Garrett and Damien went off into the living room and Arielle heard the TV turn on.
Blake moved toward them. “Think I’ll go hang out with the guys for a bit, if you don’t need me for anything else.”
“Sure. Go for it.” Arielle didn’t mind him leaving the room. She wanted to talk to Jess alone.
As soon as he disappeared, Jess sighed. “I don’t know why he suddenly doesn’t want to be around me.”
Arielle bit her bottom lip, trying to pick the words she would say with caution. “Well, I don’t think he doesn’t want to be around you. I just think he likes his friends more than you.”
Jess’s jaw dropped open. “Really?”
If Arielle could, she’d smack her forehead. What a horrible thing she’d picked to say. “Listen, Jess. Damien isn’t a great guy. You deserve so much more. You deserve to be happy, and ever since you’ve been with him, you haven’t been.”
Jess took a few steps and stood in front of the fridge, crossing her arms over her chest. “I know. But I love him, Ari. It’s hard when you love someone, even if they don’t love you back the same way.”
Arielle moved to stand next to her again, then thought better of it and leaned against the counter opposite her friend so she could see her. “Listen. I know sometimes I say the wrong thing.”
Jess widened her eyes and her chin touched her chest. “Really?”
Arielle smiled. “Okay, I say the wrong thing all the time, but you know how much you mean to me. Damien doesn’t treat you right. He never has, and I’m sorry, but I can’t sugarcoat it anymore. He never will.”
Jess took a deep breath and met Arielle’s eyes. “I know. You’re right. You have been right ever since I got with him. After the party, I will tell him it’s not working.”
Arielle wanted to jump for joy, but she knew it would upset Jess even more. Arielle had been having the same talk with Jess for months, ever since she’d started dating Damien. The guy cared more about everyone else besides Jess, and he put her last in everything. If he loved her, really loved her, he would put her first. In Damien’s world, Damien was first and always would be. Jess deserved better and Arielle was thankful she’d finally listened to her.
Blake stomped into the kitchen. “Well, those guys are douchehats.”
Arielle looked at Jess and both of them burst into a fit of giggles. By the end of their laughter, Arielle couldn’t see through the tears escaping her eyes.
Blake scrunched his forehead. “What did I say?”
“You couldn’t have hit the nail harder.” Arielle walked away, laughing.
After that, the doorbell wouldn’t stop ringing. Within an hour, the house filled with bodies, so many Arielle had a hard time moving with how crowded it became. After a while, she couldn’t find Blake, so she weaved through the people until she spotted him. Of course, Karla stood beside him. Arielle watched as she placed her fingers by her mouth and laughed at something he said, then she leaned forward, all but rubbing her front against his arm like some crazy cat.
Steam could have shot from Arielle’s ears at any minute. She stomped forward until she came face to face with Blake, whose face lit up when she approached. He looked even more grateful for the interruption than her. “Hey, Ari. I was wondering where you were.”
“I’m here. It’s hard to get around in this place though.”
Karla glared daggers at her. Arielle smiled back at her. “Hey, Karla. Nice to see you again.”
“Oh please. Like you mean that. And why would I want some fat girl happy to see me?”
Blake stepped between Arielle and Karla, keeping his back to Arielle. “Here we go again. If you can’t be nice to my date, don’t talk to me.”
Karla’s mouth fell open. “Your date?”
“Yeah. You heard me. My date. So how about you stop making fun of her.” Blake crossed his arms over his stomach.
Arielle peered around him with a look of triumph on her face, she couldn’t help it. It was the first time anyone had ever stood up to Karla for her, except Jess. Jess always had Arielle’s back.
Karla rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you’d pick that over this.” She gestured to herself like Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune.
Blake pulled Arielle in front of him. “This is prettier than you will ever be.”
“Okay.” Karla laughed. “Guess you’re as much of a freak as she is. Hope you two freaks find all kinds of freaky happiness together.” Then she walked away, her head held even higher than before.
Blake sighed, almost growling. “I can’t believe her. Who the hell does she think she is?”
Arielle touched his arm. “She thinks she’s the queen of the school, because she kind of is. But thanks for standing up to her. Again.”
Blake focused on her. “Why don’t you? Why do you just let her talk to you like that?”
Arielle shrugged. “I guess I don’t let it bother me too much.” She knew as the words left her lips they were a lie. “Okay, scratch that.” She paused, her stomach flopping around in her chest, but she wouldn’t lie to him so she continued. “I don’t stick up to her because I’m scared of her.”
Blake’s eyes softened. “Don’t be. People like her have way more problems than people like you. Trust me. I know.”
Arielle nodded, then swallowed hard as she realized how close they were. Only inches apart, if she leaned forward just a smidge, she could kiss him. And for some reason, she couldn’t think of anything else.
Jess plowed into her side and Arielle slammed into the kitchen counter. “Oh my God. This party is amazeballs! Can you believe it?” Her words slurred so much Arielle knew she’d had way too much to drink.
“Jess, you need to slow down on the drinky.” Arielle leaned closer and whispered, “You know what happened last time.”
Jess laughed. “Last time was a fluke. I won’t puke all night again. I promise.”
Arielle snatched Jess’s cup from her hand. “I promise I will make sure it doesn’t.” She looked up at Blake with a questioning glance as Jess stormed off.
“Go with your friend. I’ll be fine.”
She mouthed, “Thank you,” as she followed after an angry Jess, who went out the front door. Arielle tried to keep up, but Jess started to run around the side of the house. As Arielle jogged after her, she yelled, “Jess, stop!” But Jess didn’t stop until she got to the backyard, where she collapsed in front of the fire pit in the middle of the yard.
Arielle fell to the ground beside her. “What is wrong with you?”
Tears fell from her eyes as Jess leaned forward. “I don’t know. I thought getting drunk would make me forget about Damien, but it didn’t. He’s off with some other girl right now, in my room of all places! I don’t know what to do.”
Arielle pulled Jess’s head to her shoulder and ran her hand down her hair. “Forget him. He’s not worth it.”
They sat like that for a while until Damien and Garrett wandered out the back door. Arielle looked up, and when her eyes fell on them, she narrowed them as far as she could manage and still be able to see. “Get out of here. Both of you.”
Damien raised his eyebrows. “What did I do?”
“You took another girl to Jess’s room, Damien. That’s not cool.”
He had the nerve to laugh. “It’s not what you think.”
Jess stood and turned to face him. “This is over, Damien. I can’t play this game anymore. You either want to be my boyfriend or you don’t.”
“Babe, I took her to your room for something, but it wasn’t anything like that. I had to have some privacy for—”
“For what?” Jess asked.
Garrett nudged Damien, almost knocking him over as he pushed his elbow into his side. “What the hell, man?”
Garrett cupped his hand over his face and whispered something in Damien’s ear.
“Thanks, man.” Damien moved over to Jess and wrapped his arms around her. “You know you’re the only girl for me.”
Jess fell r
ight into his arms. Arielle rolled her eyes and spun around, stomping toward the back door. She couldn’t understand Jess’s fascination with Damien. To Arielle, he would never amount to anything. He was a slacker who got bad grades and barely ever went to class, but if Jess wanted him, then she had to live with her choice. Arielle didn’t have to watch her go down the path though.
As she opened the back door, Blake came out. “Hey, I’ve been looking for you. Where have you been?”
“Here. But how about you take me somewhere else?” She met his eyes. “Please.”
“Sure, where?”
“Anywhere but here.”
Blake grabbed her hand and together they walked around the house to the front. A mess of cars was piled in the driveway, making Arielle think it would be impossible to escape this horrible night, but as they settled in the car, Blake turned the wheel and pulled in the yard, driving through the grass until he got on the road. Arielle took a deep breath and fell back into the seat, wanting to talk but not ready to yet.
Blake drove and didn’t stop.
Chapter 3
A Night to Remember
A line of pine trees passed by as Blake turned down a side street. There were minimal street lights in the country, so the roads were dark, and this one didn’t have any lines painted on it. The ting, ting of gravel ricocheting off the car made Arielle remember they’d redone this road not long ago. The scent of freshly cut grass made her nose tingle, so she placed her index finger under her nose and it stopped the sensation. Arielle called it her “anti-sneeze move.” It always made Jess laugh.
Arielle sighed at the thought of leaving her friend back there.
“Remember, I’m new to the area, so you need to tell me where to go.” Blake dropped one hand from the wheel, resting it on the center console.
Arielle shrugged. “I don’t care where we go. Can’t we just drive for a while?”
“We can, but only if you have some gas money. I don’t have a job yet.” Blake chuckled. “Not to make myself seem like a loser…”
Arielle couldn’t bring herself to laugh, but she forced a smile and looked at him. “Thanks for getting me out of there.”
Blake touched her hand. “Yeah. About that. What happened?”
Arielle leaned her head against the window. “Jess is so infatuated with Damien. I just don’t get it…”
“Ari, you have to let her make her own choices, even if you don’t agree with them.” His tone softened as he spoke, comforting her. He pulled her hand across the console into his lap, intertwining their fingers.
Arielle gulped. She met his eyes before his snapped back to the road, but she didn’t pull away. Nervous butterflies flapped their heavy wings through her stomach, but it was a good nervous.
After several moments of silence, Blake turned to her, studying her for a few moments before glancing back at the road. “One more time. Where to?”
“Keep those eyes on the road there, mister. Ari pancakes aren’t on the menu.”
Blake’s cheeks puffed out with his laughter. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t dream of ever making you into a pancake.”
“Great. Glad to hear it.” Arielle glanced outside, realizing it was full dark now. The few streetlights they passed lit up the grass with a blueish tint, the half-moon intensifying the color change. One of the nice things about growing up in the country was the ability to see stars twinkling at night. She didn’t know if the stars came out in the city much since she’d never been there, but she’d read they didn’t. She would hate not being able to see the stars because she’d always imagined small people living on them as if the stars were another kind of planet or something, but maybe her imagination came to life too often and at the weirdest moments.
Like now…
Blake shifted in his seat, taking his hand and placing it on the wheel, which made Arielle slide hers back into her own seat. Using her hair as cover, she stared at him through the strands, wondering how in the world she ended up sitting next to such a cute guy. She didn’t seem to fit.
Blake ran a hand through his hair before resting it back on the wheel. “So, you still haven’t answered my question. Where to?”
Arielle sat up straighter, leaning toward the dash. “This is a small college town, Blake. There’s not much to do…unless you go to college. Which we don’t. I mean, there’s one stoplight. That should tell you everything you need to know.”
Blake laughed. “You have an interesting view on things.”
Arielle hit the button on the dash and turned the radio on, flipping through the stations until she landed on a song she loved. “Oh my God. I haven’t heard this forever. I love this song.”
At the exact same time, Blake said, “I love this song.” Then he reached forward, and cranked the radio up even louder.
Arielle shot him a sideways grin, relieved that despite their differences in appearance, they had something in common. “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey happened to be the best song in the entire universe, at least according to Arielle…and her parents.
Arielle couldn’t help it when she started to sing along to the tune, dancing in her seat. She caught Blake peeking at her and grinning from time to time, but he kept his eyes on the road so she relaxed, letting the nervous energy fluttering through her belly fall away. Fun used to be a foreign word in her life, but now…this topped the charts of her funometer.
When Blake started singing, Arielle sang louder and he matched her off key and sharp in all the wrong places tone. Hopefully, no animals were around, or they might die from the hideous sounds coming from the car. Her window was rolled up, but Blake’s was cracked. Poor, innocent, unsuspecting animals.
Blake turned the radio down as the song came to an end. “I have to say, I don’t meet a lot of people our age who like this song, let alone even know what it is.”
“Guess it’s a good thing I’m not like most people, then, huh?”
Blake pulled into the empty parking lot of a now closed grocery store, then pulled around to the back, shutting the engine off. “I think you might be right.”
He reached his arm over the back of her seat, leaning in closer. Arielle couldn’t breathe. She tilted back, her fingers shaking as she ran them through her hair. Blake pushed forward even more, smothering her against the door.
“So what other kinds of music do you like?”
The safest course would be to keep the conversation going. She’d jumped steps here. Somehow, she thought she’d get her first boyfriend before her first kiss, although Blake seemed to have other things on his mind, which calmed her racing heart. She’d wanted her first kiss, but now…she might not be able to handle it judging by the fact her stomach lurched as if she might puke any minute.
Blake moved back into his own seat. “Let’s see. I like a lot of classic rock, like Journey and Guns N’ Roses. I like country too. Garth Brooks is my favorite.”
“I don’t think Guns N’ Roses are classic yet.” Then Arielle made a disgusted face. “And you like country?”
“Don’t knock it until you try it.”
Arielle smiled. “Have you met my dad yet? Country music is all he listens to, so I guess you can say I’ve tried it a time or two.”
Blake shrugged. “Well, to each their own, then. Remind me to never put country on the radio when you’re in my car.”
The words Blake spoke made her think she might be in his car again. Maybe even soon. Her face heated so much she searched the inside of the car for something to fan her face. But nothing littered the floors or the seats. It was spic and span clean. Go figure.
So instead, she waved a hand back and forth in front of her face, which earned her a funny look from Blake. “What are you doing?”
She moved her shoulders up to her chin. “My face is hot.” How she kept her calm, she didn’t know, because inside, a ball of excitement shot around like a pinball machine.
Silence stretched after, at least for a few minutes, but it was the most comfortable quiet s
he’d ever been a part of. Instead of talking, Arielle studied the empty parking lot. A dumpster sat all the way at the edge of the lot and a streetlight hung right above it, shining down on the garbage like some sort of star on Broadway.
When she finally glanced at him again, he stared hard at her, fixated, like he’d been doing it for a while. “What?”
“Nothing. You are just interesting to watch.” He ran a hand through his hair.
It hit Arielle hard then she didn’t know Blake well. In fact, he was still very much a stranger. One who had been staring at her like she held the answer to the most important question on the final exam…which made her tilt her head to the side. “You aren’t some crazy serial killer, are you? Because I’m getting some freaked out vibes right now. Not like you would tell me if you were, because what kind of serial killer would actually answer that question?” She blew out a breath, knowing she had been rambling, a nervous habit.
Blake smirked. “Guess you’d better sleep with one eye open tonight.” Then he paused, shaking his head. “Kidding. I’m not a killer.” Cue the return of his serious face, back with a vengeance.
Arielle pressed her lips together, unsure whether or not to ask him what thoughts hovered in his mind. A heavy weight had settled over him, one she wanted to erase. In the end, her curiosity won out. “What’s wrong? You are always laughing, then bam…” Arielle wiped all the emotion from her face, “…serious face. What’s going on in that brain of yours?”
Blake faced his window. “Nothing.”
“Don’t tell me nothing.” Arielle touched his arm. “I can tell something is bothering you. So spill. You’ll feel better once you talk about it.”
Blake took a deep breath. “Don’t forget you asked for it.” Then he met her eyes. “There’s a reason I’m up here for the year. I’m living with my grandparents because my dad and I, well…we don’t get along. It has put a lot of stress on the family.”
Crush: A YA Romance Collection Page 76