Lovely (10 page)

“Hamlet.”

“Wow, I’m impressed!” she exclaims. “And you said you didn’t know much about poetry.”

“I only recognize it because we read it in high school. It’s hard to forget when that was the play we were practically forced at gunpoint to read an excerpt from in front of the whole class.”

A giggle leaves her mouth and the sound floats in the air above my head. It relaxes me, and I stretch my legs out and lean my head back.

“It’s really homey in here,” I comment. “I don’t know if it’s all the books, or …”

“Or what?” she asks.

“Nothing.”

“Okay,” she says with resignation. She nudges my foot with her own. That’s twice a part of her body has touched mine today. “So, about the poem, what do you think you’d like to write about? The easiest way to do it is think of something you like, and then just write how you feel about it.”

“Something I like?”
I like you.
“Well, I like pizza.”

“Pizza. Alright, well then think of words that come to your head when you think about pizza.”

I stare at the ceiling, silently praying for inspiration. “Let’s see … cheesy, pepperoni, scrumptious, crispy, gooey.”

“Those are really good words,” she sounds enthusiastic, “very descriptive. Now, see if you can put together a couple of sentences.”

I visualize the pizza I had last night for dinner. “Pizza. Gooey pizza. Crispy crust, pepperoni melting in my mouth. Scrumptious.” I sigh.
I suck at this.
“Okay, that sounded completely idiotic.”

“No, it didn’t. It was quite poetic, actually. It made me visualize the pizza in my mind and imagine what it tastes like. That was great.”

I snort. “Yeah, okay, whatever you say, Ophelia.”

She grabs a bright yellow pillow and tosses it at me, so I do the same. When I do, her head falls back in a laugh, her cinnamon waves surrounding her, and I get a clear view of the subtle curve of her neck. It’s so damn sexy.

I snag one of the pillows and hug it to my chest. “So when I hand that in to Travinski, I’ll tell him you said it constituted a poem.”

“Actually,” she rings out with an aura of confidence, “Professor Travinski is quite fond of me, so you’ll probably get an A.”

I cock my head to the side with an amused smile. “And why is
that
exactly?”

“Because not only do I help out during the sections on poetry, but I tutor a couple of students in his classes on a regular basis.”

My lips turn up in a wide grin. “I think I qualify for that, don’t I?”

She smiles and twists a curl around her finger. “I don’t think so, actually. Your pizza poem has potential.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t anticipate winning any contests with it, but I guess it’ll do.” I know I need to get home to check on Colt but I can feel myself stalling, picking up the poetry books sprawled out on the carpet. “Anyway, I guess I should get going.”

She helps me gather the rest of the books. “Okay.”

As I get up, I reach out and loop my finger around Cara’s to help her stand, and a powerful bolt of electricity shoots through me. When I’m on my feet and her eyes lock with mine, I swear I see a sparkle in them behind those big black circles of glass. Maybe she felt it, too.
Probably not, asshole, you’re not her type either
.

“Thanks,” she says quietly as she bites her bottom lip.

I shift on my feet and run a hand through my hair repeatedly. “Thanks for the help, seriously. I’m poetry deficient, so I need a lot of it.”

She shakes her head and a small sound slips out of her mouth. It’s a happy one, and it makes me want to hear more of them.

I turn for the door, my feet following my own hesitation, seemingly in slow motion. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

We’re both looking at the door but neither of us moves until finally she pulls it open for me. “Yes.” She waves her hand in the air. “I’ll meet you in the palace of books.”

Yes, you will
. “Bye, Cara.”

“Bye.”

On the way home, I crank up The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven,” and can’t help the grin that’s spreading like wildfire across my face. Cara’s so different from any girl I’ve ever known. She’s cool, she’s interesting, she’s smart, and she’s actually got a good sense of humor. But she showed me something else today. She gave me a glimpse inside her soul … and all I saw was pain. Familiar pain. Pain I can relate to.

I walk in the door to find Colt lying on the couch with his eyes closed. My legs take me over there quickly, and I shake him. “Colt! Colt! Are you okay?”

He startles and opens his eyes. “What! What, bro? I was sleeping!”

“Oh.” Relief surges through me. “I was just checking on you.”

He brings his hands up in the air, waving them. “Oh God, now that I might have a brain tumor, are you going to start acting all crazy on me?”

“Acting all crazy on you?” I bellow. I don’t even know what to say to that. First, my father dies, and now who knows what the hell’s going to happen to my brother. If I’m crazy, I have every God damn right to be. “Yeah, it’s just a tumor.”

I storm into the kitchen and Colt follows behind me. He grabs my arm and sighs.

“Listen, I’m sorry. I know you’re only concerned. I just need to downplay it for myself. I don’t know whether you can understand that or not.”

“Of course I can.” I pull him forward into a hug. “I love you.”

“Oh no, here comes the gushy stuff now,” he teases, and I give him a shove.

I realize it’s way too quiet when I don’t hear my sister’s mouth. “Where are Mom and Delilah?”

He takes a glass and fills it with water, chasing down two Tylenol. “Oh, they went over to that pottery place to make a birthday present for a friend of Delilah’s.”

I open the fridge to scope out the food choices. “Are you hungry? Mom left a couple of plates of capellini with meatballs.”

He dumps out the rest of the water in the sink and puts the glass in the dishwasher. “Nah. I ate the leftover pizza.”

That makes me smile, big.

His eyebrows shoot up, a wrinkle appearing on his forehead. “What’s so funny about pizza?”

“Oh, nothing.” But I’m still grinning like a fool.

He shakes his head, his eyes rolling back as he heads for the stairs. “Okay, you’re acting weird. I’m going up to take a nap.”

I must’ve had a damn good dream about Cara. I know that because I’ve got a hard-on that could push through a brick wall. Moving my hand lower, I reach inside my boxers and start stroking myself while thoughts of Cara, her eyes, those perfect lips and beautiful curves invade my mind. My hand speeds up until I finally find relief.

When I enter the library this morning, I find it difficult to meet her gaze knowing that she was the driving force behind this morning’s masturbation session. She sees me instantly and a light moves across her face, a stark contrast from the darkness I saw when she read her poem. That light becomes her. I want it to stay.

Her hair’s loose again today, hanging softly down to her breasts, and she looks lovely. “Hey,” she beams, her eyes a shimmering brown.

“Morning. How are you?”

“I’m good.” She reaches under the counter and pulls something out. “I found this for you yesterday after you left. I thought it might be helpful.”

I flip over the book.
Poetry for Dummies
. My cheeks redden and I can’t help but smile. “Trying to tell me something, are you?”

A delectable shade of pink colors her face. “Noooo … Actually, it’s a really good book. It breaks everything down in terms that are easy to understand.”

“Yes, for us dummies,” I remind her, chuckling. “Speaking of which, this dummy has to study for Econ or my grade will reflect my new title.”

“Good luck with that,” she says with an animated smile.

Halfway through my Econ paper, my head is telling my brain to focus for what must be the hundredth time. It’s hard to really, when Cara’s so close by. Every now and then I steal glances at her as she continues with her book detail. I put my head back down and work diligently until I’m disturbed by a loud sound. My head moves in the direction of the noise, and I notice Shelby pushing through the double glass doors. She’s sporting a micro-mini skirt that’s barely covering her ass and a tight white tank that makes her tits look like beacons.
Great
. She sees me and makes a beeline to my table, laying her lips on mine in an instant.

I grab her arms and push her off of me, observing Cara staring in our direction. “Shelby, what the hell are you doing? We’re at school, and this is the
library
. Have you lost your freaking mind?”

“Oh, Ash, calm down. I just came in to say hello.”

“Well,” I reply, aggravated, “that was more than a hello.”

When she realizes how angry I am she backs up and adjusts her bra. “Geez, what’s up your butt?”

I practically growl at her, embarrassed that Cara is seeing this side of me, the one she makes me forget when I’m with her. “How did you know I was here?”

She flattens her hands down the sides of her mini skirt. “Jason told me.”

Of course. I’m going to kill him
. I flex my fingers while taking deep breaths to try and control my temper. “So, what’s up? I’m kind of busy studying.”

Heat fills her eyes as she reaches under the table and squeezes my thigh. “I wanted to see if you can come over tonight.”

“I can’t tonight, Shelby. I have some things to do at home. Maybe another night, though.” Why am I even saying that to her? I have no desire to be with her tonight or any other night, for that matter. There’s only one person who occupies my thoughts and now I’m worried that I might have screwed it up.

She lets out a frustrated groan and turns on her heels to leave. “Alright, have it your way, Ash.”

“Goodbye, Shelby.”

As I watch Shelby leave with her tits and ass practically spilling out all over the floor, I notice Cara is watching Shelby’s exit also, and then her eyes move to mine. I smile at her, but she doesn’t smile back this time.

I push my research materials away and rush over to her. “Hey,” I say, resting my hand on her arm.

She doesn’t meet my eyes, but doesn’t shrug my arm off, either. “Hi.”

“Listen, Cara, I want to explain …”

“So, how’s your brother?” she asks, moving the arm I was holding to comb her fingers through her curls.

“He’s okay. He’s acting a bit strange. One minute he’s upset, the next he’s acting like it doesn’t matter.”

“Well, that sounds about right, doesn’t it? I mean, he’s scared.”

I take a minute to think about what she said. “Yeah, I never thought about it like that, but I guess it does. Thanks.” I don’t know how she does it, but she always manages to steady my heartbeat and put me at ease when I need it the most. “So I was wondering if you wanted to maybe, I don’t know, do something after classes? We could take a walk or go sit under the oak tree?”

Her eyes wander aimlessly over every inch of the counter without looking my way. “I can’t, Ash. I’ve got a lot of studying to do.”

My stomach clenches with disappointment. “Alright, well maybe tomorrow then,” but even as I say the words, they seem empty somehow.

“Yeah, maybe,” she replies, sounding deflated, exactly the way I feel.

“I’ll see you later then.” I walk away, irritation gnawing at me. When I turn around, she’s busying herself behind the counter, sorting through books, her face set in a frown. I know this has everything to do with what she saw, and I have to fix it. I’m not going to let Shelby fuck things up with Cara.

The hallway’s crowded and I’m scanning it to find Shelby, but I don’t see her. I do see Jason, however. “Jason, wait up!” I shout from the other end of the hall and sprint to where he’s standing just outside of his next class.

“Hey, man,” he says, dropping his backpack to the ground. “What’s up?”

“Why’d you tell Shelby I’d be at the library?” I ask, winded.

He looks at me, confusion knitting his brows. “What do you mean?”

“Shelby found me in the library and said you told her I’d be there.”

He reclines against the wall. “Oh, yeah. She practically accosted me outside and demanded to know where you were. She seemed desperate to find you. What’s going on?” Realization dawns on his face. “Oh, this is about that girl.”