I pouted as I looked down at the cute shoes I’d chosen to wear. I pretty much always wore heels when I went out and hated the thought of leaving them. “I can dance in these,” I insisted.
But Isla shook her head. “Trust me, you’ll wish you had worn the sneakers if you go for the heels.”
“Fine, fine.” I took the shoes off and switched them out for a pair of simple white sneakers. They were definitely more comfortable, but I really missed the extra height my heels gave me.
“Perfect,” Isla said, as I stood tall. “Ethan is going to die when he sees you in that.”
My cheeks flushed, and my stomach twisted at the remark. It wasn’t Ethan my outfit was supposed to be impressing. I also couldn’t really understand the strange way my heart leaped at the idea of Ethan liking how I looked. It was probably just a reaction to the compliment though.
Isla’s phone buzzed, and she jumped off the bed. “Dex is out front to pick me up,” she said. “Is Ethan meeting you here or are you heading over to his house?”
“I’m heading to his house.” Ethan had offered to come get me, but I’d quickly scrapped that idea. The whole point of us going out together was so that Owen would see us, which wasn’t going to happen if Ethan came here to get me.
“And I should probably head there now, so I’ll walk you out,” I added.
Isla followed me down the stairs and out into my front yard. Her face lit up when she saw her boyfriend’s car idling in the street, but her expression quickly changed. She scrunched her forehead and narrowed her eyes when she saw Owen leaning against the passenger door, talking to Dex through the open window.
“Ugh,” she said, slowing her walk to a stop. Her whole face had turned sour, like there was a bad smell wafting toward us. Her focus was fixed on Owen, and I had a feeling he was the reason behind her discomfort.
My brow creased as I looked at her. “You have a problem with Owen?”
“Yeah, I can’t stand the guy.”
My eyes widened at the vehemence in her voice. “Why not?”
“Uh, have you met him? He’s a total tool.”
I shook my head, failing to see how she could think such a thing. “He’s always seemed really nice to me.”
“Well, of course, you’d think that.” Isla replied. “You’re a hot cheerleader, so he’s not exactly going to act like his usual horrible self around you.”
I felt lost for words. Isla and I had been getting along so well this afternoon, and I found it hard to believe we could have such different opinions on Owen. I looked over at him, searching for the tool Isla saw. I just couldn’t see that side to him though. He was smiling brightly as he talked with Dex, and there didn’t seem to be anything nasty or malicious about him at all.
“Maybe, you just got him at a bad time?” I suggested, hoping to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Isla laughed. “Well, if that’s the case, I guess every time is a bad time with Owen.”
My frown grew more pronounced. She really seemed to hate him, but that didn’t mean her feelings about him were right.
“So, is he a friend of your boyfriend?” I asked, hoping to move the topic away from how horrible Owen was.
“No, he’s probably just trying to get Dex to buy him alcohol.” She spoke like it wasn’t the first time that had happened and let out a sigh before she continued. “Anyway, I should probably go. I’ll see you at the venue.” She gave me a smile before slowly traipsing toward the car.
Owen looked over as she approached, and I was surprised to find what looked like a sneer on his face as he greeted her. Isla hadn’t been kidding when she said they didn’t get along. I’d never seen him make such a hard expression before, and I couldn’t for the life of me understand why they didn’t like each other. They were both such great people. What was I missing?
I tried to push the thought from my mind and hurried over to Ethan’s house. I couldn’t seem to forget the interaction I’d just seen though. It was like a mystery I had to unravel. I was so caught up in my thoughts I didn’t realize my name was being called until I stepped onto the Beck’s front lawn.
“Hayley? Hayley, wait up.” I slowly turned as Owen jogged to catch up with me. He was wearing a blinding smile, with none of the scorn I’d seen on his face only moments ago, as he approached. It was almost like I’d imagined the expression.
He let out a low whistle as he checked out my outfit. “Looking good, Hayley.”
I would have expected a compliment from Owen to make me giddy with happiness, but this one just seemed to bounce off me without making a mark. I was still distracted by everything Isla had said about him though, so I eventually gathered myself and smiled back at him. “Thanks.”
An awkward silence stretched between us, and I quickly went to fill it. “It’s nice out today.” I immediately wanted to slap myself. It’s nice out today? Could I have said anything more bland?
“Yeah, it is.” He chuckled. “Especially now that you’re here.”
I let out an awkward laugh in response. Owen had always seemed so smooth with girls, but that had sounded cheesy. Did lines like that actually work on people? At least, he wasn’t walking away after my stupid weather comment.
“You know, I missed seeing you in the cafeteria yesterday,” he continued.
He noticed I wasn’t there? “You did?”
“Of course,” he replied. “To be honest, I was surprised you haven’t sat at our table at lunch this week. You always used to sit with us…”
I gave a shrug. “Things change.”
“Yeah, I get it,” he agreed. He ran a hand through his hair as he smiled down at me. He had the kind of smile that could melt a girl’s heart, and when it was focused on me, I became putty in his hands.
“Are you still cheering?”
I nodded. Apparently, I not only became putty but also wasn’t capable of speech when Owen smiled at me like that.
“That’s good. I remember how amazing you were at it.”
I blushed at his compliment and wondered why Isla couldn’t see how amazing Owen was. Perhaps, if she’d heard his poem all those years ago and knew about the walls he kept up, she’d be more willing to give him a chance. He was so sweet beneath the surface; your eyes just had to be open to see it.
The front door swung open, breaking me from Owen’s spell, and I turned to see Ethan in the doorway. He was wearing his normal baggy tee and jeans, and his hair was gelled in a messy way, like he had just gotten out of bed. He didn’t have his glasses on, and my gut seemed to clench at the sight of him.
His eyes lit up when he saw me, and the way he stared at my outfit made my pulse quiver. He didn’t whistle like his brother did, and he certainly didn’t gawk at me. I could see the appreciation in his eyes though as he walked toward me.
“Hey,” I said as he stopped only inches away. The word squeaked out of me, and I felt my cheeks flush slightly red.
Ethan didn’t seem to notice though. He took my hand and lightly pressed a kiss to the back of it, making my skin tingle.
“Hey,” he replied. His voice was deep, and I was shocked by how that one word could send vibrations rumbling all the way through me. He started to smile, like he knew he was getting to me. “You look beautiful. The pink hair is killer.”
I grinned and touched one of the pink locks. “Thanks, Isla is a miracle worker.”
“She did a great job,” he agreed. “Are you ready for tonight?”
I was interrupted before I could answer. “Of course, we are.”
I turned, having completely forgotten Owen was standing behind me. His expression was dark, and I could see he didn’t enjoy being ignored.
“What do you mean, we?” Ethan growled.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? A group of us are going to the bar where your little band is playing tonight…”
The way he spoke about Ethan’s band made me frown. I had no idea if Ethan was any good, but it felt like Owen was being unnecessarily patronizing to his broth
er. It had to be a sibling thing. I gave Kitty crap about pretty much everything.
“Why would you do that?” Ethan asked. He sounded so cautious, like he didn’t trust his brother’s motives.
Owen shrugged in reply. “Can’t a twin come and support his brother?”
“You haven’t come to one of my performances before.”
“And I plan to change that tonight.”
Ethan’s brow creased with uncertainty. “Well, I hope you enjoy the show.” His voice was tight, and he seemed bothered by the fact Owen was coming. His expression calmed as he returned his attention to me. “You ready to go?”
I quickly nodded and smiled. “Yeah, I can’t wait.”
Ethan took me by the hand and led me toward his car. I glanced over my shoulder as we walked and was surprised to find Owen still standing there watching us. His gaze was narrowed on our intertwined hands as though it troubled him.
When I’d walked onto their front lawn a week ago, Owen had barely noticed me. Now, he couldn’t seem to look away. It felt like the fake relationship with Ethan was working its magic on Owen. I had no idea if we’d done enough to get him to ask me to prom though.
We got in the car, and Ethan started the engine without comment. He still seemed out of sorts about Owen attending his gig tonight, and I had no idea what to say.
“Is it bad that Owen’s coming tonight?” I asked.
Ethan relaxed a little and smiled at me. “Not bad. I just think he’s only doing it to annoy me.”
“Does he do that a lot?”
“Try to annoy me?” Ethan laughed. “All the time.”
“I guess it’s the same with my sister.”
“I guess,” he agreed. From the look on his face though, Ethan clearly felt our situations were totally different. Owen and Ethan were twins, so I supposed it couldn’t be the same as my little sister and me. I’d always thought twins would have been best friends, but maybe, the Beck brothers were proof that wasn’t true.
“It will certainly help with our plan if he’s there tonight,” Ethan continued, seemingly trying to put a positive spin on things.
“Do you think it’s going well so far? The plan, that is…”
“I’d say so.” Ethan didn’t look my way as he replied, and his eyes remained focused on the road ahead.
“Well, that’s a good thing, right?”
“Yeah, of course, it is,” he quickly replied. His shoulders were tense as he spoke, and I got the impression he wasn’t being completely honest. He glanced at me and gave me a tight smile. “You shouldn’t worry. If things keep going this way, I feel certain Owen will be yours by prom.”
I nodded and returned his tight smile with one of my own. His reassurance should have excited me, but for some reason, my heart didn’t skip a beat like I’d have expected. It didn’t even flutter. It kept on thumping with the same methodical rhythm, and I had to wonder why.
13
Hayley
Ethan’s gig was taking place at a bar in the next town over from ours. I’d never seen the place before, but as we walked up to the venue, the line outside the doors surprised me. It was barely nightfall, and already, a large crowd was waiting to get inside.
“This is the place you’re playing?” I asked Ethan, as I gasped at the length of the line to get in.
“Don’t sound so surprised.” He smiled like he took it as a compliment though. “Come on, we’ll head round back and go in the staff entrance.”
I felt a bit like a lost puppy as I followed his lead. He turned down an alley, and given how dark it was, I might normally have refused to go any farther. But, strangely, I trusted Ethan and happily followed him without question. It wasn’t until we had reached the back of the building that I finally saw some light. It was spilling out of an open doorway, and I let out a relieved breath when I saw Isla and the rest of the band waiting there.
She grinned brightly when she saw us and came straight over to me. “Finally. I thought you guys would be right behind us.”
“We got caught chatting to Owen,” I explained.
Isla scrunched her nose up at the sound of his name but continued like I hadn’t mentioned him. “Well, you’re here now.” She turned and waved a hand at the tall guy behind her. “Dex, meet Hayley,” she said.
He was backlit by the door, and it took a second before my eyes adjusted and I realized it was her boyfriend. My eyes naturally dipped to the sleeve of tattoos on his arm. Isla was right; they really suited him.
“You’re the boyfriend-slash-drummer, right?” I said.
“That’s me.” Dex chuckled. “And you must be the cheerleader Ethan’s always going on about.” His eyes darted in Ethan’s direction, and he gave him a knowing smirk.
Ethan coughed as he looked at me. “Yeah, I might have been talking about you at practice this week.”
“Have you just?”
Ethan nodded, though he looked distinctly uncomfortable, which made me smile. “Nice things, I hope.”
“Always,” he said, making my smile grow. Even when we weren’t together, it seemed Ethan was a great fake boyfriend.
I turned to Colin, who was also waiting silently by the staff entrance. “Hey, Colin.”
“Hayley,” he squeaked in reply. He didn’t meet my eyes, and his cheeks turned a shade similar to his red hair. I wasn’t sure what it was about me, but Colin always acted so nervous when I was near. We didn’t really know each other, but I hoped he didn’t think I was like so many of the other cheerleaders at our school. A few of them had cruel reputations, and I really didn’t want to be painted with the same brush.
I hadn’t missed the fact that Dex remembered me simply because I cheered, and I hated to think that’s all Ethan’s friends thought of me. Hopefully, as they got to know me, they’d realize there was more to me than a set of pom-poms.
“So, are we doing this?” Isla asked. She had her game voice on and sounded ready to launch into a pre-performance pep talk. The boys chuckled, and I got the feeling she did this frequently.
“Yeah, babe, we’re doing this,” Dex said, pulling her in so she was caged in his arms. “Why don’t you take Hayley inside and leave us to set up?”
Isla pouted. “But I can help.”
“We know you can,” Ethan said. “But it might be more fun for the two of you in the bar. Plus, you’ll want to get a good spot in the crowd to watch the show.”
Isla glanced at me and nodded. “Okay, if you guys insist,” she replied, before returning her gaze to Dex. “You’re going to kill it out there tonight,” she told him before lifting herself up on her toes and giving him an intense kiss.
Colin and Ethan both visibly cringed.
“Seriously, guys, do we have to watch this?” Colin asked.
Dex laughed as he broke away from Isla. She gave him one last peck on the cheek before she stepped back and gestured for me to follow her toward the door. I glanced at Ethan, who gave me an encouraging nod. After Isla and Dex’s kiss though, I didn’t think I could just leave without saying anything to him. A real girlfriend would at the very least wish him good luck.
I turned to Ethan and smiled as I reached up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. As my lips brushed against him, my stomach dropped. His skin was rough with stubble, and it made my lips tingle. I was surrounded in the delicious scent of his aftershave, which was mixed with the subtle laundry scent of his room. The smell was both enticing and comforting all at once, and I liked the combination a whole lot more than I probably should have.
Realizing I’d lingered far too long, I quickly stepped back. “Break a leg out there.”
“Thanks.” Ethan’s voice was slightly husky, and I suddenly felt awkward as I stood there staring at him. I flashed him another smile before I quickly turned and made my way toward the staff entrance. Isla was grinning as I followed her inside.
“That was a very PG-13 kiss back there,” she said.
“Better than that R-rated stuff you guys put on.” I gave her
a nudge with my shoulder, making her laugh.
“What? I can’t help myself. Dex is hot.”
“You should have seen the look on Ethan’s and Colin’s faces.”
“Well, they’re always welcome to leave if they don’t like what they see.”
I shook my head but couldn’t stop myself from smiling. I really liked how Isla didn’t care what anyone else thought. I wished I were more like her. I thought I was a pretty strong-minded person, but I didn’t have anywhere close to Isla’s level of indifference when it came to people’s opinions.
We walked through the entrance, and I followed Isla down a long corridor. She walked with purpose, as though she’d been here many times. “Have the guys played here before?” I asked.
“Yep. They’re here the first Saturday of every month,” she replied. It sounded quite impressive to have a standing gig like that, and given the line that was outside, it must have been a very popular place.
“So, the band must do pretty well here to get invited back all the time.”
“Oh, yeah,” she said, with a proud look in her eyes. “The college Dex goes to is just down the road, and this place is packed with students on the weekends. They all love the band.”
“And the bar doesn’t care that none of you are twenty-one?” I asked.
“This place doesn’t exactly card people,” she replied. “I’m surprised more kids from school don’t know about it.”
Word would probably get out tonight though, seeing as Owen was coming with his friends. I didn’t mention it to Isla. I had a feeling she wouldn’t take the news well, and I didn’t want to dampen her excitement.
I followed her up a set of stairs, and my mouth dropped when she opened the door that led to the bar area. It was completely packed. I’d half-expected Ethan’s band to be playing somewhere quiet with just a few regulars propping up the bar, half-listening to what was happening on stage. This legitimately looked like the place to be on a Saturday night though.
“There are so many people here!” I exclaimed. I had to raise my voice to be heard over the pumping music and people talking in the bar.
The Wrong Prom Date Page 12