by Nora Cobb
I want to touch Natalie because I love her. My mind drifts back to the night we spent together and how much I wanted to please her and see her smile when she looked up at me. Natalie deserves to be happy, and it pains me to cause her pain.
I pull into the driveway of her house, eager to see her and have a conversation about everything that has happened. But I sit in my car with the engine idling. Jacob’s car is in the driveway, and I realize that he’s with her for Valentine’s Day. I could go in. I know they wouldn’t mind, but I want Natalie to have a special night. Jacob mentioned some restaurant in the city that he was all excited to take her to.
I don’t see her car and guess that they drove it into the city. The Hummer is a monster to park. It would be selfish of me to intrude with my problems, and I leave, letting them have Valentine’s together and alone. I put my car in reverse and back out onto the road.
I head over to the circle. The circle is the intersection connecting the two main roads between our town and West Lake. The shopping strip heads east-west while the local road heads north-south. The highway is packed with chain stores and fast food, so to waste time I get a burger at the Shimmy Shack.
Thankfully, I’m not the only person in there alone, so I don’t feel like an obvious loser. Two girls with West Lake jackets sit in the corner watching me as I watch a random soccer game on the television. It’s easy to ignore them as I send a Val Day message to Natalie. She sends me one back with roses. I have a gift for her in my pocket, a surprise, but it can wait. I tell her to tell Jacob hi and to have a good time.
Natalie: Where are you?
Me: Wasting time. Have fun tonight. Tell Jacob he’s lucky.
Natalie: Love you.
Lucas: Love you too.
“Hey.” One of the West Lake girls is standing by my table, and I put my phone away. She’s a cute girl with strawberry- blonde hair and freckles. I think I recognize her but I’m not placing her yet.
I narrow my eyes on her smiling face. “Do I know you?”
She laughs. “I’m Lydia. Natalie’s friend.” She points to the girl over in the corner table. “And that’s my friend, Casey.”
The other girl waves, and I wave back. She’s a cute brunette with long braids. I wonder for a moment what to do. I don’t want to be rude, but I have enough going on. And I don’t know if I can have a light conversation.
“Natalie busy tonight?” asks Lydia.
I look surprised, and she laughs. “I know she likes you, and I’m wondering why you’re alone. Nosy me.”
I smile, and decide to be polite. “You want to sit down?”
Lydia waves her friend over, and Casey slides onto the bench with Lydia. Our food is served, and we gossip about everything and nothing in our lives. My phone buzzes, and my heart sinks when I see it’s Arielle.
Arielle: Where are you?
It’s a text, but I can hear the tone in her voice as if she were talking to me. I must make a weird face because the girls giggle.
“Are you hiding from someone?” Lydia raises a thin eyebrow.
I nod.
“We are, too,” Casey leans in and whispers. “I wanted a break from my clingy boyfriend. Can you believe that? It’s Val Day, and I’m hiding from his needy ass.”
“I wondered why two pretty girls were here alone.”
Lydia smiles, and blushes slightly. “I was expecting to see Natalie when you walked in.”
“I’d take Natalie out somewhere else.” I sigh.
“Natalie wouldn’t care,” Casey pops a fry in her mouth. “She likes being with you.”
I grin as I reach for my phone. It’s Arielle again, and I put it away. I should switch it off, but I’m hoping to talk to Natalie later, after her date. I run a hand through my hair.
“I shouldn’t tell you,” Lydia lowers her eyes as if she’s interested in her burger, “but Natalie had a creepy stalker thing.”
I put down my drink without taking a sip. “What do you mean?” I ask.
“That weird guy, Anthony, he was at her house. Her uncle wouldn’t let him in.”
“No, I didn’t know.”
“Oh yuck,” says Casey. “I remember him from junior high. He’d always sit in the back, making deals, I suppose. I’m surprised he got into Montlake.”
“He had a partial scholarship the first year,” Lydia adds, “but after that, I think he lost it. You have to have killer grades to hold onto a scholarship there.”
I shrug my shoulders. “I wouldn’t know.”
The girls giggle, and I grab my phone again.
Taylor: Lucas. It’s your mother. Where are you?
Wow, I sigh, it must be bad. Taylor is pulling rank and reminding me that she’s the adult in our relationship.
Taylor: Arielle is upset.
Taylor: We can’t free her from the table.
Taylor: Where is the key?
“What’s so funny?” asks Lydia,
I shake my head. “I have a stalker, too. And she’s a bit pissed with me.” Casey holds up her hand, and I give her a high five. Finally, I switch my phone off, and we finish our food without interruption from the outside world. I’m blown away that Natalie didn’t tell me about Anthony and her uncle, but I’m not entirely surprised. Jacob and I have been concerned about Anthony, and we haven’t let up on telling her that. Still, I don’t like secrets.
We head out of the Shack, and I offer Lydia and Casey a ride home.
“Thanks,” Lydia runs her hand along my Camaro. “But, we have a ride.” Lydia points to her Subaru. “It’s my mom’s.”
I smile. “Well, next time you’re hiding, I’ll meet you both here.”
The girls giggle, and they’re gone.
I get into my car and switch on the ignition. The clock flashes 9:00 p.m. It’s not late enough to go back home, and I really don’t care if I have school tomorrow. This evening feels like it is lasting forever, and I’m not in the mood for Arielle begging for kinky sex. I chuckle to myself, wondering how she managed to get Taylor’s attention. Arielle probably had to drag that heavy table around while she hid the evidence under the bed.
I pass Montlake, and though the gates are closed, I drive around to the back entrance. Since the turf was torn up, the admins put up a keycard entrance. Teams practice late and they can’t chain us in. I use my card and the gates open. I can be alone here.
I drive over to the deck and park on top where Natalie parks her car. I remember the fight we had when I stopped speaking to her. I wasn’t willing to admit that I was jealous, and of what? What did I think she was really doing? Natalie was completely confused back then, but now that she’s helping her uncle, she has a confidence that I find appealing and attractive. Certainly more than Arielle’s tacky toys and sheer lingerie.
I search through my glove box for a stray joint. I stopped buying after falling out with Anthony. No point in socializing with him for any reason. There isn’t one, but then I remember and check the door. I slid half of one in there. I light it up and stare out at the night sky. The clouds are too low to see the stars, but I don’t care as I drift off in a haze, looking at the full moon surrounded by rings of murky color in the dark sky.
I’m in a comfortable daze when I hear a tap on my driver’s side window. My body starts when I see the cop car parked at an angle blocking in the down ramp. There’s no point in trying to hide the joint as I roll down the window.
“Sir,” the cop leans forward, then straightens up, fanning the smoke away. “Step out of the car.”
Sighing, I put the joint in the ashtray as the cop watches. I open the door slowly, making sure he can see my hands.
“You want to tell me what you are doing here, son?”
I hate condescending people. I don’t want to tell him, but I have to say something. “I was just relaxing, sir.”
“You can’t relax at home, son?”
I shake my head. “I’ve got problems at home, sir.”
He presses his lips together, noting the sarc
asm in my voice. The cop shines his flashlight in my car as he directs me to place my hands on the hood of the Camaro. “My problem is that you’re trespassing,” he explains. The cop shines his flashlight toward the fields as a second cop car pulls up. He shines the flashlight on my tires.
“Look, I’m not doing anything.”
“License and registration,” he replies.
“It’s in the car.”
He nods his head, and I open the door wide as the cop watches me retrieve it. I hand it to him, and he glances at my face then back at my license. “Wait in your car, son.”
A second officer takes my ID and gets in his car to run a check. The first officer shines his lights on the field again and then on my tires again. I know what they’re thinking, but it would be pretty stupid for me to tear up the field then sit in my car and wait.
“Okay, son. I need you to come with me.”
I sigh but do as I am told... again.
***
I’ve only been to the Montlake police station once, and that was part of a fundraiser in junior high. The cell I’m in isn’t a cell; it’s more like a waiting room with two-way glass. At Montlake, the officers cautioned me, and they towed my Camaro. They better not have fucked up my car.
“Lucas!” Arielle bursts into the room, fully clothed. And when I say fully clothed, I mean she is wearing a turtleneck and high-waisted jeans. She looks like the innocent girl that she ain’t.
“I was so worried!” She grabs me and holds me while our family lawyer watches. Holli Sargent has worked for our family since I was a child. But her specialty is finance, not criminal law. I push Arielle away firmly and approach Mrs. Sargent.
“Can I leave?”
“Yes, with a warning,” she says. “The police had an anonymous tip.”
I look at Arielle, who avoids my harsh gaze. “Where’s my car?” I ask Mrs. Sargent.
She shakes her head. “It’s been impounded. That’ll wait until morning. I’ll have it towed to the house.”
“Lucas, I have my car,” Arielle states firmly.
I don’t bother to look at her. “Can you give me a lift home?” I ask Mrs. Sargent.
She heads for the open door. “Sure, I’m leaving now.”
“Lucas?” Arielle’s voice is testy.
“Have a safe ride home, Arielle.” And I walk out of the cell.
CHAPTER 19
Natalie
It was a cute date. No, it was better than that. It was bitching amazing. The Mexican restaurant below Union Square was romantic, and the food was mouthwatering. I almost drooled on my dress. The fresh guacamole was yummy, and the margaritas gave me a little buzz. They didn’t card us, probably because Jacob towered over the staff. I wore a white halter dress with a pleated skirt, and Jacob wore a black suit, gray shirt, and silver tie. I was so used to seeing him in his school clothes and athletic gear that I almost passed out when I opened the front door of my house and saw him standing there leaning against the doorframe holding flowers.
“Wow.” I drooled at the sight of him.
He smiled and twirled me around until my skirt floated into a circle.
“Double wow,” he said, looking me up and down.
It was the best date ever, except for one thing. Lucas was in trouble. My heart sank when I read his sweet text, and I sighed so loudly that Jacob knew something was up. He understood how I felt because he felt the same way. It was his best friend. But we did our best to have a good time, and we succeeded.
***
“Where’s your uncle?” Jacob stops my Audi in the driveway and looks at the dark windows in the house.
“He’s on a date.” I also look up at the dark house.
“He leaves you alone a lot.”
“He trusts me,” I smile proudly, tilting my head.
“Should he?” Jacob’s eyes sparkle with naughtiness as he pulls me into a delicious kiss. I could kiss him forever but one does have to stop to eat and sleep. I push him back but he pulls me tighter, gazing into my eyes with that self-assured look. Even in the dim light of the car, I can see he’s got something on his mind.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
I poke his chest playfully, and smile. “Listen to you, Mr. Fleming.”
“Well, strange things happen when it’s Val Day on a full moon.” He places his hand on my bare knee.
“Like you changing into a gentleman?”
His expression is serious as he leans in closer, and I have nowhere to go with the car door at my back. My mouth parts, and he touches his lips to mine. I don’t play the prude this time. I hold him tight as he holds me closer, and our tongues tangle.
“Natalie,” he pulls back, “you have sweet lips.”
“You do, too.” My voice is breathless, and he laughs at the dreamy look in my eyes.
“Let’s go inside, babe.”
I nod my head as he jumps out of the car and opens the door for me. The night air cools my heated body as I step out onto the driveway. Jacob stands beside me and takes my house keys out of my hands. He hurries to the door like a golden retriever happy to be home. I laugh as I walk toward the open door, and he cocks an eyebrow.
“I guess you’re off punishment altogether,” I smirk.
“I am,” he laughs. “My mother told my father to send me to my friends’ houses, so I could mess up their homes.”
I laugh. “She did not.” Inside, I sit down on the couch and stretch my legs out, letting Jacob get a good look. He does and sits close beside me.
“What about you?” He wraps his arm around my waist. “I thought I’d have to scale the walls to your bedroom window if I wanted to see you again.”
“Uncle Phil has a do-not-call list. If you’re on it, do not call.”
Jacob pauses, and I know what he’s thinking. But he doesn’t mention Anthony’s name. I don’t want to tell him about the night Anthony came to my house. It was painful, but for the best. No reason to give Jacob another reason to go after Anthony.
“I wonder what’s going to happen to Lucas?” he says.
It isn’t what I expected him to say at all. There are times when I don’t give Jacob enough credit. He’s not all football, football, beat up Anthony, and more football. I place my hands in my lap and lean my head on his shoulder as he moves his arm around my shoulders.
“Troy was supposed to marry her,” I reply, wishing he had.
Jacob shrugs. “His mother may care that he didn’t. His father’s probably relieved. When I saw Troy at school, he was subdued. I’m surprised that he hasn’t thanked you.”
“He wasn’t gloating that he escaped Arielle?”
“No, because it was at Lucas’ expense.”
I narrow my eyes on him. “Are you guys really that tight?”
Jacob shrugs again. “Let’s just say we’re tight-knit and tight-lipped. Lucas is my friend and though Troy can be a real shit at times, I remember when he wasn’t. His mother is a hard ass, and it probably changed him.”
“What happened with his sister?” I ask. “I was told that Maya flipped out because she kissed a girl and sent her away.”
My head moves as Jacob laughs. But he’s not laughing because it’s a joke; his voice is heavy with scorn. “That’s the lite version. It wasn’t just any girl. It was Alexandra Dickinson, chain-store heiress, and prescription addict.” Jacob sighs again. “Vicki ended up in rehab.”
“Not at her grandmother’s?”
“Not unless her grandmother is there with her.”
The mood has definitely shifted. It feels less like Val Day and more like a wake. Sitting up, Jacob leans away from me and clears his throat. But I have to keep going; I have more on my mind. “I feel bad, Jacob,” I confess. “I wouldn’t have asked Lucas for help if I had known what was going to happen.”
He looks at me with concern and touches my shoulder with his fingertips. “You did nothing wrong, Natalie. Your uncle needed help. Greg Saunders would have ended up with shares that were worth mo
re than their dollar value. No one blames you for helping your uncle. In fact, people admire you for it. Lucas does.”
“That makes me feel a little better.” My voice cracks. “But I wish I had known.”
“You sound like you really love Lucas.” Jacob’s fingers stroke my shoulder, giving me the comfort I need.
“I love both of you.” I lean into him and feel his muscular body beside me. I rub my cheek against the smooth fabric of his suit and smell his cologne. I inhale another breath and wonder if he bought it for tonight. It makes me smile.
