by J. Preston
“Right…” Jason slowly looks from me to Aiden, then back at me again. “Riiight.”
“So shall we go to the store?” I ask innocently, changing the subject. Yup, I am that smooth. Sheer talent, ladies and gentlemen.
“That’s why I sent Aiden to get you and say ‘hi’, actually.” Oooh, so ‘you’ve got a killer ass’ does translate to ‘hi’. Good to know.
“Let’s go then. I’m driving!” I grin at Jason as if nothing is wrong and start for the front door.
“Actually, we’re taking my jeep,” Aiden interrupts my exit, and I turn around to glare at him. “We need the boot space, but you can ride up front and be in charge of the radio?” He looks at me apologetically. I stop glaring and try to figure out what his game is. I can take advantage of this situation.
“Fine,” I smirk. I’ve got some torture music in mind. Maybe some N’sync, or better yet, yodelling! Short stick, you conniving little jerk. Short stick.
2 What Just Happened?
I’m not clumsy! The floor hates me, the table and chairs are bullies and the walls get in my way…
- Jenny
Jenny
Having the one guy you can’t stand constantly by your side is infuriating. Ever since our fight on my first day in Starwood, Mr. Von Suck has been dancing around me like a puppet.
Jenny, would you like this? Jenny, are you warm enough? Jenny, your shoelaces are untied, you might trip and fall!
I did trip and fall, but that’s beside the point.
I spent the last two weeks basically hiding from him. Where I went, there he’d be, making my life miserable. Whenever I’d be in a compromising situation, such as on my ass after falling down the porch steps, he’d be the first to help me. Coming out of nowhere, suddenly by my side, poof—like a freaking genie. All that was missing was a lamp.
I’m not quite sure what changed his attitude towards me, apart from growing a pair, but I am seriously not buying this goody-goody act. I suspect that, deep down inside, he is just coming up with a new way to humiliate me in front of everybody.
Jason is no help at all. It's like he is oblivious towards all the weirdness surrounding Aiden and me, or at least choosing to ignore it. As a result, I spend my days sitting in my room reading or in a general state of misery.
I tried sneaking out through the window once, but as luck would have it, Aiden was just coming out to the pool and witnessed my very graceful fall right into the rosebush. He had proceeded to drag me to the bathroom and insist on carefully cleaning all my scrapes. Brilliant. I’d made sure to look out for any poisonous concoctions in his bathroom, and I definitely did not stare at his bare chest…
After that incident, Aiden had taken up residence by the pool, sitting there all day and watching my window intently, waiting for God knows what. The sight isn’t too bad, all shirtless, abs glistening from pool water. But there’s only so much undercover ogling one can do before being discovered.
Consequently, my room turned into a den, the curtains drawn, doors closed. It’s so dark in here it’s giving me SAD. What’s worse, the only time I get to use the pool is at about two am, when I am certain that both the guys are sleeping.
But no more!
Today is going to be different. I’m finally going to make it out the door. The weather is gorgeous and I just can’t stand being inside anymore.
So here I am, dressed in a white sundress over my white bikini and wearing flip-flops. Armed with my purse and car keys, I will stealthily, ninja-style, make it out of the house. Just watch me!
I crack my door open and tentatively glance into the hallway, prepared to shut it immediately if I spot any males in the vicinity. The house is eerily quiet. There was no one by the pool when I checked earlier and my hopes skyrocket. Could this be? Not taking any chances, I tiptoe towards the kitchen and look out the window. Sure enough, the Jeep is gone! The Jeep is gone, people! Hallelujah!!!
With more confidence and a lot louder, I walk towards the fridge and grab a bottle of water before heading towards the front door.
In no time, I am outside, breathing the fresh air and soaking up the morning sun. Pure bliss. Just as I’m locking up, I hear a car coming down the street. Shitsticks! I'm not going down without a fight. I dart down the front steps and, like the mature person that I am, hide behind Kitt’s back wheels just as Aiden's black Jeep turns in and parks in front of our house.
Three guys get out of the car. Jason, Aiden and Teen Wolf. Seriously, the guy looks like Derek Hale’s hotter brother. He is beyond sexy.
Trying not to get caught crouching behind Kitt like an idiot, I quickly frog jump towards the side mirror and check my reflection.
“Whatcha doing?” I jump up, startled by the sudden discovery of my hiding place, and bash my head on the side mirror. Rubbing the sore spot on my head, I get up. Jason is leaning over Kitt’s hood and looking at me with interest.
“Oh, I dropped my keys…” I say tentatively. Aiden and Teen Wolf walk over to us. No, Aiden walks. Teen Wolf? Well, he saunters, oozing hotness with every step. I blush and look at my neon orange toenails.
“Hey there, gorgeous.” Aiden smiles at me.
“Love the white dress, Angel.” Teen Wolf goes straight into pick up line mode as he looks me up and down. And although I can see through the cheesy line, heat still rushes to my cheeks. Stupid Teen Wolf.
Jason speaks up, saving me from standing there, blushing and wringing my hands, awkwardly.
“Dudes, small reminder here! That’s my sister, so please wipe the drool off your faces before I puke.” I hear throats clearing and man noises and look up at Jason, who is laughing.
”Jenny, this is my idiot friend, Carter. Carter, this is Jenny.”
“Hey, nice to meet you.” Carter grins as he walks over. “Where was Jason hiding you all last year?” he murmurs, leaning in to give me a hug. This would be totally okay, but being the nerd that I am, I have entirely misinterpreted his intentions and I stick my hand out to shake his, connecting with his package in the process. I squeak in horror and jump back as the grin on his face widens.
“You're mighty friendly.” He winks at me. Dear Lord, please open the pits of Hell so the ground can swallow me whole. Thank you.
“Stop trying to corrupt my baby sister.” My brother laughs at Carter.
“Hey, not my fault she finds me irresistible,” Carter replies, putting his hands up in defence. Then he winks at me.
Again.
College boys... They’re getting increasingly more irritating with every day. First Aiden, being all Aiden. Now this Carter dude thinks he hung the moon? I. Don’t. Think. So.
My mouth opens and words come out before I have a chance to think. “Irresistible, eh? Sorry to burst your bubble, buddy. I prefer men to boys, so why don’t you wait until puberty ends and call me then. Two years should be enough, right?” And there go my chances of having a boyfriend. Ever. Way to shoot down Teen Wolf.
“Ouch!” He puts a hand on his heart and winces, still smiling. In my peripheral vision, I see Aiden relax his fists. “I think I like you even more, now that I know you bite.”
“Cut it out, Kennedy.” Jason interrupts our brief exchange. “You’re such a little manwhore.”
“I might just change my ways for her,” Carter retorts, not taking offence. His eyes are twinkling as he cocks his head to the side, looking at me. I bite my cheek, trying to stop myself from grinning. Is this flirting? I thought I was insulting him. But if this is flirting, I might actually stand a chance. I’m pretty great at insults. “I think she's special.”
Jason snorts as he comes over and puts his large arm over my shoulder. “She's special all right.” I kick him in the shin.
With my foot.
My foot, which is in a flip-flop. Holy Mother of broken toes!
But the pain is worth it because Teen Wolf smiles even wider and says, “I really like what I’m seeing, Jenny.” Jason huffs and Aiden strolls over closer to us, barging into Carter’s shou
lder as he walks past him.
“Where are you going, beautiful?” he says, standing right in front of me, his green eyes focused. Ugh, I roll my eyes on the inside. What’s with the compliments?
“I was going to go to the beach…”
“Which beach?”
“Wolf Cove.” I narrow my eyes.
“Without a wetsuit? It’s a surfer beach. Whatcha planning on doing there?” He cocks his head.
“Without a wetsuit, Dad. And I’ll be beating the world record in holding breath underwater… I’m going swimming, obviously, what else?” I reply, smirking.
“You’ll freeze your cute little butt if you go swimming without a wetsuit. There’s a cold current in the bay.”
“Watch me prove you wrong.”
“With pleasure,” Aiden replies, his eyes dancing with a smile. “Let me just go get my towel.” What the hell?
“Are you serious? You're not coming with me!”
“Oooh. Are you scared I’ll discover you’re a little wimp?” He taunts.
Years of sibling rivalry kick in. “No way, Ponyboy!”
“Well then, it’s sorted. I’m coming with you and bringing my stopwatch. We will see if you can last longer than ten minutes.” What an absolute dork. Who even has a stopwatch?
“No problem, buddy, but what’s in it for me?” I cross my arms over my chest.
“If you lose, you’ll make me supper every night for a week—”
“And if I win, you’ll do the same for me.” I finish smiling sweetly.
“Fine.”
“Deal,” I say, already looking forward to having someone else do the cooking.
“Great.” Aiden turns around and runs into the house.
“What did I just witness?” Jason asks, confused.
“We’re all going to the beach?” Carter asks hopefully.
“No, mate, we’re watching the game. Stop staring at my sister like that!”
“Like what?” Carter smiles innocently. I smile back.
“Nothing,” Jason grumbles as I smile even wider. I must look like a weirdo.
“Can I take you out to dinner?” Carter asks, and my jaw drops. He walks over to me, puts a finger under my jaw, and closes it gently.
I move my face away from his finger and clear my throat.
“Maybe,” I say.
“Maybe?” he asks.
“Maybe?” Jason asks, perplexed.
“Maybe what?” Aiden asks, running back to us, towel in hand.
“Maybe.” I shrug.
“What do I have to do to convince you to say yes?” Carter’s eyes smoulder. Holy shit, that smoulder! My mouth goes dry and thoughts about breaking my self imposed Man Kiss Ban are crossing my mind. Surely it’s time to wipe that awful first kiss from the memory.
“Maybe what?” Aiden, the terrible kisser, asks again, but louder and with a frantic tone to his voice.
“I don't know,” I say to Carter, ignoring Aiden. “I’m not really into players.”
“She’s not into anyone,” my brother pretend-coughs.
“Maybe what?” Aiden’s voice is high pitched and practically shouting.
“Not for lack of trying.” I scowl at Jason. “No one asked me out on a date before,” I say before thinking. Ugh, now Teen Wolf knows I’m pathetic and will surely change his mind.
“How is this possible? You're beautiful and so—” Carter starts.
“If you lose, you go on a date with me!” Aiden shouts.
All eyes go to Von Schmuckattack and everyone goes still. I look at him. Really look at him. He’s pale and there’s a light sheen of sweat on his temple. His knuckles are white as he’s clutching his towel like it’s a security blanket.
Somehow, jerkface stirred up a feeling akin to pity in me. I sigh. I really don’t need to have any sort of feelings towards him.
“So now if I lose, I have to make dinners for a week AND go on a date with you?” He’s dreaming if he thinks that’s going to happen.
“Yes.”
“What the fuck is going on, douchebags? Can we all agree to leave my little sister alone, please?” Jase interjects, he really needs to learn that telling me not to do something is a surefire way to ensure I’ll be doing it.
“I can make my own decisions, thank you very much.”
I look at Carter as he winks at me. AGAIN. Does he have something in his eye? A tick? God knows. He’s clearly a player, but a hot one. And in all the books I read, the heroine always turns the bad boy all gooey. I fancy myself a gooey, sexy bad boy. “I might go out with you, but I want to make sure you’re not a total ass first, so… How about we hangout some at first, and if you can keep it in your pants for the next couple of weeks, I’ll grace you with my divine presence.” His gaze is calculating, and he looks from me to Jason, who is shaking his head.
“I can,” Carter replies. “But I’d be coming over and hanging out with you in the meantime. Since I’ll be celibate, I can at least get to know you.” I roll my eyes. What a jerk. But I need all the practice I can get.
“Great.” I turn to look at Aiden. “If I lose,” I start. “I’ll do all those things and go on a date with you. If that happens though, and you ruin this first for me as well, I will find you and cut your balls off, capish? Also, since now we’re adding things to the bet, if I win, you will do all the chores in the house, including scrubbing the toilets. Deal?” I say innocently.
“What other firsts did he ruin?” My brother and Carter ask in unison.
“None of your business.” Aiden and I are in sync as we reply at the same time. He walks over to me and tucks a stray strand of my hair behind my ear, the back of his hand leaving a hot trail on my skin. I fight the urge to step back.
“Deal,” he says and smiles at me.
“Jenny!” Jason growls at me. “What first?” He enunciated each word, furious. I can guess where his mind has wandered. The guy has no clue just how inept I am when it comes to men. Question is, though, should I save Aiden’s butt? If you asked me a couple of weeks ago, I wouldn’t have hesitated and would have handed his ass to Jason on a silver platter, but somehow I’ve grown to tolerate his presence. And honestly? I don’t want his blood on my hands or his perfect, stupid face messed up. Don’t judge me, he’s nice to look at!
“Chill Jason. Just a kiss... My first kiss! He slobbered all over my face, it was disgusting.”
Carter explodes into laughter as Aiden’s face grows red. My brother wears a blank expression, then a small smile creeps up his face. It quickly disappears as realization dawns on him.
“You were the one who called Jenny that name?” He struts towards Aiden and punches him in the stomach. “You're an asshole. She cried for weeks after we left London!” Aiden bends over in pain. My face turns beet red, but I feel serious love for Jason right now.
“It’s ok Jason, I’m long over it.” I say coming over to him and taking his hand. He is still pissed. And, let’s be honest, I am not over it, but he doesn’t have to know.
“I deserved that,” Aiden says through clenched teeth.
“This is better than the Kardashians.” Carter chimes in.
“Jason…” I say in a calming voice. “We talked it out and it’s all good,” I lie to my brother, and he relaxes a bit.
"Are you sure?" He asks, searching my face.
“Yes.” I smile at him. “Now I need to go. I’ve got a bet to win,” I say, kissing him on the cheek. “See you later, Carter.” I look over at the Teen Wolf Casanova.
“Oh, you shall.” He winks at me.
I walk over to Aiden and grab his hand. “Come on, moron, we’ve got to go,” I mutter as I drag him over to my car. “Not sure if you realize, but I just saved your life. You owe me,” I add quietly. He nods and squeezes my hand in reply. I like how it feels. My hand in his. Then I catch myself and take it back quickly. I should be shuddering in disgust, right?
I look back at Jason and Carter making their way into the house. Carter turns back and waves, fl
ashing me a panty-melting grin.
How did this happen?
All my life not a single guy was ever interested in me, apart from that fateful day when Aiden kissed me, and suddenly I have two players asking me out... Weird.
I guess sundresses are magic. I wish I knew that earlier though. Would have saved me a lot of trouble.
3 Punishable By Strangulation
Of course I’m an organ donor. Who wouldn’t want a piece of this?
- Carter
Jenny
Silence.
Ten minutes into the drive and we’re both completely silent. As we reach 101, I can’t take it anymore. There is, at least, another fifteen minutes of driving in front of us and silence is no longer on the menu. I switch the radio on and tap the first playlist on my phone.
“No more N’Sync, I beg you…” Aiden pleads, putting his face in his hands.
“Please!” I snort. “Like I didn’t see you mouth along with the lyrics! Anyway, it was just the one time to screw with you.”
From the corner of my eye, I see him staring at me incredulously, just as the first notes of Heat Waves play from the speakers.
“You know Glass Animals?” he instantly asks, puzzled.
“No, Sherlock,” I reply, rolling my eyes. “I’ve got random stuff on my phone I never heard of, just for moments like these.”
He clears his throat. “It’s just that they’re from Oxford.”
“And?”
“Nothing, I love this song,” he mutters, rubbing the scruff on his chin.
I sigh. “You know, up until a few weeks ago, I lived in Europe. It’s not that crazy that I’ve heard of them. Stop being such a snob, Aide.”
“I like it when you call me Aide.” His mouth spread into a slow smile.
I exhale in exasperation. “Great. Now that we’ve got that sorted, why don’t you tell me what you will be cooking for me when I win?”