“He likes you, but he doesn’t want to.”
“What?” I turn to her, eyebrows raised. “You could tell that in the five minutes he was here?”
“No.” She sighs. “I could tell by the way he had to keep tearing his eyes away from you every couple of minutes. You called him and he came running to the rescue. He hangs out with you all the time. You think a guy like that wouldn’t have better things to do than watch movies with you all night?”
“Ouch,” I say, not a little offended.
Lauren looks at me in that no-nonsense way. “You’ve seen for yourself the kind of women he dates. Have you seen him with another girl since you two started getting so chummy?”
“Chummy,” I repeat, smirking. “And, no. But he said he wasn’t going to bring the skanks home since that last time. For all I know, he’s going over to their houses, or…whatever.”
She just shrugs. “If you want him, V, I’m pretty sure he won’t turn you down.”
I scoff as I start the car. But deep down, a little flower of hope blooms in my chest.
If I want him, she says.
I don’t think I’ve wanted anything more in my life.
Chapter 12
“So, basically, my dad is a giant douche,” I say.
Zane and I are sitting on the chaise lounges by the pool. It’s late, but neither of us felt like going to bed, so we’ve just been hanging out here and talking. I’ve just explained how my dad left us, and didn’t look back. Not even after Mom found out about the cancer.
I stare moodily at the softly lit pool, glowing like a jewel in the night. Zane is silent for a moment.
“Your mom told me about how you took care of her,” he says finally. “That must’ve been really tough.”
I give a half shrug. “We had a lot of help. Friends and family.”
“She said you helped with a lot of the bills. But she got a little weird about it, like she didn’t want to say how.”
I shoot him a sharp glance. “It wasn’t from hookin’ or stripping, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
He hides a smile. “Never crossed my mind.”
“It wasn’t anything illegal,” I say after another long silence, in which I debate whether I should share my secret with him or not. “I…I write books.”
Zane turns to me, surprised. “You…write?”
I nod, embarrassed. “I always liked to make up stories. I used to write all the time. When my mother got sick, and we desperately needed money to cover all her medical bills—it was the only thing I could think of doing. So, I looked into it. Turns out, it’s remarkably easy to self-publish.”
“That’s awesome,” he says. When I look at him, he looks impressed. “What do you write about?”
“Um…” I shrug. “I have this series out. It’s called ‘Breaking Time.’ It’s about a bunch of teenagers who keep getting reincarnated into different lives. They have to find each other, and figure out how to stop a certain cataclysmic event in time. It’s…stupid fluff.”
Zane shakes his head, smiling incredulously. “It sounds amazing. That’s seriously cool, Violet. How many books have you written so far?”
“Five.” I fiddle with a loose string on the hem of my shirt. “I’m kind of on hiatus right now, though. Before, there was, like, a lot of pressure on me to pump out the books, you know? I guess I kind of burned out. So, now, I’m taking a little break.”
I have to squash down the urge to brag to Zane about how much books I’ve sold, the websites and videos that have sprung up, dedicated to my Breaking Time series. People not only buy my books, they talk about it, obsess over the characters. And constantly harass me about when the next book will be coming out.
“So why was your mom so secretive about it?” Zane wonders, tapping my leg to get my attention. “I would think she’d have a bumper sticker made: ‘My Daughter’s a Famous Author.’”
I scoff. “I’m not famous! And…no one knows that I write besides her and Lauren. I use a pen name.”
“How come?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m kind of weird about stuff. I didn’t want my name out there on the internet. I don’t even use Facebook. I don’t like the thought of kids at school, judging my work. They’d tease the hell out of me. There are some real bitches at Hidden Cove.”
Zane starts laughing. “What’s your pen name?” he wants to know.
I cringe a little. “Elizabeth Bunnei. Elizabeth is my middle name. And Bunnei…well, bunnies are cute.”