In the Dark (The Rules 2)

“Decided to change up my routine.” He just made it painfully obvious that he actually knows my routine but I don’t bother pointing it out.

“You here for the summer?” he asks.

“Yeah.” I pause, clearing my throat. I need to speak properly. I’m among the rich and classy. They don’t say yeah and uh huh in response to questions that require a yes. If Mama were here she’d slap me upside my head. “How about you?”

Nodding, he stands up straighter, his arms falling away from the fence. “We should hang out sometime,” he says casually. Too casually. His gaze is intense, his body stiff and I wonder if he’s…

Nervous?

Impossible. I mean, look at him. He’s just so…GQ. Like stepped straight out of a magazine ad. Why in the world would he be nervous to talk to me?

My heart rate speeds up. Is he asking me on a date? Of course not. He just wants to hang out. “We should,” I say with a little shrug. Like it’s no big deal. So the most gorgeous guy I’ve ever set eyes on is talking to me, says he wants to spend time with me. I can handle this. “Though don’t people usually know each other’s names before they hang out?”

His lips curve in a closed mouth smile. “Good point. So what’s your name?”

I flick my chin at him. “I asked first.”

His smile grows. “You did not.”

I raise a brow. It’s a look I’ve perfected over the years, one I picked up from my mother. I’ve scared many a boy away in the past with this signature move but GQ doesn’t even budge. “Tell me your name and I’ll tell you mine.”

“Gabe,” he says without hesitation.

“Short for Gabriel?” When he nods I continue. “I’m Lucy.”

“Lucy.” He says the name as if he’s testing it out, his voice deep and measured, making me shiver. “Nice to meet you, Lucy.”

“Nice to meet you too, Gabriel.” I roll the r a little bit like I can’t help myself, and he raises his brows but doesn’t say a word.

So stupid. I should act like a white girl. Like a proper, well-spoken, polite white girl who lives in a mansion and doesn’t have a care in the world.

In other words, I shouldn’t act like myself.

“What are you doing tonight?” he asks.

Oh, you know. Sitting around in this gargantuan house all alone, watching really bad TV, bored out of my skull.

Yeah, I can’t say that. I’ll sound like a complete loser.

“Nothing much.” I tilt my head to the side. “Why? You wanna hang out?”

He smiles, showing teeth this time and all the air gathers in my throat, threatening to choke me. How can I possibly spend time with this guy when all he has to do is smile and I feel like I’m going to faint from lack of oxygen? I don’t know if I can stand it.

“We should. I’ve got nothing going on.” He glances over his shoulder at his house before returning his gaze to me. “And I really need to get out of there.”

“Away from the family?” When his smile fades, I continue. “You seem to spend a lot of time with them.”

Gabe makes a face. A cute face. “They’re all driving me crazy.”

“I get it,” I say softly, though I don’t really get it at all. I don’t have much family. No siblings. I’ve only ever had my mother.

“You do?” He sounds hopeful and I nod. I can almost see the relief cross his face. “Can I come by around nine? Maybe ten?”

“Oh.” My feet hit the bottom of the pool. “You want to hang out at my place?”

“Well, yeah. I don’t want to spend any more time there.” He jerks his thumb toward his house. His expression softens. I’m sure he sees the alarm on my face. I mean, he’s moving sort of fast. I know he said he just wants to hang out but…what exactly does he want to do? Hook up?

I hope not. I don’t even know this guy. Granted, he’s hot. No denying that, but I don’t put out on the first date.

I don’t put out ever.

“Hey, if you have something else going on or uh, don’t want to do anything with me tonight, I understand.” Gabe starts to back away from the fence slowly, holding his hands up in front of him, an easy smile on his face. I wonder if he senses my apprehension. “I mean no harm.”

Okay, I’m being ridiculous. What is this guy going to do to me? He’s gorgeous. He could have anyone he wants. He’s just looking for an escape from his family. I can’t blame the guy. It must be exhausting, acting perfect all the time.

“It’s not that. I have zero plans tonight,” I admit and he stops in his tracks. “You can come over,” I continue, my voice soft, my head spinning. How am I going to handle this? What will I say when he comes over and sees a bunch of photos everywhere of a beautiful white family and not one of those photos includes me? That I’m adopted and they’re so ashamed of me they consider me an outcast?

Please. You’re renting the house for the summer. You’re such a rich bitch you prefer to go on vacation alone.

That sounds ridiculous. What twenty-one-year old wants to vacation on her own? I need to get rid of the photos. Thank God none of them are on the walls. I can just…scoop them up, hide them in a closet and pretend I live there. I need to come up with some sort of explanation as to why I’m by myself in this giant house but I’ll worry about that later.

“You sure?” he asks carefully.

“Yeah. Nine o’clock.” I flash him a smile, trying my best to ignore the nervous flutters in my stomach. “Don’t be late.”