Circle of Lies (Red Ridge Pack) (7 page)

He slid into the driver’s seat of his Jetta and asked, “Where to?”

“Over by the elementary school on Almond Point. Just drive that way, and I’ll show you where from there.” I paused for a moment, trying to come up with something to add but finally decided on simply thanking him for the ride.

He looked in my direction. “My pleasure. I just hope your dad is okay.”

What was I supposed to say to that? Oh,
him
? No worries. Dear ol’ Dad’s probably drunk as a skunk by now. Yeah, he likes to swing by Alcoholics Anonymous and then head out for a beer or twelve.

I settled for, “I’m sure he’s fine. He probably just forgot. I should have reminded him.”

We drove in silence for a few minutes. For some reason, I had the feeling that I was making Aiden uncomfortable. He kept shifting in his seat and fidgeting. The tension continued to grow. Finally I asked, “Are you feeling okay? Does your shoulder still hurt?”

“Actually, it hurts like a mother-fu—” He stopped mid-word, probably trying to be a gentleman and not to offend my virgin ears. When I smiled and assured him that I had heard worse, much worse, he just laughed and said, “Sorry. Just didn’t want to sound like a jerk with a potty-mouth.”

That, in turn, made me laugh. Potty-mouth? Really? That sounded like something a mother would say.

He seemed to sense my train of thought. “You’re laughing at me for saying ‘potty-mouth,’ aren’t you? Yeah, I said it. And I’ll say it again.
Potty-mouth!
”

Giggling, I suddenly found myself unable to stop. Jeez, I probably sounded like one of his many ditzy female admires, but I couldn’t help it. It had been far too long since I’d laughed like this. Something about Aiden just made me happy. Maybe it was that he was so gorgeous and had gone out of his way to take me home. Maybe it was—

No. I was going to ignore him, right? That’s what I’d decided. Or did I not need to?

I caught my breath and said, “Yes, I’m most definitely laughing at you for saying ‘potty-mouth.’ Really? Is that what you call it?”

Aiden elbowed me in the arm, and the brief contact sent tingles through me. “As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what I call it. You got a gosh-darn problem with that? Potty-mouth?”

I just started laughing again. How easily he seemed to take my mind off what I was sure to find at home.

“Stop laughing at me. I was trying to be polite,” Aiden pointed out. But there was a glint of humor in his eye. “I didn’t want you to think I had a—”

“A what? A potty-mouth?” I repeated, trying in vain to hold in my laughter.

Aiden took those gorgeous green eyes off the road and looked at me, I mean really
looked
at me. I became a quivering blob of melty goo, and right then I realized how dangerous this guy really was. I’d had no sense of it before when he was just a gorgeous heartthrob. This guy could easily steal my heart, no questions asked, and with my luck he’d crush it into a million pieces. I could not let that happen. As a matter of fact, I would not let that happen.

Suddenly, nothing seemed funny anymore. I looked away, and his eyes returned to the road. We were almost to my house, so I started calling out directions to get him the rest of the way there. I didn’t speak other than to tell him to turn or stop, though, and at last we pulled onto my block.

“So.” He turned and looked at me again, slowing the car as he did. His crooked smile let loose a rabble of butterflies in my stomach. “You never said. Do you have a problem with my potty-mouth?”

Trying to act as if his flirting had no effect, I replied, “Not one fucking bit.”

His face registered surprise and then delight. It was his turn to laugh, and the sound infected me. We were soon both howling with laughter. It made no sense, but it felt great.

Aiden regained his composure first. “Well, good. I’m glad that’s out of the way.”

I pointed, knowing this had to end. His car was approaching the end of the street. “It’s that house.”

Aiden slowed, and my smile immediately faded. Right there on my front porch was my worst nightmare. It was my father, and his company was a case of beer. From the looks of it, he’d been out there awhile. Empty beer bottles littered the surrounding area. Guess he never made it to AA.

Before I could stop myself, I looked down at my lap and muttered, “Shit.”

Aiden stopped the car. “Is everything okay?”

I turned toward the window, not wanting him to see my face. “Yeah. My house is up here on the right. Just pull up to the curb.” I hadn’t wanted him to see this, but it appeared as if I had no choice. The best I could hope for was that I could thank Aiden, hop out of the car and breeze through the front door without my dad giving me any trouble.

Unfortunately, that was exactly the opposite of what happened.

I turned to Aiden and said, “Thanks again for the ride. I’ll see you at school.” But before I made it out of the car, Aiden placed his hand over my arm.

“You sure you’re okay?”

I could feel my face turning red and tears threatened my eyes. “Yeah, I’m okay, really.” I knew he didn’t believe me, but he let my arm go so I could get out of the car. I opened the door, got out, and shut it without looking back.

I hadn’t made it to the sidewalk before my father started shouting. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Don’t you know better than taking rides from strangers?” He tried to get out of his chair but stumbled a bit before he finally grabbed hold of a little side table for support.

“He’s not a stranger, Dad, so settle down,” I said, loud enough for him to hear me but quietly enough that Aiden couldn’t. Aiden’s car didn’t pull away from the curb, though, which only meant one thing. He was watching.

Dad swayed and grabbed the porch rail. “I’m not going to settle down. Not when my slut daughter is showing up after being who knows where for hours doing who knows what!”

I made it to the porch before he had the chance to fall down the stairs. “Dad, I was at work. Remember? You were supposed to pick me up. Guess you got sidetracked, huh?” I pushed past him, anxious to get in the house. Aiden was still parked at the curb.

Dad staggered back to his chair instead of following me inside, but not before he yelled, “Just get your ass inside and clean up the kitchen. You left a huge mess in there, you stupid little tramp.”

The door slammed behind me. I waited a few moments, sure I hadn’t heard Aiden pull away from the curb. He was still out there, and all I could do was pray that he’d drive away. Before my father made things worse than they already were.

Was that even possible?

15.

Aiden

I sat, fists clenched around the steering wheel while I listened to every word her sorry excuse for a father said. It was one of those situations where there was no good outcome. If I just left and pretended that I hadn’t heard anything, I would be up all night worrying, but if I charged in there, guns blazing, I got the definite feeling things would probably be worse for Teagan. I mean, she had to live with him, right? What I really wanted to do was find her and make sure she was okay.

Of course, the way the scene went down on the porch told me that this wasn’t anything new. I could tell by her body language she wasn’t shocked to see him sitting out there. Obviously things weren’t right in the Rhodes home, but she’d seemed angry not afraid.

I had just put the car in reverse when he called her a tramp, which instantly made my vision narrow. All I could see was his hand on her arm, all I could hear was my blood pulsing in my ears. The decision was made. Something needed to be done.

Just as I opened the car door, I felt the first cramp. It was so bad I couldn’t move. The pain was completely unbearable, like my insides were trying to fight their way out of me. I tried to breathe evenly to make the pain manageable, but that was useless so I closed my eyes and tried to imagine something else. Something calm, something pleasant.
Teagan.
She was the first thing that came to mind.

Teagan. She was sitting next to me in the car laughing at something I’d said. It was a big laugh, the kind of laugh that makes you join in and ends with everyone in happy tears. Slowly my breathing evened out, and then as quickly as it came, the pain was gone.

It killed me, but I had to leave. I was in no shape to play hero. Not only was I very close to keeling over from the pain, but if I shifted for my first time in front of Teagan, I’m guessing it wouldn’t go over so well. As much as I wanted to shift, this wasn’t the time or the place. I needed to get out of there.

Anyway, Teagan looked like she knew how to handle her father. But I swore to God right then and there that if I ever saw him lay a hand on her I would rip that arm off and beat him over the head with it.

I was barely back out on the highway before it happened again; searing pain coursed through my body and I was instantly drenched in sweat. This time it was worse. The cramp seemed to spread like wildfire. It started in my stomach just like before, but it quickly traveled to my chest, through my limbs and down to my fingers and toes. I thought I was dying for sure. Luckily, I was able to pull the car over before I crashed.

No matter how much air I sucked in, I still couldn’t catch my breath. My lungs felt like they were on fire, but it didn’t stop there. Before I knew it, my head was throbbing; being stabbed in the brain over and over with a fork would have hurt less.

I was just on the verge of passing out when the pain stopped, and what followed was painless but very freaking weird. I felt tingles deep under my skin like tiny hairs brushing up and out of me from the inside. Was this finally it? Would I finally be able to shift?

It all stopped as suddenly as it had begun, and though I waited for a few minutes, nothing else happened. I didn’t know what the hell was wrong with me. Had it not been the werewolf thing? I’d been so sure it was, especially with the sensation of tiny hairs, but then why had it stopped?

Finally, I decided nothing more was going to happen and continued home. By the time I pulled into my driveway, everything was back to normal. At least, as normal as it ever was in my life after we moved to Red Ridge.

16.

Teagan

Unbelievable! I’m not sure I could have imagined a more embarrassing moment than the scene on my front porch. Things could have only been more humiliating if the whole neighborhood had been out to watch. Why couldn’t Aiden have just driven off? No, he’d had to sit and watch the drama unfold. I was just glad he hadn’t stuck around long enough to see my dad follow me inside.

Guess he got lonely out there on the porch, Dad, and when he came in I had the pleasure of witnessing his verbal abuse at its best. I think he managed to call me every name in the book before I safely escaped to my bedroom. Thank God for doors that lock.

I’d refused to give him the satisfaction of tears, but as soon as my door slammed the flash flood began. I cried about everything: my loser dad, my missing mother, my screwed-up existence. I also cried because I felt like such a fool. What would Aiden think of me now? Who would want to get involved with someone like this? Then I cried some more for having had those thoughts. Aiden wasn’t even in my realm of boyfriend possibilities, anyway. Not for keeps. His kind didn’t mix with mine. And even if they did, I’d most certainly seen my fate sealed with the night’s little escapade.

It didn’t matter. If Aiden Wright wouldn’t want to be with someone like me, what did I care? I didn’t want to be with someone like him—someone who judged everyone by their social standing, by their place in the pecking order, by their physical beauty. Someone who only worried about popularity, about the Who’s Who of Red Ridge High. Tonight had been just a coincidence. Happenstance. He’d just been acting nice by driving me home, but he probably wouldn’t even look my way at school tomorrow.

Damn it!
I hated myself for giving two shits whether he liked me or not. But I did. I also couldn’t stand not knowing if he’d told Alli what had happened. She was one of the very best people at Red Ridge, and I hated the idea of having to be embarrassed around her.

It took me ten minutes just to figure out what to say, but finally I decided on playing it safe and texting her:

Teagan: Hey, Alli. Got ur text earlier.
Was at work. Sorry I couldn’t text
back. But ur brother gave me a ride
home tonight from work. Will you thank him for me?

Seconds later, she replied:

Alli: Sure will. BTW, that’s what I
texted u about. I get the feeling he likes you. Just in case...

Before I could stop myself, a smile spread across my face. My finger trembled as I tried to type a response. He liked me? Seriously, he liked me enough that his sister was commenting on it? I didn’t know what to say, so I put the ball back in her court:

Teagan: Just in case what?

No answer. I sat on my bed, staring at my phone and willing it to chime. What was taking so damn long? Finally, her text came through, and I suddenly couldn’t decide if I wanted to read it or not. What if she got my hopes up and was wrong? But a second later I decided that I couldn’t possibly not look.

Alli: In case you’re interested. Trust me.
I know when Aiden’s smitten. And
his face practically lit up the room
when he told me he got to drive you home. He just got back.

I had to ask. I had to know. It was really bothering me.

Teagan: Did he mention anything else?

Closing my eyes, I prayed that he hadn’t told Alli about my dad.

My phone chimed again, and with my heart pounding and my fingers fumbling with the stupid little buttons, I rushed to read her response.

Alli: No, why? What happened?

Thankful, I replied quickly.

Teagan: Nothing. Just wondering. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.

Unable to control myself, I felt another smile creep across my tear-and-mascara streaked face. I must have looked like I belonged in a loony bin. Was I crazy? I was certainly walking the line to think that someone like Aiden would be interested in someone like me, even if his super-nice sister thought it was a possibility. There were lines of girls waiting to steal his heart, and each of them was hotter, richer, and way less dysfunctional than me.