The Crushes (4 page)

Rule 23:
Leave some things to his imagination!

“I miss you,” Raven said through her cell phone.

“I miss you, too,” Horace answered, his breath sounding soft through the phone. Raven flopped back on her bed and closed her eyes, imagining his arms wrapped around her. Why did he have to go away for the first half of the summer? At least he wasn’t going to be gone for the
whole
summer.

“So what have you been doing?” Horace asked.

The first thing that popped into Raven’s head was Blake. She hadn’t been able to get him out of her head since she met him. There was something about a skater boy that…well, she couldn’t describe what it was, he just had it. Maybe she could describe it as the cool factor. Skateboarding was one of those sports that was well known enough to make you famous, but not so well known that you lost who you were because of the money and attention.

Skaters were
real
.

“Ray?”

“Huh?” she said.

“Did you hear me?”

No she hadn’t. Because she’d been thinking about skaters. And a particular skater boy.

Quit it, she screamed in her head. Focus on your boyfriend. The guy you
love
.

“Sorry,” she said. “Jordan was making faces at me from the hallway.”

“I said, I have to go, but I’ll call you later, okay?”

She sat up in bed and sighed. “Yeah, okay.” They’d already been talking on the phone for thirty minutes and had pretty much used up all their conversation starters.

“I love you.”

“Love you, too,” she replied and said good-bye.

“Hey, Ray!” Jordan yelled through the house.

Raven came out of her bedroom. She found her little sister in the living room in a hooded zip-up sweatshirt and cutoff Abercrombie sweats. “What?”

“Want to go for a walk with me?”

Raven had been cooped up in the house all day. A walk would do her good.

Outside, the sun was beginning to set, turning the sky bright orange and pink. The day’s heat had retreated and Jordan zipped up her sweatshirt. Raven was in a long-sleeve shirt, the material thin enough to let a bit of night’s breeze through.

The neighborhood Raven and Jordan lived in was a small subdivision with light traffic and a lot of outdoor
activity. As they headed down Alpine Drive, they passed a father and son in their front yard playing catch with a baseball. A woman speed-walked past them, her rottweiler surging ahead of her on a retractable leash.

Raven looked across the street at Mr. Kailing’s house but saw no lights on in the windows.

“So,” Jordan began, “I got the job at Bershetti’s.”

Raven raised a brow. “Really? Are you excited?”

Jordan nodded her head emphatically. “Totally. I mean, have you seen Nicholas Bershetti? He’s like Milo Ventimiglia’s twin brother. He’s so hot and I’m going to be working with him!”

Raven smiled while envy knotted in her gut. She missed that crush/pre-relationship excitement.

“So when do you start?”

“Tomorrow, at eleven in the morning. It means I have to get up early, but that’s cool because Nicholas works the same shift. I checked the schedule when I was there yesterday.

“What do you think I should wear?” Jordan mused.

“Maybe—”

Raven was cut off by the sound of skateboard wheels rolling across the asphalt. Blake flew past. He headed straight for the curb and Raven tensed, thinking he was going to crash. Instead, he jumped the curb, flipping his board as he did. He landed perfectly on the sidewalk and whirled around, tipping the board up with a foot.

“That was awesome!” Jordan said, clapping.

Raven agreed, but she wasn’t about to say so out loud.

“Wait up, son!” someone called behind them.

Raven glanced over her shoulder to see Blake’s uncle
saunter up. He was so big that his arms stuck out like tree branches at his sides. He wasn’t fat, just extremely bulky.

Blake grabbed his board and slung it beneath his arm. He was wearing baggy black pants and a white T-shirt with a black tree printed from the shoulder down to the hem. He had on a black DC hat today, but the same white DC shoes. Raven noticed a diamond in one ear.

“I’m Blake,” he said, extending his hand to Jordan.

She shook. “I’m Jordan.”

“Nice to meet you. You must be Raven’s sister?”

Jordan nodded.

“You two look alike. You’re both beautiful as hell.”

A blush touched Jordan’s cheeks. She looked at the pavement.

“Come on, Jordan.” Raven linked her arm through her sister’s. “We have to go.”

“Already?” Blake set his board down and kicked forward, following them as they turned back toward their house.

“We just started our walk,” Jordan said.

Raven gave her sister the shut-up look, but Jordan just shrugged.

“Hey, Raven,” Blake began, coasting beside them on his board, “why are you giving me the freeze-out?”

“She’s just like that,” Jordan said.

Raven frowned.

“Does she warm up once you get to know her?”

Jordan nodded.

“Hey, Mil-D!” Blake called to his uncle. “Keep up, man.”

“Mil-D?” Jordan furrowed her brow. “Is that his name?”

“Yup.”

Mil-D trotted up, his chest heaving. “It’s my nickname. Short for Milton Downs.”

“It’s cute,” Jordan said.

Mil-D grinned wide. “Well, thanks.”

“You’re going to make him blush,” Blake said, punching Mil-D in the gut.

“Come on now, son!” Mil-D rubbed his plump stomach.

Blake gave himself a few more pushes on the board so he could catch up with Raven. “So, Raven, what do you do for fun around here?”

“I work.”

“That’s it?”

“She does music.”

Blake raised a brow. “Does music?”

“Writes it, sings it.” Jordan nudged Raven. “Tell him.”

She’d rather keep her personal life to herself. The more she shared with Blake, the more he’d know about her and the more he knew…the closer he’d be.

Wasn’t that one of those new rules from the Crush Code? Something about leaving things to the imagination. Maybe she should tell him about herself…that way she’d be going against the Crush Code.

No, she should keep quiet, that’s what she should do. How would she feel if she found out Horace was in Detroit hanging out with some random chick? And having conversations about their music? Raven would be jealous, and she’d feel betrayed. Not that she didn’t trust Horace—she
trusted him completely—she just didn’t trust other girls. Horace was a cutie, and he was extremely good to Raven. Any girl would kill to have him.

And Raven didn’t want to lose him.

When they reached the house, Raven started up the front lawn.

“Ray!” Jordan called. “Where are you going?”

“I have things to do.”

Raven heard her sister say, “No she doesn’t. She’s just trying to get away from you, probably because she thinks you’re hot and she has a boyfriend and feels bad.”

Raven tensed. How did her sister know all that? Was Raven that transparent? Or did Jordan just know her that well?

“Anyway, I should go,” Jordan said. “See you guys around!”

“Later,” Blake said. His skateboard hit the ground and he zoomed off down the road, Mil-D trailing behind.

Raven watched him round the corner to the next street, from the
hopefully
inconspicuous spot on her front porch.

Why were the Forces That Be screwing with her like this? Why did a hot guy have to move in across the street from her at the very moment in her life when her boyfriend—whom she loved—was out of town for a month?

Did she have to lock herself in her bedroom? She could already feel that early crush feeling sneaking up on her. Things were not looking good.

Alexia’s phone went off in her bag playing Kay-J’s new pop hit, “Settled Over You.” She winced and dug in her bag, quieting it. It was a new text message from Kelly.

What ru doing?

Alexia looked around the tiny office in the back of Cherry Creek Specialty Store. There were papers stacked a mile high on the metal desk. Sample cookies filled a basket atop the filing cabinet. Some weird New Age music played softly from a CD player in the corner.

Alexia had applied at the store just a week ago, and she was now, officially, an employee.

I’m @ the store
, she texted back to Kelly,
waiting for my boss so i can fill out papers.

It took Kelly a total of seven seconds to respond.
Bummer. i was going 2 ask u 2 come 2 the gym w/ me.

I wish I could, but u know i’m a working gurl now.

I know! good luck w/ that!

“Yeah,” Alexia mumbled and slipped the phone back in her bag.

According to Alexia’s parents, a “real” summer job built character, which was why she was at Cherry Creek Specialty Store at ten
A.M.
on a Saturday morning. Thankfully, Alexia had a good feeling about the store. The owners, an older couple well into their sixties, were extremely warm and inviting and the store itself had a good vibe.

It wouldn’t be so bad, right?

Alexia wasn’t one to complain about hard work, but she’d wanted to work at the bookstore. She’d heard employees got forty percent off their purchases! And who wouldn’t love working around books all day long?

Her parents, both psychologists, had quietly suggested she look elsewhere, somewhere where she’d get dirty. Character was not built on bookshelves. Alexia argued that characters were, quite literally, on bookshelves, but her parents didn’t find that amusing.

Lately they’d been pushing her on everything. From school, to a summer job, to her relationship with Ben. When her parents were out touring, promoting the books they wrote, she got along just fine with them.

Now they were taking a break from tours
and
they were in the middle of switching offices. Their lease on their old office had run out while their new one was still being built, which meant the brunt of their work was done from home.

Suddenly they were everywhere and very much into Alexia’s business, including what kind of summer job she worked.

Bella, one of Alexia’s bosses, walked into the office. “Okay, thanks for waiting. How about we get that paperwork out of the way and then go on a tour of the store?”

“Sounds good.”

Twenty minutes later, with the necessary paperwork completed, Bella led Alexia from the small office by the back door into the kitchen. “Here’s where we make our sandwiches.” There was a long white countertop with several compartments filled with meats and veggies and other sandwich necessities.

In the middle of the kitchen was an island, pots and pans hanging above it. There were several shelves below it with more pans and utensils and other small kitchen appliances.

Bella led Alexia to a small room off the kitchen.

“And this is the break room. You can leave your bag in here. There are aprons in the cupboard above the sink. You’re welcome to put whatever you want in the fridge.”

Alexia hung her messenger bag on one of the hooks behind the door, then grabbed an apron. They were forest green with the Cherry Creek logo—a river with a cherry tree—printed across the front.

Just as she tied the apron on, the back door opened and closed. Several voices rose and fell as the new arrivals made their way to the kitchen.

“Oh, and here’s the rest of the morning crew,” Bella said as they filed into the break room.

“This is Nancy,” she said, nodding at the fortyish woman. “Rachel.” She was the one with long blond hair. “And Jonah.”

Jonah was about Alexia’s age, if she had to guess. He had sandy blond hair and a warm smile.

“Hi,” Alexia said, nodding at everyone.

“Nice to meet you,” Jonah said, ducking behind her to grab an apron.

Alexia didn’t recognize him from school and wondered if he went to Chisholm Academy.

“Well,”—Bella clapped her hands together—“you guys ready for another busy day?”

By the end of her shift at four o’clock, Alexia’s feet felt like they were going to fall off. Her forehead was slick with sweat, her apron covered in purple onion juice and avocado mush.

If this wasn’t a “real” job, she didn’t know what was. The lunch rush had been chaotic and the cleanup afterward lasted even longer. Who would have thought so much went on behind the scenes?

Alexia tossed her dirty apron in the hamper and grabbed her bag.

Jonah met her in the break room. “How was your first day?”

Alexia thought about her response. She didn’t want to come across as whiny. “It was tough,” she said. “It was a lot more work than I thought it’d be.”

He nodded, blond hair falling over his forehead. He swept it back with quick fingers. “It’ll get easier,” he said, giving her an encouraging smile. “When do you work next?”

“Um…Monday.”

“Me, too. I’ll see you then.” He said good-bye.

Alexia grabbed her things and hurried home to put her feet up.

Every muscle in Alexia’s body was screaming. She felt like she’d run a mile, biked two, and balanced a basket on her head for another four.

She lay back on her bed, relishing the soft comfort of her pillow-top mattress. If she didn’t move for the next twenty-four hours, it still wouldn’t be long enough.

Eyes closed, she listened to her breathing, feeling sleep slinking in just as her bedroom door burst open.

“Lexy?” Ben said.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him as he looked down at her.

“Tough day?” he asked.

She managed to nod.

“Well, I brought something to make you feel like royalty, which would make me the slave and you can totally order me around so long as it includes making out with you.”

She laughed as he sat down beside her.

“Here.” He handed her a plastic bag and she dug inside.

“Aww, Ben!”

There was a Subway sandwich and a chocolate chip cookie the size of a hamburger.

“And ice water, too,” he said, nodding at the plastic mug on her dresser.

“You’re too good to me.”

“Yes I am.”

She ribbed him and he yelped. “I wasn’t serious.”

He leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips. “And neither was I.”

“Mmm, I liked that.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

She nodded and he bent over to kiss her again, this time lingering longer on her lips. She pulled him closer, weaving her fingers through his messy hair. He put an arm over her, his hand reaching beneath her T-shirt.

Tingles erupted at the contact of his skin against her tummy. And then all her nerves seemed to light with fire.

Ben slipped his tongue along her lips, and she did the same, pulling him more on top of her. He pulled back, breathing hot and heavy.

“You have to stop teasing me like this,” he whispered, pushing against her. “You’re going to drive me insane.”

That was an early crush rule, Alexia thought. It said to tempt and tease the crush, but she hadn’t meant this when she wrote it, which is why she deleted the rule. Somehow the deleted rule still lingered in her mind.

“You’re right,” she said, shrugging out from beneath him. “I’m sorry.”

He lay back against the pillows, closed his eyes and rubbed at his brow.

“I really am sorry, Ben.”

“I know.” He didn’t look at her yet. “I just…” He sat up. “I love you and I want to share everything with you and you’re so damn hot.”

She grinned, face hot with flattery and something else.

He scooted off the bed. “I should go anyway. More family stuff tonight. I just wanted to bring you over a treat, but then you tried seducing me.” He came around the bed and kissed her atop the forehead. “I’ll come by later tonight and massage your feet for you. I bet they hurt.”

“They do, but you—”

“Shh.” He put a finger against her lips. “It’s my job to take care of you, and I take my job very seriously.”

Smirking, she nodded. “All right. I’ll see you later, then.”

“Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

She followed him downstairs, and she watched him leave from the living room window. When he reached his car, he stopped at the front bumper and bowed in her direction.

She giggled and waved as he got inside his car.

Everything about their relationship was perfect.

Everything except for the whole situation with It.