Dear Ava(13)

His thumb presses against a spot on the tire, his eyes studying the wheel as if it’s a puzzle. “Puncture, and not a nail. Looks like someone sliced it.”

I exhale. I already saw the cut. “Brilliant deduction, Sherlock. It doesn’t matter. Besides, I have a spare, and I know how to change a tire.”

“Let me do it.”

“I don’t need you to help me, okay? I can save myself. Been doing it all my life.”

“I know you can save yourself.”

“You don’t know anything about me!” I sigh, frustrated. I don’t want him here. “Why are you being nice, Knox? You don’t want to be my friend!”

His eyes meet mine, searching my face. “Do you need a reason right now—in this heat?”

A bead of sweat slides down my throat. His eyes watch it.

“Fine,” I say. “You want to take the spare down from the back? Also, do you happen to have a lug wrench in your car? I do, but mine’s all rusted and…”

Before I can finish, he’s already jogging over to a black Mercedes-Benz SUV, popping the back, and riffling through it. He holds up a sparkly new wrench and runs back over. I try really hard to not notice how gorgeous he is.

He bends down next to me. “First, let’s get the nuts off.”

I almost say That’s what she said, but then I remember who he is—not my friend—and stop.

Bending down with him, I watch as he removes the last nut, slips the tire off, and puts the spare on, the tightly roped muscles of his forearms straining as he lifts and secures it. He glances up, catching my eyes. “Why are you smiling?”

“I’m smirking in a condescending way—big difference. Just enjoying the sight of Cold and Evil doing hard work.” I grab the flat tire and attach it to the back of my Jeep. He stands, and I feel the heat of his gaze watching me.

Knox Grayson never paid me much attention in the years I went here, and the truth is, I’m a bit discombobulated by his nearness—in class today, in the office, and right now.

I turn and we’re just…staring at each other. More of that stupid tension rises.

A prickle of awareness goes down my spine, as if somehow he knows what I’m thinking.

He’s the first to break our concentration. With one step, he’s closer to me. Reaching out, he fingers a piece of hair that was in my eyes and puts it behind my ear.

First I freeze.

Then I take a step back. “Don’t do that,” I snap, frowning.

“You touched me in class. I owed you.”

I put my hands on my hips. “I can’t figure you out. I keep seeing and talking to you today.”

He shoves at his hair. “You interested in me? Get in line. Every single girl here knows what I’m about.” His eyes capture mine and he drags a finger down his scar. “They’re either repulsed by this or they’re fascinated. Which are you?”

I squint at him, waiting for that tiny bit of fear I felt from him last year to come back. It doesn’t. “Love ’em and leave ’em, right?”

He shrugs nonchalantly, and my eyes follow the movement of his broad shoulders.

“How’d you get that scar anyway?”

His face tightens, and I see a glimpse of pain before it disappears so quickly I wonder if it was ever really there.

“It’s not jagged. A nice, clean cut, almost like a knife. Did you do it?”

“No!” He flushes, glaring at me. “Just shut up about it.”

Ah, the pain of that scar still rankles.

One more thing to file away in the Knox Grayson dossier.

“Fine, it’s a secret. I have one on my inner thigh from a fork. Got it from the only foster home I stayed at. There was an older girl who didn’t want me sleeping in her room. I was ten. See?” I slightly lift up my skirt, showing him the stretched-out mark, which is about the size of my pinkie. “I slept with a rock under my pillow after that.”

He moves his gaze up slowly, landing on my face. “Did she ever try it again?”

“No, but I was ready. I would have done whatever it took to keep her away from me.”

“Fierce little thing.”

I snap my teeth at him and his lips twitch.

“Don’t laugh at me unless you want me to go into more excruciating detail about your sad, sad future.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Damn. Can’t help it. You’re—”

Whatever he was about to say is cut off.

“Knox, you look like a mechanic with that wrench in your hand. Nice. Let me snap a pic for posterity,” says a voice behind us.

My breath hitches. I flip around and chills dance down my spine. It’s Dane who’s spoken, and with him are Chance and Liam. Dane takes his phone out of his pocket and takes a picture of us.

Chance has that stricken look on his face again, like this morning.

Liam laughs and I focus on the big footballer. His white hair is still long in the front with those stupid swooping bangs. He smirks at me, meeting my gaze, and I shiver. It’s the first time we’ve come face-to-face all day, and I’m extra glad our schedules don’t overlap.

Chance sends an angry look at Knox, his jawline grinding. “Dude, we’re going to The Coffee Bean to hang. Aren’t you coming?” he asks, his voice accusatory, his attention bouncing from me to Knox.

Chance looks almost…

Acting out of instinct, I flip my hair out of my face, and his eyes follow the movement, a hungry look there.

I straighten my shoulders, adjusting my white shirt, which is noticeably sticking to my skin in the heat. And, guess what—Chance’s gaze goes there too, lingering on my chest.

Well, well.

My anger stirs. He has the nerve to look at me as if he wants me, yet he called me a slut? Out of everyone here, he should have believed me.

“Yeah, unless you’re too busy helping her,” Liam adds snidely.

Knox gives me a glance then looks back at them. “Nah, I have studying to do. You do too, Dane.”

Dane sweeps his eyes over me, a knowing smile on his face. “Got to admit, this moment is priceless though. Knox and Ava. Ava and Knox. How does that sound, Chance? Has quite the ring to it, doesn’t it?”

Chance flushes red.

“Shut the fuck up,” Knox says sharply.

Dane pulls his hair out of the manbun he has it in and shakes it out, the strands brushing his jersey. He points those eyes that are so much like Knox’s at me. “Wanna join us, Ava? I’ll buy you whatever you want if you don’t have the money.”

Oh, what a little prick. My hands fist.

“What the hell, Dane?” Chance says. “Be serious!”

“Yeah, babe,” Liam adds. “Maybe we can talk about that video of you dancing. Do you remember that? You’ve got some sweet moves on you, I’ll give you that—”

“That’s enough!” Knox roars.

There’s silence, and my heart races.

There’s an undercurrent of tension between them all, and part of me senses it may not just be about me—but maybe it is? Shit, of course it is. Last year their team sucked and they all blame me.

I lick my lips nervously. Here I am, alone in a school parking lot with four of the football players who were at that party, and as much as I want to be cool, my hands tremble—

“Yo, Ava! You good?”

I start when Wyatt pulls up in a souped-up black Chevelle with a hot pink stripe down the hood, rap music blaring and the motor so loud I’m surprised I didn’t hear the vehicle approaching.

We all turn to look at him. He’s wearing a Camden baseball hat and a wide grin.

Maybe it’s something he sees on my face, because he turns his car off and gets out, sauntering over to us.

He tosses a casual arm around my shoulders as if we’ve been friends forever. “You doing good, locker neighbor?” Locka neigbah. He scans his eyes over the group and lingers on the jack I still haven’t put away. “You need a ride?”

“I’m good, just had a flat. Someone cut my tire. Knox helped me change it.”

Liam laughs, quickly covering it with his hand when Knox scowls.

Wyatt narrows his eyes at Liam then looks at me. “Heard you got into Arlington Dorm. Saw your name on the resident list when I checked in after school. Looks like we’ll be living together—well, on different floors. They tend to keep the boys separate from the girls, although you are welcome to drop by my room any time. I make a mean bowl of popcorn.”

“Yeah, I haven’t had a chance to check in. I still have some errands to run.” I keep my eyes on his face because panic flutters, lingering just under the surface.

His arm tightens around me. “I’ll help you move in. It’s furnished already, but for the love of God, bring your own sheets ’cause theirs are rough as hell.”

“Yeah, okay.” I bet my sheets would horrify him too. “I have to drive back to Nashville and grab some things then meet someone, so I’ll be there later.”

“I’m out of here,” Chance growls, his shoulders tight with tension as he stalks off toward an Escalade several spots away.

“Yeah, I’m bored already,” Liam adds before following him.

Dane makes to follow them, but Knox grabs his jersey and snaps him back. Dane doesn’t put up much of a fight and I hear Knox muttering under his breath, words I can’t hear. Dane settles for staring at the ground.