“When I need to be,” he agreed softly.
Kenzie stepped forward, placing herself between him and Sarah. “Okay, really? Stop this shit. What are you guys, fifteen?”
“Twenty-nine. Colin and I both are, actually. Twins if you recall.”
“You’re not even a little bit funny right now. In fact, you’re quickly making it on my shit list. So, yeah, we’re going to leave.” Kenzie’s tone was overly bright for the heavy tension. “Thanks again for the tire.”
Taking the not-so-subtle hint, Ian nodded and turned to walk back to his car.
“Good to see you again, Sarah.” But it hadn’t been. Not really. Seeing her had ripped open a wound he resented—one that shouldn’t have existed.
As far as he was concerned, Sarah’s presence on the island was completely unwelcome.
She didn’t reply to his farewell, but then, he hadn’t expected her to.
The sooner she left, the better.
Silence was golden. Or it was the breeding ground for a host of memories and thoughts that were pure toxic.
Sarah locked the front door of her grandma’s house and then pulled back the curtain on the window beside it.
She watched Kenzie’s car speed off down the dirt road and could only feel relief.
Her hands hadn’t stopped shaking since Ian had showed up in his Camaro, looking just as carefree, dangerous and sexy as he always had.
She’d wanted to feel nothing for him. Indifference would’ve been great. But, oh God, it hadn’t been that easy. It had never been that easy.
One thing Ian had always been so good at was getting her to feel. Whether it was anger, whether it was desire, whether it was love…
Despite the mental roadblocks she put up against the memory of their first meeting, it still came back to play in her head…
“Brady Vandercamp just asked me out for tacos.”
Sarah glanced up from fixing her ponytail and raised an eyebrow at her friend’s announcement.
Still in her cheerleading uniform, her friend was grinning from ear to ear.
“Tacos? Seriously? Is that what we’re calling it nowadays?”
“Oh stop. Yes, just Mexican food. It’s at that place downtown.” She twirled the end of a strand of red hair. “I think I’m going to go. He’s so totally hot.”
Brady might’ve been hot and the high school quarterback, but he was also a total manwhore.
“You want a condom to prevent that STD?” Sarah couldn’t help but quip.
Kenzie wrinkled her nose. “As if I’d sleep with him. Just hoping for some make-out time. I hear he can kiss like—”
“Eew, no details please. It’s cool, Kenzie. I’ll call my dad and have him pick me up.”
“Don’t do that. Come with us. He said he’d ask Pete to come if you wanted to go.”
Pete? Double yuck. Brady’s best friend was equally sleazy and couldn’t seem to tell his head from his ass.
“I’ve got homework. I really need to go. Like I said, I can call my dad for a ride, or even walk home.”
“But you don’t have to. My brother was going to pick us up. He just got a new car and Dad says it’s part of his responsibility.”
Sarah hesitated as she zipped up her bag. “Which brother?”
“Ian.”
“I’ll walk.”
“No, please don’t. Look, I know he’s got somewhat of a bad reputation—”
“Somewhat?”
“And I know he looks a little intimidating…”
“Hmmph.”
“But he’s nice. He’s a good guy, Sarah. I promise. I wouldn’t send you home with a psychopath.” Kenzie grinned. “Those are strictly outlawed in my family anyway. Please, Sarah. And, umm, I just need a tiny favor. If you could just tell Ian that I’m staying after to study.”
Sarah snorted. “Right. He’ll buy that.”
“He might.”
“Fine. I’ll catch a ride with your brother.”
“Awesome. He’ll be outside the front office at five, so you should head over. He’s driving a beat-up Camaro.”
“Sounds reassuring.”
Not even five minutes later Sarah stood on the sidewalk with her backpack on one shoulder and her duffle bag on the other.
When a red Camaro squealed into the parking lot and raced toward the curb, she took a quick step back.
Heavy alternative music poured from the open windows as the car jerked to a stop.
Swallowing against a lump of unease, Sarah cast a glance back at the school and wondered if she should just reconsider and give her dad a call.
Then it was too late, because the driver’s side door opened and Ian McLaughlin stepped out.
She knew very little about Kenzie’s brother, Ian. Only that he was a year older than them and a senior. He was notorious for getting into trouble, tended to skip classes more often than attend, and yet the girls seemed to love him.