Heartbreaker Hanson

by Melanie Marks

  He’d been about to take me into his arms again—until I did that. Shook my head. He froze, then winced and quickly slid over to his side of the car again.

  He gave me a weak grin, “This is going to be a lot harder than I thought.” He closed his eyes, “This self-control stuff.”

  He added with a wry smile, “ … but it’s supposed to be good for me, right? Builds character, or something.”

  “That’s what they say,” I murmured in dry agreement.

  Of course I wanted him to kiss me again—of course! But we’d just come from Laurie’s birthday party … and he was technically still her boyfriend. No way could I give in to that—no matter how tempting it was. But trust me—it was tempting. (And sort of made me need to take a freezing cold shower.)

  “I keep thinking how weird it is to be with you like this,” he said reflectively after a moment of silence. “I mean I’ve known you all my life, and until recently I had always kind of thought of you as a sister.”

  “I know,” I muttered sardonically.

  “Well, I don’t anymore,” he said with a wry smile.

  Which made me smile as well.

  I peeked at him curiously. “But what brought on the sudden change in your feelings toward me?”

  He shook his head slightly. “It wasn’t really sudden. I guess my feelings started to change towards you last year. At first it wasn’t that big of a deal. I just got to know you more intimately when we started studying together. Before that I pretty much just thought of you as Nick’s sister, or Laurie’s friend, but when we started to spend time together, without them around, I started seeing you as you—your own person. At first I was surprised to find that you were so amazingly interesting and funny, and then after a while I started to notice that you were a pretty girl, and then you got a boyfriend and I realized that I liked you a lot.”

  I gaped. “You liked me all that time?”

  Me and my boyfriend, Tony (aka: “Loser”—to Laurie) had been together a really short time—and it had been toward the middle of last year. Not at the end—when the notorious kiss on the bus took place.

  Drew’s answer was a slow nod. “Yeah—I liked you since way back then,” his voice was soft and reflective, “—but not exactly like I do now. When you started dating that guy—Tony—I was really happy for you. But whenever you’d talk about him you’d kind of glow, and at first I thought it was really cute that you liked him so much, but then it sort of started to bother me, and I had to admit that I was jealous. It felt really weird to me because I’d known you all my life, and you were Laurie’s friend. But then you went away for the summer and I decided what I’d been feeling for you was just a special kind of friendship, and I don’t know, maybe it was. Maybe. But it’s not now. You came back the most incredibly beautiful girl I have ever seen. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, and believe me Brooke—my thoughts haven’t been brotherly.”

  Heat shot through me, and a tingling sensation skittered through my insides. It was beyond thrilling to have him desire me, as I had always desired him. Always.

  I cleared my throat, trying to get a grip … and remember Laurie. “On that note, I think you should probably drive me home—so you don’t have to build any more character for the night.”

  He grinned, like I was adorable. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

  When we got to my house, Drew jumped out of his side of the car and opened the passenger door for me.

  “Are you going to be in trouble for getting home so late?” he asked with concern as he walked me to my front door.

  “My parents are out of town—as always.” Then I added quickly, since his eyes kind of sparked at that information. “Goodnight.”

  His jaw muscles flickered, but he grinned, getting my message, even if he didn’t want to. “Goodnight, Brooke. I’ll miss you.”

  I floated into my house and leaned against the door, beaming with happiness. It was just too wonderful to be true—Drew Roberts wanted us to be an us!

  Okay, I knew I should be more reasonable and sober about it—after all, he was my friend’s boyfriend … and Laurie would be crushed when he broke up with her … and even after they broke-up, Drew and I could still never be an us.

  … but I’d worry about that stuff tomorrow. Tonight I was letting myself float on a cloud of delusional happiness and dream about it being possible—Drew and I to be a couple, and everyone to be happy.

  As I danced up the stairs, the phone rang. I raced to get it, thinking that it was probably my parents calling to check on things with Nick and me.

  “They’re probably confused about the time difference,” I figured.

  And of course I was thinking how glad I was that I got home when I did, or they would have discovered how late I had been out.

  But when I answered the phone the person on the other end hung up.

  CHAPTER 17

  Being hung up on had made me feel weird—especially because I knew the person was still on the line when I answered. I could hear them breathing as I said, “Hello? … Hello?”

  It was creepy.

  And had my heart pounding hard against my chest.

  Yet that was nothing compared to when I got to my room.

  Because there was a note taped to my dresser’s mirror.

  It said—“That was another girl’s boyfriend—naughty, naughty.”

  CHAPTER 18

  Of course I didn’t sleep that night. At all.

  CHAPTER 19

  I was agitated. And scared. My pounding heart wouldn’t let me have peace—or sleep. Someone had been in my room! And they knew I’d been with Drew. But face it, the big deal was—THEY’D BEEN IN MY ROOM!!

  It totally drowned out my beautiful thoughts about the rest of the night—about being with Drew, him kissing me. The magic of it all—poof! Gone. Now all I was stuck with was the terrifying nightmare/reality that someone was stalking me. They broke into my room, knew I was with Drew—and they called me as soon as I left him. All that made me nauseously sick, and haunted my sleep when I finally dozed off for the teeniest, tiniest, little bit. I woke in a cold sweat and couldn’t go back to sleep. So, finally I dragged myself out of bed though it was Sunday morning.

  “What are you doing up so early?” Nick asked when I trudged down to the kitchen.

  I couldn’t exactly tell him about the note, since the note would pretty much give away I’d been with Drew.

  So, I redirected. “What are you doing up?”

  He never gets up before he has to, in fact he usually doesn’t even get up even then. We usually have to drag him out of bed.

  “I had this cool lick in my head,” he answered sounding frustrated. “It just wouldn’t go away so I finally had to drag myself out of bed to play the stupid thing. But it disappeared. It’s gone.”

  The ‘lick’ he was referring to was a guitar lick. His soul interest in life these days is music. He started a new band over the summer. He does that every once in a while, just gets tired of his old band and the music they were doing, and he gets some new people and starts a whole new band. The only member he never ditched was Jason, his best friend, and bass player.

  Nick plays the guitar. He’s awesome at it. He’s become kind of a legend at our school. It started when his band blew every other band away at a rock competition our school had sponsored over the summer. Now he’s the school’s rock star. Every girl in school wants to date him, and every practicing musician wants to be in his band. But Nick doesn’t care about that stuff. All he cares about is his music … although he never complains about the girls.

  “Um, what time did you get home last night?” I asked, trying to feel him out. See what time his band parted ways, and if he might have a clue who would break into my room—more specifically: Did Kenny do it?

  But Nick had his eyes shut. He’d fallen asleep at the kitchen table.

  Yeah, he’s really not a morning person.

  CHAPTER 20

  Monday morning, I gl
ance up from my locker to find Heartbreaker Rider Hanson watching from across the crowded hallway—no shock there.

  He doesn’t look away once I catch him staring—no shock there, either.

  However, I quickly look away, my heart pounding wild from his stare. (Okay, no shock there either.)

  I quickly go back to looking through my locker for nothing again—just until I can breathe right, and get my knees to stop wobbling.

  But before I manage any of that, I hear Rider’s slow, sardonic voice so close to my ear his breath heats up my neck, “Have fun with another girl’s boyfriend recently?”

  A chill goes through me and my heart jumps to my throat. His words totally remind me of that creepy note.

  I gulp.

  Trying to get a grip, I shake my head, trying to reason with myself—Rider isn’t creepy. He’s a heartbreaker, but not a stalker. He wouldn’t break into my room and write me a note. Heck, he wouldn’t bother to write me (or any other girl) a note, period. Let alone bother to break into my room to give me one.

  He grins slightly. “Relax, Kindergarten Girlfriend. I was just messing with you—well, I thought I was. But you look pretty guilty all the sudden. So I guess yeah, you had fun with your dream-guy—the taken quarterback.”

  Confused, I tilt my head, my heart pounding. “Why’d you bring it up in the first place?”

  A slow grin creeps on his lips, obviously enjoying my ruffled feathers and complete confusion. “You were glowing,” he says, his smile quirking. “You always glow when you’re thinking about the quarterback—I just didn’t realize you’d actually do anything with him.”

  Heat shoots through me. I quickly gush out, “I didn’t! Well … not really.”

  Rider’s grin grows. He’s obviously enjoying getting to tease me wayyy too much. “Who you trying to convince Kindergarten? Me or yourself? ‘Cause if you’re trying to convince me, don’t bother. I can read your face, I used to study it like I was going blind. You feel guilty. You loved it—whatever you did with him—had the time of your life, but your heart and soul is being racked with guilt. You’re dying of the guilt. So, you’ll tell your friend, lose her—which won’t really be a great loss, ‘cause she’s a shallow wench—but that will kill you just the same, and you’ll lose the guy too, because you’ll feel too guilty to let yourself be with him.” His grin quirks. “So you should just ditch the mess and go out with me—I’ll help you forget about them. I promise.”

  I’m sure he could.

  … and it seems he’s pretty dead-on about my screwed situation.

  It’s eerie.

  And has my heart pounding.

  But I just smirk like I’m totally chill, “Yeah, right. Like I’d believe your promises, Heartbreaker.”

  I try to sashay away from him, but he quickly grasps my shoulder, pulling me back to him. “Why do you keep calling me that?” he asks.

  I bat his hand off me. “Everyone calls you that. Well, all the girls.”

  He blinks. “Why?”

  I scoff, “Because of that—you able to play innocence so well. Girls may be vulnerable to your charms, but they aren’t stupid. They catch on to you—just too late.”

  He tilts his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” But then he juts his chin, “You’re vulnerable to my charms?”

  I roll my eyes and shake my head—adamantly. “I used to be.”

  Rider winces, nodding slightly, “But now you’re only vulnerable to the taken quarterback.”

  Ethan (Band-boy) is suddenly beside me, smiling at me like I’m his dream girl.

  Rider smirks, “Seems like you need to explain that to someone else, Kindergarten—though I’d like to hear more about it too, but later. Since I’m vulnerable to your charms—and I think you’re a little unclear on who’s the heartbreaker.”

  Ethan looks between me and Rider uneasily.

  “Don’t worry,” Rider tells him with a smirk. “I’m not a threat—unfortunately.”

  Then he saunters off, leaving a pointed opening for me to give Ethan “The Talk.”

  I squeeze my eyes shut. So not ready.

  CHAPTER 21

  Just like all last night, I’m in an agitated fog wondering about that creepy note I got. Only last night when I wondered about it I just couldn’t sleep, but now I’m in first period and I can’t concentrate—on my test. So much worse. Especially because now I even have another suspect on my creepy-note-writer list: Rider.

  Though face it, that one is still a long shot. However, for someone who used to never look at me—ever—he seems to know an awful lot about my life. Like, way more than anyone else. He’s become disturbingly observant. Like a … stalker. Which the note-writer/phone-hanger-upper seems to totally be: a total stalker.

  But Rider doesn’t fit the profile of a stalker. At all. He fits the profile of a … heartbreaker. A guy that doesn’t care enough to notice that he tore out your heart and mangled it, because he’s busy tearing out the heart of some other girl and mangling it.

  So no. Though it would be slightly thrilling (sadly), I know Rider isn’t my psycho stalker that cared enough to break into my room and leave me a note, and then call to check up on me in the wee hours of the night. I could only wish. (Okay, I know that’s demented.) (I know, I know.)

  When I’m done bombing my test, I write down my suspects: Ethan, Kenny, Wade, Laurie, Rider. But who else? I mean, since none of these people really seem too terribly possible. Well, Kenny does. But Nick hadn’t been home yet, and most likely he had been out with Kenny, since their band was closing for that other party.

  But I couldn’t tell Nick about the note. I’d been dying to—so I could find out if he knew anything about it. Anything at all. But if I mentioned the note to him he’d demand to see it, because that’s Nick. And then he’d demand to know who I was out with—so he could punch the guy’s face in. Well, both guys. The guy that left me the note, and the one that I was out with, since the note blatantly pointed out the guy had a girlfriend—that wasn’t me, and yet I was out with him, getting my innocence tarnished. Nick would so kill the guy for that, and blame the whole thing on the guy, because no way would I (his sweet sister) do that—date a guy with a girlfriend.

  … and I really wouldn’t. (Really!!)

  I stared at my list of suspects. None of them made much sense. I just put them on there because they were the only people who seemed to care enough about me at the moment to bother to stalk me. But like I said, none of them seemed to terribly likely except Kenny—and he had an alibi … well, pretty much.

  I wrote on my list: Ask Nick what he did after the party. Did he hang out with his band?—or hook up with a girl? He’d obviously be alone if he hooked up with a girl … although Kenny probably hooked up with a girl too. The dude wasn’t ugly. Not by a long shot.

  Okay, Ethan was another possibility. But he didn’t act as though he found anyone as a threat to his soon to be … what? What did he think was going to happen between us? Whatever it was, he seemed pretty confident about it. Like it was in the bag. Ugh. I quickly wrote on my list, “Have The Talk with Ethan.” Then I added, “Just get it over with!!!”

  I just needed to make sure we were on the same page. Or lead him over to that page—the one that said, “Just friends.”

  It was just an awkward conversation to have since he’d never actually asked me out except that one time—when I had the convenient excuse that I had to babysit. Alright, it seemed perfectly obvious now that I should have had “The Talk” with him then. But I didn’t know that—well, I wasn’t sure. Well, anyway, now I had no easy/natural way to broach the subject.

  My stomach knotted thinking about it. Of course it knotted ten-times that much thinking about the fact someone had been in my room, probably gone through my things. Shudder. Total invasion of privacy. And all kinds of invasions.

  Shudder, shudder, shudder!

  CHAPTER 22

  Before Spanish class Drew gently grabbed my arm as I was entering the cla
ssroom. He pulled me back outside. Then to my shock, he pinned me against the wall. (Gasp!)

  “Don’t do this,” he said.

  My heart pounded. Hard. But I had to be strong, resist his pleading eyes. “Drew let me go.”

  “Not until you talk to me,” he said. “Why are you ignoring my text—and my eyes?”

  “Because you have a girlfriend, Drew. And even if she were your EX-girlfriend, I still couldn’t date you, because she’s my friend. So please stop texting me.”

  He shook his head slightly. “I’m not going to stop … and I don’t have a girlfriend.”

  My heart slammed against my chest. I blinked up at him. “What?! You broke up?”

  “Yeah, during lunch—which I couldn’t find you at.”

  “I—I ate in the band room.”

  Drew frowned slightly and ducked his head, running a frustrated hand through his hair. He closed his eyes. “With Ethan?”

  A pang of anxiety washed through me. “No—well, yeah. I mean, he was there, in the band room. But we didn’t eat together, like ‘together’ together.”

  Drew raised his eyebrows. “But you’re always together.”

  “Not at home—just at school.” I silently went on in my brain, ‘So I have someone to hang around that isn’t part of Laurie’s “group”—and I don’t have to see you and Laurie together … or not together, whichever the case might be for that given day, or minute, or hour.’

  But I couldn’t explain this to Drew. It was complicated and my verbal-abilities were suddenly nonexistent.

  Instead I just gawked at him with my lips parted slightly. He broke up with Laurie?? She didn’t even text me about it. She must be crushed.

  I swallowed. “How is Laurie?”

  He shook his head slightly. No words. His eyes just staring into mine.