Giving It to the Bad Boy

by Jenika Snow

  Reese’s throat tightened, and he nodded. Max may be gruff and hard-talking, but he never once let Reese down.

  “Good. Now keep me company while I tattoo my next appointment’s ass.” Reese lifted a brow, and Max chuckled. “Yeah, aint that some shit? Getting his ex-wife’s name printed right on his left cheek. Told me she would always be kissing his ass.” Reese stood and started laughing.

  “I don’t get it. I mean you want your ex-old lady’s name on you for life, regardless if it’s a slap in her face? Hey, what the hell ever.” Reese threw his hands in the air and helped Max prep the station before the next appointment came in.

  “No more skipping class though, you hear?”

  Reese smiled, because hearing Max scold him just proved that there was someone out in the world that gave a shit about him.

  ****

  The week at school passed by in a blur as Kiera finished up projects before the weekend. Now that it was Friday and she didn’t have stress of schoolwork hanging over her head, she would be able to breathe easy. She still heard whispers and rumors about what happened at Haden’s party, but strangely enough they died down mid-week. It could have been the fact a tuba player in the marching band was found with cocaine in his locker and the attention had been switched off of her.

  She stood in line to grab a sandwich when someone bumped her in the shoulder. Reese came to stand next to her and gave her a big shit-eating grin.

  “Hey.” Since he dropped her off at home Monday morning they had only passed each other in the halls a few times. They shared no classes together, and despite Kiera telling him she wanted to hang out with him, she had somewhat avoided him, not because she didn’t want to see him, but more because his very presence intimidated her.

  To be honest, she was frightened. She was scared of her feelings for him and of the way she wanted to throw caution to the wind and give herself to the bad boy. She couldn’t help but let the dark tendril of doubt course through her. She had thought maybe he just wanted to be her friend because he found it funny and a cruel joke. Deep down she didn’t want to believe that, and felt if that really was the case he wouldn’t have helped her at Haden’s party or helped her escape school and taken her to breakfast. It was her own insecurities that were keeping her prisoner and making her think the vile thoughts. Reese was above all the petty shit that went on in their school. She could tell by the way he acted with her and how he held himself. She saw that clearly in just the short amount of time she spent with him, but it still didn’t stop her thinking those negative thoughts.

  His friends may be assholes, and the girls that hung around him were bitches who stabbed people in the back as their favorite pastime, but Reese had never done any of it. He kept to himself, didn’t really talk much, not that she ever noticed, and only started shit when said shit was thrown in his face. The rumors about him sleeping with nearly every girl in school were just that, rumors, or at least she liked to think that. So why was she avoiding him like the plague? Because she was afraid that her already unbalanced feelings for him would climb higher. That was something she could never let happen. Finding him attractive and wanting him from afar was a lot safer than being close to him and realizing he was actually a decent guy.

  Listen to her, sounding like some idiot girl with stupid notions of what she did and didn’t want. She was wishy-washy because what she wanted was not something she could really have. Over and over she questioned what he saw in her that made him want to hang out with her. Was it the fact he rescued her and now he felt like he needed to still do that? Like he was obligated to be with her.

  “How’s it going, Kiera?” For a second she was lost in the aquamarine color of his eyes. It was such an unusual color, and coupled with his black hair it made a striking combination.

  “G-good. I’m doing good.”

  He made her so nervous, and he didn’t even have to try. “I’m good now that I get to talk to you.” He bumped her in the shoulder again and smiled down at her. “If I didn’t know any better I’d think you were avoiding me all week.” A senior she had seen in the halls walked by.

  “Hey, Reese.”

  Reese lifted his chin in acknowledgment but turned his attention back to her. “So, you wanna eat lunch with me?” Kiera looked around his shoulder at the table he usually sat at. Marcus, Christian, and Leo along with a handful of other guys sat talking and laughing. Andrea and her posse of cheerleaders strutted to the table only seconds later and sat between the guys.

  “Um, not today. Not sure your friends would appreciate my company.” Reese looked over his shoulder, and a frown had his brows dipping low over his eyes.

  “Fuck em’. You’re my guest. Besides, they wouldn’t dare mess you with you.” His coarse language should have offended her, but he wasn’t really known for his censorship.

  “That’s sweet and all, but they’d eat me alive.” She once again attempted some humor. “I think I’ll pass.” She smiled brightly up at him, hoping to camouflage her slight bout of awkwardness, but she knew by his expression she failed.

  “Okay, fair enough. I don’t want you feeling uncomfortable, but I still want to eat lunch with you. We can go off campus if you want? My treat?” The offer was tempting, but leaving with him would only start rumors, ones that probably involved a quickie in his car. She shook her head, and he frowned harder.

  “It’s not you or anything.” And it wasn’t, but then again it was. “I just eat lunch with my friends.” It was a lousy excuse, and she knew it, but being called a whore more times than she could count already this week was enough. She quickly added, “Maybe next time?”

  “I’d ask to sit at your table, but I can tell you are feeling a bit uneasy all of a sudden.” He ran a hand through his short hair, and the strands stood on end. It made him even more attractive. “I’m gonna hold you to ‘next time’ though.” He still wore that frown. Several more people stopped to talk to him, and no surprise, they didn’t even acknowledge her. Kiera pushed her glasses farther up her nose and shifted on her feet. The line moved forward, and she grabbed a sandwich and drink. After paying she started for where Ian and Molly were, but Reese grabbed her elbow gently.

  “You want to hang out with me this weekend? Maybe see a movie, or get something to eat?”

  A little bit of surprise flared inside of her because his offer sounded more like a date than hanging out. Or maybe that was just her wishful thinking?

  He quickly spoke again when she didn’t say anything after a prolonged moment. “We can do whatever you want. I just want to hang out with you, Kiera.”

  She nodded and said, “Okay.” They had already exchanged numbers, but neither one had made contact since he dropped her off at her house Monday morning. Maybe he had been waiting for her to make the first move, and when she didn’t he took matters into his own hands? His smile was instant, and he nodded in return.

  “Cool. I’ll shoot you a text later today so we can set something up, yeah?”

  “Yeah, okay.” She stood there, not moving as she watched him make his way in that sexy stride of his to the table where his friends were. Her smile faltered when she saw Andrea’s narrowed eyes on her. No doubt the head cheerleader saw everything, even though there really wasn’t anything to see. Kiera didn’t want to wait around and see if Andrea would throw herself at Reese when he sat down, and if he would reciprocate her actions, so she turned and quickly made her way over to where Molly and Ian were. Her tray made a loud noise as she set it down on the table in front of her. Kiera didn’t miss the tension in the air or the fact her best friend and Ian still didn’t speak. Sighing heavily, she grabbed her sandwich and started eating. But her quiet lunch was short-lived when Molly started in on the questions.

  “What’s going on with you and Reese Trenton?”

  Kiera lifted her eyes and stared between Ian and Molly. “What are you talking about?”

  Molly’s narrowed her eyes at her. “Come on now. You two looked really friendly over there. I mean yo
ur smile could have blinded the entire lunchroom.”

  “Leave her alone, Molly,” Ian said, but Molly ignored him.

  “What’s the big deal?” Kiera averted her eyes and went back to eating her sandwich, but she knew Molly asked too many questions and wouldn’t stop until she was satisfied.

  “There isn’t a big deal, but I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  Kiera looked at Molly, a spark of irritation building inside of her. “What do you mean by that? He helped me a—” Kiera cut her eyes to Ian, but he was too busy talking to some guy beside him. Kiera may have been friends with Ian for several years now, but she hadn’t told him about what happened at Haden’s party. It had been uncomfortable for her to bring it up to Molly because of the shame and embarrassment she felt, but once she told Molly she had felt better. She didn’t have that closeness with Ian, and thus it would make telling him a bit awkward and cause more drama than was needed. “He isn’t bad, Molly.”

  Her friend sighed. “I’m not saying he is, Kiera, but you and I both know his reputation.”

  Yeah, Kiera wasn’t blind to any of that, but the Reese Trenton she had spent time with Monday and who had kicked the shit out of some guy because she got hurt spoke volumes in her book. He was sweet and caring, and although there was no doubt in her mind he was also dangerous, she wanted to focus on what she knew of him for a fact. She wasn’t going to let her inner problems rule what she wanted, or at least that was what she told herself. Acting on it was a whole different matter. All it took was that one moment of clarity and she realized she did want to know who the real Reese Trenton was. Now she felt stupid and petty for having avoided him.

  “He wants to be friends, and after talking to him and realizing maybe he isn’t as bad as the rumors claim, I’d like to get to know more of him. Is that so wrong?”

  Molly looked down and picked at her salad. “No, it’s not. I just worry about you.”

  Kiera reached out and grabbed Molly’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Thank you for being there for me. It doesn’t matter anyway because the school year is almost over, and I’ll be gone to OSU in the fall.”

  “Ugh, let’s not talk about college right now.” Most students couldn’t wait to leave, but not Molly. Her parents were all but forcing her to attend. It also sucked that Molly, Kiera, and Ian were attending different schools. Molly and Ian were going to Columbus College of Art and Design. Molly wanted to get into Interior Design, while Ian was working toward Graphic Design. They would be close enough that they could still see each other, but still, being away from them was going to be hard. The three of them had been so close for years.

  “You guys want to hang out this weekend? Maybe hit up the pond? It’s supposed to be in nineties.” Ian chimed in, and Kiera didn’t miss how Molly scowled.

  “Are you guys going to tell me what the hell is going on between you two?”

  A mask instantly covered Ian’s face, and he glanced at Molly. Neither said anything. “Okay, well I’m not going to press, but the tension is starting to make me antsy.”

  “Give me a call later, Kiera.” Molly grabbed her tray without a look at Ian and left. Kiera glanced at Ian, who just shook his head and went back to eating. She wouldn’t dig for information from him, especially since she hadn’t told him about what happened at the party, but it would be a lie not to admit the questions were right on the tip of her tongue. She ate the rest of her food in silence, but couldn’t help but look over at Reese. Of course Andrea sat beside him, and every time she reached out to touch Reese Kiera stiffened. She knew her emotions were ridiculous. Kiera had no claim over him, but she did feel closer to him, even after only the few times they spent together. The only thing that made her feel better was watching Reese shrug off Andrea’s touch at every turn. The blonde scowled, but clearly didn’t take the hint until Reese whipped his head toward her and spoke to her with a dark scowl on his face.

  Andrea’s face paled slightly, and she huffed, grabbed her little designer purse, and stalked off with her posse trailing behind. Her skirt was indecently short, and when Kiera turned back and looked at Reese she was surprised to see him watching her. He smiled and lifted his hand in a wave. Kiera did the same and saw that their little exchange caught the attention of Marcus. He glanced between her and Reese, bumped Reese on the shoulder and muttered something with a smile on his face. Kiera’s face heated because she could only imagine the foul things he was saying. To her relief Reese turned toward him and said something with an angry expression on his face. Marcus looked at him a little stunned then turned back and looked at her, his brows now furrowed. Kiera quickly looked away and saw Ian looking at her.

  “Not that it’s my business, but what is going on with you and Reese Trenton?” Ian said around a mouth full of food.

  Kiera grabbed her tray and stood. “You’re right. It’s not your business.” She really hadn’t meant to snap at him, but her emotions felt raw, and if he and Molly could keep secrets then she was entitled to as well. Yeah, it was a bit immature, but at the moment she couldn’t care less.

  Ian blinked a few times but didn’t respond. Kiera turned and left. God, the end of the day couldn’t come soon enough.

  ****

  “No, really dude, what the fuck’s going on with you and the geek?” Marcus said over a mouthful of food. Reese curled his fingers into his palms and gritted his teeth at Marcus.

  “If you don’t want me knocking your fucking teeth in, you’ll shut your damn mouth.” This was the second inquiry from Marcus since he sat down at the table. Apparently Reese telling him he’d get kicked in the balls wasn’t threatening enough. Marcus held his hands up in surrender and grinned.

  “No harm, dude. Just asking.” The girl Marcus was currently banging came up and sat on his lap. Reese turned away just in time to see Kiera standing and leaving the cafeteria. He wanted to go after her, talk to her again, but he had seen what looked like a heavy conversation with her friends. He had seen the uncertainty in her face when he asked to hang out with her. She was hesitant about him, but he couldn’t blame her either. It was also clear Andrea wasn’t giving up on this ridiculous notion that being with him was somehow beneficial to their social status. Like he gave a fuck about social rankings or what people thought of him. He had a couple more weeks in this shitty hellhole, and then he was packing his shit and leaving. He would ask his mom to come with him, to leave Hugo and get sober. They could start a life somewhere else, start a new life that was clean and not filled with hatred and ugliness. Maybe this time she would listen to him and finally wise up and see that the life they were stuck in wasn’t healthy.

  “You going to Krank’s party tonight?” Christian sat down and started digging into his hamburger.

  “Fuck yeah, man. That shit’s supposed to be epic.” Leo was next to sit down, answering the question. “You going, Reese?”

  Reese kept his gaze at the exit Kiera just left out of.

  “Reese? Hey, you coming tonight?”

  Reese stood and threw his words over his shoulder. “Nah, man, I got bigger plans tonight.”

  ****

  Molly pulled into Kiera’s driveway. Before Kiera got out she turned in her seat and stared at Molly. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

  Molly kept her focus ahead of her, but after a minute breathed out and looked at Kiera. Just when she didn’t think Molly would answer she spoke.

  “I don’t know where to start.” Worry instantly filled Kiera. Molly turned off the car but didn’t make a move to get out.

  “Do you want to go inside and talk?” Kiera’s parents wouldn’t be home until after six, and Molly knew that. They would at least have some privacy, and Kiera was dying to know what was causing the angst between Ian and Molly.

  “Yeah, okay.” They climbed out of the Toyota and made their way inside. Molly headed into the kitchen, and they sat at the table. Molly didn’t talk for several long seconds.

  “There are some things I never told you.”


  Kiera didn’t move as she watched Molly. “Okay.” She drew the word out, not knowing what she was about to hear.

  “I’ve…” Molly rubbed her eyes, and when she lifted them Kiera saw they were red-rimmed from her barely restrained tears.

  “God, Molly. What is it?” She reached out and took Molly’s hand.

  “Well, I’ve been seeing someone.”

  A beat of silence passed between them. “Yeah? Well, that’s great, right?” Kiera didn’t let on that she was a bit hurt at the fact Molly never said anything to her until right now. Molly shook her head, and slowly dawning realization sank in. The way she and Ian were not speaking, the tension between them, everything. “You’ve been seeing Ian?”

  Molly shook her head, and the tears started to fall. “I have been all summer, but we didn’t know how to tell you. It was awkward at first, but we honestly didn’t mean to keep it from you.”

  Kiera was surprised she hadn’t seen it sooner, though. They spent a good deal of time together, especially over the summer. “You guys hid it pretty well.”

  “We didn’t mean to be dishonest or anything.”

  “Hey.” Kiera gave her hand squeeze. “It’s not a big deal. I mean, I’m a little hurt you guys didn’t think you could tell me, but if you’re happy, then so am I.” She offered a smile.

  “I’m not, though, and that’s the problem.” Molly stood and grabbed a few napkins before sitting back down. “I slept with him, Kiera.”

  Kiera felt her eyes widen and her lips part. “Oh.” She had no words. “Um.” She looked around, trying to think of something more comforting to say. It was clear it hadn’t ended very well. “Want to tell me about it?” Molly rested her head on the table. When she looked at Kiera again her expression was filled with sadness. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  She shook her head and said, “No, no. It wasn’t anything like that. The weirdness between us is all on me.” She sniffed and wiped her nose. “We only did it once, and it was the single greatest moment in my life, but afterward I freaked. He’s been trying to talk to me about it ever since, and I’ve avoided him at every turn.” A fresh wave of tears spilled down Molly’s face. “I’ve been so angry.”