He’s definitely caught my attention with his statement. “Spit it out, Brad,” I say as I step closer to him.
“That guy you were talking to on Saturday. Zac.”
“Yeah.” I feel my brows scrunch together.
“He’s not great news. He runs with some pretty unsavory people.”
“Unsavory? Like who and what?” Zac told me about his past, this is probably what Brad’s referring to.
“He’s involved with some people who deal drugs, are into petty theft and crap like that.”
“How do you know?” I ask a bit too defensively.
Obviously, Brad catches my cautious tone. “Look, don’t worry about it. Forget I said anything, sorry.” He turns to walk away, but I grab hold of his arm, stopping him from leaving.
“Brad, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry. I just want to know what you know.”
“My cousin got caught up in drugs, he used to buy them from a guy Zac hangs out with.”
“But he never bought drugs from Zac?” I ask.
“No, never Zac directly, but he was always around.”
“How’s your cousin now?” I ask trying to suss this out even more.
“He died. Drug overdose,” he says stoically. “Got into meth, and it screwed him over.” He shrugs, though I can tell he’s hurt.
“How long ago was this?”
“It’s been eighteen months since he passed away.”
I think of the time line, and it matches up with what Zac has told me. It’s all in his past, not his present or his future, so it really hasn’t got anything to do with me. “Thanks, but I think you’ll find he doesn’t hang out with those people anymore. He’s turned his life around,” I say to Brad.
He pulls his lips back in a tight smile. “Okay then,” he says, but I notice how his jaw is tight and shoulders are high. He doesn’t believe me. “Just…” He takes a deep breath. “Be careful, okay?”
It feels somewhat patronizing, Brad telling me to be careful. Like he’s my dad or something. “Yeah, okay. Thanks for the heads up,” I reply as I turn to leave.
“See ya,” he calls after me.
Walking out the door, I realize the bus I usually take home has already left. Great. Now I have to either wait for the next one, or call my Mom. Even though Mom’s at work, I know she’ll come pick me up. Or I can walk. Seeing as it’s a nice day, I might as well walk. It’ll take at least half an hour to get home, but that’s okay, I don’t mind it.
Heading out of the school gates, I spot a nice silver car parked on the road. I have no idea of the model, except it’s sleek, shiny and silver.
As I approach it, I see a guy sitting in the driver’s seat wearing dark sunglasses and he’s on his phone. He smiles at me, and I automatically respond by returning the smile.
I walk past the car and I hear the car door close.
My senses go into overdrive. That’s weird. Luckily though, there are still a lot of people around the school, so I pick up my pace and try to catch up to some students in my year.
“Hannah?” a deep voice calls to me.
I turn to see who it is. My eyes land on the cute guy from the car. Zac. “Hey,” I say as I walk back toward him. He’s leaning against his car, looking quite attractive. “What brings you back to high school?” I say trying to shield my eyes from the sun behind him.
Noticing how the sun is blinding me, he turns his body, so we’re both side-on to it. “I came to see you.”
“Don’t you have class?”
“Early lessons today. So, I have the rest of the day off.”
“Cool,” I say. There’s an awkwardness between us, like neither of us knows what to say. “I gotta get home. I’ve got homework to do.”
“Want a ride? We can stop off and grab a coffee on the way.” I’m torn on what to do. I want to say yes, but I have so much homework. Zac misinterprets my silence for uneasiness because he backs away from me and straightens his back. “It’s okay, I’ll be seeing you Saturday, anyway.”
“It’s not that,” I say trying to defend my silence. “I just have so much homework to do.”
“Yeah, cool.” He drops his shoulders slightly forward, he’s not as tense. “I’ll um…” He steps further away from me.
“Let me send Mom a text to let her know I’ll be a little late. It’ll be okay as long as we’re not out for too long. I really do have a lot of homework,” I say again.
His face lights up with a huge smile. “I promise, we won’t be.”
I quickly send Mom a text telling her I’ll be home later than normal because I’m going for coffee with Kristen’s cousin.
He opens the door for me, and I get into the passenger side before he joins me in the car. “Nice car,” I say as he merges into the smooth flowing row of cars.
“You like Mercedes-Benzes?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I’m not interested in brands. I like how it’s shiny, but I couldn’t care less what type of car this is.”
He lets out a laugh as we drive toward the town center. He finds a parking space in front of a small café. He parks and jumps out of the car, running around to my side. But I’m already out before he reaches me. “I wanted to the open the door for you.”
“I’ve got two legs, two arms and a heartbeat. I can do it for myself.” My phone vibrates in my hand, and I know it’s a message from Mom. I stop walking as I open the message from her. ‘Whose Kristen’s cousin?’ it reads.
His name is Zac, and I met him at her parents’ party. Remember, I’m going out with him on Saturday? I reply.
“Everything okay?” Zac asks as he looks at my phone then to me.
‘You and I need to talk about this when I get home tonight.’
Okay. X. I reply. “Yeah, all good.”
We enter the café and find an unoccupied seat at the front window. It overlooks the sidewalk and the street. We both sit, and I look outside, watching as people walk by. It’s not too busy, more like a trickle of people.
“I was thinking about you yesterday,” Zac casually says as he picks up a thin menu and peruses it.
“Were you? Were you thinking how fantastic I am and of course you couldn’t wait to see me, so you decided to surprise me today?” I cheekily reply.
“You could say that.” He returns with his own brazen smile. “I was thinking how I wanted to call you but I didn’t want to make myself look like a desperate stalker guy.”
“Yes, this is a much better approach. Show up at my school. Nothing screams stalker about this scenario. How long were you waiting for me?”
He lifts his hand to rub at his temple, and adds a chuckle. “I might’ve asked Kristen what time you finish, and I might have said I wanted to see you today.”
“Might have?” I question.
“I’m not confirming that’s what I did. But, would it be weird if I did?”
“No, not weird at all. But would you like my phone so you can put a tracking device on it? You know…not weird or anything.”
“If you’re not against doing something like that…then…” he drags out the word ‘then’ as if he’s seriously considering it. I lean over and smack him on the shoulder. It’s a playful smack, not a real one. “Hey, bruiser. You could hurt someone with that right hook of yours.”
Laughing, I look over the menu too. Although, I’m not hungry, more like thirsty. “Well, I think it’s sweet how you were waiting for me. Thank you.”
He gives me a small smirk, and my heart beats quicker when I notice his cute crooked smile. “What would you like?” he asks.
“I think I’ll just have a mocha, thanks.”
“That’s not a real coffee. That’s chocolate and coffee, no one will take you seriously if you have mochas,” he teases.
“What do I care what other people think of me? I like it, so that’s what I want.”
Zac stands and moves toward the counter to order our coffees. “You’re headstrong, I like that.”
I like how he appreciates me
the way I am. It means he’s not one of those guys who’s going to try and change anything about me. I think that’s cool.
He comes back and sits opposite me, placing a table number down so when the coffees are done they know where to bring them to. The café is quaint and cozy. There’s a bookshelf on the back wall with a bunch of novels, newspapers, and magazines. The café itself isn’t overly busy, but it shows remnants of the end of a hectic few hours. Some tables still have coffee cups sitting on them, and the bookshelf is a mess where people have searched through to get reading material. There are only two people working, and they both look flustered.
“Mom and I have been here,” I say to Zac. “Mom likes the wraps, and the coffee. I’m partial to their key lime pies and of course, their mochas.”
“I come here too. I like the breakfast menu they offer.”
“I’ve never seen you here before.”
He shrugs. “I don’t come often, but when I do…you know.”
“You go to college?” I ask, trying to get to know him better. He nods his head. “Accounting?”
“Yeah, I like numbers. They make sense when I look at them.” I scrunch my nose in disgust. “You don’t like math? I can tutor you,” he offers eagerly.
“I hate math. Can’t stand it, but I’m good at it too. Like really good. I could probably tutor you,” I counter.
He sits back in his seat and crosses his arms over his chest. “Oh, it’s a math off, is it?”
“Are you throwing the gauntlet down?” He nods his head, giving me a cheeky look. “Name the time and the place.” I counter his moves.
“Is this a wager?”
“I will outnumber you any time, any place you set. I’ll take you down,” I say in a sassy voice and add a snap of my fingers.
He smiles even wider, leans in and whispers, “I hope you’ll take me down.”
I can feel the redness creeping up to my face. My eyes widen, and my mouth falls open with shock—more at myself than at him. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe I walked straight into that one.” Shaking my head, I try to laugh it off. But judging by the heat rising in my body, I know it’s going to take some time for my embarrassment to ease.
“You’re even cuter when you get flustered. Sexy when you’re head strong, and sweet when you’re red.”
I rub my hand over my eyebrows, trying to conceal my blushing cheeks. “Thanks,” I say.
“Mocha?” the server asks.
“That would be me, thank you,” I say as I move my hand to pick up my coffee mug.
“And your black coffee.” She slides Zac’s over to him and promptly leaves us.
“Saved by the coffee,” I say. My face isn’t as hot as it was, which means the redness is dying down. Thank God. How embarrassing. “So, you want to be an accountant.”
“I do. And you? You want to be a teacher? High school?”
“No, I want to be an elementary school teacher. I’d like to be able to mold them when they’re young. And besides, little kids listen more than high school kids.”
“You’re a high school kid,” he points out. “Don’t you listen?”
A mischievous smile stretches my face. “I’m the exception; I’m the awesome one.”
He laughs so hard he nearly spits his coffee out. “Warn me before you say something like that in the future.”
“You don’t think I’m awesome?” I joke.
“I think you’re better than awesome,” he says in a serious voice.
The mood around us changes instantly from light and playful to serious. He looks over his coffee to me, intensity rolling off him is sudden.
I take a sip of my mocha and try to avoid his hungry eyes. I’m jolted out of the intensity when there’s a knock on the glass beside me. One of three guys who are walking past has knocked on the glass. Both Zac and I turn to see who it is. I don’t recognize any of them, but when I look over to Zac I can tell he does. A different expression flashes across his face, almost like he’s in pain.
The three guys walk into the cafe, and over to us.
“Zac,” the tallest one says as he holds his fist out to Zac.
“Hey,” Zac’s reply comes out rigid and rough. He’s changed again. His shoulders are tight, and his jaw is clenched, the muscles jumping. Zac slowly lifts his arm to bump knuckles with the guy.
I remain quiet, but I watch the three guys who’ve intruded on our impromptu date. The one who’s most vocal is tall and clean-shaven, and judging by his tailored suit, steely dark eyes, and immaculate haircut, he’s the leader of this trio. The other two are wearing jeans and t-shirts and look more like hangers-on than actual friends. The main guy has a thick gold chain around his neck and a pinky ring that looks way too gaudy. The other two are standing behind him, almost like they’re flanking him and on the lookout for any potential dangers that might lurk in this quiet little café.
One of the two peers over at me. My skin crawls at the way he’s looking at me. I avoid his greedy stare, and look back to Zac, who is completely uncomfortable.
“Who’s this?” the main guy asks as he changes his focus to me.
“A friend,” Zac replies quickly and coldly.
I have a sick feeling in my stomach. I’m guessing that these guys all have something to do with Zac’s shady past. “You must have a name, pretty girl,” the main guy says to me, ignoring Zac. He holds his hand out to me, and the gold of the ring he’s wearing glistens as a ray of the afternoon sun catches it.
I don’t want to take his hand. There’s something really wrong with this. Zac flinches as the main guy extends his arm to me. But I pull my shoulders back and refuse to let them see how intimidated I am by them.
“I’m Hannah,” I say as I reach for his hand to shake.
When my fingers touch his, his hand is icy cold. Like he’s dead. I remember when my grandfather died, and we went to see him before he was cremated, I leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek and he was so cold. Colder than stone, colder than ice. And that’s how this guy feels too.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hannah. I’m Edgar,” he says as if I should know who he is.
I smile at him, though the smile is fake. I don’t care who he is. His posse is making me feel uncomfortable.
“How can I help you, Edgar?” Zac says, dragging Edgar’s eyes away from me.
I look behind him, and catch the creepiest one still staring at me. He blows me a small kiss and winks at me then licks his lips slowly.
Bile rises to the back of my throat. He’s creeping me out big time. I try to swallow back the lump in my throat, but it’s lodged there and won’t move.
“I haven’t seen you for a while, and I noticed your shiny Benz outside. I thought I’d see how you’re doing.” Edgar looks out the window toward Zac’s car.
“I’m fine,” Zac replies in a tight voice.
“Did he tell you how he bought that car?” Edgar turns and asks me.
He’s baiting me and trying to make Zac look bad. Shrugging my shoulders, I reply, “Not my business what or how he paid for it.”
Edgar throws his head back and laughs. This makes me angry, but I hold it together. His taunting is incredibly annoying. He’s teasing me, and I hate how he’s gotten under my skin in a matter of minutes. Usually, no one really bothers me, but Edgar is condescending and frustrating.
“You didn’t tell her?” Edgar asks Zac but keeps his intense gaze on me.
“No, it hasn’t come up yet.”
The two guys behind Edgar giggle like school girls at Zac’s response. The double-entendre is not lost on me. Edgar shoots them a glance and both quiet down, lowering their eyes to the floor.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I notice one of them scratching his arm, but the up and down movement doesn’t stop after a few seconds, instead it intensifies, like he’s trying to get under his skin. The other guy slaps him on the arm, and both look up at me.
“Did you know our boy Zac was a drug dealer?” Edgar asks me but turns to
look at Zac.
My gaze catches Zac’s. His face is filled with pain and embarrassment. “Was?” I ask picking up on a word I’m sure Edgar didn’t realize he said.
Edgar turns with a smirk on his face. “Yes, was,” he replies slowly.
“Then I’m not interested in how he got that car, unless he’s still a drug dealer.”
Edgar laughs again. He’s getting more annoying by the minute. I want him gone. “I like this one,” he says to Zac.
“So do I,” Zac replies in a smaller voice.
I smile at him because I like that he likes me. What I’m not liking is this part of his past. It’s not for me and I’m not sure if it’s something I can forget about. Especially if spontaneous visits from this Edgar guy happen. I’m not an idiot. I can pretty much tell Edgar is probably a high-level drug dealer, and Zac worked for him.
“And he worked for you, right?” I challenge Edgar.
“He did. One of my best. Such a shame he got himself clean. He brought in big bucks, which is how he’s putting himself through college, and bought that beautiful car,” he shamelessly replies.
The more he talks, the more I dislike him.
“How about you?” he asks me.
“How about me what?” The moment I ask the question, I instantly regret it. I know what he’s asking, and I hate myself for falling for it.
“Do you like to party?” He leans on the table, blocking my view of Zac. But I’m a tough girl, and I can give as good as I get.
“I love to party,” I say in a swoony voice. “And by party, I mean I love to stay away from low-life drug dealers who make a living screwing up people’s lives.”
A glint passes through his eyes. A cross between anger, and humor. He leans in closer, his face only a few inches from mine. My heart beats crazily with anxiety. Something passes though me too, a little thrill. I kinda like this dangerous encounter, but I’m also smart enough to know he’s not the type of guy I want to be associated with.
What’s wrong with me? Why am I attracted to this guy? But it’s not attraction, it’s something else. And I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what that is, either.
“I’d like to screw you,” he says in a low voice. “I’d like to screw you real good.”
Edge of Darkness Box Set Page 4