Ashtyn doesn’t look guilty at all as she pulls another chip from the bag and pops it into her mouth. “It wasn’t yours anymore. You threw it out. Legally speaking, it’s not a violation of privacy.”
“What are you, a lawyer now? How about the next time you get a letter I open it? That cool with you?”
“If I toss it out, it’s fair game. You’re more than welcome to have at it.” She points at the envelope in my hand with her greasy fingers. “You need to read that letter, Derek. It’s important.”
“When I want your advice, I’ll ask for it. In the meantime, stay out of my personal stuff.” I walk in the kitchen and toss the letter in the garbage for a second time, then take out a blender.
“Why are you and Auntie Ashtyn fighting again?” Julian asks as he walks in and watches as I pull stuff from the fridge.
“We’re not fightin’. We’re arguin’. Want a snack?”
He nods. “Did you know it takes more muscles to frown than smile?”
“At least I’m giving my face muscles a workout.” I make Julian a banana yogurt and spinach smoothie in the blender, then hand him a tall glass. “Here you go. Enjoy.”
“It’s green.” He stares at the liquid as if it’s poison. “I . . . I don’t like green drinks.”
My mom would get up every Sunday morning and make us both smoothies. We had a ritual of clinking our glasses together before downing them. “Try it.” I pour a glass for myself and hold up my glass. “Cheers.”
“Derek, no kid wants to drink that healthy crap.” Ashtyn pulls out a box of cookies and a bag of marshmallows from the pantry. “Julian, I’ll make you something that doesn’t look like liquid grass.”
I watch as she excitedly makes little cookie sandwiches with marshmallows and nukes them in the microwave.
“You have to be careful not to cook them too long,” she says. She peeks into the little microwave window that’s probably nuking her brain cells along with her cookie sandwiches. “Otherwise you’ll burn the marshmallows.”
She takes the plate out and displays it for Julian, proud of her creation. Julian looks at the cookie sandwiches, then the smoothie, then at me, and finally Ashtyn. Julian is the final judge of our little competition.
“I think I’ll just have string cheese.” Julian pulls some out of the fridge and waves it at us as he walks out. “Bye!”
Ashtyn makes a big deal out of eating her rejected sandwiches while I attempt to ignore her blissful moaning as she takes bite after bite. Those moans make me think about things I have no right thinking about. When she’s done, she pulls the FedEx letter out of the trash again.
“Just let it go.”
“No.” She holds it out to me and practically shoves it in my hand. “Read it.”
“Why?”
“Because your grandmother is sick and wants to see you. I think she’s dying.”
“I don’t give a shit.” At least I don’t want to give a shit. I put down my glass and stare at the envelope.
“Come on. You’re not that heartless. Take something in life seriously besides those gross smoothies of yours.”
She leaves the tattered envelope on the counter. It belongs in the garbage. Oh, hell. If she hadn’t taken it out and read it, I could pretend it didn’t exist. I wouldn’t know my grandmother is dying. Not that I should care. I don’t even know the woman. She wasn’t there for my mom, even when she got sick and needed her. Why should I be there for her? The simple answer is, I won’t.
I grab the envelope and toss it back in the trash.
Later in the evening, Julian runs outside when he sees fireflies in the front yard. I bring a glass jar I found in the kitchen so he can catch them.
“Why do you always fight with Auntie Ashtyn?” he asks as he waits for the fireflies’ butts to light up.
Leave it to the little kid to mention it again. “It’s entertainin’, I guess.”
“My mom says that sometimes girls fight with boys because they like them.”
“Yeah, well, your aunt Ashtyn doesn’t like me very much.”
“Do you like her?”
“Of course I like her. She’s your mom’s sister.”
He doesn’t look convinced. “If she wasn’t my mom’s sister, would you still like her?”
I decide to put it in little kid terms, so he’ll understand. “Julian, sometimes girls are like junk food. They look good, and they sure taste good . . . but you know they’re not healthy for you and cause cavities, so it’s better to just leave ’em alone. Got me?”
He looks up at me with big, bright eyes. “So Auntie Ashtyn is like Skittles?”
I nod. “Yep. One big, jumbo bag of ’em.”
“I hate going to the dentist,” he says, then goes back to catching the bugs. After putting them in the jar, Julian sits on the grass and studies them. He keeps intense focus on the random flickering lights. “I wanna let them out.”
“Good idea.”
He unscrews the top and empties the entire jar. “Now you’re free,” he tells the bugs in an enthusiastic voice that resembles his mom’s.
I hear the screen door open. Ashtyn walks toward us, her eyes outlined and shadowed with smoky, dark makeup. Her lips glisten with shiny lipstick. She’s changed into a tight pink sundress that shows off her tan and toned curves. The way she looks could get her in trouble if the wrong guy took one look at her. Which is the real Ashtyn, the one who wears the black hoodies and T-shirts, or the one who wears the low-cut, tight clothes meant to turn guys on?
“What are you guys doing?” she asks.
“Catchin’ fireflies,” Julian responds, doing a pretty decent imitation of my Texas drawl.
“Can I help?”
I hold up the empty jar. “You’re too late. We’re done.” Her faint smile fades. “Sorry ’bout that.”
Julian touches a charm on her bracelet. “Cool.”
“My boyfriend bought this for me,” she tells him.
Her boyfriend drives up in his Vette, which explains the sexy dress.
Landon gets out of his car and pulls Ashtyn close after admiring her outfit. They kiss, but I’ve seen more passion when Falkor licks his nuts.
Chapter 20
Ashtyn
Landon takes me to dinner at a Japanese steak house. We share a table with six other people who are there to celebrate one of their birthdays. They’re a rowdy group and completely wasted.
“Aren’t you Carter McKnight’s kid?” one of the men asks.
Landon puffs out his chest. “Sure am.”
Suddenly Landon is the center of attention. He ends up talking to them about football the entire two-hour meal. They question him about the upcoming season and ask if Landon is going to follow in his father’s footsteps. He nods and says, “My plan is to have a bigger career than my dad had.” His statement is met with praise from the group, as if they’re seeing a pro in the making. He doesn’t mention that I play, too. It’s all been about him tonight.
As the waitress clears our plates, Landon excuses himself to go to the bathroom. “Be right back.”
A minute later his phone vibrates. He’d left his cell on the table, so I glance at the screen. It’s Lily again . . . but this time she texts a picture of herself standing in front of a mirror wearing nothing but panties. She shields her breasts with one arm, her cell obviously in her other hand as she smiles into the camera. I look away, telling myself I’m not jealous of her flawless olive skin, her shiny, long black hair, or her dark, exotic eyes. I want to think she’s ugly, but she’s not.
Remember this? her text reads.
When Landon gets back to the table, I hand him his cell. “You got a text.”
He glances at his phone, then slowly sits down. “It’s not what you think, Ash.”
“I think it’s a naked picture of your ex-girlfriend.”
The other people at the table are listening to our conversation. Landon is starting to squirm. “Can we talk about this later?” he murmurs through clenched teet
h.
I don’t care if he’s embarrassed. “Take me home,” I demand after we pay the bill. I don’t wait for an answer; I head for the door.
“Let me explain,” he says once we’re in his car.
“Have at it. I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical reason why Lily is sending you naked pictures of herself.”
“It’s not my fault. She wants to get back together, I guess.” When he senses I’m not satisfied with his explanation, he sighs in frustration. “You know I hate the girl drama jealousy thing, Ash. There’s nothing going on between me and Lily. I love you. Trust me.” He avoids my gaze as he starts the car.
I remember my conversation with Derek. A guy is bullshittin’ you when he doesn’t look you in the eye. That he might be right only makes me angrier.
I’m so busy fuming that I don’t realize Landon isn’t driving me home until we pull up in front of Club Mystique. On the border between Fremont and Fairfield, it’s our suburb’s most popular club that allows entry if you’re seventeen and older. Landon loves it here.
“Landon, I’m not in the mood to dance.”
“If you don’t want to dance, don’t dance,” he says, putting his hand on my knee. “We’ll go to the VIP section and just chill. I’ll prove to you that you’re my one and only. Cool?”
I nod reluctantly. “Cool.”
He squeezes my knee. “That’s my girl. Trust me.”
He parks out front and hands the valet his keys and a twenty-dollar tip. It’s Monday night, but the place is packed because supposedly some famous DJ from LA is spinning. And it’s summer, when college and high school students treat every day like it’s a weekend.
Landon’s arm is wrapped around me as we bypass the line and walk to the door designated for VIPs. The bouncer immediately recognizes Landon and waves us through. Most kids have to show an ID to prove they’re at least seventeen. Not Landon.
I feel the floor vibrate with the beat of the music. The place is so crowded it’s hard to move. It’s dark except for the flashing lights on the dance floor. Landon takes my hand and leads me up the stairs to the roped-off VIP section, where anybody with either money or status is assured a seat and alcohol. We end up sitting on a red velvet couch overlooking the dance area. When a waitress comes by in a skimpy thong bikini with white ruffles to ask if he wants a shot, without checking for an “over 21” mark on his hand, Landon opens a tab and seems all too happy to be served by her. She lifts a bottle of tequila above his head and he tilts his head back, waiting for her to pour the shot straight into his waiting mouth. He shakes his head and quickly downs the liquid.
“Want to try one?” he asks me as he swipes the back of his hand across his mouth.
“No.”
He slips the girl a twenty, an overly generous tip. She gives him a big thanks with a practiced wink and a smile. He eyes her butt as she heads off to serve other customers.
“What’s wrong with you, Landon?” He’s showing off. This isn’t the Landon I know, the Landon I fell for and have been dating for months.
“Nothing. Loosen up for once, Ash. See, even Derek knows how to have a good time.” He points below, where lights are flashing and the dance floor is packed.
I scan the crowd and see Derek dancing with Bree. She’s got her back to him, grinding against him. Monika and Trey are dancing next to them. They’re all smiling and laughing. I can’t help but feel left out and annoyed. I don’t own Derek and stake no claim to him, but for some stupid reason it’s hard to watch him with someone else. To top off my annoyance, Derek is a great dancer and isn’t afraid to tear it up on the dance floor. I would’ve thought if he knew any kind of dancing it’d be line dancing to country music. I never expected him to be impressive in a club with house music.
Since when do my best friend and her boyfriend double-date with Derek and Bree? I just wish they hadn’t gone to the same place as us tonight. Seeing Derek here stirs something in me that I don’t want to feel.
Bree turns and wraps her arms around Derek’s neck. His hands are now on her waist as they move together to the music. I just want to leave so I don’t have to watch them. When the song ends, he glances up. I look away so he doesn’t catch me staring and somehow realize that I can get lost in those eyes of his that give a glimpse into his soul.
Landon moves closer and licks my neck. “You smell good, Ash,” he whispers in my ear before sucking on my lobe and resting his hand on my inner thigh. “And you look sexy as hell.” Normally I don’t mind when Landon tries to turn me on, but I’m used to it being in private. This seems like a big show and completely unemotional.
“I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” I grab my purse and head for the nearest restroom. I lock myself in one of the stalls and lean my head against the door as I try to force my confused emotions into order.
Seeing Derek with Bree ripped open a wound I never knew existed. I bang the back of my head against the stall door in frustration. This can’t be happening. Not now, when everything was starting to fall back into place. I’m captain of the football team. My sister and nephew are back home, at least for the moment.
Derek is ruining everything, because the reality of it all hits me like an oncoming lineman in a blitz. Not only did Derek invade my house and my friends and my life . . . he’s wormed his way into my heart.
I have a crush on Derek that’s not about to go away anytime soon. And I have to break up with Landon.
My life is a complete mess.
I walk back to Landon and am shocked to see him talking to Matthew Bonk as if they’re old buddies. It’s like I’m in another dimension. Bonk and Landon hate each other. They’re rivals on and off the field, so why are they smiling and giving each other high fives? Wouldn’t Bonk be furious that Landon was behind posting those humiliating pictures online?
“Catch you later, man.” Bonk gives Landon a pat on the back like they’re teammates. The guy gives me a private, evil laugh as he passes me, reminding me of a predator about to strike.
“Why were you talking to Bonk?” I ask Landon. I have an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Landon and Bonk are from rival teams. Fairfield plays dirty on and off the field. Landon knows this. He also knows that Bonk instigates things. I don’t trust him at all. Nobody on my team does.
“Sit down, Ashtyn,” Landon orders.
I shake my head and step back when he reaches for my wrist. “Not until you explain why you and Bonk are suddenly acting like besties.”
He reaches out again and catches my elbow this time, wrapping his fingers around my arm and forcing me to sit next to him. “Don’t cause a scene.”
I try to wrest free, but his grip is like a vise. He’s never been like this. It’s scaring me. I wince when his fingers dig into my skin.
“I’m dropping out of Fremont and transferring to Fairfield. Since I live on the borderline between the two districts, I had my pick of schools. So when they offered me their captain position, I took it,” he admits.
The pain in my arm is nothing compared to the betrayal crashing down on me. “You’re quitting?” Suddenly it all sinks in. “You missed practice because you were being recruited by Fairfield, not because your parents had you busy with family stuff.” I narrow my eyes. “You lied!”
“I didn’t lie. I took what was offered.” He acts like it’s no big deal to change teams. “If Fremont wants you as their captain, that’s cool.”
I’m trying to breathe normally even though I’m getting dizzy from shock. “If you leave, all we have is Brandon Butter. There’s no way we’ll make it to State.”
“Listen, I gotta do what’s good for me, not what’s going to please everyone.”
“Why take me out tonight? Why make me think everything is cool between us when all along you were going to ditch me and your teammates? You told me you loved me. Was that a lie, too?”
He shrugs.
Chapter 21
Derek
I try to focus on Bree so I don’t look
at the balcony where Landon is all over Ashtyn. This inner battle to leave her alone is being lost, because I’d like nothing better than to switch places with the guy.
The night was going just fine until Ashtyn showed up with her boyfriend.
Bree rubs against me again as if I’m her personal stripper pole. She’s a good dancer. When Bree asked me to come out with her and Monika and Trey, I thought it would be a relief to have one night without Ashtyn acting like I’m ruining her life.
Hell, in reality it’s the other way around. I glance up at the balcony, unable to stop myself. I expect to see Ashtyn snuggled up all cozy with Landon on that red couch.
But Ashtyn doesn’t look happy to be sitting next to her boyfriend. Landon’s got his fingers tightly wrapped around Ashtyn’s arm. It looks like she’s trying to pull away, but he’s got a solid hold and won’t release her. She looks alarmed and upset and . . . she winces in pain.
Fuck!
With rage firing an adrenaline rush, I shove through the crowd and rush to the stairs. There’s no way I’m about to let him hurt her on my watch. I don’t give a shit if she wants me to stay out of her business.
I eye the big bouncer blocking the roped-off VIP section leading to the second story. “Two chicks are fightin’ over there.” I point to the center of the room. “You better get there quick, ’cause I think one of ’em is gettin’ her dress ripped off her.”
The bouncer abandons his post. I jump the VIP rope. As I take the stairs two at a time, I see Ashtyn rake her nails clear down her boyfriend’s cheek.
Landon drops her arm as he touches his face and realizes she’s cut him. She stands proud and tall, eyeing him in disgust. His gaze darts left and right, taking notice of everyone staring. He’s pissed now and has his hand raised as if he’s about to hit her.
I rush toward Ashtyn and plant myself between her and Landon before he has a chance to touch her. “Lay a hand on her and I’ll kick the everlovin’ shit out of you,” I say with a vengeance, my hands in fists at my sides ready to fight.
“You want a piece of me?” Landon challenges, shoving me. He looks me up and down as if I’m insignificant.
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