Unstoppable (Forehead Kisses #4) (2 page)

I grabbed it and looked at the cover.
Latino Students and Teacher Biases
. I cocked an eyebrow. “Sounds really important.”

He shrugged. “She claims she needs it.”

“Okay. I’ll take it to her.”

“Thanks, man.” He rolled up the window and drove away.

Keira and Liam were engaged but they hadn’t chosen a day for their wedding. Knowing them, I doubt they would have a ridiculous and expensive wedding. Honestly, I expected them to elope and just get it over with. That’s probably what I would do. But then again, I’d never been in a relationship and I never would be. What did I know?

After walking to the opposite side of campus, I finally reached the library. After taking three flights of stairs, I migrated to our meeting spot. It was deathly silent inside. A few students were sitting at the computers, typing away. Keira was nowhere in sight, so I moved to a chair and sat down.

I laid the book on the table then looked around.

A few tables away, a girl was scribbling in her notebook.

I eyed her hand and the pressure she was putting to the paper. I couldn’t tell if she was writing or sketching. When I studied her, I could barely see her face. She wore a Padres baseball cap, hiding most of her features. But I could see her slender neck and thin cheeks. Her brown hair was in a braid and hung over one side. Her shirt was baggy, and her jeans weren’t skin-tight.

I wanted to see her face.

Come on. Look up.

She never looked up. Her focused was directed on the paper.

Hot? Not hot? I hadn’t gotten laid this weekend and I was missing the release.

Judging what limited features I could see of this girl, she was cute. But how cute? I didn’t fuck anything that wasn’t a perfect ten.

Look up!

I was growing irritated. The more she hid her face, the more obsessed I became.

Unable to stand it a moment longer, I shoved Keira’s book off the table and let it fall with a loud thud.

Her head snapped up and her eyes were wide.

I took the opportunity and studied her face. Her artic eyes reminded me of the bluest part of the ocean. Her hair was in a loose braid, but the strands were soft. It shined like a sun deflector in a car window. Her cheeks were high and prominent, making her face appear hollow. Every curve reminded me of a supermodel. Her clothes were baggy so the goodies were hidden, but I was at master a judging a woman’s appearance. Even though her shirt was loose around her chest and her pants were baggy around her thighs, I knew she excelled in both departments.

Her upper lip curved like a bow. Her mouth was parted slightly because of the disturbance, and I could see a small glimpse of her perfect teeth. Her lips were thin, but lovely to behold. Their pink color drew me in.

She was the loveliest thing I’d ever seen.

Why was she hiding herself from the world? Was it because she was hit on all the time? A girl with perfect features like that probably got hit on left and right. Maybe she had a boyfriend and didn’t want to attract attention. Whatever the case, I was going to talk to her. San Diego was full of pretty girls, but she was something else. I couldn’t believe I’d never seen her around campus before. She was definitely a woman I’d never forget.

I scooped up the book from the ground then made my move.

Her eyes were returned to her paper, but I could tell she was watching me out of the corner of her eye. Her face was averted, her baseball cap shielding her eyes and nose, but she couldn’t stay hidden for long. She tensed up noticeably. Her shoulders straightened and her hand gripped her pen a little more tightly. She behaved like I was going to mug her.

I noticed how upright her posture was. Her back was perfectly straight and her stomach was tucked in. Her long legs were crossed at the knee, and she wore flip-flops, revealing perfect feet I wouldn’t mind kissing.

She had my full attention.

I looked at the paper in front of her. It was a sketch of a woman holding a flower. Even though there were no colors, the image was spectacular.

“You’re taking doodling to a new level.”

Her hand stilled and she didn’t make another mark. She never turned to me, staying still like a statue.

Did I smell or something…?
“Or are you the biggest procrastinator in the world?” I gave her a friendly smile, trying to make her comfortable.

She closed her notebook, hiding the picture, and then shoved her belongings into a bag.

Damn…what did I do?
“I’m Scotty. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Bye.” She shouldered her bag then stood up.

What the hell?
I was perfectly nice to her. I stood up. “I didn’t mean to offend you. Let’s start over. I thought your sketches were impressive.”

She finally fixed her gaze on me. Even though she wore a hat, I got a nice view at her perfect features. While she wasn’t unique in a specific way, she was gorgeous in an inexplicable way. Her eyes were guarded and she seemed afraid, but she also seemed strong. If I reached out to her, I had a feeling she would slap me across the face. The curve of her eyes was hypnotizing. They were big and beautiful. I could stare at them all day. “Leave me alone.”

I’d never been rejected like that before. It was like she hated me, loathed me. She didn’t know a single thing about me but she was acting like I was despicable. All I wanted was a conversation, nothing more. “Geez, can a guy just say hi anymore?”

“Say hi to someone else. I just saved you some time.”

My lines weren’t always successful, and every time I hit on a women it didn’t always result in sex, but it had never gone south like this. “Can we start over?” I asked timidly. “My name is Scotty and I just wanted to say hi. Maybe I’ll see you around campus.”

Without another word, she turned around and walked away.

I watched her go, feeling like shit even though I did nothing wrong. I just tried to talk to her. Never once did I raise my voice or gawk at her breasts when she was talking. I didn’t touch her or get too close. And if she had a boyfriend, wouldn’t she just tell me? Why did she need to act like that?

If it were another girl, I’d call her a bitch then forget about the entire episode. There were plenty of fish in the sea and I could snag my line elsewhere. But that’s not how I felt. I wanted to know why she acted that way. It was like she was afraid of me. But why would she be?

“There you are.” Keira came to me then grabbed the book. “Thanks so much. I need it for class.”

“Yeah…” Even though the girl was gone, I kept staring at the last place I saw her.

Keira shoved the book into her backpack. “What’s up?”

“I…I just had a weird conversation.”

“With whom?”

“Um, a girl.”

“What was weird about it?”

“I tried to talk to her and she blew me off like…I was a serial killer or something.”

She smirked. “Maybe she just doesn’t like you, Scotty. I know you think you’re charming, but your cheesy lines and honest demands for sex aren’t attractive to all girls, especially not ones you meet in a library.”

“I didn’t ask her for that,” I snapped. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, the girls you usually go for aren’t exactly full of quality. Smart, independent, and confident girls come to the library and read. They don’t need a man’s compliments to feel good about themselves.”

All the girls I hooked up with were from the bars or parties. Actually, it was the first time I’d ever walked into the library. “I guess you’re right.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’ve never said that before…”

My mind was elsewhere. “I’ll see you later.”

“Scotty?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m not sure yet.” I walked out of the library, thinking about the cold rejection the mysterious girl gave me. Why was it that the first time I’m rejected by a girl, it happens to be the most beautiful one of all? The diamond in the ruff?

CHAPTER THREE

Livia

“Why are you in such a bad mood?” Ash asked when he walked into the living room.

I’d been quiet all day. An annoying jerk wouldn’t leave me alone at the library. He looked at me like I was a piece of meat. His eyes moved to my breasts, which he studied for far too long, and then his eyes took the rest of me in like I was a naked girl on a poster.

I was disgusted and ticked off.

Then he came in my personal space, cornering me when I was minding my own damn business. If I wanted to be hit on, I would have made eye contact or made some sort of invitation. I felt like prey, small and unable to fight an animal five times my size.

When he sat next to me, I grabbed my stuff and tried to get away. My obvious disdain for him wasn’t clear enough. He kept talking to me, trying to get something out of me.

I just wanted to be left alone. How much clearer could I make that?

“Livia?” My brother studied my face.

I was snapped out of my trance. “Sorry.” I placed my brush on the easel then covered the remaining paint.

Ash came closer to me, eyeing my work of art. He studied it then raised an eyebrow. “It’s dark…”

My palette usually consisted of pastels. I loved painting ocean sides, fields and meadows, and flowers in a garden. Lately, my work had taken a different turn. Now black, gray, and charcoal were my colors of choice. My pieces were abstracts, just a blur of emotions. It wasn’t my usual style. “I guess I’d gone in a different direction.”

“Do you worship Satan too?”

I sighed. “Shut up, Ash.”

“Hurry up and get ready,” he demanded. “We’re going to be late.”

I tossed aside my stained apron then walked into my bedroom. I pulled on a pink cardigan and a set of pearls. We were having dinner with my parents and I didn’t want to go. I hated seeing them. They always made me uncomfortable, making me feel stupid for pursuing art and art history. They claimed it was a hobby, not a real job prospect.

I came back into the living room then grabbed my purse.

Ash eyed me. “You can wrap yourself in a package but they are still going to rip you apart.”

“Thanks,” I said sarcastically.

“I’m just letting you know.” Ash was wearing dark jeans and a green t-shirt. He never dressed up but my parents didn’t mind. He was still the golden boy of the family no matter what he did. I loved my brother but sometimes I resented him for his higher place in my parents’ hearts.

“Let’s go,” I said with a sigh. “And get this over with.”

We left in his truck then drove to the coast. My parents had a house on the beach. My father was one of the most respected surgeons in California, and wisely spent a lot of his money in international bonds. As a result, my family was wealthy and respected in the community.

Which just made me feel more like a failure.

My brother killed the engine then gave me a sad look. “Did you bring your bullet proof vest?”

“Darn, I forgot it.”

He smirked. “Just ignore them.”

“Easy for you to say, golden boy.”

“I’m not a golden boy,” he argued.

“Oh, shut up. Yes, you are.”

He shrugged. “I guess I am. But I think they’re just happy I’m following in dad’s footsteps.”

“Well, nothing could be worse than being an artist, so you’re safe there.”

He patted my hand. “Come on. It’ll be fine.”

I sighed. I really didn’t want to do this. “Okay.”

We headed to the door and knocked.

My mom opened the door with lightning speed. We saw each other pretty often, but she always acted like it’d been years. “My baby!”

Shouldn’t that be plural?

She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You look so handsome, Ash.”

“Thanks, Mom.” He patted her back.

She leaned back and rubbed his shoulder. “You get bigger every time I see you.”

He flexed his muscles. “I can’t study all day. I get my fix at the gym.”

“Well, you’re looking very fit. I’m sure you have your choice of the crop for a wife.”

I rolled my eyes. My brother was the biggest dog I knew. He had meaningless flings then kicked them to the side. I couldn’t count the number of hearts he’d broken because there were too many. He wasn’t as perfect as my parents claimed.

My mom was as thin as a teenager. She didn’t work and occupied her time with yoga and event planning with her neighbors. Her life wasn’t exactly stressful. Her make up was done perfectly and her hair looked like she stepped out of a salon. “Hello, dear.” Her tone was noticeably less enthused.

Why did I even bother trying to look nice for this? I should have just wore my jeans and baseball cap. I was going to be hated anyway, so I may as well be comfortable. “Hi, Mom.”

She hugged me quickly then pulled away.

I felt like a nuisance. The love she showed didn’t light up her face. It was like she didn’t even want me there. But if I didn’t show up, she would complain to Ash, who would then tell me. I just couldn’t win.