Chapter 10
10
My phone rang, and I killed the music to take the call, not recognizing the number. Darkness blanketed me now, and thanks to the flashlight of my phone, the occasional passing cars, and my not-too-shabby sense of direction, I estimated I had about one mile left to reach home.
“Hey you,” Joseph’s voice greeted me. It warmed my insides and erased the specks of anger still swirling inside me. How could his voice act like a soothing balm and be powerful enough to ease me every time? “I thought it would be better to talk rather than your typing in the dark.”
He had offered to pick me up many times in the last hour, but I didn't want to be a bother. And I needed time to get my anger under control. The walk would do that.
“Are you almost there? I’m not liking the idea of your walking in the dark all by yourself.”
I sighed. “I’m fine. Just not the night I pictured. Anyway, almost home. I think. The signal isn’t that good around here, so the GPS on my phone keeps reloading, never giving me a real-time location.”
“I can’t believe the guy just upped and left. What a jerk.”
“Yep. My mistake. I thought I was playing him by making him take me out. Now I know better.” I pushed away the images of Ryder and his girlfriend flying through the parking lot earlier, leaving clouds of dust behind. “How’s surfing school? Are you already the coolest guy in your beach town by now?”
His easy laughter warmed me inside. “Nah, not even close. Sorry to disappoint you. Between the surfing lessons and helping at the restaurant, when my head hits the pillow at night, I’m already asleep. And it’s only day two. I’ll get used to it, just gimme a week or two.” He paused. “Still coming on Friday night?”
More of my annoyance dissolved at the idea of spending time together. “Sure. And you know what? Uncle Mason fixed a truck for me. For the duration of my stay, it’s mine to use.”
“Nice. I’m kinda sad I don’t have to come to pick you up, though,” Joseph teased.
“One day, I’ll let you do the honors. In the meantime, I sh—” A car honked, and the sound startled me. When my gaze locked on the driver, my improving mood died. “Fuck.”
“Hey, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Joseph asked on the other end of the line, worry in his voice.
“Yeah. Whatever.”
“Avalon, what is it?”
Ryder slowed down beside me and asked, “Wanna go for a ride, baby girl?”
With his window all down, his bent arm resting on the frame, and the wind sweeping his dark hair, he resembled a movie star. And my heart went crazy in my chest. With a shake of my head, I chased the picture away and reminded myself I was mad at him. That he was enemy number one. And that he acted like a dickhead most of the time. No. Scratch that. Who was I trying to convince? Ryder was a jerk.
“Who’s there?” Joseph asked.
“No one.”
“Stop being a brat and get in,” Ryder continued.
“Avalon, don’t climb into someone’s car. Please,” Joseph pleaded.
“It’s fine. Just the a-hole who abandoned me earlier,” I said, running a hand over my face and closing my eyes, praying when I opened them up, Ryder would have disappeared. Not a chance.
“Who are you talking to?” Ryder asked, his car nearing me. “Just get in.”
“Avalon—”
“I don’t wanna see you,” I told Ryder.
“What?” Joseph asked in my ear.
“Not you. Him.”
Ryder sighed. “Stop acting out.”
“Avalon, who’s with you?” Joseph asked.
“Nobody I care about.”
“Are you coming?” Ryder asked.
“Leave.”
“Avalon. What’s going on?"
“Joseph, I need to go. I’ll text you later. I’ll be all right. Don’t worry.” I hung up before he could argue and folded my arms over my chest.
“Ryder, I’m not going with you. Go back to your socially impaired girlfriend instead. I’m good on my own.”
His gaze threw bullets my way. “Are you going to make things harder all summer than they already are? Stop being a snob, and get in the car.”
“Harder? Harder than what?” I was screaming now. “You speak no sense. Take your own advice. Get lost. Forget about me, and I’ll stay out of your way.”
He hit the gas, and the car flew forward before stopping at a weird angle and blocking my route.
He stormed out toward me, fury wrapped tight around him, not even taking the time to close the door. “Get. In. the. Fucking. Car. It’s dark. It’s late. It’s not so safe.”
Digging my heels into the ground, I refused to move. “And now you care about my safety. How convenient.”
Before I could realize what he was doing, he scooped me over his shoulder, my feet kicking the air behind me and my fists hitting the middle of his back.
“Let go of me,” I hollered. “Kidnapping is a serious offense in the United States.”
He snorted and only released me after he dropped me onto the passenger seat of his idling car.
I fought him with slaps and blocks. “Remove your dirty paws off me.”
He raised his hands in surrender, rounded his car, and drove it back on the road before I could comprehend what had just happened.
Minutes later, Ryder parked beside my truck in the driveway. “Let’s do this some other time. I had a blast tonight,” he said, his eyes turning to slits and his mouth crooking at one end.
I bet he was having the time of his life screwing with my existence. “Let’s not,” I countered, hurrying out of the car, my shoes pounding against the cobblestones and my pulse deafening me.
A creepy laugh broke the silence of the night, making my hair stand on end all over my body.
Not in the mood to fake a happy demeanor, I entered the house through the outer door connected to my bedroom and locked myself in before shooting Joseph a text message.
Me
Home. Safe. Jerk gone. Friday can’t come fast enough. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Glad to have a best friend in this town.
Joseph
Awesome. Can’t wait to show you around. It’s a date then, bestie.
Yeah, it’s a date. I repeated, for my own sake, feeling the heat pooling in my cheeks as I popped the picture of us on my screen and studied it for a long beat.
The next morning, I was calling clients about their upcoming appointments when Ryder entered the garage, not even sparing me a glance. The entire time he crossed the reception area, I held my breath, unable to draw oxygen in. As he retreated, my gaze was trained on his jeans-clad ass, the coil around my stomach loosening. The door clicked after him, and I caught a full intake of air.
He was the most confusing human being I had ever encountered. How could I be fascinated with someone I couldn’t stand?
With a shake of my head, I banished the images of him from my mind and concentrated on my work.
“Everything all right?” Uncle Mason asked when he joined me at my desk and handed me a cup of freshly brewed caffeine. “Any client giving you trouble? You look preoccupied.”
“Nah, everything’s good.”
“Have you called your father yet?” he asked, rolling a chair next to mine and taking a seat. I shook my head. “Wanna talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“Ava, your parents love you. Never would they send you away to punish you. They’re going through some things right now. Nothing you should worry about, okay? All I can tell you is that it breaks their hearts that you’re avoiding them. I get why you’re angry, but once that anger evaporates, can you just dial them? I think they would be really happy to hear your voice and not be updated by text messages exclusively.”
I swallowed hard, all his words making sense. I wasn’t a girl who held grudges against other people. I had no clue why this time around it felt important to show my parents I didn’t agree with their decision. Once I called them, I wouldn’t be able to hold on to my anger for much longer. They would get through me and shatter it to bits. They always did.
“I’m still mad. I have no idea how to forgive them this time. Usually, I do. But this summer, they pushed their luck. I met Joseph on the bus. You and Aunt Melinda have been welcoming, and I feel at home with you guys. None of my wrath is aimed at any of you. I don’t appreciate their sending me away without consulting me. It was a low blow. Iris and I have been talking about our summer plans all year. They knew it. And they still chose to make a decision and keep me in the dark. When I’m ready, I’ll call them. For now, they have to accept being updated by text messages is my meeting them halfway.”
“For the records, I understand your frustration.” Uncle Mason clapped my shoulder. “Call them, text them. Whatever feels right with you, kiddo. Do you think you can lock this place up tonight? I have an appointment and gotta leave early. Ryder should be here, but sometimes he leaves early on Tuesdays. Just in case, let me show you how to proceed.”
I followed him to the back of the garage and took notes on my phone about how to set the alarm and which doors to lock and lights to turn off.
The rest of the day went by quickly. I spent almost an hour on the phone with the technician to fix a troubleshooting code of the printer and waved goodbye at Uncle Mason when he left around three thirty. The two remaining mechanics went home at five, and then it was just me. Alone. The garage was divided into two separate departments. Car fixing and used vehicles resale. The reception desk was set between the two, opening onto a small administrative office, where I completed and filed paperwork in between answering phone calls and greeting customers.
After locking the front door as Uncle Mason had instructed, I made my way to the back door to make sure Chuck and Sean, the mechanics, had locked it at the end of their shift.
When I passed Uncle Mason’s office, I heard noises from behind a door on my right. My hands clenched at my sides, and taking a rachet from the toolbox next to the car lift, I padded toward the source of the faint music I could hear now. Nobody should be here besides me. I debated calling my uncle but decided fear wasn’t an option. Perhaps someone forgot to turn off the radio.
With my hand around the doorknob, I turned it in slow motion, my heart thundering in my chest. I licked my lips, trying to bring moisture back to my mouth.
Holding the tool in the air over my head, I yanked the door open, thinking if a thief stood on the other side, the surprise would be enough to scare them away.
I exhaled when no one appeared before me. Instead, I was met with a staircase, the flickering light bulb attached to the ceiling infusing me with a new wave of fear.
With careful steps and a white-knuckled grip on the banister, I climbed the stairs one by one, praying none would creak and betray my presence.
The faint scent of car oil and dust permeated my nostrils. The old staircase would make a perfect prop in a horror movie. It had just that uninviting, sketchy vibe about it. A chill traversed me, and I firmed my back, projecting the confidence I lacked.
Once I reached the top, I repositioned the rachet over my head, ready to knock out any intruder in my path. If one existed.
On the landing was a doorway on my left, and when I turned the corner, I came across a small kitchen. Outdated but looking well-kept. Dark-wood cupboards, a set of black appliances, a circular wooden table surrounded by three mismatched chairs.
Not the place where thieves would hang out without anyone at the garage noticing them.
The whiff of tomato sauce in a pan on the stove filled my nose. Nearing it, I realized, with a touch of my hand, it was still warm.
The sink was filled with a few items.
I swiveled to scan the place. It was modestly furnished, but everything appeared to be in decent shape. A navy-blue couch, a coffee table, and a wall-mounted TV. The hardwood floor was worn in places, and the drapes framing the window were faded from the sunlight.
In the living room, I spotted the source of the punk rock music I could hear from downstairs.
I was about to turn it off when a deep growl scared me from behind.
I spun around with a start and lost my footing. Instead of scaring the intruder with the tool in my hand, it fell to the floor at my feet with a loud thud.
I jumped at the sound. Being a cop was clearly not a career path I should pursue.
Staring at my weapon on the floor, it took me a few seconds before I brought my eyes up to look at the person standing in front of me. My heart rate decreased at the sight of him.
“You?” I asked, blinking. “You gotta be kidding me.”
His tone, unwelcoming and rough, worked through me. “Babies shouldn’t visit bad guys’ apartments without being invited. I thought Mason said you were a smart one.”
“You?” I repeated as his scent, leather and spice, tickled my nose. “What are you doing here?”
Ryder glared at me while using the towel in his hand to remove the excess moisture in his damp hair. That’s when I realized he stood before me in nothing but dark jeans, the elastic of his boxer briefs peeking at the waistband. Rivulets of water licked his bare chest and caught my gaze as I followed their slow descent.
He sported a set of sculpted abs enveloped in bronze skin, with a tattoo on his ribcage and a scar along his left collarbone.
Warm flutters invaded my belly.
“You should get dressed,” I said. “Walking around half-naked is inappropriate.”
Kill me now. For all I knew, I had stepped inside his apartment. I straightened my posture. No, I wouldn’t back down. Ryder was distracting. And he really should put a shirt on.
“Care to repeat that?”
“No. You heard me right the first time.”
Geez, how could my tongue loosen every time he was involved? Why couldn’t I keep my mouth shut? Since when did I pick fights with people on purpose? Around him, I often barely recognized myself.
With any other half-naked guy standing a yard before me, I’d be tongue-tied right now. And blushing tomato-red. Then I would scurry away without a second thought. But not with him. I just could not.
“Something wrong with your hearing?” I asked. “Put. A. Shirt. On.”
“No. And I’ll ask the questions now. What are you doing here? You haven’t learned to knock? Unless you wanted to ogle me. Or join me in the shower.”
Warmth crept up my cheeks, and I used my hands to ease the burn.
“Don’t be a douchebag. I was tasked to lock the garage before leaving.”
“And my apartment is your responsibility? How? Please enlighten me,” Ryder said, his sarcastic tone raking on my last nerve.
I groaned and pivoted on the balls of my feet, ready to bolt out of the enemy’s territory.
A strong hand gripped my elbow and shook me around before I could make my escape. I lost my footing, but he prevented me from crashing onto the floor, his grip on me tightening. Tingles arose from his touch. I refused to let my body enjoy the reaction he provoked in mine.
“Don’t ever fucking come back here without an invite, baby girl.” His cruel words were a contradiction to the expression shadowing his face. Dilated pupils took over the entire green—almost blue—hue of his irises and teeth digging into his bottom lip. Even his voice sounded deeper than usual. More masculine. More gravely. “You’ve been warned.” A simple command that sounded more like a dark promise than a threat.
He growled, his attention not faltering.
I jerked my elbow away from his fingers and turned to look at him, feeling defiant. “Or else?”
His smirk sent shivers through me. He rolled his shoulders back, towering over me, his stance rigid and menacing. Yeah, Ryder could scare the shit out of me. So why did I still feel a pull toward him when he tried to intimidate me?
I suffered from some kind of sickness because I relished the standoff.
Air crackled around us. It thickened with unsaid words that neither of us dared to acknowledge.
With a step forward, Ryder closed in on me. Our chests almost touched with each intake of air. His tongue peeked out, and I held my breath, waiting for his next move. Would he get closer? Would he scoop me over his shoulder like a caveman and carry me outside? Like before? Or would he simply stare at me, tongue-tied, not used to being challenged?
For the tiniest sliver of time, the zing between us overshadowed our disagreement. Until he spoke and killed the moment.
“Don’t make me show you.”
“You don’t impress me.”
His finger traced a line from my chin to my collarbones, and I swallowed the gasp about to exit my mouth before he let go of me.
“Don’t forget to lock up after yourself. I’m not in the mood to be woken up in the middle of the night if the alarm goes off because you forgot to lock the garage door.” Without another word, he disappeared down the hall, leaving me there in the middle of his kitchen, speechless and confused.
The spot where his skin had touched mine buzzed, and I used my other hand to erase the memory of the imprints of his fingers on my bare skin.
The thump of my heart quickened. Unable to avert my eyes, I glared at his back for a long beat.
A part of me wanted to run after him. To have the last word.
And another part of me couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there fast enough.
Self-preservation won, and minutes later, after I engaged the alarm, I sat in my truck, cursing the one person I could easily kill with my bare hands if given a choice. The one who had the ability to make my summer hell if I gave him the chance.
Time to grow a spine and show Ryder he had no power over me. N.O.N.E. None.
I had summer plans back in Michigan. To make this vacation worth it. And right now, as I drove home, I decided to stick to it. One way or another, I would make the best out of these twelve weeks. “Just stay out of my way, Ryder Whatever-Your-Name.”
After dinner, I retreated to my room to call my best friend.
“Please pick up.” Voicemail. I sighed. “Guess I’ll vent some other time.”
In the next hour, I tried Iris twice and even sent her three text messages, but she never picked up or replied. I had to tell her all about my hatred for the guy living above the garage. The one poisoning my existence.
Next, I texted Joseph.
Me
Hey, how was your day? Surfing any good?
Joseph
Bestie, I was thinking about you.
Joseph
How about a private surfing lesson?
Me
Me? I’m not a sports person.
My earlier resolution made an appearance just in time. Summer to remember. That was supposed to be Iris’s and my tagline for the next three months.
I inhaled a long gulp of air and typed fast before I changed my mind.
Me
You know what? I’d love to.
Surfing was not something I’d ever thought I would try one day. Here was my chance, and I wouldn’t miss it. Yeah, I could do this. Or try to.
Joseph
Perfect. Friday night at Dusty’s. And if you’re free this weekend, I could give you your first lesson. I usually work the lunch shift at my parents’ restaurant on Saturdays. We could go surfing early in the morning. And you could spend the day with me if you like. I’m usually off by two. What do you think?
Spending my day with Joseph would prevent me from bumping heads with Ryder every chance I got. And I’d love to spend time in Joseph’s company. Somehow, I felt like we’d known each other for longer than a bus ride across the country. And so far, he had proven he preferred to make me smile instead of awakening a thirst for murder in me.
Me
Awesome. And I can give you a hand during lunchtime.
Joseph
You don’t have to.
Me
I insist. After all, you’re my best friend, remember? And friends help each other out. Any distraction to avoid Ryder this summer is welcome.
Joseph
Arguing with you doesn’t seem like a smart idea. Why is that?
Me
Because I’ll have the last word. Don’t even try. It’s a waste of your time.
Take that, Ryder Whatever-Your-Name. You could use a hint.
Joseph
Can I text you later? I’m on babysitting duty tonight. Scarlett is having colic, and it’s hard to write with just one hand.
Me
Sure. No problem. How’s the bonding with your sisters going?
Joseph
Great. So far. Ask me tomorrow. I need to put a ten-year-old chatterbox to bed and feed a baby.
Me
Next time, let me know. I can help out. I’ve babysat lots of kids. Lay Scarlett over your forearm, like a football, and swing her slowly back and forth. It should help. Mom used to do that with Collin when he was a baby.
Joseph
I’m trying that as soon as we end this conversation. Let’s hope you’re a baby whisperer.
By the way, I’ll pick you up. Don’t refuse. I insist. Goodnight.
Me
Goodnight. Call me if Scarlett doesn’t feel better.
I discarded my phone, but an incoming message pinged, and I picked it back up.
On the screen was a picture of Joseph with both his sisters. Scarlett had teary blue eyes, a painful expression shadowing her face. Kelly was blonde with big curious eyes and sported a genuine smile.
Me
This is adorable.
On my back, spread on my comforter, I stared at the ceiling. Thinking about Collin made me miss my family. A lot. I had never been away from them for more than a week, and usually, my absences meant staying at Iris’s, not being on my own in another state.
Scrolling through my phone, I looked at the pictures of everyone I missed back home. After I took a big gulp of air, I dialed my parents.