Page 30 of Sangre
They started to walk away when Lexi clasped Isla’s arm. “I did hear you were in a band. Is that true?”
“Yes. Iris Blue.”
“That’s so awesome. I’d love to talk to you about it and just catch up. Are you open to going for lunch? It’s on me.”
“I’m not sure what my schedule is, but you can message me on Facebook. My name is Isla Rose.”
Tired of Lexi’s annoying prattle, Sangre pulled Isla away and guided her toward a booth that sold T-shirts.
“You didn’t look like you were too thrilled to run into that chick.”
“I’m surprised she was so friendly. When we were in high school together, she was a real witch. She went out of her way to try and make me feel insecure. I can’t believe you don’t remember her. I complained about her to you many times. Lexi belonged to the popular group.”
“I sorta recall the bitch now. I’m surprised you told her to message you.”
“That was a long time ago. I’ve so moved on from all the high school drama. Anyway, people change.” Pointing at a couple next to the cotton candy stand, Isla smiled. “They’re my next door neighbors. Do you want to meet them?”
Sangre jerked his head back. “No. Why would I?” She laughed as he tugged her in the opposite direction.
Later that night, as they sat on a bench watching the fireworks, the burst of lights in the sky brought him back to the summer before his senior year. It’d been a hot as hell summer that year. His family and Isla’s had met up at the Fourth of July picnic in Liberty Park. For the first time in weeks, there’d been a light breeze rustling through the trees, delaying the firework display by over an hour.
Isla’s mother had asked her to go to the car to bring the extra cooler, and he’d volunteered to help her. She’d had an open bottle of water in her hand, and as they walked to the car, he’d started teasing her about something—he couldn’t quite remember what it was. For whatever reason it had irked her, or at least she’d pretended it did, and she poured the bottle of water on him and ran away. He’d run after her and snagged her around the waist, both of them toppling onto the soft grass. Hovering over her, he watched as she giggled and tried to get away.
He bent his head lower and kissed her glossy lips: feathery soft at first, then hard. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back, and when she parted her lips, he slipped inside. Soon their tongues twisted together, darting in and out of their mouths. He placed a hand over her breast and squeezed it. It’d felt so soft and round, and he had to grind his hip into her to take some of the pressure off his hard dick.
She must’ve felt his hardness because she pushed him away and he fell on his back on the grass. She jumped up and headed toward the parking lot. He’d been ready to go after her, to apologize for touching her breast, but his friend, Jay, intercepted and said her mom wanted to know what was taking so long to get the cooler.
Without even a backward glance at him, she’d wrapped her arm around Jay and they sauntered away. Rising to his feet, he watched them fade into the shadows of the trees as the first burst of light lit up the sky. That was the summer she’d left without even saying goodbye to him.
“I know it sounds corny, but I love fireworks.” Isla’s voice brought him back to the present. She waved her hand outward. “I love all of this. The sense of community. I remember all the times we went to community events. LA is so big. So impersonal. You could die and your neighbors wouldn’t know for months. It can be so lonely in a city of millions. Crazy.”
With the memory fresh in his mind, the heat of her body pressing close against him, and the enticing scent of her perfume, he put his fingers under her chin and gently turned her face toward him. “Do you remember the Fourth of July in Liberty Park?”
She licked her lips and cleared her throat. “Yeah. They were all fun. The fireworks were always my favorite part.”
Taking her hair in his hands, he moved it over her shoulder and leaned in close to her ear. “I’m talking about the summer you left.” He felt her shiver against him, and it made him glad that he’d caused it.
She turned her head sideways and their lips almost touched. They werethatclose. “That time we kissed? I’ve never forgotten it.”
“What the fuck!” a male voice boomed.
Isla jerked away from Sangre. His head snapped toward a tall man with angry eyes. He recognized him as one of the band members.
“I thought you told me you were going to stay in tonight. Not fuckin’ cool, Isla.” Glaring at Sangre, he pointed. “Who the hell ishe?”
Sangre stood up and heat flushed through his body as it tensed. “You point your fuckin’ finger at me again, and I’ll break it.”
Benz’s eyes widened and he stepped back. Looking at Isla, he grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.”
She pulled out of his grip. “Hold on. Sangre’s an old friend.” She turned to him. “Sangre this is Benz. He’s the drummer in the band.”
“And her boyfriend,” he said, his arm curling around her shoulders.
Sangre cracked his knuckles then flexed his arm muscles and stared at the asshole.
Isla slipped away from Benz and stood off to the side, her arms folded across her chest. “It’s too damn loud to talk. Why don’t we all finish watching the fireworks?” She sat back down on the bench, and Sangre sat to the left of her and Benz to the right.
All he could see was red. Crimson red. Blood red as in Benz’s blood. And all he could think about was how he was going to hurt this jerk who thought he was hot shit because he played the damn drums. He had no idea what the hell Isla even saw in him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the wannabe rock star glancing at him on and off, and if Isla hadn’t been there, Benz would be sprawled on his back with Sangre straddling him as he rearranged the asshole’s face.
