Reason and Romance (River Valley Book 1) (3 page)

She angled her head. She’d never been one of those girls obsessing over their boyfriends’ every move, and she didn’t intend to start, but …

“Adrian, listen. I came here for you.”

“Yes,” she acknowledged. Left unsaid was that she’d practically begged him to stay longer. She’d even offered to pay for his plane ticket. “Yes, you came.”

He exhaled sharply. “I’m not gonna fight with you. Let’s eat.”

She didn’t take his hand again, and he didn’t offer his arm. They went through the line for food and when they saw her father and Karen, she nudged Jason away. Nothing in the last few days had made her like Alex’s mother any better. She knew she was being unfair, but the truth was that if her father hadn’t met Karen, they wouldn’t be here.

“Let’s join Nicky,” Jason was saying.

She glanced in the direction he’d indicated. Nicky was sitting at a table, all right, but she was sitting with Alex and a few others. They hadn’t seen Adrian yet, so there was still time to slip away and find a better spot.

“Let’s not,” she said.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Adrian! Jason! Come over,” Nicky called out. She waved and beckoned at them from the table. “These are Alex’s friends!”

Resigned, Adrian plastered a smile on her face. “Hi,” she said to the group. “I’m Adrian.”

Alex was lounging in his chair. “She’s a senior like us. We’ll see her in most of our classes,” he said to his friends.

One of the guys let out a low whistle. “Shit, she’s hot,” he said to Alex, in a supposedly confidential undertone. “You didn’t tell me that.”

“You’re such a dork,” the girl sitting at his elbow said. She slapped the back of his head. “We all can hear you.”

He flashed Adrian an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I’m Justin Latimer. Alex and I go way back to kindergarten.”

Adrian nodded coolly. He was cute with an open, friendly face, but she didn’t relish the idea of him discussing her with Alex behind her back. He was on the slender side, not quite as muscular as Alex, but he had a toned and lean-muscled appearance. When he ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment, she saw glints of red in his chestnut brown hair.

The girl turned to Adrian. She had long cinnamon curls swept up in a casual braid, one that complemented her sporty tank top and denim shorts. A little too thin, but her muscles had that lean, defined look of an athlete.

“I’m Justin’s twin sister,” the girl said. “Bri Latimer.”

One of Alex’s friends leaned back in his chair, almost slouching down. He had a mouth to die for. It was perfectly sculpted with the lower lip a little fuller. A mouth made for smiling or kissing, but as of now, it was currently leering at her. He wasn’t quite pretty or handsome—Adrian couldn’t decide which category he was in—but his smile was irresistibly wicked. You looked at him and you knew exactly what he was thinking.

“You mind if I have her?” he said to Alex. “First dibs.”

Wow, that fast. Whoever this guy was, he probably had broken the Guinness World Record for hitting on a girl. Adrian didn’t know which was more insulting: the fact that he’d asked Alex for permission or the fact he didn’t even bother introducing himself.

“She’s mine,” Jason said shortly. She’d almost forgotten him, but he was there at her side, gripping her hand. “And you can go to hell.”

She stifled a groan. Did he have to act all possessive now? Of all the times he’d picked … well, it was too late. Alex’s friends had all snapped to attention. They’d been relaxed, but Jason’s curt tone put them on guard.

“Like he says, I’m taken,” she said. “Sorry.”

A small smile played with Alex’s mouth. “You heard her, Quentin. I think you’ve just hurt her boyfriend’s feelings. Apologize to him, will you?”

“Why bother? The boyfriend’s going back to Chicago anyway, and I’ll still be here.” Quentin flashed a quicksilver smile. “So whenever you feel bored, give me a call, huh? Quentin Maxwell love you long time.”

Alex cut in smoothly before Jason could open his mouth. “That’s not what I heard from the girl you dated last month.”

Everyone but Adrian and Jason chuckled. And to her surprise, Quentin was grinning. Apparently he could take a joke, even if it was at his expense.

Bri Latimer finally ended it. “God, Quentin. Give your hormones a rest.” She jerked her head at the last guy. “That’s Grant Darlington. Just don’t call him a darling.”

Grant nodded briefly. He was the only blond guy sitting at the table, so he was easy to remember. His eyes were a pale blue and when he sipped from his water bottle, Adrian saw that his knuckles were bruised. He had a truly impressive body, one that shouldn’t have belonged to an eighteen-year-old guy. Even though he didn’t stand up, she knew he would be taller than Alex by a few inches. Bigger too, and that was a terrifying image.

“Noted,” Adrian said. She had her hand locked on Jason’s arm, and she could feel the corded muscles. Better get him out of here before anything further happened. “It’s nice to meet your friends, Alex.”

Alex nodded at the table. “You’re welcome to sit here with us. You and your boyfriend. We don’t usually bite.”

“Thanks for the invitation, but no. Jason and I don’t have much time before he leaves for the airport.” She tugged on Jason’s arm. “Let’s sit over there, okay?”

He went reluctantly, but at least he was moving away from Alex and his stupid friends.

“Boyfriend or no,” Quentin drawled before she’d gone a couple steps, “I’d bang her like a screen door.”

“Shut up,” Bri said.

Heat crept into Adrian’s cheeks. She wasn’t even out of the range, so she knew Quentin had meant for her to hear that. In that moment, she made up her mind she never would hang out with Alex or his friends at school.

“What did you just say?” Jason hissed. He spun toward Quentin.

Quentin’s smile was killer. “I said I wanted to bang your girlfriend like a screen door.”

“Show my girlfriend some fucking respect.”

“Stop it!” Adrian snapped at him. “He’s not worth it, Jason. None of them are.”

Quentin waggled his eyebrows. “Aw, that hurts.”

“As if you have any feelings. Are you always this disgusting?”

Alex’s eyes met hers. “Don’t mind my friends, Adrian. We don’t usually let Quentin out of his cage. You sure you don’t want to sit with us?”

“I’m sure,” Adrian said curtly. “I think you can do without us tonight.”

Alex inclined his head. “We’ll see if you can do without us.”

Now that was interesting. Just when she would have probed further, Jason stalked away. She had no choice but to follow him. All around her were happy people, but for her, it was perhaps the angriest meal she’d had lately. Jason didn’t say a word as he ate. His silence said he wasn’t too thrilled she’d pulled him away from Alex and the others. Well, she wasn’t too thrilled with him either.

Resentment built in her as she stabbed at her food. Even from here, she could hear Alex and his friends laughing over at their table. And what was worse, her sister was there too. Nicky hadn’t stood up for her or Jason during that debacle. No, she’d just chosen to duck her head and pretend she didn’t know her older sister.

Oh yeah, Adrian loved it here.

Jason got up to get another drink, and that was when Alex came over. “Your boyfriend seems unhappy,” Alex said.

She lifted a shoulder. “Your friends were pretty rude to him.”

He acknowledged that with a slight curl of his mouth. “All the same, it wouldn’t hurt you to be polite to my friends. Quentin’s the richest guy in our school. His parties are unparalleled.” He glanced over at his table where his friends were. “Justin is very, very well-liked. If he likes you, everyone else will. Bri has a significant in with other girls because she’s Justin’s sister. And only a fool gets on Grant’s bad side. So, if I were you, I’d get over that chip on your shoulder.”

“Thanks for the advice,” she said. “But I can manage.”

“Okay. You’re on your own from here on out.”

Alex went back to his friends. Still tense, Adrian watched out for Jason’s return. For the rest of that night, she had to lose herself in Jason. She had to.

He was the only thing she had left.

CHAPTER THREE

The school’s official name was Varner High School, but within five minutes of Alex’s arrival, Adrian knew it should have been named “Alex Montgomery’s Harem” instead.

First clue: the singsong “Alex!” that shattered her eardrums. The possessor of that voice was a stunning redhead poured into a tight outfit and sandals. She had it all: an ample chest, a pair of long legs that seemed to stretch forever, and a flowing, gorgeous mane. Not a hair was out of place, even when she planted a pouting kiss on Alex.

Second clue: the sheer size of the crowd gathering around them. Arizona was brutally hot, even at this early hour, but students were milling outside, just to watch Alex and the girl. How else could you explain the dozens and dozens of kids otherwise?

Third clue: the other girls staring at the redhead with varying expressions of disgust and resentment. The collective envy was so palpable that Adrian glanced around in surprise. Was Alex really this popular and desirable? That last thought gave her a queer feeling. They hadn’t exchanged a single word since Karen’s dinner party.

Fourth clue: Alex’s posse was hanging near him. They were the only ones bored as if they’d seen this exact scene reenacted before. Some of them she remembered from dinner the other night.

One of them lifted a hand in a tentative greeting when he saw her. Justin Latimer had a twin sister, Adrian remembered, and she was here too. Bri was watching the redhead with a narrow-eyed expression.

“Sweetie, who is she?” the redhead said. She’d wrapped herself around Alex like a second skin, practically slithering up his torso. “Why did she come to school with you? Doesn’t she have her own car?”

It took Adrian a few seconds to realize the girl was asking Alex about her. Why was she so suspicious—oh God. An incredulous snicker escaped Adrian before she could stop herself. She was
not
sleeping with Alex.

“You can ask me yourself,” Adrian said.

The redhead stiffened as if Adrian had slapped her. “Fine. Who are you? And why are you here with him?”

An excited murmur went through the crowd. Even the ones far in the back had given up the pretense they weren’t eavesdropping. Of course, Adrian thought. They were practically panting for a girl-on-girl confrontation. Any second now, and they’d start cheering for some hair-pulling, scratching, and name-calling.

A wintry smile curled her lips. God, how low had she fallen. She’d primarily hung out with her fellow cheerleaders and athletes at her old school, but people hadn’t really gossiped about her because she gave them nothing to gossip about.

Here, she was the latest freak show.

“I’m Adrian Blake,” she said. From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Alex open his mouth as if he meant to step in. The last thing she needed was someone answering for her. “I will be Alex’s stepsister.”

She kept her shoulders straight as she said the last. No one would ever know how much it cost her to say that aloud. For so long, she’d always identified herself as “the oldest Blake girl” or “Nicky and Meg’s older sister.” Suddenly that didn’t mean a damn thing here. Now it was: “Karen’s soon-to-be stepdaughter” and other labels Adrian wanted no part of.

“Alex, you dog!” a guy shouted from the crowd. “I’d hit that!”

“Lucky bastard.”

“Baby, you want a real man, you call me.” That came from Quentin Maxwell who’d been at Karen’s party. Even from here, his leer was identifiable.

Adrian stared at him with all the ice she could muster. She’d quietly fumed over his earlier comments, trying to forget his “bang her like a screen door” insult, but now she saw it had been the wrong move. He would only keep coming back with more insults, trying to get a rise out of her because he was that pathetic. How he did it, she didn’t know, but his sleaze factor had actually increased.

“What man? I only see a little boy.”

The briefest of a pause ensued, a slight hitch in the conversations around them, just long enough that Adrian knew they were rapidly assessing her again.

His smirk never fading, Quentin absorbed the hit with good grace. “You’ve just been deprived of real men. Five minutes with me, and you’ll be going ‘oh oh, Quentin!’”

“A real man wouldn’t need five minutes.”

To her surprise, Alex laughed. “She’s got you there.”

She eyed him sideways. He was smiling, almost as if in approval, but she hadn’t meant to be funny. It hadn’t escaped her notice that he hadn’t told Quentin to show her more respect.

Shaking her head slightly, she shifted her backpack higher on her shoulder. The school entrance was just a short distance away, but she’d have to run the gauntlet. Hell, she was running it now.

The redhead finally let go of Alex and stepped in front of Adrian. She didn’t stomp her foot or anything, but her mouth was sulky. The look in her eyes told Adrian that she’d unknowingly made an enemy of this girl.

“I’m Mandy Fitzpatrick,” the redhead said.

“Good for you,” Adrian said.

She moved toward the school entrance, but the other girl stepped in front of her again. “Alex and I have been seeing each other on and off,” Mandy said.

Adrian’s fingers itched from the impulse to slap her. Why exactly was Mandy telling her this? She was going to be Alex’s stepsister and that should have settled everything, but no, Mandy was sizing her up like a competitor and unsubtly telling her to back off. Well, this was a competition Adrian had no intention of participating in.

Alex drew Mandy out of the way. He did it so smoothly that Adrian didn’t notice it at first, but he’d wrapped Mandy around him, so the path was now clear. “I don’t think Adrian really cares,” he said. “Let her go.”

Walk away now, Adrian,
her common sense screamed.
Walk away.

This was the right moment to leave. People were now turning their attention back to Alex and Mandy, so she could disappear. Like it or not, Alex had done her a favor, and she was grateful—no. That last thought brought her up short. She was
not
grateful to him. She didn’t owe him anything and if it wasn’t for his stupid mother who’d conned her father into moving here, she wouldn’t be dying in the heat.