MIDNIGHT DIVINE (The Helio Trilogy Book 1) (6 page)

“Want a ride?" he
grins
, wiggling his eyebrows. He has his hat on backwards,
allowing me to see his gorgeous green eyes as they sparkle in the sun.

“Yeah.” I'm relieved he
came when he did.

We enter the coffee shop,
and Jack strolls out to the back deck to grab seats for us. I step up to the
counter to order my iced coffee as the barista emerges from the back kitchen.
He looks familiar, but I can’t place where I've seen him before.

“What can I get for you?”
The barista
leans on the counter and smiles at me flirtatiously.
He's all dimples with short brunette hair, dark brown eyes, and tall with a
slender build.

“Just a large iced coffee,
please.”

He rings up my order on the
register, and I give him my card to pay. He turns his back to me to mix my
drink, and I step aside to wait while I listen to the deep, dark Indie music
coming from the surround
sound
system in the
building.

“Ivy!” The barista yells
out. I step up to the counter and grab my drink from him.

“Thanks,” I
say
as I wonder how he knows my name.

“Ivy Harris, right?” he
inquires.

“Um… yeah.” I don’t know
who he is, but he looks familiar and seems to know who I am.

“Trey,” he provides his
name and waits for my recognition. He sees me draw a blank and continues, “We
have Literature together.”

Then, it clicks. “Oh!
Yeah!”

Trey gives a shy smile and
has a hard time looking me in the eyes. “So, my brothers are throwing a party
this weekend at The Green House. Do you know of it?”

The Green House is a
legend. It's always occupied by some fraternity I could never remember the name
of. They have the craziest parties. It's called The Green House because the
entire house, interior and exterior, is painted green. Students died to get
invited. “Yeah, I know where it is. Those parties are stuff of legends.”

He laughs at my star-struck
expression. “Well, would you want to come check it out? You could bring your
girlfriends.”

“Yeah! Most defiantly! I
could use a party,” I tell him. It can be my one last party to say goodbye to
the old Ivy Harris.

“Alright. See you there.”
Trey gives me a cheeky smile, and I'm surprised at myself for blushing.

“See ya’.” I trail outside
to join Jack on the deck. “Jack, what are you doing this weekend?”

“I’ve got a race Friday
night. Are you coming?” he hints.

“Um…” I have to come up
with an excuse. I'm not ready to go back to that scene. Not yet. Maybe never
again. “I don’t know. I’ve got a test on Monday in Biology, and I need to
study.”

“Come on, Ivy. You’ve got
all weekend to study. I want you to come. Alice and Eric will be there too.”

He's trying to lure me in.
I don’t want to go unless I can race, and I vowed to stay away from it. But, I
can't tell that to Jack. I never admitted that side of my life to him, and I'm
not sure how that conversation will go when he realizes I've been lying to him.
“I don’t know.”

“I know it’s not your
scene, but it would mean a lot to me if you were there.”

Damn, he's charming.
“How much is the pot?”

“Five grand,” Jack beams. I
sit silent in contemplation. “What?” he prods, and I decide to pass the
opportunity to be truthful with him.

“Um…That’s a lot of money.
You have five grand to just throw out like that?”

He chuckles, then realizes
my question is sincere. He gives me his charming smile again.
So beautiful. So
irritating.
“Don’t worry about me, Sunshine. I never lose.”

“Well, I’m sorry. I need to
use Friday night for extra study time. I’ve got practice Saturday afternoon.” I
lie to him about having to study on Friday, and he knows I can study on Sunday.

“Alright.”

I can tell he's
disappointed. I hate to upset him.
Maybe I can make it up to him.
“What
are you doing Saturday night?” I don’t want to go to The Green House with just
Alice and Eric to be the third wheel. Jack shrugs his shoulders. “Would you
want to go to a party with me at The Green House?”

Jack raises his eyebrow,
looking disturbed. “You can’t go to The Green House,” he says in a pissed off
tone.

“What? Why not?”

“It's not a safe place to
be.”

What a lame excuse.
“I’m a big girl, Jack. I can take care of myself. I’m
going. You can come if you want, but you’re not going to stop me from having
some fun,” I chastise him.

“I’m not leaving you to a
bunch of frat b
r
others. You need to be careful.”

“Jack.” I look at him
annoyed. “It’ll be fine.”

“Well, I’ll go with you
just in case.” I roll my eyes at him.
Whatever.
His phone beeps, and he
picks it up to read an incoming text message.

“I’ll see if Alice and Eric
want to come too,” I suggest to assure him it'll be safe with all of us
together.

Jack drops me off at home,
and I sit in my room hating myself for upsetting him. I go to the bathroom and
turn the shower on until it's scolding hot. Steam fills the room as I undress.
I pull the curtain back and step in. The water is sweltering, leaving my skin
red where it touches me. I let the water cascade over the top of my head and
down my face to wash away my thoughts of Jack. He's getting under my skin. In
some ways we're so alike I want to pull away from him. Except, he's charming,
caring, a little mysterious, and completely intoxicating. I know I want him in
my life even if I have to keep our relationship platonic.

Getting dressed, I still
can’t stop thinking of Jack. I decide to go for a drive and clear my head. I
snatch a CD off my desk labeled "Drive" and creep out to my car to
avoid Alice hearing me. Jumping in, I fire her up and back out of the driveway.
I pop in the CD and
“
Adrenalize
”
by In This Moment starts my playlist off.
Perfect,
I think as I head to the highway where the roads are hilly and the scenery is
majestic.

Being mindful of all
traffic laws, I drive through downtown as a normal, law abiding citizen. As I
stop at a red traffic light, a girl’s high pitch giggle catches my attention. I
look over to the front of the movie theater to my left.
Holy shit.
I'm
in shock with my mouth hanging open. The blonde bombshell that pulled my
attention away from the stop light is leaning on Jack against his car. Her
hands are on both sides of his body against the car. He spins her around to
lean her against his car in his place, his inscrutable gaze focuses solely on
her. My eyes start watering, and I pull them away from Jack without letting my
tears fall in furry. The light turns green, and it takes everything I have not
to peel out and draw attention to myself.

As soon as I hit the
highway, I bolt. Going up and down the hills and around sharp curves in the
road, I forget about wanting to take in the scenic countryside.
What the
fuck?
I scream at myself.
I shouldn’t be pissed. We’re not together. I
can’t be pissed. I know his reputation. What did I think? That he'd stop
sleeping around just because we're friends! God, I’m an idiot! Alice was wrong
about him! I was wrong about him! I can’t feel this way for him! I need
something to distract myself. Trey. He’s cute. Safe. I’ll just push Jack away.
I know he doesn’t feel the same way about me anyways, but he at least deserves
someone better than that fan-girl.

I glance down at my
odometer and realize I'm driving a hundred and ten miles per hour. I lift my
foot off the accelerator while push
ing
down on the clutch
to shift into neutral and slow down. I ease the brake to get my speed back down
to a reasonable eighty miles per hour and shift back into fifth gear. My radar
detector never goes off, and I'm grateful I've managed to stay out of trouble
on my rampage.

My phone rings with Alice’s
specific ringtone, and I put her on speaker. “Hey, Alice," I answer with a
tone void of emotion.

“Hey, where are you?” She
sounds worried, and I remember I have practice today. I'm late.

“Shit! I’m sorry. I’m on my
way.” I change my direction and head to our drummer, Becky’s, house.

“Alright. Hurry up!” she
yells and hangs up on me.

The girls are jamming out
when I arrive. I set up my Ibanez, and plug into my pedals and amp. I pick up
at the third verse as if I've been here the whole time. Alice walks the room
with the mic in her hand, under the pretense she's already on stage in front of
a thousand fans. Regan slaps her bass, swinging her sporty body with the music
and jumping with her fist in the air to entice our invisible crowd as her
blonde hair bounces in waves down her back. Becky beats her drums and symbols
as the natural rock star she is, sweat dripping in her eyes, never missing a
beat. Becky and I could pass for sisters if someone looked at us from behind,
and if her hair was as black as mine and not its artificial bright red. We're
the same height and build, but while Becky's more
metal
, I'm punk rock.

We practice for three
hours, the calluses on my fingertips are throbbing, and I'm sweating from the
exhilaration and heat. “We’ve got to make sure we get the bridge right on that
last song. We don’t want to embarrass ourselves at the Ball,” Alice warns us.
We nod in unison. “And we still need to write one more song to complete our
set. Start brainstorming.” We put our equipment away, and Alice comes to help
me out. “Can I get a ride home with you? Eric dropped me off and got held up
again.”

“Yeah. Sure,” I oblige. The
whole ride home, Alice talks about the show we have coming up. I can tell she's
nervous, but I tune her out because I can’t get the picture out of my head of
Jack with that girl!

The sunrise of Tuesday
morning penetrates my eyelids, rousing me from my slumber
. Jack’s going to
be here to walk me to class. I have to get going before he gets here.
I
rush to get dressed, not caring about my appearance and head out the door with
dark sunglasses and my black hair flowing down my back. After avoiding Jack the
last few days, I remain unsure of what my reaction will be if I see him, and
I’m trying to distance myself from him. I’ve been falling for him when I should
be focused on changing my life, and seeing him with another girl irked me when
it shouldn’t. I find myself pondering if it would be best to let our friendship
go. Thoughts of Jack are taking over my every waking moment and sometimes even
my dreams.

Drowsiness clutches me,
insinuating the need for caffeine to jolt me out of
my
funk. I stop in at the coffee shop before trekking up
the steep hills of campus to get to my Lit class. I’m surprised to see Trey
behind the counter. As I approach him to order my coffee, I feel the grin on my
face widen and the flush in my cheeks deepen.

“Good morning, Ivy,” Trey
greets.

I’m glad my sunglasses are
hiding the smile in my eyes. I run my fingers through my hair to flip it out of
my face and pretend the heat is the cause of the redness on my cheeks. My locks
crackle with static through my fingers. “Hey, Trey. Can I get a large Caramel
Frap with two extra shots of espresso?”

“Sure thing. I’ll ring you
up, but Emily will have your drink out to you in just a minute. I’ve got to
grab my books and head to class,” he announces as he rings up my order and
takes the cash from my hand. “Are you headed there?”

“Yeah. It was a long night,
and I need an upper if I’m going to make it through class.” Trey smiles. “I
didn’t know you worked this early.”

“I usually don’t
,
but I wanted to pick up some extra hours,” he admits,
handing my receipt over the counter.

“Ivy!” Emily yells.

“Thanks,” I tell her with a
smile, taking my absurd, over-caffeinated and over-priced coffee from her hand.

As I pass through the
doors, Trey catches up with me, “Mind if I walk with you to class?”

“Why not?” I don’t mind the
company. He’s attractive, and I plan on taking full advantage of the
distraction from Jack. Because I have no romantic feelings towards Trey, I can
be certain he'll never hurt me. We exchange small talk about the weather and
upcoming school sporting events on the way to the English building. I have
goosebumps I can’t shake, and I’m finding it difficult to breathe trekking up
the hill to class, which is unusual for me because I enjoy the occasional run.
I'm, by far, not a professional athlete, but I’m healthy enough not to struggle
with the incline.
Am I getting sick?

Trey sits behind me as we
take our seats in class.
He hasn’t always sat behind me, has he?
Our
flamboyant professor lectures us on the significance of Greek Mythology and
introduces us to the story of Agamemnon. I try to shake the chill from my
bones, but it’s futile. I fight my mind to stay awake despite the extra shots
of espresso running through my veins.
I guess I didn’t sleep very well last
night. but I don’t remember dreaming about anything.

After class, I make my way
down the hall to the building’s exit and catch Jack through the glass doors,
waiting for me on the half-wall lining the walkway.
Ugh. Great.
Trey
calls out to me as I open the doors, “Hey, Ivy!” I stop with the door propped
open, and Trey jogs to meet me. “Will I see you Saturday night?”

“Oh! Yeah. I’ll be there.”
I smile.
I think he likes me.

“Do you maybe want to get
dinner with me Friday night?” Trey asks, seeming unsure of what I will say.

“Um…Yeah. That would be
great.” I see Jack stand up and stroll towards us.

“Cool. I’ll pick you up at
six?” Trey beams, and I find it adorable.

“Sure.”

Jack puts his arm around my
shoulders and jerks his chin up at Trey in greeting, “Trey.” His tone's
unwelcoming and challenging as if he’s trying to claim his territory.

Trey stammers with
nervousness, “Uh… Hey Jack. Um… I’ll see you later, Ivy.” I nod my head, and he
leaves in a rush to get to his next class.

That was weird.
I push Jack’s arm off my shoulder and storm towards
the fountain across from the English building. As I attempt to evade him, Jack
doesn’t take the hint and catches up with me.

He pulls me to a stop and
spins me around to face him, “Hey. I haven’t heard from you in a couple of
days. What happened this morning? I came by to take you to class, and you were
already gone.” His concerned expression begins to melt my resolve.

I guess I could have text
him.
“Sorry. I meant to text you. I wanted to get to
class early and ask my professor some questions about our assignment.” I’m
lying to him again, and I still hate it.

Jack
folds
his arms over his chest and gives me a purposeful
look. “So… Trey, huh?”

“Yeah. I guess,” I shrug. I
don’t care what he thinks about me talking to Trey. All I can think about is
that blonde bimbo he was groping.
Ugh!
“You know him?”

Jack pulls his hat lower to
hide his eyes. “You could say that.” I wait for him to explain further, but he
doesn’t.

His vague answers are
getting old. “Whatever. I have to go. I’ll see you later,” I call over my
shoulder and rush away to hide in the library on the other side of campus.

By Friday afternoon, I
hadn’t heard from Jack.
I think he got the picture.
But, I worry at the
same time.
Where has he been? He hasn’t even tried to call me. I should be
ok with that. Why am I not ok with that?

Trey had text me to get my
address and said he was taking me to The Republic in the next city over. I know
the restaurant to be prestigious, so I play it safe by donning a black
sleeveless dress that falls to my thighs and wear my makeup light with my hair
straight down. There’s a knock at the door. I slide my heels on and grab my
silver clutch to leave. Opening the front door, Jack stands relaxed under the
porch light, and my chest flutters at the sight of him. The draft through the
open door sends his scent of lavender, sandalwood, and honey to me.
Well, at
least he’s alive.
“Jack. What are you doing here?” I glower.

His eyes go wide and look
me up and down. “Wow, Sunshine! You didn’t have to dress up on my account.”

“I didn’t. I have a date.”

“With Trey?” he recalls.

“Yeah," I reply, and
Jack's lips quirk in amusement.

"Well, he just
left," he informs me.

"What?" I ask in
confusion and look towards the driveway.

"Yeah. He pulled up
right after I got here and said to tell you he had something come up."

My shoulders sink.
"Great. So, what are you doing here?"

“I wanted to see if you
would reconsider.” He reaches out to grab my hand.

I don’t pull away.
“Reconsider what?” The warmth of his hand and the attraction between us jolts
my senses with a surge of energy.

“Reconsider coming to the
race with us tonight.” A controlled anger seeps into his words.

“Jack.” I pause.
Why did
you have to hook up with that girl?
“Look. I’m kind of mad at you, if you
couldn’t already tell.” I decide to be half honest as to why I don’t want to go
watch his race. I pull my hand from him.

“I did. But, what did
I
do?” his eyebrows raise in question.

“Well,” I start as I teeter
to take my heels off one at a time before turning to head back to my room,
letting Jack follow me inside. “I saw you Saturday. You were with some blonde
bimbo outside the theater. And I know we’re not together, but I thought you
were different than everyone said you were... I guess I was wrong.” I toss my
heels back in the closet and pivot to face him blocking the open bedroom door.
Jack turns his baseball cap backwards, licks his lips, and crosses his massive arms
over his chest with a big shit-eating grin on his face. “What?”
Why's he
smiling?

Jack shakes his head at me,
clearly amused. “Nothing… Are you jealous?”

Yes.
I reach out and pull a hand away from his chest to
hold between us. “No.” I look at our hands to avoid smiling back at him
as I lie
. Once I compose myself, I look back into his eyes. “I
just think you’re better than that. You deserve someone who will be there for
you through thick and thin. Not just be there for a one-night-stand.”

Jack jerks his hand away
from me. “You’re not my keeper, Ivy! That’s not even what was going on!”

That's it!
I loathe his raised voice. It reminds me of Frank.
“You’re not my keeper either, Jack!”

“What the hell is that
supposed to mean?” he yells back at me.

“It means I’m a grown ass
woman! I can take care of myself, Jack! If I want to smoke pot and drink, I
will! You don’t get to tell me, ‘no’! You have no idea what it’s like for me!
And you know what? That’s fine! Go ahead and sleep with whoever you want! And
go to your race tonight! I hope you
lose
, you egotis
tical prick
! Go!” I shove him to storm past, but he grabs my arm
just as I
step through the threshold
and spins me around
to face him. I didn’t mean what I said and was only trying to push him away,
but I glare at him anyways.

“Ivy. Don’t.” His eyes bore
into mine. I want to cry and scream and hit him. I struggle to make him let go
of me, but he doesn’t relinquish my wrists. “Ivy. Stop." I stop flailing
with a huff of annoyance. "The situation you saw was not what you think it
was. Believe me when I tell you that nothing happened. I swear." He
releases me and places his hands on my shoulders. "But, You're right. I
don’t know what it’s like for you. That doesn't mean I don't want to. I know
you’re hiding something. I want you to tell me, but only when you’re ready.”
His fingers brush my hair away from my cheek to tuck it behind my ear. His
large palm lingers with affection, and my anger begins to melt away with his
soft tone. “And don’t worry about me. I never lose.” The corner of his mouth
raises in a mocking gleam.

I relent and roll my eyes
at him. “You’re so full of yourself. Aren’t you worried, even a little bit, you
might lose five grand tonight?”

“Nope. I don’t lose.” His
hands drop away from me.

“He said before he lost,” I
quip with a grin.

“I’ll make you a deal.” I
wait for him to continue. “If I win, I want you to come stay with me for a
month.”

“What?” I freeze, standing
aghast at his statement.

He wiggles his eyebrows at
me. “Come on. You come stay with me, and I’ll help you stay clean. You can get
your life together like you talked about.”

“And what do I get if you
lose?”
This better be good.

“I’ll let you drive my car
for a month,” he offers.

Oh, crap! He’s good.
“How about, if you lose, I get to drive your car for
a week, and you have to stop sleeping around for a month.”

“Deal,” he says without
hesitation, reaching out to shake my hand.

“And if you win, I still
get to drink,” I propose.

“Deal!” he shouts.

I shake his outstretched
hand to bind our pact.
This should be good. When I get his car for a week,
I’ll make him let me race it. He’s going to flip!
I'm overcome with
giddiness. “Why would you want me to come stay with you anyways? I could stay
home, and you could still help me.”

“Because I’m not who you
think I am, and there's so much more you're capable of without it. I want a
chance to prove that to you,” he claims.

“I think I’ve got you
pinned down to a
T
,” I mock in retort.

Jack hooks an arm around my
shoulders and leads me back into the living
room. “You have no idea.”

Alice and Eric are lounging
on the couch together as we pass through the columns into the living
room. Her legs are across his lap as he relaxes with
one arm behind her, the other on her thigh. She jumps up as she notes our
entry. “Hey! Are you coming with us tonight?” she asks with her hands clasped
together under her chin in prayer and bites her bottom lip.

I observe how nimble and
light she is on her feet, and I presume it's why she's profoundly captivating
on stage. “Uh… yeah. You can go ahead. I’ll meet you there. I’ve got to
change.” I look to Jack and nod my head to assure him I’ll be there to see him
lose. After they leave, I strip off my dress and stand with my hands on my hips,
staring at my wardrobe in my black lace underwear and bra.
What can I wear
that will distract Jack? If I distract him enough, maybe he’ll slip up on the
starting line.
I smile at the perfect diversion hanging in the back of my
walk-in.
Perfect.