Page 12 of Hiding In the Dark (The Righteous 4)
She looked down at the Army green-colored pack, confused as to what he was talking about—her bag? An old need licked up her spine with the sound of his voice. She needed to get away from him.
“Sorry I bumped into you, but I have to go.” In the most awkward moment possible, she managed to walk directly into the locked door as she tried to make her escape outside.
Yup, it was official. God hated her.
Willing herself not to look back, she moved to the open door and practically ran out. There was no mistaking who that was: Kestrel freaking Reynolds and his stupid, arrogant face, not to mention those unique amber eyes. Was it really fair that he still looked that good? If anything, he’d gotten better looking since high school.
Pulling up her Uber app, she checked to see if anyone was in the area and clicked for a car that was a minute out. Her foot wouldn’t stop tapping as she waited for what felt like forever. A silver sedan pulled up with a bright, smiley woman in bright pink, who could’ve been the cover model forSickeningly Sweet Magazine, in the driver’s seat.
“Hello sugar, you hop right on in.” The pink lady smiled as she patted the passenger seat, and Ashley was tempted to pick a different car. Just then, the heavy wooden door of the church squeaked as it was opened. Determined not to discover who was coming out, she jumped into the front seat.
After she relayed the address of the medical building, Pink Lady began talking, and Ashley would’ve sworn that she didn’t take a breath as she smoothly moved from one topic to the next and back again. Her mind drifted away from the car and spiraled backward in time.
Ashley finished setting up the locker the way she’d pictured in her mind. She was finally a freshman at a competitive private school, and she’d been envisioning what this moment would be like for so long. Closing her locker, she smiled at the girl with the locker beside hers as she built up the courage to ask her name.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Ashley turned toward the sound and was surprised to see a tall, athletic boy, with a crowd of his friends behind him, talking to her. Her hand clutched her backpack strap tighter. The boy, who had seemed to spring from nowhere, had stopped a few feet in front of her. His eyes roamed up and down her, and a strange nervousness mixed with curiosity spread throughout her body. Unsure what the correct answer was, she cleared her throat and held out her hand while the girl beside her seemed to turn into a Medusa statue.
“I’m Ashley,” she managed to whisper. “I’m new,” she stupidly added.
“A pair of freshmen are in our area, boys, at our lockers, and this one has the nerve to introduce itself.” He looked at the outstretched hand that was visibly shaking, and Ashley jerked it back like she’d been bitten.
In a comedic horror fashion, she looked at the assigned locker and then back again, confused as to what he meant. “I was assigned this locker,” she said, holding up the map with the locker number on it for him to see.
He didn’t even glance at the paper, a smirk lifting up one corner of his lips.
“Maybe, but you just donated it to me, so clear your shit out.” The leader’s amber-colored eyes were like lasers and pierced right through her body. He stepped, she was forced to take a step back as he proceeded to lean a shoulder against the locker in question. He crossed his arms over his chest, which accentuated just how hot he was as he loomed over her. The group he was with fanned out, blocking any way out for both her and the girl she hadn’t yet learned the name of—nervousness rolled around her stomach, making her feel ill.
A quick glance at the girl had Ashley wondering if she was still breathing. She had the urge to reach out and poke her to see what would happen.
“What locker should I use, then?” Ashley turned her eyes back up to meet the unnerving amber ones.
“None. I need both. So, get your shit and scram before I make you.”
“But….” Before she could finish her sentence, he leaned down so his face was right in front of hers. He smelt so good, and his eyes—she wanted to stare at them all day. He was the cutest boy she’d ever seen. The scariest as well, but holy hell, was he hot. Her knees shook at his sudden closeness, and she could feel the heat racing up her neck to her cheeks and knew they would be bright red.
“You see that girl over there. The pretty brunette that is glaring at you?” He nodded toward the other side of the hall. Swallowing hard, she managed to follow his stare. “That’s my girlfriend,” he whispered like it was a secret. She wiggled her fingers at the boy in question and then blew him a kiss. “She’s a cheerleader. Super jealous type, and really popular. What do you think would happen if I told her you came on to me and that you were saying dirty things that you wanted to do to me?”
“What? But I didn’t. I….”
He leaned in closer, his arm sliding along the lockers so it looked like he was moving in for a kiss. Ashley was rooted to the spot—fear laced with twinges of something else she couldn’t really explain made her blood run hot and was a potent combination keeping her in place.
“Oh, but you did. Your big blue eyes say it all. This bright red blush you have going on definitely says it all. You want me to kiss you.” He ran his finger down her cheek discreetly so no one else would notice. “I’ll make you a deal, say the words ‘I want you,’ and I will let you keep your locker.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out. He leaned in a little closer so their cheeks were almost touching. The heat from his body was pressing in on her, making it hard to breathe.
His lips hovered so close to her ear she could feel their gentle touch. “Say it, and I’ll give you your first kiss and the locker,” he whispered. “You’re pretty adorable.”
Body shaking, she said the first word that came to mind. “Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“I want you.”
The boy stood straight and smiled wide. “Told you I could make her say it in less than five minutes.”
“Fuck, Kes. You’re like a panty-dropping God,” one of his friends said as he handed over a small stack of cash.
Blinking, she watched the exchange, and then the boy now identified as Kes walked over to the brunette he’d mentioned and pushed her up against the lockers to devour her mouth. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled, but it was a mean look. It was like he hated her for no reason, she suddenly felt a flush of heat run through her body. She had the feeling this was just the beginning.
