Dancing With A Stranger (Londyn Carter Book 1)

by A. L. Martin

  “Will your girlfriend get upset that you are here with me and Gavin instead of out with Skyler?” I asked reaching for my iced latte.

  “Um. Probably not. We broke up a few days ago.”

  “Oh. I’m sorry, Hunter.”

  “It’s okay. It was mutual. Are you doing okay?”

  “As crazy as it sounds, I’m okay. I didn’t expect to be okay. Does that sound strange?”

  “Honestly, it makes perfect sense.” He lowered his head, turning it slightly toward me, smiling.

  Chapter 7

  The next morning I woke up before anyone else in the house. The minute I opened my eyes, Hunter came to mind. Him and his gorgeous grey eyes. What if Jayde was right about associating with people who don’t belong in the world we are accustomed to? I slid out of bed without waking up Sam or Jayde. Jayde ended up spending the night too, because we ended up getting home later than anticipated. I didn’t want Gavin driving home late, so he let his parents know he was staying the night here. He slept on the couch, so I even had to be quiet once I got downstairs. I looked into the living room to make sure I didn’t wake Gavin when I slipped on the last stair. He was stretched out on the couch with the blanket curled up around his neck. I slowly turned back around and started tiptoeing to the kitchen. I looked in the refrigerator for something for breakfast to feed all of us. There wasn’t enough eggs for everyone, and we had pancakes yesterday morning. Then again, they would probably sleep until lunch time since we got home so late.

  I leaned up against the counter, crossing my arms and facing the doorway. I stood there for a few minutes, not moving at all, thinking about Hunter. I knew my dad would never approve of me being with someone like him. I didn’t know why I was worried about what Dad thought of Hunter. We weren’t even dating. I got the coffee bar going so I could make myself an iced caramel latte while everyone continued to sleep. I sat at the table with my phone while I sipped on my drink. I flipped through pictures of me and Lucas together, and before I could stop myself, I started deleting them from my phone. I kept a few from our junior prom and a few other from dances. The other ones I deleted without feeling bad about getting rid of them.

  ****

  We were all ready to leave and go out to eat when Sam’s dad called, wanting her to come home right away so they could spend family time together. I loved Sam, but her dad was getting on my nerves about spending time with family all the time. It was just the four of us now, so Mom decided to go to the store and get something for Sunday dinner. She decided on spaghetti and meatballs, salad, and garlic bread. She knew Gavin loved spaghetti and meatballs. Sometimes I think she liked him more than me, even though I knew that wasn’t true.

  Jules went with Mom to the store while Gavin and I looked for a movie on the TV, but of course, there was nothing that interested us. We sat down in front of the movie towers and scanned the numerous movies for something we hadn’t seen in a while.

  “Are you okay, Londyn? You know you can talk to me,” Gavin said, leaning into my shoulder.

  “Yeah. I guess I feel guilty for not being more upset than I am about me and Lucas. Does that make me a bitch?”

  “No, that doesn’t make you a bitch. I think deep down you’ve known for a while, and you just needed something like last night to open your eyes fully. Does that make any sense?”

  “It makes perfect sense. Thanks, Gavin.” I reached over and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. I started to lean away from him when the doorbell rang, causing me to lose my balance. Gavin grabbed a hold of my arm to keep me from falling backwards onto the floor. He told me to stay put and he would go see who was at the door. I knew he wouldn’t let Lucas in the house if it happened to be him.

  I didn’t hear anything except for the door closing. I turned around to ask him if it had been Lucas at the door, to find Hunter standing there. He had on tight blue jeans, a maroon t-shirt, and black Converse.

  “I hope you don’t mine me coming by without asking first. I wanted to make sure you were doing okay today.” He smiled, taking a couple of steps into the living room.

  “No. It’s fine. I’m doing okay. Thank you for coming over to check on me.”

  “Well, I better get going. I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay.”

  Hunter went to leave and was met by Mom and Jules coming through the front door, their hands were full of plastic bags. Mom stopped dead, staring at Hunter, then over at me. “Hi. I’m Londyn’s mom, Elizabeth, and this is her sister Julie.”

  “Hi. Nice to meet you both. I’m Hunter Brooks. I came by to make sure Londyn was okay after what happened last night. I better get going. Again, nice to meet you.”

  “What? What happened last night?” Mom asked, taking turns looking at all three of us.

  Gavin stepped in and started to tell Mom what happened between me and Lucas so I wouldn’t have to deal with explaining it to her. I lowered my head, looking down at the beige, burgundy, and dark brown area rug that covered over half of the living room floor. I could feel her stare on me from across the room. I lifted my head slightly to see her shifting her eyes from me to Hunter. I knew the questions were going to start any minute, but they wouldn’t be anything like I was going to face at Dad’s house.

  “Londyn, are you okay?” Mom asked, lowering the groceries down to the floor.

  “Yes. I’m fine.”

  “Mom leaned back, raising her eyebrows like she had numerous times when she was trying to tell if I was lying or not. “Londyn? I know you better than that.”

  “Mom, I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me. I had a feeling something wasn’t right, but I kept denying the fact, like Gavin was telling me right before you got home.”

  “Hunter, thank you for making sure they all got home last night. I was just getting ready to start a late lunch, early dinner. Would you like to stay and eat with us?” Mom said, walking back over to pick up the groceries she sat on the floor.

  “It it’s okay with Londyn,” he said, looking over at me and smiling.

  I had three pairs of eyes on me from across the living room, waiting for an answer. “I don’t mind if you stay for dinner.”

  Hunter grabbed some of the bags from Mom and proceeded to follow her to the kitchen. Gavin slowly moved his head as Hunter walked past, and once he was out of sight, turned back toward me with a thumbs up.

  “What?” I questioned.

  Gavin took a few steps closer to me so I would be able to hear him softly whisper. “You know. He’s fine. I’m talking really fine. Like I told you, too bad he’s taken because I would so try and change him.”

  “He’s not taken.”

  “Please. He’s taken and he doesn’t even know it yet. I have a strong feeling he thinks he’s taken. You just don’t want to admit it to yourself or anyone else.” He turned giving me a slight closed-lipped smile with his right eyebrow raised.

  “I do not want him. Will you stop saying that?” I snapped through gritted teeth.

  “See, you are in denial.” He turned and was on his way to the kitchen before I could say anything. He knew I wouldn’t dare follow him in there to continue our discussion in front of Mom and Hunter.

  I stayed behind in the living room by myself for a few minutes, looking around the room and trying to figure out what had just happened. I flung the movie in my hand over on the couch, letting out a huge sigh, and walked into the kitchen to join everyone else.

  By the time I go to the kitchen, the groceries were put away and Mom had already started cooking our early Sunday dinner. Gavin, Hunter, and I each asked Mom numerous time if she needed any help with cooking. She told us she had it under control and that we could go watch a movie in the living room. We all looked at each other, then proceeded out the kitchen doorway in single file out to the living room.

  “What kind of movies do you like, Hunter?” Gavin asked, walking over toward the movie towers.

  “I like most anything, to be honest. Besides, ladies usually pick the movie,” he
smiled, sitting down on the loveseat.

  “Well, Hunter, I hope you like sappy chick flicks, because that is pretty much the only think she watches.” Gavin rolled his eyes.

  “Oh! Don’t you even say anything. You are worse than me sometimes. Just for that, we are going to watch a super sappy chick flick,” I said, putting the disc into the Blu Ray player. I turned around just in time to see Gavin leaping with his arms stretched out on each side of him, flying through the air in what looked like a swan dive onto the couch. He hit the couch so hard, he had to grab a hold of the back of the cushions to keep from bouncing into the floor. I hunched over in laughter, almost falling to the floor myself. I managed to stop laughing long enough to ask Hunter what he thought of Gavin’s spectacular dive. Hunter, in deep laughter himself, held up each hand, giving him a score of 10.

  Hunter scooted over on the loveseat to give me enough room to sit to where it didn’t feel like I was sitting in his lap. When I sat down next to him, I sighed, trying to catch my breath from laughing so hard at Gavin. I found myself holding my breath for a few minutes to keep from breathing in Hunter’s incredible smelling cologne. It was one I hadn’t recognized before, but it smelled so good. Most of the guys around school pretty much wore close to the same cologne and this was definitely not the one I had grown accustomed to smelling for the past four years at school.

  “Thank you for coming over to check on me, Hunter,” I said, tucking a piece of hair behind my right ear.

  “You’re welcome. You seemed pretty upset last night. You had every right to be.”

  We went back to watching the movie. I turned to say something to him and found that I was closer to him than I was when we started watching it. He was in the same place he had been since he sat down, but I realized I was leaning in closer to him. He didn’t seem to mind though, or at least, I hope he didn’t mind but was too nice to say something to me about it. I happened to glance over at Gavin, who was laying on the couch, stealing glances over at us every few seconds, then turning back toward the movie with a smirk on his face.

  “Well, I think I’m going to go see if your Mom needs any help finishing up dinner,” Gavin said, easing up off the couch. Once he was up, he was around the corner and in the kitchen before I could ask if he wanted me to go with him.

  “Where do you go to high school, Hunter?” I asked, still looking toward the direction of the kitchen.

  “Um…Well, I go to Central,” he sighed, lowering his head.

  “Oh…” I said, looking back toward the movie. I didn’t know what else to say to him. I knew that school wasn’t anything like the high school I went to, but it wasn’t exactly horrible either. None of my friends would associate with kids from there. They would pass judgment before trying to get to know them.

  “Does it bother you that I go to Central?” Hunter asked.

  “No. Why should it bother me?”

  “I know what comes to people’s minds when I tell them I go to Central. They immediately think I’m a bad kids and up to no good. A lot of kids that go there do in fact cause trouble, making it harder on the rest of us that try to stay out of trouble.”

  We went back to watching the movie in uncomfortable silence. I would have never thought he went to Central, and maybe that was a good thing. He was probably right about people assuming things before they knew the facts.

  “I know it’s too soon, but when you feel like it, I would like to take you out to dinner and a movie. Whenever you are ready to go out. I don’t want you to feel rushed or anything like that.”

  “Okay. Are you free next Friday after school?” I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye.

  “I don’t think you understood what I said, Londyn. I don’t want you to feel rushed or anything like that. Take your time.”

  “I know exactly what you said. And I’m asking if you are free after school Friday. Unless you don’t want to go out with me Friday night?”

  “Friday is great. Where do you want to go?”

  “Wherever you want to go.” I smiled.

  Hunter left about an hour after dinner, which left time for me to talk to Gavin before he had to go home. We went up to my room while Mom and Jules watched a movie. I opened the door to my room, realizing I didn’t grab anything to drink. I asked Gavin if he wanted anything since I was going back downstairs to the kitchen. I tiptoed down the stairs and to the kitchen. I eased the refrigerator door open, grabbing the pitcher of sweet tea, praying Mom would hear me in here.

  “He seems like a really nice guy, Londyn,” Mom said, walking into the kitchen.

  I juggled the glass in my hands to keep it from crashing to the floor. “Mom! You scared the crap out of me!”

  “Sorry. I thought you heard me. Can I talk to you for a minute, Londyn?” Mom grabbed a glass from the cabinet.

  “Gavin is waiting on me in my room.”

  “This won’t take long. Londyn, he seems like a really nice guy. Not to mention, he’s cute too. I have no problem with you liking him or wanting to see him. I just want you to be careful because you know your father will never approve of him. No matter how much you like him. I just want you to be prepared for that hell you are about to bring on yourself, and I don’t know if I will be able to help you or not.” She sighed, dabbing a tear out of the corner of her eye.

  “I know. Dad can’t tell me what to do anymore. I will be leaving for college in the fall, and I can see whoever I want.”

  “Oh, Londyn. That is where you are wrong.”

  ****

  Monday morning took forever to get here, but that was because I tossed and turned most of the night, thinking about what Mom said to me in the kitchen. I knew Dad would be unhappy at first, but he couldn’t dictate to me who I could day once I left for college. I wouldn’t be living in his house, except during holidays and summer vacations. I planned on spending a lot more time here at Mom’s house. I slid my feet off my bed, letting them flop onto my area rug as I gave myself a pep talk about how I needed to get up and get ready for school. I knew the kind of day I was going to have, and I wasn’t in any hurry to get that day going. After a few more minutes of sitting there, I forced myself up out of bed and into the bathroom before Jules took residency in it. After my short shower, I stood there looking in the steam ridden mirror, which couldn’t mask the dark circles there were like flashing lights under my eyes, screaming “Look at me!”

  I grabbed a pair of ripped jeans, white Converse, and a peach oversized, batwing, short-sleeved shirt. I didn’t feel like dressing up today, and Jayde would be more than willing to point out my outfit choice was horrendous. I threw my hair up into a messy bun, pulling strands of hair loose to hand around my face. I kept my makeup light and natural.

  By the time I got down to the kitchen, Mom was finishing up breakfast so she could sit and eat with us before she had to leave for work. Mom didn’t have to work with the money she got in the divorce settlement, but she got bored with staying in the house by herself during the weeks we weren’t with her. She got lucky, finding a part-time job at one of the local clothing boutiques. She seemed to love it there, and they worked with her on hours when she had us for the week.

  “I take it you didn’t sleep good last night?” Mom asked, placing a plate of French toast and bacon in front of me at the table.

  “I know I look bad.” I sighed, getting up to get a glass of orange juice.

  “You don’t look bad at all. I can see it in your eyes. You have the same look that you had when you were little and tired. Your eyes aren’t as bright.”

  “Good morning!” Jules said, practically bouncing with joy as she walked into the kitchen.

  She ought to be glad Mom was in the kitchen to keep me from asking her why she was so damn cheerful. I don’t see how anyone in their right mind could be as cheerful as her this early on a Monday morning before school.

  “You are in a good mood this morning,” Mom said, placing a plate down in front of Jules.

  “Yes! I get to see Asher
today.”

  Mom stood there looking at Jules with a puzzled look on her face, then glanced over at me. I shrugged my shoulders because this was the first I had heard of him. She turned back to Jules as she sat down at the table with us.

  “I take it he’s a boy you like? You haven’t mentioned him before.” She lowered her head to where her chin was resting in the palm of her right hand.

  “He’s in most of my classes. He’s so cute! He’s got dark blonde hair and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen,” she said, smiling as she raised the glass of orange juice to her mouth.

  Mom sat there watching Jules for a few minutes before turning her attention to me. “This the first time you’ve heard about this boy?”

  I sat there looking back at Mom because I didn’t know what to say to her. Jules didn’t tell me much about the boys she liked, so I was just as surprised as she was about this guy. I knew Dad didn’t know about him, but may be that was a good thing.

  Chapter 8

  I pulled into the same area that I park in every day, and I could see Lucas’s SUV off in the distance. I let out a huge sigh as I turned off my car. I knew he was going to try and come up with some lame-ass excuse as to why he lied to me, and say that he wanted to work through this. That is where I would have to stay strong and tell him he had his chance. I didn’t want to be with him anymore.

  The minute I turned the car off, Jules leaped out and was almost to the school door by the time I got out of the car. I took my time walking across the parking lot. By the time I had reached the halfway mark, Sam yelled for me to wait up. Sam looked great today, with her hair partly braided on the left side and blended into her ponytail. She had on her favorite jeans, ankle boot, and a pink long-sleeved tunic. “I love your hair, Sam. I think you should wear it like this more often.” I smiled, opening the door for us.