At First Hate (Coastal Chronicles)

Leigh frowned and then bit her overly glossed lips. “Well, I might have heard something about that in the hall.”

“About what?”

“So… it’s going around school that you slept with a senior Holy Cross guy this weekend.”

I gaped at her. “I what?”

“Yeah,” she said with a wince. “I tried to tell someone there was no way that it was you. It had to be someone else.”

“Of course it wasn’t me! I’ve never… I mean, I wouldn’t…”

“Mars, I know. But I guess some guys from the football team saw you coming downstairs with some guy who has a reputation for fucking everything that walks.”

I blinked at her as my stomach dropped out. “Derek?”

“Yes!” she said, pointing at me. “That’s the guy.”

“I was just looking for the bathroom!”

Leigh winced. “I’m sorry, Mars.”

“Did he tell people we slept together?”

Leigh shrugged. “I have no idea.”

“So, these guys whistling and asking me out… they think it’s because I’m easy?” I whispered in horror. “Oh my God, am I the new school slut?”

“I’m sure it will all blow over. Try not to worry about it. They’re stupid high school boys.”

“Ladies,” Ms. Matthews called. “Do you want to continue your conversation, or can the rest of us get started?”

“Sorry, Ms. Matthews,” we said in unison.

But my mind was not on the subject. Not that I really had to pay attention as she finished up homeroom and started our Honors English class. I was getting a hundred just by reading the books. Apparently, that was rocket science in my school of CliffsNotes.

I was out of it the rest of the day. I was asked out twice more. Brandt Johnston cornered me at my locker again. And a half-dozen other assholes made catcalls like I was working a fucking corner. All that time I’d been working so hard to be the smart girl had just gone out the window with one interaction with Derek Ballentine.

When we got back to the parking lot that afternoon, it was clear that Maddox had heard some bastardized version of what had happened. He looked pale. “Mars.”

“Just don’t.” I held my hand up. “It didn’t happen. If I have to hear about it again, I’m going to be sick.”

“I didn’t think it happened! I didn’t think about it at all.” He grimaced.

“Ew, Maddox. Stop!” I threw my backpack in the bed of the truck and got into the passenger side as Maddox started the engine. “I need you to do something for me.”

“What?”

“I need you to take me to Derek’s house.”

Maddox looked at me as if I’d sprouted a second head. “Why would I do that? We have to be home on time, or Gran will freak.”

“Then, tell her I had a cheer meeting or something.”

“Lie?”

“You lie all the time! Just take me to his house, Maddox!”

“Fine. Fine,” he grumbled as he took the truck out of the parking lot. “For the record, this is a bad idea. What are you even going to say to this guy?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

I was running on adrenaline and anger. A potent combination on a good day, and today was not a good day. But I couldn’t do nothing. As much as Leigh had said it would blow over, it wasn’t going to blow over tomorrow or the next day. And I was going to sock someone in the nuts if they tried to proposition me again.

Maddox pulled over in front of Derek’s house. “Don’t be too long. I can only run interference with Gran for so long.”

“Yeah, okay.”

I hopped out of the truck and crossed to the front of his mansion, pulling open the intimidating wrought iron gate. The house was even more impressive in the daylight. Also somehow, it looked twice as big. And I looked like a sixteen-year-old sophomore. I pushed back my stray curls and then yelled internally at myself for trying to make myself look nice for him. It was his fault this had all started to begin with.

I rang the doorbell, and a minute later, a woman pulled the door open.

“Hi, honey!” she exclaimed in a straight Scarlett O’Hara Southern drawl. She was also stunning with platinum-blonde hair to her waist and immaculate makeup. She wore a pastel-pink minidress with a square cut, revealing ample cleavage, and four-inch wedges. Her legs were long and fake tan. She could have been a model.

I had no idea who she was. Maybe an older sister. Though they didn’t look anything alike.

“Hello.”

“You must be Derek’s date.”

“I…”

“Come in. Come in,” she said, ushering me inside. “I’m his stepmom, Kathy.”

Stepmom. Well, that explained why she looked twenty-five.

“Hi, I’m Marley.”

“Marley, darling, it’s so nice to meet you. Let me get Derek for you.”

I opened my mouth to object, but this was probably the easiest way to get his attention. Anyway, who had a date on a Monday night during the school year?