Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Aspen
Rocky’s words from this morning ran rampant in my head. Make him fall for you. Yeah, like that was going to be easy. I hated him with a fucking passion. How the hell was I going to pretend that I liked him? I’d tried to pry more answers from him, but what he had to say wasn’t very helpful. He thought that if I got Collin—the biggest player in the academy—to fall for me, then I could somehow come between him and his friends. Like make him choose between us or something. I didn’t see that happening at all. Madison attempted the same shit, and it didn’t go well for her.
We were currently seated in the car outside of some clothing store. As if Rocky hadn’t already done enough for me, he wanted to buy me some more clothes so that I could get out of the ones I’ve been wearing since yesterday.
“Where are we?” I questioned, peering through the window with uncertainty. Maybe it was paranoia, but since we left Redwood, I’ve had this bad feeling like I was being watched or something.
“Spencers.”
I rolled my eyes. “No. Where are we?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow as I turned to face him.
“Oh. Brookhaven. You’ll be completely safe here, but just in case, we’re hitting the salon after this. You need a new style if you’re going to go all Harley Quinn on these motherfuckers.”
A snort of amusement left me. None of this felt real. I came to the academy for a fresh start. I was bullied so badly, it fucked with my head and then I was thrown into the water. I was meant to die, but I’d been given a second chance. One that wouldn’t be wasted. Now, I was about to go shopping with a guy I never expected to befriend.
“Fine. But I’m not dying my hair blonde, pink, or blue.”
A breath of laughter slipped past his defenses, and he nodded. “Deal. Let’s go ahead and get you inside.”
With reluctance, I stepped out of the vehicle and slowly made my way toward the entrance. Rocky’s shoes sounded against the pavement from behind me as we neared the front doors.
“Let me get that,” he offered, moving to stand in front of me. I watched him with curiosity as he pulled the door open and motioned for me to go inside.
My lips parted in shock from the generosity, but I stepped inside anyways. It felt weird having a guy hold the door open for me. I wasn’t sure there were any guys like that left. A small smile split my face as I acknowledged his kindness.
He led me to a section where band T-shirts adorned the walls. “I thought it would suit you,” he admitted upon noticing my skepticism. “They have dildos in the back.” He winked.
A surprised laugh left me. “You brought me to a sex shop for clothes?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “They have nice clothes here. Plus, you do have that whole ‘rocker chick’ thing going for you.”
I rolled my eyes. “That one will do.” I extended my arm, pointing to a black shirt with the word ‘Kiss’ sprawled across it in a thick, white font.
“Kiss, it is. Now, how about that dildo?”
“Not a chance in hell.”
I ended up getting three shirts and a few pairs of leggings. They didn’t have many options in the ‘pants’ department, but I only needed a few outfits to get through the rest of the week. Afterwards, we went to a luxurious-looking salon. Just by the building alone, I could tell it was expensive.
“I made you an appointment this morning,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “They already know what to do.”
Unease settled within my gut. I couldn’t even believe I was going through with this, but he was right. It would make me less likely to spot in a crowded room. Sure, my face still looked the same, but no one would know it was me unless they were up close.
Sighing, I laid my head against the seat. “So…in other words, I have no control over what happens to my hair?”
“I guess you’re just going to have to trust me.” He smirked.
The truth is…I did trust him. It was hard not to trust someone who literally risked their own life just to save you. But I wouldn’t tell him that. Trust wasn’t something that came easily to me. The only other people that I truly felt I could trust were Raven and Gia. My life was complicated, and since I woke up, things were even more complicated. Revenge would be nice, but after that…did I just move on from this like it never happened?
Something told me that everything that happened at the academy would stay with me forever. At least I was back on track with finding Avery and making a life for myself. That was the one thing that’s kept me going this far, and a few bumps in the road wouldn’t deter me.
With that thought in mind, I stepped out of the car and made my way to the front doors of the massive building. Glancing behind me, I realized Rocky was still in the car. He motioned for me to go in without him, so I did.
As soon as I stepped into the building, the scent of chemicals burned my nose. Everything looked so nice and clean. A row of chairs sat off to my right for people to wait in with a small table centered between them. A pack of magazines resided on top of it for clients to read if they happened to get too bored. I doubted that I could ever be bored enough to read about fashion or hair.
“Can I help you?” A feminine voice questioned from behind the front desk.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nodded and slowly moved forward to greet her. “I have an appointment. My name is Aspen.”
Her face lit up instantly. “Oh, yes! Rocky’s friend.” My eyes narrowed cautiously. The woman was young—probably in her twenties. Her skin was tan and fit the brunette shade of her hair quite well. To be honest, this girl was gorgeous. Jealousy prickled at my insides even though I had no right to feel that way.
“Yes,” I muttered, pushing the unwelcome feeling down to the pits of my stomach.
Rocky was very attractive. Not only that, but he was kind and warm. Being near him just felt…right. Of course he had flings. Maybe I’d been reading too much into him. He probably acted like that with everyone. Despite coming to that conclusion, it didn’t make me feel any better. I’ve met guys like him in the past. Guys that were charming, flirty, and overly friendly . That didn’t make him less of a player—he just played the game differently.
“Alright then,” she began, pulling me from my thoughts. “If you just follow me, I’ll get you all situated.”
Drawing my lips into a tight line, I nodded. She led me over to a station and had me sit. Once seated, she placed a cape around me and quickly got to work setting up, grabbing all the materials she’d be needing. I didn’t care enough to watch her, so I just stared off into the distance instead.
“Rocky was very insistent that I don’t let you see what you look like during the process,” she explained. “He wanted it to be a surprise.”
No surprise there.
Annoyance filled my veins, but I didn’t argue when she turned the chair around so that we were facing one another. Her brown eyes skimmed my hair and face as she assessed me. Finally, she nodded once to herself.
“I’m going to go get the color mixed up and I’ll be right back, and then we can get started.”
I bit the inside of my cheek as she departed. Rocky would be lucky if he didn’t get put on my shit-list after this. If it wasn’t bad enough that I didn’t even know what was being done to my hair, he enlisted someone he fucked to do it. I just hoped she wasn’t the jealous type, because I couldn’t afford to have my hair coming out looking like absolute garbage.
When she returned, she made her way behind me. I felt the cold press of the brush as she worked, and it wasn’t long before my entire scalp was itching. When she was finished, she wrapped my hair in a bag and had me wait for a half hour, coming by to check it periodically. At least she seemed to know what she was doing.
While I waited, my mind wandered. It wasn’t like I had a phone to keep me occupied. That had been the next thing on my to-do list right before I was killed . Now, I had no way to earn any income and still had no phone.
Collin’s light, brown eyes flashed in my mind, reminding me that I had a job to do. A job I didn’t know how to even begin. Just the thought of seeing him again had my stomach twisting in knots. What would I even say when we were face to face?
Miss me?
Sounded a little cliché, but it would probably have him pissing himself. The thought brought a smile to my face. Maybe I was thinking about all of this too much. Maybe, I just needed to play it by ear.
Sighing, I sank back into the leather seat, trying to ignore the burning on my scalp. I’ve never had my hair done like this before. Just box dye, and it didn’t hurt this much. My eyes watered and my fingers twitched with the urge to scratch my head. Why did people do this to themselves?
When the stylist reappeared, relief consumed me. She shot me a small smile before rounding the chair and removed the bag. “It’s lifting better than I expected it to,” she enthused. “Let’s get you rinsed.”
She helped me out of the cape and led me over to a sink where she had me sit down once again. “Lean back,” she instructed. “And let me know if the water is too hot.”
I did as she said and then she turned on the water. Truthfully, the water was hot, but I enjoyed it. Her hands worked through my hair expertly and I suppressed a moan when she scratched it in all the right places. Having my hair washed had never felt so good before.
Unfortunately, it was over as fast as it had begun, and she was toweling me off. The fresh feeling that followed was well worth it though. My gaze snagged on the brunette’s lanyard and swept down to her driver’s license that hung from it. Savannah Barlow. Wait…
“Are you related to Rocky?” I questioned. Now that I was thinking about that being a possibility, the resemblances between them were uncanny. They had the same shade of skin and the same-colored hair.
A small smile graced her lips, revealing a dimple on either side of her face and my eyes widened. “He’s my twin. We grew up here but were born in Tennessee.”
Shock barreled through me. I never would have guessed. “I have a twin too,” I admitted. “I haven’t seen her in years though.” My gaze dropped to the floor as I thought about her. This life was hard, and she’d always been more na?ve to things. Hopefully she wasn’t as messed up as me.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I don’t know what I’d do without Rocky. He’s my best friend.” Her gaze dropped down to her expensive-looking watch and her smile faltered. “Shit,” she muttered. “I’m sorry to cut this conversation short, but if I don’t get you done in time, my next appointment will be stuck waiting.”
I nodded and followed her over to the chair, sinking down into it. She pulled out the blow-dryer and put it to my hair until it was completely dry. Afterwards, she started painting my hair with something else. Thankfully, it didn’t burn. Once it was all on my hair, we played the waiting game again, and then she rinsed me…again. When my hair was dry from that, she started threading extensions in, which had my heart racing. I didn’t know a lot about hair, but I did know that extensions were expensive, and this would be a drastic hair change for me.
It felt like hours had gone by and boredom and curiosity were gnawing at me. Especially when she started clipping away at my hair with a pair of scissors.
“All done,” she chirped. “Ready to see it?”
I didn’t even hesitate before nodding. I was going to have to have a serious talk with Rocky about surprises. Savannah turned me around to face the mirror and my jaw went slack. My hair was now purple all over and it was darker than it had been before. The extensions went down to my ribs, and they framed my face nicely. You couldn’t even tell that it wasn’t my hair.
“I don’t even look like me,” I whispered. “You did amazing.” I tilted my head to look at her and she smiled at the compliment.
“Thank you.” She removed the cape for the last time and set it off to the side. “Rocky must really like you to be spending all this money on you,” she said suddenly, catching me off guard.
My eyebrows furrowed. “It isn’t like that. He’s just helping me after…something traumatic happened.” I didn’t feel comfortable enough to tell her exactly what happened, and I hoped Rocky would respect that too.
A look of confusion crossed her features, but thankfully, she didn’t press it. Instead, she had me sign out on some piece of paper and sent me on my way with a few instructions on how to keep my hair healthy. Once I reached the parking lot, my eyes widened in surprise upon finding Rocky’s vehicle in the same spot it had been in. I figured he’d get bored and drive around or go grab some food. We hadn’t eaten since this morning.
Slowly, I approached the car and peered in through the window. His sunglasses rested on the bridge of his nose, preventing me from seeing his eyes. But by the way his head was tilted back and by how steady his breathing was, I could tell he was sleeping.
Opening the car door, I slid inside and pulled it closed behind me. As soon as I did, his body jerked, and he was tearing his glasses from his face. Wide, frantic eyes peered back at me and after it registered to him that it was only me, relief visibly settled into his shoulders.
“Did I scare you?” I asked cautiously.
“A little. I didn’t recognize you at first.” A breath of laughter slipped from his lips as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
I smirked in response. “Isn’t that the point?”
Blowing out a breath of air, he ran his hands through his hair. My gaze skipped down to where his hoodie rode up, revealing a sliver of olive skin right around his abdomen. I’d convinced myself that I was going to stay far away from guys and while I still intended on sticking to that, this boy was also irresistible. It was impossible not to look at him.
“You look great,” he praised. “I mean…you’ve always looked great, but the new hairstyle definitely enhances your beauty.”
Warmth spread through me like wildfire at the compliment and I was sure it was showing on my face. What’s gotten into me? I’ve never really given a shit about what guys thought of me, but for some reason, I wanted Rocky’s approval. I hadn’t felt this way about him a week ago, so I’d just chalk it down to some pathetic trauma-bonding scenario. It made the most sense.
“Thanks…” I trailed off, not knowing how to really accept the compliment.
“You hungry? There’s this nice diner just down the road.” I was relieved by the change in subject and nodded eagerly. Who knew that sitting in a chair for hours on end could work up an appetite?
Rocky put the car in gear, and in seconds, we were tearing out of the parking lot. Questions invaded my mind instantly. Why didn’t he go in and see his sister? Maybe he saw her often enough with the extra academic power he’d been granted. It didn’t seem like an appropriate question to ask seeing as how it wasn’t my business, so I bit my tongue on that. Some things were better left alone; I wouldn’t want anyone prying into my personal life—especially if there could be a whole lot more to the story. For example, my situation with my sister.
As children, Avery and I were inseparable. She was so bright, bubbly, na?ve to the things happening around her. Most people would call it ditzy. I called it innocent . The promises we made as kids still lingered in the back of my mind. We made vows that couldn’t be kept—they were completely out of our control. For some reason, we thought that if we made those promises, then nothing bad could happen. How stupid we must have been.
My thoughts came to a halt as we pulled up to this small-looking diner. Glancing around the parking lot, it became apparent that we were one of the only ones here.
“Come on, gorgeous.” Rocky shot me a wink right before cracking his door open. Rolling my eyes at how fuck-boyish he was being, I opened my own door and stepped out onto the pavement.
Gravel flew from beneath my shoes as we walked, and the cool air seeped into my exposed flesh. This weather reminded me too much of that fateful night. Too bad I wasn’t blessed with amnesia after that fall. Maybe I wouldn’t have felt so torn up inside. Blowing out a breath, a cloud of smokey looking substance flew into the air and disintegrated into nothing.
Rocky opened the door for me like he had at Spencers, and this time I didn’t question it. Striding into the warm building, my gaze roamed around the restaurant. Brown, leather booths adorned the walls with a few square tables scattered around the center. Over on the right side of the building was a bar with stools lined in front of it and what appeared to be an ice-cream station near it.
“Wow,” I muttered, taking it all in.
A smile tugged at his mouth, and he nodded. “This is my favorite place to eat.” He jerked his head toward a booth near the back and I reluctantly followed him.
It was no surprise that he brought me here. It had a southern vibe to it and fit Rocky to a T. There was even a fucking guitar mounted to the wall near where we were walking with some signature engraved into it.
Rocky slipped into the far seat, leaving me to sit before him with my back facing the rest of the room. As I sank down into the booth, I was surprised at how comfortable it was. Whoever owned this place must take very good care of it.
An older woman was fast to approach us, laying out two menus onto the table. The corners of her eyes creased when she smiled, revealing a set of teeth that were old and worn. Despite her appearance, she had a warmth about her, that seemed to brighten the atmosphere.
“Rocky,” she beamed. “It’s been a while.”
The guy in question smiled back at her fondly. “It has. I’ve been busy with school, and…other things.” His gaze slid over to me, and my stomach rolled.
Was I part of the reason he hadn’t seen his sister too? What happened to me was recent, but if it was preventing him from living his life, then I didn’t want to interfere. He shouldn’t have to feel obligated to help me just because I put myself in a messed-up situation.
The woman fixed her gray eyes on me, surprise contorting her features as if she was just now noticing me. Must have been from old age—not that I knew much about that. The only old people I’ve really come across were school staff and crack heads.
“What happened to that one girl?” she asked, sending another blow to my stomach. Nausea coiled around my gut, and suddenly, my appetite was diminishing by the second. “Oh…what was her name?” She frowned, the wrinkles around her mouth becoming prominent. “Dixie!” she blurted, snapping her fingers.
Dixie …
Why did that name sound familiar?
“We still hangout. I just saw her a few days ago.” He glanced at me again, a weird look crossing his face. Clearing his throat, he returned his attention back to the woman. “I don’t mean to rush you,” he began. “We’ve just been out all day and we’re starving.”
For some reason, I felt like he was intentionally trying to change the subject which also raised alarm bells. Did he have a girlfriend? If he wanted to, he could get any girl at the academy, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise. But if he did, it would be odd that he hasn’t mentioned her yet.
“Oh, right!” she continued, taking out her notepad. “The usual, I’m presuming?”
A breath of laughter escaped him, and he nodded before turning to me. I hadn’t even had a chance to look at the menu, but she didn’t seem to care about that in the slightest. In fact, it felt like she was judging me. Maybe it was my hair color, or all the piercings in my face—though I only had three.
“Just a burger, fries, and sweet tea,” I mumbled before turning my head to peer out the window.
Rocky and the woman exchanged a few more words before she collected the menus and disappeared to go put in our order. As I sat here, watching the cars go by, my mind spun. Something felt wrong with me—like my personality as a whole has changed and I didn’t know who I was anymore. Usually, it took a lot for things to get under my skin, and jealousy certainly wasn’t something I was accustomed to.
Being around Rocky was different somehow. It felt like he actually saw me. He was kind, non-judgmental, he listened, and he actually seemed to care. For unknown reasons, I knew he could be trusted. As a friend anyways. As attracted to him as I was, relationships were out of the question.
“You good?” Rocky’s voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I turned my head to look at him.
“Yeah, I was just thinking…” I trailed off.
He always seemed to know when I was lost in thought and as much as I admired him for caring enough to check in on me, sometimes I wished he wouldn’t.
“About?” he pressed, his gray eyes peering into my green ones.
Sighing, I dropped my gaze to the table. There’s no way I was going to tell him that he was what I was thinking about. That would make things way more complicated than necessary.
So instead, I shrugged. “Just thinking about relaxing back at the hotel.” While it wasn’t a complete truth, it did sound appealing, so did that save me from being a liar?
“Yeah, well…good luck with that.” He smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Confusion burrowed through me. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Before I could ask, the waitress returned with our drinks and promised to have the food out shortly. My mind was still stuck on that last comment, so as soon as she left, I shifted in my seat as curiosity got the better of me.
“What did you mean by good luck with that ?” I demanded, raising an eyebrow.
“We have one more place to go, and we’ll be there for a while.” He pulled the wrapper from his straw and plopped it into his drink before wrapping his lips around it.
Now my interest was definitely piqued. We’ve been out and about all day and he’s already spent so much money on me. What else could he possibly have planned?
I didn’t want to sound like a nosey bitch, but he was being way too vague, and I wanted to know. “Like what?” I continued, fishing for more information.
He chuckled at my persistence and leaned forward, placing both hands on the table. His woodsy cologne strangled my senses as I inhaled, and I didn’t hate it. Shit, if it wouldn’t make me look like a complete weirdo, I’d sniff the fuck out of him.
“We’re getting you some tattoos,” he answered casually. “I don’t like their names carved into that hot little body of yours.”