Inevitable (15 page)

He snorted, causing my face to flush. “You’re having a laugh.”

Did we even speak the same language? “What?”

“It means you’re joking. Because I can see from the scribbles in the first two problems, math is not your best subject.”

I licked my lips and rubbed my fingers together. He wasn’t going to leave. I couldn’t get this incredibly handsome and persistent guy out of my house. Should I even bother? I threw up my arms.

“Fine, boy genius. Help me with my math.”

Aaron cocked a brow and sat at the table. I scooted my chair up beside him, careful to maintain an arm’s length between us.

“Let me show you what you’re doing wrong.”

I closed my eyes, letting his British accent caress my ears. Some European cologne clung to his ribbed sweater, and I inhaled. Nothing he said made any more sense than it had in class, but at least it sounded more pleasant.

“Are you listening, Jayne?” Aaron’s voice held a note of amusement.

“Of course.” I shrugged. “You understand it all so well. So what’s the answer?”

Aaron wrote the final result on my paper. “Math isn’t your thing, huh.”

“I’m more of a words person.”

“That’s why you write for the school paper?” He put the pencil in my hand.

“Yes. That’s more my element.” I held the pencil up, waiting for him to tell me what to do.

“That’s well neat.” He pointed to two numbers in the equation and I wrote them down. “Are you going to study journalism in college?”

“Hopefully.” I worked out the rest of the problem, beginning to feel more optimistic. It wasn’t exactly easy, but it was starting to make sense.

“What paper do you want to write for?”

I shrugged. “Anything I can do from home. I don’t want to be in an office. I want to get my assignment, have my column, and head home. Or maybe even do freelancing. But not around people.”

“You’re not a people-person?”

I clucked my tongue and stared at the book. “You could say that.”

“Where do you want to go to school?”

“Oh, just the local community college.”

We drifted into silence. I copied the next equation onto my paper, shooting glances at Aaron out of the corner of my eye.

He caught me and smiled. “Well. Let’s get started!”

I became as passive as possible, letting Aaron do the work without letting him realize it. He helped me find the right numbers and prompted me if I started to work them incorrectly.

“You’re not as bad at math as you think. You just don’t like to try. Well, my parents want me to go to Oxford.”

Aaron’s comment caught me off-guard, and then I realized he must think it weird that I hadn’t asked any questions about him. I probably appeared very uninterested. He had no way of knowing that I already knew everything about him. I knew he was going back to England for college. I knew he would meet back up with Libby and marry her. Okay, so I didn’t know he went to Oxford, but that was a minor detail in the big scheme of things.

“Oh?” I feigned intrigue. “I could’ve guessed that. You being from there and all, and it’s such a prestigious school. Aren’t you excited?”

“My parents have no doubt I’ll get in.”

“No doubt,” I agreed, noting that he didn’t give his own emotional reaction to the idea. “What do you want to study?” I gnawed at the nail of my index finger. Polish chipped off onto my tongue, reminding me of Dana’s effort after Friday’s game to get me to stop biting my nails.

He favored me with a grin. “Classics and English.”

“So you must like English, too.”

“I’m in your advanced English class, aren’t I?” He nudged me with his elbow. “Did you think I was just a dumb English bloke?”

I shook my head, flustered by his touch. “No, I just—well, you’re good at math. I didn’t expect you to be good at both.”

“Oh, yes. Guys with more than one talent are a rarity.” His arm bumped me again, and I dropped my pencil on the floor. It rolled under the table.

“Let me get that.” Aaron pushed his chair back.

“No, that’s okay.” I jumped up, not wanting him on my kitchen floor, searching for my pencil. Dropping to my knees, I scurried under the table, wishing I weren’t in a skirt. Bad, bad idea. Backing out, I found Aaron standing behind me, lips curved upward, hands on his hips.

“I would have done that for you.”

I put the pencil down and fanned my face. “Um, did you want a drink or anything?” I put my thumbnail in my mouth and bit down.

“No. I should go now.”

“Oh. Already?” I felt a pang of disappointment and berated myself for caving into my human longings.

“My parents will worry.” Aaron walked through the foyer to the front door. I followed him, wondering if he would try to kiss me before he left.

He paused with his hand on the doorknob and turned around, facing me where I stood in more or less expectant anticipation. “Jayne, I’ll call you.” He closed the door behind him.

I sighed and leaned against it, feeling wholly unsatisfied. I had expected to be the one refusing his advances. As they had been entirely non-existent, I found myself yearning for them. He hadn’t even tried to hug me or touch me or anything. Knocking my pencil out of my hand didn’t count.

Sticking my lower lip out in a pout, I pushed myself up the stairs. It was time for bed. It was only eight o’clock, but it was time.

CHAPTER TWELVE

I
changed into my Mickey Mouse flannel pajamas and wrote Herold's stats in my file folder. I put it away, closing his chapter. That gave me sufficient closure for the moment.

Beth! I’d forgotten to call her back! I panicked at the thought of her out there alone. Quickly I dialed her number.

“Hello?” Her voice carried from across the hall, and I exhaled in relief.

“Oh, good. You’re home.”

“No thanks to you,” she responded, her tone too light to be angry. “Anyway, I’ve got homework to do, Jayne, so if you really want to chat, feel free to come to my room.”

“Um, sure.” I felt so bad for not taking her up on her offer. “Maybe I will.”

“’Kay. Bye.”

I sighed and put my phone down. Lifting my eyes to the mirror of the vanity in front of me, I gasped, goosebumps popping out on my flesh. There was a man in my closet.

I whirled around, heart thumping so hard I expected it to burst. There was no one there. Not even the shape of a man, just my gray towel hanging from a hook on the closet door.

I rubbed my arms and shivered, creeped out.

A light breeze blew in from my open window. I crossed to it and closed it, making sure the lock latched in place. I chewed on my lower lip and tried to talk myself out of it, but I still checked under my bed and behind the door. No one was in my room.

I climbed under the blankets and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to slow my racing heart. There was a serial killer out there, and I’d seen him face to face. Did he have a girl with him now? Was he, at this moment, murdering someone?

I rolled over onto my stomach and buried my head in the sheets.
Think of something else. Something good.
Christmas, sugar cookies, the taste of brine in the air, Aaron—

My mind seized on Aaron, grasping at the memory like a lifeline. Clenching his jaw, studying my math book, touching my hand.

This is counterproductive.
I needed to stop thinking about him. But it felt so nice. I let the image of his deep blue eyes and smug smile dance in front of my eyes. My body relaxed, and I slowly drifted to sleep.

By morning, nothing I did could get my mind off Aaron, or the way my stomach exploded with butterflies every time I remembered him bumping my elbow. I could picture quite clearly the way those eyes looked when narrowed in concentration, his lips pursed over that square jaw.

I paused by my car in front of my house, squinting in the bright sunshine. How would I be able to face him in class today?

“Jayne!” Beth flounced down the driveway, shiny brown hair bounc
ing off her shoulders. “I don’t need a ride today. Theresa’s picking me up!”

“Great. I’ll see you later.” I jumped in the car and drove around the corner. But when I reached the intersection to go to school, I made a quick decision and headed east instead. I felt like going sand walking.

The beach had a tendency to be crowded with tourists no matter what day of the week it was. But I knew a spot  overlooking the ocean that was usually deserted, and I headed there now. Losing myself in the frigid water with a surfboard had a certain appeal to it, but I didn’t have my wetsuit. And it wasn’t safe to do such activities alone.

Instead, I parked my car and myself on the rocky sand, pulled out several books, and settled back to lose myself in the world of literature. At least if I did homework, I wouldn’t feel so bad about skipping.

I let the scenery distract me for a bit. Seagulls dove at the grass around me, daring me to throw food at them. Below the bluff, a few ducks and a swan waddled over the sand. I studied them a moment before turning back to the books.

At nine a.m., my phone started ringing. I glanced at it and saw that it was Dana. Of course she’d be wondering where I was. How could I begin to explain to her everything that was going on? She was so out of the loop. I heaved a sigh and buried the phone under my backpack, ignoring the twinge of guilt. I just didn’t feel like getting into it now.

Dana called again at ten. At eleven she left me a message. “Where are you, little miss Jayne? I know you’re not
sick
because you would have called me! Or should I call your mommy and ask her where you are? I will if you don’t call me back!”

The threat in her voicemail was all too real. I groaned and gave in. I pressed Dana’s number on the speed dial.

“Where are you?” Dana demanded as soon as she answered.

“Hello to you too,” I said dryly. “I’m great, thanks for asking.”

“Cut it out. You lost the right to cordiality when you ditched your BFF with no word. Why are you skipping school and where are you?”

“I’m at the beach. You know the place. And I’m fine. Just dealing with things.”

I could practically see the wheels turning in Dana’s mind. I’d haunted this beach a few months ago—back when Stephen and I broke up. “What things?” she asked.

“Things.”

“Jayne, I’m warning you,” she growled. “Don’t make me come get you.”

And she could. She knew where this spot was. I grasped onto the item that required the least explanation. “I’m trying to figure things out about Aaron, okay?”

There was silence while she digested that. “Aaron? You mean the guy who dropped you like a rock when his Wales princess came waltzing in?”

“Yes, that would be the one.” This was getting redundant.

When she spoke again, her voice was nothing more than a hiss. “Did something happen? Something you’re not telling me?”

“No,” I sighed, and even I could hear the regret in my tone. “Nothing happened.” Not even a good bye hug as he left my house.

Dana laughed out loud. “You like him still! Fabulous! Hey girl, we’ll get it worked out. We’ll have him running circles around you again!”

“Dana!” I cast my eyes about, even though I knew I was alone. “I’m not desperate!” My face warmed as I imagined what ridiculous charades Dana might come up with to get his attention. “I can handle this on my own.”

“Sure you can,” she purred. “Well, at least let me take your mind off it. There’s a bonfire at Mike’s beach house tonight. Lots of hot college guys will be there. Come?”

“On a Tuesday night?”

“Parties have no boundaries, sister.”

I could see Dana in my head now, tossing her springy blond curls over her shoulder and flirting in the flickering firelight, while I stood close by, can of soda in hand, a painfully awkward smile on my face. “I don’t think that will help.”

“Don’t make me go alone!” Dana gasped. “You’re my conscience! You’ll keep me from doing something irresponsible!”

Whatever. I rolled my eyes. “Dana, you’re a big girl. And you’re smart. I’m not worried about you. And anyway, I have to work.”
Thank goodness
.