Thundering Luv (5 page)

He grunted. Then he went into the kitchen to grab a soda for Taylor. When he cleared the threshold into the room, Jewel sat alone in the only chair, smiling at the previews on the TV. He wanted her, he shouldn’t, but he did. What was wrong with him? He’d accused her of so many things, but he wasn’t any better. He’d done his dirt before he dated his last girlfriend. He’d gone through girls like water. However, judging Jewel was easier than facing the way he really felt about her. He had to set things straight between them or the rest of the summer would suck in so many ways.

“That for me?” Taylor asked and pursed her lips out into a pouty seductive smile.

Colin forced a grin on his face and sat next to her, handing Taylor the soda can. “Yeah. Sorry I took so long.”

“I don’t mind.” Taylor relaxed back against him and wrapped her fingers through his.

Colin fought the urge to snatch his hand away, feeling uncomfortable, he slid back some. “Hey, I uh, gotta get something else from the kitchen.” He unraveled his hands out of Taylor’s.

Hesitantly, she let go. “Okay, I’ll be here keeping your seat warm.” Taylor tugged at the bottom of his shirt. “You want me to ask them to wait to start it?”

Colin lifted an eyebrow and realized that, Jake and Megs were kissing in the corner. Amy and Chad were out on the back porch. The only one engrossed in the movie was Jewel. At least he thought so, but he caught her slipping her eyes at him. When she saw him looking back at her, Jewel started watching the movie again.

Colin walked into the kitchen, grabbed up some popcorn, then tossed it in the microwave. Someone’s arms snaked around him. He flinched, instinctively knowing it wasn’t who he wanted touching him.

“Hey, I thought you forgot about me.” Taylor’s husky voice tickled his ear.

He twisted around, placing his hands on her upper arm. “Hi, uh, I was just popping everyone something to eat.”

Taylor nodded. “Yeah.” Then she kissed him.

Colin’s hands twisted in her hair as he tried to step back, but hit the kitchen counter. Taylor moved in closer. Her mouth opened on top of his.

“Oh, I…oh! Sorry to interrupt,” Jewel stuttered. “Maybe I should just go.”

Colin pushed Taylor away. “Jewel look I…”

Jewel shook her head. “Just tell Megs I not feeling well, I’m going home.” She hurried past him. The door slammed behind her.

Colin exhaled. “Taylor, let me walk you home.”

Jewel no longer seemed like the stuck-up snob he’d considered her to be. But now, Jewel probably thought he was a major butt-wipe.

Jewel peeked outside, hoping that Megs and Amy would stay asleep. The sky’s dark morning hue gave the warning of daylight. It was enough light from the moon to allow her to slink away like she had the last few days and avoid the guys next door, and Megs who knew her way too well.

She slid out the entry door and made sure she didn’t slam it. Tiptoeing down the stairs, she thought she heard someone on the porch at the guy’s house.  So, Jewel raked a glance onto their deck from her stairs, and sighed in relief that she saw no one.

Her ponytail slapped against her back as she headed down the beach path in her tennis shoes. The light jacket she wore hung loosely on her shoulders as she started her jog. It was what she did at home to relax and have an excuse to get out of the house. It worked—most times. Except when her mother’s latest fiancé stayed over, then he’d usually detain her for some reason. She hated it. But she didn’t know what she disliked more, him, or the fact that her mother didn’t seem to see through the sleaziness. Jewel planned to work up the courage to ask Megs’ mom if she could move in with them. Hopefully, she’ll get the chance to ask—no beg, before her mom’s wedding in October. She didn’t doubt her mother would agree. Her aunt may be difficult since she loved her sister and didn’t want to make Jewel’s mom cry. Jewel didn’t know why it mattered to her aunt, anyway, she was basically like a mother to her since her mom was hardly home.

Jewel closed her eyes briefly and inhaled in the salty sea air. The cool spray of water from the waves crashing felt soothing on her now heated skin. She ran faster, thinking of Colin, of how he made her want him. Of how different he was than the boys who fought over her at school, the boys who seemed to line up one after another. At first, when she started there in tenth grade the amount of boys approaching her was uncomfortable. She’d never been that sought after in her other high school. Also, after getting to know the cheerleaders, it seemed that most of the girls had already dated several of the same guys.

But when she spent time with Colin, it didn’t feel like he was working hard at impressing her.  Talking to him, just felt natural—and she connected to him. It was obvious that the last time they spoke she’d said something that ticked him off. She seemed to always do that to boys, which was why with her former boyfriends she never bothered to tell them anything about herself. Jewel just played the trophy girlfriend. It appeared to make them happy until they tried to do more than kiss her, or tried to persuade her into hooking up.

The way she felt when she saw Colin kissing that girl, Taylor, was horrible. Jewel bit her jaw just thinking about that moment. The slight pain in her chest at the replay of the incident made her shake her head to rid herself of the icky feeling of misplaced jealousy. And she knew jealousy well because that was what she felt every time she saw another picture of her dad with his new wife—jealous, worthless and unlovable.

That kiss Colin gave Taylor was steamy. The kind you see in movies. Here, alone while she jogged she could admit it to herself—she’d wanted to be that girl, really wanted it. More than she’d wanted any of her boyfriends, or even to see her father. It was like a hunger to be close to Colin that made every part of her body ache. That’s why she needed to avoid him this summer. If she didn’t, she’d do something stupid, or say something that would turn him off. Besides, Colin obviously wasn’t interested in her. Why would he be? She started off being a petty, shallow, pain-in-his butt and she still didn’t back off.

Jewel slowed down, bent over, and rested her hands on her knees. Breathing hard, she thought she heard pounding feet behind her.

“Hey!” Colin jogged up next to her. “Jewel, wait up.”

Jewel tensed, a tickle ran up her back at the sound of his deep voice. She didn’t know what to say to him after that last embarrassing episode. There was no reason for her to have left the movie party, except that she wasn’t paired up with anyone. Even now, she felt stupid about just bailing on everyone. Megs had later apologized for assuming Colin would be alone. It shouldn’t had mattered that he was with someone.

Colin touched her shoulder, and that electrifying sting remained where his hand lightly touched. Jewel closed her eyes and stood, sliding out of his grasp.

“What’s wrong? Where have you been the last few days?” Colin’s voice sounded gruff and grainy as though he’d just woken up to run out and follow her.

Jewel couldn’t look at him, she was so embarrassed. Instead she stared towards the sea. With a sigh, she sat down. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you and your…uh, friend at the movie party. Megs already told me I shouldn’t have left. For some reason she thought Jake was bringing a friend for me to meet too.” She bent her legs up and crossed her arms around them.

“Someone for you?” Colin slid down near her. “About Taylor and me in the kitchen, it’s okay. I pretty much was attacked. You saved me.” He nudged her with his elbow.

Jewel couldn’t help but giggle. “Really, it didn’t look like it. I mean you’re like a foot taller than her or something.”

“Trust me, the girl is stronger than she appeared. Taylor had her hand in my hair and I was trapped between her hip and the kitchen counter. Real uncomfortable.” Colin smiled.

Jewel grinned at him. “Oh, and how did you get away from her? Seems to me her tongue was pretty far down your throat.”

“You did it for me. You created a diversion. I pushed her away…then walked her home.” He cleared his throat. “I think she hates me now. She asked if you were my girlfriend still. Even though I explained to her that you were just playing a joke when you came over. For some reason, she felt I wasn’t giving her any attention. Apparently, I was trying to make you jealous so you would take me back. That’s the accusation she gave me when she slapped me for the second time at her front door.”

“No! Oh my gosh! I’m really sorry I played that prank on you.” Jewel patted his arm with her hand before jerking it away.

Colin grasped her hand. “I’m not. It was funny. And I liked having a good laugh.” He studied her with his eyes with his thumb rubbing across her hand.

Tingles tickled her hand where his thumb teased patterns. Jewel didn’t know whether to bend her fingers into his or to pull away, but he released her hand before she could do either. “Well, you did hit me with the volleyball. So you started this.” She grinned.

“Aah. That’s where you’re wrong. Jake hit you.” His eyebrow rose. “Not me.”

Jewel’s jaw dropped. “Oh no!” She wanted to laugh at herself and kick herself at the same time. Poor Colin tolerated all her abuse and it was his friend Jake’s fault. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe because it was fun being the center of your attention.”

“So, you forgive me?” Jewel hopped in front of him on her knees, said, “Please,” with a pout. Then she hopped again, making a silly face.

Colin chuckled. A hungry gaze passed over his face just as he pulled her into his lap, ticking her. “I don’t know yet. Torturing may work.” He tickled her more.

She squirmed in his arms. “I give! I give!”

“I accept your apology.” Colin slipped her off his lap, still laughing.

Jewel stared at his lips. Colin’s were full and strong. She wanted him to kiss her, there in that moment, while they were alone. But she sensed his discomfort when his gaze slid from hers to the sea.

She sat up. “So, what are you doing after the summer?”

“Going back to school, living with my cousin’s family. Then I hope to finish up my Art internship at the museum.” He picked up a rock and threw it in the water.

“Hmm, where do you go to school? You got a girlfriend there?” Jewel picked up a few rocks, tossed them towards the waves and missed.

“I go to the same school you do. Been there for three years.” He glanced at her. “I had a girlfriend for two years. We broke up a few months before school ended when she moved away.”

“Now I’m lost. I didn’t recognize you. I know the school is big, but I guess I walk around just thinking of all of my issues. Do we have any of the same friends?” Jewel thought through her memories at school. She still couldn’t place Colin. However, it might be because she’d spent so much of her time working hard to have her close friends stay with her in case her recent ex-boyfriend tried to confront her.

“Um, yeah, do you know a guy named Tank?” Colin rubbed his hands on his legs as if he was agitated.

“I dated a guy named Tank. But we uh, broke up awhile ago. I avoid him, ever since we broke up he started glaring at me in the hallways.” That wasn’t all he’d done. Tank, had also ripped her shirt off her after he’d smacked her hard across the face when she refused to have sex with him. Tank was the guy who made her come up with a plan to always have a friend with her at school.

“Well, he’s my cousin. I live with him.”

Jewel flopped back into the sand. “Oh, wow. I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me?” Now this was bad. Colin and Tank cousins? At least Colin didn’t seem anything like his butt-head cousin. She felt sick to her stomach.

“I figured that you already knew. I thought you ripped my cousin Tank’s heart to shreds just to be mean.” He tossed several more rocks, one after the other, into the water.

Jewel wondered if that’s what everyone thought of her now at school. Her friends teased her about it, but she brushed it off because her problems at home seemed so much worse than what went on at school. “That’s not why I broke up with him. We…he, I probably shouldn’t talk about that relationship. But trust me, your cousin deserved to be dumped, probably more than any of my other boyfriends.” Jewel slid her arm over her eyes. Tank…his cousin? The human octopus that seemed to grow like ten hands whenever he got her alone. What a mess.