“Come on, I’ m taking you home.”
That was my limit. My parents didn’t even tell me what to do. I stomped on his foot and he loosened his grip enough that I was able to pull my arm free. I didn’t see his response to that because I was rushing through the crowd trying to get to the table before he caught up to me. Halfway there I turned around to see if I’d lost him. He was gone. All I saw was a sea of teenage faces that I didn’t recognize. I looked at the back corner where he had shoved me. It was empty. I couldn’t see him, but I knew he hadn’t left the bar, I could feel him here, watching me.
“There you are. We were getting worried,” Lily said as I sat down between her and Lauren. Someone had pulled some more chairs over so no one had to share.
“I went back to the washroom,” I lied smoothly. It was a talent I learned from my father the lawyer and my mother the socialite.
A slow song came on. The good-looking singer swayed back and forth, making eyes at the girls standing in front of the stage.
“Come on, Lily, you owe me a dance, remember.” Eddie stood up, holding his hand out for her. She took it with a big grin on her face. I watched them walk together to the dance floor. Eddie looked like a giant compared to Lily. There was more than just their height that stood out. He was broad in the shoulders with a dark complexion and black hair, while she was very petite with pale blond hair.
“They’re cute together, don’t you think?” Lauren commented, leaning into me.
“Yeah, they are. Where were you, by the way? Lily and I looked everywhere.”
“I was in the washroom. You must have just missed me. Are you having fun?”
“I am actually. I’ve never been to a place like this.” I looked around the room at the couples dancing. Lily was smiling at something Eddie was whispering in her ear. Allison was dancing again, but this time with a different guy. “What happen to Marty?” I asked Lauren
“He had to leave, but it never takes Ally long to find a new dance partner.”
When the song ended, the band started playing another slow song. “Come on, Megan. You owe me a dance.” Danny was standing in front of me holding his hand out, mimicking Eddie.
I looked to Lauren for help. “Go, I’ll be fine here.”
I narrowed my eyes at her as I stood up to follow Danny. I heard Lauren giggle as I walked away.
Chapter Eleven
Rejected Again
I placed my hands on Danny’s shoulders, keeping as far away from him as possible without looking rude. He smelled of sweat, strong cologne and beer.
“Why don’t I take you out sometime? I’ve never been with a rich chick.”
So tempting. “No thanks,” I said flatly.
He pulled back to look at me, his eyes showing just a touch of anger. “What? Am I not good enough for you?”
“I didn’t say that, but you didn’t even talk to me until you heard my last name. And you’ve made it clear that you’re only interested in my money.” I started to pull away, but his arms tightened around my back. His fingers dug into my skin.
“I know you think you’re better than everyone because you have money. But I know you’re just some poor little rich girl getting her kicks slumming with the rest of us.”
I stiffened. His words stung even though I knew they weren’t true. “Please let me go.” I tried again to get away, but his grip was too tight. I moved my hands down to push against his shoulders. He was unmovable as he leered at me.
“May I cut in?” a deep voice suddenly asked.
We looked up to see Nate scowling at Danny.
“Sorry, man, we’re kind of busy here.” Danny’s cold eyes barely shifted away from me.
“Megan?” Nate asked, obviously hoping I wouldn’t push him away this time. I nodded silently. Nate grabbed Danny’s arm, yanking it from my back. “I believe the lady asked you to stop.” His voice was a low growl.
Danny’s eyes widened. He swung his fist at Nate’s face, but Nate blocked it with his hand and held it. The way Danny’s eyes widened with pain told me that Nate was squeezing his hand hard. When he let go, Danny lowered his eyes, mumbled something I couldn’t understand and rushed away.
Nate held out his hand and bowed slightly. “May I have this dance?”
I nodded, at a loss for words.
His arms rested on my lower back while I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, leaning in as close as I could. He smelled of pine and leather, an odd combination, but I couldn’t help but take another deep breath, enjoying his strange scent.
His eyes met mine, his lips turning up into a knowing grin. I turned my head into his shoulder, suddenly embarrassed that I had been caught sniffing him. “Now will you let me take you home?” His voice was void of his usual harshness, replaced by a soft, concerned whisper.
I lifted my head to look him in the eyes. “Aren’t you going to say I told you so?” I smiled, not wanting to argue with him.
“No, I’m not. I just want to keep you safe.”
“Why?”
“I just do. Remember our deal from earlier. You said you’d let me help you.”
“Yes, I remember. But I knew Shane wouldn’t be here.” The song ended, replaced by a fast one. Most of the couples left the dance floor, except us. We remained swaying slowly regardless of the speed of the song. His body was snug against mine and I didn’t want to fight or talk anymore. I just wanted to lean my head against his shoulder and feel the warmth of his arms around me.
I expected him to argue with me, to make me leave with him. Instead, his arms tightened around my waist with his head resting against mine. The rest of the room seemed to disappear until it was just the two of us. I didn’t hear the music or the low buzz of voices from the couples dancing around us, just the pounding of our hearts and his slow breathing. When the next song ended, he looked into my eyes and leaned down. I lifted my head and closed my eyes waiting for his lips to touch mine. I could sense him just inches from me, his breath hot against my skin, but then he pulled back.
I opened my eyes and saw that his face was void of emotion. “The song’s over. I’ll take you home.”
Disappointment clenched inside me like a fist, almost causing physical pain. My eyes stung from yet another rejection. I couldn’t believe I had let myself get carried away, again. How many times could my heart break from one person?
I pulled away from him. If I didn’t, I knew the tears that were threatening to fall would erupt at any moment. And I wasn’t going to let him see me cry. “I don’t need you.” My voice shook as I turned away, rushing to the table.
Everyone was there except Danny. Lauren was sitting beside a guy with auburn hair, a ripped T-shirt and a nose ring. Ally sat beside Eddie and Lily was on the other side.
“You two looked cozy,” Allison remarked with a smirk, her arms folded in front of her. She clearly thought I was lying earlier.
I ignored her comment and gazed down at Lauren. “Can we go?”
Her smile vanished as she saw my face and then her eyes shifted behind me.
“It’s fine, I’ll take her home.” Nate appeared out of nowhere.
“Hey, boss man, what are you doing here?” Eddie stood up and held out his hand. Nate smiled slightly, but otherwise ignored him.
Lauren took my hand, staring coldly at Nate. “I think you’ve done enough.” She turned her head. “Come on, guys, it’s time to go.” Then without waiting for Lily and Allison, she pulled me toward the exit.
“Megan,” Nate called. I turned around to see his face full of regret. “I’m sorry.” But as soon as the words were out, his blank mask returned and he turned his back on me.
Lauren led me out of the bar and to the car without any questions. Once inside she said, “I’m sorry, Megan, he’s a jerk.”
I sat in the front seat beside her, looking out into the deserted parking lot. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
She nodded and started the car. Not long after, the back doors opened, Allison and Lily clim
bed in.
“What the hell—”
“Don’t,” Lauren interrupted Allison with only one word and the car was suddenly quiet.
The rest of the way home Lily prattled on about Eddie and how good a dancer he was and how sweet he was. It helped to get my mind off of Nate. Lauren dropped the other girls off at Allison’s, a nice middle-class gray stone home in a quiet subdivision. They stood outside of her house and waved as we drove away.
“Do you feel like some company?” Lauren asked halfway to my house.
I almost said no, but the idea of finally being able to talk about Nate was something I couldn’t turn down. And Lauren struck me as the kind of person I could open up to. Was I just a glutton for punishment or did he really like me, like I thought? I wasn’t one to throw myself at someone who wasn’t interested. Nate was just so confusing. I just wished I could walk away and be done with it. But every time I looked at his face and into his deep blue eyes, I was drawn to him. And I was sure he felt the same way until every time we came close, he pulled away. My heart couldn’t take much more rejection.
Lauren drove me home and I invited her to stay over. We stayed up half the night talking. She was a really good listener and oddly comforting. At one point the tears did fall. She handed me a tissue and listened, telling me what a jackass Nate was.
By morning, I had a new best friend and I felt much better. It was surprising how much talking to someone actually helped. She made me see that just being friends with Nate was good enough. Like me, she was sure Nate was interested, but there had to be a reason why he was holding back. “I know it’s hard, Megan, but just be patient. He’ll come around eventually. Guys are slow. Just go at his speed and maybe he’ll surprise you.”
She left shortly after and instead of heading to the shelter, I decided to stay home. I wasn’t ready to face him, at least not yet.
That night, as I was shoving my homework in my bag getting ready for the morning, the phone rang. It was Nate. I almost didn’t answer, but he was just so hard to resist. “What do you want?” I asked coldly.
“I’m sorry,” he said for the second time. “I wanted to see if you were okay.”
“I’m fine.” I hated to hear my own voice soften. I wanted to be mad at him.
“About last night—”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Are you still going to let me help you? Do we still have a deal?”
Why couldn’t I resist him? What was this pull I felt towards him? “Yes,” I whispered.
“Good, I’ll see you at school. Good night, Megan.”
“Good night.”
The next day and for the rest of the school week, Nate was civil toward me. He walked me to and from classes, protecting me from the big, bad football boys. I chose to eat lunch with Lauren and her friends, since I wasn’t sure whether or not he would brush me off even though he said he wouldn’t.
At lunch on Wednesday, Lily, Allison and I stood in line for food. Lauren was late but told us not to wait for her.
“What’s this, Megan? Scraping the bottom of the barrel for friends, I see?” Jenny stood in front of me, with an embarrassed Mandy standing behind her looking away. Jenny smiled and gave Allison and Lily the same look she gave a waiter when she found a hair in her salad. “You’re welcome to come back to us, we forgive you.”
My eyes widened in shock. “You forgive me?” I asked in disbelief. She nodded as if she were some sort of saint. “For what? Keeping your secret? Not telling anyone that your boyfriend threatened me, slashed my tires and tried to run me down with his car?” She blinked at me, her smile fading. “I wouldn’t come back to you guys if you were the last people on earth. I finally have friends who I trust and have fun with. These two girls may not have a lot of money. But they like me for who I am and not because my daddy’s the boss. I know you hung out with me so your father could get in with my dad. And just so you know, I only tolerated you because Mandy wanted to get close to Chris.”
Jenny huffed and spun on Mandy, who only looked down at the floor.
I pulled Allison and Lily toward the cashier, leaving Jenny standing where she was, looking stunned. Mandy walked away and headed for their usual table.
I paid for their food, ignoring their protests. “Come on, I owe you for having to listen to Jenny’s crap.”
“Please, it was worth it just to hear you tell her off,” Allison said. “But okay, you can pay this once, but we’ll buy next time.”
I smiled at them. I wasn’t used to being friends with normal girls who genuinely liked each other and treated one another with respect. I had a flashback of Jenny whining about smashing her car again and almost laughed. The difference between my new friends and my old ones was almost comical.
“What did I miss?” Lauren asked, sitting across from me, beside Lily.
“Oh, not much, just Jenny insulting us and Megan telling her off.” Allison held up a fry and took a bite.
Lauren’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”
Lily nodded and related the story to a very disappointed Lauren. “That’s it! Next time you choose to tell any of them off, wait until I get here.” She pointed a carrot stick at me as if threatening to hit me with it.
I smiled, taking a bite of a cucumber. “I promise.”
I laughed, watching the girls tease Lauren about missing the action.
I stopped at home on Friday before heading to Riley House, telling Nate I’d meet him there.
I noticed his car in his usual spot parked behind the shelter. I pulled in next to it and slid in the back door. As I entered the kitchen I heard voices. When I heard my name, I stopped behind the wall where we usually hung our coats, to listen.
“So what’s up with you and Megan?” I heard Eddie ask.
“Nothing, why?” Nate answer. I heard the clang of a knife. It sounded like he was chopping something.
“I thought I got a vibe from the two of you last week at the bar. But if I’m wrong, I wanted to see if you minded if I set her up with a friend of mine.”
Oh God, I hope he doesn’t mean Danny.
“Ow!”
“Dude, are you okay?” I heard footsteps that must be Eddie’s rushing over to Nate.
“Yeah, it’s just a cut.”
I slipped around the corner before Eddie said something I’d regret.
“Hey, guys,” I greeted, stepping up to them. “What happened?” I stared at Nate, who had a towel wrapped around a finger.
“I cut myself. I’m going to get a bandage.” While he walked out, heading for the bathroom, I stuck my bag by the door.
“I’m going to see if Julia needs me for anything.”
“Okay,” Eddie said, smiling. I hoped he didn’t think I’d go out with Danny after Saturday night. I left him chopping vegetables and found Julia at the front desk.
“Is there anything you need me to do? Or should I go help prepare for dinner? Nate’s busy right now or I’d ask him.”
“You can go set up the dining room. You know what to do, right?”
“Yes. Everything’s in there?”
She nodded and went back to the papers she was hovering over.
In the dining room, I took the plates out of the cupboard and placed them on the serving table. I arranged the silverware in front and put out plastic cups.
On the food table I made sure there were serving spoons and turned on the heating plates. I took out the salt and pepper shakers and went to all the tables and added more where needed. As I glanced around to make sure everything was ready, I noticed that the tables were a bit dull. It would be more cheery if they had flowers on them. I made a note to cut some from our garden.
I went in the kitchen to see how dinner was coming. “Do you need a hand? The dining room is all set.”
Nate looked up from his chicken and nodded. “The potatoes are cooked. Do you want to mash them?” He pointed to the large pot sitting on the stovetop.
I panicked. I didn’t want to look st
upid, since he was just starting to treat me like I wasn’t completely useless. My terror must have shown on my face because he smiled. “Just take the masher beside the stove and mash them.” He made a motion with his hand to demonstrate.
As I walked slowly over to the pot, I heard Eddie chuckle quietly.
I can do this, they’re just potatoes, I chanted in my head. I looked inside the pot and saw a bunch of small pieces of white potatoes. Picking up the masher I started to push down. It was kind of fun—I could pound out my aggressions. I pictured Nate’s face inside the pot, telling me he didn’t want me. It wasn’t long before those suckers were mush. I might have gone a little overboard.
“Now what?” I asked Nate.
He smiled. “Add butter, milk, salt and pepper.”
All the ingredients were in front of me. I added each one and stirred. It seemed too thick, so I added more milk. When they looked like Mona’s, I took some garlic and added a little. I had seen Mona do that many times. I took a spoon and tried them. I had to admit they tasted good.
I felt a presence behind me and turned to see Nate grinning down at me. He took a bite with the same spoon. “Mmm, that’s good. You added garlic. Did you get that idea from Mona?” he asked, smiling and leaning back on the counter.
“Yes. So, what do you think?”
“They’re good. You should have Mona teach you to cook. So you don’t look horrified next time someone asks you to do something simple.”
I gave him a swat on the shoulder and for a second I thought I saw his eyes darken. He shook his head and turned back to the chicken he had just taken out of the oven. “The chicken is cooked. What about the vegetables, Eddie?”
“Done,” he said, giving Nate and me a strange look.
“Good, let’s bring them in.”
Chapter Twelve
It’s About Time
We each carried in our dish and put them in the hot plates. I stood between both guys while the first of the residents came in.
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