Hayden lets out a bark of laughter. “The mouse almost scorched my fucking eyes out.” He steps up to me and throws his arm around my shoulder. “I tell you what, Mouse.” He wags his eyebrows suggestively. “How about you get out of all of that,” he waves over my body and I feel my neck and cheeks flush hotter than before, “and then we’ll see if that blush colors your whole body.” I shove him away and bend to pick up my book. “Such a pity, it sure looks like you have a fine ass.” Another bark of laughter is all it takes from Hayden to make my temper explode.
I swing around and the corner of the book clips Hayden’s cheek. Stunned I watch as he grabs his face and roars with pain. “Bitch! What the fuck man?”
Seth steps between us, but not before I see the red welt and tiny drop of blood on Hayden’s cheek. Hayden is going to be so pissed! I’m not sticking around to see what he does. I take off running home, not sparing either boy another glance.
Only when I reach our RV do I dare to peek down the street. No one followed me. I let out a huff of air. “Stupid jerk!” I lash out as I open the door. “The one time I get to see Seth and Hayden has to ruin it!” I fill a glass with water and drink it standing by the sink, and then I remember that Seth stood up for me.
“EEEEEP!” I shriek and start to jump up and down. “He freaking stood up for me! Twice! Oh, my gosh! I’m going to die!” I fall back on the couch and stare at the ceiling, but all I see is Seth.
~*~
Chapter Two
Seth~
As I wake up the thought hits me, “Yes! It’s the last day of school!” I get up with more vigor than usual, fold my blanket and place it at the foot of the couch. I can’t wait until I’m finished with school and I can get out of this RV. I miss our house and Mom. Mom left us two years ago. She just disappeared one night.
Dad’s a struggling writer and barely makes enough for food. Mom was a teacher with the more steady income, and she came from a wealthy family. I still don’t understand why she just left us like that. The only other family I have is my Aunt Janice. She’s Mom’s older sister. Mom has a trust fund she inherited from her parents, it used to help a lot financially. But, since Mom took the high road, the trust fund went with her.
I grab my bag, throw it over one shoulder and grab my phone on the way out.
I managed to get some extra hours working as a lifeguard. I’ve been working weekends for the last year. I need the money for when I start college. Mr. Herbert said I can come in on Thursdays and Fridays now that it’s summer break. That will be a great boost for my savings.
On my way to the bus stop I text Marcus to make sure he’s up. He always over-sleeps. He responds a few seconds later with a thumbs-up. I hate it when he does that. I send him a pic of my middle finger and seconds later he phones me.
“Hey man, I’m running late. Don’t let the bus drive by my stop without me,” he says out of breath.
“Dude, you were late for your own birth,” I laugh. “If I didn’t wake you, you’d never get to school on time.” Marcus is the most disorganized person I know.
I smile at Dad as he passes me and for a moment I wonder what he’s doing out so early. He’s been taking a lot of walks lately, some in the middle of the night. He’s either taking a walk or he’s in the room working on his latest story. I don’t really care what he does, as long as it keeps him busy and out of my life.
Marcus is giving me an update on his date the night before, when I notice a girl at the bus stop. I shoot her a quick smile but don’t actually take in anything, accept that her clothes are baggy and that she’s wearing the same chucks as me. At least she has good taste in shoes.
I don’t wait long for the bus. “You better hurry, I just got on the bus,” I interrupt Marcus.
“Oh shit!” he groans. I laugh as he panics and I can picture him running all over the place.
As the bus nears his stop I start to laugh harder. “Man, you’re going to walk to school!”
“Shut up and don’t let it leave without me!” I watch Marcus’ house as we drive by. The bus always stops at the corner. Marcus lives in a nice area. His dad works at the local accounting firm and his mom is a receptionist for our dentist. I spend a lot of time at their house. They remind me of how our family used to be before Mom left.
“Bro, we just passed your house. Get a move on!” I warn him.
“Coming, I’m coming!” he yells and then I see him burst out of his house. He runs in a full sprint to beat the bus to the stop. As he gets on, I burst out laughing again. This shit is funny. Marcus is my daily entertainment. He flips me off as he nears our seat. “Screw you,” he laughs back at me.
“Why do you do this to yourself? Just get up early,” I choke out, my eyes watering from all the laughing.
“I set the alarm but somehow I put it off in my sleep. I can’t help it man.”
“At least it’s the last day of school,” I say.
“Hallelujah! It’s about time. Check this out,” he says, as he pulls out his phone and we get lost in funny YouTube videos for the rest of ride.
~*~
The best thing about summer break is I get to spend all my time on the beach. When I’m not on duty as a lifeguard, I’m goofing around with the guys. I shower and dress in shorts and a tank. I open the fridge and scour for something to eat on the way. The fridge is pretty empty. I grab an apple and as I leave the house, Dad comes in.
“Where are you going?” he asks as he takes off his muddy boots.
“The beach,” I say and slip by him. “Oh, we need food,” I call back before walking in the direction of the beach.
As I walk down the dock to the beach, I notice some of our group is already here. I spot Marcus and Hayden where they’re busy putting up a volleyball net.
It doesn’t take long for the rest of the group to arrive and we split into two teams. It’s game on. Losers buy the winners burgers tonight.
Halfway through the game, sweat is pouring down my body. I yank the tank off and use it to wipe my brow. The game gets intense and I put everything into my next serve. The ball flies clear over Hayden’s head and keeps going. It slams into someone over by the dock and my heart stops for a second. That was a hard hit to the face. I could see it all the way from here.
Hayden jogs to where the ball is and I follow behind to see if the person is alright. Just as I reach them I hear Hayden say, “Girl,” he bursts out laughing, and then gestures in her direction, “who the hell wears jeans to the beach? You’re so fucking white I need sunglasses so I don’t burn my eyes just looking at you.”
I’ll admit, wearing jeans to the beach is a bit weird, but Hayden is being an ass. I look at the girl and the first thing I notice is the pink tinge on her cheeks, then I meet a pair of hazel eyes. There is something so expressive about them that it feels like she can look right to the heart of me. I quickly step forward to stop Hayden from bullying her anymore. He’s the ass in our circle of friends. He thinks just because his parents are wealthy he can get away with anything. “Hey, back off, man. What she ever do to you?”
Hayden lets out a bark of laughter. “The mouse almost scorched my fucking eyes out.” He closes in on the girl and throwing an arm around her, he pulls her against his body. I don’t know why the sight of her in Hayden’s arms upsets me, but it does. “I tell you what, Mouse,” Hayden says mockingly. “How about you get out of all of that,” he wiggles a finger over her petite body, and it only makes her blush even more, “and then we’ll see if that blush colors your whole body.”
I take another step closer. I hate when Hayden is being a dick. The girl shoves him away and bends to pick up a book. “Such a pity, it sure looks like you have a fine ass.”
I feel anger flare to life inside my chest, but before I can let Hayden have it the girl swings around and the book in her hand connects with his face. He grabs his cheek. “Bitch! What the fuck man?”
I quickly step between them so Hayden can’t get to the girl. I’m conscious of her at my back. H
ayden glares up just as the girl takes off running. He moves to go after her and I slam a hand into his chest. “Just chill, man. You were a dick to her and deserve that!”
“What the fuck ever! Let’s get back to the game so I can beat your ass and you can buy me dinner.”
I slap him playfully on the shoulder. “In your wildest dreams.” As we near the waiting group I yell, “Game on!”
~*~
Chapter Three
Lacey~
This is the first school break I’ll be working at the diner with Mom. Dad is a janitor at the local college. They might not have glamorous jobs, but it puts food on the table.
Ron’s Diner overlooks the beach, so it gets a lot of traffic. Only two hours after starting my first shift, I get thrown into the deep-end. Ella gave me a crash course on how to take an order, carry a tray and greet the customers. Now it’s too busy for Ella to babysit me, and I’m heading to my first table alone.
Our town’s not that big, but because I’m somewhat of an introvert, I don’t know everyone by name, like Mom does. I recognize some faces, and I know the man sitting in the corner is a police officer, although he’s out of uniform right now. He comes out to the RV park a lot to break up fights. I like him, so I put on an extra wide smile and quickly scribble on my notepad to make sure the pen’s working.
“Welcome to Ron’s, what can I get you?” I quickly go through the greeting Ella taught me.
The man smiles up at me. “Is it your first day here?”
I nod and wait for his order as he scans the menu. Ron was clever when he had the menu’s made. They serve a double purpose as placemats as well. So we don’t have to run around with menus every time a customer comes in.
“I’ll take the Batman burger with fries and a chocolate shake,” he says with a smile. I quickly write it down and head to the counter to pass the order on.
Ron has all his meals named after some kind of superhero. There are Hulk steaks, Wonder Woman pasta, and a range of burgers and pizzas. The kids love it.
Time flies and I slowly start to get the hang of being a waitress. My shift ends at twelve. For the first week I’m working the six to twelve shift. They thought it would be better if I got thrown in the deep-end, that way I’ll learn faster. I don’t mind, the tips are good.
I hear the door ding again and glance over my shoulder to see in whose section the customers will be sitting. I go hot and cold all at once. It’s Seth and a whole bunch of guys. I’m scared of what Hayden’s reaction is going to be when he sees me, but I’m also excited to see Seth again. They take a seat in Autumn’s section and I feel a pang of rejection. At least their table is on the way to my section, so I’ll get to glimpse Seth every time I pass by them.
“Order up!” Ron yells and I feel flustered as I arrange the two plates on my tray. “You’re doing good kid,” Ron smiles at me just before I turn to leave the counter.
I give him a huge smile, which stays on my face until I go to walk by Seth’s table. I’m not surprised when Hayden recognizes me, as I’m still wearing the same clothes from earlier. “Hey,” Hayden calls out just as I’m about to make it past their table. “You’re the chick from earlier. I have a score to settle with you.”
I feel all flustered again and can’t even bring myself to look in Seth’s direction. I keep walking as if Hayden didn’t just threaten me. I force a stiff smile to my lips and serve my table their burgers. When there’s nothing else they need I quickly scan over my other four tables, making sure they are all happy. Hayden is busy placing his order with Autumn, so I get to sneak past without any further comments from him.
~*~
Chapter Four
Seth~
She’s here! I notice her the second we walk into the diner. Standing with her back to the door, she glances over her shoulder and I quickly look away so she doesn’t catch me staring.
I’m not the only one who notices her. Hayden bumps his elbow against mine and throws a chin lift in her direction. “Check it out! It’s the bitch from this afternoon.”
I shove him back, only harder and he stumbles a bit. “Leave her be!” I warn him.
We all take a seat at our usual table and I hope she’s going to be our waitress. I drink in everything she does. I love the way she moves as she loads her tray. She quickly tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and then she turns in our direction with the loaded tray. There’s a beautiful smile on her face and it dazzles me. I lick my lips and wipe my sweaty palm on my jeans as she nears our table. She’s looking straight ahead and I silently hope that she’ll look at me.
“Hey,” Hayden calls out just as she passes our table. “You’re the chick from earlier. I have a score to settle with you.”
I growl at him and give him a hard kick under the table. “I said let her be!” I hiss at him. He frowns at me, not understanding why I don’t have his back with this girl. If I tell him I like her, he’ll spend the rest of the night yanking my chain.
Autumn comes to serve our table and I feel a pang of disappointment. Autumn has been working here since she finished school a couple of years ago. Her brother Leo is a year younger than me. She goes around the table and when it’s finally my turn, I lean a little closer to her. “What’s the new girl’s name?” I ask making sure the others don’t hear me.
She smiles widely. “That’s Sophia’s daughter, Lacey.”
My jaw drops at this little piece of news. “I didn’t know Sophia had a daughter.” Sophia is an awesome waitress and we normally get her if we come in before six. I didn’t even know she was married, and here I was thinking of setting her up with Dad.
Autumn glances at Lacey, a warm smile on her face. “Yeah, they’re a quiet family. They keep to themselves and never cause any trouble.” Autumn looks back to me. “Why do you want to know?”
I quickly look to my menu. “Just asking. I’ll have the Spiderman with cheesy fries and a coke,” I give my order in the hopes that Autumn will forget what we’re talking about.
We spend the rest of the night chilling and we all have another round of drinks. I’m constantly aware of where Lacey is, and what she’s doing. The diner is open twenty-four-seven so when I notice Lacey duck into the back at twelve and Mary comes out to take over her tables, I know her shift is over. I throw money on the table to cover my tab and get up. “I’ll see y’all tomorrow. I’m heading home.”
I get a whole round of chin-lifts and then I jog out the front to make sure I don’t miss Lacey when she comes out.
I go stand under the diner’s sign where I can keep an eye on both the front and back entrances.
~*~
Chapter Five
Lacey~
I fold my apron and shove it in my bag. I got two, so when one is in the wash I still have one to wear. I put my bag back under the counter, and place the notepad and pen I used in the drawer Autumn showed me. I peek into the kitchen to tell Ron I’m heading home. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ron, and thanks again for letting me work here.”
Ron wipes tiredly over his forehead. “Sure thing, Kid. Are you okay to walk home by yourself this late?”
I’m not thrilled about it, but it’s just a twenty minute walk. I’m sure I’ll be safe. “Yeah, home’s just around the corner.”
I wave at the girls standing by the counter and walk to the door. I glance in Seth’s direction and with a sinking stomach I see he’s left already. I missed him! I so badly wanted one last glance to fill my dreams with tonight.
Hayden’s eyes land hard on me and he gets up from the table. He stalks in my direction and I quickly push the door open and run. My heart starts to pound as the door dings behind me, indicating that someone just opened it.
“Wait up, bitch! I’m not done with you yet,” Hayden growls behind me.
I glance over my shoulder and when I see how close he is, I let out a small shriek. I run into something solid and would’ve fallen if a pair of hands didn’t take hold of my arms. My fingers dig into the material in front of me and
an earthy scent surrounds me.
I look up and am shocked to see who I ran into. Seth glares over my head at Hayden. I’ve never seen him look angry before. My mouth dries right up and my body tenses. The realization hits hard – I’m inches from Seth! I’m touching Seth. I’m touching the very chest I was wondering about earlier. He’s rock hard, just like I thought he’d be.
Seth is touching me! Oh, my gosh! I’m freaking touching Seth!
I’m still struck with stunned wonder when Seth growls, “I told you to leave her be!”
My head whips around and I see Hayden is just as stunned as me that Seth is once again standing up for me. “She’s just a girl! I can’t believe you keep defending her. I see how it is,” Hayden snaps, clearly upset that he can’t get his revenge with me. He turns around and stalks back to the diner, not saying another word.
Warm fingers brush my cheek, and I feel the tingle deep in my belly. Seth takes hold of my chin and lifts my face until our eyes meet. His eyes look black in the dark, but I know they’re blue. Looking into his eyes is like finding my own personal heaven.
I realize my fingers are still tightly bunched in his shirt and I let go quickly. I drop my hands lamely to my sides and swallow hard. I’ve dreamt about this moment for so many nights and now that it’s here, I don’t know what to do. And I smell like diner food! That sucks.
“You okay?” Seth asks and I can only nod.
I swallow again and I swear I can hear the lump go down my throat. Scared that he’ll feel me swallowing, I gently pull my face from his grip. “Thank you,” I whisper, a cloud of embarrassment settling over me. I must look like such a wuss. Twice in one day I’ve run away from a fight, and Seth was there to witness both times.
“I’ve never seen you around here. I’m Seth.” He drops his hands, too, and we both just stand under the bright light of the diner, staring at each other.
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