She hurried to the parking lot. There had to be someone who could drive her home. She spotted Randy waving goodbye to his friends as he got in his car. She glanced around. Didn’t have much of a choice. Running over, she tapped on his window.
He lowered it. “Hey, Keels. What’s up?”
She hated that he called her that. Everyone knew it was Zach’s nickname for her. “I was wondering if you could give me a lift?”
“No problem.” He unlocked the passenger door and moved his stuff to the backseat. “Kind of like old times,” he commented when she got in.
It was. His car still had that lemony-fresh smell she loved. “How was your summer?”
“The usual. Explored this awesome little town up the coast.” They talked for a while, then Randy suddenly asked, “Who’s that guy you’re seeing?”
That’s right. Talon had talked to Randy. “We’re not seeing each other,” she replied curtly. He’d only been in her life a short while, but she was reminded of him everywhere. It was completely unfair of him to breeze into her life, disrupt it and then leave.
“Oh. You okay?”
“Yeah, I mean, we weren’t …” Dating. They hadn’t even said they liked each other.
Randy looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “I know how hard breakups can be. I’m here if you need to talk.”
And this was the sweet guy she fell for. Now she felt bad for not giving him the Barnett ticket. It wasn’t like Talon was using it. “So, uh, about that Barnett tour this weekend. I still have a ticket. Do you want to go?”
He shot her the grin that once made her heart pound. “My cousin actually got one for me. He lives up there and sweet-talked one of the girls. We should hang out, though. It’ll be good to be with someone I know.”
He wouldn’t be as fun as Nicky or Talon, but it was better than being all by herself. “How are you getting to campus? I’m riding the train tomorrow.”
“Actually, I’m driving there tonight to spend some time with my cousin. How about I pick you up at the station when you get there?”
She hesitated. Being picked up might feel like they were dating again and she didn’t want that. It was a step backward, but how could she move forward with her life when she didn’t know how? The unknown was scary. And deep down, she wasn’t sure if she would move forward even if she could. Fear was a powerful emotion.
Randy stopped the car in front of her house. “So, is it a plan?”
It would be rude to turn him down now. “Sounds good. I’ll see you then.” Ignoring the gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach, she shut the car door behind her and went inside. Maybe she should cancel the trip altogether. But what about Zach? She couldn’t do that to him. He was looking forward to her going.
Keeley spent the rest of the afternoon washing clothes and downloading books to read on the train. She kept checking the clock, waiting for Zach to come home. She needed to talk to him about his extra practices.
He finally trudged in after dinner, looking tired but pleased with himself. Keeley waited till he showered before knocking on his door. “You have time to talk?” she asked.
He was at his desk. “Yeah, just thinking of ideas for that college essay in English class.”
“You going to write about football?”
“That’s what everyone expects me to write. Do you think it’s too obvious, though?”
She looked at the football posters on his walls. It was Zach’s passion. “You could make it more personal. Talk about how it’s affected you or something like that.” While he jotted the idea down, Keeley made herself comfy in his beanbag chair. “How was practice?”
Distracted, he mumbled, “Good.”
“Zach,” she said firmly. When she had his attention, she laid it out. “I’m worried. You’re spending all this extra time training. What if you hurt yourself?”
A confident look. “I’m in great shape.”
“For now. Do Mom and Dad know?”
“Not exactly,” he admitted. “But I’ve been careful. I need this extra practice.”
“You never have before. Why now? Make me understand.”
“I’m worried,” he said in a low voice.
“About what?” Edgewood won all their scrimmage games this year. The team had never looked better.
“God, this is so embarrassing,” Zach moaned as he buried his head in his open hands. “I’m worried about not getting into Barnett, okay?”
The admission blew her away. Zach never worried, at least not like this. “You have a 4.0 GPA and your SAT scores are amazing. You’ll get in.”
“No, I mean for football. What if they recruit someone else?”
“There are other football colleges.”
“I’ve been dreaming of playing for Barnett since I was ten.” He glanced at the bookcase where all of his football trophies were lined up. “I know they’re looking at JT.”
“The Crosswell quarterback?” Zach hated him. She knew it was because JT was the first to give Zach any real competition. They’d been trying to best each other since freshman year.
“Crosswell won the state championship last year. I can’t let that happen again. That’s why I’ve been practicing so hard.”
It was just a game, but she couldn’t tell him that. Football was Zach’s life. “Barnett’s not going to make a decision based off one game. You’ve proven you’re good.”
“I need to prove that I’m the best. Or at least better than JT. The big Edgewood-Crosswell game is coming up and I absolutely have to beat him.”
She understood his need to win, but not at the expense of hurting himself. Why couldn’t he see that? Passion must blind a person. Maybe it was a good thing she wasn’t passionate about anything. At least she could keep a clear head. “You need to tell Mom and Dad. Or at least your coach.”
“I know my own body.”
Keeley wasn’t going to let it go. Not when his safety was involved. “Tell them, or I will.”
“You’re serious.” A dumbfounded expression. “Okay, I’ll tell them this weekend.”
“And you’re not going to pull pranks on Crosswell again, are you?” He almost got busted last year.
His chin jutted out. “They do stuff to us, too.”
There was no point in arguing. He would do what he wanted to do. “One more thing. Can you give me a ride to the train station tomorrow?”
He perked up. “You’re really going? I thought you’d flake at the last minute.”
“I wanted to,” she admitted. But visiting meant a great deal to her brother, and she could use the tour as a way to see what she liked or didn’t like in colleges.
“I think you’ll be surprised how much you like it. What time do you need to leave?”
“Six. Bright and early.”
After leaving his room, Keeley snatched her clothes out of the dryer and dumped them on her bed. Was she supposed to dress up for this trip? Or were her normal clothes okay? Nicky would know.
Keeley grabbed her phone and called. “I don’t know what to bring. Am I supposed to be fancy and businesslike or casual?”
“Bring a couple outfits. Some nice, like that one blouse you have, and some more casual.”
Keeley rummaged through the pile and found the green blouse. “I’m going to bring your floral skirt, too. How did things go with the college guy?”
Nicky groaned. “I read his text all wrong. He invited everyone from the study group, not just me. I don’t think he’ll ever look at me in that way. At least I get to go to the spa with my mom this weekend.”
“I wish you were coming to Barnett with me. Sure you don’t want to change your plans?”
“Thanks, but getting pampered sounds really good right now. You think Talon will show up?”
No, she didn’t. Not with the way that phone call ended. “I don�
�t get why he bothered calling.” He’d already decided they weren’t going anywhere.
“He called to mess with your head. You need to forget about him, Keeley. Just move on.”
Nicky was right. Keeley needed to move on. Talon was a stupid summer crush that was distracting her from what was important, and Barnett was the perfect opportunity to think about her future.
The next morning, Keeley slid into her seat on the train. She grabbed her e-reader, excited to start another book.
“Is this seat taken?”
Keeley whipped her head around and saw a squat, burly man standing in front of her. “Sorry,” she said with an apologetic smile. She really didn’t want to spend four hours sitting next to a complete stranger. The man nodded and moved on.
The train jolted forward and started its journey along the coastline. Keeley leaned back in her seat and turned to the first page.
Then her phone vibrated with a text. Her heart jumped when she saw who it was from.
Talon: Excited about Barnett?
She leaned her forehead against the window, a grin spreading across her face.
Is that smile for me?
Her head popped up.
How do you know I’m smiling?
Reflection in the window. Turn around.
All the air in her lungs whooshed out. Heart pounding with anticipation, Keeley slowly rose from her seat. She set her knee on the seat cushion and turned to look at the passenger behind her. “Talon,” she breathed.
He was casually leaning in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest. Keeley couldn’t help noticing how handsome he looked in his blue hoodie and dark jeans. His piercing eyes were trained on her. He cocked his head to the side and smiled.
“Fancy seeing you here, baby doll.”
He was here. He was actually here. She opened her mouth, but the words stuck in her throat.
“I guess I’ve rendered you speechless.” He stretched his body and leaned forward in his seat, resting his arms on his knees. “I seem to have that effect on a lot of girls. Must be my unforgettable charisma.” He sounded like he had when they first texted — self-absorbed and self-obsessed.
She wasn’t in the mood for this. She missed the other Talon. The one she’d thought of as the real Talon. “The only effect you have on me is to my gag reflex.”
Was he smirking or smiling? “I’ve missed this. Life’s been dull without you.”
“So that’s why you’re here? Because I add spice to your life?”
“Someone thinks highly of herself.”
“I don’t know why I ever thought inviting you was a good idea.” Keeley plopped back down in her seat.
“Because of my chiseled body and boyish good looks?” He was hanging over the seat next to her, his arms wrapped around the headrest.
“I’ve seen better,” she responded tartly. It was messed up, but she missed the banter, too. Felt like it made her come alive somehow. Why was it different with him and only him?
“My charming personality and quick wit?”
“Take your seat, Talon.”
“Can’t I sit next to you?” he said, motioning to the jacket she had placed to keep people away.
“I’d rather sit next to a cactus.”
“Did you think I’d forgotten you?” he asked. “Don’t worry. Your number is on my top-ten list of girls to call.”
Her jaw dropped.
“Okay, okay! Top five. But that’s all I’m willing to concede.”
Keeley grabbed her earbuds and plugged them into her phone. She’d rather have Randy than this version of Talon. And geez, wasn’t that comparison fitting. Randy had two personalities — one with his friends, one with her — and apparently so did Talon.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Ignoring you.” She turned up the volume to make it clear she didn’t want to talk, but Talon had other plans. He snatched the phone away and disconnected the earbuds. “Hey!” she cried. She reached out to grab it, but he jammed her phone into the pocket of his jeans. “Give it back!”
“Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”
“What’s wrong is that from the moment you stepped onto this train, you’ve been acting like an ass. I thought those texts and calls meant something. That we shared — You know what? Never mind. Just forget it.” First he abandoned her at Java Hut, and now he was being rude. It proved she meant nothing to him.
“Keeley … that wasn’t …” A frustrated sigh left his lips. “I didn’t mean to be like that. You just … you were dead silent when you saw me. I thought you’d changed your mind about wanting me here so I … yeah.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “Look, can we start over? That wasn’t how I wanted this trip to start.”
She looked down at her hands. “Me either.”
“I’m sorry for being an ass. Can you forgive me?”
She moved her jacket off the seat. As he sat, she caught a whiff of his cologne — a mixture of wood and Old Spice. He smelled good. The dangerous kind of good that could get a girl in trouble.
“You still have my ticket, right? You better not have given it to Randy.”
“It’s my ticket, not yours. And no, I didn’t give it to him. He already has a ticket. He’s at Barnett right now.” She hesitated. Then added, “He’s meeting me at the station.”
Talon scowled. “He’s meeting us at the station. Why is he coming? I thought you guys were over.”
Was that jealousy in his voice? “I didn’t think you were going to show up and I didn’t want to go on the tour alone.”
“So are you guys together or what?”
Definitely jealousy. “I wouldn’t be, you know,” — flirting, she thought — “if I was with someone.”
Talon leaned in so their shoulders brushed. His gaze latched on to hers. “And just so you know, I wouldn’t be, you know, if I was with someone either.”
Was he really saying what she thought he was saying? His eyes dropped to her lips, and darkened. He drew closer, but suddenly Keeley’s stomach growled. Loudly.
“Hungry?” he said.
Keeley turned her head away, not wanting him to see her reddening cheeks. Her stomach rumbled again like she was starving.
Talon stood up and reached above, where the luggage racks were. He pulled down a duffel. “My mom packed me the usual peanut butter and jelly. That’s all my dad and I allow her to make. She’s a disaster in the kitchen. Last time she tried microwaving, she ended up breaking the thing.”
As he continued searching in his bag, something yellow caught her attention. Keeley leaned forward to get a better look inside. “Are those Peeps?” She pulled his bag onto her lap to take a closer look. “How many did you bring?”
Talon squeezed his eyes shut, looking slightly embarrassed. “Just six or seven packs.”
Six or seven? Was he crazy? “You know we’re only staying for two days, right?”
He stuffed a whole Peep in his mouth. His expression softened as he chewed and swallowed. He picked up another one. “I told you they were the greatest invention ever.”
That phone call in Nicky’s bathroom seemed like a lifetime ago. “They are not. If you were stuck on a desert island —”
“Yes, I would absolutely bring Peeps. A truckload of them. You could leave them out so they attract bugs and then use the bugs as bait for fish. See? Delicious and useful. Your turn. What would you bring?”
“Um … I’d bring that British dude on TV who survives in the wilderness.”
Eyes narrowing. “You want to bring him for his looks.”
“That’s not the only reason, but yes, his hotness is a factor.” What girl wouldn’t want to be stuck on a desert island with a man built like a model?
“He’s not that hot. And if you’
re basing it off looks, why am I not a choice? I would bring you to the island.”
A flutter in her stomach. “Is that so?”
“Of course!” He winked. “Who else keeps my ego in check? Okay, if you could have any superpower, what would it be?”
That was easy. “Flying. But no capes. Those things are a hazard.”
“Flying would be my top choice, too, but I think it’d be cool to be immortal. You could do all sorts of crazy things.”
“Like what?”
“Like free-fall from an airplane or go running with bulls. What would you do if you were immortal?”
Four hours later, they were still talking.
“You’re wrong. Frodo is the hero,” Talon argued. “He carried the ring to Mordor. He’s the one who saved Middle Earth.”
“Yeah, but he couldn’t have made it without Sam. He’s the true hero. Frodo tried to leave Sam behind and Sam still helped.”
“It was an act of sacrifice!”
Keeley recognized that tone. It was his I’m-right-to-the-bitter-end tone. “Another stalemate.”
“The zombie-apocalypse thing wasn’t a stalemate. I’m right. A sword would be the best weapon.”
“Swords are heavy! It’d slow you down and then you’d get eaten.”
“But it’s a sword!”
The look on his face was adorable and she couldn’t help but pat his cheek. “Fine. You can have the sword, but I get Sam.”
She was amazed at how comfortable she was with him. Reaching up and touching his cheek. She never would have done that with anyone else. What was it about him that made her so forward? Maybe it was because he was forward, too. He found ways to touch her arm and hands and would always brush her hair off her face. Even when she was looking out the window, he’d leaned forward so his lips were by her ear. Any time he said something, his breath would tickle her neck. Every part of her was aware of him at all times. It was a bit unsettling.
Keeley was having so much fun she didn’t realize when the train pulled into the station. She saw Randy immediately, his red-and-white striped shirt making him stand out in the crowd.
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