by Anna B. Doe
The front door swings open, but it’s not the person I want to see.
Unbuckling my seat belt, I get out of the car. “Aunt Emma, is something wrong?”
“Liam, what are you doing here?” she asks at the same time, smiling at me, but I can see the confusion on her face. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”
“I’m here to pick up Evie.” Like every day. “Is she okay?”
The frown appears between her brows. “Evie already left for school.” Her words are like a punch to my gut. There is buzzing in my ears, but even that doesn’t prevent me from hearing her words. “Jessica came to pick her up fifteen minutes ago. I thought you knew.”
Evie left.
She didn’t call or say anything.
She just left.
Without me.
“Liam? Are you okay?” I can hear the worry in her voice, so I force myself to nod in acknowledgment.
She fucking left.
What the hell, Evie?!
If I was wondering before if something happened to make her break her promise, now I know for sure. Something did happen—whatever that something is—and now Evie is ignoring me.
Instead of facing me on the ice, she threw me into the stupid penalty box without an explanation.
Chapter Five
EVIE
“Evie…” The words are a hushed drawl as he leans against my desk. He’s so close I can feel his warm breath touch my skin, the goose bumps rising on my flesh.
“Noah,” I return in the same manner, looking at him over my shoulder.
There is a cute, teasing smile playing on his lips as he looks down at me, and I can feel my cheeks flush, if only slightly, underneath his watchful gaze. He’s dressed impeccably, as always. Dark jeans hug his hips, and a dark blue sweater makes his eyes pop. His hair is messy, but not I-just-got-out-of-the-bed kind of messy. His look is more of a I-spent-twenty-minutes-in-front-of-a-mirror-styling-my-hair-to-look-messy messy style. Not like there is anything wrong with it.
He’s handsome, some would say preppy even.
He’s nothing like Liam, the little voice inside my head reminds me, but I ignore it.
I’m not doing this, not anymore. We’ll still be friends, once I’m able to look him in the eyes and not feel like something is trying to chew me up from the inside out.
So yeah, Liam and I… We’re just friends. And that means letting myself open up to the possibility of another guy. Somebody who’s nothing like Liam.
Putting the last of my things in the backpack, I turn around, only to crash into a firm chest. When did he get so close? My heart flutters as I lift my eyes up, up, up and finally meet Noah’s patient gaze.
“So, about that date…”
I nibble at my lip, mauling over his words for a moment.
Am I really going to do this? Jessy thinks it’s a good idea. Jessy’s boy-crazy. I don’t think she’s the best to judge this. You’ll never know if you don’t give him a chance. You like Noah.
Shaking my head slightly, I push the contradictory thoughts away. Am I really that pathetic to fight with myself over this? In my own head?
“I—”
“Evie!”
Hearing my name being called stops whatever words I wanted to say. Turning around almost abruptly, I come face-to-face with the person I’ve been avoiding since Saturday night.
“L-Liam,” I stutter, a shudder running through my body, as I see him bulldoze toward me. His brown eyes are narrowed, furious even.
Dammit.
“What the hell, Evie?” Liam demands, almost as soon as he’s within earshot.
“Well, hello to you too,” I deadpan, irritated with his angry tone and hot-head attitude. I knew he possessed both, although up until now I have never been at the receiving end of it. It’s not usual for Liam to lose his cool. Not like this. And today, he’s pissed.
“Where the fuck were you this morning?” he asks, completely ignoring my sarcastic remark.
I cringe a little, guilt eating at me. Maybe I could have answered one of the dozen messages he sent me since Saturday and at least let him know not to come and pick me up.
“I went with Jessy.” I shrug nonchalantly. “I told you a hundred times you don’t have to come back after practice to pick me up for school.”
“And I told you I don’t mind,” he grits through clenched teeth, observing me carefully. “But this doesn’t have anything to do with coming back after practice.”
Of course he knows. I would be surprised if he didn’t see through my bullshit.
“You’re imagining things.” I try to get around him, but his fingers wrap around my wrist, not letting me pass.
“Out with it, Evie. What the hell is going on?”
I give him a glare of my own, noticing people starting to look at the scene we’re making. “We’re not doing this. Not here, not now.”
“I want some answers,” Liam growls, like actually growls.
Pulling my hand out of his grasp, I lift my chin just a little bit higher. “And I’m telling you, it’s none of your business.”
“Evie…”
“I think you should listen to what she said, Ward.”
Slowly, almost reluctantly, Liam turns toward Noah. His eyes narrow as he stares at him, turning into tiny slits. “You shouldn’t put your nose where it doesn’t belong, Russell.”
“Oh, this is rich,” I scoff, propping my hands on my hips. “So you can put your nose into my business, but Noah can’t do the same.” Shaking my head, I look at Noah. “Let’s go, Noah.”
Liam’s hand grabs me once again. “You’re not going with him.”
Irritation and something that sounds almost like desperation, mix in his voice. But no matter how much my heart wants to cling to the second, my mind isn’t ready to let go of the first.
“I sure as hell am not staying with you.”
He stumbles back, shock clear on his face. I don’t think he’d be more surprised if I slapped him. I don’t think I would.
Liam’s mouth hangs open, but no words come out. We stare at each other for a moment longer, until I break it, unable to look at his hurt expression for one more second. My breath hitches, my heart squeezing painfully as I walk around him and get the hell out.
Tears burn my eyes, but I push them back. I can feel people’s curious glances on me, but I ignore them all. Lowering my eyes to the ground so that my face is hidden from nosy stares I walk—okay, more like run—without a destination in mind. My breathing is hard, my heart beating rapidly against my ribs. Steady buzzing in my ears makes all the noises of the school hallway fade away.
“Evie!”
He must have called me at least a few times, but it takes me a minute to register his voice. His hand wraps around mine, stopping me from going anywhere. But Noah’s not the person I’m trying to run away from, so I turn around to look at him.
Wide blue eyes scan my face with worry. “Are you okay?”
I nod once, although no, I’m not okay, not in the least.
“Ask me.” I can see the confusion on his face. “Ask me again, Noah.”
Surprise at my request is evident when he realizes what I’m saying. What I’m asking, but he doesn’t leave me hanging.
His thumb traces the inside of my wrist in a slow, soothing touch.
It’s nice. It doesn’t make butterflies jump in my belly, but it’s not unwelcome either.
“Do you want to go out with me, Evie?”
There is a commotion behind his back. For a split second my eyes dart over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of my best friend, but I force them away, on the boy standing in front of me. Boy who’s interested in me. Boy who wants me.
“Yes,” I whisper, sealing my fate. “I’ll go out with you, Noah.”
Chapter Six
LIAM
“What the fuck is wrong with you, man?” Andrew cross-checks me, the force pushing me into the Plexiglass.
I might have started it by tripping him one time too
many for his liking, but ask me if I care.
“If you started to move your ass and get the fuck out of my way, it wouldn’t be necessary,” I taunt, adding oil to the fire.
His grim expression turns furious. I should be afraid of it. I know I should. Nobody messes with Andrew Hill and comes out unscratched, but my rational side is long gone. I welcome his anger, the need to punch something, someone, that’s been buzzing beneath my skin for the past week coming to the surface. And since I can’t punch the one person I want to, he’ll have to do.
“You little…” But before he can finish his sentence, or take off the gloves, the whistle blows hard, our teammates gathering around us and creating a barrier as they pull us each to our side and away from each other.
“This is a fucking scrimmage, not a boxing ring,” Coach yells as he comes between the two of us. For an old guy, he sure as hell is intimidating and can hold his own on the ice. “I will not have your blood sully my ice. But since it seems today’s practice wasn’t hard enough, and you have too much restless energy, we’ll resolve it the old-fashioned way.”
There are a few low groans coming from some of the guys.
“Drills,” Coach barks. “Ward, Hill, you’re up first.” His dark eyes look between the two of us. There is an almost wicked gleam in them that tells me all I need to know. The guy gets off on seeing the sweat drip off our faces and our knees wobble once he’s done with us. And whatever he has in the stove for us, we won’t like it. Not one bit. “We’ll see if you have all that hostile energy in your body once we’re done tonight.”
“I’m going to kill you,” Jack hisses as he lowers his ass on the bench next to me. “What the fuck is wrong with you, man?”
“He was asking for it.” I shrug, but even the small movement hurts like hell.
The locker room is quiet. Most of the guys just packed their things and left without even taking a shower, but my whole body was dripping in sweat, so there was no way around it.
“You were asking for it.” This comes from Mike, who’s already dressed and ready to go. His angry gaze staring at me. To say our teammates are holding a grudge against Hill and me is an understatement. “You’ve been out of it since Monday. What the hell?”
“I’m fine,” I grunt, looking away.
“You’re not fine. You’re acting like a girl with her panties in a twist, Ward. Who pissed in your Cheerios?”
I pull my shirt over my head forcefully. “Just let it go.”
The last thing I wanted to talk about is this. I didn’t want to think about it, let alone actually voice the words.
I push my equipment in the locker when Mike’s words stop me in my tracks.
“Does this have anything to do with Evie going out on a date with Noah Russell?”
And here it is, the reason for my piss poor mood.
My fingers tighten against the metal to the point my knuckles turn white. “How the fuck do you know about that?”
The silence stretches behind me, and I don’t have to look at them to know they’re exchanging a look behind my back. Like waiting for the bomb to explode.
Is it a public thing now? Are they serious? Fucking Russell didn’t even take her out on a proper date and…
Pushing away from the locker, I watch as the door closes shut, the sound echoing through the room.
“Fuck!”
“So that’s what has you all riled up.”
“I’m not riled up about anything,” I protest, shoving my things into a duffle.
I need to get out of here. Now.
“Sure, man. Whatever you say.”
Throwing my bag over my shoulder I start for the door, but something keeps me back. “How the hell do you even know about it?”
I can’t help but ask. I have to know, and it’s not like I can ask Evie about it. Not that I would on a good day, but to be able to ask her, I’d have to talk to her first and so far, she’s still ignoring me.
I’m not even sure when was the last time we haven’t talked for more than a couple of days.
Never. You always talk.
Not anymore.
When there is no answer, I turn around to my two friends. “Well?”
“Noah.” Mike is the first to break the silence. “We heard him talk about it with some of his football buddies in the gym the other day.”
Football. Out of all the people, Evie is dating a fucking football player.
My hands grip into fists by my side. “He talked shit about her?”
If he did I’m going to find him and rearrange that smug mug of his. I’ll…
Jack must see something on my face because he hurries to say, “Nah, he just bragged about taking her out.”
All the fight I had inside of me goes away.
“Good,” I push the words out. “Evie deserves the best.”
But does it really have to be him?
Chapter Seven
EVIE
“So you’re really doing this?”
I lift my gaze to meet Jessy’s in the reflection in my bathroom mirror. She’s been here all afternoon helping me keep my nerves in check, but also to help me get ready for my date.
I take a moment to answer as I spread pale pink lip gloss over my lips. It’s a weak attempt at stalling, but I’ll take any additional second I can get.
The truth is, I don’t know what I’m doing.
Asking Noah to ask me out was a spur of a moment thing. I was angry and hurting and I just wanted to do something to take my mind off it. Take my mind off Liam, if only for a moment. I didn’t want to be the girl pining after her best friend. And while I do like Noah, part of me feels extremely guilty because I know he’s really interested in me. At least I think he is. I don’t think a guy would ask a girl out as many times as he asked me if he weren’t really interested.
“I thought you agreed this is a good idea.”
“I did,” Jessy says, but then corrects herself. “I do. But I never actually thought you’d go through with it.”
Closing the little tube in my hand, I put it in a clutch style bag on the counter. “So this is a good idea, but not a good idea for me?” I sum it up.
Jessy sighs. “I just don’t want you to get hurt, Evie. That’s all.”
Taking her hands in mine, I give her a reassuring squeeze. “I won’t get hurt, Jessy. Noah… he’s nice. I need to give this a chance.”
“So you’ve given up on Liam completely?”
I pull back, letting her hands slip from between mine as I turn my back to her and start picking up all the makeup on the counter. “Liam and I… We’re friends. Well, we will be once I rein in my emotions. I thought he wanted something more after…” I leave the words hanging in the air because we both know what after I’m talking about. “But he doesn’t, and I can’t blame him for it. But I can’t be his friend right now either. So…”
It was foolish of me to think otherwise, that’s why we’re in this position in the first place. I’m not the kind of girl Liam would fall for. No, he wants girls like Jeanette Sanders. And I can’t blame him. She is gorgeous and if it’s to believe the rumors uber-smart and some kind of musical prodigy.
Lifting my gaze, I observe my reflection in the mirror. Blond hair is falling in a sleek line over my shoulders, the top half lifted and braided away from my face. Tonight I ditched my glasses in favor of contacts. I don’t wear them often because they tire my eyes easily and make them itch, but I wanted to make an extra effort. After all, this is a date. And not just any date. My first date.
Even though a part of me still feels uncertain about the whole situation, I can’t help but feel the tingle of excitement spread through my body. My whole life I’ve been that Clark girl who’s always hanging around boys, but tonight I get to be Evie. A girl who likes to hang out with boys just as much as with girls. A girl who loves to go to a hockey game and watch superhero movies all while wearing a short skirt and lip gloss.
The makeup I’m wearing is minimal, just a little bit
of foundation, blush, pink eyeshadow, and mascara with the lip gloss to match on my lips. I chose one of my favorite skirts—a plaid skater skirt—and paired it with a pale pink sweater and boots. Girly but doesn’t scream I’m-trying-too-hard. At least I hope it doesn’t.
Jessy wraps her hands around me from behind, returning me back to present when she lays her head down on my shoulder. I lift my gaze to hers in the reflection in the mirror, a flicker of excitement shining in her brown irises. “His jaw will drop when he sees you.”
“I hope so.”
If only the boy I love would think the same.
The thought is out there faster than I can stop it, but I force it back.
No. No more thinking like this. I won’t let Liam ruin my very first date. Tonight is about me. Well, me and Noah, and nothing will get in the way of that.
“Did you have fun?” Noah asks as he pulls the car to the stop on the curb across the street from my house. He turns in his seat to look at me, and the faint light of the nearby streetlamp illuminates his face.
“I did,” I answer truthfully. If I had any doubts about Noah before tonight, they’re gone now. He really is a great guy. “Thank you for taking me.”
We went to the movies. Noah even suggested I pick what we’ll watch. I suppose he was expecting me to go for a chick-flick, but instead, I chose the latest action movie. I might dress like a girly girl, but give me hot guys, fast cars, and things blowing up any day of the week and you’ll have one happy girl on your hands.
Once the movie was done it was still pretty early, so when Noah suggested we go to the diner, I agreed. I wasn’t ready to go back home. Not yet anyway.
We had fun discussing our favorite parts of the movie and getting to know each other better over the pie. Before I blinked it was close to midnight and time to go back home.
“Good,” Noah says, his hand reaching out toward me.
I suck in a breath, surprised by his sudden nearness.
