Families are weird.
She’s still staring at me.
“I was thinking about going to that coffee shop to study.”
I have nothing to study.
Her face broke into a grin. “That’s a lovely idea. How was your first day?”
Um. Mostly I was avoided. I think I was picked on by a hot guy. I think a nice teacher wants me to be nice to that hot guy.
“It was great.”
“I’m so glad to hear that. I’m going to an early dinner with a friend, but I’d love to have dinner with you this week.”
Oh. We have to plan when to see each other for meals here. Is this a Cape Pleasant thing or a me thing?
“That would be great. Thanks, Grandma.”
Satisfied, she left my room with a smile plastered on her face. See, I’m not that bad. I can have a conversation, long lost grandma. I can even have dinner with you.
With my laptop still in my hand, I fled my suffocatingly floral bedroom. I took the stairs two by two and grabbed my backpack before sprinting out of the door. I didn’t stop this pace until I was out of the gate and on the street, careful to avoid another family encounter.
The coffee shop was a three-minute walk from my grandma’s. Small, dim lighting, and locally owned, so it isn’t crowded. A perfect place to escape to every afternoon.
I ordered an iced coffee and sat down at a back table facing a wall of windows. I opened my laptop and stared at the screen for a minute before losing interest.
Cape Pleasant was like something you’d see in movies. Couples walking their dogs, families walking by with ice cream cones, joggers on the sidewalk. I watched all of it from the comfort of my private table.
It was the polar opposite of my hometown. Most families were working class, hard labor types. And the rest were lucky to get jobs at restaurants. My father had a good job Before he passed, but my mom was completely hopeless. Without my grandma, we would’ve been screwed.
But that all changed when we got to Cape Pleasant. The best thing about it? No one knew me, and the town was big enough to give me the confidence I needed to know I could stay invisible for the next three months.
Across the street, a badass car pulled up in front of a restaurant. I’m not a car girl, but I can tell if one costs more than my house. Er, old house I guess I should say.
I leaned forward, around my laptop screen and took a sip. After I saw some of the cars in the student parking lot, I was curious about the driver. Some big dude climbed out of the car, laughing, and looking to the passenger side.
Jesus Christ.
A small chunk of ice wedged its way out of my straw and into my throat. I erupted in a coughing fit. Looking down, I tried my best to hide it from the other patrons. But when a pair of shoes came into view, I snapped my head up. A man in his forties was coming to my rescue, but I held my hand up, keeping him away from me.
Just let me die.
This seems like the kind of place that has such a low crime rate, they have to overcompensate on their news. My face would be plastered on the front page of the newspaper for a month, next to my hero.
Local saves new girl from choking on ice, says she would have rather died.
I think my anxiety melted the ice because it slid down my throat. With watery eyes, I kept my hand over my mouth and nodded at the guy in front of me. He took my cue and walked back to his table.
I pushed my iced coffee to the far corner of my table. Murderer.
With nothing but my embarrassment to kill me now, I peeked over my laptop again to see if my eyes deceived me.
Nope. Roman was standing outside of a building, in front of a car that cost more than my old house, casually talking to a guy. Oh. The other guy turned around, and by the way he favors Roman, he must be related
So, the hot guy with a big house and a thing for books who kind of picked on me has a brother with a car like that?
Who the hell are these people?
Roman, and possibly Roman’s brother, walked into the restaurant, and away from my prying eyes.
Why does Ms. Indigo want me to be friends with this dude? He’s not going through a tough time. He wouldn’t know what one was if it slapped him in the face.
I bet his daddy cut his allowance back to only ten thousand dollars a week.
No way. He can be friends with his car.
I looked back at my laptop and powered it on. It’s time for a social media stalk of Roman without a last name.
“Your head isn’t in it today.” That was Rhett, trying to realign my focus.
“Yeah, sorry man. It’s just school stuff.”
He popped an eyebrow up at that one. “Since when do you care about school?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t. Just ready to get out of this town.”
“You sure you aren’t bitchin’ out on me?”
“Fuck you.” My reply made him howl with laughter.
We had stopped by the warehouse after dinner with the other brother. After an hour of judgment and small talk, we broke away from that hell. I loved Ryder, but he was turning out to be a dull clone of my father. At least that’s what it sounded like when he described his life at college.
As much as I wanted to focus on my straight-laced brother or even my questionable role model of a brother in the driver’s seat, I couldn’t. Not today.
I kept drifting back to Raquel.
I have two classes with her. The first she was forced to sit next to me, and the next one, she darted off in the opposite direction. And where the hell was she at lunch?
She’s a weird chick. But much more tolerable than most of the prim, stuck-up girls at Cape Pleasant.
We’re pulling into the downtown strip when I see a mane of black hair whip in the wind. She’s walking out of the coffee shop, alone and carrying around her tattered backpack she brought to school today.
“Hey, let me out here. I’ll catch you later.” I was already pulling on the door handle when Rhett screeched to a stop in the middle of the road.
“What the fuck man? We’re two miles from home.”
“I’ll catch a ride,” I threw back at him as I jogged to the sidewalk.
His black R8 sped up, turning heads as he hung a hard right, leading to our parents’ home. Raquel stopped and watched it. Her lips parted slightly, but she snapped out of whatever daze she was in. Tucking her hair behind her ears, she smoothed down her tank and began walking away.
I didn’t realize I was stopped beside a car, admiring her until she walked away. What the actual fuck is wrong with me?
I jogged to catch up with her, which wasn’t hard because she stopped to adjust her backpack strap or tripped over her own feet at least every ten steps.
“Raquel.” One single word stopped her dead in her tracks. She pivoted on her feet and met my eyes.
She really did take your breath away. Especially out here in the sunlight, her crystal blue eyes were like ice as they glared back at me. Her skin was creamy and light in contrast to her Raven color hair.
And those lips. Even tugged down, frowning at me, holy shit.
Just because I hate everyone here doesn’t mean I don’t have the occasional hookup. I’m teenager. I have needs. I just like to satisfy those needs away from this town. I don’t want any girls getting the wrong idea on our own turf. So, I find them in a different town, usually at a party, give them the wrong name, and never speak to them again.
Solid plan.
Until now. But I don’t think I’d have to worry about her wanting more. In fact, she would probably run faster than I would the next morning.
So, fuck it. Let’s just get this over with.
“You,” she said. Without another word, she turned and began walking away.
Chuckling, I matched her speed. “Do you live around here?”
“My grandma does.”
“Are you going to visit her?”
“Staying with her.”
Her tone was clipped, and she offered nothing extra.
At the next block, she hung right, and I kept up with her. The buildings were ending, and we were nearing a neighborhood. The one that bordered mine. It wasn’t as nice, but not everyone could afford to live there, so I assumed her ratty, grunge appearance was by choice. A teenager rebelling against her parents. I could relate.
“Where are you from?” I asked.
“A few towns over.”
Fuck my whole entire life, it was like pulling teeth.
“It must suck to leave your friends in the middle of the school year. You’re a senior, right?”
“Yeah. You?”
I shot her a grin. She was staring down at the sidewalk, so she didn’t notice. But I was getting somewhere. Even if it was a semi-interest.
“I’m a senior, too.”
She stopped. Readjusting her backpack, she popped her shoulder up. “This is me.” Lifting her eyebrow, “Thanks for walking with me? I guess.”
Her cheeks pooled with heat. There was a reaction happening in there somewhere. She didn’t completely hate me. She just wasn’t begging me to come inside. I’d get there.
“You wanna invite me up?”
Her nose scrunched. “I’m going to bed.”
I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket. Tapping on the screen, I chuckled. “It's six o’clock. It’s still daylight out.”
Shrugging her shoulders, she took a few backwards steps. “I stand by what I said.”
“Goodnight, Raquel.”
“Yeah, you, too.”
What the hell just happened?
She walked inside the large brick home without turning back to me.
I mean, fuck, I wasn’t really trying but most girls I talk to at parties are giggling and can barely form a sentence after I say one word to them. She barely looked at me.
Like I said, she’s weird.
For all that is holy. I slapped my palm to my forehead. I have an almost two fucking mile walk. All over an exchange of exactly five words and then getting blown off.
Fuck it. I’ll throw a party this weekend. She’ll come around. We can hook up and go back to our loner existence. I want her out of my head. It’ll be like she never existed.
“Was it worth it?”
I’d jumped the neighbor’s fence and was walking into the house through the back door when Rhett’s voice stopped me. He was in the pool house, pool stick in hand, grinning like a damn fool.
“What’s that?” I didn’t see anyone else, so I joined him. He was shooting a game of pool alone. Reaching in the fridge, he pulled out a beer and I took it.
“If I jumped out of a moving car for a girl, I’d make sure I was getting some pussy.”
I grabbed a pool stick from the rack while he set the balls. I chugged my beer and clenched my teeth together before I lashed out.
I had hoped like fuck he didn’t see her.
I forced a laugh. “It was a chick from school. Nothing like that.”
He broke first, laughing. He took a swig of his beer and studied me as if I’d grown two heads. “The fuck? You see the bitch every day. What was so important you had to jump out of a moving car and run into traffic to tell her?”
Stripes. I lined my stick up and hit one in the side pocket. “Group project.”
He howled with laughter. Leaning against the pool table, he sat his beer down. “For the love of God, please tell me you don’t like this chick.”
I folded my arms across my chest, glaring back at him. He was a big dude. I’m not dumb enough to fight him, well, sober. There’s been some nights we’ve got into it, and I woke up with black eyes and no memory.
I smirked and decided to turn it around on him. Anything to get the attention to shift. “Me? I’m starting to think you may have a crush. You haven’t shut up about her since I got here.”
Chuckling, he moved from my way so I could sink another ball. Pool was the only thing I could kick his ass at.
“Pierce men don’t settle down.”
“Exactly.”
“Don’t do it, man. I’ve got big plans for you,” he said, clapping me on the shoulder. I leaned into the hit, taking a step back when he made contact.
I ignored that. “Let’s have a party this weekend. Keep it low key, though. None of that crowd that hangs around the warehouse.”
“You hate parties.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I have three more months to use the high school card to be a fuckup.”
I fucking hate parties, but I had a feeling Raquel would make an appearance. Sleep with her, get her out of my head, go back to training with Rhett.
He stared at me as if I’d grown two heads, and honestly if there was a mirror in front of me, I’d do the same.
“Let’s have a fucking party,” he said.
I can’t do this anymore. Sorry.
I’m staring at my iPhone, mouth gaping.
I’ve been told I’m impulsive. Sometimes I do things without thinking of the consequences. It just depends on my mood.
I haven’t heard from Aiden since I moved here. Emily has texted twice, but nothing from my boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend.
I mean, I feel like it’s never been serious between us. Yeah, we’ve been “dating” for most of our life. If we can call it that. I’ve barely kissed the guy. No way to sex. I cringe at being physically touched most of the time.
All we do is hang out at school. Not even dates or hang outs after school. But oh my God. He was my biggest advocate. He helped me in class when no one else would.
I broke up with Aiden over a damn text message.
“You find a shirtless picture of me online?”
My face pooled with heat. I locked my home screen and shoved my phone in my backpack. And then I made the huge mistake of looking up at Roman. Today he wore a tighter shirt that hugged his biceps. The muscles I’d never noticed before. And jeans that fit him…well. I snapped my eyes back to his, so he didn’t get any amusement from my staring.
“Excuse me?”
“You were staring at your phone like it was the last thing on Earth.”
He slid in the seat behind me, and for whatever reason, I decided it would be a good idea to turn around and hold a conversation with this clown.
“Isn’t that all GenZ is supposed to do? I don’t want to fuck up our statistics.” I asked and that earned me a smile.
I wondered why he didn’t do that more often. It lit up the whole damn room. My shoulders relaxed as I ducked down and let a smile break free, too.
“Oh my God! Is that a smile? She doesn’t hate me after all,” he said.
Lifting my head to meet his eyes, I rolled mine. “I still hate you. Don’t take it personal though, I hate everyone.”
Chuckling, he opened his notebook and leaned back in his seat. “I’m having a party this weekend. I want you to come.”
My eyebrow popped up. “Because I’m the life of a party? I punched a guy in the face with a book last time.”
His lips hooked up in a side smirk “Come and we’ll be even then. No book payback.”
“Hmm, what if I hit someone else with a book?”
Sighing, “If a dude deserves to be hit with a book, don’t let me hold you back.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said.
“Give me your phone.”
“Why?” My brows knitted together.
“I’m putting my number and address in there. No excuse.”
I stared at him for a minute, and he matched my glare. “Fine, but no promises I’m coming.”
I fished my phone from the front pocket of my backpack. I held it to my face, unlocked it, and handed it to him. He brushed his fingers against mine, and I shot daggers at him with my eyes.
But I didn’t jerk away.
I freaked when Aiden touched me.
But not him. Weird.
Roman was entering his information into my phone, and
I had no idea how it was possible, but his biceps were flexing slightly, stretching his shirt with every scroll off his thumb. I lingered up to his face. His jaw ticked for a minute, like he was having a moral dilemma as he entered his number.
His amber eyes flicked up to mine as he handed me my phone. “My number’s in there. I texted my phone, so I’d have your number.”
“Sneaky.”
His mouth screwed into a smirk that would make the devil blush. “Aiden wants to know what he can do to make you change your mind, by the way.”
“YOU DIDN’T!” I shrieked.
“Is there a problem, Raquel? Roman?” I whipped around in my seat finding Ms. Indigo walking toward us. My eyes were round with horror, my breathing sped up, but I didn’t explain. Her sight bounced between the two of us.
“I was inviting Raquel to a party tonight and I texted my number from her phone,” Roman said, matter of fact. But he just left out one fucking horrifying detail. HE READ MY BREAKUP TEXT TO MY BOYFRIEND.
Ex-boyfriend.
I slapped my hand to my forehead and slid my legs under my seat.
“Roman, remember personal boundaries.” She stopped in front me. “Are you okay? If you need a minute in the restroom before class, I understand.”
I forced a smile. “I’m good. Just a misunderstanding.”
She smiled brilliantly. “I’m glad to hear that. I knew you two would be friends if you got to know each other.”
I caught the glare of a few girls before they started whispering to each other. Fucking great.
Ms. Indigo tapped her finger on my desk twice before walking away.
“You hear that, Rocki? We’re friends.”
I seethed. My nickname.
“Breaking up with your boyfriend over text?” He wouldn’t stop. “What would make you do that?”
“Roman, shut the whole entire fuck up.” My teeth gritted as I stressed each word.
He tried to cover his laughter with a cough. Ms. Indigo shot him a glare before writing on the board.
At my old school, I used to draw to keep my head in the classroom. With Roman breathing down my neck, I was very aware of my surroundings. For the first time in my life, I had to focus on pretending I wasn’t here.
Dare Me: The Pierce Boys of Georgia, Book One Page 4