Wicked Beginnings

by L A Cotton

  I turned back to Devon. “Hopefully my dad will hear from the agent soon and we'll be moving into our own place.” That day couldn't come quick enough. Not that I relished the thought of being completely alone while Dad worked and did whatever else he did these days. Things I didn't even want to think about. Things I so far refused to let him tell me about. But I didn’t constantly want to worry about bumping into Maverick or having Macey try to kill me in my sleep.

  He leaned back casually against the table, but his eyes remained on me. I knew that look. I'd seen it before with my ex, Chris.

  “What?” I lowered my eyes playfully.

  Devon smirked. “Just thinking.”

  “About?”

  His intimate gaze swept over my face and down my body. When his eyes landed on my face again his smirk tugged into a grin. “I have to get to class.” He stood up. “I'll see you later though, Lo.”

  As he walked away, I realised it wasn't a question.

  ~

  “So...” Kyle was waiting for me when I slid into my chair in History. “Where did you disappear to yesterday?”

  He'd waited until now to ask me, probably because Summer rode to school with us, and I got the impression the elder Stone-Prince children liked to keep her in the dark about a lot of things.

  “Nowhere.” I kept my eyes upfront.

  “Funny story. You ran out on us and ten seconds later, Maverick disappeared. Coincidence?”

  I shrugged. “Must have been. I went for a run.”

  He leaned in closer, practically hanging off his chair. “A run? And how was that?”

  “Good. It was good.” My gaze slid to his, and his eyes danced with amusement.

  “You two are almost as bad as each other. He’s got his hands full with you, that’s for sure.”

  “Kyle,” I hissed low. “Nothing is going on with me and Maverick. Don’t start spreading that shit, okay?”

  He held up his hands. “Me? As if I would.” After a second of silence he added, “So really, where’d the two of you go?”

  With a shake of my head, I turned back to the front of class. Kyle was like a dog with a bone, and I knew he wouldn’t let it drop until he knew something. But it wasn’t my place to say anything. It was Maverick’s business. I hadn’t asked him to take me there.

  And I wished he hadn’t.

  I’d hardly slept, unwanted images swirling in my head. Elliot in the middle of jeering spectators, getting the crap beaten out of him. Blood. Sweat. My tears. It all meshed together until the images became something else—something I never wanted to see again.

  My eyes squeezed shut, forcing the memories out.

  “You okay?”

  Crap. I’d forgotten all about Kyle sitting beside me. I gripped the edge of the desk and nodded. I felt him staring, wondering.

  “Cous…”

  “Kyle…”

  He smirked and relief swept through me. I didn’t want to have the conversation here, in the middle of History.

  “I’m good,” I added, hoping he’d drop it but then his voice floated over to me.

  “Maybe you should go on another run.”

  Bastard. He definitely wasn’t going to let this drop.

  The teacher kept us busy for most of the class, so I was able to avoid anymore of Kyle’s questions. When the bell finally rang, I rushed out of the room with him yelling, “You can’t avoid me forever.”

  I couldn’t, but I intended on trying my hardest. Swallowed by the crowd, I hurried to my locker hoping his next class was in the other direction. Glancing back to make sure he wasn’t following me, I didn’t see the person coming toward me.

  “Ow,” I yelped as my body collided with Macey’s. She glared at me, rubbing her shoulder.

  “Oh look, it’s Princess Lo.”

  I straightened and rolled my eyes. “Macey, it was a pleasure.” Moving around her, she grabbed my arm and said, “Stay away from Maverick, Eloise. He doesn’t need you. We don’t need you.”

  I swung back to face her. “Are you kidding me? I don’t know what your problem is, but I didn’t ask to come here.” I didn’t ask to be in the accident that took my mum and brother away from me. “And I certainly didn’t ask to move into your pool house. Stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours, deal? As for Maverick, I don’t know what you think you know, but you’re wrong.”

  My shoulder crashed against hers as I moved past her, anger seething through me. When I reached my locker, and looked back over at where Macey was, Maverick was there, leaning in close to her. He was pissed, his jaw clenched as he spoke. As if he felt me watching, his gaze snapped to mine, and he glowered. So, they were talking about me? I held his stare, lifting my chin, daring him to look away.

  He didn’t.

  Rage seeped from his every pore. I could feel it from where I stood. But it only mirrored my own.

  “Hey, how was yesterday?” Laurie’s voice pulled me from my stare down with Maverick and I turned and blinked at her.

  “Huh?”

  “You know, with the fam-a-lam? Was it as bad as you expected?”

  Worse.

  Far worse.

  I’d let myself believe maybe, just maybe, Maverick was a decent boy.

  “It was pretty bad. I found out my dad is seeing someone new.”

  Laurie’s face screwed up. “You’re kidding, right?”

  I pulled open my locker. “No joke. I didn’t stick around to hear his excuses. Mum hasn’t even been…” The words lodged in my throat and I swallowed hard. Laurie didn’t know about Mum and Elliot. I hadn’t gotten around to telling her my whole story. It wasn’t exactly a great opener to make new friends.

  “Your Mom what?”

  “Long story. I’ll tell you later. Are we doing something after school?” Please say yes. Anything to avoid the Stone-Prince house … and Dad.

  Her face lit up with mischief. “You know it.”

  That sounded … ominous. But whatever it was, I was down. I needed to keep moving forward because if I stood still I knew the reality of my life would drag me down.

  And I might never find a way back out.

  ~

  “Devon?” I frowned as he approached me. “Where’s Laurie?” Why did this feel like a set up?

  He smiled but unlike his usual confident smirk, nervous energy radiated from him. “Don’t hate me, but I kind of asked her to do something for me.”

  I swung forward and pushed with my hands, leaping off the wall. “Okay, fess up.”

  Devon bowed his head, rubbing a hand through his hair. “I, hmm, I wanted to ask you out but wasn’t sure you’d say yes so I—”

  “She set me up.” Bitch.

  His eyes slid to mine. “She did me a favor. Now you can’t back out.”

  “Who said I would back out, anyway? You didn’t even ask me, Devon.”

  “You mean, you would have said yes?” Hope sparkled in his eyes and I shrugged. “Maybe. Guess we’ll never know now, will we?”

  Taking me by surprise, Devon dropped to one knee and grinned up at me. “Eloise Stone, would you do me the pleasure of going out with me, please?”

  I reached down for his arm, yanking him. “Devon! Seriously!”

  “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

  “Okay.”

  His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. “Say what now?”

  “Okay, I’ll go out with you. But I don’t want flowers or gifts or any of that crap.” If we kept it simple—no pressure, no promises—maybe spending time with Devon would be exactly what I needed. If nothing else, it would keep Kyle and Macey off my back about Maverick.

  “For real?” He glanced around the parking lot. “This isn’t some kind of prank? Ashton Kutcher isn’t going to jump out from behind the tree and Punk’d me?”

  “Are you always so…” I searched for the right word but he beat me to it.

  “Adorable? Eager? Persistent?”

  I shook my head with laughter. “Okay, Devon Lions, show me
what you’ve got.”

  He looped his arm around my neck and drew me into his side, guiding me toward his car. “Prepare to be wowed.”

  Conversation flowed easily between us while he drove us to ‘the best damn diner in Wicked Bay’. He didn’t ask any questions I didn’t want to answer, but even if he had, Devon had a way of turning everything into a joke. He reminded me a lot of Kyle. But where my cousin was the epitome of the-boy-next-door with his all-American good looks and endless charm and wit, Devon was a lot more like my ex. He wore dark rinse jeans with a multitude of rips; and a white t-shirt underneath an unbuttoned dark shirt, sleeves rolled up at his elbows. It worked for him and, maybe in another life, before Dad decided to drag me halfway around the world, he would have been my type.

  I didn’t know whether that was a good thing or not.

  I liked him, and there was something there, but he didn’t make my skin tingle or my stomach flutter. He made me feel comfortable and at ease, and he made me laugh. And, unlike a certain brooding Prince I needed to erase from my mind, he didn’t blow hot and cold.

  Devon pulled into a small car lot and cut the engine.

  “Pattie's,” I said as I climbed out of his car. “Isn't that what you people call burgers?”

  Devon barked a laugh as he held open the door and motioned for me to go inside. The smell of grease and meat wafted in the air and my stomach growled.

  “Hungry?”

  I waited for Devon and smiled. “I could eat a small cow.”

  “Then I brought you to the right place. Come on.” He led us to a small booth. It was stereotypically American: red leather seats, Formica table tops, with a jukebox in the corner, and checkerboard floor tiles.

  “You have to get the Pattie's special with bacon and cheese fries.”

  “I thought I'd have a salad.”

  “Salad?” Devon rolled his eyes and slipped into the seat. “You can't come to a place like Pattie's and choose a salad.”

  “I'm joking, Devon. Pattie's special it is.”

  My eyes scanned the diner. It was busy, most of the booths filled with kids our age. Some I recognised from school, some I didn't.

  The doorbell chimed drawing my attention to the group entering the diner. I let out a low groan and Devon craned his head around to see what the fuss was about. “Trouble in paradise?” He turned back to face me as Macey and her friends walked right past us as if I wasn’t sitting there.

  “She's a bitch.”

  He choked on his soda as he barked out a laugh. “Say it how it is, Lo.”

  I glanced back at their group. “I don't know what her problem is. It's not like I asked to be here.”

  “Macey is...” Devon leaned across the table and looked around conspiratorially. “Well, you're right, she's a total bitch. But it isn't just you, she's like it with anyone outside of her little group.”

  I wasn't so sure about that. She'd made it more than obvious she had a personal issue with me. But I didn't want to fuel any rumours.

  The waitress arrived to take our order and Devon reeled off what we wanted. The more I looked at him, the more I realised just how cute he was.

  “What?” He said, noticing I was staring at him.

  “Nothing.” I shook my head trying my best to look innocent. He was into me, I didn't need Laurie or Autumn or Kyle to confirm that, but did I want to go there? So soon after arriving in Wicked Bay?

  I didn’t want to think about that. Not right now. It was early days and Devon had been nothing but nice to me. I needed friends. I needed people in my corner, and he seemed like a good choice.

  “You sure you’re okay?” Devon’s eyes searched mine, and I nodded, flashing him a reassuring smile.

  I was just a girl eating burgers with a boy. It was normal.

  Comfortable.

  It was nice.

  “So, is it true?” Kyle shouldered me with a knowing grin.

  “Is what true?”

  “You and Lions? I heard Macey telling Rick she saw you guys.”

  Of course, he did.

  I shrugged, slamming my locker a little harder than intended, and hitched my bag further up my shoulder. “I guess. We went to Pattie's and had burgers.”

  “And was this burger eating a date?”

  “Does it matter?” I levelled him with a glare, and he held up his hands in defence, a hint of amusement shining in his eyes. “No. I'm just surprised is all.”

  “Do I even want to know?”

  Slinging his arm over my shoulder he guided me toward class. “Nope. It's cool. As long as he treats you right, I'm good with it.”

  “I don't need your permission, Kyle.” I snapped. He wasn’t my brother. He didn’t get to tell me who I could or couldn’t date.

  “True, but I'm giving it, anyway.”

  I glared at him. He was completely incorrigible. But then he flashed me his roguish grin and some of my irritation melted away. He made it almost impossible to stay mad with him.

  “Well, thanks, I guess. It's not like it's anything serious. I like him. He's...” Safe, but the word, “Nice,” rolled off my tongue.

  “Nice, riiiight,” he drawled in my ear.

  “What's wrong with nice?” I shirked him off as we reached the classroom.

  “Nothing, nothing at all.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “Nice is warm and cozy and safe. But it doesn't make your heart beat faster or get your blood pumping in other places.” His eyebrows arched mischievously as I barged past him, muttering the word, “Pig” as I went.

  But damn, he wasn't wrong.

  ~

  Morning classes passed without any drama. Kyle didn’t bring up Devon or Maverick again. But when I spotted Laurie waiting for me at lunch, I prepared myself for round two of the Devon-interrogation. She didn't even let me reach my locker before she said, “So...”

  “So, what?” I played dumb.

  “Oh, come on, Lo. Devon's been walking around like the cat who got the cream.” She leaned into me. “Did you guys hook up?”

  I reared back, my eyes wide. “Why, did he say that?” Because if he had…

  “No, God no, he won't say anything, but I heard you guys went to Pattie's.”

  “For burgers, Laurie. Burgers. Did I miss the memo? Is Pattie’s a front for some kind of dirty sex club?”

  Laurie stifled a laugh. “My bad, I just thought...” she trailed off, giving me a sheepish smile.

  “Well, you thought wrong. Is that what you hoped would happen when you set me up?” I gave her a pointed look, and she pouted.

  “Oh, come on.” She nudged me with her elbow. “You like him, I know you do.”

  “He's... nice.” Ugh. There was that word again.

  Every time I thought about it, all I could think of were Kyle’s words earlier. But nice was safe. It was dependable.

  Nice wouldn’t leave me breathless and confused on a beach wondering what I did wrong.

  “He's more than nice, Lo. He’s got this whole indie sex god thing going on.”

  I choked on the breath I inhaled. “Indie sex god? That's one way of thinking about it.”

  “One way of thinking about what?” Devon appeared behind Laurie and she gave me her 'see what I mean' eyes.

  “Lo was just telling me about your date.”

  His gaze caught mine, and I didn't miss the way his smile grew wider. “Oh, she was, was she?”

  “Yes, she was.”

  I flashed Laurie an irritated look and said, “And now she’s going to get lunch.”

  Their laughter followed me as I stomped my way toward the cafeteria.

  ~

  I didn’t catch a ride home with Kyle and Summer. I wanted to clear my head, and it was a nice day, the sun high in crystal blue skies. It was a world away from my life in England. I went through the main house. There was gated access to the garden, and Gentry had given us the code, but I wanted food, and our small kitchenette wasn’t well-stocked. I suspected it was my Uncle and Rebecca’s way of getting us
into the house more.

  “Ahh, Miss Lo, good day?” Loretta beamed at me as she went about wiping down the kitchen counters.

  “It was okay.” Once Laurie and Kyle got off my back about Devon. I helped myself to an apple and hopped onto one of the stools. Barely a minute passed before Kyle bounded into the room with his arms thrown wide.

  “Ahhh Mama L, give me some sugar.”

  Loretta let out a hearty laugh as she hit him with the towel in her hand. “Kyle Stone, boy, keep your hands to yourself.”

  He dodged the towel and managed to wrap her into a bear hug before dropping a kiss to her head. “What's cooking? I'm starving.”

  She batted his hand again as he tried to intercept the spoon. “Out, it is no ready.”

  Kyle gave up and came over to the island, sliding onto the stool opposite me. “Where did you go? I waited.”

  “I texted you.”

  His eyes narrowed as if he didn’t buy my excuse about wanting to get some fresh air. But he didn’t press. “So, what are we doing tonight?”

  “We?” I took a bite of apple.

  “Yeah, I figure it's time we did a little family bonding. Stone to Stone.”

  “Don't you have football practice or a hot date or something?” Anything.

  “Laurie is still freezing me out and JB is making us run plays tomorrow before school. So tonight, Cous, I am a free agent.”

  “Lucky for me,” I grumbled under my breath as I faceplanted the counter.

  “Ouch,” Kyle protested. “That burns, Cous, burns.”

  “Okay.” I peeked up through my lashes. “Fine, you win. I'm all yours. Just go easy on me.”

  Kyle fist-pumped the air with a grin. “Hells yeah. You ain't seen nothing yet, baby.”

  Oh, Jesus, what had I let myself in for?

  Once we had eaten, Kyle told me to meet him at the Jeep in an hour. I went back to the pool house to make a start on my homework. When I was changed, I cut back across the patio. My phone rang, and I sighed when I saw Dad flash across the screen. My finger hovered. Did I really want to hear more of his lame excuses? Hear how he'd already moved on?

  I hadn't spoken to him since running from the house on Sunday. When I finally dragged myself out of bed this morning and yesterday, he had already left for work.