The Bridge Over Snake Creek

by Nikki Bolvair

I was growing impatient. “What?”

  She frowned. “Well, just be careful. I know something must have happened for both of you to be moved out of our class, and I see you with him at their table—”

  My brow scrunched. “Who?”

  She glanced around and stopped when she found Snowden talking with a girl. When I saw that, my chest burned for some unknown reason. “Him. Snowden.”

  I turned away. “So?”

  Stacie was still watching, mouth pinched. “She really needs to move on. Can’t she see how uncomfortable she’s making him?”

  My head whipped back. I hadn’t seen that. Stacie shook her head and snapped her fingers in my face. “Hey, back to me.”

  I glanced back. “Yeah?”

  She had her arms folded and was tapping her foot. “Why did you move classes?”

  I let out a half chuckle. “I honestly don’t know how it happened.”

  Dropping her arms, she lost the fight she had been steaming on. “Oh, well... you can make it up to me by letting me sit with you guys.” She gave me a brilliant smile.

  I moved away, and she followed my movement. “It’s not really my table. I’m just... visiting it.”

  Her gaze narrowed on me. “And how are Serena and Beth taking the ‘visiting?’”

  “Not well,” I told her honestly; then I really did start moving along. “Bye, Stacie! We’ll chat later.”

  “We better!” she called back.

  After she left, I made my way to Snowden, watching the girl who seemed to get closer with each step I made toward the two of them. By the time I got there, his polite refusal had me realizing it wasn’t Snowden at all, but Win.

  “Tara, I’m sorry. I’m seeing someone.” Win’s eyes caught mine, and his relief was evident. “Hannah, sweetheart.” Hearing him call me “sweetheart” did something to my heart.

  Tara whirled around, taking me in as I bypassed her to lean into Win and let him curl an arm around my shoulders.

  “But I thought she was going out with Jamison, or Drex?”

  Win ushered us along, using me as a barrier.

  “Wait!” she called. “You didn’t answer my question.” She sounded like a spoiled child.

  “Does it matter who I’m going out with?” I called back.

  “Hannah,” Win whispered. “Let’s just go.”

  I flashed him a grin and took his cute chin in my hands. “Say, ‘Thank you, Hannah.’”

  He cheeks bunched up and he dipped his head down, kissing my forehead. “Thank you, Hannah.”

  ***

  I was sitting at a round study table when the two chairs beside me were pulled back, and two bodies slid into them. They had finally found me.

  “You want to tell us why you're not in PE anymore?” Jamison murmured.

  I kept my head down and stuck in my book. “No.”

  Drex sighed and leaned back in his seat, resting his arm on the back of my chair. “You know, we’re going to find out sooner or later. Might as well tell us now. Was it because you skipped that one time?”

  “No.”

  Jamison shifted closer and whispered, “Are you just going to keep saying ‘No?’”

  My lips tilted up as the words on the page blurred from my failed attempt to read. “No.”

  They both sat back. Drex tapped his fingers against the back of my chair. “So, we know where you live now.”

  Jamison snorted.

  I slanted my gaze to Drex’s. “Yeah, so?”

  “We might stop by, you know, randomly. Just to harass you.”

  My lips kicked up. “You guys haven’t yet. But if you do, I’ll make sure to put the welcome mat out, because that's how far you’ll make it.”

  Jamison chuckled, and the librarian shushed us.

  I felt the brush of Drex’s fingers on the skin of my neck in a light caress. “If I can’t get past the door, then I’ll just have to take you out.”

  “Smooth,” Jamison muttered, and I wasn’t sure if he was upset he didn’t think of it first or that Drex had just asked me out.

  I ignored them, but my body secretly warmed at that notion. A date with Drex.

  He leaned into my ear. “What do you say, Jumper?” His attention and caresses had me confused. “Would you go out with me if I showed up?”

  I glanced to Jamison, whose gaze was on me. His mouth kicked up into a smile. “So, what's your answer? Would you say yes? Or do I need to dare you to? Make it a contest. The first guy to show up gets a date.”

  I turned back to my book and grinned.

  Drex seemed put out. “Naw, Jamison that’s not-”

  My heart beat to the tune of a drumroll as I thought about it. Trace did say I needed to get out there. Before I changed my mind, I found myself agreeing. “Deal.”

  “Jumper,” Drex warned.

  I turned to him with a raised brow. “Afraid of a little competition?”

  “That’s not it; we don’t compete.”

  I got up when the bell rang and gathered up my stuff. “Then what do you do?” I asked him, but Jamison answered.

  “We share.”

  That had me stopping, mouth gaping open. Jamison curled an arm around my neck and propelled me to the library doors. “We'll talk more about it later. Let’s go to lunch.”

  ***

  We entered the cafeteria, and I followed the guys to the lunch line and waited. Quinn and Win showed up with Snowden; all of them were striding in like they didn’t have a care in the world. Win tossed me a secret grin, probably still thankful from earlier.

  The three of them cut in line to stand with us as Drex ordered and Jamison talked to me about what our date could be like when we went on one. He was confident he would win the competition. With his arm curved around my shoulders, he went into detail. “Think, Saturday morning we could go to breakfast, my treat, then I’d take you mini golfing. And we could finish out our day with a swim in Blackfoot’s overflow lake.”

  Snowden came up behind me and patted Jamison’s shoulder. “Sounds bor-ing. I'm sure Hannah would much rather be on a jet ski in the lake than going mini golfing.”

  I elbowed him in the gut, and he grunted. The others snickered. “What was that for?” he growled.

  “Man, you don’t know?” Win cackled, slapping his brother's shoulder. “Just because that's what you want to do doesn't mean she wants to do it.”

  I turned and stared them down. “I’d like to determine whether or not I’d be doing it.”

  All four of them turned a heated gaze my way. Quinn leaned in, his caramel eyes full of mischief. I held my ground. “And have you, Hannah? Done it?”

  I kept my face neutral, but I could feel a blush warming up my cheeks at what he was insinuating. Putting on my game face, I replied, “It doesn’t take a whole lot to bang a few balls around and take a swim. But I get to choose when and where, Queue.”

  He grinned and pulled away, pointing to me as the others laughed. “I got a nickname.”

  I turned around and Jamison walked up to order. Drex called me to follow him to the concessions. As I joined him, I could hear the others still.

  “Yeah, but I don’t think it was meant to be nice.” Win chuckled. “You’re in Queue now, man. Good luck getting to completion.”

  My lips tilted upwards. They were so fun to tease.

  Drex kept quiet as he put on the dressings to his hamburger, and I wasn’t sure if he was upset about the guys. I mean, I did kiss him and Quinn.

  I slid up beside him and nudged his shoulder with mine. He glanced up. “Hey, you okay?”

  He gave me a sheepish smile and leaned in, giving me a peck on the lips. “Yeah, it’s not you. It’s just, sometimes I forget that there are limits of what I can do with you when others are around.”

  I followed him down the line until we met the big yellow and red containers at the end. One guy was trying but failing to get any ketchup out. He kept pumping it, determined. “It just gave some to the last person. I don’t know why it’s not working
now.”

  I leaned closer to check out the nozzle. “Maybe it got clogged?” I suggested.

  “Or maybe someone’s not being nice,” Snowden growled from behind me. I glanced at him, but he wasn’t looking at me. I turned my gaze in the direction he was shooting eye daggers at and found their table. Serena's eyes were pinched like she was concentrating on something, then her expression cleared.

  Splat!

  I gasped, backing into Snowden as red sauce squirted all over my gray shirt. I glanced up to the guy who was responsible; his eyes were so wide the whites of them showed. “Shit.” He scrambled over with napkins, wiping my top. Drex shoved him away and stood in front of me, blocking everyone from view. Without words, Snowden pulled off my bag from my shoulders while Drex found the bottom hem of my shirt and started to lift.

  I clamped my arms down. “Hey, I don’t think so.”

  His paradox gaze stared into mine. “You have an undershirt, right?”

  “Yeah, but that doesn't mean that I want you taking my shirt off.”

  “Trust me, hm?”

  Before I could say anything else, Snowden lifted my arms, and Drex peeled off my shirt just to be replaced with a large black one that was warm and soft. “Who's is this?”

  “Mine,” Snowden replied as he dragged the shirt down my stomach and then rested his hands on my hips. He leaned in close to whisper in my ear, “This is the last fuckin’ thing I want to be doing with you; I’d rather it be after a full night of just me and you.” Then he strode off, carrying a lunch tray to our table, and I got a clear shot of his tan, muscled back with hip jeans riding slightly low.

  I shivered. Then my eyes caught a light design on the rise of his hip bone. My gaze narrowed. Was that a tattoo?

  The earthy scent of Quinn teased me as he caught my shoulder, and I turned to see amusement in his caramel gaze. “Come on.” He led us toward the table, but on the way there, a shrill voice pierced the lunchroom noise.

  “Churchill! Get a shirt on and head on over to ISS!” a teacher yelled. Snowden raised his hand and waved it, and the teacher didn’t say another word. He stiffened shortly after, turned around to glare at another teacher, then roughly got up and stomped off. He flew past us, his eyebrows narrowed in frustration and his mouth pressed. He was pissed.

  I put a hand on Quinn’s bulky shoulder, pausing him from our destination to the lunch tables. “I’ll be right back.”

  I turned, ignoring everyone who was watching, and raced after Snowden. What I was going to say or do, I didn’t know. But I wasn’t going to let him take the fall alone.

  Catching up with him in the hall, I grabbed his arm, and he whirled around like he was ready for a fight. His gaze softened when he realized it was me. His chin lifted toward the cafeteria. “You should go back.”

  “Nope,” I replied, shaking my head. “Why did you give me your shirt?”

  He folded his arms, causing my gaze to drift to them. “Because, even though you're not good for me, I didn't think you deserved that.”

  I shook my head in confusion. “What do you mean? It was a malfunction in the pump. It probably got clogged or something.”

  Without saying a thing, he turned and started walking. I followed him to detention.

  “You know you don't have to be here.” Snowden took a seat and set his backpack on the floor.

  I nodded, taking a seat across from him. “Yes, and you have no shirt. I’d rather spend my time with a half-naked guy in detention than in a loud school cafeteria. Being here is more interesting.”

  He grunted as he unzipped his backpack to pull out a white T-shirt. He put it on, muscles flexing distractingly beneath his skin. “Not half-naked now. Are you going to leave?”

  I slouched in my seat as my lips curled up at the edges. “Do you really want me to?” I reached into my bag and pulled out one of my protein bars and tossed it to him.

  He caught it as a strawberry eyebrow raised. “A candy bar?”

  I smirked. “No, a protein bar. And I think I'll stay.”

  He opened it, took a bite then lifted it up to me. “Thanks.”

  My cheeks heated. “No. Thank you.”

  He twisted in his seat so his front faced me, feet out in the walkway. The white shirt accented his tan skin and wild red hair. My gaze drifted to his ear with the three small silver rings down to his hands with the thumb ring and middle ring.

  “Hannah.” His gruff voice sliced through my ogling. My eyes shot up to his emerald green gaze. He had the protein bar halfway to his mouth, and there was a tick in his cheek. His jaw clenched as his eyes held mine. Heat speared through me. My body felt flushed, and I very well could have melted under his attention. I dropped my gaze and noticed the slight peppering of freckles across his nose and under his lower eyelids. I bit my lip. Sexy.

  “Hannah,” he growled this time. My gaze darted back to him. He was breathing fast. Clenching his hands.

  I parted my lips and nervously licked them. “Yeah?” My voice was a breathy whisper. My pounding pulse was racing almost as quickly as it did before a jump. And I totally wanted to jump.

  “Sweetness, don’t.”

  “Don’t what?”

  His eyes narrowed before he turned his gaze away toward the front of the classroom. “Fuck,” he whispered under his breath.

  The door opened. “Snowden.”

  Our gazes shot to the door. A man I’d never seen before stood there. “Thank fuck,” Snowden said, relieved, and he gathered up his stuff.

  He practically ran out of there, but the guy didn't move; his attention stayed on me. “Hannah Cain.”

  My eyebrows rose, but I gathered up my stuff and followed. Once out in the hall, Snowden was gone.

  “Go back to class,” the man said. “But a word of caution.” I twisted Snowden's shirt at the bottom, wondering what this man would say. “Don’t fall. It never works out.” Then he turned and walked off. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

  Realizing I didn't know who he was, I called out, “Who are you?”

  He didn't turn around but answered, “Hooks. You can call me Hooks, Hannah.” Then he was gone. I was alone.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The rest of my classes that day went well, and every one of the guys were attentive to me. I wondered if Jamison and Drex had shared their little dare with the others.

  As I left my last class, which Snowden was in, he caught my hand and pulled me after him. Not sure but curious enough to follow, I let him tug me outdoors and to the parking lot. He paused. “Which one is yours?”

  I led him to my small car and unlocked it. He turned me around and pressed me to the door. His red head dipped down as his mouth captured mine, urgent and desperate. His body pressed against me, his palms holding my head, cushioning it from the hard metal of the car. Peeling his lips away, he nipped my lip before brushing his tongue across it. “You taste so sweet, Sweetness,” he breathed against me. Another kiss. “In my fuckin’ shirt.” His lips claimed, devoured, and let me know there was no way he was done with me. “I want this again.” His hand inched up underneath my shirt and undershirt until he touched the bare skin of my spine. “But with nothing underneath. To touch you. Feel your responses to me. Your fire.”

  He slowed his kiss as whistles sounded from off in the distance and pressed his bulge against my stomach. His head moved so I could see those green eyes burning like gems in molten fire. “Tell me. Tell me you don’t feel this. Tell me you want me to stop. That you can’t handle it. You tell me that, and I’ll try to leave you alone. But if you don’t, then by the light, I will have you.”

  He kissed me once again. Sweet and tender this time. “Tell me, Sweetness.”

  I was overloaded with sensitivity and desire. I wanted him. But I felt the same thing with the others. “I feel it.”

  “Thank fuck,” he growled, but when he went in for another kiss, I put a hand over his lips, preventing him from distracting me once again.

  “But, it’s not ju
st you. I feel this with Drex too, your twin, Quinn, and Jamison.”

  He paused, stiffened, and pulled away. His eyes were cold and distant now. How quickly they changed from heat to ice.

  Nervous, I added, “I thought you should know.”

  “Have you been talking to that girl, Sarah?” He dragged his hand through his red hair and turned around, looking out at all the cars that were pulling away. “ Shit, Serena was right.”

  I touched his shoulder, and he spun around, lips pressed, gaze cutting cruelly. “You’re just like the others. I’m not falling for it again. You can’t have something that's not yours,” he bit out. “Is that why you rescued Win from Tara? Is that why you do daring risks? To be seen?”

  My heart, so recently roaring with lust, broke. “W-what do you mean?”

  He leaned in close. “You can’t have us all. We’re good for a fuck. Maybe over time one of us will keep you, but never us all.”

  Shocked speechless, I gripped my keys tightly in my palm. “I have no clue what you're saying.” After a moment, I found my strength. My spine straightened. “You know what? Fuck. You. All I did was be honest. I have no idea who the hell you’re talking about. But, buddy, get over yourself.”

  A flash of insecurity and confusion filtered across his face.

  Yanking the door open, I threw myself into the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut. Damn it! I pounded the steering in frustration then locked my door when I realized he still stood there. Flipping him the finger, I yanked my car into reverse, pulling out with a satisfied smirk when he jumped away to avoid being hit, then drove off. The last image I saw was of Snowden standing in the road, wild red hair to his broad shoulders with his brows drawn in confusion.

  Well buddy, that made two of us.

  ***

  At home, I went to my mini fridge, grabbed an insulin vial, and changed out the old one for the new one.

  How dare Snowden talk to me like that! And - and, grrr! Damn his sexy body and his hot and cold personality. He gave me his shirt. He eye fucked me. Stirred up the heat and then doused me with ice cold water.

  Pulling up Snowden’s shirt and gathering it into a ball, I peeled down my shorts and opened up my life pack to pull out the almost empty container and toss it in the trash with more force than necessary. Annnd, of course, it popped back out. Growling, I picked it up and tossed it back in. Fuck him! Inhaling a deep breath, I tried to calm down. I grabbed the new vial and inserted it. Fuck. Him.