Chapter 9 #3
“Oh, I can’t have the name either?” I clicked my tongue and leaned on the handrails with a loose smile.
She was so funny, standing there like a deer in headlights, not knowing if I’d let go of her behavior.
She was clearly still waiting for me to accept her apology.
“Don’t worry. You’re obviously the better one, but I could call you Sleepy Mustang, since you’re always either peacefully asleep or cranky and awake. ”
She carried her father’s frown. I was sure she saw it in the mirror. Her face twisted so quickly, I almost missed the moment of shyness before she scoffed.
“I am not cranky,” she muttered, the tension between us dancing over the mere two feet we had from the top of my wheel to her shuddering breasts.
She struggled to breathe around me. I felt almost prideful that she struggled this much at our first official introduction.
“I thought you were a creepy guy stalking me or something. It was within good reason.”
“Oh, yeah. Of course.” I copied her scoff.
Erica and Olivia had noticed me by now. Most people stared at Quinntessa and me. I knew Erica had spotted me ages ago, but now, she couldn’t hide her interest in my conversation with the spicy, brown-eyed dreamer.
I swung my leg over and climbed off my bike without effort. I’d been riding much longer than I’d had my license. It was a second nature to me now. Quinntessa stood there, shuffling back and forth, as I gathered my things and threw the single strap of my side bag over my shoulder.
When I turned back to her, my eyes slowly traveled up her face, taking in all her features one last time. Unfortunately for me, she was staring directly at me, bending over to retrieve her bag from the back seat of her car.
“You might want to get your nap in,” I suggested. “Wastin’ time before the bell.”
“I have to go to my locker.” Quinntessa hugged her stomach as I stepped to stand directly in front of her. She was a little shorter than me, but not by much. “Books and stuff.”
“Right.” I licked my lips and took advantage of her sudden ability to meet my eyes.
She made sharp pains scatter through my stomach. My eyes flickered over her again to release my tension.
“Have fun with your books and stuff, Mustang.” She blushed as I smirked.
Mustang.
It fell from my lips easily, the song I was listening to when she pulled into the parking lot.
Mustang Sally. It was my luck she drove a Mustang, though I’d bet a thousand big ones this car was all her daddy’s and not a cent hers.
Much like the car, I refused to drive unless I needed to bring Estelle around town.
When Quinntessa’s face twisted with that same confused Bambi head tilt, I adjusted my bag and pulled my sunglasses out of my rear pocket.
My helmet swung between my fingers as she followed me with her eyes.
I heard her inhale, as if she wanted to speak.
I peered over my shoulder and slipped the tinted frames over my eyes.
“It’s Quinn!” she called after me. She was annoyed, but the redness of her face gave away how she truly felt.
Give it up, Quinntessa Dawson. I have you in the palm of my hand.
I entertained her with a small twirl on the heel of my boot, a playful grin dancing over my features.
Oh, that was too easy. I hadn’t said a word, yet Quinntessa’s face flushed even brighter pink.
She was frustrated to the point she couldn’t even hide how flustered I made her.
I loved when girls got like that with me.
It made me feel like I was worth something.
The control that came along with it was only a plus.
I didn’t stay to listen to the train wreck of noises she tried to produce, seeming more pissed off than she had earlier about my parking space. My feet carried me to Erica’s sleek black car while Olivia wagged her brows in my direction.
“I see you’ve met Quinntessa,” the blonde giggled, twisting back and forth, her arms at her sides.
I rolled my eyes and hip checked Erica. She had her usual annoyed scowl on her face long before I touched her.
She’d get over her. It wasn’t like Quinntessa meant anything to the school.
It wasn’t me pretending to lead Christian on to mess with him for breaking up with me, or twiddling thumbs with Duke after our fall out just to mess with Erica.
No, I liked girls. They were soft and warm. Girls were like . . . a perfect balance of sweet and savory, and much prettier than most boys.
My sunglasses slipped down my nose as I glanced in Quinntessa’s direction.
Her freckled skin was so red, I could see it from here as she rubbed her face and turned back to her car.
She took a few steps and stopped, spinning around like she wanted to approach me before all that confidence melted away and she froze.
I crossed my arms and observed Olivia as she practiced a part of their routine in the parking space beside Erica’s car.
Her skirt rode up her thigh, her stomach muscles smiling back at me.
Olivia was the most fit between Erica and me.
She’d been in every flexible sport known to man since she was young.
It made no sense—she could eat whatever she wanted and not a single ounce of her body would change.
“Damn.” I winked at Olivia. “I owe the perv who invented these uniforms a drink.”
When Olivia giggled, I was quick to notice Erica roll her eyes beside me. They continued to roll as I wiggled a finger at Erica’s skirt. She shoved me away and moved closer to Olivia.
I gave her the space with a soft chuckle, searching her eyes to make sure I hadn’t gone too far. I might be an asshole, but she was my best friend. I wouldn’t disrespect her like that.
“Shut up, slut,” she spat, her lip twitching enough to tell me she knew I was joking around.
“Make me.” I stuck my tongue out at her.
Erica crossed her arms and turned up her nose, acting disgusted with me.
“What were you talking about with Quinntessa?” she asked accusingly, nodding her head behind me. “The usual lonely lesbian act? Come ride my bike and my face while you’re at it speech?”
I turned my upped body and smirked when I caught the new girl’s eyes across the parking lot again. She was rushing into school, though still allowing her eyes to wander in my direction. I tossed a piece of gum into my mouth and wiggled my fingers at her.
“The usual,” I lied.
Although I wondered how red Quinntessa’s face would become if I even implied her riding my face, it was a horrible idea. I couldn’t sleep with someone and then kill them without feeling even more shitty about what I’d done.
I couldn’t tell my friends I was trying to find an in with Quinntessa.
Erica would be disappointed, just like she was after finding out about Christian’s parents being stuck with dues to my father.
It wasn’t my fault they almost lost the house because of the block on his business.
All he had to do was agree with the upper stars and he’d be fine.
It was how I’d lived in that house all these years and made it through. Estelle was the only reason I had to push when the time was right. Like now—making a deal with a prick all because my daughter could disappear any minute.
“Well, I think she’s cute. Maybe she’ll be good for you.” Olivia stood beside me and watched Quinntessa rush into the school, turning to face me once she was gone. “Could you at least try with this one?”
“I always try.”
“Yeah.” Erica threw her ponytail over her shoulder. “You try to get in their pants and rock their world until you’re bored.”
“Come on, be sweet with her.” Olivia pouted, reaching out to take my hand. I squeezed her fingers and raised a brow when she glanced in Erica’s direction before looking at me again. “Don’t you want to find someone who wants to be with you out of the bedroom?”
My eyes playfully flickered to Erica. “Is that question for me or you?”
She scoffed and pushed off the hood of her car to grab her bag from the trunk.
“Shut the fuck up, Eleanor, before I run you over,” Erica spat, ripping the trunk open to hide the color blooming over her face.