Lost Girl (Aston Creek High 2)

The ball is propped on his hip as both boys turn to look at me. Devastation, regret, and guilt play in Blake’s while there’s nothing but excitement in Slade’s. “Catch ya ‘round, man,” Slade says, striding toward me with the devil in his eyes.

He takes hold of my waist and pulls me into his side, being respectable enough not to kiss me in front of my brother despite my gut telling me that he’s desperate to lay one on me.

“Figured out what we’re doing yet?” I grumble as Blake stares at us in confusion, wondering why I’m allowing his hands on my body and why we’re not at each other’s throat.

“Nope,” he says, turning his face into my neck. “But I know where we’re going to end up.”

My cheeks flame and I try to control my need to throw myself at him by heading for his truck, only there’s nothing parked out front. “How are we going to go anywhere without your truck?”

“Chill out, it’s at my place. We just have to go and get it.”

I gape at him. “You walked here?”

A smug grin crosses his face as he pulls me along. “Yeah, well someone subtly accused me of being a lazy ass by offering to drive her home last night.”

The memory from last night comes shooting back to where I teased him about hitting the jackpot for having a man who would go to such extraordinary lengths to drive me twenty seconds up the street. “Well that someone would be right,” I laugh. “After all, you only live a few houses up the street.”

“Fifteen, Skylah. Fifteen houses. I counted this morning.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be some super-fit basketball star? A two-minute walk is hardly going to kill you.”

He shakes his head, trying his hardest not to laugh. “Jesus,” he murmurs under his breath, pulling me in closer. “You and me…this is going to be interesting.”

Chapter 3

I sit beside Damian as we wait for Mr. Carver to get started on today’s biology lesson. We’re so close to the end of the day. We just have to get through an hour of biology and then I have an hour of history and it’s all done.

If only time could speed up. It’s been a bit of a slow day, but in saying that, it’s also been one of the best days I’ve had since being here.

I was so worried things would go right back to the way they were at school between Slade and me as if our perfect weekend had all been a dream. But by some strange miracle, I had his undivided attention. Unfortunately, that meant I also had the undivided attention of the rest of the school as well.

I’m so used to being the topic of conversation that it hardly bothers me anymore. At least this time it’s not about my past or something that I should be ashamed of. The speculation over whether I screwed Slade or not is really nothing new.

Damian’s elbow comes shooting into my rib as he grins at me with his boyish smirk and bouncing brows. “Did you seal the deal?”

My mouth drops open and for a moment I wonder if he’s forgotten who I am and that I’m not one of his boys, but then I remember his declaration to be my new BFF. “Seal the deal with what?” I say, smiling innocently as though I don’t have the slightest clue what he’s talking about.

“Nah,” he says, shaking his head. “Don’t play the ‘I’m too sweet and innocent to know what you’re talking about’ bullshit. You’re too nasty for that to work. You got jiggy with him, didn’t you?”

“Shouldn’t you be talking to him about this?” I question, raising a brow suspiciously.

“Well I would, but someone went and told the dude that I like you more and when I asked, he told me to go and talk to my new best friend.”

I press my lips into a hard line, forcing myself not to smile. “Damn, that sounds like a real shame. I wonder who would have said something like that.” His eyes narrow at me and my control breaks. A wide grin spreads across my face and he rolls his eyes. “To be fair,” I tell him. “It’s your fault. You’re the one who barged into my place on Saturday to watch the game, declaring that you’re filling the role of my best friend.”

He groans. “I knew that was going to bite me on the ass,” he mutters low. “But still, I stand by my claim. Consider us now tied at the hip. I’ll get one of Slade’s little sisters to make us friendship bracelets, but I swear, Skylah, if you ever take it off, we’re done.”

“Holy shit,” I gasp. “What have I gotten myself into? You’re one of those stage-five clingers, aren’t you? I’m going to be with Slade one day and find you peeking through the window.”