“Do what?”
“Get me to tell you things I shouldn’t tell anyone.”
He took a chance. “Because you love me?”
“You know, it might be easier if that was the case. But see, Sid, that’s the problem. I’m in love with someone else.”
She hung up the phone before he could respond. Sid’s chest burned with jealousy. Who the hell could she be in love with?
He hopped off the counter and paced the kitchen. He replayed the whole afternoon in his head, searching for clues. From the moment he saw her walking on the side of the road to her spilling her guts to him as Obsidian.
He froze. That was it.
She wasn’t in love with anyone else at all.
She was in love with Obsidian. Which he knew, but he just thought she was talking about some other guy. He was so relieved.
He had to tell her.
Aspen was so in for it. She had no idea how she was going to be friends with Sid. All he had to do was a throw a little romance at her, and she would lock lips with him. She smiled at the memory and then scowled. She didn’t like him. Not really, but he was like Obsidian personified, and that made it hard for her to not like him. Until Obsidian said it, she’d never made the connection, but their personalities were similar, and Obsidian’s voice sounded just like Sid’s. She wondered how they were connected. Sid was involved with the dragons, but she didn’t know how.
If she were friends with him, maybe she could figure it out. She was trying to find the positive in all of this and wondering how Tori would take it. Nothing about this would be easy. If Aspen were to suddenly start talking to Sid, Tori would get suspicious. No, she had to take this slow. Warm up to him little by little so Tori didn’t get jealous.
She heard the front door open, and she bounded downstairs. Her mom and dad stood in the doorway looking worried.
“Everything okay?” Aspen asked.
“Yeah,” her dad answered. “But we’re not any closer to finding the animal that killed Matt and the hiker. The media is starting to make a fuss. We put a few restrictions on hiking, but that doesn’t matter because Matt was killed right off the road.”
He set his hat on the table and sank into a chair. “Where’s your car?”
“Broke down about a half a mile back.”
“How’d you get home?”
“I walked.”
Her mom gasped. “Aspen, you can’t be out walking. It’s not safe.”
“I was fine. I’m being safe. I’m only hiking in the area around our house.”
Stacey sat on the chair next to Aspen and patted her hand. “I know. I just worry. We’ve had deaths before, but these have me rattled. What are we going to do about your car?”
“I’ll take them to school tomorrow,” Jason said. “We’ll leave a little early and tow your car to the shop. If it’s something easy, you can get it after school. Tori can take you to pick it up.”
Aspen and her dad spent a little too long in the shop, and she missed homeroom altogether, which meant she didn’t have to talk to Sid until algebra. She was having second thoughts about the whole arrangement. She couldn’t even think about him without remembering how his lips felt on hers. She frowned as she slipped into biology a few minutes late. Thankfully, the class had a substitute, and he’d already started a movie. That meant Aspen could check out.
She set her notebook down and stared at the screen absentmindedly. Sid’s gorgeous face filled her imagination. She didn’t want to think about those captivating eyes. What if she forgot she wasn’t supposed to like him and kissed him again? Tori would kill her. Besides, she was in love with Obsidian. At least that’s what she kept trying to tell herself. Every time her mind wandered, she thought of Sid.
The bell rang all too soon, and Aspen met Tori at her locker.
“Where were you this morning?”
“We had to drop my car off at the shop. Can you bring me by after school to pick it up?”
“Sure.” Tori tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. “So, I’m thinking of making my move at lunch.”
“What move?”
“On Sid. I’m going to ask him to go see a movie with me this weekend. I’m super nervous, but I think he’ll say yes. He’s been talking to me a lot.”
“Are you sure? Maybe he was just being nice.”
“Whose side on are you on anyway? You know when someone says something like that, you’re supposed to say, ‘of course he’ll say yes.’”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Whatever. I’ll see you at lunch.”
She hadn’t even talked to Sid yet, and already she’d pissed Tori off. Aspen knew Sid would say no and Tori would whine about it. Aspen hoped she wouldn’t slip and say, “told you so.”
Aspen took her seat in front of Sid and didn’t look back at him. She was supposed to be his friend but didn’t know how to do that. She got out her notebook so it looked like she was doing something productive. Sid shifted in his seat behind her. Hopefully, he wouldn’t try to talk to her.
It felt like someone was pulling on her hair, but she didn’t want to give Sid the satisfaction of getting her attention, so she ignored the occasional tugs throughout class. Just before the bell rang, her hair fell to her shoulders. Dammit. He’d taken out her bun. He chuckled behind her. She turned and gathered up the sticks she used to put her hair up and glared at him without saying anything. Then escaped from the room. The problem with Sid was that she couldn’t be neutral about him. She either hated him or loved him.
At lunch Sid sat next to Tori and across from Aspen. He waited for her to talk to him, since she promised she’d be his friend. Instead, she carried on a conversation with Tori and acted like he wasn’t there. Her inattentiveness annoyed him. Tori, however, had scooted closer to him and set her hand on his knee. He had to get out of there. He stood and Tori grabbed his hand.
“Where are you going?”
He didn’t look at her but instead, at Aspen. She brushed her hair over her shoulder and stared at a tree across the courtyard. Sid felt a wave possessiveness he didn’t know was possible. She was finally his and acted like nothing ever happened. He suddenly had the overwhelming desire to kiss her. He had to have her. Right now.
He climbed up onto the table and took her face in his hands. Her eyes opened wide. He pushed his mouth against hers, and she responded instantly, her hands gripping the front of his T-shirt. In that moment, there was nothing gentle or loving about his kiss. He claimed what was his. Tori be damned. Aspen stood and leaned into him. A chair pushed him sideways, and he broke away from Aspen. Tori ran for the doors.
“Asshole,” Aspen said and took off after Tori.
Bathroom. She’d run for the bathroom. Aspen felt like the suckiest best friend ever. Why did Sid have to kiss her, and why did she have to react? Tori would never speak to her again. Aspen pushed open the door, and after checking each stall, she decided Tori must’ve gone home. Aspen slid out the bathroom door and was nearly to the main doors when Mr. VanDyke stepped out of his office.
“Aspen, where are you going?”
She looked down, avoiding his gaze. “Home.”
“Just because you’re a senior doesn’t give you the right to come and go as you please. You will head to class, or I will call your parents.”
Aspen couldn’t explain her need to leave to him and narc on Tori. Tori’s anger wouldn’t change much in the next few hours, and Aspen’s parents were already starting to crack down on her freedoms because of the deaths. No reason to add Mr. VanDyke into the mix.
After school, Dan took Aspen to get her car. Then she drove to Tori’s house, but her car wasn’t in the driveway. Aspen tried the Purple Dragon too, but Tori’s bright green beetle wasn’t there either. She drove around town for a while, checking in with other friends, but no one had seen Tori.
As evening approached, Aspen found herself driving down the long driveway to Sid’s house. After lunch, she successfully avoided him for the
rest of the day. Her anger had died, but she still had no idea where this relationship was going. Sid wasn’t worth her friendship with Tori, but Aspen didn’t know if that was salvageable anymore.
She knocked on the door. Theo answered, looking grumpy. Ella must be at work.
“Is Sid here?” Aspen asked.
“Yeah, I think he’s sleeping. You can go on up.”
Aspen started up the stairs.
“Wait,” he said. He still stood with his hand on the door handle. “I hope you won’t take this the wrong way or anything, but it’d be a really bad idea for you to pursue things with Sid.”
“Why?”
“Sid was not sent to Gardiner to find a girlfriend.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He’s not allowed to see you, romantically speaking.”
“I think Sid is old enough to make that decision on his own. I don’t answer to you. If you don’t want me going out with Sid, you’ll have to approach him on it, not me.”
He sighed. “Okay, but when you are asked, I did my duty and told you to stay away from him.”
Aspen didn’t expect him to back down so easily. And what he said was a bit mental. She might have to break it to Ella that her man was a little off his rocker. Besides, Sid was the one who came after her, not the other way around. Why would Theo bother her with a warning like that?
All the doors on the second floor were open except one. He was face down on his bed fast asleep. She sat next to him and traced his bare shoulder blades with her finger, surprised at her need to touch him. Everything about Sid surprised her. She moved his long hair away from his face so she could see him.
A twinge a fear crept in as she looked at his peaceful face. He looked so much like Marc that it was unnerving. Lately, when Sid was talking, she could easily tell the difference, but here he looked too much like the nightmare she remembered.
She turned to check out the rest of his room. Hanging above his computer was a picture of the silver dragon she had taken that day at school. He must’ve gotten a print from Ella.
Next to his computer was a large bookshelf. There was the usual collection of boy books on the shelves, Stephen King, Michael Creighton, J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Paolini, and even Harry Potter. He also had several books that did not belong in a teenager’s room, books about politics, world governments, and the UN. And then there was a shelf full of books in a completely different language. It looked like nothing she had ever seen before.
“Aspen?” asked a confused voice.
She turned, and he was sitting up on his bed. She sank into the chair at his computer desk. He needed to put a shirt on, or she was going to pass out.
“Hi,” Aspen said meekly. Now that he was awake, she wasn’t sure what to say. She couldn’t remember why she’d come in the first place.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m sorry,” Aspen replied. “I’ll go.” She stood and walked to the door.
“No, wait,” he said, coming after her. He grabbed her hand and turned her around. She became acutely aware he was only wearing boxer shorts. She couldn’t help herself and peeked. SpongeBob. She snickered and forced herself to look him in the face.
“I thought you were furious with me. I’m sorry I kissed you at school today. I wasn’t thinking clearly. Not that I ever think clearly in your presence.”
Aspen blushed. “No, I’m not mad. I was, but I got over it.”
He raised his eyebrows, and his blue eyes bore into hers. The gaze was too intense so she looked down, which was even worse. His bare chest was begging to be touched. She took a step back.
“Can you put some clothes on?”
His face colored.
“I’m sorry. Am I making you uncomfortable?”
“Not exactly, but I’ll be more coherent if I don’t have to keep reminding myself to look you in the eyes.”
He dug into a pile of clothes on the floor. Aspen sat on the edge of the bed. At first, she tried not to stare at him, but then gave it up as a lost cause. Every time he moved, another muscle flexed. Aspen couldn’t identify a single fleshy part on his body.
“Do you work out a lot?” As she asked, she realized she knew very little about him. She spent so much time in the last several weeks trying to avoid him that she didn’t take any time to learn about his family life or what he enjoyed. She liked him, but this whole relationship could be over before it began if they had nothing in common.
“Um, yeah. Theo and I are pretty competitive with each another. We have an entire personal gym in the basement,” he said as he buttoned his jeans. He pulled a wrinkled green T-shirt over his head, and his hair flew in a million different directions. He tried to smooth it down, but that only made it worse. He sat next to her and took her hand in his own.
“Is this okay?” he asked.
She nodded, not trusting herself to talk. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, and she looked at him. He moved her hair out of her face with the other hand, leaned in, and gently kissed her lips. She was disappointed when he pulled away quickly.
“Am I allowed to kiss you now?”
“I guess.” She thought the next thing he would ask would be about who she was in love with, and she had no idea how to explain that.
“You still haven’t answered my question. Why are you here? Don’t get me wrong, I’m very glad you are. But, Aspen, you never do anything without a purpose, and I’m sure you had a better reason than to stare at my half-naked body.”
Aspen smiled at him. She was surprised he had managed to learn so much about her in the last few weeks. Normally, she didn’t do anything unless there was a good reason. “Honestly, I don’t know. I was trying to find Tori, and I ended up here.”
“Well, then, I suppose you should probably finish the search. You won’t be happy with me until you’ve settled things with her. Once you decide it’s okay to be with me, I’ll be here.” He got up and opened the door. He was right, but that didn’t change the fact his words stung. Aspen managed to make it out to her car before crying.
She hadn’t expected to feel so upset by his rejection, and she didn’t know how to make things right with Tori.
Aspen’s hands shook as she turned the key. The engine clicked but would not roar. She groaned and tried again. Nothing. Sucking up her pride, she found an old balled up napkin and dried her face. Then she knocked on the door again. Sid answered, looking confused.
“My car won’t start. Can you take me home?”
He nodded, reached for her and intertwined their fingers, as he brought their hands to his lips. He kissed the back of her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be cruel. I’m frustrated we can’t be together in public yet.”
Aspen shrugged, still not quite sure how to handle what was going on.
He took her home, and they sat in the driveway for a few minutes. Sid leaned over and kissed her again. It took every ounce of self-discipline she had to drag herself away and out of his car. She shut the front door and stood there for a minute. Sid absolutely took her into another world. She wasn’t sure if she could get used to being with him all the time.
“That’s not Tori’s car,” Stacey said.
Oops. Aspen didn’t say anything. She forgot that she had texted her mom and told her that her car busted again, and Tori was bringing her home.
“Are you going to explain?” Stacey asked.
No good story occurred to her, so she told her the truth.
“That was Sid’s car.”
“Isn’t he the new boy? The one you work with? The one you told me you absolutely loathed? The one that Tori’s been going on about?”
“Yeah, that’s him.”
Her mom deliberated for a moment. Aspen could tell she was confused, but she didn’t want to give her any more information than needed.
“Explain.”
She may as well get used to the idea. “Sid’s my new boyfriend.” Aspen left her at the door and went upstairs to her
room.
Tori was sprawled out on Aspen’s bed when she entered the room. That explained the ambush from her mother.
“When were you going to bother telling me?” she asked, sitting up.
“About Sid?”
“Yeah.” She crossed her arms and blinked rapidly. Probably trying to keep the tears away, but a few escaped anyway.
“Tonight, actually. I’ve been out all afternoon looking for you.” Aspen took off her jacket and sat next to Tori.
“Sure, and that’s why you were making out with him in the car a few minutes ago?” She moved away.
“I’m so sorry. This wasn’t planned. It just happened. I didn’t go after him, I swear. He came after me. In spite of all my efforts to stay away from him, he managed to win me over. But he’s not worth losing you. Tell me what I can do to fix this, and I’ll do it.”
Tori got up and walked to the other side of the room. “It’s too late. There’s absolutely nothing you can do. But I hope every time you kiss him you remember the price you paid for his affection.”
She slammed the door behind her.
Aspen sighed and lay on her bed, her head reeling. So much had happened over the last couple of days, and Aspen wasn’t sure if she could take it all in. On the down side, Tori wouldn’t be speaking to her, but on the up side, Aspen had Sid. Two days ago that would have been a bad thing. Strange how things change. Someone knocked on the door. Oh jeez, what now?
“Come in,” Aspen called.
Rowan opened the door and sat at her desk.
“Thanks for blowing my chances with Tori.”
“Seriously, Rowan? I had a really long day, and if you came in here to yell at me about ruining your chances with a girl you never had a chance with, please leave.”
“Actually, I came to tell you that I saw you.”
“Saw me what? Make out with Sid? Mom saw me too, so no surprises there.” Aspen rubbed her neck. The muscles had stiffened.
“No, I didn’t see that, and I don’t want to, so keep the PDAs down. I saw you with the dragon.”
“What dragon?” Aspen asked through clenched teeth.
Obsidian (The Dragon Kings) Page 12
