“Nothing.”
I cocked my head as I looked up at him, but he was avoiding my eyes. “Abe...”
He exhaled loudly through his nose before he said, “You don’t get it, do you?”
Obviously not, because I had no idea what he was talking about. “Get what?”
“Why I made you do the dare in the first place.”
I turned fully around to face him, though it was hard to see his face in the dim hallway. “To torture me. That’s obvious.”
“No,” he said, closing his eyes and shaking his head. “That’s not it at all.”
I suddenly wanted to turn on a light so we weren’t standing there in a dark hallway, but the switch was behind him and it would have felt weird to lean close to him to flick it on. I mean, it already was weird, but getting closer to him right then would have felt weirder. He was looking at me and I felt like he was waiting for me to guess or suddenly understand, but all I knew was that he was being all serious and I wasn’t catching on at all. I know I play dumb a lot, but I can usually figure out what’s going on around me. Not with Abe, though. Not this time.
“So what, then?” I finally asked when he didn’t give it up.
He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple moving in his neck under what looked like a couple days’ worth of stubble. For some reason, he looked really good in shadow; the angles of his face were more prominent. Masculine. I shook off that thought and looked up into his eyes as he spoke.
“I wanted you to see that it’s not about what you wear or what you show that makes you attractive.”
It took me a second to process that. “Right.” I snorted at what had to be a joke. “You’re funny.”
“Do you see me laughing?” he said.
The smirk seemed to fall off my face at this. Because no, I didn’t see him laughing. Even in the near dark, I could see he was dead serious. My stomach rolled over suddenly as I tried to figure out what he was doing. Abe was always smiling. He was the funny guy, the nice guy, so why was he looking at me like that? And worse, why was it making me so uncomfortable? Not uncomfortable like I wanted to run away from him, but uncomfortable like his words were terrifyingly intimate, but still, I was somehow desperate for him to keep talking.
But that was crazy. And way too real here and now in this dark hallway. Not wanting him to see he’d gotten to me, I laughed too loudly and gave him a withering look. “Please do not even try to tell me guys aren’t into boobs.”
I almost wanted his eyes to drop to my chest because then he’d prove my point and I could totally call him on it. But his green eyes stayed unwaveringly on mine. “Chelly,” he said, his voice suddenly soft and low, like a caress. “Don’t mistake a guy who wants sex for a guy who wants you.”
I swallowed, but then looked away and waved my hand dismissively. “Same thing.”
“No it’s not.”
I snorted.
“It’s not, Chelly. Trust me.”
The way he said my name made it impossible not to look at him. My eyes flicked to his and then away again because it was getting way too intense. I turned away from him and grabbed the door handle, pulling it open. “Whatever, Abe. Look, you’d better get out of here or Liz is going to send the dean after you or something.”
Before I knew what was happening, his arm came beside my head and pushed the door closed with a slam, trapping me between it and him. I gasped involuntarily and my heart started hammering in my chest. I’d never, ever thought of Abe as anything but a nice, friendly guy, but suddenly he was acting all alpha. It was weird. And, if I’m being honest, kind of sexy. I didn’t dare turn around because I didn’t want him to be able to know what I was thinking and in that moment, I knew my face was totally readable.
“Who is it?” he asked, his breath on my right ear.
Right.
Freaking.
There.
I exhaled. “What?”
“Who is it?” he repeated.
I swallowed and took as quiet a breath as I could before I turned around and glanced up at him. “Liz? She’s the dorm monitor.”
“No. I mean who is the ‘dude’ you’re looking to snag.”
I let out my breath and turned back to the door. “Can you please stop crowding me so I can open the door?” I said, hating that my voice felt like it was about to break. Thankfully it didn’t and I felt more than heard him move back a few steps.
I pulled open the door and started walking through it before he could close it again. But he wasn’t done with me yet.
“Chelly. Answer me.”
I was about to tell him it was none of his business, but then realized that wasn’t really what he would expect me to say; Chelly never got angry. Chelly never got defensive. Chelly never, ever got in over her head.
And anyway, I had been the one to bring it up in the first place. I closed the door behind him and slid the key into the lock, deliberately not answering him. I could hear him breathing as he waited for me. He was clearly not going to let this go. It was weird. I couldn’t remember even the Commander being this overprotective. It was almost like...Hmm.
I finished with the door and replaced the key in the little hidey-hole before I grinned up at him and did what Chelly did best. “Why, Abe? Are you jealous?” I teased as we started down the hallway to the front desk.
“He’s not good enough for you.”
That stopped me in my tracks. I looked up at him. “Who?”
“Miles.”
I laughed and started down the hall again. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”
“Oh. I thought...”
I guess he had seen Miles follow me out of the wardrobe room that night and assumed we were hooking up in there when it was actually the opposite. I shook my head. “No. Not Miles.”
“Who then?”
As we walked side by side down the hall I couldn’t help it, I got kind of mad that he was being so bossy. Screw what Chelly always does. “I don’t think it’s any of your business, Abe,” I said sweetly, smiling at him to cushion the blow of my words.
His jaw worked and I was worried maybe even with the smile, I’d offended him.
“Fine,” I said, sighing and rolling my eyes. “Hunter.”
“He’s not good enough for you, either.”
My anger about him being all bossy dissolved because he was actually being really adorable. I had to fight the urge to hug him, not wanting to make it awkward. “So that’s a yes on the jealous thing, then?” I bumped my shoulder into his arm playfully.
“No,” he drawled, unaffected by my flirting. Which was a teeny, tiny, little bit disappointing, but—I reminded myself—this was Abe, the guy who never flirted with me. Brooklyn? Hell yeah; even though she’d dumped his ass (though nicely) he still flirted with her. Emmie he flirted with, even Celia. But not me. Never me.
“I just thought I should warn you.” He shrugged. “He’s the kind of guy you’ll attract when you put it all out there, but he’s kind of a jerk.”
“Look at you being all protective,” I said.
He scowled at me and I had a sudden pang of regret, realizing I’d probably just pushed him a little too far. He really was the nice guy and here I was kind of being a cow by teasing him when all he was doing was acting like a concerned big brother. I should have been thanking him, not needling him.
“Look,” I said, grabbing his forearm to stop him right before we arrived at the front desk. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, so thanks. But I’m a big girl and I can handle myself.” The scowl didn’t ease off his face and for some reason, I felt like I needed to explain. “I...I like it when guys look at me. I guess I’m a bit of an attention-whore.”
“But it’s not...”
I stopped him with a raised finger when he began to protest. “Abe. You’re not my brother or my father. You don’t have to look after me.”
He took a deep breath and then let it out. “Chelly, I...”
But I didn’t want to hear whatever it was.
Because suddenly, he had me questioning my whole approach to finding a boyfriend and I didn’t like what he was saying, because the alternative to what I had planned was unthinkable. I shook my head and dropped his arm when I realized I still had a grip on him. “It’s fine, Abe. Come on; I need to get you out of here.”
He sighed and nodded, following me up to the reception desk without another word.
As he signed out, I stole a glance at him, wondering why he was so serious all of a sudden. On one hand, I was dying for one of his jokes, on the other, I secretly sort of liked this side of Abe.
A lot.
Add a Light Source
We finished off singing “Happy Birthday” and waited for Brooklyn to blow out her candles. We were sitting up in the third floor lounge, gathered around an amazing cake that Celia had baked and decorated herself just for the occasion. With the pink bows and the fondant horses it was almost too pretty to eat. Almost
“Go on. Make a wish!” Emmie said as Brooklyn took a deep breath.
“Maybe she’ll wish her hot horse coach will come back,” I said.
Brooklyn blew out her breath as she glanced over at me and gave me an eye-roll, but I caught the little upturn of her mouth. I raised my eyebrows in question, but she looked away.
Huh. That was interesting. “Something you want to tell us?” I said, thinking maybe the hot horse coach in question had e-mailed her or sent her a little something from wherever he was hiding out.
She shook her head and leaned toward her cake. “I’m not telling you my wish,” she said. “Or it won’t come true.”
“She’s totally wishing for Brady,” Kaylee said with a nod. “And who could blame her. He is ho-ot.”
I loved the way she made hot into a two-syllable word. She wasn’t wrong about the coach though. “Mind your own hot guy,” I said, teasing.
“Just because I have a hot guy of my own doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate others.”
“Can I blow out my candles, please?” Brooklyn asked, laughing despite the telltale blush on her cheeks which meant she was totally wishing on the coach. “They’ve burned almost all the way down.”
“We’re not stopping you,” Emmie said with a faux innocent look.
“Whatever,” Brooklyn said with another exaggerated eye-roll but she took a big inhale and blew out her candles, getting all of them with the one breath. We all clapped and Celia moved in to take out the candles so she could cut the cake.
“I almost hate to cut it,” Brooklyn said. “With all the work you put into it.”
I stood up and took a snap of the cake with my camera. Even though her father was retired now, Brooklyn still didn’t like us taking pictures of her, but one of the cake couldn’t be against the rules. “I’ll send it to you,” I promised.
She nodded. “Thanks.”
I sat back down and eyed Celia cutting the cake as I waited for my piece. “So how do you think you did on your physics test?” Kaylee said, dragging my attention away from the cake.
“Oh. I think I did pretty well. Thanks again for your help, by the way,” I said. “It almost seemed too easy, although I’m pretty sure that means I might have messed up pretty badly.”
Kaylee shook her head. “Don’t sell yourself short. Once you understood the concepts you really got it. I just led you there. I’m sure you did great.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“Here you go,” Celia said, sliding a couple of plates toward us. I looked down at mine.
“How come I get the horse’s ass?”
“You’re always looking for a nice ass, I figured...” Celia said with a shrug, giving me an innocent look. For like half a second until we all busted out laughing. I would have thrown the plastic fork at her if I didn’t need it to eat the cake.
Kaylee dug into her piece and then looked up at me as she chewed slowly. I knew that look. That was her thinking look.
“What?” I asked.
She swallowed and then shook her head, slicing off a piece of her cake with the edge of her fork before shoving it into her mouth.
“Kaylee?”
She exhaled and chewed and then once she’d swallowed, she looked up at me. “Promise you won’t think I’m stupid?”
I did a double-take. “How could I ever think you’re stupid? You’re one of the smartest people I know.”
“Okay, fine. Promise you won’t think I’m pathetically insecure?”
I lifted an eyebrow at that, not really willing to make that promise. “What’s the matter?”
She sighed. “You’re going to kiss Declan.”
“What?!” I blurted, making all the other girls turn and look, but I didn’t care because what the hell? “I’m not into...I wouldn’t...how could you think...?”
“Wait,” Kaylee said, holding up her hands. “That came out wrong, I don’t think you’re after him. I mean in the play. As Romeo and Juliet. In character.”
I exhaled in relief and pressed my hand to my thumping heart. “Oh God, you scared me there.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean...” she looked down at her cake.
“Kaylee? You trust me, right?”
Her eyes went wide. “Of course! Of course! It’s just...Ugh, see? This is me being pathetically insecure.”
I grabbed her hand. “Kaylee. That guy totally loves you with all his heart. You have absolutely nothing to worry about. I’m just a prop he has to kiss and it will mean nothing to either of us. I promise.”
She nodded. “I know that. I’m just being stupid, that’s all.”
“Has he given you any reason to think he’s a cheater?” Emmie asked, her brow furrowed.
“No, of course not. It’s just...” she glanced at me and then away.
Something in my stomach turned into a rock and I hadn’t even had a bite of cake yet. “Just what?”
“Just that you’re...”
“I’m what?” I looked at Emmie; she was still frowning but wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“You’re...” Kaylee began.
“Sexy,” Brooklyn finished. “Flirty.”
“But I would never do anything. You know that, right?”
“Of course. Just you’ve never had to kiss him before.”
“Well that’s true. But it won’t mean anything. Actors do it all the time. It’s just acting.” I leaned over and slid my arm around her shoulder. “I would never, ever do anything.”
“I know that,” she said, her voice soft. “Of course I know that. And I’m sorry for being stupid about it. I never should have brought it up.”
I squeezed her to me. “It’s okay. I’m glad you said something. I’d rather you do that then fester about it and suddenly hate my guts. And anyway, you’re the director; you’ll be there for every kiss.”
She nodded. “I guess that’s true.”
I leaned away from her and picked up my fork, suddenly a bit nervous about the kissing. I mean, I hadn’t even thought of it before now and we hadn’t gotten to the scenes yet where we would have to, but now that I knew it was such a touchy subject, I was worried. Not that I would ever do anything to jeopardize hers and Declan’s relationship on purpose. But...No. I had to not think about it.
Denial had always worked for me in the past, so why not now?
~ ♥ ~
“What do you think? Will he take the jacket off today?”
I glanced over at Emmie as she slid into the seat beside me in our physics class the morning after Brooklyn’s birthday. “Huh?”
She pointed her chin to the front of the class where Mr. Stratton was getting himself sorted, pulling a stack of papers out of his leather bag.
I smiled back at my friend. “I’m going to say he’ll take it off. Want to make it a wager?”
She looked at me critically and then shook her head. “No. I don’t think that would be a good bet. It’s pretty warm in here. I’m with you.”
Like he’d heard her, Mr. Stratton undid the button at the front of his jacket and shrugged out of it, draping i
t over the back of his chair.
“Nice,” Emmie said, echoing my own thoughts.
“Good morning, ladies,” he said, looking out at all of us, smiling. “Our first order of business is to return your tests. Overall well done, but I wanted to point out that one of you got a hundred percent.”
I looked at Emmie who looked at me and at the same time we said, “Naomi” and then giggled. I felt a little bad about ragging on my roommate but she really was such a suckup. Of course she aced the test.
“Ms. Spencer?”
Uh oh. Emmie and I turned back toward the front of the class to see the teacher staring at us. We’d obviously missed something and were now busted. “Pardon?” I said innocently.
He was grinning at me. My first thought was that hot teachers shouldn’t be allowed to grin like that. But I pushed that out of my head while I waited for him to continue, wondering what was going on.
“Don’t you want to come down here and pick up your perfect test?”
I glanced over at Emmie and then back to him, flabbergasted. “What?”
“You got perfect!” She said, squealing and giving me a quick side hug. “Go!”
I jumped up out of my seat and made my way to the front of the class amid the whistles and applause of my classmates. I’d never gotten perfect on a test ever and I totally had Kaylee to thank for this one, but even though she had helped me study and understand the work, I knew when I was writing the test that I was going to kick its ass. I knew the stuff and I felt really proud of myself. Not to be conceited, but I had worked for it and it paid off. Maybe college and working toward being a pilot wasn’t as crazy an idea as I’d thought.
Slow down; it was just one test, I told myself. I still had a long way to go.
“Congratulations,” Mr. Stratton said as I walked up to him and took the test from his outstretched hand. “Good job.”
“Thanks,” I said, giving him a smile, trying not to notice the twinkle in his eye and how good he smelled.
After I took the paper from him, he turned toward the class and raised his voice. “And not only did Ms. Spencer get the only perfect mark in the class, but she’s the star of the school play. I understand you’re giving us a taste of it in the upcoming talent show?”
Acting Out Page 8
