Chapter 3 #2
He was a god, and I was drawn to him.
A hand on my wrist stopped me from walking over.
Cameron.
“Don’t,” she warned. “That’s Bonham Church, Aidan’s older brother, and also a known menace in this town. I mean, come on, they look like they stink and do drugs.”
Perfect.
“So, you’re juniors?” I asked of her and Aidan.
Cameron shook her head. “Oh no, we’re all seniors. It’s just Bonham’s a moron and is repeating.”
Even better.
A blond-haired boy swooped by, catching Cameron in his arms, picking her up, and swinging her around as he planted one on her.
“Aidan!” Cameron squealed at her boyfriend.
Aidan may have been a mathlete, but his build and face read more of a jock. He was handsome, and definitely not an ounce of dweeb.
“Aidan,” Cameron said once the boy set her down. “This is Scott Stanley’s daughter, Saylor. She just blew into town.”
Aidan appraised me, the corner of his mouth curling up. “Nice to meet you, I’m Aidan Church.”
We shook hands and I was back to observing his brother, who by now had spotted us.
I took off toward the “threat to society” without a care in the world. He was reaching up and stretching as he let out a yawn, peering off at some other group now.
As he stretched, his shirt rose, exposing a hint of ink. On his hip, Enjoy… was tattooed scandalously.
I arched a brow at the dirty line before meeting the boy in question.
“Hey,” I said as I came to a stop in front of him.
Bonham looked past me at his brother and Cameron as they came up behind me. “Hey.”
“So, is that Bonham, like…John Bonham from Led Zeppelin?” I wondered.
He seemed suspicious as he briefly narrowed his eyes, but he nodded anyway. “That’d be correct.”
I wished my own mother had been that creative when naming me. Instead, I got Sailor spelled with a Y. And low and behold this whole time it was linked to my father’s choosing. “Nice.” I lifted my chin toward the cigarette in his hand. “Can I bum one of those?”
Bonham tilted his head, his eyes soon studying my body. “What are you going to show me for it?”
Aidan was quick to grab his brother by the arm. “That’s no way to talk to a girl.”
Amused, Bonham shook his brother off. “Sorry, man.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not a delicate little flower.”
Bonham bore a grin, turning to me and clasping his hands together as if in prayer. “Please tell me you have daddy issues and are looking to displace your need of attention.”
Maybe he was trouble. “Is that your type?”
The smirk on his face confirmed he was. “Well, we wouldn’t be a romance, sugar.”
I sized him up. Hot as hell, clearly without a filter, and a walking red flag. Jackpot. “I could use you.”
Around us the bell rang, interrupting our moment.
“Come on, Saylor.” Cameron tugged on my arm. “What you could use is some pepper spray for that creep.”
This humored Bonham as he rolled his head back and laughed.
God, he was handsome. He was like a young Johnny Depp: smoldering, mysterious, and mesmerizing. He was the perfect distraction I’d need to cope with this move.
I kept my eyes on him the whole way as Cameron dragged me to the nearest entrance.
“Do not, I repeat, do not get caught up with him,” Cameron was saying as we entered the hallway.
“She’s right, Saylor,” Aidan echoed close beside her. “He’s my brother and all, but the guy’s bad news.”
They didn’t know who they were talking to. This was no fresh start for me. I was here to fuck up and go home. My real home, back in LA.
Cameron dropped me off at the senior office, telling me that the counselor would handle the rest. Because she was a nice girl, Cameron reached out and gave me a big hug and wished me luck.
She would take some getting used to, if I decided to hang around her at all. Knowing the fact that Scott was good friends with her father, I decided not to ruin it for him.
I sat in one of the chairs in the waiting area, noting that the counselor wasn’t in their office yet.
The entire office smelled like cinnamon and apple, making me think of the breakfast Scott had made for me. Back home, my mother hadn’t been much of a cook either. She’d always relied on someone else to do the cooking. At least Scott was able and willing.
The door to the office opened and soon the boy from next door was stepping inside. He looked around, for someone it seemed, before shrugging and coming to take a seat next to me.
He greeted me with a bob of his head. “Hey.”
“Drake, right?” I asked.
He smiled softly. “Dreux, actually, with the ‘different spelling.’ Remember?”
I never cared. “Oh, right.”
Dreux cleared his throat, leaning over and planting his elbows into his knees. The veins bulged in his forearms and I didn’t miss how large his hands were. How large everything about him was. “I, uh, saw you outside. Word of advice, stay away from Bonham, he’ll only get you in trouble.”
Little did these idiots know that was exactly what I was seeking. Desperately.
Because I’d had enough with the warnings, I faced Dreux, snarling at him. “If you’re trying to be nice for Scott’s sake, do me a favor and fuck off.”
For a moment he paused, caught off guard and stunned. His recovery was quick as his nostrils flared and he scowled. “Whatever.”
Dreux stood from the chair with such force that it smacked back against the wall—not that he noticed, because in seconds he was out of the office, leaving behind a loud slam of the door.
One down, everybody else to go.