Reason and Romance (River Valley Book 1) (11 page)

Bastard!

Where the sudden vitriol had come from, she didn’t know, but it was burning a hole in her stomach.
Was that all it was to you, Alex?

He sounded so casual, and that, more than anything, galled her. If she wasn’t mistaken, that was amusement in his eyes. With just a few words, he could make her life at Varner High even worse than it already was.

“Yes,” she said, wanting to vanquish that smile. “A one-night stand was exactly what I needed. Thank you.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “Glad I could help.”

She pulled her muffin into halves. “No, really, I don’t mean to sound condescending,” she said sweetly. “We had fun.”

He tilted his head to a side as if considering her for a moment. There was that unfathomable look she’d first seen from him when she’d started groping him in the car. She’d driven the amusement out of his eyes, yes, but now she couldn’t read him anymore. They were an intense green, and right now they were searching her face.

Then he smiled.

At the sight of that brilliant smile, her heart constricted. God, he was far too attractive. Disturbingly so. Now that she knew what he could do in bed, she couldn’t push those images out of her mind.

“Mm. You don’t hear me complaining,” he said.

Her smile never wavered, but her nails dug hard into her palm once again. “I don’t have any complaints either. You’re good.”

Alex reached for a muffin, wrapped it up in a napkin. “Oh, I always am.”

She nearly forgot her composure. Oh yes, she had played it exactly right by subtly informing him she wasn’t looking for a repeat performance. Now he believed she didn’t give a damn about their one-night stand, and if that hurt his ego, so much better for it.

He got up from the table in an easy motion, but when he crossed over to her side, she arched an eyebrow in a silent inquiry. What did he want now? Then her curiosity transformed into alarm when he bent down as if he meant to kiss her.

Now her heart was beating.

“For the record,” Alex said very softly, his breath brushing her earlobe, his hand on the back of her chair, “you were good too, Adrian.”

She didn’t speak because she literally couldn’t think of anything to say, so she just let her cool smile speak for itself.

Even after she heard his car pull out of the driveway, she sat there at the kitchen table with an uneaten muffin falling to pieces. The dreaded “morning after” part was done and over with. Now, if only Alex would keep his mouth shut, she would be content.

Suddenly desolate, she closed her eyes. She didn’t move until she heard her father and Karen come downstairs. Then she squared her shoulders and plastered a smile over her face.

She was Adrian Blake, and she could handle anything and everything.

CHAPTER EIGHT

She was a hot gossip item. She’d anticipated it, but even she didn’t expect people to be openly staring when she emerged from her car on Monday morning. It was as if there was an invisible letter stitched across her shirt because they didn’t bother lowering their voices as she made her way over to the school building.

“Do you think she really slept with him?”

“Oh, she’s so dead. Mandy’s going to kill her.”

A muscle in her jaw tightened. The only saving grace was that Nicky had hitched a ride with Alex, so she wasn’t hearing any of this. Would he even get castigated for hooking up with Adrian? Oh no, Alex would probably get lionized for banging yet another girl and adding a notch to his bedpost. It was the good old double standard at play.

“How could she sleep with him behind Mandy’s back?”

That comment hit a little too close to home. From what she’d seen in the last few days, the redhead didn’t seem to have any friends outside Alex’s circle, if even that, but now everyone was suddenly rallying for her cause. Or rather, rallying against Adrian.

The sharp squeal of rubber had everyone looking up, Adrian included.

A red Maserati roared into the parking lot. It wove in and out of the line of drivers hunting down open slots and then slashed across the path of the car in the front. Students, who were still walking to the school, scattered like birds. With a final screech, the Maserati swung into the closest available spot. There were skid marks all across the asphalt.

It didn’t surprise Adrian when Quentin Maxwell emerged from the driver’s side with a wide grin. Nor did it surprise her that he had a vanity plate that said: SXY Q. She’d never met someone so unabashedly in love with himself.

His dark eyes lit up when he saw her on the sidewalk. “How is our little vixen this fine morning?” he shouted across the parking lot.

It was oh-so tempting to flip him the bird. Was there anyone who hadn’t heard him?

Even worse, she couldn’t actually give him the finger because everyone was looking at her and because it would inevitably cause yet another scandal she didn’t need. So she did the only thing she could do: walk to the building as if she hadn’t heard him. Head high, shoulders straight.

He chased after her anyway. “Vixen!”

Resigned, she stopped. “What do you want?”

“Sex and more sex.”

“Can’t help you there.” She stepped around him. Maybe she would just retreat to the girls’ restroom until it was time for Mr. Melbourne’s class. Five minutes and she was already exhausted. “Run along and harass someone else.”

Quentin threw an arm around her shoulders. “Right after I talk to you, darling.” The gleam in his dark eyes forewarned what was coming next. “So did you sleep with Alex?”

She’d expected the question, yes, but even so, her stomach tightened painfully. She wasn’t allowed to forget her biggest mistake, was she? Getting away from Jason’s presence was one thing since he wasn’t physically here, but Alex would always be here. One glance at the parking lot confirmed the presence of that black car in its usual spot. How was she supposed to look at him and not remember what they’d done together? It had felt too good, and maybe that was the problem.

“Cat got your tongue?” Quentin said with a grin. “Or did Alex get yours?”

Adrian shrugged him off. “I’m surprised you don’t already know. Why didn’t he tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

It was a good thing that Quentin didn’t have his arm around her shoulders anymore because her muscles were suddenly tense. It sounded as if he was fishing for information, but surely that was impossible. He was one of Alex’s best friends. But what if Alex hadn’t told anyone about that one-night stand?

Hope leapt in her heart. Could there still be a way out of this miserable situation? If Alex kept his mouth shut, no one would ever know one way or another.

“Shame,” she said. “I thought you were in Alex’s inner circle, but I guess not.”

“Oh, my social position’s secure enough. We’ve been best friends since kindergarten.”

“How touching.” She pretended to shade her eyes and search the parking lot as if waiting for someone. The other kids really were gawking at her, so it wasn’t just her imagination. Who knew what they were saying? Would Travis even talk to her today? “Maybe I’ll find Justin instead. He doesn’t bore me as much.”

He put a hand over his heart. “Ouch! That hurt.”

“Unfortunately for you,” Adrian said, “I don’t care about your feelings. That’s the nice thing about being the school bitch, Maxwell. I don’t have to worry about liking you or flattering your ego because otherwise? You aren’t that impressive.”

Quentin blinked twice. He wasn’t as outwardly controlled as Alex, so she had the distinct pleasure of seeing him rock back a bit on his heels. Oh, why had it taken her so long to put him in his place? Now she had finally paid him back for his rude behavior.

“Goddamn, you really are a bitch,” he said.

“Always. Run along.” She fluttered her fingers.

“I don’t get it.”

They were almost at the school’s outer doors, so Adrian only had to walk away and leave him there, but she still had too much time to kill before getting to AP English. She really didn’t relish the idea of sitting in the classroom under the scrutiny of her classmates, all wondering if she’d slept with Alex.

“Don’t get what?” she said.

Quentin’s dark eyes were searching her face. “What is it with you, Adrian?” And maybe because it was one of the few times he’d so used her name without his customary leer, she listened. “You’re hot as hell, but you don’t let anyone get too close. The only person I’ve ever seen you talk to is that stoner. A girl like you, I figure you can have the school eating out of your hand if you want. So why don’t you?”

What was he talking about? He had been the one to insult her with that stupid “bang her like a screen door” comment, not the other way around. He hadn’t invited her to hang out with him—that had been Justin. And what did Quentin mean by saying she could have the school eating out of her hand? Back at home, she hadn’t been unpopular, but neither had she been the most popular girl. She’d simply been one of the socially accepted people that everyone knew.
Jason
had been the outgoing one instead.

“Travis may be a stoner,” she said, “but I owe him for telling me about that party. If not for him, I wouldn’t have known.”

“You don’t owe Cates anything! You’re Alex’s future stepsister, or did you forget? Normally you’d have been invited.”

“One more word about Travis, and this conversation ends.”

“Whatever. My point still stands. That party—now that’s what I’m talking about. You were the center of attention.”

Now Adrian couldn’t resist laughing. “Is that so?” she said wryly. If she’d shown up wearing a T-shirt and jeans, she wouldn’t have garnered the same level of attention. “See what that gets me now. People think Alex and I slept together. Mandy’s probably out for my blood.”

“So you’re denying it?”

Something about that smile put her on her guard again. “People are so gullible. Don’t tell me you are too.”

Amusement sparkled in his dark eyes. “If you really believe they didn’t see the way you and Alex looked at each other at the party, you’re deluding yourself.” He slung an arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the doors. “And like I said, I’m his best friend. So, yes, I did ask Alex if he’d slept with you. He said no.”

Sheer relief swept over her like a tidal wave. If not for the fact Quentin was watching her closely, she would have staggered and lost her balance. Alex really wasn’t bragging to his friends about how he’d banged her? No sexual performance rating? No juicy step-by-step descriptions?

“And?” she said coolly.

Quentin waggled his eyebrows. “I didn’t say I believed him. The gentleman doth protest too much, methinks.”

“Cute.” She headed toward the doors. “I almost feel sorry for Alex. With a best friend like you, who needs enemies?”

Maybe her voice was a little sharper than she’d intended because Quentin angled his head and considered her for a moment. He wasn’t half as good-looking as Alex since his features lacked symmetrical perfection, but when he flashed a brilliant grin that could have knocked out the sun, she could see why he attracted more than his fair share of girls.

“Oh, I can be a
very
good friend, sweetums.” He opened the door and gestured her to precede him. “And as a show of my good faith, I’m telling you it’s all over the school that you allegedly slept with Alex. You have Vaughn Mackintosh to thank for that.”

Her mind flew back to that blonde who’d approached her at the party. So she’d been right to be wary after all.

“How are you going to spin it, Adrian?”

“If there’s nothing to spin, why should I?”

“Denying it, are we?”

“Or it just means the sex was so mediocre that there’s nothing to spin.”

Quentin burst out laughing. It was an action that transformed his face because, all of a sudden, he was five times more attractive.

“You may be a bitch, but damned if you don’t have style.”

The AP English classroom fell eerily silent when she walked inside. Or rather, the lack of noise and chatter slapped her in the face. Even as her mind registered the quiet, she knew what had caused it.

Alex’s eyes were hooded as his gaze flickered over her and Quentin. He was sprawled in his seat like a lazy jungle cat, but the strained expressions and the tense body language of the students around him told the true story. Somehow Alex could make his mood known without lifting a finger or saying a single word. And for whatever reason, he wasn’t in a particularly good mood today.

Well, it wasn’t her problem. Right now they were all watching her to see how she’d respond. She went straight to her desk. Since the teacher had so thoughtfully placed her in the front where anyone could stare at the back of her head, she could practically read into their silence.

Did she really sleep with him? That’s a sick thing to do. Aren’t they going to be stepsiblings? Oh man, Mandy’s going to kill her …

It was almost a relief when Mr. Melbourne started talking. “What do you think of the symbolism in the last chapter? Let’s hear it, guys.”

He didn’t look surprised when no one raised a hand. It was, after all, Monday morning. And no one was surprised when his gaze fell onto Adrian. “Ms. Blake, I assume you did the reading. So what do you—yes, Mr. Maxwell?”

Curious, Adrian turned her head. Quentin usually spent his time cracking jokes with Alex and his friends. Either that or he napped. She’d never seen him with an open notebook, but here he was, with a hand in the air.

Quentin winked at her. “I thought the symbolism was particularly inspired, especially with the use of the characterization …” He launched into an explanation that left no doubt that he’d read the book. Or at least the abridged version.

The teacher seemed torn between suspicion and gratification. “An enlightened opinion, Mr. Maxwell. I hope we hear more from you. We haven’t heard from you yet, Ms. Blake. Do you agree with his—”

He broke off again because Justin Latimer jumped in.

Adrian doodled in her notebook, trying to seem casual, so no one would sense her shock. Two of Alex’s closest friends had just spoken up! Justin—okay, yes, she could understand that, but Quentin? What was going on?