Here Comes the Light (Cambrooke #1) (2 page)

I take a deep breath as I stare at my salad. I am not going to get into it w
ith Jess today. There is no use; she always wins even if she is the one that is wrong. I feel Hudson slide in beside me.

“What’s up boob?” Ethan jokes from across the table.

“Ethan!” Jess squeals as she smacks his shoulder.

“You alright, babe?”
Hudson whispers as he slides his arm around my back. I appreciate him trying to offer me comfort but, it isn’t helping much.

“Not really.” I reply barely above a whisper.

“You guys hear from Coby?” Nova chimes in looking expectantly at Hudson and Ethan.

“I will hook you up.” Ethan winks as he shakes his chocolate milk. I have to roll m
y eyes Ethan Chambers thinks too highly of himself. Just because he is Captain of the football team he thinks he is God at this school or something. If he only knew how much his trophy, cheerleader girlfriend cheated on him.

Nova, however
, is fooled by his charm she blushes and responds with a mousy “thanks.”

“Miley, is that all you are going to eat?” Hudson growls at me. I look up at Jess who is staring at me with raised eyebrows.

“I am just not that hungry,” though I would give anything to be able to eat like Nova. Of course Nova does show it in her size eight jeans.  I work hard to keep myself in fours but I would love to be a size zero like Jess.

As soon as Hudson and Ethan devour their lunches they head outside to toss a football back and forth.  Jess begins to babble and when I look her way I catch those blue eyes looking at me from over her shoulder. All of a sudden Jess voice becomes nothing but blah, blah, blah. My eyes meet his,
Declan’s.  How have I never notice how good-looking he actually is, that messy blonde hair and those blue eyes.  WOW those eyes are gorgeous. He smiles at me when our eyes meet. How can someone as good-looking as him go unnoticed here? I smile thoughtlessly back at him.

“Miley are you even listening to me?” Jess voice finally reaches my brain.

I quickly look back at Jess. “What?”

“I was talking about prom, hello.” Jess waves her hands dramatically in front of her.
“Only the most important night of whole high school careers.”

“I plan to be a size two by then.” I smile proudly at my goal.

“Well I’m not talking about you.” She rolls her eyes. “I was talking about the room Ethan got at the hotel. Prom is going to be at Riverside Hotel on Front Street this year it is going to be so awesome.” Jess looks up in deep thought.

“I am hoping
Coby asks me.” Nova chimes in.

“Maybe if you skip a few of those fries.”
Jess chides.

“Ethan said he would talk to him.” Nova says with faint hope in her voice.

“You need to do your part and not be so desperate.” Jess shakes her head as in disbelief and looks back at me.

“So you and Hudson should get the room next to ours and we can have a little after prom party.
” Jess tilts her head toward Nova. “And if desperado here finally gets Coby to go with her they can come too.” My eyes slowly drift back over Jess’s shoulder at Declan again. “Miley what do you keep looking at?” Jess turns to look behind her and gasps flinging her face back toward me. “Are you staring at Declan?”

I shrug and bite my lower lip.

“He is cute.” Nova adds lifting her eyebrows.

“Not as cute as Hudson. Hello, football player, Hudson, your boyfriend. Besides, Declan is just weird.” Jess shakes her hand and lowers her perfectly plucked eyebrows as she points at me. “Do not let Hudson catch you looking at him.”

Chapter 2

I
rush out of the house so quick for my nightly run I forget a jacket though is warm when I start. It cools off quickly as the sun travels behind the horizon.  I am in a fitted tee shirt and a pair of cropped sweat pants. I desperately need to get these last few stubborn inches off of me to look the way I want in my prom dress.

As I run through the park I notice th
e trees beginning to bud reminding me my favorite season is approaching, summer. I love nothing more than to lie in the warm sun and let it turn my skin a nice golden-brown.  Of course no school is a bonus during the summer as well.  My run tonight is so quiet and relaxing I close my eyes and breathe in deeply taking in the fresh spring air the smell of new life.

When suddenly I crash into a hard chest and I am on the ground. I open my eyes to see a skateboard and a pair of black converse tennis shoes.

“I’m sorry about that, are you okay?” A hand reaches down towards me I glare at it and stand up on my own. I smooth the dirt of my backside as I stand and look at a face covered by a black hood.  I continue to scowl how rude was this guy not watching where is was going? He chuckles as he pulls his hood down. I can’t believe it is
him
again.

“I am fine.” I huff as I reach up and tighten
my ponytail. “Watch where you’re going next time.”

“Me?”  Declan
raises his eyebrows and puts a hand on his chest with a small smirk. Is he making fun of me? “What about you?”

“I was just running
.  You were the one on that death mobile.” I point to his skateboard.

He chuckles;
this guy is getting under my skin. “It is a skateboard, not a death mobile.” He steps on one side of it making the opposite end pop up he lifts it up.  I begin to feel a little dizzy. I am trying to think of how much I have eaten today just that little bit of salad for lunch.  His smile fades when he looks up at me again. “Hey are you alright? You look a little pale.” He reaches out for me I want to pull away but I don’t have the energy.

“I am just a little dizzy, that is all.” I nod as I try to focus on not fainting.

“Maybe you should sit down.” He takes a hold of my waist. Whoa why am I suddenly enjoying this? I close my eyes and try to remember my boyfriend. Declan helps me to the bench only a few feet from where we stand, but it felt like forever getting there and I don’t want it to end. “Are you cold?” he asks as he sits beside me.

What was his first clue? The fact that I am shivering or that my arms are covered in goose
bumps.  Though I am sure the goose bumps are from his touch and not the cold.  He shakes his hoodie off and drapes it over my shoulders.

“Thanks.” I whisper not sure what to think of this. “I didn’
t expect it to get this cold.” I say looking at him in his black tee shirt. The black only brings out those blue eyes even more. “Aren’t you going to be cold? I mean you aren’t the one you forgot a jacket.”

“I’ll be alright.” He shrugs. I stare ahead looking at the people jogging past and the children
riding their bikes.  A woman speed walks past us with her black poodle. I find myself a little uncomfortable with this awkward silence between us. I don’t know what to say to this guy. “Well.” I take a deep breath before slipping the hoodie off my shoulders. “I am feeling better now, I need to get home.” I nod in the direction of my house.

“You can wear it home.” He waves at me b
efore I am able to remove it. “Just give it to me a school tomorrow.” Okay this is a little weird, he barely knows me.

“Thanks.” Is all I
say before jogging off.

Hudson is waiting for me in my driveway leaning against his car with his arms across his chest. I pick up speed and jog the rest of the way to him. I wrap my arms around his neck when I reach him. He doesn’t move his arms.

“Where have you been?” he growls at me ignoring my attempt at some affection.

“I just went for a run.” I back away, still trying to catch my breath.

He looks me up and down and then reaches out and tugs on the
hoodie hanging on me. I forgot about that until just now. “What’s this?”

“Um, when I was in the park, I ran into Declan, like literally. He let m
e borrow it because I forgot my jacket.”

Hudson is silent for a second as he just glares at me. “I don’t trust that guy, Miley, he is weird.”

I nod, “yeah, I think so too.”

“What guy goes around giving random girls their jackets anyway
?” I try to ignore Hudson’s disdain and wrap my arm around his waist showing him affection again. I rest my chin on his chest and look up at him. He glares down at me as he shoves his hands in his pockets.

“Hudson, what is your deal?” I step back.

He shakes his head, “it doesn’t add up to me, Miley.” He narrows his eyes and shakes his head.

“So you are you saying you think I am lying?” I put my hand on my chest he is not even going
there again. 

“Sure sounds like it.” He makes a thin li
ne with his lips and I’m about to flip.

“Whatever Hudson, I can’t believe you still don’t trust me.” I shout as I run away from him towards the house.

“If you aren’t lying why are you being so defensive?!” he shouts right before I slam the door behind me.

“What are you guys fighting about now?” Jess says exasperated as she strolls in my room.

I sit up on my bed Indian style.  “He is just being jealous.” I roll my eyes.

Jess makes her way to my vanity and fluffs her hair as she looks into the mirror before finally looking at me.. She grips the edge of my vanity as she leans against it and shrugs. “Just quit talking to other guys then. I mean whenever you guys are fighting  Hudson wants to hang out with Ethan and that cuts into my Ethan time. Because their whole stupid Bros before… well you know.” She shakes her head and waves her hand in the hair.

“Well not talking to any guys ever is a little hard to do, Jess.”

“Try a little harder.” She rolls her eyes. “Prom is coming up and really need you two getting along for it; we have waited for this like forever.” Jess turns around to look at herself in the mirror, fluffing her platinum blond hair once again.   Jess can’t stand to be around a mirror for more than a couple minutes without looking at herself.  “Why don’t you just have sex with him already? He probably wouldn’t be so jealous.”

I let out a frustrated growl and lean back on my bed. Not this again. I pull a pillow over my face. “I don’t want to.”

I hear Jess huff before the pillow is lifted off my face. “Quit being so selfish, Miley. You should really think about his feelings in all of this. Don’t you think he has waited long enough?” I just scowl at her. She flips her hair over her shoulder. “Whatever,” she says with an eye roll. “Don’t come crying to me when he doesn’t come back.”

“Jess.”
I sit up and shake my head.

“Miley,” she sits beside me and gives me a small frown. “I am only saying this because I don’t want to see you hurt anymore, trust me.” She smiles
placing her hand on my knee, “Sex will make things better for you two. I know you’re scared, but it only hurts the first time. It’s great after that.”

“I’m sorry.” I hear Hudson’s voice in my ear. His hands begin to knead my shoulders. I have my back turned towards him pulling my books out of my locker. “
I overreacted.” And that is exactly what I wanted to hear. I turn around. His adorable big brown eyes melt my heart.

“You make it
hard to stay mad at.” I smile up at him.

“Do
you forgive me?” He gives me that crooked smile I love. The smile I have a hard time saying no to. The hallway is busy with our peers scattering to their classes, but right now all I am aware of is Hudson.

“I guess.” I say with a playful smile.

“You guess?” he chuckles.

“Don’t do it again.” I poke his hard chest.

“Ah, you know you’ll forgive me if I do.” His hand slips around my waist with that crooked smile again.

I stand on my tip-toes and tou
sle the top of his hair.  “A little cocky aren’t we?”

“Hey, hey, watch the hair.” He le
ts go of my side to reach up and pat his hair back into place. “So you forgive me this time, right?”

“Yeah, I forgive you.”  I say standing on the balls of my feet I quickly smack my lips against his. “Now, I have to get to class, I can’t get another tardy or Mr. Aiken w
ill give me a detention.” I wave my fingers at him as I walk away.