Under the Lights (6 page)

“I'm sorry. I was just thinking about my schedule. But yes, I'd like to come. Thank you for inviting me.” I sounded entirely too formal. Trying not to wince at my own ridiculous response, I once again stared down at my notebook.

“I think I make you nervous, Willa Ames. I like that.” He sounded amused, and I didn't look back at him.

“Will Gunner be walking you to your next class like he did this one, or can I have that honor?” He was mimicking my formal tone, and I bit back a smile. I think I liked Asa Griffith.

“I'd like that,” I replied, letting the smile touch my
lips. It felt good to want to smile again. I was doing it more and more since my arrival in Lawton. A few months ago I thought I'd never smile again.

But with that thought the reality of what I'd seen, what I'd done, and all I'd lost came back to me. The darkness I carried like bricks on my back weighed me down, and I once again lost my smile.

The teacher began to talk, and I gave him my attention, even if the past was haunting my thoughts and reminding me why I'd never truly be normal again.

•  •  •

Asa attempted to talk to me several times during class, and I managed a smile, if not a response, each time. My chest was heavy, but I wanted to feel normal again, if only for a moment. Was that selfish of me? Should I get to feel normal?

When the bell rang—ending my wasted class, since my mind hadn't registered one thing that the teacher had said—I picked up my books and stood up.

“What class do you have next?” Asa asked as he got up to walk with me toward the door. I guess he was serious about walking me there.

“Lit,” I replied.

“I'm two doors down in Spanish. Also, saw you get out of Gunner's truck today. Had any trouble with Kimmie yet?”

I wasn't sure what that meant. Kimmie was the girl from the restroom yesterday and one of the girls who had bombarded Gunner when we'd arrived. I knew that much, but as for me having any issues with her, I hadn't dealt with that. She didn't pay much attention to me.

“No,” I replied.

He nodded. “You will. She's not going to be able to handle you at all.”

If he meant she would be jealous of me, then she was just silly. Gunner wasn't serious about her or anyone for that matter. Girls who were blind to teenage boys who clearly didn't care about them were sad. They thought the television romance was real. It wasn't. This was not
One Tree Hill
. It was real life.

“He referred to me as his wingman this morning. She doesn't need to worry about me. She needs to worry about all the girls who are stupid enough to think they have a chance at an actual relationship with him. Like her.”

Asa laughed loudly. “Damn I like you.”

“Thanks.” I was going to say more when my eyes met Gunner's as he made his way toward me.

“And here he comes,” Asa said, once again sounding amused.

Gunner's eyes went from me to Asa as if he were annoyed. I wasn't sure why he would be, and if he acted
annoyed, I was going to set him straight. But that wasn't going to happen right now because Kimmie stepped in front of him, blocking his path. Which made Asa laugh again.

“One day he'll figure out that a quickie from Kimmie means weeks of her up his ass.”

“Has he done this with her before?” I asked, watching him move her out of his way with both his hands on her shoulders. His scowl was surprising. I'd never seen him pissed like that before.

“Been happening since ninth grade. She's an easy lay, but then she clings. We've all learned our lesson, but Gunner can't seem to shake her.”

I wonder what it was about her that kept drawing him back in.

“Kind of like Ivy and Brady. Except Brady doesn't seem to mind Ivy's clingy ways. He lets it happen because she's hot. I think in Ivy's head they're an item. Brady however doesn't see it as an exclusive thing. But then none of the guys have tried to bang her either.”

I had been away from high school drama, dealing with real world stuff, for so long now I found it pointless. Once I'd been that girl wrapped up in a guy, thinking he loved me. Not knowing what was really happening when I wasn't around. Never once guessing the truth until it was right
there in front of me. What I thought was a broken heart then didn't even touch the reality of being broken.

“Here's your class,” Asa said, stopping my thoughts from going dark once again.

“Thank you.”

He shrugged and on his tall frame it looked out of place. Like that of a little boy, not a massive football player. “I'll see you at lunch?” I think it was a question. It sounded like one. So I simply nodded, then walked into the room. Wishing I had a distraction in this period to help me push away the pain.

GUNNER

When I walked into Spanish, Asa was grinning at me like a fucking idiot. I'd seen him with Willa, and he thought walking her to class was one-upping me.

“I invited your girl to my party,” he said as I put my books down on the desk beside him.

“Willa isn't my girl.” I glared at him. I wasn't playing games with him. I had Kimmie shit to deal with. She was full-force annoying now that Willa had ridden to school with me.

“Good. I was hoping she was available” was his response, also meant to piss me off.

“Stop being an ass.”

He cocked one eyebrow. “I'm serious. Completely.”

Well, hell. I wasn't ready for that. Willa was back, and she was all grown up. I should have prepared for one of the guys other than Brady to go after her.

“Back off,” I warned him. Why? I didn't want to think about that.

He smirked, then shook his head. “Nope.”

Fucker.

•  •  •

I ignored Asa most of the period, except when Nash turned around and started talking about Friday night. We had a football game to focus on, which was more important than Saturday night and Asa's birthday party at the field. We would all end up at the field on Friday night after the game, too. In a small town like Lawton, the field was how we spent our weekends. Away from the adults.

Serena kept staring back at me and licking her lips slowly. I guess she was insinuating we hook up, and if we weren't currently in the classroom, I'd let her at it. I needed the tension relief. All this Asa and Willa crap fucking with my head. My choice to take Serena to the homecoming dance was simply on her skill in the blow-job department.

“I think I might sell tickets to the Kimmie and Serena fight. All the hair pulling and screaming will be hot. Think you can get them to set up a time and place so I
can make some quick cash?” Nash asked, glancing back at Serena.

“Doubt it. Kimmie will go at her whenever the mood strikes. Serena on the other hand would probably be more accommodating,” I replied with a grin.

“Never got why you and West wasted time with Serena. She's been there and done it all,” Asa said, unimpressed.

“Heard she's like a vacuum,” Nash informed him.

They both looked at me for confirmation. I shrugged. “Her middle name should be Hoover.”

Laughter erupted from both of them, and we were all glared at by Mr. Jones. We had interrupted his porn, I would guess. The old, fat Spanish teacher rarely did much teaching. He gave us worksheets and online programs during class. A couple of kids had caught him watching online porn on his MacBook while sitting up there. Shame we couldn't do the same. This class would be a hell of a lot more fun.

“So back to Willa,” Asa began, and I rolled my eyes. “Why'd she move back in with her grandmother? Thought her momma settled down and shit and sent for her back then.”

I'd wondered the same thing. But the reason why was something Willa wasn't willing to talk about. I'd tried to get her on the subject, and she'd closed up fast. She had secrets
that obviously hurt. I got that and I respected it. I had my own damn secrets. Ones that had changed my life. She could keep hers because I sure as hell wasn't sharing mine.

“Not my business or yours.”

Asa frowned. “So it's a big deal? Like did she get kicked out or something?”

He was going to push because he was a nosy-ass motherfucker. “I said it ain't our business. Leave it.”

Nash turned back around in his chair, and I slammed my book closed just before the bell rang, freeing me from Asa's questioning. Truth was I wanted to know what her secret was. I wanted to know if she'd done something terrible. I couldn't imagine it, but why else would she be back here?

However, it wasn't Asa's business. He didn't know Willa or her past. He hadn't sat with her and held her when she cried because she thought her mother didn't love her. Or the day she found out she was moving away from her nonna. That had been me. Not Brady. Me.

It had been six years and puberty had hit, but we had a history, and I would protect her the best I could. Something lost and hurt in her eyes said she needed protecting. I had made sure to protect the little girl she had once been.

“So you good with me walking her to her next class?” Asa asked me as we headed out the door. I started to come up with some excuse as to why he couldn't when I saw
Brady standing at the door to her classroom and her smiling up at him.

“Never mind. I was beat to it,” Asa grumbled, then walked the other way.

I, on the other hand, walked right up to the both of them. We were all friends after all.

“What class do you have next?” I asked her, interrupting whatever Brady had been saying.

They both turned their gazes on me. I could feel Brady's frustration rolling off him in waves. I knew him oh too well. The good boy wasn't thinking of Willa as a friend. He would be the perfect loyal boyfriend that she deserved. I knew it but I didn't like it. I also wasn't that nice of a guy. I wouldn't allow it. Brady was my best friend, and Willa wasn't about to take him away from me with her long legs, bubble butt, and plump lips. Hell no. I wouldn't become the third wheel to the two of them.

West had saddled himself with Maggie like it was the best damn thing in the world. He was nuts. Brady wasn't about to do that. He had a football career to focus on, and I had frat parties and coeds in my future.

Him getting serious with Willa would ruin all of that.

As his best friend, I would protect his best interests, and I would protect Willa, too.

BRADY

The first chance I got with Willa all day where Ivy wasn't smothering me and Gunner interrupted us. I'd just gotten her to laugh, too. What was his deal? This was going to cause an issue if we didn't talk it out. I would start on the football field later today. By pounding his ass with the ball every chance I got.

“I have Spanish,” she said, pointing to the classroom Gunner had just exited. “Right there.”

“You won't learn shit in there. Jones watches porn on his MacBook most of the class,” Gunner informed her, making her laugh as her eyes widened.

He wasn't lying. The man really did. He'd been caught
before, but somehow he was still teaching in the classroom. I didn't think we should be telling Willa about it though. Kind of seemed disrespectful.

“I've got a book in my purse I can read,” she told Gunner.

“Well, that sounds real entertaining.” Gunner sounded mocking, and she just smirked at him as if she wasn't surprised by that response.

“Once you read all the Harry Potters with me, and we talked for hours about them.”

Gunner nodded. “Yep, then I had sex and it was all over.”

Again Willa's eyes flared, and I elbowed Gunner to shut him up. Jesus! She didn't want to talk about his sex life. He had to stop treating her like a dude. When we were kids, it was different. She wanted to do the things we did, but life changed.

“Ignore his crude ass,” I finally said, stopping Gunner from any more inappropriate comments.

“Willa can hear the word
sex
. She knows what it is,” Gunner drawled, his gaze still on Willa.

Her face flushed, and I wanted to put Gunner on his ass for embarrassing her.

“On that note, I think I'll go to my next class. I have a novel to read, and from the way it sounds, I'm going to get
an entire period to read it.” Willa smiled at both of us, making very little eye contact, then hurried to her next class.

I glared at Gunner. “You embarrassed her,” I snapped.

He just grinned, still watching her retreating form. “I know. It was hilarious. What seventeen-year-old girl blushes over the word
sex
? Now if I'd said
fuck
, then I might have expected that reaction.”

I should have gone on and left him, but I couldn't just yet. I was confused by what his motives were with Willa. “She's not a backseat whore. You realize that right?”

He nodded, then finally looked at me. “Yeah. She's our friend. Six years doesn't change that.”

She had been his best friend. If I hadn't been so jealous of the fact he got to see her all the time when
I
wanted to see her all the time, I would have cared that she was the best friend and I was the runner up. When she had left, I had moved into that spot with Gunner, but it hadn't felt right. I missed Willa. For years.

I may have never stopped.

“Why is she back?” I asked him. “There has to be a reason.”

Gunner shrugged. “That's her secret. If she wants to tell us, she will. Until then, it's her secret to keep.”

He sounded almost defensive of her. Like he was telling me to back off. I'd been talked to like this before where
Willa was concerned. When we were kids, he never let me get too close. There was always a protective wall he held around her, and God forbid anyone get too close.