Devil May Care: Boxed Set (139 page)

As I rushed to my car, I realized that I’d snapped at my dad because I appreciated Wes’s presence in my life. Yeah, he had flaws. Yeah, he was a sinner. I sure wasn’t a saint, and I wasn’t perfect either.

The first class of the day that we had together, I screwed up the nerve and sat next to him. He looked over and did a double take. “What did I do to deserve this great honor?” he teased.

“Oh, I don’t know,” I said airily, waving my hand. “Maybe it has to do with pity.”

“Pity?” He leaned closer. “It’s a pity I had to ruin my jacket because of you.”

My cheeks flushed. “I’m sorry—”

“It was worth it.” He winked.

I swatted his arm playfully. “I will buy you another one.”

“Don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t want your pretty face to get early wrinkles.” Another wink.

It was so easy to talk to him. Only we weren’t talking. We were flirting. And I was enjoying myself, and I could tell he was too. When he was like this and not sulking at home, I really enjoyed him. And the few times when we had been alone at home, they were great too. But when he was around the rest of my family or his friends, especially Lizzy…he was different.

“Well, at least let me get you a helmet.” I reached over and ruffled his hair. “Don’t want anything to happen to you on that bike of yours.”

“Worried about me? I’m touched. But I won’t fall. I’m that good.”

“Cocky and arrogant. Not a surprise. But you know what they say about pride, right?”

“What do they say?” He put his head in his palm, elbow on the desk, staring at me intently, like I was about to impart great wisdom.

“Pride comes before a fall.”

Wes lowered his head. “You’re killing me.”

“Oh no.” I gasp and put my hands to my heart. “That’s exactly what I want to avoid!”

We both laughed.

Class started, and we didn’t have a chance to talk again until we sat next to each other at our next mutual class. This time, I sat down first, and Wes claimed the seat next to me a minute later. “So…” he started, “…what are you going to major in?”

“Oh, talk about the future.” I grinned. “I was thinking maybe I’d go into education. I want to work with children, and I know a good teacher can save a life.”

“Nice. I can see you as a teacher.”

“Thanks.” My smile widened. “What about you? What are your plans?”

“Oh, this and that.” He shrugged.

“Do you think you’ll go to college?” Nowadays, it seemed like it was unheard for someone to not get a degree.

“We’ll see.”

I frowned throughout class. I hated his non-committal answers. Time was ticking. We’d graduate before we’d knew it, and what then? Wes should have a plan in place. You couldn’t get through life without a plan. Well, you could, but having one made things easier. Then again, being spontaneous like with his jacket had turned out all right in the end.

It wasn’t until lunch that I saw him next. We happened to walk in at the same time, and before I could say anything more than hi to him, Lizzy bounded over.

“Hi, Wesley,” she gushed. “How are you today? You look a little tense. Need a massage?” Without waiting for a reply, she walked around behind him and started to massage his shoulders.

He’s not mine. I shouldn’t care. I shouldn’t be jealous.

But I did care. And I was jealous.

Wes shrugged her off. “I’m fine.”

I’d begun to walk away but slowed down when I saw him heading my way. Lizzy was glaring at his backside, and it took everything in my not to shoot her a smug grin.

“Wanna go for a ride with me to get food somewhere?”

“Sure. Is this a date?” I teased.

“Am I allowed to hope so?”

The entire time we walked out of the school and headed toward the parking lot I kept thinking,
What are we doing?
Not the going out for a bite together, but the flirting, the teasing…my masturbating about him. Did he masturbate while thinking about me too? Did I want him to? Of course I did.

And Dad thought Wes was the sinner.

When we reached his bike, I hesitated. “I never rode on one before.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll love it. I promise. One ride with me and you’ll be hooked.”

One kiss from him at the party and I’d been hooked on that too. I hardly ever thought about Adam now. Was over my crush. Had a new one.

On my step-brother.

Wes climbed on, and, not wanting to look like a wimp, I quickly got on behind him. I wrapped my arms around him tight, and he took off. I let out a shriek, but it was more from surprise than fright.

He was right. I did love it. I loved being able to hold him, to smell him, to feel the breeze whip at my hair…I loved the freedom and the risk. So much about Wes was taboo, and this was icing on the cake.

I wish he would just drive away with me.

But I couldn’t tell him that. Not now. Probably not ever.

He pulled into a little diner. “This okay?” he asked after he turned off his bike.

“Sure.”

We walked inside, sat, and ordered. The entire time we were eating, he stared at me like he wanted to say something.

“What is it?” I asked. I drank from my milkshake.

“Nothing.” But he kept on staring.

“Go ahead. I promise not to judge you.”

He sighed and ran a hand tightly through his hair before leaning closer to me. “So…am I allowed to ask why you showed up in my room wearing nothing but my leather jacket?”

I balked. My mouth opened and closed, but I couldn’t answer. I’d figured that since he hadn’t asked then that he wouldn’t ever ask. Should’ve known better.

His hand slid against mine, fingers tangling with mine as he continued in a low, drawling voice, “And maybe why you were touching yourself in it?”

I couldn’t look away. I couldn’t escape his gaze, his touch…his everything.

Facing burning, I had to be all red, I sipped my milkshake to avoid answering.

He laughed at me, and the sound was so sexy. He was so
effortlessly
sexy, and it ruined me. “What? You think I wouldn’t notice? Sweetheart, I could smell you from down the hall.”

I ate the rest of my food without another, and mercifully, he dropped it after that. But before we got up, he reached across the table, and his thumb rolled across my bottom lip. Instinctively, I opened my mouth. Not breaking eye contact, he licked the whipped cream from his thumb, and his gaze was so heavy and intense I was almost crazy enough to ask him what he was thinking right now.

“You can’t keep looking at me like that,” Wes said.

He grabbed the bill and paid. He didn’t even ask for me to pay for mine. Was this a date after all? Because it sure felt like one. I really didn’t want to go back to school. I never cut before, but unexpectedly it seemed like a really good idea.

We left the diner and got onto his bike. By the time we made it back to school, my mind was spinning. I was a little wet from his looks and touch and from holding onto his hard, muscular body on the ride back. Wes headed to the right as soon as we walked inside, and I swung a left. Since I was here, I might as well make sure I wasn’t late for class. Still had to grab my textbook for the next class out of my locker.

I was still trying to regain my composure when Adam suddenly approached me as I unlocked my locker.

Uh-oh.

He looked bitter and grimaced at me, leaning against a locker. “Hey, April. Why did you run off at the party?”

I slowly removed my book and closed my locker before turning to him. “Hi, Adam. Don’t have time to talk right now. Sorry.”

“Just a quick question. I was curious because I thought—”

Just then, Wes showed up. He must have gone to his locker too because he holding a textbook. “April, is he bothering you?” Wes jerked his thumb toward Adam.

“You’re always constantly butting in, aren’t you?” Adam growled.

Double uh-oh.

“What are you talking about?”

I sucked in a breath. Wes didn’t remember the party. He didn’t remember Adam and the other guys being all over me and his saving me from them and our make out session. I figured he hadn’t, and it was better that way, but Adam was going to ruin it.

“At the party—” Adam started.

“The bell’s going to ring any second,” I said desperately. “Let’s all just go to class and—”

“You were a real ass,” Adam continued.

I glowered at him. Wes was the ass? What was he smoking?

“Come on. Class.” I walked between them and glanced back at Wes. His eyes narrowed then suddenly lit up with understanding.

The bell rang—too late—and we were all forced to hurry to class. At least Wes and I didn’t have any more classes together for the rest of the day. I had a hell of a time trying to focus, and as soon as the school day ended, I ran to my car before Wes could show up and question me. I had no answers for him. None.

Why did Adam have to go and ruin everything?

Wes

It was aggravating, but I also had to give her credit—April did a good job of hiding from me or else sticking around family so I couldn’t approach her. But as soon as dinner ended, she would have nowhere to run.

I kept glancing at her, but she wouldn’t look at me. “How was school?” I asked her, even though I already knew the answer. It wasn’t like I could bring up the party…yet. That just wasn’t proper dinner conversation. I laughed.

She stared at me like I had three heads.

“Did you see Adam at all?” I asked next.

Her cheeks turned bright red.

Okay, so I was tormenting her by trying to talk to her. I honestly didn’t know what to feel or think. She had sneaked out. She had lied to everyone, including me. How did she manage to pull it off? And why did she ever go to the party in the first place? I had warned her against going. Maybe that had been the issue.

Let’s see…I knew I fucked Lizzy. But before that?

“Dad, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

I sat up straighter. Everyone, including me, was staring at April.

“Go ahead.” Walter lowered his knife and fork.

“I’ve been thinking about looking into some other colleges,” she said slowly. “I’ve found a lot of good scholarships too,” she added, sounding more enthusiastic now.

I was inwardly proud of her and couldn’t stop myself form smiling at her. To my disgust, though, Yvonne, Jacqueline, and Walter were all staring at her like she insulted the Lord himself.

Yvonne cleared her throat and lifted her nose into the air. The woman thought her shit didn’t stink, but let me tell you, it did. I had gone to the bathroom after her, and it reeked.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Yvonne asked in her whiny voice.

Don’t you back down, April.

April straightened in her seat. “There are better education programs elsewhere, and I can minor in child psychology this way.”

Good for you!
I badly wanted to speak up, to tell her what I thought about this since it looked like no one else was on her side, but if I did, I knew it would only make things look even worse in everyone else’s eyes, so I kept my trap shut.

Walter glowered at her. “When did you decide all of this on your own?”

April didn’t say anything and lowered her gaze to her plate.

“Why do you believe I’m a worthless fool?” he asked.

Now that was low. Trying to twist it around like that.
Not cool, Walter. That’s being a real dick.

“I wasn’t trying to insult your original plans, Dad.”

Damn it. She was wavering now. She better not cave. They couldn’t live her life for her. She should be free to do whatever the hell she wanted.

“If that’s the case,” Walter said, “why did you think I hadn’t thought all of this out already?”

Roslyn gave April a timid smile. “April might have a point,” she said hesitantly.

Yvonne laughed, loud and long. “I always knew Roslyn was an unfit mother.”

What the hell? Because she was trying to keep her daughter form being dominated by a terrible father? Yvonne was the spineless one. No, actually, that was Jacqueline. Yvonne was only in Walter’s good graces because she gave Walter so many kids, including the youngest of the group. Roslyn hadn’t given birth in quite a while. Maybe she was infertile, like Jacqueline was. Guess that was why Yvonne was so high and mighty all the time. Felt like she had it in tight with their shared husband.

Disgusting.

April looked ready to cry. She stood, hands on the table, and glowered at Yvonne. “Shut up,” she said to Yvonne through gritted teeth.

I gasped. April was too much of a good girl to talk back, or at least I thought she was. Yvonne must have really struck a nerve. Yeah, Roslyn did seem to be the best mother out of the three. Hardly unfit at all.

“That’s it!” Walter snarled. He got up and dragged April out of the dining room and into the kitchen.

Like we were possessed, we all trickled from the table to the kitchen and watched like it was a TV show as Walter washed April’s mouth out with soap.

When he was done, he shoved her away. “There, did you like that? No? Good. You know better than to be so disrespectful. You’re going to accompany me to the purity ball this weekend to reaffirm your chastity and to remember your holy obligations.”

No one said anything. April was trying not to cry, I could tell. I wanted to comfort her, but it would only make things worse, so I held my ground. Even the boys, P and P as April called them, were uncharacteristically quiet. Kind of unnerving.

Walter pushed through the crowd back to the table. “Come on now. Everyone needs to finish eating. I won’t have good food go to waste.”

Like mindless drones, we filed back to the table and sat. Walter began to talk to Yvonne like nothing just happened. It took everything in me not to kill him. I shoved the rest of the food into my mouth—no way did I want to give Walter an excuse to turn his asshole-ness on me—and I cleared my throat. “Can…may I be excused?”

Walter eyed me for a long moment then nodded. “You may,” he said stiffly.

I cleared my place and then ran up the stairs to my room. So much bad energy filled me, so I paced my room, trying to feel better, but it didn’t work. Maybe nothing would.

The wall called to me, and before I knew it, I was punching the wall as hard as I could, cracking the plaster and scraping my knuckles. I wanted nothing more than to grab April, get onto my bike, and leave with her.

But would she go with me? And Walter would call it kidnapping, even if April went willingly. No way did I want the cops on my tail.

I went to the bathroom and washed my hand. The red in the water slowly turned to pink and then clear as I washed away the blood, but the cut remained. The force of the water reopened the wound, and I savored the pain. Should I talk to April, or would that make things worse?

I went back to my room, and a moment later, there was a knock. Maybe I should just ignore it. There weren’t many people in this house I wanted to talk to.

But on the chance that it was someone I wanted to talk to, I answered it.

It turned out to be April.

Glad I answered it after all.