Mr. Heartbreaker: Black Mountain Academy

Maybe I’m being silly, but it feels like that kiss is a promise…27MikeAs nights go, this one wasn’t how I envisioned spending it. I would rather be at Violet’s place, spending time alone with her. I don’t know why I let Davis guilt me into this shit. There are some guys from the team here, but for the most part it’s the BMA’s party crowd. The football crowd is loud and accounted for. Most of them are drunk off their asses. I’m nursing my one and only beer for the night. Getting drunk doesn’t have as much appeal when you like the company you have. I’m sitting in a lawn chair with Violet on my lap. She’s laughing at something Ben and Davis are arguing about.

I’m actually surprised Ben showed up tonight. He doesn’t usually go for these kinds of things. If I had known he would be here, I’d have stayed at Violet’s with her. God, it’s unreal how just having her close relaxes me, takes the edge off, and allows me to breathe normally, when before I would have felt like I was crawling out of my skin.

My fingers, drift up under Violet’s sweater, tenderly sweeping against her skin, as I take in the crowd. Aspen, one of the popular girls in school is over there talking to some dude I can’t place. I don’t think he goes to BMA, but I could be wrong. I could tell you every female student in this school, but male? That’s sketchy, at best.

Carson and Landon—football jocks—are laughing it up across from me. Landon played on some kind of television show and girls treat him like he’s a god here at the school because of it at times. He’s got the hots for Kailani, who dances on the dance squad. I’m not sure what her story is. I’ve never hit that, for some reason. She’s hot, but she’s definitely not my Violet. Genevieve is sitting down from them. I did date her. I shake my head. That girl has more issues than I do and that’s saying something. The new kid, Kyler, is standing off to himself, I haven’t taken the time to get to know him and I really don’t know his damage. I don’t want to. Speaking of damage, Carter Hensley is watching us all. There are rumors going around school that he is constantly in legal trouble and screwed up in the head. Most of the time, rumors in this damn place are just that, but something about him makes me wonder if they’re true.

“Earth to Mikey,” Violet giggles. “What are you doing?”

“People watching,” I tell her. Just about that exact second, Lindy lets out a large laugh that carries through the night air. I feel Violet tense. Jesus, I really fucked up that first day. In my defense, I had never been around a girl like Violet before. She’s genuine. Hell, she’s everything good. I’ve said it before, but she deserves better than I am. It’s just that I’m not going to let her go. “Violet,” I chastise, because I see the shadow that comes over her face.

“What?” she asks defensively.

I put my beer down and then I stand up, Violet cradled in my arms. She squeals, holding onto me tightly.

“Mike! What are you doing? Put me down! You’re going to drop me!”

“Hush, Angel. It’s time I prove something to you.”

“Prove what? What are you talking about?” she asks, and I let her slide to her feet. We’re at the edge of the field, where a grove of walnut trees is. I lean against one of the large trees, fixing it so her back is turned to the crowd.

“I’m going to take that look off your face, Violet.”

“What look?” she asks, trying to bluff me.

“The one you get on your face every time you see Lindy,” I murmur to her as gently as I can. I put a hand on each side of her neck, holding her as tenderly as possible.

“We’ve already talked about this, Mike. I told you I’m fine,” she mutters and even in the night with nothing but the moonlight, I can see that she’s blushing and embarrassed.

“Do you really want to know what I was thinking before?” I ask her, my gaze holding hers. I want her to see the truth. She deserves to have that from me.

She deserves a hell of a lot more.

“I’m not sure,” she responds, proving that she won’t lie to me, even when it exposes her vulnerability.

And she is vulnerable…but, she wears it like a queen.

“I was looking around me at all of the people here that I’ve spent years with, and yes women, which is including Lindy—”

“Mike, I don’t—”

“And I was thinking that none of them know me and I don’t know them either for that matter.”

“Mike,” she murmurs.