Senseless Attraction (26 page)

      “The same goes with me,” Dad said, looking at Skylar. “I’ve heard all about you.”

      “I’m sure she’s had wonderful things to say about me.” Skylar rolled her eyes, but smiled at the same time.

      “That’s right, girl. How you never listen, how you wear that junk on your face, and how you’re doing the whole football team because of your reputation.” She grinned. I choked, and I was sure Dad did as well, only he hid it behind a cough.

      “You forgot the baseball team as well, Momma; how could you?” Sky glared. My Dad and I started laughing. I had just witnessed the very wonderful, sweet, but strange relationship Skylar and her mom had.

      “So I see you two have already met,” Dad said.

      “Yes, last night,” Skylar said.

      “We’re going for coffee later,” I added.

      “Oh, Mick. I do hope your daughter might be able to rub off some niceness onto my brat of a teenager.”

      “I don’t know about that; yours seems normal enough. It may help my bookworm of a daughter to get out more, instead of taking care of the house and her father.”

      Skylar scoffed and said, “Now, now, ‘rents. Where would the two of you be if we weren’t around?”

      “Rich.” Mrs James smiled.

      “Sane,” my dad offered. I hit him in the arm. “Ow. See? Look at that abuse.”

      “Children these days.” Mrs James shook her head. Both our parents laughed at their own joke. Skylar and I raised our eyebrows at each other.

      We all looked to the door as a nurse walked in. “Sorry girls, but it’s time for them to rest.”

      I looked down at Dad; he seemed tired. I wanted to stay longer, but I knew he needed his rest.

      Skylar must have read the same from her mum, because she said, “Momma, you look buggered. You need to rest so you can get home to cook me tea, woman.”

      Mrs James laughed and then said, “A rest would be good, baby girl.”

      I looked down at Dad; he smiled up at me, nodded, and said, “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m fine now, and I’ll be out in no time.” I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

      “I’ll be back later,” I whispered.

      He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it; you look beat. Go home, get some rest, and come and see me tomorrow after school. I’m sure the doctors will be letting me out then anyway.”

      “We’ll see. I love you, Dad.”

      “You too, sweetheart, and I am sorry to scare you.”

      I nodded, gave him one last squeeze, and walked to the door. I waved my goodbye at a teary Mrs. James; she waved back over Skylar’s shoulder. 

J
essie met us down the street at a small coffee book house. One that I’d never been to before, but Alex had, and she was driving, so I let her choose the place. It wasn’t too bad. It was a nice, warming, pleasant atmosphere with quiet music playing in the background.

      I introduced Jessie—who was already waiting out the front—to Alex, and then went on to fill her in after Jessie yelled at me for not calling her last night to tell her what had happened with our parents.

      Jessie gasped. “Holy heck.”

      Alex giggled at Jessie’s usage of words. “That does sum it up nicely,” she said.

      I then went on about my night with Kane before I had that frightening phone call. When I mentioned Donna, Jessie breathed, “Dog.” And I couldn’t agree more.

      It was when I got to the part about what had occurred that morning that both Jessie and Alex stared at me with wide eyes and mouths open.

      “Oh, my freaking God,” Jessie said, and sat back in her chair.

      “Wow,” Alex sighed.

      “I know. But no matter how many times I tell him that it just isn’t going to happen between us. He gets all…”

      “Alpha hot male,” Jessie offered.

      “Yes. It drives me crazy. I just need him to get it through his head that it ain’t gonna happen.”

      “Why can’t it?” Alex asked.

      “Yeah! Girl, you’re crazy turning down someone that fine.”

      I shook my head. I should have realised that they wouldn’t understand. “It won’t work…and if I did happen to let something happen between us, it’ll kill me in the end.
When
things do go bad, ‘cause they will. His mother hates me; I don’t know about his dad, but I know his mother would never approve of me in his life. I’d never want to cause trouble in his family life, and…we’re just too different.” I took a sip of my coffee, and watched Alex and Jessie share a glance. I had to smile; it was like Alex had been around us all our lives. She just fit right in.

      Alex cleared her throat. “Sky, I know we don’t know each other well, but I can already tell that when you talk about Kane, your whole face lights up. Wouldn’t that type of happiness be worth any sort of trouble?”

      Would it? I didn’t know. It scared me. All of it.

      “You know she’s right, hooker,” Jessie said as she placed her hand over mine on the table. “Though, I
do
know you, and you’ll fight this in every way.” She leaned back and grinned. “But I think you’ve met your match with Kane, and I think he’s right. He will wear you down.”

      “No, he won’t.” I glared at them both.

      “See? Stubborn. Alex, get used to it; she’s like this all the time.”

      I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. Let’s move on to your problem, Alex, and then we’ll get to you, Jessie. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about Mitch.”

      Jessie sighed. “Mine’s straight forward, so I’ll go first, because from the look in your eyes, Alex, your troubles seem more in depth.” Jessie reached out and patted Alex’s hand, and then continued, “Mitch went his own Alpha male way on me, and it was hot, so hot that now we’re dating. I’ve started to notice the way he’s been watching me—”

      “Finally,” I groaned.

      “What? You knew? How long and why haven’t you said anything?” she screeched.

      “Probably because I know you, Jessie, and I know that you wouldn’t have been interested if I had said anything back at the start of the year when I guessed it.”

      “Well, that’s true. Okay, anyway. I’d told Mitch the other day that I was going out on a date…not that I was, but I wanted to see what he’d do.” She grinned. “He said, ‘Bullshit, you ain’t going anywhere with anyone but me. From now frigging on, you and me are together.’ That was when he kissed me, and I melted into a puddle of goo.”

      “That is so sweet,” Alex said.

      “Like I said, about time.” I smiled. “Now that’s been settled; Alex you’re up.” I nudged her foot with mine under the table.

       “Oh, um. Mine isn’t as exciting as any of yours.”

      “Girl, that doesn’t matter, but we can see something’s beating you up inside, and it’s best to get it out,” Jessie said.

      “Okay. Well, I usually would tell my friend Sarah about this…but it kind of involves her. Sort of. You see there’s this guy at my school—”

      “The one who was at the hospital last night?” I asked, and when she nodded, I informed Jessie, “He was one huge, hot piece of meat, and I mean that with a capital H. He also looked like a badass; is he?” I asked.

      “Yes. That’s also the problem…I mean, not that I have anything against it,” she looked down to the table and mumbled, “and really, it wasn’t like anything would have happened between us.”

      “Alex,” I said, and when she looked up, I added, “why don’t you start from the beginning?”

      She nodded. “My friend Sarah came to school one Monday and informed me that she had kissed Tristan—the one you saw last night— and at first I felt sick because she knew that I didn’t like him and his crew; they are mean and…bullies. But she also said that he was different and that she really liked him. Of course, I supported her, though I still worried. But then one afternoon, my Maths teacher asked me to be Tristan’s tutor. I had no other option but to agree. He warned me to never say anything to anyone. So I didn’t. But then we…I guess I could say we grew close, became friends. Secret friends, of course; he could never tell his friend about me—the nerdy loser from school. I could also never tell Sarah; she was falling for him more and more. I have never felt so guilty, but also…jealous. Of course, the more time I spent with Tristan, the more I liked him, so the more my feelings grew. One night, he turned up at my house; he’d been in a fight. I helped fix him up, and he kissed me in return. But that’s all it ever was, a thank you kiss. Of course, my feelings didn’t think that way.” She took a sip of her latte and looked at us with tears shining in her eyes. I wanted to reach out and hug her, but she continued.

      “Last night, he helped me in more ways than one. As soon as I’d received that awful phone call, my brain shut down. He barked out orders and got me to the hospital; he took care of me. He got me home and stayed…with me, in my bed. But…” She bit her bottom lip. “This morning, when he thought I was asleep, he woke up and swore, then said, ‘What was I thinking?’ and I didn’t understand it at first. Then I pretended to wake up; it was then he informed me that nothing had changed between us, that he could never date someone like me. He doesn’t need or want my help any longer with Maths.”

      “What a frigging ass,” Jessie hissed.

      I nodded and asked, “What did you say to him?”

      “I told him that I understood that someone like him could never have feelings for someone like me, and that I knew nothing would have ever come of us because of those facts. I also told him that he was an ass for saying all that to me after the night I’d just had.”

      “Good for you,” I said.

      “I then went on to tell him I was going for a shower and that I expected him gone when I was out…and then, before…before I broke, I whispered his own words to him. I said, ‘you’re right, Tristan. What the hell were you thinking?’”

      “Was he there when you came out?” Jessie asked.

      “No,” Alex whispered.

      “Jesus, Alex. No wonder you looked so shattered when I saw you this morning. But, honey, he isn’t worth it. Still, I don’t get it. I saw him with you last night—the way he was looking at you…it doesn’t make sense.” I shook my head.

      “If you ask me, I think he’s more concerned about his street crew than anything, and that makes him a big jerk.” Jessie said. “Forget him, Alex. I know it’s going to be hard, but move on.”

      “I still think he’ll come begging,” I added.

      “That’s nice of you to say, Skylar. Very doubtful, but nice. So do you…do you think I should tell Sarah about everything?”

      Jessie and I shared a look. I knew we were both thinking of my idiot-ex. So that was why I said, “Yeah, I think it needs to be done.”

      She nodded, took out her phone, and texted someone. Her phone pinged back straight away.

      We watched Alex push her glasses back up her nose and then say, “She’s meeting me at my house in an hour. Wish me luck.”

      “If she’s any true friend, you won’t need it,” I said.