Senior Week Kiss Page 3

  He walked over to the desk and tapped on the keyboard for a bit, grabbing a jacket that was apparently tucked under the counter somewhere. A jacket he’d apparently left behind in his haste to come out and check on me.

  Huh.

  I watched him from just inside the doorway, more confused than I’d ever been. I was starting to seriously think I was dreaming, because life had gone from weird to bizarre. I heard the clink of keys as he grabbed them and threw on his jacket, heading back toward me.

  “Okay, let’s go,” he said, his voice brisk as though I were some chore he had to take care of.

  I glanced at the empty desk as he held the door open for me once more—a bizarrely gentlemanly act performed by the most reluctant hero of all time. He followed my gaze. “My replacement will be here in a minute. She’s always late.”

  I nodded. Whatever. It wasn’t my job to worry about the fact that he was leaving this posh hotel unmanned at this time of night.

  Yet I still worried about it as I hurried after him.

  I don’t know what I’d been thinking but it didn’t occur to me just how risky this whole thing was until we left the parking lot of the Sunshine Inn and I found myself trailing a stranger through the dimly lit back streets of this unfamiliar beach town.

  Wariness had me lagging behind and at some point he seemed to notice that I wasn’t following closely on his heels. He turned to face me. “Is there a problem?”

  Uh, was he serious? I shuffled my feet, uncertain of what I wanted to do, but so freakin’ cold and so miserably tired I could barely stand up straight. “I, um…I’m not sure I should go off with some stranger.” As soon as I said the words, I realized that they may have sounded rude. Like I was accusing this guy of being a predator or something.

  But he just gave me that blank, serious look and I couldn’t tell if he was amused or annoyed, or maybe both. “Fair enough,” he said. Then he gestured back toward my car. “If you’d rather freeze your arse off, that’s up to you.”

  I glared at him, even though I knew none of this was his fault. Still, he didn’t have to be such a prick all the time. It would have been much easier to follow him to his warm home if I could convince myself that he was a friend, or even just a good guy.

  He let out an exasperated sigh as though I were some petulant child. But then he crossed the distance between us while reaching into his back pocket. “Here,” he said, handing over his wallet.

  “What’s this?” I rolled my eyes at my own stupid question. It was a wallet, obviously. The question was, why was he shoving the worn, black leather accessory into my hand?

  “I’m giving you all my money,” he said in a flat tone that made me want to laugh and punch him at the same time.

  He gestured toward it impatiently. “Take a picture of my ID, it has my address on it. Send it to your parents or your friends or whatever, if that makes you feel better. Everyone will know where you are and who I am in case I try to kidnap you or something.”

  I hoped he couldn’t see the blush that I was sure had spread into my cheeks. I felt like an idiot as I pulled out his ID and did as he said even though logically I knew I’d be even more of an idiot if I didn’t do it.

  A little voice of paranoia had me questioning myself even as I took that precaution, texting a picture to Ashley and Beth who were likely fast asleep. As he watched, I sent the picture and mentally reviewed my options.

  I could freeze in my car or I could head to a police station or something for the night or I could try to find a coffee shop that was open all night and try to stay awake until the rain ebbed or…

  “Are you coming?” Jax was already walking away from me even though I still had his wallet. I hurried after him to give it back and realized that I was far more comfortable with this guy, who I’d been bickering with off and on for the better part of the evening, than with any of those other options.

  Being with this guy who treated me like an irritating pest seemed like the best plan, given the unpleasant alternatives. I picked up my pace so I was walking beside him. “Wait, I didn’t grab my suitcase.”

  He didn’t slow his pace as he shoved his hands in his pockets and barreled ahead through the rain that was pelting us in the face. “We’re not turning back now, love. You can borrow something of mine.”

  I was full-blown shivering as the wind bit through the thin cotton of my dress and the rain spattered my legs and face. “At least you’re not wearing a sundress,” I muttered.

  I may have been imagining things but I’m pretty sure I heard him laugh under his breath. “We can all be thankful for that.”

  I felt a smile tugging at my lips despite my current misery. “Do you have any roommates?”

  “Just Bob,” he said.

  I stopped short. “Wait a second. Bob is your roommate? The Bob?”

  He kept walking and I was forced to hurry after him. When I reached his side again, he said, “You can let him have it over breakfast.” Then he added, “If I don’t kill him first.”

  Mmm, breakfast. God, I was starving. I hadn’t had dinner thanks to my quest to find a roof over my head.

  He seemed to be thinking the same thing. “You hungry?”

  “Starving,” I said. A couple seconds passed and I followed him around a corner, trying and failing to keep track of exactly where we were in relation to the hotel and my car. Whether it was my instincts talking or just the relief at knowing I was heading somewhere warm and dry, the paranoia had waned and I found myself oddly comfortable around this guy, who was currently the most familiar thing in this stupid town.

  Chapter Two

  A little while later I was curled up on Jax’s tattered couch in his small but warm living room. My hair was still damp but I was dry, at least.

  Dry yet drowning in the sweats I’d borrowed from Jax. But whatever, I was warm and not trying to impress anyone with my outfit.

  From where I sat on the couch I could see Jax flipping two grilled cheese sandwiches. He’d changed into warm clothes too so now he was clad in a T-shirt and a hoodie, with a pair of plaid cotton pajama pants.

  The weirdest thing about this whole situation was how weird it was not. Maybe if Jax were making a fuss over me it would be but he was so blasé about it all, like he always brought random girls home with him after work.

  I turned my face down to stare into my mug of tea as heat shot through me at the thought. Good Lord, maybe he did bring random girls home with him every night of the week. He was a hottie, there was no denying that.

  Maybe it was totally normal for him to have strange girls over. Maybe he made them all grilled cheese before bed too.

  I glanced up at him. He was scowling down at the frying pan like it had just insulted him. He hadn’t tried to hit on me. Not even a little bit.

  And thank God, because that would have made this weird and also I would have had to turn him down because I had a boyfriend. Sort of. At least, I’d have a boyfriend again by the end of the week.

  Besides, he wasn’t even my type. I liked guys like Ted—clean-cut, kind of preppy, with a good plan for the future. Yeah, I pretty much described myself, but that’s okay. I mean, opposites attract in movies but in real life? Not so much.

  Jax was not my type and I knew without a doubt that I wasn’t his. How did I know? His general air of contempt all evening had made it pretty darn clear.

  I toyed with my teabag, dunking it rhythmically as I studied him in the kitchen.

  His obvious dislike for me made his actions that much weirder.

  “Why are you doing this?” I asked suddenly.

  Too suddenly judging by the way his head shot up in surprise at the sudden break in silence. I guess my question had sort of come out of nowhere. But really, he’d treated me like a pest all night long and now he was taking me home with him like I was a stray dog or something. I had no clue what to make of it.

  He gave me a look that said I was crazy as he held up the spatula in his hand. “I thought you said you were hu
ngry.”

  “I am,” I said. “But I meant why did you bring me to your home?”

  He glanced over at me, his gaze moving over my still wet hair and my face, which was probably puffy from my earlier crying stint. “I couldn’t just leave you there, now could I?”

  I shrugged. I mean he could have. He was under no obligation to me.

  But then he added, “Not looking all sad and pathetic like you were.”

  I frowned down at the mug of tea I was clutching. Sad and pathetic. Lovely.

  Also, true. I had been a bit pathetic.

  And sad.

  He walked over to me and handed me a plate with the most mouth-watering offering I had ever seen. “Oh my God,” I moaned, snatching the plate from him and shoving the sandwich into my mouth with a satisfied sigh. “So good,” I said through a full mouth.

  He sat on the far end of the couch and took a bite of his as well. His lips curved up slightly as he watched me eat.

  I closed my eyes so I could enjoy the sandwich without his judging eyes on me. When I’d popped the last bite in my mouth I opened my eyes with a sigh and saw that he was still watching me with a curious expression on his face.

  “Thank you,” I said with every fiber of my being. “That was delicious.”

  “It was grilled cheese,” he said.

  “Exactly.” I grinned. “Delicious.”

  His mouth did that twitching thing and then—there it was. One side tilted up in a little lopsided smile that made my stomach plummet like I was on a roller coaster.

  While I sat there in a state of shock over that small sign of humanity, he snatched my plate from my hand and headed back toward the kitchen. I was distantly aware of the sounds of cleaning up, but they grew fainter and fainter as I gave in to the need to close my eyes.

  They were gritty with tiredness and I was already curled up in the corner. All I had to do was rest my head against the side and…

  I lost track of time but at some point I felt a heavy blanket fall over me, burying me deeper into my cozy corner of the couch.

  That was the last thing I was aware of until I woke the next morning to the sound of a voice whispering loudly in the kitchen.

  “So you brought her here?” An unfamiliar voice hissed in the other room. It not only woke me up but had me sitting up with a start as I remembered instantly what had happened and where I was.

  “What else was I supposed to do, Bob? Thanks to you, the poor girl was left stranded in the rain.” That was Jax’s voice, low and quiet, but I heard it.

  “I don’t know, man, but you didn’t have to bring her here.”

  I could see the back of Bob’s head from where I sat. He was shorter than Jax and with crazy dirty-blond curls that stuck out in every direction. He had an energy in his movements that made him look like a small, yippy dog.

  Jax was moving around him, slowly and with far less excitement, not seeming to care that Bob was hissing at him, apparently distraught that I was here. If Bob was a Chihuahua than Jax was an old black lab.

  The thought made me grin and as if he could sense my smile, Jax’s gaze shot in my direction, landing on me like a laser.

  Whoa. How did he do that? His eyes were seriously freaky. Not in a bad way, just…it was slightly intimidating, that feeling that he was seeing into your soul.

  I shoved the thick blanket off me and sat up straighter, facing his stare head on. My soul had nothing to hide and I was officially back to feeling like myself again now that I’d had a good night’s sleep and a hearty meal the night before.

  “Morning, sunshine,” he said in that flat, lazy tone of his that made me blush and curse myself for blushing all at once. He was being sarcastic, not endearing, dang it. But I didn’t mind his sarcasm this morning, I decided, as I padded into the kitchen to join them.

  They were both watching me. Jax with that familiar blank expression, though his eyes watched me like a hawk. Bob, meanwhile had a wary look on his face, like I was a rabid dog his black lab of a friend had brought home.

  I brushed a thick lock of now-dry hair out of my face and came to a stop in the entryway to the kitchen. I ignored Jax and focused on his friend.

  “So,” I said. “You’re Bob.”

  My tone said it all and I heard Jax snicker as he turned back to the stove.

  Bob had the good grace to look uncomfortable as he shifted on his feet and held his hands up. “Look, I was just trying to screw over my bosses—”

  “How’d that work out for you?” Jax muttered as he threw some bacon on the skillet.

  “Mmm, bacon.” Embarrassingly enough I said that aloud. It just kind of slipped out as the amazing smell hit me.

  Jax gave me that lopsided smile over his shoulder. “What’s that, Homer?”

  I pretended not to hear the Simpsons’ joke as I turned back to Bob and found myself repeating Jax’s comment in a much sterner tone. “How did that work out for you, Bob?”

  Bob ducked his head and scratched at the back of his neck. “Uh, well…”

  “You need another job if you’re going to pay your half of the rent,” Jax said.

  “Yeah, I know.”

  I was all but forgotten as the two of them talked about bills and money and job stuff that no longer had anything to do with me. I left them to it and headed to the bathroom to change back into my sundress, which was mostly dry now.

  I checked myself out in the bathroom mirror and tried not to groan. My makeup was long gone thanks to the rainy face wash last night, but my eyes were no longer puffy, at least. My hair was a disaster, the long wavy locks knotty and out of control, so I threw it all up in a loose ponytail and rinsed my face. I used my finger to brush my teeth and used the lip gloss I had in my purse to make me feel like a semi-human again. The lip gloss plus the sundress made me look a little more like myself.

  Student Council Barbie. That’s what Ashley had dubbed me once and the nickname had stuck. I tended to wear preppy clothes—you know pleated skirts and button-down cardigans. The sundress I wore now was probably more like a Sunday school dress compared to what most girls wore to the beach.

  But whatever, I’d embraced my style years ago and people like Jax could judge however they pleased. And he would, I knew, because he already had. I frowned at myself in the mirror.

  I looked like myself. Back to being student council president and back to the mission at hand. This would be the best Senior Week my high school had ever seen. Along with the renewed confidence came that now-familiar feeling I didn’t want to deal with or dwell on.

  It had been growing for weeks. Months even. Every time I thought about high school officially being over, there it was. A rising panic that made my eyes look crazed in the mirror and my hands clench into fists at my sides.

  I met my own gaze levelly. Now was not the time to think about the future. I had a last hoorah to plan and a boyfriend to woo, thank you very much. And the planning wasn’t going to take care of itself.

  Sure, Ashley and Beth would have told me that I’d already done more than enough to ensure the week’s success. But they didn’t understand how important this was.

  I thought about the long drive back and then the days I’d have to wait with nothing to do but think.

  Unacceptable. I brushed back the one stray lock that refused to stay back with the others and lifted my chin.

  New plan. I’d stay. I’d do what I’d come here to do.

  I gave myself a bright cheery smile because once I’d read that smiling made people happier and I’d found it to be true. One one-thousand, two one-thousand…

  My face started to strain so I let the giant grin fade to a small smile. That still counted, I was reasonably certain.

  I headed back to the living room to fold the blankets and be on my way, but stopped short when the two guys in the kitchen grew oddly quiet. As if that wasn’t weird enough, they were both staring at me now.

  I fidgeted with my ponytail. Bob didn’t even try to hide the fact that he was eyeing me
from head to toe. “Well, now I see why you brought home a stray,” he said under his breath.

  It didn’t sound mean, just…knowing. Then Jax smacked him upside the head. That inexplicably made Bob laugh and he headed for the living room as I took his place in the kitchen. It wasn’t that I was afraid of being near Bob, but I felt far more comfortable around Jax. I mean, if he didn’t take advantage of me last night when I literally passed out on his couch, I figured I could trust the guy.

  “Thanks again for your help last night,” I said.

  He was still working at the counter with his back to me. “Uh huh.”

  “I was wondering if you could put me in touch with your friend with the jumper cables.”

  He swung back around and handed me a plate.

  Waffles. The guy had made waffles? And bacon, of course. He piled some greasy deliciousness onto the plate I was now holding.

  I blinked down at the awesome smelling breakfast. “You made me waffles?” It was the only thing I could think to say.

  I was stunned. No one had ever cooked for me before. Well, no one who was not related to me and expected to keep me alive.

  “He makes great waffles,” Bob shouted from the couch, where he had a controller in his hands and was clearly immersed in a video game.

  “Oh, um, thanks,” I said. There, that was the appropriate response. He gestured toward a stool at the counter that divided the kitchen from the living room and I didn’t hesitate to dive in.

  I may have moaned.

  Again.

  “See?” Bob said from his spot on the couch. “Told you.”

  “You did not lie,” I said with just a bit of reverence in my voice. But seriously, these were the best waffles I’d ever had. They were savory and filled with…something. Something delicious.

  A foodie I was not. But I recognized amazing food when I ate it, and this? This was heavenly.

  When I’d fully inhaled every bite on my plate I found him watching me, his plate equally clean and empty.

  “What?” I mumbled through my last mouthful.

  His lips were doing that twitching thing again but he shook his head. “Nothing.”