Crash (8 page)

I could tell that she was dying to tell her boyfriend everything I said. I picked up the phone and suddenly it vibrated in my hands. Almost dropping it, I held the phone to my ear.

“Hello?”

“It’s Will.”

Oh
. I bit my lip severely, wondering what the hell I should say.

“Hi.”

“Listen, I just wanted to apologize for my behavior.”
He took a shaky breath.
“I’m sorry for—everything, really. I’m on some pretty serious meds and when I don’t take them I go a bit crazy. So, I’m sorry for all that. If you take the job, I’ll be nothing but professional the whole way.”

My heart pounded. “Will, I’m the one who should apologize—”

“Natalie, let’s just forget about it, okay?”
he said in a testy voice.

I nodded before remembering I was on the phone. “Okay.”

“Great. I’m going to fax the contract to your agency, and they should email the documents to you. If you could sign them as soon as possible, that would be great.”

All of the humor was gone from his voice. He sounded clearer—more awake, but everything that made him so fun was gone. It was like talking to a stranger.

“Okay,” I heard myself say.

“We leave next week. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Bye.”

And just like that, it was over. There was nothing but static on the other end.

* * *

I still hadn’t called my parents, and it was the day I was supposed to leave with Will for London. I kept unlocking my phone to stare at the bright screen, debating whether to call them while the light died. I have to call them.

“Nervous?” Jessica asked as she stepped into the living room.

I dropped the phone back into my pocket. “I probably feel how you did when you left.”

She smiled as she looked back on the memory. At the time, I warned her against going, even though I was insanely jealous of her opportunity. Now, it’s my turn.

Luke was nearby and I knew that he was bursting to give me his opinion of what I should do, but I sensed that Jessica warned him not to. I felt another rush of affection for her. We always have each other’s back, no matter what.

I paced in the small hallway and glanced at Luke, who sat in the living room looking grim. I was aching to ask him about Will. He caught my glance and a smile flickered over his anxious face.

“It’ll be okay, Natalie.”

I cried out as I bit the flesh of my thumb too hard. Frankly, I was more worried about how awkward it was going to be. I whirled towards my bag. Did I pack everything?

BAMBAMBAM.

Jessica and I jumped about a mile high.

“Can’t he knock like a normal person?”

My stomach did backflips as Luke shot from the couch and opened the door before I could move a muscle. Will stood there, looking fresh in his jeans and t-shirt. Just the sight of his arms peeking from the sleeves was enough to make me sigh.
It’s not fair. Someone that hot shouldn’t be such a jackass
.

His dark eyes narrowed as he focused his gaze on his cousin.

“Luke,” he said politely, inclining his head.

His cousin gave him nothing but a cursory nod, which was a mark of how angry he must be. Will responded with a lopsided grin.

“Are you going to step aside, or are you going to keep eye-fucking me?”

Luke moved away and Will stepped forward, his eyes finally settling on me. The connection I usually felt between us was gone. He might as well have been looking at a piece of furniture.

Cold gripped my limbs.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.” I grabbed the handle of my suitcase, but he ducked quickly and took it from me.

“Ok, then.”

He gave Jessica a small smile before crossing the threshold out of the apartment. Luke followed him outside and Jessica and I looked at each other.

For some reason, the look on her face made a horrible lump rise in my throat. She was blinking rather fast as she nearly bowled me over with her hug.

“I’m really proud of you for doing this.”

“What?” I said, blinking hard. “Why?”

Her arms tightened around my neck. “It takes a lot of courage to leave your comfort zone. Most people never do.”

My lips trembled. The flood of everything I’d been holding back suddenly burst through the dam I built up for myself. As much as I tried to deny it, I felt sick with fear every time I thought about my future.

My life was a constant battle for approval. While my dad opened my report cards, I would stare outside and think longingly of the playground where Jessica and I would play. Getting an A- was “acceptable,” but anything below that—grounded.

Going to college was like being born again. I could do whatever I wanted—I was free. But still, something inside me wanted to please my parents, to explain every decision I made. I went against their wishes by majoring in graphic design. They screamed and raged at me, but I did it anyways, though not without a heavy dose of guilt. Within years of graduating, I made myself The Perfect Life to appease them. Perfect fiancé, perfect job, and not-so perfect apartment.

Then it all shattered and freedom’s intoxicating aroma beckoned me to Europe. William crashed into my life, promising excitement and spontaneity and suddenly I was flying thousands of miles with a complete stranger. It was overwhelming.

Jessica’s arms slipped from my neck and I turned away from her, furiously rubbing my eyes. A warm, heavy hand patted my shoulder.

“If Will gives you any problems, call me,” Luke said in a gruff voice.

“I will, thanks. Bye!”

“Call when you get there!”

I hurried outside before I could change my mind and saw an Audi R8 parked outside. I laughed at the contrast between it and the rusty, Ford truck parked in front of it. Will had his arms crossed over his chest, sunglasses perched on his long, straight nose, looking supremely bored. He said nothing about my red eyes. Will took my backpack from my shoulders and I flinched as his fingers grazed my shoulder, unprepared for the wave of dizzying heat. He popped open the door for me and I slid inside the leather seat, watching Jessica’s anxious face in the window.

I’m leaving it all. Finally.

The opening of the driver’s door interrupted the cocoon of my thoughts. Without being able to stop myself, I watched Will’s lithe body slide into the seat. His lean arm yanked on the parking brake and the engine roared under my thighs, revving like the feelings bursting in my chest as I watched him. His dark hair fell into his eyes and I suddenly wanted so badly to reach up and push it behind his ears.

But he didn’t so much as glance at me.

Now that he’s lost interest, you want him? Typical.

My stomach lurched as Will peeled out of our street, whipping around corners as if his life depended on it. I gasped and gripped the armrests as he suddenly braked in front of the first red light. The slightest smile flickered on his face.

“Too fast for you?”

I muttered something in denial of that. “I need to call my parents and tell them where I’m going.”

Will said nothing. My eyes kept wandering up and down his thick biceps and the powerful thighs pressing against his jeans. I could even make out the faint crease between his pecs—and then I looked up and saw him staring at me.

I slammed the phone to the side of my face, hoping that it would hide my blush. The phone rang.
Don’t pick up, don’t pick up, don’t pick up.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Mom.” I braced myself.

“Natalie.”

The stiffness in her voice meant that she was still very pissed off.

“Mom,” I said, my voice wavering. “I’m just calling to tell you that I’ll be in Europe for the next few weeks.”

“What? With who?”

My mouth opened and closed. What should I say? I didn’t want to tell her the truth. My eyes watered as I thought of what she’d say. “I’m going with my boyfriend,” I blurted.

Will whipped his head around. My face was probably melting off my skull at this point.

“You have a boyfriend?”

My mind was galloping ahead. “I’ve been dating him for a while. You’ve never met him. I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you both liked Ben so much—”

“What’s his name? What does he do? Who—”

I grimaced. “His name is William. He’s Luke’s cousin.”

“The rich guy?”
Mom said in a much more excited voice.
“When are we going to meet him?”

I would have laughed at her excitement if I couldn’t feel Will’s eyes burning into my skull. “Mom, I have to go.”

“It’s not true! She’s lying!” Will suddenly shouted.

I snarled at him. “Shut up!”

“Who is that?”

“NobodyIhavetogo. Goodbye!”

“Okay, sweetie! Love you!”
I could hear the confusion in my mom’s voice from Will’s shouting.

I hung up the phone and buried my face into my hands.
Why the hell did I do that?

“You’re such a little liar,” he tutted in a low voice that made my forehead sear with heat. “I won’t play along with your little charade. I’m not Luke.”

I looked at him hesitantly, but he didn’t look very angry. “I’m really sorry, Will. I didn’t really plan on doing that—I just didn’t feel like telling her the truth and disappointing them.”

He throttled the engine and I winced as the car lurched forward. We were already speeding past Oakland, merging into the lanes that would take us across the Bay Bridge. “Well, we’ll probably be photographed so that’ll corroborate your lie. Your ex might not be pleased, though.”

Shit. I hadn’t thought of that. “I don’t care.”

“You care about using me to make yourself look better in your parent’s eyes. Nice.”

He clearly wasn’t impressed with what I did.

“Listen,” I began defensively. “I don’t judge you for all the things you do—don’t judge me. I’m just trying to make them happy.”

I hated the pity on his face. “Make them happy?” he said in an incredulous voice. “Natalie, Natalie, Natalie.”

My frown deepened with every repetition of my name.

“You’ll never be able to live up to their standards. You’ll never be able to make them happy. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can move on with your life. I’m probably the only one out of my brothers who doesn’t suck up to my dad.”

“How’s that working out for you?”

His fingers whitened on the steering wheel.

That’s what I thought.

The rest of the car ride was pretty silent. I kept waiting for him to slip some sort of sexual innuendo into the conversation, but instead he seemed keen on pissing me off.

“Oh, you’ll have to take all the trains and buses that the laypeople use by yourself. You have to do a write-up of how to get to all these places.”

I didn’t expect that. “I’ll have to go by myself?”

He smirked. “Pardinis don’t take public transport.”

Whatever. Rolling my eyes at the smugness, I turned my head so I wouldn’t have to look at his irritating face.

“By the way, I got you a seat in coach. It’s a ten-hour flight, so that’ll suck.” He sniggered.

Another flare shot up my face. “It’s not a problem when you’re short. Coach suits me just fine.”

Will’s jaw went slack.

I expected a crowd of paparazzi to follow us around, but Will parked us in the long-term parking lot and we took the train to the international terminal. I had never flown out of the country before and couldn’t keep my excitement from ramping up.

After we shot through the airport security, we were ushered through a series of corridors while I wondered what the hell was going on.
Why weren’t we going to one of the airport terminals? Delta, US Airways, whatever?

It was only when we were walking across the tarmac and I saw the white jet, stamped in bold, gold letters with his name that I realized Will had been joking about flying me in coach.

He smiled at my wide-eyed expression. “Ladies first.” He swept his arm towards the staircase leading to the airplane.

My hair whipped around my head as I bounded up the steps. I felt like a little kid with a shiny, new toy. There were rows of plush, white leather seats and flat screen TVs.

“YOW!”

A tabby cat sat on the table in his blue cage, his yellow eyes extremely round.

“What the hell? What’s a cat doing here?”

“Kitty!” he exclaimed.

I almost laughed at the delight transporting William’s face. He rushed past me to unlock the cage and a handsome cat with dark tiger stripes immediately walked out, stretching his back legs.

The stewardess pursed her lips reprovingly. I had a feeling that animals were required to stay inside their cages at all times, but she wasn’t going to argue with the man giving her paychecks.

“This is Tom,” Will said with his hand on the cat’s back.

The cat head-butted his hand, purring loudly.

“You brought a cat to Europe,” I deadpanned. “Do these bed and breakfasts even take pets?”

“They’ll do as I ask.” He glowered at me as if to add: Or else.

He sat down on one of the chairs and Tom the cat immediately jumped on his lap, settling in for a nice, long nap. Will talked to the cat in a baby, singsong voice. My head was ringing with the strangeness of it.

“Tom follows me everywhere. Isn’t that right, baby boy?”

The cat closed his eyes and lifted his white chin as Will scratched his fur. His black lips rounded in a soft mow.

He’s crazy.
I opened my phone and texted to Jessica:
He brought a cat on the plane. He’s singing to it now. I’m scared.

She replied.
Get out while you still can.

I stifled laughter from her text and was distracted by Will’s high-pitched voice. Now, he was kissing the top of the cat’s head.

“Seriously, what’s the deal with the cat?”

I didn’t have anything against cats. I even liked them, but I couldn’t imagine how he was going to take care of him for three weeks.

He stood up with the cat over his shoulder, almost as if he was burping a baby. The cat licked his lips and stared at me through yellow slits as Will rubbed his back. He stopped in front of me and I yelped as he deposited him in my lap.