Veiled: Book 1 in the House of Shadows Series
Page 13
Asher had arrived in town the year before, right at the end of the school year. He'd kept to himself and didn't go to any parties or school games with the rest of us. All I knew was that he was the most beautiful guy I'd ever seen, and he was totally and completely out of my league.
Every head turned as he walked into the room. His striking features commanded attention. All voices hushed as though forced into silence. He wasn't just good-looking; he was picturesque. His hair was black…no, it was darker than night. His blue eyes seemed to sparkle against the yellow-tinted overhead lighting. He sat down at a table in the far corner of the room, and as he took out his notebooks and pens, a wonderful feeling came over me. My heart began to race, and I couldn’t help but smile.
"Wow, he's hot," Laura said, watching me eye Asher.
"Of course, he is," I whispered back, "but he’d never so much as look at someone like me."
"You're crazy," Melanie chimed in. "You're best friends with Maddox-hot, baseball-playing Maddox. You don't need the new hottie over there," she said, pointing in Asher's direction.
Asher suddenly looked our way, and the three of us snapped our heads back to the front of the room. Thankfully, Mr. Morris walked into the room then and began to pass out the World Civics Syllabus.
I couldn't help but catch Asher out of the corner of my eye. Something had changed when he walked into the classroom. I couldn't explain it, but the magnitude of the situation wasn't lost on me, either. I spent the rest of the day going through my classes like always. I hated the first day of school. It was the same every year. I could practically do it in my sleep.
The rest of the school day went as smoothly as could be expected, without interruption.
I waited for Maddox after seventh-hour, just like he asked, only he was almost thirty-minutes late to meet me.
"Seriously?" I asked, throwing my hands up in the air. "You're really late," I added.
"I know. I'm sorry," Maddox said, jogging up to me. His wavy, sandy blonde hair bounced on the top of his head as he moved.
I stood next to his truck. Maddox was still wearing his practice uniform. He was already sweaty, as if he'd already been to practice.
"What news do you have to tell me?" I asked, raising my eyes at him. I shifted my weight, placing my hand on my hip.
Maddox smirked, having noticed my frustration. "You're so cute when you're mad at me," he teased. He pinched my nose. I hated when he did that-it made me feel like I was some little puppy.
"Stop," I yelled, smacking his hand away. "Come on, Maddox. I have homework, and I want to call Melanie, too," I said, urging him to hurry up with his news.
Maddox ran his hands through his messy hair and seemed to grow nervous. "I was going to just... um...well..." He fumbled over his words, almost tormented by the amount of time it was taking for him to gather his thoughts.
I rolled my eyes, turned on my heels, and began to walk away, but Maddox grabbed my arm and spun me around so I would face him again.
"Sorry," he began, "I just wanted to tell you that after practice, I have to do extra weight-lifting sessions with Coach. I'll be late getting home, and it might be even later until we can hang out or work on my truck," he said, finally spitting it out.
"That’s your big news?" I asked. I was just plain annoyed.
"Yeah...what else were you expecting?" he asked with a half-hearted laugh.
I wasn't sure I believed him, but I didn't feel like playing any more games with him, so I left him standing in the parking lot, alone, feeling him watch me as I left, his gaze burning a hole in my back.
When I arrived home, my dad was just getting out of his black Ford truck. He met me in the driveway and smiled. "How was school, Elle?" he asked.
"School was fine," I said as we walked toward the front porch.
"Your mom's already home. She said she spoke with Mr. and Mrs. Allan and they still have your job at the coffee shop if you want it," he said as we walked through the front door.
That was another thing I had hated about leaving: I didn't even get the chance to tell my bosses, the owners of the town's local coffee shop, that I wouldn't be able to work over the summer. They probably thought I was some teenage flake when in reality, I'd enjoyed my job but was kidnapped and whisked away by my own parents.
"Seriously?" I asked, raising my brows at him. "I just left without any explanation." There was more venom in my voice than I'd intended. My dad flinched at my words, and I instantly regretted my tone.
He lay his keys on the kitchen counter and tried to hide his discomfort. "Elle, your moms arranged everything. Just go down there and tell them you're ready to work. They'll understand. Dinner isn't for another hour, so you have time," he added, nodding to indicate I should go.
I threw my backpack down, forced a smile, and turned on my heels to go back out the door I'd just come in from.
I drove through our small town and quickly found the coffee shop nestled on the corner of Main Street and Vine. The large courthouse was across the street, and a small park with white benches and large oak trees sat to the right. I'd loved working at the coffee shop. Business was always just steady enough that you'd never get bored, but it was quiet and easy work, so, I was able to do homework and talk to friends when I wanted. Mr. and Mrs. Allan were really sweet, too. They'd been married for over fifty-years and had lived in Shady Oaks their entire lives.
After parking my Explorer on the street, I made my way inside the coffee shop's glass doors. A bell chimed, announcing my entrance.
Mrs. Allan smiled when she spotted me. Her white hair had been curled and fell neatly on her broad shoulders. Her pink cheeks were plump. I watched as she wiped her hands on an apron tied around her waist.
"Elle," she rang out as she rushed around the corner to hug me.
I took in her sweet aroma of coffee beans and vanilla as I hugged her back. Mrs. Allan was like the town grandma. Everyone loved her and treated her with the greatest respect.
"Hi, Mrs. Allan," I said, after she'd let me go. "My mom said you wanted to talk to me," I said.
"Yes, she called after you left for West Virginia. I have to say, I hated to lose you this past summer, but I was so happy to hear you'd volunteered to take care of your sickly grandmother," she said with a soft smile.
I forced a smile and gritted my teeth. My mom had lied to Mrs. Allan! Of course, she had. I didn't understand why, but it wasn't the time to argue or get into my family drama.
"Yes, well, I really missed being here," I said honestly. "I'd love to work...if you have an opening."
"Of course. I'll add you to the schedule. Can you start next Monday?" she asked.
"Yes. I'll be here after practice," I said.
We talked for a few more minutes, and I gave her my school and cross-country schedule. After I'd left, I called Melanie to tell her about my job. I also texted Maddox, but he never responded.
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