His jaw tightened until the muscle rippled along his cheek. “You know, it’s a two-way street, Alexis. I know you’re not always the cold, hard person you pretend to be at school.”
Ouch! That was a little below the belt, but I managed to hide behind the façade I knew all too well. “Maybe so, but for now, I need to be cruel and hard. I need to be Queen B, if only to show you that you could be someone worthy of my respect. You know the way out.”
I turned and headed for the stairs, having said all I dared to say. If I kept at it, I’d be in danger of admitting how much I liked him, or worse, falling victim to another one of his kisses. I made my stand, and I needed to leave now so my challenge had time to sink in.
Once I got to my room, I prepared for him to make one final, desperate plea, but he didn’t. Instead, I heard the garage door open, followed by the roar of his truck’s engine. A peek out my window confirmed that he was driving away and leaving me behind.
My mind congratulated me on taking the hard stance, but it couldn’t keep the tumble of emotions from bleeding out of my wounded heart. I’d given him a chance, and he’d proved that he was one of them.
I pulled out my phone and dialed the one number I could turn to in times of need. “Morgan?”
My voice quivered with unshed tears, but Morgan picked up on it within a half-second. “I’ll be right over.”
The great thing about best friends was that they knew what I needed without even asking.
I was sitting on my bed and still trying to choke back my tears when she arrived fifteen minutes later.
“I swung by the store and grabbed some ice cream. It’s not your usual fro-yo, but I figured mocha fudge ripple was close enough.” She pulled out the pint, gave me a spoon, and wrapped her arms around me in a fierce hug. “Have a few bites and tell me what happened.”
A hiccup interrupted my reply. “I basically told him to piss off.”
“Brett?” She waited until I nodded before hugging me again. “Then good riddance. He can go back to banging Summer.”
I took a bite of ice cream and let the cold seep into my veins. “I called him a coward for going along with the in-crowd and told him I couldn’t hang out with someone like that.”
“Good for you.”
“Yeah, but it still hurts,” I admitted. “I really fell for him.”
“I can see why, but in the end, you have to respect yourself. You’re the one who taught me that.” She brushed one of my flyaway curls out of my face. “Want to get a ‘Screw you, Brett Pederson’ piercing? I think a cartilage ring here,” she continued, touching the top of my left ear, “would be perfect.”
I laughed and shook my head, already starting to feel better. “He’s not worth the price of a piercing.”
“Ouch!” Morgan laughed and bounced back on the bed. “But I’m really proud of you, Alexis. Most girls wouldn’t be able to resist someone like him, especially knowing he was interested in them.”
Her praise soothed my raw and aching heart, and by the time we finished the pint of ice cream, I’d begun to think I could get past Brett and move on.
Only eight more months of this hell known as high school left to survive. And then, I’d be free from Summer and Brett and everything they stood for.
Chapter Seventeen
I thought that after yesterday’s encounter, I’d never speak to Brett Pederson again.
Much to my surprise, however, I came to school to find him standing at my locker, holding a cup of coffee, just like the first time I’d found him there waiting for me three weeks ago.
He held out to me. “Vanilla hazelnut nonfat latte?”
“I thought you didn’t drink coffee.”
“It’s for you.” He waved it in front of me so the aroma wafted up my nose.
But I knew a bribe when I saw it. “What do you want?”
“One more study session before the SATs on Saturday.”
“You already have a solid essay for your college applications. You can take what you’ve learned from it and apply it to the SATs.” I opened my locker and prayed he’d go away.
He didn’t.
“Just a quick refresher.” He waved the cup in front of me again. “Please?”
It was all academic. It had nothing to do with “us.” He just wanted to use me to do well on his SATs.
I kept repeating that to myself as I weighed my options, and finally came up with a plan. “Fine. Meet me in the library after fourth period.”
He balked. “You mean you’re willing to be seen with me in public on school grounds?”
“Yep.” If everything went according to plan, I’d only have to be in his presence for a few minutes.
I took the coffee before walking away. No reason to let a yummy vanilla hazelnut latte go to waste.
***
In fourth period, Brett sat up front next to the seat that had been temporarily vacated by his friend Sanchez during his suspension. When the bell rang, I dashed out the door toward the library to set my plan into action before he stalled me. By the time he found me, I’d already found what I needed.
I held out the library copy of SAT for Dummies. “Here you go.”
A wrinkle appeared between his brows. “Uh, thanks.”
“And if that doesn’t help,” I pulled the copy of How to Write a Killer SAT Essay down from the shelf, “try this.”
“Alexis—”
“And don’t forget The Elements of Style. It’s a classic.” I moved to the shelf where the school’s copy was located and placed it on top of the pile of books in his hands. “That should be all the prep you need for Saturday. Good luck.”
I made a beeline for the door, not bothering to look back when he called out my name. He almost caught me at the door, but the stern um-hum from the librarian reminded him he had books that he hadn’t checked out in his hand. It was just the distraction I needed to make a break for it.
I reached the parking lot, thinking I was home free. I unlocked my car, opened the door.
Only to have someone from behind slam it shut.
Brett leaned on my car, struggling to catch his breath in the same way he’d done Saturday night. “What the hell was that about?”
“That was a library, Brett. They have thousands of books, some of which might be very useful when it comes to preparing for the SATs.” I tugged on my door again, but he’d pressed his entire weight against it.
“That’s not what I’m talking about, Lexi.”
“Fine. Then it’s my way of telling you to be a little more self-motivated and stop waiting for people to spoon-feed you stuff because you’re a football star.”
Anger flashed in his eyes. “You know I’m not like that.”
“Could’ve fooled me.” I tried to open my door again, but he refused to budge.
Worse, he shifted his position so I ended up wedged between him and the car, my face inches from him. “Talk to me,” he whispered.
“I’ve said all I intend to say.”
“You never let me get a word in edgewise.”
“Would it have mattered?”
His expression sobered, and he threaded his fingers through the hair along the back of my neck. “Do you really want to know why I didn’t call back on Sunday? I was taking your advice and talking things out with my dad, letting him know where I stood and why I didn’t appreciate his interference. It took most of the day, but I’m proud to say we’ve reached some common ground and are even planning on visiting some colleges in California after the Skylake game.”
And now I felt like a complete shit.
“So that’s why I never called you back.” He added that sexy raw edge to his voice as he added, “I wanted to, though. I was thinking about you.”
My internal alarm blared Danger, but the combination of the things he was saying and the way he played with my hair and massaged the back of my scalp threatened to turn me into goo. I had to hold myself together. “It still doesn’t change the other stuff.”
He froze, and frustration flickered across his face. “What do I have to do to change your mind?”
“Step up. You shouldn’t be defending bullies, no matter how close you are to them. You should be condemning them.” My body grew resistant to his seduction, and I was able to push him away. “And learn to tell Summer no.”
“I know you and Summer have this thing between you, but can’t you learn to let go? I mean, she’s my friend.”
“She was my friend, too, once upon a time, before she showed her true colors.” I finally was able to open my door and throw my backpack into the passenger seat. “She’s manipulative, conniving, and not opposed to stepping on people to make herself look better.”
“I know what’s really going on with her,” he countered. “I respect her privacy enough not to go into details, but right now, she could really use a friend.”
“There’s being a friend, and then there’s acting like her boyfriend and spending all your time with her. Like my dad says, you can’t have your cake and your ice cream.”
He went back to leaning on my car. “What does that mean?”
“It means that if you ever want to have something with me, you need to set some boundaries with Summer. You can’t be at her beck and call.”
“I’m not.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than his phone rang.
I peeked at the screen when he checked to see who the call was from.
Summer.
He held up a finger, indicating I should give him a moment. “Hold on. I’ll prove it to you.”
He answered the phone with “Hey, Summer—” but she immediately cut him off.
I crossed my arms and watched the call play out, already suspecting how it would end.
“I’m in the parking lot,” he said. “No, I’m kind of busy at the moment.”
She was checking in on him and wanting him to come to her. Typical.
“But—” He paused, sucked in a breath, and shook his head as he released it. “Fine, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Point proven. I didn’t need to say anything more as I got into my car.
Brett wedged his body between the door and the car, keeping me from closing it. “Alexis, when you get a chance, I’d really like to talk about this some more.”
“I don’t think there’s much to say.” I started my car and pushed him away. “Have fun with Summer.”
Once I was able to close the door, I drove off.
But when I looked in my rearview mirror, I noticed the defeated slump of his shoulders and wondered how much of what he’d said had been the truth.
Chapter Eighteen
Brett didn’t show up to class the next day. The only other time I’d ever seen him miss a class was the morning he’d overslept because he’d been up the night before helping me catch the culprit behind the locker room videos. Somehow, I doubted that was the reason today.
Richard caught up with me in the hallway after fourth period. “Are we still on for the game tonight?”
“It’s a home game. You shouldn’t need a ride.”
“Even if I walk, the game’s more fun with a friend.”
I wavered on whether or not I should go. I’d basically ended things with Brett, so I didn’t need to show up in his team shirt and cheer him on. Besides, it wasn’t like he needed my support, anyway. I wasn’t his lucky charm or anything. The boy had talent, and even without his star wide receiver playing tonight, he’d still be able to crush the pitiful team that was visiting. He wouldn’t even notice me in the stands.
And yet he had in all the prior games.
“Fine, I’ll come along and sit with you. Maybe I’ll get some more dirt on Sanchez in the process.”
“I take it you won’t be wearing your honey’s shirt tonight?”
“Nope. In fact, I’m seriously thinking about burning it.”
“Aw, that would be a tragedy. But no matter. It will still be fun. And maybe, if we’re lucky, we’ll get another invite to a party. I had so much fun last week.”
So Brett hadn’t been lying when he’d said Richard was the hit of last week’s party. “I’m glad someone had a good time.”
He halted me. “Aw, Alexis, cheer up. Morgan told me about what you did, and I agree with her. It needed to be done. And if he’s too much of an idiot to see that you’re worth ten Summers, then forget him.”
“Already working on it.”
***
The moment I started climbing the bleachers, I felt Brett’s gaze on me. So much for him not noticing me. But then, I’m pretty sure it had something to do with the fact Richard was dressed head to toe in school colors, down to face paint.
Before I sat, I looked at him and froze. No matter how much I tried to deny my attraction to him, I couldn’t deny the way time seemed to stop when he looked at me that way. My mind turned fuzzy and made me forget about everything but the sensation of his lips on mine and his arms around me. It was an odd mix of comforting yet thrilling, of safe yet dangerous.
I did a double take as Taylor ran up to him and whispered something in his ear. A chill rippled down my spine as they both turned and looked at me. Whatever they’d been talking about involved me. Brett nodded, and Taylor scampered back to the rest of her overly tanned and peppy crew.
I had to wait until the end of the game to find out. Of course, Eastline killed their opponents, and even without Sanchez, Brett still managed to rack up another three hundred-some yards. As far as football went, the boy could do no wrong. As the team trotted off the field, Taylor beckoned me to join her at the fence.
I swapped suspicious glances with Richard before heading down. Taylor usually refused to admit we were related, so the fact my sister wanted to speak to me in public had me on edge. “What?”
“Do you think you could give me a ride tonight? There’s a party, and—”
“I thought Mom grounded you.”
“I already spoke to her about it, and she said I could go if you came along, too.”
So that was her endgame. “Sorry, but I’m not playing babysitter.”
“That’s too bad because you see, if you brought me, Richard could come along, too, and you know he’d enjoy the party.”
Ugh! She was now trying to loop one of my best friends into this.
She leaned in and lowered her voice. “And I know for certain that Brett would love for you to come. He even asked me to make sure I convinced you to be there.”
Even though my pulse quickened at the mention of Brett, I couldn’t shake the queasiness that rolled around in the center of my gut. Logic told me she was just trying to manipulate me into giving her what she wanted, but what if there was some bit of truth to what she’d said about Brett?
Richard joined us. “Hey, Taylor.”
She gave him her thousand-watt smile. “Hey, Richard. Maybe you can help me.”
Oh, shit, she was going to turn him into her ally.
“You were such a hit last week that I’ve been asked to invite you to this week’s party. You can even ride with me and Lexi.”
“Really?” Richard’s face lit up, and he grabbed my arm. “Oh, please, Alexis. Can I come along?”
Taylor gave me a simper that summed up everything. She may have been an airhead when it came to academics, but my little sister was at the top of her class when it came to manipulating people.
Of course, she’d learned from the best. After all, she was Summer’s little protégé.
I weighed the pros and cons.
Pro—it would make Richard’s night.
Con—I’d have to endure stupid drunk teenagers.
Pro—I could keep an eye on my sister and protect her from creeps like Sanchez.
Con—why on Earth would I ever be invited to an in-crowd party, especially after I’d gotten Sanchez suspended?
Pro—I could get more stories for my blog.
Con—the in-crowd would know I’d call them out for their antics and would probably be extra wary of me, especia
lly after this week.
Pro—if Brett had been the one behind the invitation, maybe this was his way of making a stand.
I sighed and nodded. “Fine, I’ll take you both to the party.”
“Awesome. Just let me get my stuff, and we can swing by the house so I can change before heading over.” Taylor blew us a kiss and ran to grab her pom-poms and duffel bag.
“I want to go home and change, too.” Richard held out his shirt as though it was a filthy rag. “This is great for the game and all, but I want to dress to impress.”
“Fine. I’ll drop you off first, then pick you up after Taylor’s done primping. Just so you know, it’ll probably take her an hour to get ready.”
“Same here.” He brushed his hair forward, frowning when a segment refused to lay flat.
I was dead-on with my assessment. Taylor showered, ransacked her room for the perfect outfit, and then spent another thirty minutes on her hair and makeup. But I had to admit, she looked stunning when she knocked on my door and said she was ready to go. She’d obviously inherited our mom’s beauty queen genes.
Of course, Murphy’s law would have my mom pulling into the garage as we were getting into the car. “Where are you two going?”
“Party, remember?” Taylor replied. “Don’t worry, Mom, Alexis has agreed to come along and make sure I behave.”
“I live to babysit my fifteen-year-old sister,” I added in a dry tone.
“Just be home by midnight.” Mom pulled out her phone and started texting.
I couldn’t resist warning her, “If you’re inviting Pete over, make sure any naked times are behind closed doors.”
Mom jerked to a stop, her eyes bugging and her cheeks flaming. “I was just going to invite him over for a glass of wine.”
I’d already embarrassed her enough for the week, so I kept the offer to pick up some condoms for them on the way to myself. It still didn’t change the fact that I felt like the only grown-up in our family.
“What was that all about?” Taylor asked as we pulled out of the driveway.
“I walked in on Mom and Pete last week.”
“Ew!”
“My thought exactly.”
The Queen B* Strikes Back Page 15