Heartbreaker Hanson (14 page)

CHAPTER 32

When
I got home, the house was empty. Nick was at the party on Franklin, of course.

On
the kitchen table I find a note from my mom. She left early for California to
be with my dad as he got tickets to some sports game she’s been dying to see.

Awesome. I’m alone
.

I
grab a soda from the fridge, then go upstairs—leaving on all the lights.
(Hey, I don’t pay the electric bill.) (And I’m spooked.)

In
my room, I try to sketch Drew. Just for something to do. Yes, I
know
I’m demented, but really
it’s to help keep my mind off heartbreaker Rider … and off the fact there is a
creeper lurking about, spying on me.

However,
while I’m dementedly sketching, I get a text from a blocked number.

Reading
the message, a chill shoots through me.
“Are you in the house alone?”

The
words send shivers down my spine.

I
stare at the message, unable to breathe.

Sucking
in my breath, I shakily text back,
“Who is this?”

“Answer
my question and I’ll answer yours.”

I
squeeze my eyes shut, trying not to be scared. The person’s answer is sort of
teasing … right? Someone is playing a joke with me. I put down my phone, telling
myself
I’m not going to play their game.
I’m not going to be scared.

Well,
that’s what I
try
telling
myself.

But
what if the text is from Creepy Kenny?

—only
it can’t be, right? He’s at the party with Nick. Their band is playing. They
are way over on Franklin Street.

I
try to go back to my sketching of Drew, but my hands are shaking too bad. I’m
about to give up (duh) and speedily drive over to Laurie’s, but as I’m
preparing to do that—move and everything—I get another text. My
heart stops. It’s the same message:
“Are you in the house alone?”

Like
lightning, I run out my bedroom door, planning to run to my neighbor’s house
and bang on their door. But I barely make it out of my bedroom before a hand
wraps around my waist and I’m whisked back into my room.

Before
I know what’s happening, a blindfold is pulled over my eyes, then my hands are
tied loosely at my wrists.

A
husky voice whispers in my ear, “I’m not going to hurt you, Brooke.”

The
voice is almost reassuring—almost. Only
MY HANDS ARE BEING TIED!!!

And
I’ve been blindfolded!!

So,
yeah. I’m not reassured.

I’m
so frightened I feel like I’m going to pass out.

A
rough warm hand tenderly brushes my shivering arms,
sooo
gentle. The voice whispers, “I swear, Brooke, I’m not going to
hurt you.”

“W-what
d-do you want?” I frantically stammer out.

“This—”
Suddenly, a warm mouth presses against mine.

At
first I fight it—fight the tender kiss. Try with all my heart to pull
away. But the kissing goes on, getting a little deeper, more intense.

Still,
even so, I start to relax a little, since the voice keeps telling me to.

In
between the seductive kissing, “Relax Brooke,” keeps being murmured huskily in
my ear, and the rough, gentle hands keep tenderly stroking my arms, pulling me
closer and closer as the person deepens the hot, hungry kiss, sending waves of
tremors crashing through my trembling body, and making me so weak in the knees
that he has to hold me up. But he tenderly does it—holds me—his
hot, hungry mouth not leaving mine for a second. And I can’t help it. I can’t
fight it, but I do sort of believe him—almost. That he’s not going to
hurt me … or he would have already.

The
hot, passion-filled kiss goes on and on, his talented velvet tongue exploring
my mouth like he’ll never get enough of it.

Slowly,
hungrily he trails seductive kisses up the curve of my neck. “I’m going to let
you go now,” he murmurs, his hot mouth not leaving my tantalized skin as he
murmurs it.

“But
remember my kiss, Brooke. Remember how much you liked it.”

He
murmurs in my neck, “You did like it, Brooke … right? Tell me you liked it and
I’ll let you go.”

Shaking
I stammer out, “I liked it.”

Of
course I say this more because I’m terrified than because it’s true … though it
is
true. Sort of.

“Okay
Brooke. I’m going to let you go.” Gently he unties my hands.

But
he doesn’t untie the blindfold.

By
the time I finally get it off, he’s gone.

And
he took my sketch of Drew with him.

CHAPTER 33

Sitting
on my bed, I’m frozen—shaking and terrified. Who
was
that? Was it Ethan?—forcing more kisses on me?

I
shake my head. Okay, I know it wasn’t. Deep inside, I know. The kiss was …
awesome, so tender. It couldn’t have been Ethan. It COULDN’T have been. But
whoever did it—well, it was creepy. I mean, it was a seriously creepy
thing to do. So it probably
was
a
creeper. So, that leaves only Ethan … or Kenny.

I
gulp. Did I kiss
Kenny?
I shudder.

Though
I had liked the kiss, the thought of it being Kenny …
no way
.

Yikes!

CHAPTER 34

Driving
like mad, I speed over to the party on Franklin Street. I plan on confronting
Kenny. But I’m going to do it with Nick nearby—Kenny can’t hurt me with
Nick around. No one can hurt me with Nick around. (I wish Nick would be
around.)

At
the party, the first person I see is Kenny. So … maybe he didn’t do it. Right?
I mean, how could he? Here he is, at the party. He’s sitting out on the porch
by himself, smoking a cigarette.

“Nick’s
not here,” he says, eyeing me closely. “The band had to quit early. Neighbors
complained.” He seems to read my mind, “Nick went home with a girl.”

“Awesome,”
I mumbled.

Nick
lifts a brow, “Did you have a nice night?”

I
stare at him as he watches me through the smoke of his cigarette, my heart
slamming against my chest. “What do you know about my night?”

He
grins faintly. “I know a lot about your whole life. Like a boy, forcing kisses
on you out on your lawn—and another boy punching him out for it.”

I
blink at him. “Did you do that?—punch out Ethan?”

Kenny
breathes out a soft laugh. “No. That’s not what I would have done to the guy.
But Rider—he’s on the hockey team. Those guys know how to be cool as
ice.”

My
heart ricochets off my ribcage. “Rider?!”

Kenny
nods, “Cool as ice.”

I
feel dizzy. Rider beat up Ethan? He blindfolded him, and tied him
up?—everything that happened to me. Well, except the beat-up part. And I
wasn’t found in the gym with a degrading sign around my neck. I was kissed
passionately, and then let go.

The
world spinning, I wobble to my car.

So
confused.

CHAPTER 35

There
are only a few minutes left before first period. (Shock!) I over-slept this
morning … probably due to getting zero sleep last night.

The
first thing when I get to school is I throw my books in my locker, then hunt
down Rider.

I
find him at his locker as he’s busy searching for something in it. Without him
even having a clue I’m behind him I start questioning him, “Did you beat-up
Ethan?—are you the one that did that? You beat him up and tied him to a
chair in the gym?”

Rider
stills. Then slowly shuts his locker. Slowly he turns to face me.

His
eyes staring into mine, he slowly nods. “Yeah, I beat him up.”

I
squeeze my eyes shut. “What is
happening
to boys this school year? Everyone has gone bananas.”

When
I open my eyes, I’m embarrassed.

I
mumble, “I said that out loud, huh? I didn’t mean to.” Then I add, “But it’s
true. You shouldn’t beat up people. That’s—”

“—bananas.
Yeah, I heard.” Rider runs a hand over his face trying to look contrite. Sort
of. “Look, I didn’t beat him up very much. Just a little. Not like I wanted to—at
all. Just a very, very little bit. Because I knew you wouldn’t want me to
really hurt him. Believe me, if I would have got to beat him up like I wanted
to … Look, I’m on the hockey team. We know how to beat-up people.”

I
grimace. “You can’t go around tying people up and giving them anonymous notes.”

He
raises his eyebrows. “Notes? I didn’t give you any notes. Sorry, I guess I
should, right? That’s romantic stuff—more what girls want than getting
the guy that harassed them whacked around … right?”

I
look away, not sure.

I
mumble, “No one likes a bully.”

“Right.
Which is why I messed up the guy. I didn’t like seeing him being a bully to
you. But when I say ‘messed up the guy’ I use it very liberally. I mean, I was
trying to keep my cool. I didn’t slaughter him—just punched him around a
bit. I knew you wouldn’t like it if I put him in the hospital—so I
didn’t.”

He
grins, looking slightly hopeful, “Romantic, right?”

I
draw out a frustrated breath. Finally, I just choke it out, “Did you blindfold
me and kiss me?”

He
tilts his head, “
Blindfold
you?” He
scrunches his brow, looking confused. “Is that romantic? You want me to do
that?”

“No!
Someone did that. They blindfolded me—and—and—”

His
eyebrows go up. “Wow, your life is way different than I thought, Brooke. I
thought you were an innocent, sheltered girl. But you have guys attacking you
and leaving you notes and
blindfolding
you?”

Heat
swamps my cheeks. “Well, not until recently. Last year nothing like this happened
before.
Ever
.”

He
grins. “See what taking off your glasses does?”

CHAPTER 36

I
scrub my forehead, trying to let this sink in: Rider beat up Ethan—for
me?

Finally,
I just blurt it out, “How did you even
know
Ethan attacked me with his berserk tongue?”

I
mean, it sounds stalkerish, right?—him knowing. Like,
witnessing
the act. That’s
stalking
.

Rider
rubs a hand over his face, like he’s busted. But then his explanation just
makes my heart sink, though it truly makes it clear he’s not a stalker.

He
draws out a breath, “I was going to do what you said. Make a grand-gesture. So
I was driving by your house, going to ask the girl I’m dying for if she might
want to go to the school dance with me—”

I
choke. “School dance?”

He
gives me a quizzical look. “Yeah. Let her see I’m willing to do
that—endure a school dance. So she can see I’m not playing around, being
a player or heartbreaker or whatever.”

I
swallow, stunned; totally amazed by his story. But unfortunately, it seems to
be totally one hundred percent true. Well, the driving by my house anyway. Cheerleader
Daisy lives right down the street from me. (Joy.)

I
swallow again, since my mouth feels like it’s full of sandpaper for some reason
(though I know the reason—disappointment) (yes, I’m a sap).

I
sigh, “So … you didn’t tie me up or break into my house or write me threatening
notes or … anything?”

His
brow lowers. He no longer looks sardonic. Immediately he looks dead serious.
And concerned. “Someone’s writing you threatening notes and breaking into your
house?”

“Yeah,”
I sigh. But then I see Kenny.

Staring,
creepy Kenny.

I
groan, “Don’t worry about it. I know who’s doing it,” I mutter.

I
start to march towards Kenny’s direction, but Rider grabs my arm, pulling me
back to him. “Who?”

He
stares into my eyes, “Brooke—who? Who’s doing it?”

I
shake my head. I don’t want Rider to get in trouble for me, or come to my
rescue again. I’m trying my hardest to keep hold of my heart, but he’s not
making it easy for me.

But
I need to keep it far from him—obviously.

I
mean, wow. He was planning to ask Daisy to a school
dance.
The gorgeous, sweet heartbreaker obviously has his heart set
on Daisy. Big time. (Ouch.)

I
quickly shake my arm out of Rider’s warm grasp. “No, Rider. I’ve seen how you
handle things. If I need a body-guard, I’ll let you know.”

Rider
blocks my way. “At least let your quarterback know.”

Adamantly,
I shake my head. “I’m going to let my brother know.”

Then
I push past him, heading to Creepy Kenny.