by Vi Lily
They were sitting so close to each other, their knees were touching. Alex glanced at the television and could see that they were playing a video game, but he didn’t care. He was so pissed that she was alone with the guy… and where the hell is Steve?... that he knew what they meant by “seeing red.”
His vision was the color of blood. Vato’s blood, to be exact.
“What’s going on?” he barked, louder and probably meaner than he meant, judging by the way Ari jumped and moaned again.
“Hi,” she said with less enthusiasm than he would have liked as she gave him a pained grimace and a little wave.
Vato glanced over his shoulder. “Playin’ Call of Duty. Chick’s kicking my butt.”
Ari laughed softly. “I’ve gotten a lot of practice, since I’ve been stuck at home all week.” Alex wondered at the feeling in his chest when she’d said at home.
“What did you do?” he asked as he stepped around the sofa and ran a hand gently down her side. She was still wearing the wrap he’d put on her that morning before he’d left, thankfully. She’d tried going without it but wouldn’t last long without asking him to wrap her up again.
Even though her pain was the cause of needed it, wrapping her ribs was one of his favorite things to do. He figured that made him a real selfish prick.
“I just jerked when a soldier jumped out,” she admitted sheepishly, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink.
Vato looked up at him. “She first hurt herself when she opened the door and that hellhound lunged at me,” he cocked his head at Ogre, who was curled up on the sofa on Ari’s other side.
Ari reached over and scratched the dog behind the ears. “He’s just protecting me. He’s a good boy, aren’t you Ogre?” she asked in a baby-talk voice. The dog stretched out on his back so his head was on her lap, wanting a belly rub. Both guys rolled their eyes, although Alex knew Vato was as jealous of the dog as he was. She reached over to scratch his belly and she hissed in a breath again.
“You gonna be okay to go to school Monday, chica?” Vato asked, with more concern in his voice than Alex really wanted to hear.
“Cuz if not, I’ll get my abuelo to write you another excuse.”
Ari waved him off. “No, I’ll be fine. I really can’t keep missing.”
“Why not?” Alex asked. He really didn’t want her going back. Didn’t want her leaving the house, frankly. Steve said her brother had been asking his “friends,” aka fellow addicts, about her, if they’d seen her or knew anything.
He’d rather keep her under lock and key. Of course, if Devon came anywhere near her when Alex was around, he’d probably kill the guy.
Plus, being at home, she could eat whenever she wanted. She’d finally gotten a normal appetite back and was starting to gain weight. She looked like a completely different person than the half-beaten stray he’d rescued at the gas station just a week before.
She was gorgeous… another reason he wanted her to stay home.
Alex knew he was being an idiot, but for some reason, he had crazy protective feelings for Ari now. Maybe it was because she was so needy and helpless. Like Ogre, she’d had a crappy life and he wanted to help her however he could.
Ari rolled her eyes at him. “I can’t just stay here forever. I’m pretty sure the school would kick me out and I still have a year and a half to go.”
Vato’s eyebrow rose at that. “You’re only a junior? Wow, chica, I thought you were much older.” He grinned wide then, showing off his perfect straight white teeth.
“That means we have another year together.”
“You’re a junior too?” Ari asked in surprise. Alex was surprised too; like him, Vato looked like a grown man.
Vato shrugged. “Yeah. I’m eighteen, though. Got held back in seventh grade.” He reached up and pulled some of Ari’s hair through his fingers. He stared at the silkiness in his hand and Alex had to fight not to snatch his hand away.
“I was far more interested in the beautiful cinnamon-haired girls than in school.”
Alex could swear the guy purred that last bit and it sure looked like he leaned a little closer to her. An involuntary growl escaped his lips at that and he cleared his throat.
“Come on, let’s eat,” he said as he turned to walk back into the kitchen. He heard Vato chuckle, but Ari’s squeal had him turning back quickly. The jerk had picked her up to carry her.
“I can walk!” she protested on a giggle. Vato grinned down at her.
“I’m sure you can, Ariel,” he said, putting a Spanish accent on her name that sounded way too sexy for Alex’s tastes. Ari apparently thought so too… Alex could swear her eyes sparkled.
“But I enjoy having such a beauty in my arms.”
Alex wondered how much trouble he’d get in with Doc if he pounded his grandson’s nose into the back of his skull.
They sat down to eat and Alex made sure he nabbed the stool next to Ari, but of course, instead of sitting across from them like a normal person, Vato sat on her other side. The guy was really starting to tick him off.
But to be honest with himself, Alex had no idea why.
After dinner, they took turns playing video games with Ari, then watched a movie. Finally, near midnight, Vato took the hint after Alex yawned loudly for the fourth time and he got up to leave. Ari insisted on walking the guy to the door and Alex had to remind himself that she was just being polite. She was nice that way. Not him; he wanted to open the door, kick Vato out into the snow that was still on the ground and slam it behind him.
He stood in the foyer and watched as Vato turned to her at the door and he put his hand on her cheek. He then leaned forward and Alex was certain the jackass was going to kiss her. He readied his fist to knock him through the oak door, but he just whispered something in her ear that had her nodding, then he kissed her cheek, waved to Alex and stepped out.
Ari locked the door behind the guy, then turned to Alex with a grin. “That was fun! We should do that more often.”
Alex did not agree. At. All. But he would invite the douche over again if it made her happy. It irritated him that she wanted to spend time with Vato and especially that she’d laughed more in the few hours the guy had been there than she had all week with him.
But then again, why would she laugh with him? He was a humorless, serious, grouchy jerk. There was no way he could ever make her happy, make her laugh.
And he wondered why he wanted to so badly.
WE
Chapter 1
Ari
M Y FIRST DAY back at school so far has been… weird. Don’t know how else to describe it. I went from being the social pariah, the one everyone went out of their way to avoid getting close to, to being the shiny new toy everyone wants to play with.
Well, the male population anyway. Most of the girls are hating on me even more.
The guys have suddenly taken notice of me and the idiots are all tripping over themselves to just get my attention, which is ticking the girls off. They definitely don’t like competition and I frankly can’t believe that I am competition.
Most females would be thrilled at the attention. Me? It’s really pissing me off.
I mean, I’ve been here the whole time, you morons. I’m still the same Ariel Kane who sat through classes with you, who ate lunch in the same room with you — although always by myself at the table in the corner by the trash bins — and I’m the one who you either ignored, or else pushed into the wall as you passed.
Just because I’ve been spit-shined and waxed and gained some weight, now all of a sudden, they want a piece of me.
Screw them. But not literally. Obviously.
Weird thing is, the bitchier I get, the more interested the guys are. I’ve rudely ignored some, insulted others, and I even told Luc Laurent off, loudly, in the middle of Chemistry, saying “I’ve been in at least one class with you every semester since Freshman year and you’re just now noticing me? Maybe you should pull your tête out of your derrière, roméo.”
I should probably feel bad, but nah.
One cool thing I discovered is that Vato and I have a lot of classes together. I wonder if he somehow did that on purpose, but I don’t really care. It’s nice to know that I have someone watching my back.
When Vato left Alex’s Friday night, he’d whispered to me that no matter what, if I needed him, he’d be there. Even though I didn’t have a phone, he gave me his number before Alex got home, so it’s nice to know I have three guys now ready to help me if I need it.
But then Alex took me phone shopping Saturday and now I have an awesome Galaxy with a pink sparkle cover. And a total of three phone numbers programmed into it, three guys that I can rely on to be there for me.
Of course, Steve isn’t that reliable, but still, I know he’ll be there for me as much as he can.
It’s weird, but Steve and I have become best buds over my recovery imprisonment. Okay, maybe that’s not fair, but seriously, it felt like a prison sometimes during the past week. Alex is a real strict dungeon master, for sure.
Steve made the time much better. He taught me to play video games, which I’d never done even when my parents had been around. Dad had been convinced that the games were causing school shootings or something and had banned them.
I would make us lunch and Steve always helped while telling me stories of the crazy stuff he’d gotten himself into, and all his near misses with the law. He told me about the drugs he’d used and how if he could go back in time, he never would have tried a single one of them.
I’d told him how bad my life got after my brother got hooked and we’d both cried over the crappy turn our lives had taken — mine through no fault of my own; his through seriously bad choices.
Regardless of the how or why, we both want a life redo.
One morning over cold cereal and crispy bacon, Steve told me stories of his and Alex’s childhood. Of how abusive their dad was and how their mom just looked the other way. He told me how their dad had singled Alex out for whatever reason and used him as a stress reliever. How Jan Johansen had beaten his youngest for smiling or showing any kind of humor; how he’d almost killed Alex when he was just ten because he’d laughed at something on TV.
He also told me he suspected his dad molested Alex, and I honestly can’t even comprehend that.
I learned that the rumors about Alex getting kicked out of a boarding school in the UK were sort of true. It wasn’t the UK, but Germany. He’d been expelled when he had almost beaten a teacher to death, but it turns out that teacher had crawled into Alex’s bed in the middle of the night and for once in his life, Alex had fought against the molestation.
That was when he’d gotten the name “Alex the Crusher.” It fit, since he’d just about crushed the teacher’s trachea with his bare hands.
The stories of Alex’s sad childhood had depressed me to the point that I’d spent the rest of the day in my room, bawling like a baby. Steve refused to tell me any more stories after that.
But now I know why Alex is the way he is. Why he doesn’t smile or laugh. Why he will sometimes stare at me like he wants to say something, but then a cloud seems to come over him. How I’ve seen a look in his eyes like he wishes he and I stood a chance.
I want to have a chance with him. I know he’s worth fighting for.
A week ago, I would have laughed at those thoughts, but after watching him, seeing how gentle he really is, how caring, how giving — even to a scraggly old dog, who now has his own overflowing toy box and top-of-the-line dogfood — I know that I’d give anything to be Alex’s girl.
There’s a big part of me that really wants to grab that poor little abused boy and run away with him.
I’m sad that I don’t have any classes with Alex. I especially would like to be with him in his English class, just to see how the teacher reacts to the fact that he’s doing so much better now. I feel a bit of accomplishment at that, although the credit goes wholly to Alex. He’s worked so hard to learn to read better. All I did was pass on some learning tools I’d been given myself.
The lunch bell rings, so I carefully reach down to grab my purse from under my chair. Before I can, though, I see track shoes come into my vision. Vato squats down and gets my purse for me, then grasps my arm to help me up.
It irks me that I need help, but I mutter “thanks” anyway as we move out into the surge of students spawning upstream toward the Dining Room. My usual MO is to grab what I think I can hold down and then move to the “loser zone” to eat. But now that I don’t get sick and I can actually finish a normal-sized meal, I’m looking forward to picking out the more fattening food that I always avoided before because it wouldn’t sit well with my malnourished body.
Vato sees some chick he’s interested in and asks if it’s okay if he leaves me and I laugh as I nod and load my tray with mac-n-cheese, a gourmet bleu cheese hamburger, sweet potato fries a side salad and a piece of cherry pie for dessert.
When I reach into the cooler to get a bottle of tea, I almost drop my tray thanks to a sharp pain in my ribs. But someone grabs the tray for me as I hold my side with my free hand, gasping.
Glancing up to thank my savior, I’m surprised to see Alex. I haven’t seen him since we arrived this morning. I give him a big smile and tell him “thanks,” then I turn to get my tea, but he gets there before me. I’m not surprised when he picks out exactly what I want — honey Greenleaf. The guy knows me well already.
On the way to school, we talked about keeping a low profile and not letting anyone know that I’m living with him. At first, I thought it was because he was embarrassed of me, but before I could even dwell on that depressing thought, he told me that he was afraid my brother would find out and come looking for me.
‘Nuff said.
After putting my tea on the tray, he walks over to the cashier and I give her my lunch account number. Then he walks toward the “popular side” of the Dining Room, where all the jocks, cheerleaders and “those people” all sit.
I hurry after him. “I thought we were doing the low profile thing,” I hiss at him. His gorgeous blue eyes glance down at me and I can swear he just looked at my chest. And if I’m not mistaken, his cheeks are turning a little pink.
Alex the Crusher is blushing? What universe did I wake up in?
It’s funny, though, because my boobs are already a lot bigger. Apparently, that’s going to be the first place I gain weight, which is something I remember my mom always complained about. I guess I can’t blame him for noticing that my blouse is tighter.
“We are,” he answers, bringing me out of my thoughts. He leads me toward the table he usually sits at. I know which one it is, because I always sit directly across from him on the other side of the room. I always thought it was because I was so afraid of the guy that I wanted to keep an eye on him, but now I’m wondering if I was subconsciously stalking him for other reasons.
Before we reach the table, he stops and turns to me. “I don’t want anyone knowing about… you know.” I nod and he continues. “But since you’re like the hot new girl and everyone wants up your skirt, I figure I’ll just stake a claim.”
Uh, say what?
He turns and walks toward the table, leaving me standing there dumbfounded for a second. I shake it off and follow him to where he’s kept the chair next to him open. He waits for me to sit, then places the tray in front of me and scoots his chair next to me.
He doesn’t bother introducing anyone; it’s the boys from the wrestling team and their girlfriends. We’ve all gone to school together for years, so it’s not like they don’t know me and vice versa. I’m just now being accepted because I’m clean and they think I’m not poor any longer. I get a few glances and some grins from the guys, but I ignore them all.
Whatever.
Alex is close. Extremely close. So close I can smell his deodorant, which I
know from the past week is Old Spice Deep Sea. Never knew deodorant could have such an erotic effect…
I clear my throat.
Alex opens my tea and he even opens my utensil pack. He’s being so attentive, and I can feel eyes on us, but I keep my head down. I’m not used to being noticed. Not in a good way, at least. I really am not liking it.
Going back to dirty and stinky is starting to have an appeal.
He goes back to his own food and I realize then that he stopped eating just so he could help me and lead me back to his table. I guess he didn’t know I would have been happy to sit in my quiet corner and watch him from afar like I’ve done all school year. Feeling his body heat next to me is nice, though. I could lean into him and take a nap, honestly. I’m really tired already and the day is only half over.
I pick up my fork and stab at the macaroni. The Academy’s chef makes the most amazing mac and cheese and it’s always been my favorite. I’m glad that I’m finally able to eat more than a few bites of it. I quickly inhale the whole plate, then turn to my burger.
When I’m halfway through it, I realize that the table has gotten quiet and I glance up. For the hundredth time today, I’m being stared at. The guys mostly have an amused look, but the girls all have a mixture of envy and disgust on their faces. And a few tables behind them, I see Vato laughing as he holds his soda up to me, like a toast.
I straighten and wonder what the hell is going on. I mean, do I have something hanging from my chin? I grab my napkin and wipe at my face, just in case.
And then it occurs to me that I’ve been eating like a half-starved street rat. Which, honestly, is exactly what I’ve been for the past couple of years. If it weren’t for Alex’s generosity, I’d be right back there… starving on the streets.
My eyes fill with tears. I’m not sure if they’re from humiliation, gratitude, just feeling sorry for myself or what. I’m horrified that I’m going to cry in front of Alex’s friends, though. I have to get out of here and fast. I push my chair back from the table in a rush.
