Authors: Alicia Kobishop
Sending Mel my disapproving vibes I replied, “He doesn’t need to do that, Mel. I’ll just…”
“I’d be happy to take you, Liv,” Logan interrupted.
I glanced at him, trying to gauge his intentions. The truth was I enjoyed his company and part of me wouldn’t mind spending more time with him. I felt drawn to him. The other part of me, however, felt apprehensive from the strange effect he had on me. My tightly sealed guard already had a tendency of wavering around him. And I knew what would happen if I let my guard down. The bottom line was that in the end, they always leave in one way or another.
That very reminder eliminated my reservations and brought me back to my senses. I would be in control of my own fate. A little bit of fun, though temporary, wouldn’t hurt anyone. And knowing that I’d need to get a ride home from
someone
, I accepted the offer. “Ok, thanks.”
We followed Mel and Nate out and saw Gavin walking toward the house.
“Nice party, man. Maybe next time you’ll join us.” Nate said as Gavin walked past us.
Gavin chuckled as he opened the screen door. “Later guys.”
As I waited for Logan to unlock the car door, Mel hooked her arm in mine and pulled my ear to her face. “Call me tomorrow, okay? I’ll want details.”
There would be no details to share, but I smiled at her one track mind. “You know I will, Mel.”
Logan and I said our goodbyes to Nate and Mel and hopped into the Mustang. He turned the key, bringing the engine to life with a low powerful growl. The faint smell of exhaust mixed with the heavy rumble made me feel oddly at home and I felt the corners of my mouth lift up. I turned to face him as he backed the car out of the driveway and pulled onto the road.
His right hand held the top of the steering wheel as he looked ahead at the road. Each time a streetlight lit up his face, I noticed a new incredible feature. His chocolate hair was lifted up at the top but was just messy enough to tell the world he didn’t care about things like hair. His full lips were completely closed with his top lip being slightly larger than the bottom. His maroon colored t-shirt was worn, but not holey, and was just the right size to say he had a body, but didn’t need to show it off.
“You’re doing it again.” He said as a grin took over those lips and his amused eyes turned to me.
Shit! I’m staring.
I quickly turned to face the road. “Doing what?” Playing dumb was the first thing I thought of, but I suddenly became nervous that he would call out that move.
He let out an entertained huff, “Nothing.” Out of the corner of my eye, I notice him turn to face me again, just before returning his gaze to the road and he tapped his thumb on the steering wheel. “I’ve been friends with Gavin for a while, and I’ve never seen you at his place before. Where have you been hiding?”
I shrugged. “I’m not hiding anywhere. I’ve been to Gavin’s a few times.”
He responded by turning to me while raising a brow, signaling that he was looking for more details.
“I’ve just been busy with work, I guess. I plan on moving out once I’m done with school, and I want to make sure I can support myself.”
“No college?”
“I don’t know, maybe. We’ll see,” I replied. I didn’t like to talk about myself, and most people were put off by the fact that I didn’t want to go to college. I learned to keep that piece of information to myself. “What about you? Are you in school?”
“Nah, I graduated high school last year and after my dad passed, I decided to take a year off before starting college right away. I’m fine the way things are. College isn’t for me right now.”
I found it interesting that he was so openly candid about his father. “Do you work?” I asked, wondering what he did all day if he didn’t go to school.
“I guess you could say that,” he smiled, with his eyes on the road.
What kind of answer is that?
Following his lead from before, I playfully eyed him, letting him know that I wanted him to elaborate. When he saw me staring
again
, and on purpose, he laughed.
“My work is keeping my car in top condition and keeping up on the latest technology,” he continued. “Most of the cars I race against are compact and lightweight, and with an older, bigger car like mine, you have to make…modifications…to get it to move fast. Other than that, I fix other people’s cars here and there.”
He makes his money from racing?
“What’s the blue button for?” I asked as I glanced at the steering wheel.
He looked at me with a grin, then back at the road. “That’s for the nitrous.”
I remembered seeing nitrous in the
Fast and the Furious
movies. “Isn’t that dangerous? We’re not going to blow up, are we?” I said, suddenly concerned.
“Don’t worry. I spend a lot of time researching safety and proper installation. You’re right, it is dangerous, if not taken care of properly.”
“Oh, great. I’m riding in the death mobile.”
He watched me as I shifted in my seat, and he chuckled. “It’s just for speed, Liv. It’s not going to kill us.”
I anxiously bit my fingernails the rest of the way home, and I breathed a sigh of relief when we pulled into my driveway safe, sound, and in one piece.
“Looks empty. Is anyone home?” Logan asked as he looked at the dark house.
“No, they’re at the pub,” I answered.
“Which room is yours?”
I leaned over him and pointed. “The one with the balcony there. I think my mother took pity on me the last time we moved, and I got the best room out of it.” I turned my head to look at him and realized just how close I had leaned into him. When I saw his eyes on me and not my balcony, I froze.
The appropriate reaction would have been for me to pull away, but there was something about his eyes that kept me stuck there. Nobody had ever looked at me the way he was looking at me right now. It was as if he saw me…really saw who I was. The thought of that, although intriguing, was unsettling.
I wanted to lean back into my seat, I wanted to run, but I couldn’t move. His pupils darkened and my heart began to pound. Keeping his eyes on mine, with a serious expression, he slowly began leaning toward me. My skin burned as the gap between his lips and mine began to close. This beautiful man was going to kiss me.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying desperately to keep control. “Thanks for the ride,” I whispered huskily, thankful that my voice worked.
I opened my eyes to see a small grin form on his face and amusement occupy his expression. “Anytime.”
My body came to and I leaned back into my seat, taking a moment to gather my wits. I’ve never felt anything like that with the boys I’ve kissed before…and that wasn’t even a kiss. It was an almost kiss. Thoroughly confused by my reaction to him, I opened the door and turned my head to face him. “Bye.”
I stepped out of the car, giving him a quick smile before closing the car door, and I began walking toward the house.
“Hey, what are you doing tomorrow?” he asked through his open window.
Knowing that he wanted to see me again ignited a surge of excitement in me. My eyes lit up and a smile immediately took over my face in response. Fortunately, I was able to get it under control, to a cool-moderate level, before turning around to answer him. “Cleaning the pub, working at Frank’s, then getting ready for school on Monday. It’s going to be a busy day,” I shrugged.
I felt disappointed, yet relieved at the same time, that I wasn’t going to be able to see him. I was concerned by the fact that I could feel myself letting my guard down around him. The feeling he gave me every time he looked at me, the way my body temperature rose at the slightest touch, and the fluttering in my stomach every time he said my name, were all valid reasons to keep my distance. This unwanted attraction that I felt toward him needed to get under control, and it wouldn’t be fair to either of us if I led him on.
With what I perceived to be a look of discouragement in his eyes, he nodded and smiled. “Have a good night, Liv.”
Chapter Five
The first day of school came and went. Most kids bustled with energy upon their return, but not me. To me, school was nothing more than an item on the checklist of things to do. Switching schools during third quarter last spring, after Mom married Jeff, and moving to an incredibly affluent town had been a challenge.
Our home was modest, in a modest part of the town, but some of the kids at school lived in mansions. At least that’s what they were to me.
Maybe it was just me, but kids seemed more “cliquey” here. They weren’t mean…They just didn’t meander far from their herds, and the only person who made an effort to talk to me when I came here was Melody. We hit it off right away. The last day of the school year had been a relief, and the summer was a blast–but now that summer was over, I felt nothing but apprehension.
My routine, which consisted of school, work, homework, and sleep, was established within the first few days of school. It had already gotten mundane by Thursday, which is why I was elated when Melody suggested we have some girl-time that night after work. Her relationship with Nate had become serious over the summer and most of her free time was now spent with him. I didn’t mind. Mel had a heart of gold, Nate treated her well, and she deserved to be happy.
Mel’s car pulled into the parking lot just as I walked out of Frank’s. I quickly jumped into the passenger seat, and Mel took off onto the strip the moment my door closed, leaving my car behind in the lot as usual.
We didn’t have any specific plans on where to go or what to do, so we drove up and down the strip a few times with our windows down and music up while we decided. We were on our third lap when Mel’s attention diverted to Milo’s, a popular burger and ice cream place.
“Is that Logan’s car?” Mel shouted over the music.
My attention immediately turned to the parking lot of Milo’s, where a yellow classic car rested under a dim orange light. There were several tables outside, in front of the strip, occupied by a considerable number of teenagers and young adults...but I didn’t see Logan. Mel didn’t wait for me to respond before making a U-turn and pulling into the parking lot.
“I feel like having some ice cream, don’t you?” Mel questioned rhetorically after she had already parked and turned off the car.
I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Do I have a choice?”
We entered Milo’s and after quickly scanning the inside of the restaurant, it was clear that Logan wasn’t within these walls. A combination of relief and disappointment came over me. It had been less than a week since our almost kiss and my reaction to him still shook me up enough to want to keep my distance, while at the same time…I wanted to see him again. We ordered our ice cream and headed outside. All the tables were occupied, and several people were sitting on the brick ledge that surrounded the seating area. Others were standing. Then, a familiar blond-haired, blue-eyed, friendly face caught my eye.
“There’s Isaac,” I nudged Melody.
As we walked towards his table, I noticed he was with the same girl that he had met at River Fest. Chloe was sitting next to her…and that’s when I realized that the man who was sitting with his back facing us was actually Logan. Isaac looked up as we approached and gave us a warm smile.
“Come on over. We’ll make some room for you,” Isaac said. His companion smiled brightly and began to scoot over to make some space. Chloe, however, looked as if we had just killed her cat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Logan turn his head to look at us, but I made a point not to look in his direction. Still baffled by the effect he had on me, I was apprehensive of what his eyes might do to me.
Isaac introduced me to Jess, his new “interest.” I had seen her at River Fest from a distance and at Gavin’s party but had not yet officially met her. I could tell by her demeanor that she was the type of person who could get along with anyone, just like Isaac. With her hair pulled back into a high ponytail with short bangs and an eyebrow ring, she had a punk style that matched Isaac’s, even though her black hair strictly contrasted with his light blond hair. She extended her hand to me and said “hello” with a genuinely friendly smile.
Chloe, gave us a not-so-genuine smile and clung to Logan’s bicep when we were formally introduced to her. I finally glanced at Logan, who appeared to be completely comfortable with her on his arm. I wondered if they were a thing. When I sat down across from him, he looked at me and nodded with a smile as if to say hello. I don’t know why, but it irked me that he didn’t say hello…verbally.
The people at the table next to us began to stand up from their seats.
“Chloe, c’mon, we’re out,” called one of the girls from the table.
“I’m gonna catch a ride with Logan,” Chloe replied, turning around to face the group.
“Sorry, Chlo, can’t tonight,” Logan said, as he casually pulled his arm away from her to take a drink from his soda.
She pouted at him for a moment, then shot daggers at me. “Fine. Have fun,” she said as her gaze bore a hole in my face. Then she got up and left with her group, shooting me one last evil glare as she walked to the parking lot.
“She’s not with you?” I thought out loud before I could stop myself. “…You guys…She’s not with you guys?” I tried to recover, but it didn’t sound right.
“She wishes she were with Logan!” Isaac teased.
I looked at Logan, thinking he would be embarrassed by Isaac’s remark, but instead, he chuckled and nodded in agreement.
“You guys suck. That poor girl probably really likes you! You shouldn’t lead her on like that,” I scolded toward Logan. Why was I defending her? And why was I imposing some sort of moral lecture on them? Why did words just come out of me like that?
“Lead her on?” Logan repeated as if he had to in order to make sure he heard me right. “All I’m doing is sitting here!” he said, pretending to be shocked.
I rolled my eyes. “Uh-huh.”