he did notice things a lot, unlike Aaron. The latter could be so interested in a book that he forgot about those around him.
Mason shrugged, dipping a fry in ketchup and throwing it into his mouth.
“He’s been doing it occasionally ever since we all came back to school. I guess you not being here was hard on him.”
“You were the one who brought him out of his distress. Understandably, he would relapse when you were absent. He once said he finds peace there,” Aaron added.
They looked to me for a reply. But instead, I stood up abruptly and walked out of the school cafeteria, aware that Noah was following behind me. I didn’t stop him. We walked together to the back of the school, to the place where Jake found his solace.
As we rounded the corner, my heart pounded, and my throat felt clammy, which was my body’s way of telling me something terrible was about to happen. We finally got to our destination, and sure enough, my body had been right.