by Liz Lovelock
Parker’s words bring me to attention. “Aiden, this is Jane, Willow, and of course, you’ve already met Elsie.” When Parker gestures to me, heat rises in my face. I wave hello, but I’m mute. How damn stupid must I look?
“Nice to meet you, lovely ladies.” Aiden’s focus stops on me.
I think I might pass out.
He shakes Willow’s and Jane’s hands.
I’m caught in some sort of trance.
Aiden’s grin as he greets the girls stabs me in the chest. Why does he bring me to my knees?
When he gets to me, I’m a statue. A deer caught in the headlights. My focus is stuck on him. I know he’s got his hand in front of me, but mine feels like lead. Come on, body, take his hand.
“Has this one become defective since I last saw her?” Aiden laughs as does everyone else. “Did the bump on the head cause short-term amnesia?” His hand drops, going back to his side.
Dead.
I am dead.
But his question snaps me out of my stupid trance. My hand goes to my hip, my chest pumping with sass. “Who are you calling defective, buddy?”
“And… she speaks.” He waggles his eyebrows, raising his hands.
“Sorry, my attention must have been elsewhere,” I say. “What’s your name again?” I don’t hide the sarcasm dripping from my words. I decide to go along with his game of not knowing who I am, considering I’ve already met him.
Aiden holds his hand out, and I slip mine into his firm grip. A tingle spreads from my fingertips right to my hammering heart.
“Aiden. Nice to meet you… Elsie, was it?” He tilts his head to the side. I catch the mischievous glint in his eyes.
“Don’t play coy. You know my name.” I roll my eyes. My confidence starts to return.
Aiden doesn’t release my hand, and I don’t make a move to let go of his. The air around us crackles.
He grins before letting go. Looking around the group, all eyes are on us.
“Just checking to see if you still knew your name,” he teases.
Silence falls between us.
Addison speaks up, probably to attempt to cover the weirdness Aiden and I have created. “So, are you liking it here, Aiden?”
He turns his attention to Addison while I blow out a breath. “Yeah. I love the beach. Some awesome waves to ride out there.” He pauses for a moment then says, “I’ve heard there’s a spot people go where they can jump from a cliff into the ocean. They said it’s not super high, but it’s fun. I’m down for that kind of stuff.”
I know the place he’s talking about. Before I can stop myself, I say, “Yeah, Crow’s Peak.”
Now his heavy gaze is back on me.
“You know the place?”
“Yes,” I reply slowly, wishing I didn’t open my big mouth.
“Wanna show it to me sometime?”
“Yeah, sure. You let me know when. We’ll see how much of a wimp you are,” I tease. Why the hell am I agreeing to this? It’s as if he’s put a spell over me, and I can’t back down from anything he suggests.
Wait. What just happened? I’m the wimp when it comes to that cliff. I’ve never been able to bring myself to take the leap, and I’ve just said yes to taking Aiden there. I suppose I didn’t commit to actually jumping, though.
Aiden bursts out laughing. “I like you, firecracker. You’re quick with your words.” He steps up to me, his face inches from mine. “Bring. It. On. If I jump… you have to jump.” His breath hits my lips, and it smells of a mixture of alcohol and mint.
I stand a little taller. The heat between us intensifies while I swallow the nervous twinge in my throat. “I’m ready whenever you are.” I dig my hole a little deeper.
Aiden straightens up. His gaze holds mine. “Tomorrow, then?”
As much as I want to say no, I somehow find myself nodding.
“Perfect!” he announces.
Oh my God. My legs go weak, wanting to collapse beneath me.
An arm loops through mine. Willow.
“Sorry, you can’t have her tomorrow. She’s got to work at the café. All day.”
Note to self: thank Willow later.
“All right, firecracker. Next Saturday. You, me, and Crow’s Peak.”
“You’re on,” I squeak, already wanting to rewind this conversation and eliminate myself from the equation.
Why didn’t I just say no?
Why did I lie?
If I hadn’t told that one white lie about a pretend girlfriend, I wouldn’t feel as guilty as I do right now. I’ve pretty much set her up for a dare I’m sure she won’t follow through with. Because of this lie, I’ve set myself up to look like a cheater if I even try to get close to her. Aiden, you’re a fool.
Addison steps up to Elsie. “Are you sure about this?” she whispers.
Elsie shifts. Her gaze turns to Addison. “Never been surer.”
I’m going to have to tell the truth. This girl is a firecracker, one who draws my attention, and there seems to be this invisible rope wrapped around us, pulling us closer together. I told the white lie to protect not only myself but Elsie as well, because when I leave, it’s going to break whoever it is I end up with.
“You can back out anytime you want,” I say, really wishing she would. I hadn’t even been game to sign up for her tutoring because she is who she is. I can already see she’s showing interest in me. It’s blindingly obvious, and considering the daily questions from Addison when I see her at the house, I can’t help but be thinking about Elsie constantly.
Elsie shoves my shoulder. “No way, mate.” She accentuates the mate, attempting an Australian accent. I laugh. “Only if you back out.”
“No, you’re on. I’m an extreme sports person. For you, I’ll do something a little easier. Let me take you fishing, if you think you can handle it.”
Elsie’s face screws up, and I think I’ve got her on that one. “Sure, I’m down for it.” This girl doesn’t give up.
Addison looks at me with a small grin on her face. “Something you need to know is, no matter the dare, Elsie has to follow through. If she’s given a challenge, no matter what it is, and no matter how much it frightens her, she has to do it. It could also be because it’s you that is issuing the challenge. So, you might want to stop throwing dares at her like confetti, because she’ll take you up on it any day.” There’s a firmness to her words, and I can tell they ring true. Great! So now I’ve set her up for two things in one night. This is going to be interesting.
How am I supposed to not show any interest in Elsie and risk her getting hurt, or me looking bad because of my lie?
Elsie stands there in her black dress, her hands on her hips. She’s totally not the quiet girl I thought she was on Monday night. She has sass, which is making quite the appearance tonight.
“Is that true?” I ask Elsie.
Her eyes don’t move from mine as her lips pull up on one side, and she shrugs. “I can’t help it. It’s who I am.”
“This could be fun. I’ll be careful what I throw at you next,” I tease. As I do, her eyes bulge. “Easy, I’m set with just these two for now.” I rest my hand on her shoulder, and I sense her stiffen, so I remove it as quickly as I put it there. Am I putting out the wrong signals?
“Do I really have to go fishing? The smell is just nasty.” She pretends to dry-retch.
“It’s not that bad. I’m sure you’ll survive. You know you can back out if you want.”
“What? No way. I’m not letting you win,” she snaps, shoving me in the chest. I step back, grinning.
Now I somehow have to try and not fall for her. I’m scared to get too close. When I came to America, I decided not to start a relationship with any girl. Reason being, I don’t want to hurt anyone, but more importantly, I want to protect myself from the pain of leaving them behind.
So far, my plan is not going well.
What the hell have I done?
I’m great at putting on a brave face, but right now, everything inside of
me is screaming. Cliff jumping and smelly fishing. The thought turns my stomach. Aiden stands there with a smug look on his face, his eyebrow cocked as if to dare me to pull out, but I won’t give him that satisfaction.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you next weekend. But for now, I need to hit the dance floor.” Without giving him the chance, I turn and take Willow’s arm and pull her along with me.
“Are you really going to do that?” she asks, a little unsure.
“Yep. I don’t know why but I can’t back out. I really wish I could, though. You know me and heights.”
She gives me a knowing look.
“Anyway, let’s get another drink and let me drown my fears.” My heart races merely thinking about it. The thought of jumping from that cliff into the ocean makes me feel physically sick. My stomach tightens, and I really want to back out of this stupid dare. Now, though, I can’t. It’s not in me to show weakness.
We make our way to the kitchen, where the drinks are located, when a shoulder pushes against mine somewhat hard. “Ow… watch where you’re going!” I turn, yelling at whoever it is.
Clifton’s standing there with a smirk on his face. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Elsie.” Clifton is on the football team. I tutor him for math. He’s a nice enough guy. Tall, olive complexion and a pair of seriously blue-as-blue eyes. They were the first thing I noticed about him.
“Watch where you’re going. I’m not someone you’re out to tackle. You’d snap me in two.” I laugh, and so does he.
“So, are you enjoying the party?” he asks, shoving his hands into his pockets and swaying back on his heels. I haven’t paid much attention to him since he’s just not my type, other than helping him with his work. I’m not like his football groupies. Nope, not going to happen. Although, come to think of it, I forgot to ask Aiden about his tutoring.
I managed a few new sign-ups this week but didn’t see his name. I also had one sign-up for online help. With online, you don’t really know who it is—they tend to use anonymous interface. They do that because they’re embarrassed they need help, which is fine. Personally, I think it’s great; at least you can still get some help.
“Yeah, I’m enjoying myself. Always do.” I smile.
He grins back. “All right, well, I guess I’ll see you on Wednesday for tutoring.”
“Yep, you will. Don’t be late this time.”
Clifton’s hand goes to his chest like my words have hurt him. “Who, me? I’m never late.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Cliff. A couple of weeks back, you didn’t even show up.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. Had practice.”
Willow takes that moment to step away from me, leaving me with Clifton.
“Email me next time so I’m not wasting my time waiting on you.”
Clifton nods, then he unexpectedly steps closer to me. Dude, what are you doing?
I take a small step back. “Ah, Cliff… can I help you with something?”
Cliff’s hand rises and rakes through his blond hair. Those blue eyes hold my gaze—they appear slightly crazed. I’m not sure if I want to run or stand my ground, but I choose to stay. He leans into me, his mouth near my ear, his breath tickling my neck. “I was hoping you’d go out with me some time.”
Stepping back, I put a good amount of distance between us. “Don’t get me wrong, Cliff. I like you, but not like that.” Please don’t take it the wrong way.
Again, he moves closer to me, and alarm bells start sounding in my head. “Please, Elsie. I’d like one chance to go out on a date with you. Not tutoring… an actual date.” His breath hits my nose—it’s a mixture of pizza and vodka. Eww, so not nice.
Tightness pulls at my chest. The look on his face tells me he means what he’s saying, but I’ve known him for a while now. He’s very much a ladies’ man. “Look, how about you come to me when we’re both sober, and we can talk about it then?” I nod to myself, happy with my answer. I’m sure he won’t remember this conversation tomorrow. I look to my left and catch Aiden watching the weird exchange.
A hard look rests on Aiden’s face. What’s his problem?
Then, Clifton is at my ear again.
I jump back this time. “Dude, I gave you an answer. Talk to me about it when you’re not simply trying to get in my pants.” I hold my hands out, stopping him from advancing.
Clifton waggles his eyebrows. “Oh, Elsie. Let’s get out of here.”
He’s drunk. The smell of his breath is enough to turn off any girl here.
“That’s not going to happen. I’ll see you on Wednesday.” Turning my back to him, I notice Aiden has moved closer to Clifton and me. It’s as though he’s about to pounce on Clifton.
I step toward him, taking his arm and pulling him away. “Don’t even go there. I see what you’re thinking of doing. He’s just drunk. I tutor him.” I don’t even bother glancing back at Clifton. That boy’s not worth the drama.
“He looked like he wasn’t going to leave you alone. I was only going to step in if it was needed.”
“Aw, look at you being my superhero. Sorry, Superman. I am no Lois Lane needing rescuing all the time, though.” I laugh, playfully shoving his arm, which I realize I’m still holding onto. My chest constricts as I know I need to let go, but I really don’t want to. My body ignites with sparks, leaving a tingling sensation swimming through all parts of me.
“No, you don’t need saving. You’re a little firecracker who will explode on anyone who gets in your way. Am I right?”
I tap his arm. “You get me. Well, you don’t know me entirely yet, but I’m sure you will. We’ll be great… friends.” I push the word out of my throat, not wanting it to leave. We will be great friends, and then he’ll go home to his girlfriend where everything will go back to normal. That’s what’s going to happen.
Finally, I let go of his arm.
Aiden and I arrive in the kitchen just as Willow steps into the doorway. “How could you leave me with him?” I scold her then snatch one of the drinks from her.
She glances between Aiden and me. “What are you talking about? It’s just Clifton,” she says, not really caring so much about why I’m so annoyed.
“He, like, full on came on to me and wanted me to go out with him. Then, big guy here was going to take him on to rescue me.” I backhand Aiden in the chest. He crouches forward, obviously not ready for my hit. A puff of air pushes out of his mouth.
Willow’s face drops. “I’m so sorry. I thought he was harmless.” Her arms fly around me.
“It’s all good; he backed off.” I smile. “I guess we should get back to enjoying this party and the free booze,” I say, hugging her back. I glance up at Aiden, and he smiles down at me. My stomach flips, and then I remind myself he’s taken, and I step out of Willow’s arms and down a shot she’s poured.
Why, oh why, does he have to have a girlfriend?
I sit on the outskirts of the campus field, under a tree, while watching students running laps. Today is a beautiful day. The sun is hot and there’s a light breeze floating around. I open my laptop. I have an email to respond to about tutoring.
I connect my phone’s Bluetooth to the laptop for the internet. I should cut back on tutoring, but then it’d be like I was letting those students down. If it becomes too much, I’ll pull right back, but right now I am doing okay, and the money is good.
While waiting for my computer to catch up, I recall last night, and the challenges Aiden has given me. I inwardly cringe thinking about them. Thankfully, Willow saved me by saying I had to work today. I’m not prepared for this.
After the Clifton episode, Aiden stayed pretty close. We chatted, and when I went off to dance, I would catch him watching me. Perhaps that’s wishful thinking. It was nice, in a way. I wonder what his girlfriend is like. I bet she’s super gorgeous—supermodel-like.
“You had to work, huh?”
My head flicks up, and my hand flies to my chest. “What the hell?”
Aiden is stand
ing beside the tree trunk, looking down at me. My heart is pounding a million miles an hour. Well, it feels like it is. I knew I should have left campus grounds. He did tell me last night that he was going out today, so I thought I’d be safe here. Boy, was I wrong. I look at my watch—it’s close to lunchtime. Time has slipped away from me.
Aiden moves and sits on the grass beside me. His knees are up, and his arms rest over them. “So, what happened to working?” he asks, cocking his head to the side, eyebrows raised. Busted. I could lie and say I only worked this morning.
“The truth is, I didn’t actually work. Addison was saving me.” I nervously look around and avoid his gaze. Trust me to be the one to get caught out in a fib.
“Ah, well, I kind of guessed it when I didn’t see you at the café this morning.”
I turn to him. “Are you checking up on me?”
Aiden’s now the one avoiding eye contact. “Ya know, just wanted to see how ya pulled up after last night. You were kind of hanging off me by the end of it. Literally… hanging off me. I had to carry you back to your dorm.”
“You did not. I would remember you taking me back home.” My voice raises. I didn’t think I was that bad. Oh, goodness, how silly was I? I don’t recall anything bad happening. “I think you’re lying, because I can remember everything that happened. Are you sure you weren’t the drunk one and are making sure you didn’t cheat on your girlfriend—”
I stop, pulling my lips tightly closed. I shouldn’t continue saying ‘with me’ because that’s asking for trouble. I quickly backtrack. “So sorry… honestly, that came out all wrong. At times, my filter doesn’t work. That’s not something to joke about.”
Aiden looks away from me again. He’s holding a small twig between his fingers, and as he moves it, he snaps it into smaller pieces. After a moment, he finally turns to me, and I notice there’s no smile on his face.