by Preston, LM
“Really, I can see that.” He cut his eyes at her, studying her for a moment. “Do I look familiar to you? A little bit?”
Jewel tilted her chin towards him. “Hmm, I don’t know. My school’s real big, there’s halls I haven’t even gone down. But I might not be there much longer anyway.” She picked up and tossed a shell into the waves.
“Why do you think you won’t be there?” Colin moved closer and handed her another shell to throw.
Jewel shrugged. She really shouldn’t be telling him all this, but it was a first time a guy actually listened. Besides, she wouldn’t see him after this summer anyway, so why not? “My mother. “ Jewel bit her bottom lip. “She’s getting married…again. And I can’t take it, the moving, the shouting. I j-just want to leave.”
“But at least you have a mom. You can work it out with her, can’t you?” Colin bent his legs and leaned forward, looking out to the sea.
“I don’t know. It’s hard. I have to do everything nowadays. Mow the lawn, clean the house, then try to do good in school so I can get some kind of scholarship. It’s no way my mom will be able to pay for it. I love her, but the guy she is marrying is a real creep. I don’t feel comfortable in the house with him. And my mother, she doesn’t even act like she wants me there anymore. It’s like,” she wiped hair out of her face, “it’s,” hesitating she realized that dumping too about her sad situation at home would probably confirmed to Colin that she was a basket case.
“Go on, tell me, I’m a good listener.” Colin reached over and tucked her wayward lock of hair behind her ear.
Jewel shivered at his touch, almost tilted her chin towards him before she caught herself. “It’s like she’s afraid her fiancé will be interested in me instead of her. Or somehow that she’s jealous of me or something. Why, I don’t know.” Her eyes watered again. “Hopefully when I grow up and go to college to become a sports journalist or a music producer, my parents won’t be able to hurt me anymore. I just wish her new fiancé would go away and it would be just me and mom. But she’d never do that.”
“Why don’t you just tell her how you feel? I’d wish I’d done that with my parents before they died.” Colin tossed another shell.
“You lost your parents?” Jewel bit her lower lip. “Gosh, I’m so sorry I’m sitting here sounding ungrateful and you don’t have your parents, you can never get them back. I guess if I worked harder at it, I could get mine to notice me.” She laid her hand on his. A zing of electricity went up her arm and she pulled her hand away.
“It’s okay, I’ve adjusted.” He frowned at her. “So, you still don’t remember me?”
Jewel pursed her lips, then squinted her eyes. “Why, are you on the football team? Lacrosse? Tennis?”
“Whoa! Stop,” he shook his head, “never mind.”
Jewel caught the disgusted snort he made. “So, what happened to your hook-up over there?” She tilted her head back at the party that was growing louder behind them.
“She ditched me for a better opportunity.” A lazy grin slid onto Colin’s face. “That ever happen to you?”
“No, I’m usually the ditcher. It’s a curse.” Jewel stood up and wiped the sand from her legs. Hopefully from now on, that won’t happen. She can work on trying to salvage her dream of being able to take care of herself one day. Something her parents hadn’t quite figured out.
“That so? I bet the guys you dumped don’t feel that way. I bet they’d be angry or hurt.” He hopped up beside her.
“Nope, they get over it. Usually takes them less than a month to find someone new. Besides, none of them were hurting for their next conquest. They recover. Trust me, they deserved it.” Jewel laughed and gave Colin a small nudge with her elbow. But he didn’t appear to find what she said funny. Her chest hurt at the taunting thought that she would come off as a callous heart breaker. But she shrugged it off figuring that he was a guy and was like all the other ones she’d met who didn’t really care about her as a person.
“Not always.” He jogged away and left her standing there at the beach.
Frowning, she wondered at the slight irritation she picked up in his voice. Maybe he’d been dumped by someone he loved. And she just messed up one of the best times she’d had with a boy in forever. “Just great.” She slapped her hand to her face, and headed back to the beach house, where she wouldn’t have to witness Colin being kissed by another girl.
Colin was avoiding her. Jewel, was now tormenting his dreams, the kinds of dreams that woke guys up at night. Jewel, the girl who still didn’t even recognize him from her own school. He couldn’t deny it ticked him off. For the last few days, his friend, Jake had tried to drag him to the boardwalk with them, but Colin bailed out early. He told them he was going to see Taylor.
And seeing Taylor had been a disaster. He’d flirted with her, then apologized, and told her Jewel wasn’t his girlfriend. Now Taylor was on her way over and he didn’t think he could stomach seeing her, much less making out with her. “Dumb move, real dumb.” He didn’t know what else to do. He had to find some type of distraction from the intense reaction he was developing around Jewel.
Colin straightened up the front room that was wrecked with clothes, shoes and pizza boxes. At least he didn’t have to see Jewel in some sexy top, or with her curls teasing that cute heart-shaped mark on her neck. “Stop. Just stop,” he chided himself. Thinking of her that way would get him nothing but trouble. Everyone at school knew messing with Jewel would end painfully and with humiliation most guys couldn’t stomach.
Jake ran in the front door. “You must’ve been reading my mind.”
Colin frowned. “Why? Because I cleaned up this wreck before you or Chad had a chance to do it?” Jake was a slob. But Colin didn’t mind cleaning up after him. It was the least he could do to thank Jake for giving him a slice of heaven every summer. If he was honest, Colin would admit that it even helped him to get over the grief of losing both his parents within a year of each other.
Jake laughed. “Oh yeah! We got company coming in a few.”
Colin froze. “Who? Who’s coming, ’cause I have someone coming over, too. A girl I was hoping to be alone with.”
“Amy and Megs from next door. They are bringing food. Their aunt left for two days so Megs just became my main squeeze for the rest of the week.” Jake threw a pillow at Colin. “You know they’re bringing Jewel with them.” He glared at Colin. “You’re messing things up with me and Chad. You know how girls are if one of their friends are left out the action. Tell your girl to come another time.”
“I can’t. She’s already on the way,” Colin groaned. Not Jewel, not now with Taylor coming over. “Things are about to get screwed up.”
“What’s the deal with you? Jewel’s hot, why don’t you hook up with her? She seems to like you. It’ll make things easier with me and Megs.” Jake picked up the trash bag and tied it.
“Because she’s stuck-up and a man-eater. She was my cousin’s Tank’s ex-girlfriend. You know the one who broke up with him by text with that picture?” Colin flopped back in the chair and covered his face with his hands.
Jake laughed. “Oh yeah, that was funny as dogsh—”
“Shut up!” Colin threw a shoe at Jake who ducked and bellowed harder. “Tank was messed up over that. He moped around for two months. By then she had another boyfriend – somebody on his team.” He’d never forget how red-faced his cousin was when he came home from school that day. The guy actually cried in his pillow. It was sad.
“Really. Well, Tank told me that all the guys on his team had a bet going. He must’ve bet big and lost. Whoever was the first to sleep with her would win some jackpot they’d been betting on since she started the school. I’d say Jewel’s been unknowingly beating them at their own game for years.” Jake started cracking up with laughter again, so hard he rolled off the couch.
“You can’t be telling the truth. Tank would’ve told me.” Colin stood and yanked Jake by the shirt. “Right? That’s not true.” If Jake
was telling the truth, then his cousin wasn’t really a victim. Jewel was.
Jake stopped laughing long enough to catch his breath and brush a stray tear from the crease of his eye. “It is true. You know Tank and you don’t talk like that. You’ve never been close so why do you think he’d tell you anything like about losing money because he didn’t hook up with some girl? We were talking about it the last time all the teams had that end of season party at my house. Besides my teammates know all the backstory on the cheerleaders on your school team since they are our rivals. ”
“Dag, I—” Colin wiped a hand through his dark waves. His heart nearly stopped. Mistaken. He was so wrong about Jewel. Well, sort of. She couldn’t know. Even so, her methods of breaking up were still cruel.
Chad came through the door with an arm wrapped around Amy’s shoulder and Megs after him. “Hey, ya’ll cleaned up?” His eyebrow quirked up.
Taylor came in behind them. Colin exhaled. He was so not ready to deal with Taylor after he just stomached what Jake told him about his cousin, about Jewel—about everything.
“Hi you.” Taylor smiled at him with her glossy pink lips and coy smile.
Colin only wanted her to leave, but he’d invited her here. “Hi. Uhum. Want to sit on the couch? We were about to set up a movie or something.”
“Oh, thanks.” Taylor slid past him to sit on the couch. “I’m not hungry. Something to drink would be good.”
Relieved he wouldn’t have to deal with her, Colin rushed to the kitchen just in time to see Jewel making her way up the porch. “Freak!” He raced through the side entrance of the kitchen to meet Jewel at the door.
“Oh, hi! You scared me.” Jewel put her hand over her heart. Her bangle bracelets made a jiggling sound and she placed a hand on his torso to steady herself. The gold halter top was slit in the front, leaving her tight stomach visible. Colin had to swallow his tongue before his eyes met hers.
Colin’s chest muscles twitched and it felt like her hand burned through his t-shirt to his skin. He stepped back. “Uh, can I talk to you a minute?”
Jewel frowned up at him. “I. Um?”
He had to fight the urge to pull her close and kiss her full lips, the birthmark on the curve of her neck she tried to fade. So, he placed his hand on hers, taking a deep breath to refocus his jumbled thoughts.
Megs called from behind him, “Hurry up, Jewel! You’re missing the previews.” Megs peeked around Colin’s arm and grabbed Jewel’s wrist. “It’s your favorite part,” she chortled in a sing-song voice and tugged Jewel away from him and into the front room.
He grunted. Then he went into the kitchen to grab a soda for Taylor. When he cleared the threshold into the room, Jewel sat alone in the only chair, smiling at the previews on the TV. He wanted her, he shouldn’t, but he did. What was wrong with him? He’d accused her of so many things, but he wasn’t any better. He’d done his dirt before he dated his last girlfriend. He’d gone through girls like water. However, judging Jewel was easier than facing the way he really felt about her. He had to set things straight between them or the rest of the summer would suck in so many ways.
“That for me?” Taylor asked and pursed her lips out into a pouty seductive smile.
Colin forced a grin on his face and sat next to her, handing Taylor the soda can. “Yeah. Sorry I took so long.”
“I don’t mind.” Taylor relaxed back against him and wrapped her fingers through his.
Colin fought the urge to snatch his hand away, feeling uncomfortable, he slid back some. “Hey, I uh, gotta get something else from the kitchen.” He unraveled his hands out of Taylor’s.
Hesitantly, she let go. “Okay, I’ll be here keeping your seat warm.” Taylor tugged at the bottom of his shirt. “You want me to ask them to wait to start it?”
Colin lifted an eyebrow and realized that, Jake and Megs were kissing in the corner. Amy and Chad were out on the back porch. The only one engrossed in the movie was Jewel. At least he thought so, but he caught her slipping her eyes at him. When she saw him looking back at her, Jewel started watching the movie again.
Colin walked into the kitchen, grabbed up some popcorn, then tossed it in the microwave. Someone’s arms snaked around him. He flinched, instinctively knowing it wasn’t who he wanted touching him.
“Hey, I thought you forgot about me.” Taylor’s husky voice tickled his ear.
He twisted around, placing his hands on her upper arm. “Hi, uh, I was just popping everyone something to eat.”
Taylor nodded. “Yeah.” Then she kissed him.
Colin’s hands twisted in her hair as he tried to step back, but hit the kitchen counter. Taylor moved in closer. Her mouth opened on top of his.
“Oh, I…oh! Sorry to interrupt,” Jewel stuttered. “Maybe I should just go.”
Colin pushed Taylor away. “Jewel look I…”
Jewel shook her head. “Just tell Megs I not feeling well, I’m going home.” She hurried past him. The door slammed behind her.
Colin exhaled. “Taylor, let me walk you home.”
Jewel no longer seemed like the stuck-up snob he’d considered her to be. But now, Jewel probably thought he was a major butt-wipe.
Jewel peeked outside, hoping that Megs and Amy would stay asleep. The sky’s dark morning hue gave the warning of daylight. It was enough light from the moon to allow her to slink away like she had the last few days and avoid the guys next door, and Megs who knew her way too well.
She slid out the entry door and made sure she didn’t slam it. Tiptoeing down the stairs, she thought she heard someone on the porch at the guy’s house. So, Jewel raked a glance onto their deck from her stairs, and sighed in relief that she saw no one.
Her ponytail slapped against her back as she headed down the beach path in her tennis shoes. The light jacket she wore hung loosely on her shoulders as she started her jog. It was what she did at home to relax and have an excuse to get out of the house. It worked—most times. Except when her mother’s latest fiancé stayed over, then he’d usually detain her for some reason. She hated it. But she didn’t know what she disliked more, him, or the fact that her mother didn’t seem to see through the sleaziness. Jewel planned to work up the courage to ask Megs’ mom if she could move in with them. Hopefully, she’ll get the chance to ask—no beg, before her mom’s wedding in October. She didn’t doubt her mother would agree. Her aunt may be difficult since she loved her sister and didn’t want to make Jewel’s mom cry. Jewel didn’t know why it mattered to her aunt, anyway, she was basically like a mother to her since her mom was hardly home.
Jewel closed her eyes briefly and inhaled in the salty sea air. The cool spray of water from the waves crashing felt soothing on her now heated skin. She ran faster, thinking of Colin, of how he made her want him. Of how different he was than the boys who fought over her at school, the boys who seemed to line up one after another. At first, when she started there in tenth grade the amount of boys approaching her was uncomfortable. She’d never been that sought after in her other high school. Also, after getting to know the cheerleaders, it seemed that most of the girls had already dated several of the same guys.
But when she spent time with Colin, it didn’t feel like he was working hard at impressing her. Talking to him, just felt natural—and she connected to him. It was obvious that the last time they spoke she’d said something that ticked him off. She seemed to always do that to boys, which was why with her former boyfriends she never bothered to tell them anything about herself. Jewel just played the trophy girlfriend. It appeared to make them happy until they tried to do more than kiss her, or tried to persuade her into hooking up.
The way she felt when she saw Colin kissing that girl, Taylor, was horrible. Jewel bit her jaw just thinking about that moment. The slight pain in her chest at the replay of the incident made her shake her head to rid herself of the icky feeling of misplaced jealousy. And she knew jealousy well because that was what she felt every time she saw another picture of her dad with his new wif
e—jealous, worthless and unlovable.
That kiss Colin gave Taylor was steamy. The kind you see in movies. Here, alone while she jogged she could admit it to herself—she’d wanted to be that girl, really wanted it. More than she’d wanted any of her boyfriends, or even to see her father. It was like a hunger to be close to Colin that made every part of her body ache. That’s why she needed to avoid him this summer. If she didn’t, she’d do something stupid, or say something that would turn him off. Besides, Colin obviously wasn’t interested in her. Why would he be? She started off being a petty, shallow, pain-in-his butt and she still didn’t back off.
Jewel slowed down, bent over, and rested her hands on her knees. Breathing hard, she thought she heard pounding feet behind her.
“Hey!” Colin jogged up next to her. “Jewel, wait up.”
Jewel tensed, a tickle ran up her back at the sound of his deep voice. She didn’t know what to say to him after that last embarrassing episode. There was no reason for her to have left the movie party, except that she wasn’t paired up with anyone. Even now, she felt stupid about just bailing on everyone. Megs had later apologized for assuming Colin would be alone. It shouldn’t had mattered that he was with someone.
Colin touched her shoulder, and that electrifying sting remained where his hand lightly touched. Jewel closed her eyes and stood, sliding out of his grasp.
“What’s wrong? Where have you been the last few days?” Colin’s voice sounded gruff and grainy as though he’d just woken up to run out and follow her.
Jewel couldn’t look at him, she was so embarrassed. Instead she stared towards the sea. With a sigh, she sat down. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you and your…uh, friend at the movie party. Megs already told me I shouldn’t have left. For some reason she thought Jake was bringing a friend for me to meet too.” She bent her legs up and crossed her arms around them.
