by Sarah Carter
“That’s probably a good idea. We need to get that started.”
“I’m actually good at writing, so we just need to come up with ideas, and I’ll do it.”
Looking at him, Kayla says, “No, I’ll help. This is our project. I won’t have you doing all the work. I like to earn my 4.0 GPA.”
“All right,” Jackson says with a sigh. “We won’t get as good a grade then.”
Kayla shoves him into the lockers. “Shut up.”
Jackson bounces back and grabs her. He pushes her across the hall, backing them into a wall. “Don’t start a fight you can’t finish,” he murmurs.
Her breath gets caught in her throat because of how close they are. “Are you going to beat me up?” she asks.
“No, I would think of something better than that, much more embarrassing,” he replies. They are so close that Kayla can feel the heat of his body against hers. They stand there for a minute staring at each other, the tension building between them. Then slowly, Jackson bends down to her. Her impulse is to kiss him, kiss him hard, but she knows better than that. Gently, she places her hand on his chest and stops him. Jackson opens his eyes and appears to remember their friendship agreement. He quickly backs up. “Damn it, I’m sorry. I don’t think I can do this,” he grumbles to himself.
“Do what? You can’t tell me that you didn’t want to kiss me right then.”
With anger in his voice, Jackson snaps, “That’s the problem; I did. I need to go to the bathroom.” He turns to walk away.
“You promised you wouldn’t bolt,” Kayla yells.
Jackson stops and turns around. “I’m not bolting, Kayla, and I am not repulsed by you. It’s the exact opposite, but I need a minute to…regroup or something. I promise, it’s not you.”
“Whatever,” Kayla growls as she walks past him. He grabs her elbow, but she twists out of his grip and continues walking.
When she gets to class, she slams her stuff down on her desk. Her friend, Daniella, looks at her. “You okay, girl?”
“Guys are so stupid!”
Daniella laughs. “You just figuring that out?”
Kayla takes out her history book and starts to read the next chapter. She senses Jackson come in, but she ignores him. Luckily, a few seconds later, the bell rings and the teacher starts the day’s lecture, so Kayla doesn’t have to talk to Jackson.
At the end of class, she quickly grabs her stuff and practically runs out of the room. She purposely gets lost in the crowd. Kayla can’t quite grasp how she feels…anger, rejection, sadness. It’s all swimming around in her head.
Lunch comes and goes. Tracy bugs her the whole time about what’s wrong. Kayla tells her to leave it alone. Tracy asks if it’s about Jackson, but Kayla ignores her and walks down the hall by herself.
The rest of the school day gives her time to calm down, so when creative writing finally arrives, she is in a much better mood. When she gets to class, Jackson is already in his seat. With her head held high, Kayla walks past him and sits down at her desk. Jackson turns around. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Kayla retorts sharply.
“You know what; I don’t need to answer that,” Jackson states quietly.
Fidgeting with her pen, Kayla whispers, “I know where we stand. Just, please, keep your hands, body…everything to yourself from now on.”
“I can do that. I’m sorry. I would never hurt you on purpose.”
With a nod of her head, Kayla says, “Good to know.”
Jackson hangs his head and turns around. Class seems endless. Her eyes keep drifting back to Jackson. She still doesn’t know how to feel about him, and that bothers her. A lot.
At the end of the school day, Kayla and Jackson walk to her locker together. “Do you still want to come over?” Jackson asks. “Or do you just want to punch me?”
“Well.” Kayla laughs. “I do want to punch you, but we really need to start this project.”
“Okay, get your books.”
A voice is heard above the noise in the hall. “Hey, what’s going on guys?”
They both turn to see Tracy. Jackson smiles and says, “Hey, best friend. Nothing. We’re going to my house to work on our creative writing story.”
“Ooh,” Tracy coos. “Make sure you actually do your work.”
“Tracy,” Kayla hisses. “That won’t be a problem. Trust me.”
Her friend just shrugs her shoulders. “I’d try to invite myself to go with, but I have homework to catch up on. I’m going to stop and get coffee and then head home. You two have fun. I’ll text you later, Kayla.”
“All right,” Kayla replies.
Tracy turns to Jackson. “If you want to go to breakfast without our non-best friend, give me a call.”
Jackson chuckles. “That’d be difficult if I don’t have your number.”
“Good point. Get it from her.” She nods at Kayla. “I have to go. See you guys later!” She waves and then turns to leave.
Kayla looks at Jackson. “Sorry, she’s a little forward sometimes.”
“No.” Jackson laughs. “That’s what I like about her.”
“You like that she gushes over you,” Kayla retorts, grabbing her books. “It fluffs your ego.”
With a smirk, Jackson says, “True. Let’s go.”
They make small talk about their likes and dislikes all the way to Jackson’s house. When they pull up to the front, Kayla is completely stunned. “Jackson, your house is insane. It’s huge!”
“Yeah, my parents like it. I’m happy to just live in my room. Okay, that’s a lie. I like the gym and pool, but otherwise, I think the extra rooms go to waste. We have to park in back.” He starts to drive around the house and then suddenly stops.
“What’s wrong?” Kayla asks. She turns her attention to where Jackson is looking. All she sees is a black sports car.
Jackson growls. “I think you should probably go home.”
“What? Why? Don’t be ridiculous; I’m here. Just park the car.”
The air is heavy as Jackson pulls next to the car. “This is a bad idea,” he mumbles.
“Seriously? I’m getting out of the car.” She grabs her bag and climbs out. When she closes the door, she walks over to the sports car. It looks really expensive. When Jackson walks up next to her, she asks, “What kind of car is this?”
“Porsche Carrera GT.”
Kayla looks into it. “Is it expensive?”
“Yeah.” Jackson sighs. “Probably like half a million dollars.”
She nearly falls over. “Excuse me, what? Is it your dad's?”
“No, we aren’t that ostentatious.”
Before Jackson can say anything more, the back door opens and his mom comes out. “Kayla! It’s so good to see you. What a surprise.”
Smiling, Kayla replies, “Hi, Mrs. Blakely.”
“Oh, please, call me Emma,” his mom says. “Come on in. Are you going to stay for dinner?”
“Sure,” Kayla replies.
“No.” Jackson hisses. “I think she needs to go home.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Jackson,” his mom snaps. “Come on, Kayla. Let me show you the house.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Blakely,” Kayla says, giving a what-the-hell look to Jackson. She follows Jackson’s mom into the house.
Mrs. Blakely turns around and nearly laughs. “We are so glad that you’re here. It really is a pleasant surprise.”
“It’s good to see you too,” Kayla chirps. She follows Jackson’s mom down a massive hallway. Kayla is awestruck; gorgeous art is everywhere. “This place is beautiful.”
“Thank you,” his mom replies. “We love art and collect it from everywhere we go.”
Kayla smiles. “Awesome.” She senses Jackson come up next to her, so she turns and looks at him. He has a worried look on his face. When his mom walks farther down the hallway, Kayla whispers, “What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” Jackson murmurs. “I just think you should leave.”
“Do y
ou not want me here?” Kayla asks, feeling hurt.
Jackson shakes his head. “That’s not it.”
Suddenly, they hear, “Hello, cousin.”
They both turn toward the voice, and Kayla’s heart nearly jumps out of her chest. The guy standing beside them is gorgeous. His black hair is lustrous and formed into a slight faux hawk on his head, but his bangs fall down in front. It’s like he had someone professionally style it. His eyes are a vibrant hazel, like Jackson’s, but with a hint of jade green. He is dressed in all black, and the clothing forms to his defined body perfectly.
“Hi,” Kayla’s squeaks.
“Are you going to introduce us?” the guy asks Jackson.
Nearly snarling, Jackson replies, “Damien, this is Kayla. Kayla, this is my cousin, Damien.”
Damien picks up Kayla’s hand and kisses the back of it. It makes her nerves sizzle. Damien places his hand on top of hers and Kayla nearly buckles, a wave of sheer pleasure running through her.
Jackson grabs her other hand and pulls her tight against him. “Knock it off, Damien.”
“I think you’re keeping a beautiful treasure all to yourself. What a greedy cousin,” Damien says, looking straight at Kayla.
Her whole world stops. Between Damien’s stare and Jackson’s touch, she doesn’t quite know what to do.
Chapter 5
They all stand there for a second, Jackson holding on tightly to Kayla, and Damien and Kayla staring at each other. Damien smiles. “I’m so glad that I could meet you.”
“Yeah,” Kayla whispers.
“Come on,” Jackson says to Kayla, grabbing her hand. “Let’s go to my room.”
Damien crosses his arms. “Aren’t you being rude?”
Kayla tugs on Jackson’s hand. “Yeah, come on. We just met. Be nice.”
Jackson exhales loudly. “All right. This is my cousin, Damien. He is a huge pain in my ass.”
“Jackson, stop it!” Kayla hisses. “What is wrong with you? Oh wait…you’re a jackass to other people too. It’s not just me!” Jackson glares at her. Kayla starts to laugh and grabs ahold of his arm, leaning against him. She bats her eyelashes. “I’m joking. You can’t be mad at this face.”
“I would never be mad at such a beautiful face,” Damien interjects smoothly.
Kayla turns to him as her face reddens. “I am not beautiful.”
Grabbing his chest with his hand, Damien replies, “Don’t be silly. You are gorgeous. If Jackson hasn’t told you that every day, then he’s a fool.”
“I do tell her that,” Jackson spits out.
“You have said that,” Kayla notes, “but not nearly enough.” Jackson’s jaw drops. Kayla giggles. “I’m just teasing, calm down.” She leans in near him. “Remember, we’re just friends, so I'm not breaking any rules if I accept compliments from another guy.”
Tension ripples through Jackson. “If that’s what you want.”
“Come!” Damien exclaims. “Let’s give this girl a tour of your house.” He turns to Kayla and sticks out his arm. “You should be shown by a gentleman and treated like a lady.”
“Well then.” Kayla laughs. She nervously weaves her arm through Damien’s. “Show me Mister...what’s your last name?”
Damien smiles. “Oh, it’s also Blakely. Our fathers are cousins.”
“Oh, so you’re like second cousins.”
“Sadly,” Jackson grumbles.
With a raised eyebrow, Damien says, “Don’t mind my brooding relative. He can be a bit testy sometimes.”
“Damien,” Jackson growls.
“Yes,” he replies with a grin.
Pulling on his arm, Kayla says, “Show me the house Damien.”
“Very well, Ms. Hendrickson.”
Kayla stops. “How do you know my last name?”
“Oh.” Damien sighs. “I guess I won’t lie. I know who you are. I know your parents.”
“Does everyone know about me?” Kayla exclaims. “I didn’t know about either of you.”
A perturbed look passes over Damien’s face. “Yes, well, I don’t agree with that. You should know exactly who we are.”
“Damien,” Jackson hisses. “Respect her parents' wishes.”
“What do my parents have to do with this?” Kayla asks.
Damien pats her hand. “Ignore me, let’s show you the house.”
“Okay,” Kayla mutters.
He leads her down the hallway. “To the right you have the dining room, which is where we will eat later. To the left is the kitchen. They have a private chef. None of them cook. I, on the other hand, can.”
“Jackson bakes,” Kayla says.
Damien stops and turns to his cousin. “Oh, he does?”
“Well, he bakes brownies, they have…well, they’re good brownies. I’ll leave it at that.”
“Little Miss Susie, the homemaker,” Damien says. “How cute.” Jackson glares at his cousin. Damien condescendingly says, “What…are you getting your apron strings in a twist?”
Kayla bursts out laughing. “Burn!” Jackson steps forward but then turns and storms off. “Jackson!” Kayla yells, still giggling. “Stop!” Jackson turns the corner and disappears.
Damien sighs. “Leave him be. He’s a bit sensitive, always has been the brooding type. He’ll be fine. He just doesn’t like competition.”
Turning to him, Kayla says, “Competition, what competition?”
“Really,” Damien replies. “I figured that would be obvious.”
“Me?” Kayla squeaks. “You don’t even know me!”
Damien smirks. “Oh, but I will.”
“Listen, Jackson is not interested in dating me, trust me.”
“Well, that makes it easier on me then.”
Suddenly embarrassed and uneasy, Kayla whispers, “I should go find Jackson.”
“Oh, please,” Damien says kindly. “I didn’t mean to be so forward. Don’t think ill of me because of it. I apologize. I can be a little abrupt sometimes.”
“It’s okay. I should go find Jackson. We have a project to work on.”
Damien smiles. “Please, stay and join us for dinner. I really would love to learn more about you.”
“Okay,” Kayla says sheepishly. “Where is Jackson’s room?”
“Mmmm, as much as I don’t want to tell you, it’s around the corner. Go to the end of the hallway, take a left, and it’s the first door on your right.”
Nervously, Kayla puts her hair behind her ear. “Thanks. I’ll see you at dinner.”
“Excellent,” Damien replies. “Have fun with Jackson. If anyone can cheer him up, it’s probably you.”
“I wouldn’t say that. We annoy each other as much as like each other, but thanks for saying that.”
Nodding, Damien says, “It’s the truth. I’ll see you at dinner.”
“Yeah, see you then.” She pulls her backpack farther up her shoulder and goes in search of Jackson. It’s easy to find his room because music blares from it. Kayla walks to the door and knocks. There is no reply. She waits for a minute before knocking again, but there is still no reply. “Jackson?” she yells. When there is no response, she opens the heavy oak door. Music overloads her as she walks into his room.
Her eyes scan the space, and when they fall on Jackson, she’s mortified. He turns around, without his shirt on. “Do you often walk into a person’s room uninvited?” he asks.
Unable to speak, Kayla gawks at him. Finally, she sputters, “I knocked a couple of times and even…called…out your name.”
Jackson walks to his closet. He yanks a shirt off a hanger and pulls it on. “Sorry, I couldn’t hear you.”
“Obviously,” Kayla yells over the music. She walks over to the stereo and turns it down. “Dear Lord, Jackson, how are you not deaf?”
“It distracts me,” Jackson mumbles. “Why are you here anyway?”
Kayla sits on his bed. “To spend time with you and to work on our project.”
“What? You didn’t want to get to know Damien
?” Jackson grumbles, returning to his desk.
“Jackson, I have no idea who Damien is, and for some reason he’s talking like he’s interested in me, which I do not understand.”
He turns and looks at her. “Kayla, I feel protective of you and just want you to be careful with Damien. His motives…well…you may not understand them. Just be careful.”
“Should I be worried? Is he a bad guy?”
Jackson shakes his head. “No, not at all. He rubs me the wrong way, but he isn’t a bad guy. I wish he were, but he isn’t. Full of himself, yes, but—”
“So are you,” Kayla interrupts. Jackson smirks and nods. The song over the speakers changes and a very sexually explicit song comes on. Kayla’s face turns beet red. “What are you listening to?”
Jackson starts laughing. “It’s Internet radio. I have no control.”
Kayla falls back on the bed giggling. “Liar! This is the stuff you really listen to! Oh my gosh! Do you fantasize to this music?”
“No,” Jackson groans. “I do not listen to music that I can have sex to.”
Still laughing, Kayla says, “Yeah right, you are so full of it. Wow, the things you learn about a person.”
“Speaking of fantasies, when I pictured you on my bed, it was not laughing at my expense.”
“Ooh,” Kayla retorts, propping herself up. “You fantasized about me on your bed? I had one dream about you. Tsk tsk, you totally just exposed yourself.”
Jackson snorts. “You wish I would expose myself.”
“Ewww, I do not! Bad visuals! Bad visuals! Ugh, thanks, Jackson.” Kayla groans, covering her face. “That was so inappropriate.”
He walks over and sits down next to her. “I always like to make you blush.”
“Will you ever change?” Kayla exclaims through her fingers.
“Not likely,” Jackson replies with a chuckle. He reaches over and pulls Kayla’s hands away. “You don’t need to be embarrassed around me.”
Kayla looks at him while lying on his bed. “Everything about guys embarrasses me.”
“That’s good to know,” they hear from the doorway.
All amusement drains from Jackson’s face. “Go away. I didn’t invite you into my room.”
Damien leans against the doorway. “I’m not in your room…technically. I figured you might need help on whatever project you’re working on.”
