I grabbed my phone to turn on some music when I noticed a new text.
Simon: IT’S A DATE.
He’d added a smiling emoji and a thumbs up. I smiled. Simon was a lot of fun to hang out with, and I was excited about tomorrow—hopefully, he didn’t ask Olivia to tag along. Scrolling through my apps, I found my favorite playlist and turned the volume all the way up.
“Chloe?” Larissa’s voice echoed from downstairs.
“In the office,” I shouted.
What was she doing home already? I glanced at my phone—3:42 PM. Holy cow. It was that late already?
A moment later, Larissa appeared in the doorway. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise when she saw the stack of boxes. “You’ve been busy,” she said.
I stood and stretched. “I’ve barely made it through one box.” I nodded to the stack of pictures piled on the desk, the only ones I’d managed to get scanned so far.
“Well, there’s no rush.” She smiled. “Your father called. He wants us to meet him at the country club for dinner. Some of his colleagues will be there, too. Can you be ready to leave in half an hour?”
“Uh, yeah. I just need to shower and change. Is there a dress code?” I was not squeezing myself into another formal dress and heels.
“Casual but presentable. No jeans.”
I groaned. All I owned were jeans. I did own a pair of khakis though. They’d have to do. “Oh, hey. Simon asked if I could hang out with him after school tomorrow. Is that okay?”
Her face brightened, and her smile grew. “Of course. What will you be doing?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Probably get food or something. We won’t be hanging out too long because I have a tutoring session at four-thirty.”
And I was eager to see Jaxon again, to tell him about my weekend and get his advice on everything.
She nodded slowly. “Just call to check in, and let me know what’s going on, okay? And be home in time for dinner. It will be a bit later than normal tomorrow night because of your father’s schedule.”
“Okay,” I said.
“Better yet, why don’t you invite Simon to have dinner with us?”
I froze, eyes wide. Invite Simon to dinner? With my Dad and stepmom? After the way they’d acted when he picked me up for the concert? No. Friggin’. Way. Uh-uh. Not happening.
“I’ll ask him,” I said, not feeling the least bit guilty for the lie.
“Great.” She stepped aside so I could leave the office, and then she shut off the lights. “Meet me downstairs in thirty minutes.”
“Yup.” I veered off to my bedroom and kicked the door closed.
Dinner at the country club with my father and his business associates—there was no way this wasn’t going to suck.
CHAPTER TEN:
New Guy
MY HEART WAS IN MY THROAT, and it felt like I was dragging my stomach beneath my feet. All day, I’d heard the whispers. There’s another new guy in school. Have you seen him? He’s so hot. Where did he come from? Who are his parents? I don’t recognize his last name.
I rolled my eyes. Of course, everyone wanted to know who his parents were and what type of money he had. The people here were so shallow.
But I had yet to actually see him. We didn’t have a single morning class together, which I was admittedly disappointed about.
Hitching my backpack higher on my shoulder, I kept my head down as I made my way through the quad. I rounded the corner of the building, eager to have some peace and quiet for the next forty-five minutes.
I came to a sudden, screeching halt. Sitting beneath my small shade tree, wearing expensive sunglasses, Trent was the picture of ease. His dark blue pants were perfectly pressed; his matching suit jacket with the school logo was folded neatly next to him. The sleeves of his white button up shirt were rolled up to his elbows.
No one, not even Simon, could make this stupid school uniform look good—but Trent did.
My heart jackhammered in my chest, and I momentarily considered finding somewhere else to sit for lunch—until he looked up at me and smiled. Whoa. That was a deadly sight.
“Hey,” I said.
“Chloe.”
I suppressed a shiver. Man, the way he said my name… it rivaled the way Simon said it. I moved toward him, dropped my bag to the ground, and sat.
“I see you’ve found my secret hiding spot,” I said.
“Why would you need to hide?”
“Why not?” I shrugged.
He laughed like he had Saturday night, like we shared some inside joke that only he knew about. Trent leaned back on his hands, stretched out his legs, and crossed his ankles.
“How’s your first day so far?” I asked, trying my best not to stare at him.
“Well, you were right. Everyone is being super nice, especially the girls.”
I turned away so he wouldn’t see me scowl. I was surprised Olivia wasn’t telling everyone he was hers now. Although, it was only noon, so she still had a couple hours. I didn’t know why, but the thought of Olivia and Trent made my blood boil.
“So, why are you hiding?” I asked.
He lazily shrugged one shoulder. “Just wanted some time to myself. And this is the only place with any shade.”
I laughed. “That’s why I like it here, too.”
“Does that mean you’re willing to share?” He sliced a look at me, but all I could see was my reflection in the lenses of his sunglasses.
“I see you found our spot,” Simon said to Trent. Then Simon held out a purple popsicle—my favorite kind—and sat on my other side.
I took the popsicle, thankful to have something to distract me. “You two know each other?” I asked, glancing back and forth between them.
“Yeah, we’ve had classes together all morning. I’ve been showing him around,” Simon said.
“Oh.”
Simon was so close his shoulder brushed mine each time he brought his popsicle to his mouth. On my other side, Trent looked completely relaxed, but the muscles in his arms were tense. The testosterone radiating from them was thick enough to choke me.
“So…” I said, suddenly desperate to break the awkward silence. “What’re we doing after school?”
“What do you want to do?” Simon asked.
Instead of responding, I bit off the top of the popsicle. Once it melted enough for me to talk, I said, “I don’t care. But I have an appointment at four-thirty.”
Trent stood abruptly. I stared up at him, willing him to sit back down. Trent scooped up his blazer and then removed his sunglasses. Piercing blue eyes landed on me, holding me captive. I suddenly couldn’t breathe as I waited for him to say something.
Without a word, he put his glasses back on. “See ya later,” he said.
I drew in a deep breath and refocused my attention on the popsicle, mostly so I wouldn’t stare after him, though that’s really all I wanted to do.
“Thanks for this,” I said, holding up the popsicle. “How’d you know purple was my favorite?”
Simon smiled. “Lucky guess.” Then he chuckled. “Honestly, purple was the only color left.”
I laughed.
“How about my house after school?” he asked, brow raised. “We can swim.”
“I didn’t bring my bathing suit.” I frowned.
“I don’t see a problem with that.”
I glared at him, unspeaking, but it was hard to suppress my smile when the glint in his eyes told me he was only teasing.
After a moment, he said, “We’ll go by your house first then.”
“Sounds fun,” I said, but it really didn’t.
I loved to swim, but his house was also Olivia’s house, and if she was there, too… Maybe I could come up with a believable excuse not to go. At the very least, I wouldn’t have to stay too long because I had to meet with Jaxon.
The bell rang. I stood and gathered my stuff. Simon draped his arm around my shoulders, and we headed inside for our next class. From the corner of my eye, I saw
Trent staring at us. His expression was murderous. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on edge, and goose bumps erupted on my arms. I stepped away from Simon, causing his arm to fall away from me.
“Meet you after final bell, yeah?” Simon asked.
“Yeah.” I forced a smile.
His smile, though, was genuine, and a stab of guilt hit me. It wasn’t fair to lead him on. Then again, I hadn’t really given him any signals to make him believe we were anything other than friends.
What was the harm in hanging out with him until I left? It would make being here suck a lot less. And he was fun to be with. I waited until Simon disappeared into the crowd to turn and head to my class.
The afternoon flew by, and before I knew it, the final bell rang. But instead of being excited like the rest of my classmates, nervous butterflies filled my stomach. I had to go swimming with Simon. And possibly his sister. Hopefully, she’d leave or stay inside if she knew I was there. I made a quick stop at my locker.
“You don’t seriously like that guy, do you?”
Everything inside of me tingled at the sound of his voice. I closed my locker and turned to face Trent. “What guy?” I asked.
He narrowed his eyes. “There’s more than one?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his expression. “You mean Simon?”
The corners of his lips pulled down in what was possibly the sexiest scowl I’d ever seen. “Yeah. Him.” He crossed his arms, causing his muscles to bulge, stretching his shirt tight.
“Well, considering he’s the only person in this entire school who talks to me… yeah, I do.” I tilted my head, studying him. “Why do you care anyway?”
“He’s not the only person.”
“Nice way to totally avoid my question.” I started to walk toward the exit, and he fell into step beside me. “Besides, I thought you and Simon were friends.”
“Can I drive you home?” he asked, still avoiding my question.
My steps faltered, and another intense wave of déjà vu hit me. Riding home to Aunt Beth’s house in a white pickup truck, talking and asking a lot of questions. I blinked, trying to regain my bearings.
“Chloe?” Trent had ahold of my arm to steady me. His touch seared me, spreading warmth to every inch of my body. “Are you all right?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yeah, sorry. I’m fine.”
He released me, trailing his fingers down the length of my arm, and I shivered in response. My heart beat triple time, and my breathing was much too fast. So not good.
“So?” He raised a brow.
“Um, thanks, but I have plans.” I scrunched up my face. “Maybe another time?”
Just then, Simon walked toward us, his sister right on his heels. I groaned.
“Ready?” Simon asked.
I nodded. “Yup.”
“Brilliant.” Simon once again put his arm around my shoulders.
Trent tensed. The muscle in his jaw visibly ticked, and his eyes darkened.
“You’re coming, too, right?” Simon said, his gaze on Trent.
Simon had invited Trent? Well, this just got a lot better.
Trent’s expression relaxed, and he nodded. “Of course.” He hadn’t even bothered to ask where or what was going on. Talk about strange.
“Trent!” Olivia pushed her way around me. “Apparently, we’re having an impromptu pool party at my house.” She tossed an annoyed look at her brother. “You’re invited, you know that, right?”
My stomach sank.
“Yup.” Trent flashed a smile that made my cheeks heat.
“Lovely.” Olivia beamed and then looped her arm through his. “Mind if I ride with you?”
I gritted my teeth.
“Sure,” he said. They walked away, and Trent glanced at me over his shoulder.
There was a warning or a challenge in his eyes—I wasn’t sure which, but I did know that I was not going to let Olivia turn him against me.
“My sister.” He shook his head and dropped his arm from around me. “We can do something else if you want.”
“No, it’s okay.” I smiled. “Take me to get my suit, and then let’s go swimming.”
By the time we got to Simon’s car, there was no sign of his sister. Not that I was complaining. Several moments later, Simon pulled up in front of my father’s house—I refused to call this place home—and I got out. Simon did, too.
“Uh, what’re you doing?” I asked.
“Thought I’d say hi to your step mum. I think she likes me.” He grinned, and I shook my head. If he only knew how much Larissa liked him.
“C’mon,” I said, leading him inside.
“Hey, Chloe. How was school?” Larissa asked as soon as I was through the door. And then the moment she noticed Simon, she smiled. “Oh, I didn’t realize you were bringing company home.” She smoothed her hands over her hair.
I rolled my eyes. “We’re not staying. I’m just here to grab my swimsuit.” I waited for her to say something about my tone, because I wasn’t asking permission.
Thankfully, Simon chose that moment to speak up. “If that’s okay with you, of course.”
“Yes, of course,” Larissa said, her tone a higher pitch than normal.
My jaw dropped. Was she really that excited about me hanging out with Simon that she wouldn’t give me any grief over it?
“Okay then… I’m going to go grab my stuff.”
I headed up to my room, leaving Larissa and Simon alone. Maybe Larissa was a cougar in hiding. If she hooked up with Simon, I could be with Trent. I laughed at my stupid thoughts. First, there was no way Simon and Larissa would hook up. Second, I wouldn’t wish that on Little Frank. I knew firsthand what it was like to have a broken family, and he didn’t deserve that. And third, there wasn’t a force on earth that would make Trent pick me over Olivia Parker.
CHAPTER ELEVEN:
Pool Party
AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE WROUGHT IRON gate, we drove for a good mile down a paved driveway, either side lined with meticulously manicured trees and shrubs. It was like heading to some place magical, some place I’d only ever read about. When the house finally came into view, my jaw hit my knees. I thought my father’s house was big, but it looked like a shack compared to Simon’s.
Whereas my father’s house was concrete and modern, Simon’s was wooden and rustic. Stone-laid pillars supported dark wooden beams, giving the impression of an intricate log cabin—completely out of place in posh Malibu.
Simon pulled around the circular drive, and it was then I noticed the shimmering pond full of colorful fish. I leaned closer to the window and peered out for a better look. Okay, that was really cool.
He stopped the car, and I climbed out. Awe settled over me like a heavy blanket. I had no idea what I’d expected, but it wasn’t this. He led me inside, and the décor matched the outside. Everything was dark woods and rich colors.
As soon as we stepped out of the foyer, we were in the living room. The furniture was plush and inviting. A hand-carved, spiral stairway led up to a second level. My gaze rose, following the twisting stairs, and I was surprised to see such an open floor plan.
An intricately carved banister circled the upper level, making it easy to see the various closed doors. Must be bedrooms up there.
“Wow,” I whispered, slowly turning around so I could take it all in.
“Mum loves the idea of country living, but she can’t stand actually living in the country.” Simon laughed. “So, Dad built her this house instead.”
“It’s…” I didn’t even have words. “Amazing,” I finally said.
“You haven’t seen anything yet.” His eyes twinkled as he took my hand and dragged me through a set of double glass doors. “See.”
I stepped outside, and once again, I was struck speechless. An enormous swimming pool was set into the ground, but it wasn’t rectangular, or even oval. It was bulbous, with inlaid steps on each end, complete with a slide, too.
Canopies of leafy trees surrounded t
he pool, giving it just the right balance of shade and sunlight. In the center was a bar—fully stocked—and a few feet behind the pool was a stone fire pit. Reclining lounge chairs were positioned around it.
“Pretty neat, yeah?” he said.
“Yeah.” I laughed.
“C’mon, I’ll show you where you can get changed. Normally, we’d just use the pool house, but Dad’s renovating it.”
He led me back inside and gave me a quick tour before showing me the bathroom—which I was positive was bigger than my and Abby’s bedrooms combined.
“Just come on out when you’re ready,” he said.
I nodded. He closed the door, and then I was alone. I blew out a shaky breath. At least Olivia wasn’t here. Yet. Maybe she and Trent had decided to go somewhere else. I frowned, then scowled, unsure if them not showing up was a good thing or not.
Pulling my swimsuit out of my bag, I hesitated. The red flowered bikini stared at me, daring me to put it on. Abby had given it to me, swearing it made me look hot. But right now, I just wanted to be covered. Chewing on my lip, I shifted on my feet. I could always wear my T-shirt over my bathing suit.
Ugh. Stop being so lame.
I quickly changed out of my clothes and shoved them into my bag. Taking another deep breath, I opened the bathroom door, and instead of seeing the hallway, I got an eyeful of flesh. Smooth, perfect, male flesh covering broad shoulders and ripped muscle. Light blue swim trunks hung enticingly off his hips.
It wasn’t Simon.
“Do you make it a habit to creep around outside bathrooms? Is that like, your thing?” I asked.
Slowly, he turned, and my breath hitched. Eyes as blue as the ocean met mine, and then they dipped lower, his gaze a heated caress as he assessed me. Or rather, as he visually devoured me. Goose bumps exploded all over my body.
Suddenly very aware of what I was wearing, I crossed my arms over my chest as if that would somehow cover my exposed skin. Trent raised a brow, the corner of his lip following suit, and it was the sexiest look I’d ever seen. My stupid, traitorous heart beat like a caged animal, and Trent’s smirk morphed into a full-blown smile.
Eternal Choice: (The Cursed Series, Book 2) Page 8