Shadows at Sunset: Sunset Trilogy ~ Book 1 (11 page)

I wasn’t sure if I was ready to jump back into a year of parties, but I knew that Brooke wouldn’t take no for an answer. She was always looking for ways to get me out, and I had to admit, I appreciated it. If it wasn’t for her, I’d probably spend all my time alone or with animals. But Matthews Pond parties were a little more rowdy than some of the other ones she had taken me to. Rumor had it there was always a keg and a picnic table cluttered with bottles of tequila, whiskey, and any other alcohol the kids could get their hands on.

“Yes, really. I won’t forgive you if don’t come, so it’s settled. You’re coming.”

“As long as Marlena and her friends aren’t there.”

Brooke knew all about my confrontation with Marlena at the pizza shop. The only way she’d let me skip the party would be if Marlena was going to be there.

“They won’t be. That’s not her crowd. She wasn’t at last week’s party. It’s mostly the girls from the drill team. So it looks like you’re out of excuses, my dear.”

“Well, I’ll have to ask my parents. I’m not sure my dad will be okay with it.”

“Laken, stop,” Brooke said. “We went through this last year and you actually had some fun. You’re not going to hide this year. I know if you want to do something, you’ll find a way around your parents. Besides, you can’t tell your dad about this. He’ll bust the party. You’ll have to tell them you’re coming to my house.”

“I don’t know. Ethan, are you really going, too?”

“Yes,” Ethan replied earnestly. “Brooke’s right. It’ll be fun, you’ll see. Everyone likes you. You just need to give them a chance. Besides, if you can’t be brave enough to go to a party like this, what are you going to do if Noah asks you out?”

I frowned, realizing I had been wondering the same thing as he said it. “Okay,” I agreed reluctantly. “But if anything goes wrong, I’m blaming both of you.” I checked my watch. Five more minutes until the homeroom bell would ring. The crowd outside was thinning as students started filtering into the building to find their assigned lockers and homerooms. I reached for my book bag. “Shall we head inside?”

Brooke hopped down from the table and grabbed her tied-dyed bag. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

“Ethan?” I asked. “I’m sure we’re in the same homeroom again.”

Ethan shoved the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth before standing up. “Yep. Let’s go.” He stepped into place beside Brooke as I followed behind them, my thoughts returning to Noah’s visit this morning. It was a perfect start to the day, and nothing could dampen my mood, not even the idea of a wild party I would be obligated to attend on Friday.

We marched up the steps to the school doorway. As I reached the top, a cool breeze brushed a few strands of hair across my face and a shiver suddenly ran up my spine. I stopped, frozen in my tracks as the students chattering around me became a blur. Then I heard the rumble of an unfamiliar engine.

I turned just in time to see a motorcycle pull into the parking lot. The rider wore black, from his helmet and black leather jacket to his black jeans and boots. He pulled into a parking space between two pick-up trucks and leaned the bike on a kickstand before swinging his leg over the side. He looked at the school, his helmet shielding his face.

“Who--is--that?” Brooke whispered from behind me.

We watched as he pulled his helmet off. From a distance, all I could tell was that his hair was as black as his clothes and he had a gorgeous tan. He was undeniably handsome, and he looked like he didn’t belong in a small New England town. As he studied the surroundings, he appeared bored and reluctant to approach the school. Students stopped on the sidewalk to stare at him. In our small town, word usually got around about new students before the first day of school. But no one seemed to know him.

“He’s hot,” Brooke said, peering out over the top of her sunglasses. “This year is already proving to be quite interesting.” She smiled, and I could practically see the fantasies flashing across her eyes.

Ethan laughed at her. “You might want to wipe the drool off your chin.”

That got her attention. She slapped him on the shoulder. “Hey! Like we all haven’t seen you drooling over Sarah Waters.”

“How did you know about that?” Ethan gasped.

“It’s hard not to notice.” As Brooke teased him, they turned toward the school, the mysterious new student forgotten.

But I found it nearly impossible to pry my gaze away from him. He looked our way, and I couldn’t be sure, but it felt like he was staring directly at me. My spine tingled and my blood ran hot. The other students passed me in a blur. The only thing I could see clearly was him. But who was he?

“Laken!”

Brooke’s sharp voice finally got through to me and I tore my attention away from the stranger to see her calling me from inside the school doorway.

“Are you just going to stand there, or are you coming?” Brooke asked.

I smiled sheepishly as I jogged to catch up to them. “I’m coming,” I said, following them into the building.

After locating our lockers in the crowded hallway, Ethan and I separated from Brooke to find our homeroom. Because homerooms were assigned alphabetically, Brooke always ended up in a different room from us. We claimed two empty seats in the back while other students continued filing through the doorway. Ethan sat on my right, and the seat to my left remained empty.

I glanced over at him and sighed. “So what’s going on with Brooke? Is she going to become a party animal this year?”

Ethan shrugged. “Probably no more than last year. You know how she likes to hang out with her friends on the drill team. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“But you are coming to the bonfire on Friday, right?”

I took a deep breath. “I don’t think I have a choice. She’ll never forgive me if I don’t.”

“She only wants you to come because she wants you to have fun, you know.”

I turned away from him and gazed out the window at a church steeple rising up from between the trees in the distance. “As long as Marlena isn’t there,” I muttered.

As I watched the branches sway in the gentle breeze, I saw the reflection of a dark figure in the glass. My chills returned, even more intense now. I gasped, spinning around to see the motorcycle guy heading for the empty seat beside me. My heart pounded out of control and I looked over at Ethan, hoping to engage him in an engrossing conversation that no one would dare interrupt. But I couldn’t think of anything to say.

“This seat taken?” asked a deep voice to my left.

I glanced at the stranger for a split second. It was enough time to notice his blue eyes and handsome tanned features. “No. You can have it.” I looked away quickly, but not before our eyes met for a moment. I swore he could hear my heart pounding.

“Thanks.”

I nodded before looking straight ahead at the balding, middle-aged teacher who sat at the front desk, rifling through his papers. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my new neighbor slip out of his leather jacket, revealing sun-kissed muscular arms below the sleeves of his tight black T-shirt. A tattoo of two daggers crossing to form an X with a diamond floating between the handles marked his upper arm just above his elbow. I tried to focus on the teacher, but all I could think about was the stranger beside me.

Ethan reached over, gently tapping my arm. I slid my eyes his way to see him mouth the words, “You okay?”

I smiled weakly and nodded, appreciating his concern. Then we both turned our attention to the teacher as he read names off the list for homeroom attendance. Before he got to us, he called a name I didn’t recognize. “Alexander Payne?”

“Here,” the guy sitting next to me replied in a bored voice. “And it’s Xander.”

The teacher peered curiously at Xander from behind his glasses. “Welcome, Xander. I hope you enjoy your senior year here.”

“I’ll try,” he muttered, seeming relieved when the teacher moved on to the next name on the list.

I sat completely still as the seconds ticked by slowly. I couldn’t wait to escape homeroom and the stranger beside me. I wasn’t sure why, either. He made me nervous and it scared me. I had never felt anything like it before.

When the bell finally rang after the roll call and announcements from the principal over the intercom, I jumped up from my seat. Turning to Ethan, I explained quickly, “I’m going to find my first class. I’ll see you later, okay?”

Before he could answer, I grabbed my book bag and ran out of the room and away from Xander Payne as fast as I could without knocking into the other students.

***

I got through the rest of the day without coming face to face with Xander until after my last class. We shared one class, History, and by the time he showed up, the only empty seat was far across the room from where I sat. I also managed to avoid Marlena who shot me dirty looks every chance she got during lunch and between classes. The one thing that made me smile all day was the memory of Noah, which vividly jumped into my thoughts every time I glimpsed the white flower in my book bag. It was already starting to wilt, but no matter how limp the petals became, it still brightened my mood.

After the final bell rang, dismissing the last class, I trudged through the crowded hall to my locker. As I focused on the numbers to find mine, someone slammed into me from behind. I stumbled forward and the books I carried in my arms went flying onto the floor. A dull pain throbbed in my back from the impact as I knelt down to retrieve my things. I frowned when a pair of tall black boots walked by. High-pitched laughter broke out in the hallway as Marlena and her friends passed me. I should have known the day wouldn’t end without her finding a way to get to me. I watched as they disappeared down the hallway, several football players wearing green and gold varsity jackets following them. Relieved once they were gone, I focused on gathering my books that were now scattered all over the floor. The other students ignored me while skirting around the mess, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to get my things and escape as fast as I could.

As I knelt on the cold, hard floor and reached for a book, a tanned arm extended toward it at the same time. I looked up to see Xander’s blue eyes studying me. “Here. Let me help you,” he offered.

I shivered nervously. Instead of ignoring him or trying to run away this time, I had no choice but to accept his help. “Thank you.” I picked up the book as he turned to reach for another one.

After collecting all of my books, we stood up together. Xander held out the last one, waiting patiently while I organized the rest of them in my arms. My notebooks took up most of the room in my book bag, so I often had to carry my textbooks. Once I had stacked the books in my arms, I took the last one from him. “Thank you,” I repeated, glancing shyly at him and noticing how light his blue eyes were.

“You’re welcome,” he said, smiling.

My breath caught as butterflies raced through me.

“I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Xander Payne. We’re in homeroom and History together.”

I nodded. “I know.”

“You’re Laken Sumner, right? I heard about how you saved that little boy. That’s pretty awesome.”

I groaned inwardly. It was the first time today someone had mentioned Ryder. “Yes, that’s me,” I acknowledged, finally finding my voice.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you. I don’t really know anyone here yet.”

“Then you might not want to be seen with me. It could be social suicide.”

He grinned. “I’m sure that’s not true.”

I smiled weakly as I suddenly noticed that he seemed older than the other seniors. A five o’clock shadow of dark hair speckled his chin, but it was his tattoo that captured my interest. I studied the intricate details of the daggers and the diamond, the lines of ink sharp and clear. I didn’t know any other students who had tattoos. There was something hauntingly mature about him. “Okay, maybe not entirely. But those books didn’t just fall out of my arms.”