Cursing Fate

by Brenda Drake

  What does he want?

  There was a familiar look on his face. One she knew well. He would press his lips together, focusing on anything but her face when he was gathering up courage to ask her something. Just as he was right then.

  She swallowed hard. Is he finally going to forgive me?

  Chapter Two

  Wade

  Damn. Iris looked hot in her short orange skirt and cropped jean jacket. Wade fought the urge to remove that strand of her strawberry-blond hair always sticking to the right corner of her lips. He knew it was a dumbass move coming over. Running into her at the vending machine should have been enough torture for one day.

  Wade cleared his throat. What he wanted to clear was all thoughts of those lips of hers and the memories of their kisses. “The tail’s all wrong,” he finally said.

  “What?” Her eyebrows pinched together, confusion shadowing her face. She rotated away from him and scrutinized her work.

  His eyes traveled down her, stopping at the familiar mole on the back of her leg just below the hem of her skirt.

  “How’s it wrong?” she asked.

  His gaze went back to her project. “The comet is passing across the sun. The tail shouldn’t be following the comet.” He pointed at it. “It should be directed away from the sun, and the dust tail curves toward the orbital path.” He air-traced the correct path with his finger over the painting.

  “Oh no, what if the judges notice?” Panic sounded in her voice.

  Carys placed her hand on Iris’s arm. “The judges probably won’t notice.”

  Wade heaved a sigh. “The judges are hardasses this year. One came all the way down from the science lab in Frederick. Do you have a black marker?”

  “I think so,” Iris said. “Why?”

  “Just get it.” Though he shouldn’t care if Iris suffered—hell, she’d caused him enough pain—he knew she needed a perfect grade on her project. Dena had told him she was almost failing science.

  His heart pounded hard in his chest as she held down the hem of her skirt and knelt in front of an overly large canvas bag on the floor. The fabric wrapped tight around her ass. Man, was she sexy. She rifled around inside the tote, her hair falling forward, concealing her face from his view. After finding the marker, she straightened and handed it to him. The touch of her fingers against his hand sent heat and awareness through his body. They locked gazes for several seconds.

  “You two should really just get back together.” Carys pointed out the white elephant in the cafeteria. “You guys make such a cute couple.”

  Iris swiftly withdrew her hand and gave Carys a warning glare.

  Unlikely. Wade wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to trust Iris again. Not since she used him to get back her ex-boyfriend. He snapped the cap off the marker and stepped up to the poster.

  “What are you going to do with it?” Iris asked, the definite panic in her voice back.

  He ignored her, dragging the black tip across the edge of the comet tail. He darkened it until the dust tail was curved and directed away from the sun. Returning the cap, he stepped back and surveyed his work. “Not perfect. But it’ll do.”

  “You can tell it’s been fixed,” Iris said.

  Carys tilted her head, eyes scanning the board. “Actually, it’s not that bad. Besides, they’re not judging the art. It’s the science that matters.”

  Iris snatched the marker from Wade’s hand. “I can make it better.”

  Wade took it back from her. She grasped for it, and he pulled it out of her reach.

  “The judges are almost here,” he said. “You don’t want them to see you fixing it.”

  Her eyes darted to the approaching group—two men and a woman with clipboards. She lowered her hand, giving him a frown before smoothing down her skirt.

  The judges stopped in front of her display. Carys gave Iris a silent wave and rushed off to her own table. Iris wringed her hands as the judges examined her science project. Wade stepped back and chuckled under his breath. Her face scrunched with worry and hope was cute. Something like regret sank to his stomach. He missed her. Missed touching her. Missed just hanging out together.

  “What’s up? I’ve been looking all over for you,” Dena Lee said, coming up to his side. She looked like a boy standing next to him—just shy of average height, her dark hair cropped short.

  He glanced at her. “Is that my shirt?”

  She wore shiny gray jeans and an unbuttoned black vest over Wade’s white T-shirt.

  “Yep. I’m running out of options with my wardrobe.” She adjusted her weight from one foot to the other. “My mom hasn’t caught up to my new style. She keeps buying girly shit.”

  “It’s too big on you.” Wade returned his gaze to Iris. She was answering the judges’ questions, her hands now free from torture and resting at her sides.

  “I’m going to have my grandmother alter it.” Dena ran her hand over the expression on the front of the T-shirt: I’m sqrt[1 + tan2 (c)] and I know it. “You’re just jealous it looks better on me.”

  Wade chuckled. “Do you even know what it means?”

  She paused, feeling herself up. “Um…yeah, something about knowing math. Am I right?”

  “You’re way off.” Wade shook his head. “It’s a trigonometric expression simplified to sec (C). So, therefore, it means I’m sexy and I know it.”

  She snorted. “That’s a good one. And it’s why this shirt is more suited for me.”

  Wade laughed and returned his stare to Iris. Her eyes found his and she grinned. She’d changed since Josh’s group had shunned her. There was a new vulnerability behind her smiles and a warmth in her eyes. It was hypnotizing, and he could watch her all day, but he wondered how long it would last.

  She was fickle—going from Josh to Wade and then back to Josh. It was like he’d suffered whiplash. Their relationship lit up and died faster than a spark off a burning log. But while it lasted, it was better than any relationship he’d ever had. It took several months to get over their breakup.

  “Dude, let’s get out of here,” Dena said. “You’re only torturing yourself being around her. And she looks too much like Violet, so you’re torturing me, too.”

  “How is Violet doing?” Wade asked.

  Dena shrugged a shoulder. “Okay, I guess. Ever since the whole Violet-and-Dena-making out-gate, she’s been distant. Afraid, I guess. I’m her first girlfriend. She doesn’t have the experience that I have with it all. You know…”

  Wade did know. She couldn’t shut up about it. Where Wade suffered in private, she would torture any poor sucker who’d listen. Other than her relationship issues, Dena was pretty cool to hang with. She challenged him in chess and could beat anyone in a game of beer pong.

  But there was more to them than their affinity for games. They would talk for hours about world issues and they had each other’s backs. Dena had filled the gaping hole when he and Iris screwed things up by stepping over the friendship line.

  The judges shuffled off to the next table, scribbling notes on the cards attached to their clipboards. Iris took a step forward as if she wanted to stop them, convince them to give her a good grade.

  Dena leaned closer to Wade. “If we stand here any longer, just staring, we’ll look like creepers.”

  Wade nodded, giving Iris one last look before shuffling off in the same direction as the judges, passing as close as he could to get a glimpse of their score sheets. The marks were high. Wade turned, giving Iris a thumbs-up.

  Iris’s shoulders relaxed, and she expelled a relieved breath. She crinkled her nose at him before smiling brightly, and his heart nosedived. Everything she did was adorable.

  Dena bumped into his shoulder. “God. You’ve got it worse than me.”

  “Shut up,” Wade said and walked off. The thing was, he did have it bad. He rounded the corner and continued to the next row, spotting Josh and his groupies. Every time he saw Josh, it reminded him of Iris ditching him for the douchebag. That betrayal stung worse th
an being kicked in the balls.

  Josh and his worshippers were harassing a skinny freshman. Wade had made it his mission to protect the weaker population at Stephen Decatur High School. He didn’t have to do much—only walk over and stand by the freshman. Wade patted the guy’s back and he flinched. Dena was nowhere in sight. Something must have distracted her on the other row.

  “How’s it going?” Wade gave Josh a glare. “You messing with my friend here?”

  Of course, Josh wouldn’t back down; he had his reputation to protect. But he wouldn’t do anything, either. Not since he’d lost a fight with Wade a few days before school ended last June.

  The jerk was spreading rumors about Iris, and Wade had lost it, leaving Josh with a broken nose and two black eyes.

  It made Wade sick to think of Josh doing whatever he did with Iris. And his mind went too far most times. He imagined they’d gone all the way. After all, he once found them at a party in one of the bedrooms. Josh had his hands up Iris’s skirt. She was drunk. Wade pulled Josh off her and dragged him outside. If Dena hadn’t stopped Wade, it was a good bet he would have killed Josh.

  “Come on,” Josh said, slouching off. “I’m hungry. Let’s ditch this stink hole.”

  Yeah, run off, shithead.

  When the group was a safe distance away, the boy turned to Wade. “Th-thank y-you.” Wade remembered the boy from his biology class. Tim. That was his name.

  “No problem, bro.” Wade patted his back again. “You come to me if they give you any more trouble.”

  Dena rushed up with Iris trailing her. “Dude, that was classic. You scared him off.”

  What is she up to? I swear, if she’s trying to get Iris and me back together, I’m going to puncture her bike tires.

  Wade looked over Dena’s shoulder at Iris. Whenever she smiled at him like that, his insides turned to mush. He hated that she had that power over him. But he really hated that it took less than three weeks to destroy their friendship.

  “Sorry.” Dena shrugged. “She said she had to talk to you.”

  “It’s okay,” Wade said.

  “Hi.” Iris’s voice was low and uncertain. “I have a favor to ask you…well, it’s more like a job.”

  Wade waited for her to ask.

  She waited for him to say it was okay to ask.

  Their eyes were stuck on each other, neither one making a move. Maybe it was because he knew that once she’d asked, he would have to answer, and then she’d be gone. And he would go back to missing her.

  Dena sighed. “Just ask him.”

  She stared at the marker in her hand. “I heard you were trying to raise money. To fix your dad’s sailboat. Um…” She glanced up at him with that pleading look he could never resist. “Well,” she said. “I need a tutor for science, and I was wondering if I could pay you to do it.”

  Wade gave Dena a WTF look.

  Dena grinned. “What? She asked. I can’t lie to her. She’s going to be my sister-in-law one day. Besides, you need cash. There’s no way you can get it from your mom. She’d lock you up just for stepping on that boat let alone sailing it.”

  It was no secret. I do need money.

  He was about to cave. “No. I can’t,” he said.

  “Won’t you at least think about it?”

  He glanced at Iris. She was biting her bottom lip. A move that made him want to wrap his arms around her, press against her body, and nibble that lip. Heat rose inside him at the thought. Shit. She does this to me every time. But he did need the money. He could keep it strictly business.

  “Okay,” he finally said, and she rewarded him with a smile. “When do you want to start?” He liked how she was wearing her long, strawberry-blond hair lately, a natural wave instead of the straight look she used to have.

  “As soon as you can,” Iris said. “I have a test next week.”

  He grabbed the back of his neck, glancing over at Dena.

  “Don’t look at me. I don’t know your schedule.”

  Wade expelled a breath. “All right. How about tomorrow after school?”

  She squealed a little under her breath. “That’s perfect. My house?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “My mom’s been crazy with the campaign. She’s always working, even when she’s home.”

  “Okay, see you then.” She spun on her heel and glided off. He watched her until she disappeared around the row of projects. Her hips moved like a slow-swaying boat.

  Dena punched his arm. “Wade? Did you hear me?”

  “What?” He pulled his stare away from where Iris once was.

  “You two just need to have hot makeup sex or something. The tension between you guys is intense.”

  “We’ve never done it,” Wade said, heading for the exit.

  “Really?” Dena was trying to stay up with Wade’s long stride. “Why not?”

  “She wasn’t ready.” He shrugged. “I didn’t want to rush her.”

  “Now that is so sweet.” Dena elbowed his side. “You obviously like her. Why not just give it another try?”

  “I can’t trust her.”

  They reached the door and Wade gave one last look over his shoulder, his eyes searching until he caught a glimpse of Iris between the displays. Way to torture yourself, Diaz. He yanked open the door and waited for Dena to pass through before he let it slam shut behind them.

  How the hell was he going to make it through tutoring Iris?

  Chapter Three

  Iris

  A brisk wind flapped Iris’s jacket as she slammed the Bug’s door. Before leaving for college, Aster had given Iris the Volkswagen Beetle. It was Aster’s way of apologizing for messing up Iris’s life. It helped. Some.

  Iris bounded up the steps and pushed open the back door to the large, two-story beach house, a few early fall leaves following her inside. The sweet smell of Gram’s baking hit her nose and she inhaled deeply.

  Her sucky day promised to improve, since she’d get to see Wade in an hour. Dodging Josh and the rest of his group all day at school took a lot of skill and effort. She’d had only one encounter with Lauren in the bathroom, and the girl seemed more freaked out than Iris.

  She dropped her backpack on the floor. “Those smell delicious.”

  Gram shoveled a snickerdoodle cookie off her baking sheet with a metal spatula. Her auburn hair had lightened with all the gray hairs she’d gotten over the past year. “How was school, dear?”

  Iris placed her keys on the counter by the door. “Torture. Like getting a tooth pulled without anesthetic. I don’t know why they can’t just leave me alone.”

  Gram paused, the snickerdoodle balancing on the spatula in her hand. “It’s because there’s something broken inside them. Until they face some tragedy of their own, they won’t learn empathy. Best to steer clear of them, dear.” She placed the cookie on the pile, reached over the counter, and patted Iris’s hand before returning to her task. “I hate seeing any of my girls suffer. I wish there was something I could do to help. Know that you are loved here.”

  “I know.” Iris shrugged a shoulder. “I probably deserve it anyway. I haven’t always been the nicest person. Thanks for baking these.” She snatched up a cookie, tore off a small piece, and popped the steaming goodness into her mouth. “They’re Wade’s favorite. Maybe I can at least get him to like me again. Too bad Aster can’t change my fate back. It would be a lot easier. If I could just tell him that it wasn’t my choice to break up with him, he would give us another chance.”

  “I’m so sorry, dear, but we must protect your sister. This isn’t a secret we can share with others.” Gram picked up a box of tinfoil, tore off a long sheet, and wrapped the plate of cookies. When she was done, she looked up at Iris, the corners of her mouth tugging into that warm smile that held so much concern and love for others. “Wade is a good boy. He’ll see how you’ve changed and come to his senses.”

  Iris brushed the crumbs from her hands. “I hope you’re right.”

  Something heavy slid across the
floor upstairs.

  “Is someone here?” Iris asked.

  “Oh, I forgot,” Gram said and glanced at the ceiling as if she could see whoever it was upstairs. “It’s Violet. Your dad brought her home this afternoon. He put your boxes in Aster’s room and her things in the garage apartment.”

  Excitement rushed through Iris. She’d been lonely with her twin gone. Violet had stayed with their father in Baltimore after classmates bullied her, sending photos of her and her girlfriend, Dena, making out without their shirts. It was spread all over school with an anonymous app. It had been screenshot and shared so many times, the school couldn’t prove who originally posted the photograph.

  But it wasn’t the pic so much as the online bullying and jeers behind Violet’s back at school that broke her. Dena was different than Violet. She couldn’t care less what people said or thought about her.

  “I leave tomorrow for North Carolina to help out your aunt with the move and Nathan,” Gram was saying. “Poor dear, she has her hands full. The little tike is walking and climbing up things. Your dad will stay with you girls while your mom is away.”

  “Yeah, stay.”

  Nana raised an eyebrow at Iris’s sarcastic tone.

  “You mean at the Holiday Inn,” Iris continued. “Why does that woman have to be so jealous? Why can’t he stay in the guest room? He’s our dad.”

  “Her name is Shelby, not that woman,” Nana said. “Be nice. She’s your stepmother. And I don’t know why it matters to her when your mother is out of town.”

  “What does someone do at a florist convention, anyway?”

  “I suppose learn new techniques and arrangements. It’s good for your mother to take a break from the flower shop.” Gram began spooning cookie dough onto the empty baking sheet.

  Iris picked up her backpack. “I think I’ll go up and see how Violet’s doing and unpack some boxes before Wade comes over.”