“Holy shit!” Arianna jumped and dropped her cigarette in the wet leaves. She turned, her heart slapping wildly against her ribs, and found a pair of familiar gray eyes staring at her. “Luke,” she breathed and clutched her chest. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“I thought you heard me coming,” he smiled.
“I heard something, but I looked and didn’t see anyone.”
“Guess it’s my ninja skills,” he said and winked. She did not know whether to be touched or embarrassed by the fact that he’d remembered their first conversation in such great detail. She chose to do neither and decided to change the subject.
“You’d better hope that wasn’t my last butt,” she said referring to her fallen cigarette. She began rifling through her bag and Luke stepped closer.
“Here,” he said and placed one of his between her lips. He stood close to her, with only about a foot of space between them, and smelled of soap and deodorant. She enjoyed his clean scent, his nearness. He lit her cigarette with his lighter, all the while staring at her mouth. She felt her insides begin to tremble slightly and removed the cigarette from her lips, the sudden need to busy her hands overwhelming. She exhaled upward then watched as a veil of smoke descended slowly, shrouding and obscuring Luke’s features. When the smoke had cleared, she saw that he smiled again, his lively gray eyes sparkling.
“Thanks,” she said. “What’re you out here all day?”
“No. Well, not all day. Normally, I’d wait ‘til later. But someone decided to crash her bike this morning and interrupt my morning cigarette and coffee.”
“Who would go and do something that awful to you?” she said then added, “What an asshole.”
“Ah, you know, maybe ‘asshole’ is too strong a word; rude, might be better. But she’s really hot, so I let it slide.”
Arianna was not accustomed to compliments or flattery. Guys she’d dated in the past had shown her their appreciation of her appearance in rather obvious ways, and while she did not prefer their methods to Luke’s, it had been all she’d ever known and come to expect. Luke wasn’t like other guys she’d dated, though. He was far different. The tattoos and scars that marked his ropey arms were betrayed by the kindness in his eyes. He looked at her and smiled, a wicked, crooked smile, yet his eyes brimmed with anything but wicked intentions.
She was about to make a snappy comeback about the rude comment when voices echoed from beyond the trees. A male voice said something inaudible and was followed by both male and female laughter.
“Come on,” Luke said and took her hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze then tugged and led her away from the maple. “I want you to meet some of my friends.”
“Luke, I don’t know about right now,” she began to protest.
“Why?” he interrupted.
“Well, I don’t know,” she balked. “I’m not dressed like I normally do.”
“Oh stop,” he said and pulled her slightly. “No one cares how you’re dressed. I mean, you look smokin’ hot, don’t get me wrong, but they’re not like that.”
She allowed herself to be led briefly, another unfamiliar action. She walked alongside him deeper into the woods. Luke let go of her hand and disappointment at his gesture nipped at her. He wasn’t her boyfriend. She didn’t know why it had bothered her. He was just a guy she’d met the day before who had helped her out of a tough spot. She’d only known him all of one day. So what if she’d thought about him all evening and most of the afternoon after she’d met him. Big deal, he was good looking and had kind eyes. She’d avoided disappointment when it came to guys her whole life. By insulating herself against caring or getting deeply involved, she’d safeguarded herself against vulnerability, against heartbreak.
Slogging through soggy leaves, she pushed the fleeting feeling of disappointment from her mind and silently promised herself that after he introduced her to his mechanic, she’d thank him and offer him some form of payment for his help then distance herself from him. She walked beside him and approached his friends, but knew she was alone.
“Hey guys,” Luke said. “This is Arianna. Arianna, this is Ryan, Mike, Bulldog, Christa, Carrie and Beth.”
“Hey, how’s it goin’” Arianna said. Luke’s friends stood, seemingly at ease and all smoking in a circle.
“Good to meet you,” Ryan, a stocky guy with brown hair that grazed his shoulders, said.
“What’s up?” Bulldog said and looked every bit of his nickname. Broad-shouldered and brawny, Bulldog looked well equipped to handle himself in a fight. Scars on his face and arms hinted that he’d seen his fair share of brawls. He smiled at Arianna and raked a hand through the sandy-colored stubble that covered his head.
Mike nodded as did Christa and Carrie.
“Where are you from?” Beth asked casually.
“Where am I not from is more like it,” Arianna said and raised her brows. “The last school I was at this year was up in Rockdale.”
“This year?” Beth asked and here blue eyes widened. “Shit, that sucks.”
“How many times have you moved?” Carrie asked.
“Since high school?”
“Oh shit,” Carrie answered.
“Yeah, tell me about it,” Arianna added and took a drag of her cigarette.
“Oh man, I gotta go,” Mike announced. “Second period’s already half over.” He then kissed Carrie on the cheek and said, “Later!” to everyone. Before he’d walked to the edge of the wood where the trees gave way to grass, he turned and called out, “You comin’ tomorrow night, bro?”
Arianna wasn’t sure to whom he was speaking. When Luke answered, “You know I am,” her question had been answered. “Hey, you wanna come out with us?” he asked her.
She wasn’t sure how to answer, but figured a group get together was conducive to his feelings for her. Not a date, just a group of friends hanging out.
“Um, I guess. Where’re we going exactly?”
“To Blue Ivy. It’s a club on the edge of town. Eighteen to party, twenty-one to drink, but we all have IDs,” Christa answered.
“Yeah, I gotta take my girl out and show her a good time every now and again,” Ryan added.
By Arianna’s count, Ryan and Christa were together as were Mike and Carrie. She felt confident, however, that Beth was not with Bulldog. She guessed Bulldog had to be more than six-foot-two inches tall, every inch of him solid. Beth, on the other hand, looked as though a stiff wind would blow her away. Extremely thin and petite, Arianna wondered whether Beth could even shop for clothing in the adult department. Her mind refused to believe that such an odd pairing could happen. She smiled and remembered she hadn’t gotten all the information she’d needed.
“Count me in,” Arianna said then remembered her bike. “Shit, count me out. My bike is totaled.”
“You ride?” Ryan asked and looked impressed.
“Yep.”
“That’s hot,” Bulldog said and Beth elbowed him in the gut.
“What kind of bike do you have?” Ryan asked.
“Well, before this morning, I had a Kawasaki, older model, of course, but it was in decent shape.”
“I can take you,” Luke said nonchalantly. “Stephanie’s probably coming too, so if you don’t mind riding in back and listening to her bitch, come with me.”
She wasn’t sure how to respond, couldn’t get a good read on Luke. One minute he seemed to be into her, and the next, he seemed cool. Regardless, she had no intention of letting herself get involved with him. He could be cute and charming all he wanted, she would just keep him at arm’s length and be his friend.
“Uh, sure. That sounds good I guess,” she said in an equally casual tone.
“Cool,” he said. “We can work out the details later, at my place.”
“All right. I’d better get going. Don’t want to push it on my first day. With my luck, Mr. Wood is personally looking for me as we speak,” she said and the group chuckled. “Later.”
Arianna turned and began walking
away from Luke and his friends. As she trekked through the wet leaves, she felt a breeze blow. The trees did not stir though. In fact, the woods seemed eerily still. Yet, a warm wind whispered at her back, tickling her senses. She spun around and half expected to see the man from the side of the road standing behind her, watching as he had earlier and the day before. But no one followed. Not even Luke. He had remained with his friends. The annoyingly persistent hint of disappointment that had wormed its way into her thoughts now edged again. She picked up her pace and was about to step up onto the single concrete step that led to the double door when a voice called out to her.
“Hey! Hold on a sec,” Luke said and jogged to close the distance between them. “Damn, you walk fast,” he wheezed.
“What’s up?” she asked coolly.
“I don’t know, nothing. I just wanted to walk back with you,” he said and smiled warmly.
“Oh, it didn’t seem that way,” she said and caught herself sounding pouty. “You seemed like you wanted to stay. And besides, you give me too little credit. I can find my way back you know?” she joked and returned his smile.
“I’m sure you can. I never mind watching you walk away either. I just, I don’t know,” he said and let his unfinished sentence hang in the air.
And there it was again. Was he flirting with her, or was that just what he did with every girl? Why did she care? She shouldn’t care. She refused to care.
“I have to get to class,” she said. “I’m sure second period is half over by now.”
“Oh, yeah, you’re probably right,” he said and she saw an emotion she couldn’t name dim his features.
“I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”
“Sounds good,” he said and brightened.
He lingered a second longer and leveled his silvery eyes at her. He looked as if he were about to say something to her when Ryan jogged up.
“I’ll see you later, Luke,” Arianna said before turning and walking inside.
Chapter 9
The second day of school had begun terribly, but mercifully, had passed quickly. Arianna had been grateful for how fast the day had passed. She had not seen Luke since second period in the woods, a fact that irked her for unclear reasons. He had not been in the cafeteria at lunchtime, but she’d seen his friends. Though she hadn’t wanted to, she’d wondered where he had been, adding to the irksome feeling. Now, as she waited by his pickup truck, she wondered still. She glanced around the parking lot and watched as other students hopped into their cars and took off, eager to leave. She was eager to leave as well, but perhaps not as much as her classmates. They were likely headed to more exciting places than she was; at least she imagined the ones in the fancier cars were. She was not headed anywhere that would qualify as even remotely exciting. To the contrary, her prospects were rather depressing. Meeting with Luke’s mechanic while harboring the fleeting hope that the price of repairing her totaled bike would not be ridiculously expensive made her feel nauseated. She had originally planned to look for a job so that she could help with household bills and have a little spending money. Now, however, she guessed every dime she’d make in the coming months would go toward fixing her bike. She would know for certain soon enough. That’s if Luke ever showed up. The final bell had rung more than ten minutes ago. She’d assumed Luke would be the first person out of the building; that he’d be leaning against his truck waiting for her. But he hadn’t been. His truck, with her banged-up bike in back, had been the only thing she found when she’d rushed to the rear lot. No Stephanie; And no Luke.
People parked in surrounding spaces stared at her suspiciously. She fished around in her backpack and tried to look busy. Her hand landed on her phone and she pulled it out. She checked it quickly for a text message from her friend from Rockdale, Lily. Lily hadn’t messaged her in more than five days. That was a record for them. Lily had been the closest thing to a best friend Arianna had ever had. And now she hadn’t heard from her in almost a week. Warning whispered in the air and brushed against her skin like a faint breeze. Her insides fluttered briefly and she froze, concentrating on the feeling so completely that she blocked out the sounds of the parking lot. Her mind focused on Lily, and the strange sense of portending beating inside her.
Suddenly, a hand grasped her shoulder. Arianna spun around, her concentration broken, and she pushed the hand off her shoulder. Luke reeled backward and stumbled, catching himself before falling against the car parked beside his. She’d just grazed his hand, yet he’d felt the need to lurch and stagger melodramatically. After waiting for more than ten minutes only to have him scare the crap out of her, she was not in the mood for fooling around.
“Damn, girl!” Luke said and feigned shock. “You’re freakishly strong.”
“You need to stop sneaking up on me!”
“Sneaking up on you?” he asked and his expression changed. “What do you mean? I called your name twice. Didn’t you hear me?”
“No,” she said and paused, her thoughts retuning to Lily. Heat crept up her body and flushed her cheeks. “No I didn’t. I guess I flaked.”
“With the morning you had, I guess you’re allowed to do more than flake,” he said and reached a hand out to touch her shoulder again. “Dare I, or am I gonna get thrown around again?” he asked and looked at her with exaggerated fear.
“Shut up,” she said playfully and felt her annoyance dissipate. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been waiting here like a moron for like, fifteen minutes.”
“Sorry to make you wait,” he said then looked at his shoes. “I was getting things set up with the mechanic.”
“Whatever,” she said. He seemed genuinely sorry and she simply did not feel angry enough to give him a hard time. “Everything went okay?”
“Yep. Are you ready to go?”
She considered making a snide comment about being ready for the last fifteen minutes, but chose not to, opting instead for, “Absolutely.”
Luke reached into the front pocket of his jeans and grabbed his keys before unlocking the passenger side door of his truck for her. “My sister, Miss Personality, won’t be joining us this afternoon,” he said as he tugged at the handle. The door screeched open and she climbed in. “I’m sure you’re all broken up about it.”
“I vaguely remember her mentioning something about that this morning,” Arianna admitted and fought the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. His actions, unlocking and opening the door for her, hadn’t exactly been the pinnacle of chivalry, but they were the closest she’d come to actually being on the receiving end of gentlemanly gestures. He climbed in beside her and started the truck. The engine started easily, rumbling to what she guessed was a reliable start.
“What’re you smiling about?” he asked her.
She hadn’t realized the smile had won out against her efforts. “What?” she fumbled. “Oh nothing, just uh, Cheryl today. Something funny happened in first period.”
“Cheryl’s never been funny,” he said seriously. “Ever. Mean, yes. Funny, no way.”
“I’ll give you that,” she said. “I’ve only known her for two days and funny is definitely not a word that comes to mind. The word bitch does, though.”
“Agreed, now what happened that was funny?”
Arianna debated telling him what Cheryl had called her, wondered whether she could confide in him. She wanted to, and did not like that she wanted to. Deciding against it, she left out the part about Cheryl calling her a slut and the fact that for a moment there, she believed she’d used her mind to move the chair out from under her.
“Cheryl was about to sit down after standing up and flipping her hair around and lecturing the group she was in, when out of nowhere, the chair slid out from behind her. She went to sit back down and she landed on her ass.”
Luke laughed out loud. It was a pleasant, hearty sound that made her laugh as well.
“Oh shit,” he said through laughter. “I would have loved to have seen that. Shit, I know people who would
have paid to see that!”
“I take it she’s only popular with her clique?”
“Hell, I don’t even think they like her. Was her boyfriend, Paul, sitting next to her?”
“Paul? You mean Preppy-boy?”
Luke erupted again with his infectious laughter. “Preppy-boy, huh? I like that. I usually just call him douche bag, but I’ll try out Preppy-boy. I think teachers will appreciate that one more.”
“You asked if he was sitting next to her,” she said and was curious to know where he had been going with that. “Why?”
“My guess is, he shoved the chair away.”
“But he’s her boyfriend.”
“Yeah, exactly my point,” he said and laughed again. “If you spent you’re free time with that uppity bitch wouldn’t you want to drop her on her ass every now and then?”
“I would. No doubt about that. But aren’t she and Preppy-boy the same, I don’t know, species. They’re both from planet privileged.”
“Oh I like you,” he said through laughter. “Shit. I’m glad I met you,” he added and she glimpsed him looking at her from the corner of his eye.
They had been driving for less than five minutes when they pulled out onto the main road near the accident site. A shiver slithered up her spine and she stopped smiling. As if he sensed her anxiety, Luke said, “Feel free to smoke.” He reached onto his dashboard and grabbed a pack of Marlboros. He pulled two cigarettes from the red pack and offered one to her.
“Thanks,” she said. “Don’t mind if I do.”
She put the cigarette between her lips and was about to reach into her bag for her lighter when a flame appeared before her.
“I’m seriously trying to woo you here,” Luke smiled and lit her cigarette for her.
She smiled and rolled her eyes as the flame touched the tip of her cigarette. “So this is what wooing is,” she said playfully then added, “Huh, not bad. Not bad at all.”
They chatted about their classes and teachers they had in common as his truck rattled along for another five minutes before he pulled in to his driveway. The gravel-filled path was more dirt than gravel and several tires dotted the dying crabgrass on either side of it. The driveway ended in front of a detached garage which neighbored a white clapboard house with peeling paint and gutters that drooped dangerously.
Planet Urth Boxed Set Page 22