“That sucks,” I hear from behind me. “No wonder you’re so bitter.”
I look over my shoulder at Liam. He is shaking his head back and forth. “Shut up, Liam. Get away from me.”
He smiles, leans down and flutters his eyelashes. “Oh, you sure know how to sweet talk, don’t ya, sweetheart.”
Jennifer snorts beside me, almost choking on her drink. I send her my best death glare.
I sigh, turning completely toward him. “What do you want, Liam?”
He straddles the bench next to me, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Just wanted to say that tonight isn’t great for me. I have plans. So, the lovely reading, writing and boredom will have to wait until later.”
I exhale, closing my eyes. “Liam, I have a feeling every night is going to be bad for you. Look, tonight is the only day that I can do this. Saturday I help my mother in the garden and Sunday I have church. So, that means break your plans.”
Liam laughs, it’s raw and hard. “You work in the garden? How old are you? Ninety? And why can’t it be changed, sweetheart? Is pulling weeds that important?”
I grit my teeth. He is making fun of me. “No, it can’t. What do you have that is so important tonight, then?”
He shrugs. “There is this party tonight at Aaron Mitchells. I want to go. I have to go, it’s expected.”
“A party? That seems so important, Liam.”
He rolls his eyes. “Would you like to come with me, partner? It’ll be really fun.” He wiggles his eyebrows. I scowl and throw him a yeah the hell right look. “I’ll take that as a no.”
“I’m not going and neither are you because we have plans.” I cross my arms. “I’m not getting a bad grade because of you.”
“I like the sound of that,” he whispers, leaning toward me. I catch a smell of him. He smells like sandalwood and the ocean.
“Go, Liam. I’ll see you tonight. Bring paper and a pen.” I shoo him away with my hand.
“I’ll bring ya something, sweetheart, but it won’t be pencil or paper.” I make a gagging noise. He smiles. “Maybe, if I have time to come that is.” He stands up and starts to strut off.
“Liam! Wait! You better come,” I yell, looking after him.
He waves his hand over his shoulder and continues to strut away from my table. Damn it. I look over at Jennifer and she shrugs. “Looks like he is going to be a piece of work.”
Looks like it.
“Oh. Looks like someone is a little jealous, too,” she says, pointing her fork with a green bean on it in front of her.
I look up. Hayden is staring at me from across the room, his green eyes intense on mine. His jaw is tight but I can’t help notice his arm on Holly’s shoulder. I shake my head slightly. Jerk. What’s it to him, who I talk to? I look down and continue eating. It hurts too much to look.
Chapter Two
I tap my pencil on the wooden desk in the library. I even added to the decorations the other students left carved on the desk. It says, I hate Liam. I hope he sees it one day.
I glance down at my watch. Seven thirty. I grit my teeth and write furiously on my paper. Doesn’t show up on time, doesn’t care about his grades or his future. A butthead! Uses cheesy inappropriate lines to lure in girls, too! I slam my notebook shut and shove it in my bag. I can’t believe him! He seriously isn’t going to show up.
“Argh,” I whisper. I’m going to kill him. I can’t do the freaking paper without his help. I don’t know anything about him, other than he is a supposed man whore of Avalon High. Geesh. What did I do to deserve this kind of punishment? I glance around the library one more time. I don’t see Liam anywhere. I grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder. The library is empty besides me and the librarian who is reading some romance novel and doesn’t even see me leave. It must be pretty steamy. At least someone is enjoying themselves.
I walk out into the vacant parking lot and throw my bag into the backseat. I watch the shadows, someone could come out and murder me, I bet Liam would care then. I jump into the front seat. Furious, I reverse and start toward my house. I can already see the disappointed look on Mr. Fringe’s face Monday morning when my paper is turned in with a bunch of crappy lines about Liam’s awfulness. I hit the steering wheel and sigh. Why am I being punished? I study. I clean. I am nice to people. Why is the Heaven’s reigning down on me? I drive, passing the water until I see the school where all my problems started, being partnered up with Liam. If I can just get Mr. Fringe to change his mind.
I drive a few miles down and notice a large group of people gathered around a house settled by the water. Santa Catalina Island, California is a great place to live if you’re tanned, a surfer or have a beach body. I’m none of these.