Reckless (The Reckless Series)

by True, Holli

  “What do you say,” Matt turned to look at me, “think we should go back in there and show them how it’s done?”

  I hesitated for a moment, still feeling too hot to go back into the sweltering house. “You know, I think I need a few more minutes to recoup.”

  Before Matt could respond back, Shayne interjected. “I’ll dance!” she said, her eyes gleaming.

  Matt looked taken aback for a split-second, but he recovered quickly. “Let’s do it,” he said, standing back up.

  Shayne climbed the stairs with enough spring in her step that she was practically bouncing. She had already downed several beers and a few shots of clear liquid from neon cups, I couldn’t help but wonder how she was even upright. If it were me, I’d be down for the count.

  “Promise to come back in?” Matt asked before he left.

  I nodded my response, though I was more than ready to call it a night. But I had promised Shayne I wouldn’t bail on her and she had promised me that we wouldn’t stay past two a.m. That was, of course, unless the police busted up the party first, then we were each on our own to get out of there without being caught. I glanced at my phone to check the time, relieved when I discovered it was after midnight. As I slid my phone back in the pocket of my jeans, I realized someone was standing in front of me.

  “Mind if I sit?” he asked politely.

  He waited for my response before moving an inch. “Sure,” I said, discreetly shifting away from the open area. Not knowing who he was, how intoxicated he might be, or anything else about him, I didn’t want to sit too close, just in case.

  I watched from the corner of my eye as he sat down awkwardly on the wooden step, looking somewhat unsteady. Given that he was holding a red cup and judging from the way he was moving his body, I was fairly certain he was drunk. But then he did something I didn’t expect. As he lifted his cup to his mouth, he paused long enough to smell the liquid contents before taking a small sip. His face immediately twisted up in a sour expression and he abruptly set the cup down at his feet.

  “That bad, huh?” I asked, trying to suppress my laughter over what I’d just witnessed.

  He turned and looked at me, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly to reveal a smirk. “You saw that?”

  I shrugged softly, trying not to stare at his mouth. But it was hard, because it was very distracting. “I did,” I admitted.

  He let out a short laugh, “Well, that’s embarrassing. I’ll have to learn to be more discreet, especially when I have an audience.”

  I liked that he didn’t take offense to my inability to keep my mouth shut. It was, after all, the Covington Way. We spoke our minds. Of course, we never intended to hurt someone’s feelings, but sometimes our quick wit and brutal honesty was too much for some people.

  “Well, if it’s any consolation, I don’t really care for it either,” I said, setting my own cup at my feet.

  Turning his body toward me, he smiled at me for the first time. His entire face lit up, even his eyes. As I smiled back at him, I couldn’t help but notice just how handsome he was. Not the earth-shattering perfection so often depicted in the fictional books I had read growing up, but definitely the kind of handsome that took me by surprise and made me take notice.

  He was dressed casually, a pair of jeans and simple gray shirt. Even though he was sitting, I could tell he had a muscular frame, much like an athlete’s build. His dark hair was short and looked a little disheveled, part of me wondered if it was post-dance floor hair or if it always looked like that? Either way, I liked it.

  “I’m Jonah, by the way.”

  The stranger had a name. And it was a good one. Bonus points for him.

  “Hailey,” I responded.

  “Nice to officially meet you, Hailey.” His eyes held mine longer than they should have.

  “Nice to meet you, too, Jonah. Officially.” I said, forcing myself to look away. I still couldn’t tell if he was drunk or not, but at the very least, he was friendly and polite.

  “So, what are you doing out here all by yourself, Hailey?”

  “Coming up for air, I guess.”

  “Too much time on the dance floor, I take it?”

  “You could say that,” I confirmed.

  “I lost my friend in there awhile ago. He may never be seen again,” he laughed easily. “Ben loves nothing more than a good party.”

  “Well, he’d get along great with my roommate, Shayne. Who knows, maybe they’re somewhere, partying together,” I teased. Though I was only half joking.

  His expression altered slightly and for a brief moment he almost looked alarmed, but it quickly relaxed into a smile. “Yeah, maybe,” he said, his tone unreadable.

  “So, do you belong to this frat?” I asked doubtfully. He didn’t exactly seem like the fraternity type. But I had little experience on the matter, so I really had no idea. Although, most of the guys in attendance were the brothers of Sigma Pi, so it seemed like a safe guess.

  “No. Frats definitely aren’t my thing,” he said, shaking his head. “Ben, my missing friend, he actually convinced me to come with him.”

  “And what’s your verdict?” I asked, my inquisitive nature taking over.

  Jonah processed my question for a moment before answering and I appreciated that. “Well, it’s not exactly what I thought it would be.”

  “Yeah, this isn’t exactly where I choose to spend my Friday nights, either.”

  “But I can’t complain too much. I did meet this really cool girl who shares my distaste for beer. So, you know, the night’s definitely getting better,” he said, the smirk making an appearance again.

  I couldn’t help but giggle softly, despite myself. He could have said just about anything to me in that moment and I would have found it endearing. But I couldn’t let him get away with his cheesy pick up line without saying something about it.

  “That was pretty lame,” I said, shaking my head. But I couldn’t hold back the smile that spread across my face. “But I’m flattered anyway.”

  “Yeah,” he said with a nod, “it was pretty lame, wasn’t it?”

  I wrinkled my nose, nodding back, “Definitely.” And in that very moment I realized that I wasn’t ready for the night to come to an end just yet.

  . . .

  It was nearly four in the morning. I should have been asleep, but I couldn’t seem to stop staring at the black ceiling above my bed. My mind was as restless as my body, twisting and turning, unable to surrender to sleep.

  Sighing heavily, I kicked my feet free of the sheets they were tangled within. I glanced over at Shayne in her bed across from me. There was just enough moonlight coming through the window at the end of our dorm room for me to see her sprawled out on her tummy. She hadn’t moved an inch since she’d passed out there. Given the amount of alcohol she had consumed, I wasn’t surprised at all.

  Feeling frustrated, I sat up in bed, crossing my legs beneath me and pressing my back against the wall. Nights like these didn’t happen to me often, so dealing with them was always a bit of a challenge. If I were back home, I would have camped out in the family room with a movie and a pint of ice cream, but I couldn’t exactly do that now that I was living in a dorm.

  My night had taken an unexpected turn in a great direction and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Jonah had proved to be great company, we’d gotten along great and found plenty to talk about. To my surprise, he turned out to be nothing like the rest of the guys at the party and I was genuinely happy that our paths had crossed.

  But how we parted ways was eating at me.

  I had expected him to ask me for my number, but to my surprise, he didn’t. It was a silly thing for me to be upset about because I wasn’t even sure I would have actually given it to him anyway— but that wasn’t the point. It would have been nice to at least have had the option to accept or decline his request. But the fact that he didn’t ask at all, that was what bothered me most.

  And now, there I was, two hours later, dissecting our entire
conversation, obsessing over every last detail about him. Wondering where he was at that exact moment and if I had made as strong of an impression on him as he had managed to make on me?

  After only an hour together.

  Doubtful, I reminded myself, he didn’t ask for your number, remember?

  - 2 -

  breathing

  JONAH

  Pain. After all these years, I could finally say that I had experienced it. That I had actually felt something real. There was a gnawing, stabbing sensation ripping through my chest cavity as the air passed through my unwilling lungs. Just like sharp little knives. I couldn’t think straight, the temporary torture was crippling my mind.

  But it soon passed, slowly dissipating to a dull ache until the pain faded away altogether. The involuntary act of inhaling and exhaling fell into a rhythm, no longer controlled by me. All at once, breathing became second nature, instinctual, natural.

  My senses were on fire, overwhelmed by the various scents in the air. I took a deep breath, trying to take it all in and differentiate each smell. The endless rows of books offered the fragrance of history, age and time passed. There was a hint of something sweet in the air, though I couldn’t distinguish who or what it was coming from. As I drifted past a girl in the aisle, it became evident that she was the source, her perfume, perhaps? I couldn’t tell for sure.

  I continued down the row of books, allowing my fingertips to slowly graze a long line of them. Their titles were useless to me, though I took the time to read each of them, as though they served some sort of purpose. But my thoughts were focused in on the sensation of the way the books felt, each one strangely unique. Some had fabric covers, the fibers felt grainy, almost rough. There were some that were leather bound, which felt tough and sturdy. While others were bound by thick glossy paper, feeling smooth and slick. It was utterly fascinating.

  Cautiously, I pulled one from the shelf, turning it over in my hands. It weighed more than I had expected, though it wasn’t heavy. More than anything, it felt strange to hold it in my hands that I didn’t quite know how to trust yet.

  I ran a finger across the blemished, gray cover, feeling all of the nicks and crevices that time and repeated usage had caused. The book had clearly been on the shelf for a long time. It was battered so badly, it must have been decades old. My mind drifted to the generations of college students from the University that had read the book over the years. The history of human interaction within that one book alone was beyond intriguing.

  And then I heard her.

  The sound of her laughter instantly pulled my attention away from everything else. It was so peaceful, yet full of life. I could decipher it in a room full of people, I would know the sound of it anywhere.

  I peered between the two books that flanked the one I was holding in my hands, my eyes already in search of Hailey. She was sitting at a long, narrow table with a small group of people. I couldn’t make out what they were talking about, but Hailey appeared to be entertained by the conversation that was taking place.

  Ethan Shaw was there, eyeing a book sprawled out on a nearby table. As though he knew my eyes were on him, he turned and sneered at me. There had always been unexplained tension between the two of us. There had been no catastrophic event or even a tangible reason for us to dislike one another— we simply didn’t mesh. Our disdain for each other had been obvious from the moment we had met and over the years it hadn’t improved at all. If anything, it had gotten worse.

  “Good choice.”

  The voice came from the guy standing next to me. I had never talked to him before. He was looking down at a piece of paper clutched in his hand, so it took me a minute to realize he was referring to the book I was holding. Having no idea what I had even pulled from the shelf, I glanced down at it, reading the title for the first time.

  “You a Proust fan?” he continued, reaching around me for a book on an upper shelf.

  I shrugged, but I didn’t know if he saw me.

  He looked like a hipster in his skinny jeans, white logo tee, and fitted suit jacket. His style was much more tailored than my own. The guy even took time to accessorize— an orange beanie, wide frame glasses and brown leather boots. I had to commend him for his efforts.

  “Do you speak?” he asked, giving me a strange look.

  “Uh, no,” I finally said, shaking my head.

  “No, you don’t speak?”

  “Wait. I was referring to Proust. I’ve never actually read any of his work.”

  “That’s a real shame,” he said, giving me a grave look. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

  “That good, huh?”

  “It’ll blow your mind. You can thank me later,” he said, tapping the book with his index finger. “I’m Charlie, by the way.”

  “Jonah.”

  “I take it this is your first time?”

  His question caught me off guard. I pressed my brows together, “No. I’ve been here before.”

  “You look a little overwhelmed,” he said shamelessly.

  I didn’t respond. He didn’t seem to mind.

  I took the opportunity to peek over at Hailey again. She wasn’t talking anymore, her head was down, focused on the work laid out on the table. I watched as the frustration crept across her face as she repeatedly scanned the lines in the book, clearly struggling to find whatever she was looking for. Chewing her bottom lip, she reached up mindlessly and started fiddling with the earring that was dangling against her bare neck.

  “She’s pretty,” Charlie’s words interrupted me from the daze I was in. “I take it she’s the real reason why you’re here?”

  I laughed once. “Something like that.”

  “I figured it wasn’t for book recommendations,” he said with a sly smile. “What’s her name?”

  “Hailey.”

  “Nice,” he said with a nod. “So, why are you lurking over here like a creeper? Go talk to her.”

  “I’m not lurking.”

  “You definitely are.” Then without saying anything, he nudged my shoulder, pushing me out from behind the shelves. “Hailey!” he called out, smiling from ear to ear.

  I chucked the book at him, horrified.

  Hailey’s eyes suddenly popped up from her book, landing right on mine— as well as every other person within earshot. I felt paralyzed standing there, unsure of what to do next. But she didn’t give me time to react. A smile spread across her face as she stood from her chair and made her way over to me.

  Charlie bolted.

  “Jonah?” She looked both happy and surprised to see me. “I was hoping I’d bump into you again.”

  As I opened my mouth to respond, I was interrupted.

  “Who’s this?” asked a voice from behind.

  “Jonah,” Hailey answered, smiling up at me. “This is my friend, Matt,” she said gesturing to him as he planted himself at her side.

  I could tell he was sizing me up by the way he puffed out his chest, making it a point to move closer to Hailey.

  “Jonah and I actually met at your party the other night,” she explained, her eyes flickering back and forth between us.

  Matt’s brows creased together as he stared at me with a strange expression. “I don’t remember seeing you there,” he said.

  It was an odd response that caught me off guard. “I wasn’t aware you were taking attendance.”

  “Funny.” His jaw twitched. “It’s just that we typically limit outsiders from our parties. And by limit, I mean, ban.” For having just met me, his hostility seemed unwarranted.

  “Ban, huh? That’s interesting. I take it that rule doesn’t apply to females though, does it?”

  “Well, we don’t consider them outsiders,” he said with a devious grin, “they’re more like party favors.” The look in his eyes as he passed them over Hailey made my stomach churn.

  “Seriously, Matt?” She looked as appalled by his comment as I felt.

  “What?”

  “That’s disgusting
,” she said, shifting away from him.

  “Come on, Hailey, I was only kidding.” He laughed with amusement at our reactions. It caused the chain around his neck to make a rattling sound, which drew my attention.

  “Nice collar,” I said, referencing the bone-shaped dog tags. “Your incessant need to mark your territory all makes sense now.” Given how he was acting around Hailey, it was clear he was trying to send me a message that he had already claimed her. But I wasn’t receiving it.

  He stopped laughing instantly and I could tell things were going to escalate between us quickly. Hailey could sense it, too. We had already drawn attention from the people around us. They were all watching, waiting to see what would happen next.

  “You’re a dick!” he spit the words at me like venom.

  “Stop,” Hailey said, pushing Matt back. “Just, go sit down.”

  I had to bite my tongue to keep from making another dog reference. There wasn’t a part of me that felt a bit of remorse for taking a jab at his ego. He deserved it. And as far as I was concerned, the dog collar was fitting.

  Matt hesitated, taking the time to stare me down before sulking back to his chair. With the show over, the people who had been watching us, returned their attention to their books. Hailey looked completely out of sorts as she slowly walked back toward me, her expression giving away her uncertainty.

  “I have no idea what just happened,” she muttered.

  “I’m really sorry,” I said, shaking my head, “but I can’t stand guys like that.”

  Hailey glanced back over at Matt, who was watching us from the table. “I think I know the type of guy’s you’re referring to, but Matt isn’t one of them. He’s a good guy, I’ve known him a long time.”

  I clenched my jaw, saying nothing.

  She took a deep breath, “Well, this is sufficiently awkward.”

  “Yeah, I think I should go.” Though I didn’t want to.

  Hailey hesitated for a moment, she looked as though she wanted to say something, but the words didn’t come.