Unraveling You 02 Raveling You (5 page)

“You don’t think he’s bad, do you?” I gather my hair into my hand and fasten it into a ponytail with an elastic from my dresser. “Like maybe one of those people the police are looking for?”

“I doubt it.” But concern masks her face. “But it’s better to be safe than sorry.” She glances down at the phone in her hand. “You should get ready for school; otherwise, you’re going to be late.” She walks out of my room and closes the door behind her, leaving me to stew in my own worry.

I decide to text Ayden to make sure he’s okay; something short and simple, knowing that he’s probably stressed out from being at the police station.

Me: Hey! If u need anything, give me a holler.

Then I put my phone down and get ready for school, waiting for him to respond and trying not to stress out when he doesn’t.

Lyric

Three hours and one silent ride to school with Kale later, Ayden still hasn’t given me a holler¸ which should be a good thing, right? Means the visit with the police went okay?

Doubt resides in the back of my mind, though. Knowing Ayden, his silence could mean he’s shutting down. Like my mother told me this morning, even best friends keep secrets from each other.

While I attempt to remain understanding, it still makes me sad. I barely know what’s going on with him at the moment. If he’s hurting while dealing with his brother’s death, and what on earth he was doing when he snuck out of his house the other night.

“Earth to Lyric. Have you heard anything I’ve said at all?” Sage waves his hand in front of my face, interrupting my thoughts.

Startled, I jerk back in surprise and chuck the pencil in my hand. Our desks are facing each other, so the pencil ends up zipping by his head, missing his eye by an inch. Thankfully, we’re in fourth period English, and the teacher, Ms. Reltingly, loves doing group projects, so most of my classmates are distracted and don’t notice my crazy ninja reflex reaction.

Sage, of course, does since he’s the one who caused it.

He cautiously raises his hands in front of him and leans back in his seat. “Jesus, Lyric. You don’t need to get all crazy and try to stab my eye out.” He leans over his desk, scoops up my pencil, and flips it through his fingers like a baton before handing it to me.

“Sorry.” I check the time on the wall clock.
Holy shit! Lunch is in ten minutes.
“How long have I been zoned out?”

Sage shrugs as he flips a page in his textbook. “For about twenty minutes.”

I casually glimpse around at the rest of the class; everyone is partnered up and working on the assignment. “Dude, I suck. I’m like the worst partner ever.”

Sage fiddles with a silver barbell in his brow. “It’s just class, no biggie.” He releases his piercing and starts doodling skulls on the top of his notebook. “Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you, though?”

I peek at the page he’s on and turn to the same one. “Who said anything was bothering me?”

His brow cocks. “Lyric, you’ve been staring at the wall for the last twenty minutes and haven’t said a word. Something definitely has to be wrong for you to remain that quiet.”

I press my hand to my heart, pretending to be offended. “Are you saying there’s no way I can just be quiet without something being wrong?” When he presses me with a look, I sigh. “Okay, you’re right. But I promise it’s nothing. I’m just waiting for Ayden to text me. That’s all.”

“Yeah, where the hell is he today? We were supposed to meet up before school to chat about something, but he totally blew me off and ignored my text, too.”

“He had an appointment or something, and I think he must have forgotten his phone,” I lie because I have no clue what to tell him. No one outside of the Gregorys and my own family knows what’s going on with Ayden and the police. They don’t even know about his brother’s death.

“Yeah, if he’s not texting you, then he’s definitely forgotten his phone. What’s going on with you two, anyway? You seem a little,” he rubs his jawline, “offbeat lately.”

“Whoa, nosy much?” I squirm, something I’m not a fan of doing. Usually, I’m comfortable in every situation.

“I’m just curious what’s going on with you two ... for the band’s sake.” He shrugs and waits for me to answer his question. “You know, the last thing we need is some sort of lover’s quarrel that causes us to split up.”

I shoot him a dirty look. “Ayden and I aren’t lovers.”

“You sure about that? Because I can never tell with you two.”

“Hmmm, let me think,” I sarcastically say, thrumming my fingertip on my lip. “Well, there was that one time when we kissed under the bleachers and I nearly swooned on the floor. It was so magical.” I roll my eyes. “What are we, gossiping girls?”

“Hate to break it to you, but you are a girl.” He scans me over, his gaze remaining a little too long on my chest.

I cross my arms and decide to put him on the spot. “Okay, so why were you two meeting up before school? Because I’d really like to know for the band’s sake. I mean, for all I know, you two could be having a bromance quarrel.”

He stares at me blankly, clearly unimpressed. “You’re too clever for your own good, Lyric Scott.” He tucks his pencil into the spiral of his notebook then leans back in his chair with a lazy grin on his face. “And I’m not telling you my secrets unless you tell me yours.”

I scrunch my nose at him. “Well, this game isn’t fun if you’re not going to play.”

“Sorry.” He seems very unapologetic. “Besides, I don’t want to talk about this with anyone until I chat with Ayden first.”

“You’re being very cryptic.” I examine him intently. “You’re not thinking about springing the band, are you? I know we haven’t gotten any gigs yet and everything, but working my magic takes time.”

“I know it does.” He reaches into his pocket for his phone. “And it’s not that. Trust me, I’m way too comfortable with you guys to ever start over with a new band.” He reads something on the screen of his phone then smiles. “Well, looks like our boy got his phone back.”

“Ayden just texted you?” I lean over my desk to look at the screen of his phone, but Sage quickly presses it to his chest.

“Dude, that’s private shit right there, Lyric.” He stuffs his phone into the pocket of his blue hoodie. “I know you and Ayden don’t have boundaries and everything, but seriously, you can’t just read people’s phones whenever you want.”

“Sorry.” I’m not, though. I’m actually really curious to read what’s on his phone, more than I was before.

“It’s cool.” He shuts his book, giving up on us finishing the assignment. “We should probably finish the project up after band practice or something since we wasted so much class time.”

“Sounds like a plan.” I close my textbook and shove it into my bag.

For the next seven minutes, I mentally chant the lyrics of an angsty song I wrote during first period, trying to cool off and not get jealous over the fact that Ayden texted Sage before me.

Am I another obsession?

An aching in your brain?

Am I a complicated attraction?

Driving you insane?

Tell me why I can’t get you out of my head!

What it is you’ve done to me?

Why do you drive me so fucking crazy!

Please, please, tell me

Something.

Anything.

That will help me think

Clearly agaaaaiiiin!!!!

By the time the bell rings, I’ve chillaxed a smidgeon. I enter the busy hallway and spot Ayden leaning against the lockers across from the classroom. He’s texting on his phone with his head angled down so he doesn’t see me right away.

Sliding the handle of my bag over my shoulder, I push people out of my way as I march up to him. “Hey, what’s up, buddy?”

His head jerks up at the sound of my voice, and he almost drops his phone. “You scared the shit out of me.” He presses his hand to his heart and his breathing turns ragged.

My lips tug upward. “Clearly.”

“Hey, we’ll talk at practice later!” Sage shouts to Ayden as he walks backwards down the hallway. “I seriously have something important to talk to you about, so no blowing me off again!”

Ayden holds a thumbs up in his direction as he finishes sending his text.

I scroll over his black jeans, red logo T-shirt, his soft lips, dark eyes, and inky black hair to make sure every inch of him is okay. The last thing I ever want to do is be angry with him if he’s hurt or something. When every visible part of his body checks out okay, I place my hands on my hips. “So, what’s up with texting Sage before me?”

He scratches at the scars on the back of his hand, a nervous habit of his. “I texted him because I wanted to talk to you in person. Not through a text. I wanted us to go have lunch so we can talk in private. I want to… well, try to tell you what happened today.”

“Oh.” I feel so silly and kind of douchey for being irritated. “Sorry. I feel like an ass now. And kind of childish. I was thinking you liked Sage more than me.”

“That will never, ever be true.” He reaches for my hand. “And I’m pretty sure you could never be an ass, even if you tried.”

I hold up a finger. “That isn’t true. I’m pretty sure your brother thinks I’m an ass.”

His brows knit. “My brother…? Oh.” He shakes his head. Again, I feel like an asshole. He probably thought of his real brother, the one he just lost. “You mean Kale or Everson?”

“Kale.” We start down the crowded hallway with our fingers linked together, like we have every day since Ayden entered my life. “I had to give him a ride to school this morning. I think the kid is totally terrified of me. He wouldn’t say a word, and every time I said anything to him, he scowled at me.”

Ayden snorts a laugh as he weaves us around a group of cheerleaders blocking the middle of the hallway.

“What’s so funny, Shy Boy?” I tuck my elbows in as we squeeze by a group of jocks.

I find myself searching around for William in the midst of them, since he generally hangs with the athletes. Thankfully, he’s nowhere to be seen.

Hopefully, it stays that way.

“It’s nothing.” Ayden’s lips expand into an amused smile. It’s been a while since I’ve seen that smile, so even though I have no idea what’s causing it, I smile, too.

“Tell me what’s so funny.” I prod his side with my elbow. “Or else I’ll tickle you until you pee your pants.”

His muscles spasm, and I worry that I’ve crossed a line again.

“I’d like to see you try.” He flashes me a genuine smile, and I relax.

“I accept that challenge.” I poke him in the ribs.

“Lyric,” he chuckles, wrapping his arm around his midsection for protection. “I can’t tell you. Kale would get pissed off at me.”

“I wouldn’t tell him that you told me. Jeez, who do you think I am? Maggie?”

As if she senses us talking about her, Maggie suddenly appears in front of us with her hands on her hips and determination in her eyes.

“The date for my New Year’s Eve party has been changed,” she says to me as Ayden and I slam to a halt in front of her. Then she grins in Ayden’s direction and not so discreetly pushes her chest out. I love the girl to death, but she really needs to stop drawing guys in with her breasts. “It’s going to be December thirtieth.”

“How can you have a New Year’s Eve party that’s not on December thirty-first?” Ayden’s smile fades. He’s unfriendly and cold to a lot of people, except me. For some reason, I’ve always been good at bringing out his inner sunshine. “It makes no sense.”

“It makes perfect sense.” She tucks her elbows inward to push her cleavage even higher. “A party’s a party, right?”

Ayden shrugs. “I guess. But technically your party is a New Year’s Eve Eve party.”

“Clever.” Maggie smiles then her gaze flicks to me, as if seeking some sort of confirmation that I’m okay with her trying to show Ayden her goodies. I’m not okay with it. At all. But I’m not about to get angry with her since I haven’t been that honest with what’s been going on with Ayden and me.

She searches my eyes then her posture relaxes and her cleavage sinks back into her shirt. “But, as clever as that is, I’m still calling it my New Year’s Eve party.” She points a finger between the two of us. “A party that you two better show up to.”

She reels around and shimmies her butt down the hallway, drawing in a lot of the male population around her. She instantly zeroes in on her next target, the varsity quarterback. Rolling her shoulders back, she approaches him with what she calls her “vixen swagger walk.”