by Leila James
“And how did it happen?”
I groan. “I jumped into the hot tub in my clothes.”
“Is that why there’s a pair of men’s athletic pants and a Rosehaven Football T-shirt in your laundry?”
I cringe. I’d meant to do my own laundry so she wouldn’t see that. “Uh, yeah. Those are Beau’s. He loaned them to me.”
Now I’ve got Uncle David’s attention. “So, you jumped in a hot tub fully clothed because why? Didn’t you have a swimsuit on?”
“I did.” I look up to the ceiling. “I don’t want you to freak out.”
“About what, hon? You can tell us anything.”
I bite my lip. Can I? I really can’t. “There’s this girl at school. I guess she doesn’t like that Xander is interested in me.” Heat washes over my cheeks at my admission. “Long story short, she took the charm bracelet Mom gave me, and it ended up at the bottom of the hot tub. I was afraid it would get caught in a jet or a vent or something, so I jumped in after it.”
Both my aunt and uncle share twin looks of shock. Aunt Liz is the first to speak. “Who?” When I don’t respond, she slaps the table. “Who, Scarlett?”
I bite the skin inside my cheek. “Aria Warrington.”
“Well, if she’s anything like her mother or her aunt, sweetie, you’ve picked the wrong girl to provoke.” Aunt Liz’s face has gone pale.
David just sighs and shakes his head. “That whole family is a real piece of work.”
Aunt Liz hesitates for a moment, but then blurts, “You realize her aunt was in your mom’s graduating class, right? Head cheerleader. Just like Aria.”
Oh, fucking hell. I pray my mother never had to deal with her like I’m dealing with Aria. I’ll tuck that little piece of information in the back of my head as I continue to look into my mother’s past.
“Hey. Did you ever see yearbooks in Mom’s stuff?” I put some chicken in my mouth for something to do.
Aunt Liz winces. “If we have them, they’d be in the boxes out in the garage. I can maybe help you look one afternoon?”
I nod. “No rush.” Though, now that she’s brought up the HBIC from my mom’s school years, I really want to go take a look. It’s sort of hard to believe, yet … not. I have no doubt that kind of bitchiness runs in the family.
Chapter 35
The next day I’m hard at work with my hair piled up on top of my head in a bun, my Teri & Terry’s T-shirt smeared with hot fudge, and my jeans falling down around my hips because I forgot to bring a belt with my change of clothes. In other words, I’m a mess.
The bell above the door jingles, and I glance up. My standard Welcome to Teri & Terry’s greeting is about to drop from my lips when a pint-size cutie in pigtails walks through the doorway with none other than Xander behind her, a hand on her shoulder.
I blink in surprise, and it takes me a moment to find words again. I knew he had a sister, but I hadn’t realized she was this young. “Well, hi.” I smile at her, then up at him.
He winks at me, eyes taking in my crazy hair and messy shirt.
Yep. Makes perfect sense that he’d show up when I look like I’ve been turned around in a tornado.
His sister gives a shy wave and tucks her little strawberry blonde head against his outer thigh, her tiny hands holding onto the waistband of his jeans like a clingy animal of some sort.
I press my lips together, seeking his eyes with mine. “Xander, she’s adorable.”
He grins, playing with one of her pigtails. “My sister. In case that wasn’t obvious.”
I lean across the counter when I see her peeking at me. “What’s your name, cutie?”
Her voice squeaks out, “Janie.”
“I love that name. I’m Scarlett. Your brother calls me Red, though.” I look up at him with a wink, and a broad smile stretches across his face.
She frowns up at her brother. “Scarlett is so much prettier, Xan. Why would you do that?”
A quick laugh bursts through my lips at how straightforward she is with him.
He groans, but doesn’t hesitate to answer her. “I don’t know, Monkey. It’s kind of like how I call you Monkey when you hang on me—and you don’t like it. I do it because it irritates her, the same way it irritates you.”
“But I know you do it because you love me.”
Oh, fuck. I catch Xander’s eye and raise my brows.
He coughs behind his hand to cover his surprise at her observation and looks down at her. “Yes. Very observant of you, smarty-pants.” He scoops her up into his arms, letting her bottom rest on his forearm as he brings her closer to the counter.
She wraps an arm around his neck to hang on and peers into his face. “Can we get ice cream now?”
He nuzzles his nose against hers and tickles her ribs. “We sure can. Come on, let’s take a look at what Scarlett has in the ice cream case.”
“I don’t need to look. I want bubblegum.”
“But you always get that flavor. Don’t you want to try something new? You can try some samples.”
“Bubblegum.” Her lower lip sticks out as she pouts.
Huffing out a laugh, I catch her eye and nod my head. “You can have bubblegum. Don’t be like your brother. The first day I worked here he tried three different flavors before he finally decided what to order.”
She purses her tiny bow-shaped lips before saying, “He probably just wanted to talk to you some more.”
I grin, trying not to laugh at Xander rolling his eyes. This little girl is destroying his I-rule-the-school-and-get-whatever-I-want image in the blink of an eye. I’m pretty sure she’s my new favorite person for that reason alone. “Two questions, Janie. First one—do you want a cone or a cup?”
“Cone!” She practically jumps in Xander’s arms.
“And, second question—how old are you?”
She holds up four fingers. “Five.”
I stifle my giggle. “Did you start kindergarten this year?”
She nods excitedly. “Mrs. Gruber is my teacher, and she’s so nice.” Her whole face lights up.
I start scooping out her bubblegum ice cream. “What’s your favorite thing to do in kindergarten?”
She grins. “Lunch!”
Xander tickles her again. “Yeah, except you’re so busy talking to all of your friends you keep forgetting to eat your lunch.” He gives me an exasperated look. “She keeps coming home starving with an untouched lunch inside of her lunch box.”
Janie wrinkles her nose and shakes off what he’s saying. “It’s more fun to talk. And they don’t let us in class.”
Xander sets her on her feet, and I hand him her cone. He carefully wraps the base of the cone in a few napkins, then squats down next to Janie to hand it to her. “Got it, sweets?”
She nods and points at the table. “Can I sit there?”
“Yep.” He leads her over and lifts her onto the chair, talking quietly to her.
My heart thumps hard in my chest. Xander with a child is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. It’s hard to believe this is the same guy who told me I should drop out of Rosehaven Academy on my very first day. But lately it’s been different, like I’m seeing a different side of him. The many faces of Xander Grey, I guess. I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever figure him out. He’s made up of intriguing puzzle pieces, and each one I uncover tells me just a little bit more about him—but so far, half the pieces don’t fit. And this latest one? The sweet, doting brother? I didn’t see that one coming. Not at all.
He strides back over to me and rests his forearms on top of the ice cream case. “What’s good?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
He shakes his head, glancing down for a second before looking back up and pinning his dark, hypnotic stare on me. “I’ll give you two choices—give me as many samples as I want today or … be my date to the bonfire this weekend.”
My brows shoot up.
He drums his hands on the top of the case. “What’ll it be?”
&n
bsp; “I thought we were keeping ‘us’ quiet for the moment.”
He shrugs, his voice low. “I’m impatient sometimes. Especially when I know what I want.” He rakes his teeth over his lower lip, staring at me, the hunger in his eyes back again. “I keep thinking about how sexy you are.”
I clench my legs together in response.
Just then he glances back at his sister to see ice cream streaming down the back of her hand. Rushing over there, he cleans it up with a few napkins, then takes the cone from her, licking up the drips. “You’ve got to watch for those drips, Monkey.”
My heart squeezes.
He comes back over, a sheepish grin on his face. “Sorry. Emergency clean up needed.”
“No problem at all.” I try hard to disguise my smile by looking down into the case. “So, if I go with you this weekend, I don’t have to get you a million samples?”
“That’s right.” His gaze narrows on me, a tiny smirk teasing at his lips.
I look past him to his sister. “Hey, Janie.”
Her head whips around and her pink tongue sweeps down to lick the ice cream dripping down her chin. “Yeah?”
“Should I give your brother lots of samples again or go with him to the bonfire?”
She spits a piece of gum from her ice cream into her hand and sets it on the napkin in front of her. I almost laugh out loud because I remember doing that as a kid. She has the cutest little thinking face on as she sucks ice cream from her fingers. “You like my brother, right?” She wrinkles her pert nose and takes another lick of her ice cream cone, studying me with her oh-so-wise five-year-old eyes.
Xander’s watchful eyes are locked on me, awaiting my response. My lips twitch.
I keep my gaze on her, trying to hide my smile. “I think I might. What should I do?”
“Go to the bonfire! It’ll be fun.” She nods her head enthusiastically.
Xander cocks his head to the side, aiming his twinkling gaze at me. “Can’t argue with that. Sounds like it’s a date.”
Can’t argue, indeed. And right now, I don’t want to. Part of me thinks since now that things are changing with Xander, I deserve to have a little fun. For once, I want to go out and do things normal teenagers do. I want to live the life at Rosehaven that I doubt my mother ever really got the chance to have. Based on what Aunt Liz said, she’d finally been happy, and then I came along and ruined things for her. Not that my aunt would ever say that last bit, but it’s obvious. Getting pregnant changed her entire life.
Closing my eyes, I blow out a breath. I hope this whole thing with Xander isn’t a huge mistake.
“You okay, Red?”
My eyes flicker open to see his gaze wandering my face. I chew on my lip and nod. “I’m fine. It’s a date.”
Chapter 36
At quarter to eight, just as I’m hustling out the door to my truck, a black SUV stops at the road right in front of the house. My eyes dart around. I can’t see who is inside because of the dark tint on the windows. The passenger window rolls down, and my heart does a little leap. “Get in, Red.”
Cautiously, I cross the yard. When I get to Xander’s Cadillac Escalade, I prop my forearms on the opening. “Did I miss a text or something?”
“Nah. I just figured I’d swing by and see if you were still here. Get in.”
Should I? He looks so damn cute with his hair falling over his forehead like that, and his dimple is practically begging me to get into the vehicle with him. I’ve never been able to resist a dimple, and when I breathe in and find that the interior of his car smells like his cologne—well, that’s it. Done deal. I open the door and slide into the passenger seat, setting my backpack on the floorboard at my feet.
He gives me an approving smile as I buckle my seat belt, and he hits the gas. His arm casually rests on the center console and it stretches further, reaching for my hand.
I blink a few times, still not fully comprehending that this is me, Scarlett, who he’s been messing with for weeks now. My ass is sitting in his ridiculously comfortable vehicle, and my hand is firm within his grasp. His eyes roam over me appreciatively.
“I’ve gotta say it again. I fucking love a girl in a school uniform.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Um, you are surrounded by them on the daily. You’re just now figuring this out?”
He smirks. “Nah. Maybe I should have said I fucking love you in your school girl uniform.”
My heart does a little jump.
“I can’t wait to get you out of it, either.”
Heat washes over me from head to toe, my body very aware of his and everything he’ll do if I let him.
I roll that thought around in my mind. Fucking hell, I think I’d let him.
We pull into the parking lot a minute later. Xander cuts the engine, then leans across the console, wrapping his hand around the back of my neck. One flick of his tongue, and I surrender, opening my mouth and inviting him in. The kiss is hurried and passionate, and promises of things to come.
Someone thumps the Escalade’s hood, and we look up to see Micah and Beau with their flavors of the day, grinning like idiots.
I slide my gaze back to Xander. “I guess we should get inside. We’ll be late.”
“Pretty sure I give zero fucks if we are.” He draws me in for another kiss, biting gently at my lower lip. “But come on, they’re watching us like we’re animals at the zoo.”
I snicker. “The last time I went to the zoo, I think I was twelve. We saw some monkeys getting it on. It was quite the education.”
“Well, you just tell me if you want to give everyone an education. You already almost did in the garden the other day.”
I frown. “What?”
“Remember that girl we heard laughing?” At my hesitant nod, he continues. “She was close enough I could see through the hedges that she was blonde and her friend was brunette. There were two people not six feet from us while you were grinding on my hand. You were too into what was happening to care.”
“Stop.” My face flushes.
“I shit you not. I think it turned you on.”
“Did not.”
“Whatever you say, Red.” He gives me a smooth smile. “Come on. They’re waiting.”
My last class on odd days is Physics and I’d forgotten something in my locker, so I text Xander that he should meet me there because, yes, he’s insisted on walking me to all of my classes again today. I swing around the corner and stop dead in my tracks.
Justin is busy taking things out of his backpack and swapping them for whatever he needs for his last class. He doesn’t see me for almost thirty seconds as I stand there, palms sweating. I don’t know how to handle him. This is the first time in days that I’ve seen him—in fact, as far as I know he hasn’t been at school until today.
His handsome face is mottled with greenish-yellow bruises, and from the slight swelling still apparent around his nose, I’m pretty sure Xander must have broken it.
I guess I made a noise while looking over the state of his face because his head swivels in my direction. When he sees it’s me, his eyes go hard and narrow on me.
I don’t know what comes over me, but I feel the urge to apologize. Probably dumb of me considering what he’d attempted the other night, but I feel terrible that he got his ass handed to him.
Stepping up beside him, I try to catch his eye again. He slams his locker shut and rounds on me, backing me up to my locker. “Did you need something, Scarlett?” His hand shoots out and shoves my shoulder, knocking me off balance. The back of my head hits the locker with a loud bang against the metal. I gasp, pain rocketing through me.
I close my eyes, and before I know it, his hands grip my jacket, and I’m shoved backward again. I’m aware of a commotion, of other people coming in our direction, some shouting, but I can’t make out what anyone is saying. Everything happening around me seems hazy.
“I don’t fucking think so.”
My breath stutters out, and I watch in shock as Xander ya
nks Justin from me and slams him into the opposite bank of lockers.
The look on Xander’s face is harsh and cruel. He gets in Justin’s face and hisses at him, “That isn’t how we treat women. Who’d you learn that move from?”
Justin looks up at him. “Probably your dad, asshole.”
Xander blinks. “You don’t get to breathe the same air she does. Do you understand me?”
“She’s just a Thorn. What’s it to you?”
“You know what? It’s never mattered to you, Rose or Thorn. You’re a miserable, abusive shit.”
“Again, wonder where I learned that from, asshole. At least I’m not actually blood-related to him.”
Xander’s fist flies straight into Justin’s nose. Blood spurts everywhere, and he howls in pain. Can’t say I feel bad for him anymore. And what the hell is Justin talking about that he and Xander’s dad are not actually related? What am I missing?
At some point, I must have sunk to the floor because once Xander is satisfied that Justin isn’t going to cause anymore issues, he turns back to me, squatting down on his haunches in front of me. “Are you okay? Let me see your head.”
A few teachers rush toward us, but he waves them off.
One of them doesn’t listen, coming toward Xander like he was the problem.
“Xander, with me, to the office. Now.”
Beau catches the teacher in the chest with a hand, backing him up. “Give them space. And maybe take that wailing piece of trash to the headmaster instead.” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder at Justin.
Another student, a girl from our Physics class, comes forward. “Justin shoved her hard into the lockers a couple of times before Xander showed up.”
I’ll have to remember to thank her because the teachers decide to deal with Justin and leave us be.
All I can concentrate on is Xander’s face in front of me and his gentle, probing fingers as he touches the back of my head. Everything around me sounds like it’s coming from far away through a tunnel, weird and echo-like.