Shapes of Autumn (Boxed set, books 1 - 5)

by Veronica Blade

  I walked toward the table, the smell of rotting food assaulting my nostrils. “You and Zack are working on your science project together, right?” She nodded and I went on. “Just a heads-up, I don’t think he’s looking for a relationship.”

  “Maybe I’m not either.”

  “You might change your mind.” I shrugged, unable to believe how little hesitation Gina showed over dating a friend’s ex-boyfriend. You just didn’t do that. “The longer you hold out, the longer you get to keep him.”

  Geez, Autumn, you’re making me sound like a dog who’s only out for one thing, Zack pushed into my mind.

  Are you really worried about your rep as far as Gina’s concerned? Please. Now stop eavesdropping and go away. You’re distracting me, I told him, then I refocused on Gina who looked like she was mulling over her options.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Gina said. “We have a science project together. Once it’s over, so are we. I’m not sure if I’m interested in him anyway.”

  Liar, liar, pants on fire. I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.” Yeah, I wanted to gain her trust which would involve a little bit of sucking up, but some things I couldn’t let pass me by.

  She ignored my comment and picked up her sandwich. “So you guys hate each other now, huh?”

  “I don’t feel anything at all, one way or the other.”

  She swallowed her food and eyed me under her lashes. “So you wouldn’t care if I dated him.”

  The girl lacked decency and consideration of others. But if I objected, she’d think I liked him. If I acted too anxious to please, she’d suspect something. I raised a brow. “Since when do you care how I feel about you hooking up with my boyfriend or ex-boyfriend?”

  “From what I hear, you’re no longer the Virgin Princess.” Gina was smooth, but not smooth enough to fool me. She was changing the subject — and fishing while she was at it.

  “Just be careful,” I warned.

  “How could you be friends with her again?” Maya asked so loud that a hush fell over the cafeteria. “She slept with your boyfriend, Autumn, while you were still with him! There’s not much lower for her to go, yet you’re still speaking to her. Have you gone insane?”

  I hadn’t expected her to make that much of a scene. But it might work in my favor if Gina sees me defend her honor. “Maya,” I hissed. “I think Gina has learned from her mistake. Forgive and forget.”

  “That is exactly what I thought when she slept with my boyfriend last year!” Maya said even louder.

  “Maya!” I didn’t have to pretend to be shocked — I truly was. We’d arranged for her to come over but she hadn’t said anything about involving the entire student body.

  “It’s not my fault he preferred me over you.” Gina skillfully combined a smirk with an eye roll. “Really, you’re to blame for being so boring.”

  “Whore.” Maya glared at her. “You work so hard to get these guys and you can’t keep them.”

  “Why would I want to?” Gina shook her head, picked up her tray and rose. “It stinks at this table. I’m going to sit with Natalie.”

  Thankfully, Gina didn’t try to lure me along. I’d had as much of her as I could take anyway.

  Maya grinned, sitting down with her back to Gina’s retreating figure. “That was so awesome.”

  I suppressed a laugh while I struggled to keep a straight face. “It was beautiful,” I whispered. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “Gina’s right though. It stinks at this table. You should come with me. If you sit far enough away from Zack, you can still pretend to be enemies.”

  “It’s fine. Go eat with your boyfriend. I can find someone else to sit with,” I said.

  “See you after school then.” She gave me a wink and left.

  Making my way to John and Janine’s table, I heard someone call my name. My eyes whipped around to see Cameron waving me over to his table crowded with jocks and cheerleaders. I headed their way, tray in hand.

  “Hey, what’s up?” I asked.

  “Sit down.” Cameron waved a hand at a tiny space across from him.

  A couple of the girls scooted over, making room for me — which gave me a perfect view of Zack several tables away.

  “I’m in love with Maya now,” Cameron said. “Too bad she’s got a boyfriend.”

  Don’t forget you have a boyfriend, Zack slipped into my head.

  “She’s our new idol,” the girl next to me said. “Anyone who’d nail Gina on her bull like that is worship-worthy.”

  Cameron and his friends exchanged horror stories about Gina while I finished my lunch.

  If you’re not careful, I’ll think you’re jealous, I told Zack.

  “He seems like an okay guy,” Cameron said, jerking his head toward Zack.

  “I guess so.” I lifted one shoulder, my eyes compulsively darting to Zack who was busy chatting it up with Gina. Wasn’t she the social butterfly flitting from table to table? “I never minded except he doesn’t bother discouraging other girls. Just like Daniel.”

  Cameron looked over at Zack again. “I’d discourage them for someone like you.” He watched me as if gauging my reaction.

  Uh-oh. Cameron was no longer being subtle. This could get awkward.

  I glanced at our table mates who weren’t paying any attention to us. No one to rescue me. “Um…” I gulped the last sip of my drink as the bell rang.

  “Better get to class.” He smiled and grabbed his tray.

  “Yeah, see you later,” I said, returning his smile.

  As I walked to fifth period, Zack kept his pace a couple yards ahead of me.

  Did you make another date with him? Firm up your plans for the weekend maybe? he asked. Of course he’d sense I was close behind him.

  I ignored Zack’s stupid comment, which seemed even stupider considering I had plans with him this entire weekend. Shadowing him into our next class, I took my seat by him.

  Well?

  No. But you have a date tonight with Gina. I pretended to flip through papers looking for my completed homework.

  That’s different and you know it.

  Zack, can you please try to be mature about this? Your weirdness over Cameron is exhausting. He isn’t a vulture like Gina. If anyone should be jealous, it’s me.

  But you’re not jealous, he said. Which is exactly my point. Cameron isn’t anything like Gina. He’s a decent guy.

  Is that what bothered Zack? That I hadn’t put up much resistance with Gina? Zack and I both knew he wouldn’t stoop that low. But Cameron… he was super cute, sweet and confident. He wasn’t fake or manipulative. And he clearly liked me…

  Zack. I’m not interested in him that way. Okay?

  The bell rang, saving me. Zack didn’t try talking to me again and when the bell went off at the end of class, I wondered if he was angry. I hated this roller coaster ride.

  Zack spoke the truth when he said it would be easier if we weren’t together. Unfortunately, that didn’t make me love him less. I didn’t want easier if it meant being without him.

  My next class was with Mr. Collins and time was running out. What if Zack couldn’t get the information tonight? Our last chance would be tomorrow before we left town, but what if we failed then too?

  When the bell rang at the end of last period, the room emptied. As I approached the teacher’s desk, he raised his brows.

  “I don’t have anything yet, but I do have a lead.”

  He sighed, shaking his head. “A lead isn’t proof.”

  “Well, neither is a goofed up test. I could’ve gotten all those questions right and you know it. Being distracted that day is not a motive to throw in the towel and risk everything I’ve worked so hard for. Besides, aren’t I innocent until proven guilty?” I watched the scowl slowly disappear as he mulled over my words. “Please, Mr. Collins, would you extend it until Wednesday? Just two extra days. And I swear I won’t ask again. Please?”

  He threw his hands up in the air. “Fine. Wednesday.”

  “
Thank you.” I smiled and departed before he could change his mind. Passing through the double doors of the building, I saw Zack climbing into the Jeep with Maya and Trevor. She spotted me and waved.

  “Autumn,” Cameron said from behind me.

  I spun around. “Oh, hey.”

  This guy’s getting annoying. Are you going to dump him or not? Zack asked, his car slipping through the parking lot gate.

  I can’t dump him if he was never mine in the first place, I answered.

  “A bunch of us are going to Bill’s right now. Want to meet us there?”

  Doing my homework wouldn’t take long then I’d have nothing to do but stew over Zack and Gina’s impending date. An idle mind could be a dangerous thing. I glanced up to see the Jeep long gone. Too far away now to hear my reply. “Sure. See you in a bit.”

  † † †

  I sipped my coffee, my thoughts wandering. I had a bad feeling about tonight. Gina would do everything possible to hook up with Zack. Images of her plastered all over him haunted my mind. How would Zack handle her if she jumped him?

  Cameron and his friends were okay, but it didn’t feel right hanging out with them when they didn’t have my full attention. I was too distracted to enjoy myself anyway.

  “This was fun, but I’d better head out now,” I told Cameron, standing up. “I don’t want my parents to come home to a dirty house. They’ll be annoyed and think I need a babysitter.”

  He stood too. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

  “’Bye,” I said generically to everyone at the table.

  Just before we got to my car, I hit the clicker so I wouldn’t be delayed getting inside it once we got there. The less time Cameron had to corner me, the better. But when I reached for the handle, he leaned his hip into the driver’s side door, effectively blocking my escape. Damn.

  “So you can’t hang out all weekend, huh?” He smiled — the kind of smile a guy gives a girl when he walks her to the door at the end of a date — just before he kisses her good night.

  I backed up just a hair. “Not at all. But I’ll be back at school on Monday.”

  He reached a hand to my shoulder. I watched him take a lock of my hair and rub it between his fingers. When I raised my chin to look at him again, his lips ambushed mine. Stunned, I didn’t react or make any move to stop him. He took that as willingness on my part and his mouth opened, compelling me to give way. His tongue met mine as he pressed the palm of his hand to the back of my neck, drawing me closer.

  Finding myself squeezed between his hard body and my car door, I raised my hands to push him away. But he’d already pulled back.

  “I’m… really…” My mind was mush from shock. I wasn’t sure if I was more surprised that he’d had the guts to kiss me or that my body had reacted so quickly. A little tingle was still circulating through my veins. Cameron knew how to kiss.

  “Beautiful,” he finished my sentence.

  “Cameron, I… I can’t do this.”

  “Why not?” He dropped his arms and stepped back, his mouth turned down, eyes wide like a lost puppy.

  “Emotionally, I’m just… not available.”

  “Oh.” His brows furrowed and his lips formed a thin line. “Still stuck on Zack, huh?”

  “No. But, well, I dated Daniel and then him, back to back. You’re really nice, but I can’t go there again yet. It hasn’t even been a week and I’m still raw.”

  The light came back into his eyes, but I wasn’t sure that was such a good thing. “I understand. Then I’ll wait.”

  That wouldn’t do at all. Cameron couldn’t hang around — in the end, he’d be even more hurt. How could I get out of this? If he thought I was stuck on Zack, would Cameron give up on me? Except, I really didn’t want people to think I still liked Zack. How humiliating. Since I couldn’t think of another way out of it, I had no choice.

  “Look, I really liked Zack. A lot. I’m not, like, all gooey over him and wanting him back or anything, but it’s hard to get over how perfect I thought he was for me. I’m not instantly going to get over something like that and magically stop missing what we had.”

  “But if he was cheating on you, then what you had was a lie,” he said. “He’s not who you thought he was.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I still miss it — I miss it with Zack.” Cameron looked like he was about to object so I rushed on. “Do you really want to get with a girl who’s on the rebound? You don’t want to win by default, do you? You deserve better than that.”

  “Yeah, but I like you.” He looked down, seeming to study the asphalt. “I guess I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

  “Thanks for the coffee.” I made sure he left before I jumped in my car, not wanting to appear too anxious. I’d already put him off — no point in making it obvious how eager I was to get away.

  On the way home, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Had Cameron liked me all year, but been too shy to do anything about it? If he’d gotten to me before Daniel and Zack, would we still be together now?

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Once I’d finished my homework, I made myself something to eat and tried not to think about Zack and Gina. They would be meeting shortly.

  At Zack’s house.

  Probably in his bedroom.

  I’d encouraged my boyfriend to be alone with a piranha. How stupid could a girl get? But I still had no leads to save me from the cheating fiasco and Zack was my only hope.

  Would getting proof that I didn’t cheat — if he was able to do it — be worth risking my relationship with Zack?

  Hey, just got off work. What are you doing? he asked.

  Nothing. Just killing time. We’re still getting together later tonight, right? After your meeting with Gina?

  Yeah, when that’s done, I’ll come over and get you.

  Great.

  After cleaning up the kitchen and straightening up a little around the house, I couldn’t take it anymore. If I went to Zack’s house to spy, would he sense my presence? If I hid far enough away… probably not. It’s not as though I didn’t have perfect vision at almost any distance. So long as his drapes weren’t closed, I could keep an eye on them. I’d probably be able to hear every word.

  I checked my watch. Gina was due to arrive in ten minutes. Snatching my house key, I slipped out the back and zipped over to Zack’s. I snuck into their yard, being careful not to get too close to the house. In the far corner, I crouched next to some hedges, my eyes quickly locating Zack’s room.

  Not only were the curtains open, but his window was all the way up. Perfect.

  God, what was I doing? Spying felt dishonest. But my being there had zero to do with doubting Zack. Gina was the one I didn’t trust. And if she confessed to any part of framing me, I wanted to hear for myself.

  A few minutes later, I heard a car pull up, then a car door open and close from just beyond the house. Moments later, a knock sounded on the front door and Cara answered it.

  “Hello, Gina.” I could almost hear the frost in Cara’s voice. I wanted to hug her.

  “Hi.” Gina actually sounded genuine, which was shocking. “Is Zack here?”

  I heard Patrick and Brian bickering, but tuned them out just in time for footsteps on the wood floors, then Zack’s voice. “Hey Gina. Let’s go to my room. Everything’s already set up.”

  Careful to make sure I was concealed by the bushes, I stepped back until my shoulders touched the fence and I stretched taller to get a peek at Gina. Great. I was a Peeping Tom.

  But I reminded myself that if she hadn’t set me up, I wouldn’t be there at all.

  My mouth dropped open when I got a good look at Gina’s clothes. She wore a barely-there tank top and tight, low-slung jeans. Her face was all made up and her platinum-streaked hair immaculate. Yep, she was totally ready to hook up with Zack. My Zack.

  Clenching my jaw, I resisted the urge to climb through his window and tell her to get the hell out.

  Zack appeared to be all business, though, and she
seemed to go along with it. I hated that I was grateful they were keeping it to business, but at the same time, I needed Zack to get friendly so she’d let her guard down.

  As the minutes passed, Gina moved closer to him. I understood why Zack didn’t inch away, but their proximity grated on my nerves anyway. I couldn’t wait until tonight was over. I knew I should go home, but couldn’t make myself just yet. Besides, no matter what I busied myself with at home, I’d worry and wonder what Zack and Gina were doing.

  Yep, I should add stalker to my resume, too.

  I lowered to the ground and leaned against the fence. Rolling my shoulders to relieve the tension, I listened to them as I gazed up at the stars.

  It was eight thirty when I checked the time on my cell. By then, I lay on the grass with my hands behind my head.

  “So what’s the deal with you and Autumn?” Gina asked. “She had some nasty things to say about you.”

  I bolted upright.

  Zack grunted. “Doesn’t surprise me. She’s not who I thought she was.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  “Did you see her slap me yesterday?” Zack sounded genuinely pissed off about it and I wondered if it had bothered him more than he’d let on.

  “Yeah,” Gina replied, sympathy in her voice. “That’s so messed up. What was that all about?”

  “I still have no idea. Guys aren’t mind readers, but apparently I’m supposed to be the exception to that.” Zack scoffed. “Whatever.”

  “In a lot of ways we’re alike, Zack. I took Autumn on as a friend since she was new at school and I’ve been putting up with her attitude since that first day. You have no idea what a chore that’s been.”

  “You hung out with her today at lunch,” he pointed out, making me want to cheer at his logic.

  “I did it for the same reason we were friends. I’m a nice person and I felt sorry for her. She lost Daniel and me, then you.”

  “I don’t feel sorry for her. She’s the one who alienated us, right? Sorry I gave you such a hard time a couple weeks ago. If I’d known the real Autumn back then, I wouldn’t have believed everything she said.”