Masquerade (9 page)

I gasped and looked around Sam at
Cole. He was standing with an aggressive stance and a scowl on his
face. His eyes flicked to me then back to Sam. “Go, get on the
bus.”

“
Cole,” I
protested.

“
I don’t like you,” Cole
spat at Sam. “You took advantage of Kimber, and now you’re doing it
to Heven.”

“
He isn’t!” I put myself in
front of Sam, afraid of what Cole might do.

Cole grabbed my arm and yanked me
forward. Behind me I heard a growl, and then Cole was on the ground
with Sam in front of me. “Watch it,” he snarled down at
Cole.

Cole jumped up and charged, hooking
Sam around the waist and pushing him back. Both guys went down in a
tangle of fists.

“
Stop!” I cried, hearing a
fist connect with bone. The sound was sickening.

Kimber burst in and started screeching
for them to get off each other. Of course they didn’t listen. “What
happened?” she asked me.

“
They just started
fighting.”

Another sickening thud and I looked
down in time to see Cole land a solid punch on Sam’s face. My
stomach heaved. “Don’t hurt him!” I said, without the force I
intended. The blood drained from my head, and my vision
swam.

Kimber stepped over them and grabbed
at Cole just as Sam flipped them both over. Kimber went flying
backward into the wall, landing on her butt.

“
Kimmie?” Cole was up and
pulling Kimber to her feet before I could move. “Did I hurt
you?”

“
No more fighting,” she
cried, “this is my fault.”

She looked past Cole at Sam. “I’m
sorry, but I am in love with Cole, and I used you to make him
jealous.”

“
I know,” Sam said simply.
“I used you to get to Heven.”

Both Kimber and Cole stared at him,
astonished. It was insulting. If I wasn’t fighting a panic attack,
I would have told them so.

With that announcement he dismissed
them and turned toward me. “Breathe. In. Out. In. Out.”

When I could breathe I said, “I don’t
like fighting. I have to go.”

I saw the same sadness from earlier
pass over his eyes, but he nodded. I grabbed my bag from the floor
and walked to the door.

“
I’m sorry, Hev,” Cole
called.

I kept going.

It was not my day. The sky had finally
opened up and rain fell in heavy sheets, soaking my clothes and
making me cold. With no sign of the rain letting up, it was equally
depressing when the bus broke down not even halfway home. Most of
the students got lucky because their parents were following behind
the bus, and they were allowed to ride with them. I wasn’t so
lucky.

“
Come on Heven, Cole’s out
there. Coach said we could ride with him.”

I allowed Kimber to lead me off the
bus and through the rain toward Cole’s truck. I dreaded the ride
with the pair. As Kimber climbed into the cab next to Cole, I
looked around. Sam was parked, engine running, behind Cole. He was
standing in the rain on the passenger side of his truck. He opened
the door, looked at me, and waited to see what I would
do.

“
Heven?” Kimber called from
inside Cole’s truck.

Without a word I left her and walked
through the pounding rain toward Sam.

The Hate

She’s falling for his act.
I can smell it. I can see it in her eyes. Without realizing it, she
is destroying what little is left in her life. I took a moment to
stare at the astonished faces of her friends as she chose him over
them. How alone she will be when
he
abandons her.

They have no idea that I am
watching them. Stalking them. I watched as he shut her in his truck
and turned, and I caught a glimpse of his face. He angers me. He
didn’t look triumphant or even smug. He didn’t look like a hunter
triumphant in capturing his prey.
He
looked…nervous and hopeful. I should have known he couldn’t do the
job. He’s too obsessed with her to care about what she knows.
Apparently she’s the one doing a number on him.

The way he watches her…would he turn
his back on us and choose her? I thought that once he got to know
her, he would see how pathetic she really was. How can he look at
her destroyed face and feel anything but pity?

He’s losing sight of the reason he’s
here.

He needs a reminder.

The Hope

Her love for him is palpable. She sees
the good that fills him but turns a blind eye to what is beneath
his surface, yet she knows that something else is there. She
hesitates to trust him, and she is right to do so. He must prove
himself.

It is clear that he loves
her.

Chapter Six

Heven

Inside the truck it was warm, and I
sank into the seat with a shiver. Sam climbed into the driver’s
side and reached behind him to pull out a gray sweatshirt, which he
draped over my shoulders. It was soft and worn, and I couldn’t
resist pushing my arms through it and wrapping it around my body.
It smelled just like him: deep and strong with a hint of
spice.

“
Thanks,” I told him,
pulling my soaked hair out from the sweatshirt and letting it drip
down my back.

He watched me for a moment then
redirected the heat vents so they all pointed at me. “Are you warm
enough?”

I nodded. “What about you? You’re just
as wet as I am.”

He shrugged. “I like
water.”

“
Are you a good
swimmer?”

“
The best.”

“
I don’t like water,” I
admitted. It was just another reminder that I wasn’t good enough to
be here. I reached for the handle. “Maybe I should go.”

“
Are you
hungry?”

I turned back. His wet hair was
hanging down on his forehead, and it flipped out over his right
ear. His face wasn’t wet, but looked damp, giving his smooth,
olive-toned skin a dewy quality and his eyes, which looked more
gold than hazel, were framed by a fringe of dark lashes that were
watching me with a resigned look.

“
I could use some
coffee.”

He flashed me a smile that made my
toes curl then put the truck into drive. As he pulled around Kimber
and Cole, I was aware of the pair staring, shocked, out the window
at us as we drove away. I reached down and turned off my cell,
knowing that I was going to have a dozen messages from Kimber
later.

He drove skillfully, maneuvering
through the downtown traffic with ease. For the first time all day,
I found myself relaxing against the seat and settling deeper into
his warm sweatshirt. Too soon, he guided the truck into a
hard-to-come-by parking spot and turned off the engine.

“
Where are we?” I’d been to
Portland several times, but I didn’t recognize this
place.

He smiled. “Well, it isn’t Starbucks,
but it’s pretty good. Different.”

He was around the truck and opening my
door before I could say anything. My stomach fluttered when he
lifted me out, and I was slightly disappointed when he stepped
back, putting distance between us. I followed him onto the sidewalk
and trailed after him, smiling to myself at how huge his sweatshirt
was on me. Yet I loved it. Suddenly he stopped, and I ran into the
back of him. “Sorry,” I stammered as he turned.

He gave me a crooked smile and leaned
forward to ask, “Do you trust me?”

“
Yes.” I didn’t even have
to think about it.

He blinked at my fast
response and then grasped for my hand, frowning when he couldn’t
find it in the huge shirt
.
I fumbled with the material to free my hand,
suddenly cursing the very shirt I loved for keeping me from his
touch. When my hand was free his large hand closed around mine, and
he towed me through an open door.

“
Bubble Maineia?” I
asked.

“
What’s your favorite
flavor?”

“
For what?”

“
For anything.”

“
Umm,
strawberry.”

He seemed pleased by this and sat me
in a comfy chair before going to the counter to order. The people
around me all had drinks with huge straws sticking out of them. The
place was really cool and kind of funky. I looked around eagerly at
all the color and decoration until I caught someone staring.
Quickly I ducked my head, letting my damp hair hide my face. How
could I have forgotten?

A pair of scuffed boots appeared in
front of me, and Sam scooted a chair over and sat down directly in
front of me, blocking me from view. “I got you
something.”

I looked up to see him holding out a
dark pink drink. It too had a big straw that measured at least half
an inch. At the bottom of the clear cup were a bunch of marble
sized balls. I reached out and took the drink, fiddling with the
straw. “What is this?”

“
It’s called Bubble Tea.” I
watched him take a long pull from his own drink, which was a shade
of brown. “Try it.”

He eagerly watched me, and I couldn’t
help but get swept up in his fun. With a smile I tried the drink.
It was sweet and creamy, tasting of strawberry. Then, one of the
balls from the bottom made its way through the straw and into my
mouth. It was like a big gummy bear. It made me feel like a
kid.

“
This is really good,” I
declared, taking another drink. Then I paused. “What’s in
it?”

He laughed. A deep, husky laugh that
drew stares from some of the women in the shop. He didn’t seem to
notice. “It’s tea mixed with cream and sugar. Yours is strawberry
flavored. The balls at the bottom are called tapioca
pearls.”

“
What flavor is
yours?”

To my surprise he held it out for me
to try. The thought of my lips touching the same straw as his made
me shiver. He noticed and frowned. “Are you cold? Maybe I should
have gotten you coffee.”

“
No. This is perfect.”
Before he could pull the drink away, I took a sip. When I pulled
back he had that unreadable expression on his face.
“Chocolate.”

“
You like?”

“
Mine’s better.” I held it
out for him. His eyes widened, but he leaned forward and took a
sip. A little thrill went through me.

“
I think you’re right,” he
agreed.

“
I didn’t know this place
was here.”

“
I found it last summer.
Been coming here ever since.”

“
Thanks for bringing
me.”

Just then a loud group of guys walked
through the door, and I automatically tensed, ducking my head.
“Let’s get out of here,” Sam said, standing to return his
chair.

Outside the rain had slowed to a soft
drizzle. Sam pulled me close to the buildings and pulled the large
hood on the sweatshirt up over my head. “Are you ready to go
home?”

I shook my head.

His smile was one of relief, and it
made me a little sad. There was something about him that seemed
lonely, and it made me want to take it away from him. He reached
out and brushed my hand with his, but then pulled back to walk
beside me. I concentrated on my drink and ignored the
disappointment I felt.

“
Can I show you my other
favorite place around here?”

“
Sure.”

We walked a few blocks, not really
speaking, but it wasn’t an awkward silence. Then Sam cleared his
throat. “That park over there–” He pointed, then placed his hand at
the small of my back. “–that’s Lincoln Park.”

In the center of the park was a
fountain. It was a cute find in the middle of an urban
space.

“
It was created after the
great fire of 1866 which burned down almost all the buildings here
in Portland. The park is named after Abraham Lincoln.”

“
How do you know
this?”

“
I read a lot, explore a
lot.”

I raised an eyebrow. “About
parks?”

A very faint pink spread beneath the
sun kissed glow of his skin. He was embarrassed, and it was so
cute. I giggled. He smiled a quick flash of straight, white teeth
then he shrugged.

“
I’m kind of drawn to this
place. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s been here for so long. Maybe
it’s because it was created after something really bad happened,
and it was like a fresh start for the town…” his voice trailed off,
and he cleared his throat.

“
I really like it too,” I
said softly, bumping my shoulder into his side.

That seemed to please him, which gave
me monster-sized butterflies yet again in my belly.

A few minutes later we came to another
door. “This is your favorite place?” I smiled.

“
It’s not my favorite
place, but I really like it.”

“
A comic book
store?”

He grinned and opened the
door for me. Inside was bright with racks and shelves full of comic
books. There was even someone dressed in a
Star Wars
costume walking around the
store. I prayed he stayed away from me and hurried to get closer to
Sam. I could tell how much he liked this place by the way he walked
around taking everything in and briefly touching a few of the
books.