I’d like to think I knew
all types of girls. Red appeared to be cool and collected, but I could feel her
fire burning just below the surface. There had been a few moments when I’d
pushed the right buttons so that her cool and collected exterior disappeared
and that low-burning fire bloomed into a red blaze.
She was a hellcat, her
eyes glinting with anticipation every time I threw a challenge at her. But she
wouldn’t let herself give in, holding on to her control like a lifeline.
Life had dealt her a bad
hand, made her homeless and broke. She’d put up layers to protect herself.
I wanted to be the one
to peel those layers one by one and find the real woman beneath.
When I
felt smooth hands pull my hoodie back, I opened my eyes.
“Hi, Caleb.”
Lily’s blue eyes blinked
at me, her soft pink lips curving into a smile. She was gorgeous, no doubt. A
lock of her silky blond hair fell on the side of her face. Any hot-blooded male
would want to touch.
So what the hell did it
say about me that I didn’t?
What the hell was wrong
with me?
“Hey, Lil.”
She angled her head to
the side, looking at me expectantly.
I waited a beat.
Another lock of hair
fell and bounced next to the other one.
How the hell did she do
that? Did she have magic powers to control all that hair?
Her irritated sigh was
nearly inaudible as she finally flicked her hair over her shoulder, tucking it
behind her ear. She was disappointed that I hadn’t done it for her, her eyes
narrowing briefly at my face. Then she smiled sweetly again.
“Beatrice-Rose told me
you attended the charity event with your mother last week. I’m sorry I missed
you.”
I shrugged, gave her a
smile. “There’s always next time.”
She chewed on her bottom
lip, her pink tongue darting out to wet it. “Why don’t I make it up to you?
Dinner?”
I was going to politely
decline when an image of Red flashed in my mind again.
From the first moment I
saw Red dance, I knew that I would have a hard time resisting her. Not that she
tried to get my attention. If anything, she stayed away from me.
A sweet, honest
compliment; a lingering, adoring look. A smile that hinted of secret pleasures
to come; a fleeting, intimate touch to the back of her hand, her shoulder, or
the small of her back. In my experience, these things always, always worked on
girls.
They didn’t even
penetrate the thick shield surrounding Red. I practically had to beg her to
give me attention. But she’d only flicked me off like dirt from her sleeve,
dusting her hands off for good measure.
It was humbling.
It was always a given
that the girl I liked felt the same way. With Red, I felt unsure for the first
time. It was messed up.
Maybe a night out with
Lily was just what I needed. Maybe I needed to get back to my routine, back to
my life before Red. Maybe then I would stop thinking about her.
“Sounds good. I’ll call
you, Lil.”
She leaned close and
kissed my cheek. “Can’t wait.”
But I didn’t call Lily.
Instead, I holed up in
my room, flipping the sticky note Red had left on the fridge in my fingers. I
stared at the ceiling as Radiohead crooned low in my ears about a creep, a
weirdo, and what the hell was he doing here.
When I heard a noise, I
pulled out my earbuds. Footsteps—I knew it was Red. She always walked quietly,
warily, as if she was scared to make a sound. A few seconds later, I heard a
door close. I quickly glanced at the clock and noted it was 7:00 p.m.
I jumped off my bed. I’d
knock on her door, ask if she wanted to take another ride with me. But when I
reached her door, my fist inches away from knocking, I stopped. Took a deep
breath.
I knew Red was attracted
to me. I could see the way her eyes lingered on me, the way she resisted
smiling back. She was fighting it, and the last thing I wanted was to force
myself on someone. So I retreated back to my room.
When my phone burped a
text, it was from Lily.
LILY: Is it next time
yet?
I blew out a breath and stared at
my phone screen for a minute, debating whether I should go out with Lily or
not. Red’s sticky note was on my bedside table, mocking me.
Fine.
I’d forget Red tonight.
Lily was just my type. She was
blond, blue-eyed, and sweet. I took her out to dinner. She laughed at all my
jokes, agreed to everything I suggested, even asked me to come to her place
after our date.
But when I walked her to
her door, I politely declined her invitation to go inside, bid her good night,
and left.
It wasn’t fair to her
that I was thinking of a different girl.
How was it even possible
to be obsessed with someone I’d just met?
Ridiculous.
With my temper
simmering, I stepped on the gas and drove past the speed limit on the highway.
Through the open window, the wind whipped my hair and slapped my face, taunting
me.
When I reached the city, I pulled off the highway and
parked my car in front of a twenty-four-hour store. I bought a big
tub of peanut butter.
I remembered how her
eyes had shone with delight when she spotted it at the grocery store.
I was so whipped.
By the time I got home,
the lights were all off except for the one in the living room. I couldn’t help
laughing as I recalled that time she’d hit me with a baseball bat.
It was already past ten.
She was probably sleeping. I tiptoed to her door and was crouching to place the
tub of peanut butter on the floor when the door suddenly swung open.
I froze.
“You’re back already,”
she said. Her voice was low, breathless.
Was she waiting for me?
I looked up, my breath
hitching at the sight of her. Dark, catlike eyes stared at me. Suddenly it
didn’t feel so ridiculous to be obsessed with someone I’d just met.
I cleared my throat.
“Yeah.” I swiftly picked up the tub of peanut butter and hid it behind my back.
Had she seen it?
“Did you have dinner
yet?” she asked.
I had, but if I told her
that, she’d just go back in her room and ignore me.
“No.”
“Are you hungry, then?”
“Always.”
Her lips twitched into a
small smile, but it was gone as fast as it appeared. “Is that for me?”
Tongue in cheek, I said,
“Is what for you?”
Her eyes warmed with
laughter. “That peanut butter you’re hiding behind you.”
Busted.
“Let’s make a deal. I’ll
give it to you after you fix me something to eat.”
She nodded, and a lock
of hair fell on the side of her face. My hand moved automatically, as if it had
a mind of its own, and tucked the hair behind her ear.
It was irresistible.
She was irresistible.
A pretty blush appeared
on her cheeks. “Pancakes?”
I
nodded, feeling myself grin for the first time in days. “Pancakes.”
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