4. Liar
Chapter Four
LIAR
“ S unny! How was your summer?” Bea grabbed me in a hug before I could wriggle away.
She held her skateboard, so the hug wasn’t as thorough as it would have been otherwise.
She was parked at the bottom of the steps with the good railings beside Bosko’s gang.
The old building near the back gate didn’t get as much supervision as the front, so that’s where the skaters liked to do their thing before they were rousted.
“Aren’t you too old to be hanging with Bossy?” I asked, smiling at her teasingly. “My summer was amazing. Blue sky and azure sea, just sailing around like complete reprobates.”
“You and Beastie boy? I thought he was working all summer.”
That jerked the rug out from under that lie.
“He wasn’t working all summer, but I was talking about my other friends.
Beastie isn’t my only friend.” I laughed like the idea was hilarious.
She laughed with me, because it was hilarious.
Yep. He was definitely my only friend. And he hadn’t seen me all summer because jerk decided to grow up and start being responsible.
He could have waited for me to die like a really good friend, but no.
He’d texted me probably once a week to ask me if I was dead yet.
Who does that? I always responded that I was definitely dead which he replied with zombie emojis. Yep. What we had was deep.
“What about you, Bea? You do anything awesome? Are you still working at the coffee shop and scaring patrons?”
“Basically, until I get into art school. Why are you here? Their art program is weak, and you’re actually talented.
I’ll never forget what you did for me.” She pulled up her sleeve to reveal the scroll tattoo of a bee that I’d designed.
I’d also done the needle work because she was going to have Bosko do it, and I’d seen his work.
He wasn’t doing that to my design, even if Bea didn’t care.
It had been kind of fun, but tattoo artist wasn’t my calling, however well I got along with needles.
“You are too sweet. I haven’t decided on a major yet. I wish I was as focused as you are.”
She laughed loudly and grabbed me in another half hug.
“No one has ever called me focused before. You are too sweet. Sometimes I wish I was a lesbian just so I could pick you up.” She did, pick me up at that point, then Bosko sailed down the railing and his board hit the wall and ricocheted, spinning towards us.
I would have blocked it with Bea’s board, but she was still hanging onto me, hampering my movement. Out of nowhere, a guy caught the board, spinning it and slapping it to the ground, pinning it with his foot like he knew what he was doing.
My eyes rode slowly up that muscled lower body to the midsection, chiseled abs, strong large hands, broad shoulders and blue eyes. It was the guy, the pretty boy next door.
“You okay, honey?” he asked in a slow drawl, like he hadn’t caught the board before it could do any damage.
“I’m good.” I wasn’t used to being called honey, and it kind of made my toes curl in delight. He was just so magnificent, like a champion ready to battle the villain.
“Hey man, give me my board,” Bosko said with his sneering head-jerk as he reached for his property.
The champion raised it slightly so Bosko’s snatch fell short. “I don’t think skateboarding is allowed on these premises. You might hurt the innocent bystanders.”
Bosko snorted. “Who you calling an innocent bystander? Sunny? Don’t let that push-up bra fool you.”
I didn’t stop smiling, but suddenly I wanted to hurt him. I didn’t hurt people physically, because I hate violence so much. It’s my absolutely least favorite thing, but Bosko’s ego was more delicate than his skin.
I grabbed the board and tugged gently on it, putting me in very close proximity to the incredibly good-smelling man. Sweet heaven, he was like spice and sunshine, plus fresh bread. “Excuse me, could I hold this for a minute,” I said with my sweetest smile.
He smiled back at me, eyes crinkling as he released the board. “You going to hit him with it? I can hold him down for you.”
“That’s real sweet, sugar, but he’s not technically wrong about me.
” I carried it up the steps under my arm, feeling more nervous than I’d been for a long time.
I always had Beastie to watch my back, to keep Bosko and anyone else from getting out of hand.
Still, in this, I could hold my own, on my own.
When I got to the top, I turned to look at my champion. He was studying me with a curious expression, not like he was judging me, just waiting, watching, open to the possibilities without preconceived judgment.
That made me even more nervous, but still, I could ride a railing down with a few spins in between. Maybe I shouldn’t have been wearing a denim skirt, but it was loose, and after I rolled the waist twice, it wouldn’t get in the way.
I perched on the cement block with the board propped before I took a deep breath and then kicked off. It was perfect from launch to landing, filled in the middle with absolute freedom and loft, the glorious sensation that pain couldn’t touch.
I came down in a tight spin next to the champion and kicked the skateboard up, flipping it so Bosko could catch it.
I didn’t look at him, I was smiling at the champion, because he was smiling at me, and it was the nicest thing, just smiling together like we had a grand conspiracy.
He’d never doubted that I’d land it, not for a second.
Bosko shook his hand out. Maybe I had kicked the board a little too hard. “Are you coming to the bowl this afternoon?”
Did that sound fun? It actually did, even if Beastie wouldn’t be there.
I turned to face Bossy, breaking my happy moment with Mr. Honey.
“Can’t. I’ve got class. Does sound fun, though.
Kick it for me, yeah? Later.” I waved at Bosko and Bea and headed up the stairs, trying not to notice the champion keeping up with me.
“I’m Nix,” he said, holding out a hand.
I patted it and then went back to gripping my back pack. “Sunny, but you probably heard that already. What brings you to APU? I’m pretty sure I’d have noticed you if you’d been here before. Are you a new teacher?”
He grinned so nice and easy. Most people don’t smile that comfortably with complete strangers. It takes time to warm up, but he was born warm. “Yeah, I’m new, but not a teacher. I didn’t go to college out of high school, so it’s catching up to me. How long have you been on a skateboard?”
“At one time?” I asked teasingly. “Seriously, it was my bonding thing with my dad so I don’t remember a time I didn’t have some kind of board.
I have a whole photo album of me on boards.
How about you? You do any kind of riding?
You caught it like you knew what you were doing.
Most people would have jammed a few fingers. ”
He glanced down at his strong hands. “I’ve done a little boarding in my time.”
“’In my time?’ You sound like an old man. You don’t look that old.”
He laughed. “Thanks, Kitten. You do look that young, too young to be going to college.”
“I have a youthful air and an indomitable optimism, but how can I help it? Just look at that sun!”
“Actually, don’t, or you’ll be blinded. You’re a little like that, Kitten, blindingly sunshiny.”
“My name is Sunny, not Kitten,” I said, frowning at him. “That sounds almost sexist.”
“Male kittens are still called kittens.”
“Hm. I guess I could call you a nag, you know, old horse. That wouldn’t be sexist.”
“I am not a horse, but maybe I am that old. I just turned thirty, although being in this place with all you young’uns, I’m going to feel every inch my age.”
I patted his arm. “Hang in there. Higher education is a very valuable thing. They tell us every year at orientation, if you go to that kind of thing. It’s that way,” I said, pointing in the correct direction.
“Thank you. I appreciate your guidance.” He patted my hand, like because I’d touched him that gave him the right to touch me.
I braced for the usual pain, but his touch was so featherlight, so teasingly gentle, I was left with a shiver and a jerk in my chest that I’d never felt before.
Had I ever been touched without it hurting?
I couldn’t remember. No one else knew to be gentle with me other than Beastie, and he didn’t touch me.
I touched him, and he put up with it, carrying me around when I wanted him to, but he didn’t ever reciprocate.
If he ever jumped on my back, he’d break me.
The champion, Nix, left me with one last smile before he headed in the direction of freshman orientation leaving me staring after him and feeling all kinds of things I didn’t have time for, but made me wish I had more time, that life wasn’t so short.