When the bell rang, all the other students filtered on deck and chatted as they took their place on the center bulkhead, waiting for their swim drills.
Ms. Sweltzer waltzed into the pool area, laughing and fanning herself, causing the class to turn and watch. Kaden followed directly behind her, saying something that elicited another high-pitched squeal from the swim coach. Raine admitted she’d been looking forward to swim today, even though she wouldn’t be in the water at all. Kaden monopolized her thoughts since fourth period and she desperately wanted to see him again.
Ms. Sweltzer wore her normal gym sweats with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She waved her perfectly manicured nails in the air as she introduced Kaden to the class and announced the warm up drills. One by one, the students splashed into their lanes and began their endless back and forth swimming that made up the majority of practice.
With a sigh, Raine closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall as small amounts of envy rolled through her.
“Not swimming today?” Kaden asked, startling her from her thoughts. Raine jerked up and placed a hand over her beating heart. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I didn’t hear you come up,” she said before she answered the question. “No, I’ve had a fever the last few days so I’m giving it one more day to work through before I get back in the water. How about yourself?”
“No suit.” Kaden shrugged. “I’m not opposed to swimming either way, but the dress code around here probably prohibits swimming in my birthday suit.”
Raine laughed and looked out over the water, hoping he couldn’t tell where her thoughts just rocketed to.
“How was your first day?” she asked after a few moments of silence.
“It’s school,” Kaden said, not really giving an answer.
They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before Raine closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the wall again. She sighed. “I love the smell of the pool. Call me crazy, but I love the smell of chlorine. No, it’s the water. I love the smell of water, actually.” Raine turned her head in Kaden’s direction and opened her eyes to find him staring at her. “You know when it rains and the earth smells so fresh and clean? There’s just something about that sweet-salt chemical smell of the pool that sings to me.”
“There is something about the smell of a pool that is relaxing. I agree,” he said as he watched her. “Tell me something, how did you get your name?”
“Hmmm,” Raine sighed and gazed at the pool as she answered. “My father said it was because I was born during an incredibly rainy season and they thought it fit. I wasn’t breathing when I was born because the cord was wrapped around my throat. It was a miracle I survived at all. After the doctors revived me, the skies opened and poured rain like a never-ending shower. My father said it was as if the earth was crying in joy. So, he named me Raine.”
“Huh. I remember that rainstorm. It went on for days.”
“You do? How could you? You’re not old enough to remember that storm,” she said as her eyes widened in surprise. If she had to guess, he did look older than eighteen, but why would he be in high school if he was old enough to remember the storm?
“Oh, I mean, my mother told me about it. That it went on for days,” Kaden quickly amended. “Or so they said.”
The doors opened with a squeak and Raine turned to find Camille standing in the entrance. She scanned the deck and then her gaze drifted to the bleachers. The look on her face was worried—until she saw Kaden. Then it became murderous.
“Raine,” Camille called. “You’re needed in the office.”
Raine nodded and gathered her things to leave. Kaden stopped her with a hand on her arm and she felt that bite on her skin again. This time he pulled back and wiped his hand on the leg of his pants.
“How old are you?” he asked.
The question caught Raine off guard. She answered automatically. “Eighteen this Friday.”
“Thank you for sitting with me,” he said as Raine started down the bleachers.
“You’re welcome.”
Camille handed Ms. Sweltzer a note to excuse Raine for the rest of the day as Raine met her at the side of the pool. Camille shot Kaden a dirty glare before she led Raine out of the pool area. Raine wondered again about the animosity between the two, but decided to ask her about it later.
“What’s going on in the office?” Raine asked once the doors behind her closed and they stood in the hallway alone.
“Nothing. I just broke you out of prison.” Camille waggled her eyebrows. “I know how much you hate to sit and watch while everyone has all the fun.”
Raine giggled as they walked to the parking lot to Camille’s red BMW. Tossing their bags into the backseat, Raine jumped in the front and waited for Camille to start the car.
“Where are we going?” Raine finally asked as she turned the heater on and directed it right at her face.
“Let’s hit the beach.”
It took less than ten minutes for them to pull into the beach parking lot. The tourist season was over so not many people lined the streets of Seaside. During the summer months, the shops along the small historic town were always open and bustling with activity. The beaches, packed with kite flyers and sand castle builders, were hard to enjoy with all the tourists. However, with the changing weather and chill in the air, the vacation season was over and Seaside was back to normal, another reason fall was Raine’s favorite season.
They made their way to a log on the beach and removed their shoes. It was always cold on the West Coast, and the beach was always damp from the tides, but neither cared as they slipped their toes through the cool, gritty sand. It felt soft against their bare feet.
Raine placed a blanket on the ground so they could sit without getting their pants damp and sat directly in front of the log. She propped her back against the rough surface of the wood and let her head fall back while the warmth of the sun heated her face. She felt Camille plop down next to her on the blanket moments before she heard a deep sigh. Camille grabbed Raine’s hand and gave it a squeeze to get her attention.
“I’m sorry about today. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did,” Camille said.
Raine lifted her gaze, squinting against the bright light as she watched Camille lay back to bask in the sun. Camille squeezed her hand once more, then let go.
“What happened, exactly?” Raine asked.
Camille took a big, cleansing breath, sat forward, pulled her knees up to her chin, and said, “Kaden and I go way back. It didn’t end on good terms the last time we saw each other.”
“He seems like a nice guy. It feels like something is bothering him, but still, he seems like a nice guy. He bought me lunch today.” Raine felt inexplicably defensive on his behalf.
“Well, he’s not a nice guy. Please do me a favor and stay away from him. Far, far away from him,” Camille said, pleading with her eyes. Raine felt a stab of something pass through her. She couldn’t explain why, but she didn’t want to stay away from him. She nodded anyway.
“I’m sure you have nothing to worry about. He’s new and just needed someone to show him around today. Tomorrow it will be back to normal where nobody notices me,” Raine said as she leaned her head back again and closed her eyes.
“Somehow, I doubt that,” Camille responded under her breath, and Raine secretly hoped that was the case.
CHAPTER 3
RAINE
Raine’s heart thumped in her chest as images of green eyes and midnight hair swirled in her head. It was fourth period and she hadn’t thought of anything besides him from the first time she saw him yesterday. He even filled her dreams.
Raine stepped into the room to see half the students already present and she instinctively looked to the back of the room where Kaden sat yesterday. The desk was empty.
She tried to hide her disappointment as she walked to her regular seat, telling herself that he was just not in class yet. Her hopes were dashed when she heard
a distinct giggle come from the window seat. With a sinking feeling, Raine lifted her eyes to find Kaden sitting there with Marla and Megan, or as Raine liked to call them, Thing 1 and Thing 2, draped on either arm.
While the males of the school regularly overlooked Raine, the females didn’t. Marla and Megan were the worst when it came to school anarchy. With bad hair extensions, thick makeup, fake eyelashes, and nearly matching outfits, the two were relentless with their constant ribbing and outdated jokes. Raine ignored them, for the most part, but today the mental ‘slap in the face’ hit her harder than normal.
Kaden glanced at Raine, but quickly averted his eyes and focused back on the girls at his side.
Marla and Megan clung to him as if their lifeblood depended on his every attention, simultaneously batting their eyes seductively. Another flirtatious giggle erupted from both girls and they flipped their flaxen hair over their shoulders as they each leered at Raine. Megan leaned in to press her red painted lips next to his ear as she whispered something that elicited a smile and cocked eyebrow.
Raine dropped her bag on the floor and pulled her books from their confinement. She should have known yesterday was a fluke and Kaden would never really be interested in her. She cursed herself silently for taking extra time that morning to do her hair and makeup. She even wore her favorite jean skirt with fashionable boots that Camille picked out for her during their back-to-school shopping. No matter what she wore, Raine felt invisible to the male species.
Camille ran through the door seconds before the tardy bell rang. It took half a second for Camille to find Kaden and shoot a glare his way before she made her way to her seat. Raine couldn’t pull her eyes away as Marla and Megan disengaged themselves from his side and sat down, flanking him with their desks. Camille walked to the back of the room and slammed her books on her desk.
“Typical,” she said under her breath as all eyes turned to stare in her direction, all except Raine and Kaden. Raine kept her eyes focused forward, but she could feel the heat of his green stare on her. Uneasy, she turned her head to meet his stare. He slowly looked forward with a frown on his face, a stark contrast to the smile the twins evoked seconds before. Raine sighed and tried her best to focus on the lecture of the day.
The next two days played out in similar fashion. Kaden took his self-appointed new spot up front next to the Things at the beginning of each class. Camille would walk in, throw a glare his direction, and take her seat behind Raine. Raine would try to squash her feelings of disappointment and confusion each time she could feel his gaze on her, but when she turned, Kaden would look away without a smile.
Still, each day Raine spent extra time on her makeup, hair, and clothes, hoping Kaden would talk to her as he did that first day. Each day, she left school a disappointed mess.
The frown no longer surprised Raine, if she was being honest. What did surprise her were the mixed signals she received from him daily. Kaden would stare at her in a way that made her feel as if he wanted to talk. Occasionally she would catch him stealing glances her way, but his face would harden when their eyes met and he would turn away.
By Thursday, Raine knew what to expect. The disappointment of the previous two days weighed on her and she vowed she wouldn’t waste another day pining for him. In rebellion, she did the least amount possible while getting ready for school. Wearing her Victoria’s Secret cropped sweat bottoms with another favorite burnout long sleeve and tank top, she opted for the comfortable, invisible approach. Keeping her face scrubbed clean and void of makeup, Raine pulled her hair into the famous messy bun and left for school.
Mythology came and went in the same fashion as the last two days, the only exception being that Kaden’s frown seemed to soften just a bit, and his stare lingered longer than usual.
In no mood to watch Kaden play ‘footsie’ with the Things all through lunch, Raine opted to skip eating and made her way to the library. It was quiet there.
She entered to find the place virtually empty. Wandering through the aisles, she mindlessly pulled books from various shelves. Once she procured a stack, she found a secluded spot in the back of the library and sat.
Pulling a cereal bar from her bag, Raine grabbed the first book and flipped through the pages without really looking at the text. Thoughts of Kaden filled her mind as she flipped through the pages of the book in front of her. She silently chewed her bar, hiding it under the table between bites.
“Swimming for dummies?” came the voice that she least wanted to hear. Raine looked up and found herself staring into the green eyes that haunted her dreams. Looking back at the book on the table Raine let out a self-deprecating giggle.
“I wasn’t really reading it,” she said as she closed the book and took another bite of her cereal bar.
“Are you supposed to be eating in here?”
“What do you want?” Raine asked as she crossed her arms and laid them on the table in front of her. Kaden took a seat across from her as he dropped his bag on the floor.
“You were so nice to me my first day here and I’ve treated you horribly since then.” Kaden reached across the table to lay a hand on Raine’s forearm. She pulled away and laid her hand in her lap. Kaden drew back slowly.
“No worries, Kaden. I get it. This kind of thing happens all the time and, well, I get it. The Things are way—”
“The what?”
Raine huffed and waived her hands in the air. “The Things, Marla and Megan. Your recent sidekicks. I totally understand.. They’re more interesting, so you should stick with them. They can definitely show you a good time.”
Raine shoved the rest of her uneaten cereal bar in her bag and stood to leave. Kaden jumped from his seat and grabbed her by the arm, turning her around to face him.
“You don’t really know anything,” he said with a hard edge to his voice. “I—”
“Kaden.” Megan’s shrill voice penetrated the quiet library with something akin to nails on a chalkboard. Raine rolled her eyes and pulled her arm loose from Kaden’s grasp moments before Megan bounded over to them. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Raine slung her bag over her shoulder and left without a backward glance.
If Raine thought fourth period was bad, swim class was torture. Her fever had yet to break, forcing her to sit out all week long, watching as Kaden and his new cohorts horsed around in the pool during class. At least in mythology he had to wear clothes. During swim, Kaden wore his swim jammers and a swim shirt which, though it covered his torso completely, clung to him like a second skin and showed off his chiseled chest and incredible body. He definitely didn’t look like your average eighteen-year-old high school student.
And Raine was miserable.
Megan and Marla transferred into class on Tuesday, which compounded Raine’s misery, as swimming was clearly not the reason they chose the class. Swimming was a bit of a stretch, actually. It was more ‘dog paddling’ than swimming, and heavy on the flirting. Ms. Sweltzer reprimanded them more than once since transferring. Watching the Things almost break their necks to get Kaden’s attention should have been humorous, but Raine felt foolish, humiliated, and confused. Especially after Kaden found her in the library as if he searched her out.
Sitting at the top of the bleachers, Raine twirled the loose strand of her hair between her fingers and watched Kaden swim his laps. He was graceful in the water, his flip turns off the wall were full of force, and his streamline was near perfect. She was mesmerized and it irritated her. She knew part of her irritation was due to her ongoing fever, but it didn’t help matters when she felt ten times worse watching him swimming, and flirting, all class.
Raine grabbed her bag and stomped down the bleachers as she headed for the door, fully aware ten minutes of class time remained, and not caring. She’d had all she could handle for the day and couldn’t sit there a moment longer.
When she reached the door, Raine heard squeals of laughter, turning just in time to see one of the girls fall into Kaden’s la
ne. When he surfaced with Megan in tow, Kaden’s eyes flickered to the bleachers before he turned and trained his emerald green stare on her intently. His features softened as he watched her, but Raine didn’t care. She turned and walked away, feeling his stare as it bore holes in the middle of her back. The guy made her head hurt.
Raine threw her bags in the car and headed to the nearest grocery store. She’d decided on fish for dinner and wanted fresh French bread to go with the salmon, rice, and green beans. Not that food sounded appetizing, but she would eventually have to eat.
Twenty minutes later, Raine made her way out of the store with a few bags of extras when she felt her purse vibrate. Pausing in the doorway to retrieve her phone from the depths of the abyss, someone bumped into her from behind.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Raine said as she turned to find pale green eyes trained on her. It was Ryker, another recent transfer to school. He moved from somewhere in California to Seaside over the summer and made fast friends with the guys from school. They had a few classes together, but like the rest of the male population, she’d never actually talked to him. Ryker was the epitome of what a surfer dude from California would look like, all tanned skin with bleached blonde hair, and the smell of salt on his skin.
“It’s okay. I’m glad it was you I bumped into.” Ryker gave her a blinding white smile that detracted from the faint scar on the side of his face. Dressed in board shorts and a beach tank, Raine saw a long gnarly scar she’d never noticed before on his shoulder that disappeared into his shirt.
“Um, you are?” she blurted out before she could stop herself. “I mean, uh, I haven’t seen you around lately,” Raine finished lamely in an attempt to make small talk. She dropped her phone back into her purse and purposely looked away from his scarred shoulder. It was strange enough that Ryker was actually talking to her, the least she could do was not stare.
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