Mindy’s eyes flickered to mine. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be totally okay. Are you sure you don’t want to hang around for a little longer?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m good.”
“You all right to drive?” she asked, eyeing my cup.
“Yeah, I’ve only had one. Here you can have this one. I just poured it.” I handed the full cup to her.
“Don’t rush off, Eva,” Soldier Boy uttered from behind me. “I didn’t mean to overstep boundaries or something. I just wanted to know your name.”
Mindy’s eyes shifted to him, and widened. She arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow at me, and smiled. “Looks like I’m not the only one who wishes you’d hang out for a bit longer.”
“Nice one, cuz.” Wes grinned as he eyed me, and shifted his gaze to Soldier Boy.
Cuz? Was this Wes Keeton’s cousin? Please, no.
“Mindy, this is my cousin, Sawyer Keeton. He’s the guy we threw this party for. He just graduated boot camp or military college, something,” Wes explained with a level of pride etched into each of his words, even though he didn’t sound like he knew what the hell he was talking about.
Soldier Boy was Wes Keeton’s cousin. Ugh, no wonder he came off as such a cocky, arrogant ass. It must be something that ran in the Keeton bloodline.
“Congratulations!” Mindy shouted as though he’d won the Nobel Peace Prize. He’d graduated boot camp; all this proved was that he could follow directions.
“Seriously, you’re the guy this party is for?” I spun to face him, and narrowed my eyes.
“Seriously.” He beamed. His incredible eyes glittered as they locked with mine.
“For a guy who’s in the National Guard, you sure don’t know how to follow directions very well.” I stormed off, waving to Mindy as I headed for the door. “Text me later, and let me know you made it home all right,” I called over my shoulder.
“I will. Be careful,” she shouted over the loud DMX song I hadn’t heard since middle school playing through the speakers.
“What’s that supposed to mean? I can follow orders just fine,” Sawyer said. He’d followed me in my race to the front door. Big surprise.
“Actually, you can’t. You haven’t left me alone.” I pushed my way through the throng of people congregating on the front porch, smoking cigarettes, and made my way down the brick steps.
Sawyer’s hand reached out, and grabbed my wrist. I paused near the bottom of the stairs at the feel of the contact. Electricity sparked through my system. Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I wondered how long it had been since a guy had caused this sort of reaction when he touched me.
“You never asked. If you’d have asked me to leave you be, then I would have.” He smiled. “But you didn’t.”
There was a sweetness to this grin—one I hadn’t noticed in the others—and I wondered if it was his way of getting me to stay. Was he trying to reel me in or something? This had to be a completely orchestrated look he used in order to get what he wanted with the ladies.
“So?” he questioned. When I didn’t respond right away, he continued. “Are you sure you want me to leave you be?” The pad of his thumb rubbed against the inside of my wrist, and caused me to nearly melt in front of Wes Keeton’s frat house.
“Would you listen?” I arched an eyebrow.
“I think you already know the answer to that.” His head cocked to the side. “What is it you have against me? Are you just one of those I-hate-men types? Are you a lesbian?”
Unbelievable. His ego was larger than I’d initially thought.
“Because I’m struggling to resist your charming ways, you question if I’m a lesbian?”
Dropping my wrist, he crammed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, and leaned in closer to me. A large smile twisted his lips. “You’re struggling to resist my charming ways, huh?”
I blinked. Had I really said that? Without another word, I walked past him toward my Escape, which I had to park half a mile away because Soldier Boy was so damn popular there wasn’t a spot closer.
“I’ve never been one to enjoy the chase, but I really think I’m turning over a new leaf with you.” He was at my side, matching me step for step.
“You know, I will give you one thing: You’re the most multitalented guy I’ve met yet. You can walk, talk, and manage to annoy the shit out of me all at the same time.” I cut my eyes to him, and flashed my most intense glare, hoping to get my point across.
CHAPTER FOUR
SAWYER
Her words hit me in the gut, and forced a laugh from me that vibrated through my entire body. This girl was just as good as I was at the one-liners. Playful banter wasn’t something I was used to doing with women; it had always been something my brother and I had done. He’d been the one-liner king.
“Damn that was a good one. I’ll have to remember it,” I admitted, still unable to gain control over my laughter.
A small smile twitched at the corners of her plump lips, but she didn’t speak. Instead, she continued in her quick-paced walk toward her vehicle. I wracked my brain for something to say that would stop her from leaving, something that would give me more time with the girl who made the pain of losing my brother disappear while in her presence.
Nothing came to me though, and before I knew it, I was standing at her vehicle, watching as she climbed inside. She cranked the engine and reached to close her door, but I was in the way. Her ocean blue eyes snapped to mine, and I imagined there was something with venom waiting to be released on the tip of her tongue.
“Since you didn’t tell me flat-out you wanted me to leave you alone, I’m taking it as a good sign and saying goodnight, but not goodbye. See you sometime soon, pretty eyes.” I winked, and jogged away backward before she could respond.
Heading up the front steps to the house, I couldn’t wait to talk with Mindy and find out everything I possibly could about Eva, the sharp-tongued girl of my dreams. The same thumping music from before pulsed through the house when I stepped inside. Loud chanting and claps that held no rhythm sounded alongside it. Compared to the quiet from outside, this place was like sensory overkill.
Weaving through people dancing, talking, making out, and grinding against one another, I searched for Mindy. She and Wes were no longer standing beside the wall where I’d last seen them. Scouring the center of the room, I prayed Wes hadn’t already taken her upstairs. Spotting his goofy ass nod-and-bob moves, I bolted toward him with my eyes zeroed in on the petite blonde he was with.
“There you are.” Wes grinned. “Did you scare off your date?”
“She wasn’t my date,” I shouted over the music. “And now I’m borrowing yours.”
Gripping Mindy’s hand, I intertwined my fingers through hers and pulled her away from the dance floor toward the back door. I needed to get her outside where I knew it would be quieter. She didn’t put up a struggle. In fact, she gripped her plastic cup, and smiled while strolling along behind me. Either the girl was wasted already or she was the most passive person I’d ever met. She damn sure was the exact opposite of her friend. The thought of someone trying to do this with Eva plastered a smile on my face.
“Tell me everything about her,” I blurted the second we stepped outside into the empty backyard.
Mindy chuckled, and sipped her drink. “Everything about who?”
Was this girl stupid? “Eva, your friend.”
“Oh.” Recognition dawned on her, and she dragged the word out. “Right, Eva. Are you a stalker?” Her blond eyebrows drew together as her eyes skimmed over me.
I shook my head. “No, I’m not a stalker.”
Disbelief that she’d asked the question, even though she had every right to believe that’s exactly what I was, sliced through me. I’d never behaved this way before, especially not when it involved a chick. Chick? Eva was not a chick; she was a freaking gorgeous woman.
“Whoa, wait a minute,” Wes yelled. He stormed through the back door with a look of pure rage slashing
across his features. There was one surefire way to piss my cousin off—cock block him. “What the fuck, man? Why are you stealing my girl when you just ran yours off?”
“Your girl?” Mindy gasp. She was a lovesick puppy in Wes’s hands already, and he’d worked on her no more than two nights. How the hell did he do that?
“I need information from her.” I ran my fingers through my hair.
What the hell was I doing? Why was I about to interrogate this girl? How had Eva embedded herself into my mind so deeply after only a few brief meetings?
“Information about what?” Wes questioned. He’d moved to take a defensive stand beside Mindy, and folded his arms over his chest while pinning me in place with an intense stare.
“Eva. He wants to know everything about her,” Mindy answered for me.
I couldn’t raise my eyes to meet Wes’s because I knew the look I’d find splashed across his face—amusement.
“The girl you just ran off? Have you even met her before tonight?” Wes asked. His voice was low, but it was clear he was on the verge of laughing hysterically. “Was it love at first sight, little cuz?”
My eyes snapped to his. “I don’t know what it is.”
I didn’t. All I knew was that she made me feel alive inside—something I hadn’t felt in a while. Not since before Ryker died. She made me forget it all for a moment. Most of all, she made me feel as though forgetting the pain from losing Ryker might finally be okay.
“Her last name is Bennett. She’s like the same age as me, twenty-four. She works at The Point, and is pretty cynical when it comes to things.” Mindy filled the awkward silence between the three of us. “She’s awesome though, really down to earth.”
Smiling, I stared at Mindy. “I kind of figured out the cynical part on my own.”
The rest was something else, though. Eva Bennett, a twenty-four-year-old who worked at The Point. Guess I found my new favorite place to eat.
Wes gripped my shoulder, and spun me to face the house. “Inside. Let’s enjoy this party now that you know more about your mystery woman.”
* * * *
Saturday morning I woke at five-thirty like always. I didn’t even need to set the alarm on my cell phone; my internal alarm clock was good enough. After slipping some basketball shorts over my boxers and tugging on an Under Armor long-sleeved shirt from my closet, I tied my running shoes and headed out the door. This was how I began every day. Even before basic training, I’d done this—ran as soon as I woke up, regardless of the weather. I was like the freaking mailman; nothing could stop me from doing what I needed to do—run.
Ryker and I used to run together. We did a lot of things together. He hadn’t just been my big brother, he’d also been my best friend, and now he was gone.
Slamming the front door shut behind me, I jogged down the wooden steps lit dimly by the end cap lights my landlord had put in a few months ago. By the time I reached the final step, I could barely see my hand in front of my face. At five-thirty on an early December morning, having adequate light wasn’t the only problem stacked against me. The bitter cold temperature was too. Jogging in place for a few minutes, and then doing my leg stretches, I stared at the few cars passing by as I forced thoughts of my brother out of my head.
I hooked my earbuds in my ears, and opened up the music app on my phone, tapping on my favorite running station—Dubstep. I started in the opposite direction I’d ran yesterday. My feet pounded against the smooth concrete of the sidewalk in a slow rhythm until I gradually picked up speed. Pulling in deep, measured breaths, I felt my mind quiet and relax little by little. I zoned out, becoming enveloped in that blissful place where I was free—free from memories, free from responsibilities, free from life. The beat of the music echoed through my soul, and my feet became numb to the jarring sensation of meeting with the ground at such a rapid pace.
Mind nirvana, that’s what I liked to call this moment.
I ran until I came to Coldcreek High School, which was a good two and a half miles from my apartment, then I jogged in place for a bit before I turned around and headed back. The song playing through my earbuds switched to something darker and full of deep bass. Smiling, I picked up the pace. This was what I needed—to burn the excess energy I had flowing through my veins—before tackling another day.
After jogging up the stairs to my apartment, I unlocked the door and pushed inside. The silence made the pounding of my heart seem louder. I tossed my keys on the kitchen counter, and headed to my room for some clothes before hopping in the shower. It was Saturday, and I had absolutely nothing to do. As the water streamed over my skin, I contemplated how I should spend my day.
CHAPTER FIVE
EVA
After rolling out of bed, I forced myself down the hall of my tiny apartment and straight to the TV. I’d been up for about an hour now, lying in bed while thinking of excuses not to exercise this morning. I tried to fool my mind into believing I had too much to do today, and wouldn’t have the thirty minutes it took to spare. When I couldn’t come up with anything good enough, I finally caved and decided I had nothing better to do besides focus on my personal fitness on this fine morning.
After pushing power on the remote and moving my scuffed up coffee table out of the way, I spread my yoga mat out on the floor and plopped down. The upbeat voice of the Pilates instructor on the DVD filled the quiet of my living room. I obeyed her every command, twisting and stretching into the most ridiculous positions. After completing my thirty minutes, I stood and felt like a whole new person. My muscles were relaxed and limber, while my mind was fully awake and at ease.
Time for caffeine.
Making myself a cup of pumpkin spice coffee with loads of vanilla creamer, I scooped up my cell phone and headed toward my couch. After scanning through my usual—email and all social media sites—I tossed my phone down beside me and sighed. Everyone seemed to be living these extraordinary lives based off my newsfeed. Kicking my feet up, I finished my coffee in silence, while wondering what I could do today that would seem extraordinary. Days off from both work and school were rare for me, and when one came around, I generally didn’t know what to do with myself.
Today was no exception, no matter how much I wanted it to be.
After downing the final sips of my sugar in a cup, I rinsed my mug in the sink and headed to the shower, hoping something would come to me there. It seemed as though the best ideas always came to me when I was in the shower. This time though, not so much. The only thing that came to me was thoughts of last night. They slipped through my mind as the warm water pounded against my back. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get Sawyer Keeton out of my mind. His witty banter and sexy-as-hell self had slithered into my subconscious, because the dreams he starred in last night were intense. I didn’t think there was any toy in the bottom drawer of my nightstand that would satisfy this urge swelling inside of me with every breath.
I really needed a man. And fun. I needed some fun.
Drying off, I figured I’d do my usual, head to Paige’s Closet and shop for clothes I didn’t really need. Maybe Paige or Lauren would want to do something tonight. It was nights like this when I almost wished my best friend, Cameron, wasn’t all domesticated and refined now. While I was happy for him and Paige, I still missed my buck wild partner in crime every so often. My cell chimed from in the living room as a text came through, and I raced to see who it was. Mindy’s name and number lit up my screen.
Your soldier boy grilled me about you last night.
My jaw slacked. What could he have possibly wanted to know? I flopped down across my couch, and tucked my feet beneath me.
What do you mean he grilled you? ~ Eva
Exactly that, he wanted to know everything I could tell him about you.
This conversation should be freaking me out, but it wasn’t. Instead, it made my pulse race in a good way, and my knees bounce with pent up giddiness.
Because? ~ Eva
Because I think he’s obsessed wi
th you or something.
Obsessed with me? Ha. There was no way he was obsessed with me.
And what did you tell him? ~ Eva
Chewing on the corner of my thumbnail, I was surprised at how much this all mattered to me. My heart palpitated as I waited for her response. Mindy hadn’t known me for long, so she couldn’t have had too much to tell him.
The truth. Your last name is Bennett. You work at The Point. You’re twenty-four. And you’re very cynical.
Not bad. That was me in a nutshell. Sawyer already knew I was cynical, but everything else would have been new information to him.
I also added that you were very down to earth.
I smiled, wondering what his response had been to that.
What did he say? ~ Eva
Nothing much. Wes made us go back inside to the party. I’m not sure what he did after, but I do know that I woke up tangled in Wes’s sheets this morning.
Ugh. I refused to say what I really wanted—how I was sure she wasn’t the only one this week to know that feeling. Instead, I went with something a little on the friendlier side.
Was it everything you imagined it to be? ~ Eva
Better.
As Mindy proceeded to give me all the “juicy details,” as she called them, from her night with Wes, I thought more about Sawyer, and his reason for wanting to know more about me. The sexual attraction was most definitely there for me, and obviously, it was there for him too. Otherwise, why else would he have pulled Mindy to the side to ask for more information about me?
Running my fingers through my wet hair, I wondered if I should ask for his number.
Are you at Wes’s place now? ~ Eva
Yeah, why?
My stomach rolled as I typed out a response.
I was wondering if you could ask Wes for Sawyer’s number for me. ~ Eva
Chewing on my bottom lip, I squeezed my eyes shut as I waited for her answer. My cell chimed seconds later.
Forget You Page 3