“I can give you the tour later,” Miss Whitaker said.
“I’ll do it.”
The voice sent chills up and down my spine.
I spun around and when I saw Uly leaning against the counter in the kitchen, his necklaces touching the counter, that smug grin on his face… I covered my mouth.
I looked at Miss Whitaker.
Then back to Uly.
He winked at me.
“I’m not sure if you two have met yet,” Miss Whitaker said. “This is Ulysses…”
“Uly,” he called out. “I keep it simple.”
He pushed from the counter and walked from the kitchen right toward me.
He wasn’t wearing his beanie now.
His full head of dark hair was messy and perfectly sexy.
“Oh, right,” Miss Whitaker said. “Uly. Forgive me. Well, Uly, this is Belle. Belle Bablebit. She’s working with me on a project.”
“How amazing to meet you,” Uly said.
He offered his hand.
I gave him my right hand - shaking - and he smiled when he shook my hand.
“I’m going to get a drink and get to reading,” Miss Whitaker said. “Belle, can I get you anything?”
“I’ll take care of that, Lake,” Uly said so casually. “You just go read whatever you have to read. I’ll make sure Belle is taken care of. I’ll give her the full tour of everything.”
Miss Whitaker walked away.
I was left with Uly, still shaking his hand.
My lips quivered. My mouth moved.
I didn’t know what to do or say.
Uly leaned toward me and put his lips to my ear. “Come on, doll, let me show you around my house.”
I came to my senses and pulled my hand away from Uly’s.
“What is this?” I whispered. “Are you and Miss Whitaker… no. That can’t be. Wait. She’s too young to be your mother. But she’s…”
Uly grinned even bigger.
He shrugged his shoulders and started to walk away.
Toward the room with the giant fireplace.
So I went after him.
I really didn’t have a choice.
The room had a pitched ceiling with thick, wood beams across the ceiling.
Uly stopped and reached up. His fingertips crept around one of the beams. When he did that, his shirt pulled up, showing off two lines that came together as a v that slid into the front of his jeans.
“Eyes up here, Belle,” he said. “Jeez. What kind of guest are you?”
My face burned hot. “What are you doing here?”
“You mean at my house?”
“Your house? Really?”
Uly released his grip on the wood beam. “What? You don’t believe me? You want proof that I own this place?”
“What? You own this… place? Then what is…”
I looked over my shoulder.
What is Miss Whitaker doing here then?
I looked forward again and Uly was just a few short inches away from me.
I gasped.
“Surprised, doll?” Uly asked.
“Nothing surprises me in this town right now,” I said.
“You haven’t even asked the other question on your mind.”
“Oh, great. Here we go. Make your comment, Uly. Get it off your chest. About my chest. Or your bed. Or whatever.”
Uly shook his head. “No. You haven’t asked why you haven’t seen me around the halls. Like you do with the others. And why I park where I park. Or why I do what I do.” Uly brushed his lips to my cheek. “Let me go get you that drink.”
He slipped away and left the room.
I hated that the room was so cozy and comfortable. It felt like it was Miss Whitaker, if she were a room. Weird. There were plenty of places to sit but I chose to pace. Or maybe I really didn’t have a choice but to pace.
What in the hell was Uly doing here?
He returned to the room with two tall, clear glasses of bubbling water.
“Is there alcohol in this?” I asked.
“No,” he said. “But I can make that happen if you’d like. Of course, you’d have to stay here then. I have plenty of room for guests. But for you, I’d have you sleep in my room. Right in my bed. Right next to me.”
“I’m good with the water then,” I said.
I sipped the water. Lemon.
Uly put his glass on a table and reached up for the wood beam again. Meaning he’d seen the way my eyes lit up at the sight of skin and muscle.
“So you came all this way to hand in a writing assignment?” Uly asked.
“I was told to,” I said.
“To get your notebook back, right?”
I swallowed hard. “What…”
“I think you’re a talented writer, Belle.”
“You read my notebook?” I put my glass down and jumped at him. I grabbed his shirt. “You piece of shit. You read my personal notebook?”
“I already saw it on the beach,” he said. “Remember? When I saved you?”
“First off, I didn’t ask for your help then,” I said. “Or now. Or ever. Got that? That notebook is my…” I grinned. “You know what? Fuck you all then.”
“Tough words,” he whispered.
My hands let go of his shirt. “I’m going to talk to Werthwood. Explain everything that’s happened here. Miss Whitaker had no right to take my notebook. Especially if it was going to end up in your hands.” I reached for my glass again and took a sip of water. I put the glass back down. “Oh, by the way, I’m leaving too. Not just this house. But BFH. I’m over it, Uly. And unlike these other bitches around here who are stuck because of their parents… I’m able to just walk away. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”
I made my move around Uly, fully expecting him to reach for me.
But he didn’t.
I made it a few more steps before I heard glass shattering.
I made the mistake then of turning around.
Uly faced me, water on the floor, along with shards of glass.
But his hand… it was bleeding.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
His eyes were as intense as I had ever seen them before.
His black t-shirt and black jeans, slightly different shades of black, and his messy hair, and those necklaces… with the look on his face… I shivered.
Uly looked at his hand. “Guess I squeezed too hard and broke it.”
“Are you serious?” I asked. “You squeezed…” I looked around. “Let me get you a towel or something.”
I darted toward the kitchen.
I grabbed the first towel I could find and rushed it back to Uly.
He just stood there, palm facing up, a small pool of blood forming.
Not a care in the world.
I stopped and threw the towel at him.
“You do it,” I said. “It’s your hand. What the fuck do I care?”
“You care a lot, doll,” he said. He put the towel into his hand and made a fist and squeezed. “Just so you know, this towel costs a couple hundred dollars.”
“It’s your towel, not mine,” I said.
“Right. You should have seen the look on your face. You really think you’re going to just leave?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I am, Uly. My mother called and she has something set up for us.”
“And that’s what you want? To go back to that kind of life?”
“That kind of life?” I asked. “Are you serious, Uly? Compared to this kind of life? This isn’t my life. Jo’s not family. And the games you want to play… not interested. You’re just like everyone else. Except you have money. At least I think you do. I don’t understand what this whole set up is here.”
“This is my house,” Uly said. “I don’t need to lie about that. As far as Miss Whitaker goes, she’s-”
“There you two are. You didn’t even make it to the tour yet?”
I turned my head and saw Miss Whitaker entering the room.
She pointe
d to Uly’s hand.
“Glass broke,” he said. “I guess I don’t know my own strength. Or maybe it was just being near someone as pretty as Belle here.”
My cheeks turned red.
Miss Whitaker snorted. “Ulysses, don’t use cheap lines on someone like Belle.”
“My apologies,” Uly said. “I’ll have to think of some more when she’s gone. Because looking at her just leaves me distracted.”
“Oh, just stop,” Miss Whitaker said.
“I’m used to it,” I said to her. “Douchebags like this guy are everywhere.”
“Well said,” Miss Whitaker said.
She put her fist out and I hit mine to hers.
“Well look at this,” Uly said. “How sweet.”
“Don’t mind him, he’s just jealous,” Miss Whitaker said. “Ulysses hates when he’s not the center of attention. Or when he’s not the smartest person.”
“Smart…?” I asked.
Miss Whitaker tilted her head. “Yeah. Of course. Ulysses is the smartest person I’ve ever met in my life. You probably haven’t seen him around Bay Falls High yet because he doesn’t take regular classes. He’s advanced.”
I looked at Uly.
He grinned and winked. “Hear that, Belle… I’m advanced.”
“So he’s literally a smart ass?” I asked.
Miss Whitaker laughed. “I like this. She’s not afraid to stand up to you, Ulysses. We should do this more often.”
“I agree,” Uly said.
“I don’t know about that,” I blurted out.
My mind raced even more now.
Uly owned the house. Miss Whitaker lived there. And Uly was… smart? Like super smart.
It was…
“Let’s talk about this assignment,” Miss Whitaker said.
“Yes, let’s do that,” Uly said with another grin.
“With him here?” I asked.
“I’m extremely well read,” Uly said. “Here’s one that comes to mind… In the ashes, I find the sand, the castles we once lived in, where I stood hidden, and you came to find me. You said you never meant to set that fire, but you said it with a smile. And that smile set me on fire…”
Uly looked at me.
That was something out of my notebook.
I swallowed hard.
Yes, I was angry.
But I was also something else because of his voice speaking my words.
“Lyrical,” I said. “You should sing that, Uly.”
He winked at me.
Why can’t I get to him? Why can’t I bother him?
“I like what you’ve written, Belle,” Miss Whitaker said. “Come with me so we can talk in private.”
“I guess I’ll just clean up the mess I made here,” Uly said.
“You should get your hand looked at,” I said. “You might need stitches.”
Uly nodded. “Hey, Belle…”
“What?” I asked.
“Thanks for caring.”
As Miss Whitaker walked out of the room toward the kitchen, I reached back with my right hand and showed Uly the middle finger.
In the kitchen, Miss Whitaker looked around and then pointed to another room.
Just off the kitchen was a hallway that led to a few doors. She opened one and I gasped when I realized it was a library. Bigger than any apartment I had ever lived in with my mother. Floor to ceiling shelves, filled with books. There was even one of those ladders with the wheels so you could get to the books on the top shelf.
Miss Whitaker shut the door behind her.
“There,” she said. “I know Ulysses can be intimidating. He’s… well, he’s his own kind…”
“Yeah, he is,” I said. “And you two live here together?”
“I don’t like the tone of the word together,” she said.
“I would never think or suggest anything like that,” I said. “Sorry. I’m just… it was a shock to see him here. I mean, you know, you are so…”
“Wow, Belle, you okay over there?” Miss Whitaker asked.
I sucked in a breath and let out a sigh. “You are so cool and laid back. Okay? I’m really pissed that someone stole my writing and gave it to you. But I get it… it worked out. I’m really pissed that you took my notebook and Uly read it… but whatever, right? It’s words.”
“You can hate me for that then, Belle. Ulysses is the smartest person that I have ever met. I tried hard for a long time to get him out of here. To go somewhere where he could really do something special. I hope he does that at some point. Business. Art. Science. Math. He’s incredible. I’m sorry if I put you in an uncomfortable position.” Miss Whitaker sighed and leaned against a desk in the middle of the room. “This is my fault, Belle. I lied to you about something. I really want you to keep writing while you’re here. And I really want to send some of it to people I know to read. I want you to become something greater than whatever brought you here and whatever is going to take you away. Even if I can just… I don’t know. Show you that quick glimmer. So I owe you an apology. I am sorry. But what you’re able to do here… will you read it to me? Your assignment?”
I couldn’t figure it out but I really trusted Miss Whitaker.
I took the paper from her hand.
“I don’t want to do this,” I said.
“But you wrote it. You showed up to hand it in. All for a bullshit class. You knew I was bringing your notebook back tomorrow anyway.”
I nodded.
I wasn’t sure if Miss Whitaker was desperate, crazy, or a genius.
After taking a deep breath, I looked down at the paper.
The word heart written right on top.
Before I could speak a word, I thought of three things.
Uly, Hil, and Ash.
Miss Whitaker gave me my notebook back.
“I need a cigarette,” I said.
“We all do, Belle,” she said. “Need me to walk you out?”
“No. I’m okay. Did you really mean what you said about sending some of this stuff to people you know?”
“I did mean it,” she said. “I don’t want you to feel pressured though, Belle. And I hope you know I don’t do this kind of thing. But something about you just…”
“Like Uly?” I asked.
She laughed. “That’s the writer in you, Belle. Always wondering. Writing all these stories in your head. Go home. Try to relax.”
And just like that Miss Whitaker disappeared into the big house that apparently wasn’t actually hers.
I left the house and didn’t make it past the vine covered white pillars before Uly stepped into my path. A cigarette hanging from his lips. Everything about him just cutting through me way too easily.
“The heart is a motherfucker, isn’t it, doll?”
“Do you even have a heart?” I asked.
“Of course I do,” Uly said. “I let Miss Whitaker live here. Although I know her as Lake. Saying Miss Whitaker is just so fucking cute to say.”
“And you’re never going to tell me anything there, are you? Too bad I guess. Would have loved to have known the story before I leave for good.”
I walked around Uly and when I got to my car, his hands touched my waist.
I knew he was there the entire time but I pretended I didn’t know.
He must have ditched his cigarette, which was maybe a little romantic, considering he would rather touch me than a cigarette.
He pulled me against him.
“Leaving would be the biggest mistake of your life, doll,” he whispered.
“Then that’s my-”
“Lake lives with me,” Uly said. “That’s true. She worked for my father after her writing dreams fell apart. She was the first person to look at me and not just see some kid that was going to inherit a lot of money. If it wasn’t for her pushing at me to do more I don’t know what I’d be. Or where. I was sent to Brooks Crest for a short time. I owed this to Lake. She got a teaching job. And while her class is total bullshit, she gets to do something she en
joys. And she still writes all the time at home. But don’t tell her I told you that. To me… Lake is like a big sister. Or mother figure. I don’t know. My mother took off after everything happened. So there’s your fucking story, Belle. Stick around and you’ll learn even more.”
I hurried to spin around and look up at Uly. “What do you mean by she worked for your father and everything happened…? What happened?”
Uly moved his hands from my waist to my face. He lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me like we were a couple. Like we had been kissing for years. And holy fuck did he know how to kiss. I felt chills on my kneecaps. I felt little prickles of hair on my legs standing up and I had just shaved my legs that morning.
His tongue slithered like regret against mine but I couldn’t stop kissing him back.
He finally pulled away.
My eyes looked to the ring missing the diamond.
“What happened, Belle, is simple,” Uly said.
“So then tell me,” I whispered, my lips feeling pouty from Uly’s kiss.
He took out his sunglasses and put them on his face.
It was dark out.
Then he told me what happened.
“Don’t leave me, doll… and you’ll find out everything.”
seventeen
There were some strange things I had woken up to in my life.
Times when I went to bed and my mother was dating a guy named Josh and I’d wake up to a guy name Derek cooking pancakes with a smug grin on his face.
And my mother would shuffle from the bedroom, half naked, hugging Derek from behind, making it well known what they had done and what she wanted to have happen again.
That sort of became the normal for me. It was better than being woken up to my mother crying for help or the police showing up because of something happening to her.
When I was a kid, police officers used to give me a bear when they’d show up. It was some kind of thing they did to help kids stay calm and feel safe.
To put it blunt… I had an entire police force of teddy bears… to the point that they stopped giving them to me.
Now, there were other crazy mornings. Like the ones after parties. Where I’d be desperate to find Sarah, Taylor, and Grace and get out of some house while we were in one piece. Those were fun mornings though. We’d drive to a diner, chug coffee with our sunglasses on, eat greasy food, and then avoid all sunlight for the day.
NOT SO Innocent (Bay Falls High Book 4) Page 17