True Intentions (26 page)

"What's your poison?" Theo asks, grabbing some plastic cups from the bar.

"Beer," Sara says without delay.

So much for Sara being an angel tonight.

Theo looks at me while he pours Sara's beer from the keg.

"Actually, I'm good for right now. I have to drive us home tonight."

He nods and grabs himself and the other guys beers as well. No one else seems to care or question me further about why I'm not drinking.

Thank god.

Sara asks the guys where they grew up.

"Houston, Texas," Vladimir says.

Then Theo chimes in. "Europe."

William ignores her question and reaches for my hand. "I want to show you something," he whispers in my ear. His breath on my neck sends chills down my spine.

I look over to Sara and mouth, "Be right back."

William leads me out the back door. The yard is amazing. There's a sand volleyball court, a basketball court, and a lounge area. There are only a few other people outside and they're out of hearing range.

"Are you having a good time?" he asks.

"I am."

I'm happy I decided to party with William and his friends.

"You're too cute," he says in a joking tone.

"Why?"

"I can't explain—you just are."

He seems nervous about something, but I can't quite figure out what it's about.

Luckily, I don't have to wonder very long.

"I got this for you today," he whispers. He pulls out a small box. "It's nothing much, but it reminded me of you."

I stare at him with wide eyes. I mash my lips together. I'm speechless.

"It's okay," he assures me after a moment. "I promise it's not an engagement ring." His calmness and sense of humor instantly relax me.

But my eyes remain wide in disbelief. I feel my heart start to flutter. I have never received a gift from a boy before.

He flashes his crooked grin, waiting patiently. "Are you going to open it before I turn thirty?"

I blush, unsure of how long I've been staring at him.

"Uh . . . sure."

The box is not wrapped, so it's pretty easy to open. A small, sterling silver chain with an emerald green circular pendant lies on top of a black, velvet pad.

"It reminded me of you" He sounds shy for the first time. "It reminds me of your stunning, green eyes."

I've never been told my eyes are beautiful before, much less stunning.

Is this a joke?

He reaches down and kisses the top of my head. "I'm glad I met you, Ava, even if you did spill a cold drink down my shirt."

The butterflies flip around in my stomach, but more from anxiety than awe. It doesn't make sense. Here I am hanging out with this awesome, college guy, yet something feels wrong.

I need to stop feeling so damn guilty all the time.

Sam is dead to me. He betrayed me. I need to move on.

"So, is it kinda creepy that I bought this after I ran into you?" William asks, interrupting my obsessive thoughts about Sam Perry.

"Creepy: no. Sweet and thoughtful: yes." I hug him. My face naturally comes close to his neck, causing me to tense. His smell is fascinating. My blissful moment ends quickly; Sam's scent suddenly pops into my mind. I frown at the memory.

Luckily, I'm hugging William, so he doesn't get a glimpse of my facial expression. I quickly inhale one last time and release my hold.

"Listen, William," I start to say "I might be acting a little distant, and I want to apologize in advance. It's kinda hard to explain, but I recently broke up with someone, so I am not quite sure what I'm looking for or quite ready for; if that makes any sense."

I'm looking at the ground, unsure of how to discuss this topic. The last think I want is for him to think I don't like him, but, at the same time, I'm not sure if I can handle any sort of relationship right now.

Okay. Maybe I'm assuming too much. He hasn't even asked me on a date, and I'm
talking relationship.

He gently pulls my chin up with his hand, so his deep, brown eyes meet mine.

The unbearable beauty of his eyes makes me wish I had never spoken a moment ago.

Am I crazy?

He watches me for a few seconds. He cautiously stares me down as if he is searching for the right words.

"Ava, I'm not trying to replace your old boyfriend. I just want to be given the chance to get to know you better. I don't know why I ran into you again, why our paths crossed. Either way, let's enjoy the moment and see where things go. Maybe it's our destiny. Let's just relax and leave it in God's hands. If it's meant to be, it will all work out."

His words echo in my mind.

What could I say? There is a part of me that wants to scoff at his theory.

Destiny.

In God's hands.

How ironic. At this point, my destiny may be far beyond God's or my hands . . . .

Chapter Thirty-Three - Deliverance

I nervously chew my nails as I reread my biology chapter. Tonight is prom.

Although I didn't want to attend the stupid dance in the first place, I'm sad. I've moped around the house most of the afternoon not sure of my problem.

Okay. So I've pictured in my mind what Sam and I might look like dressed up.

But, I don't think that's the reason I'm so despondent.

I think it's because I'm unsure of Sam's fate.

I haven't crossed paths with Sam once. Where the hell is he? Even though I haven't had an ounce of contact with him since the breakup, I've been unable to get his memory out of my head. The harder I try, the more he's there. His warm scent lingers on my sheets no matter how many times I wash them. I miss the familiarity of his arms wrapping around me while I sleep; I miss his whisper in my ear. Most of all, I miss feeling like I have someone outside my family who loves me.

Why is this so difficult?

Then there's William, a boy who wants the chance to spend time together. I've enjoyed talking with him, and I've felt pretty comfortable hanging out. He is a great guy. The kind your mom wants you to be with. He has been respectful, hasn't tried to take advantage of me, and he even bought me a necklace. Plus, he is hot!

Any girl's dream.

It's not that I don't like him, I do
in some ways
. If I think back to traits I've always wanted in a boyfriend, William has them all.

Then why do I miss Sam?

I've relived the Chicago trip in my head at least a thousand times. I haven't talked to Mallory since receiving her letter. I'm not quite sure what to say to her right now, even though none of this is her fault. She didn't realize what Sam is or what type of relationship we had. If anything, I feel guilty for not protecting her from him. Sam is a deceitful jerk who took advantage of my trust and love.

My cell phone rings, jolting me out of memory lane and throwing me into my depressing reality. I look down to see William's number on my caller ID. I've been spending a lot of time with William this past week. We've hung out and talked on the phone several times since the frat party. I stare at the digits displayed on the screen. I'm not sure I feel like talking right now.

I need a cheer up.
I tell myself to change my mind.

"Hello," I say with my best, happy voice. It's a total façade, but I'm not about to let him catch me depressed about prom.

"Hey girl, how you doing?" William asks, trying to sound sexy. It's not working.

"I'm good, you?"

"I'd be better if I was with you," he says.

I feel my face blush. I can picture what his cocky smile looks like.

"Aren't you funny?" I giggle into the receiver.

"So what's your plan for tonight?"

"Not sure, I still have some boxes to unpack. I might work on that." I lie.

"Seriously, on a Saturday night?"

"Maybe," I say in a defensive tone.

What else can I say?

"Isn't tonight your school's prom?"

How did he know that?

"How did you know about the prom?" I demand.

"Your girl, Sara, mentioned it at the party. She talked about prom with Theo and Vladimir. I think they were having fun making fun of her, so I thought I'd make fun of you."

"Gee . . . . Thanks. How thoughtful of you," I mutter, without any attempt to hide my sarcasm.

"Hey, that's what friends are for. Listen, I want to take you out tonight. Does that work?"

"I'm not sure I want to go out."

"Well, it's totally your choice. We can hang out and keep your mind off everything, or maybe I'll just show up to your house in a tux and drag your butt kicking and screaming to your high school dance. That will make your ex-boyfriend jealous."

"My
ex
probably won't be going to prom, but thanks for the charming offer."

"For you
, anything
."

I laugh. It's nice having William around.

* * * * *

William arrives at my house an hour later.

"Come on, let me take you somewhere and get your mind off of things. Pretty please?" He makes the saddest looking puppy-dog eyes I've ever seen.

"Like where?"

"It's a surprise, can't you just trust me?"

My mind immediately flashes back to Sam turning me around the morning I was running. He had asked me to "just trust him," and look where that got me.

Before I can respond, William goes straight back to begging. "Please?"

I get the impression he isn't about to leave anytime soon.

"Okay, fine."

A mischievous smile creeps across his face, causing me to pray I've made the right decision.

* * * * *

We arrive at the boat ramp, and I climb inside the speed boat while William backs his HUMMER down the ramp. He places the boat gently in the chilly water.

I rotate my neck and have a quick look around. I see only two other boats.

William parks his SUV and hustles over to me. He's carrying a large, square basket with him. Apparently, according to what he was mentioning in the car, he packed a picnic dinner for us.

He jumps in the boat with ease.

I'm glad he convinced me to go.

He winks as he moves over to the captain's chair.

"How did you get this boat anyways?" I ask.

It's not often you see this nice a boat owned by a college student, but who am I kidding? I'm attending a high school where the average student's car costs fifty thousand dollars.

"I rented it."

He obviously had this entire plan thought out way in advance.

"Oh, I see."

Then, without warning, he whips the boat into high gear and it glides on the calm surface at top speed.

I instinctively grab the bar on the inside of the boat and hang on for dear life. My eyes widen as I use all my strength. If we hit one wave, I'll fall into the cold, dark water.

I wish I had taken the time to put on a life jacket.

The strong wind blows my long hair around like an American flag. I try to take my mind off my anxiety, picturing the knot removal I'll have to undergo tonight before bed. Of course, that's if I survive. It might be easier just to get a pixie cut than to try to untangle this mess.

Before too long, he slows down to a stop. I release my death grip on the handle.

We're floating in the middle of the lake. He turns off the Malibu's engine and cracks a smile.

Within seconds, he is laughing.

"What?" I ask, fearing the worst.

"Your hair!"

I sigh and roll my eyes. It probably looks like a wild bird's nest at this point, but at least I'm alive after his ludicrous driving. Since I don't have a mirror, I t pat down my frizzy strands with my hands. I settle for throwing it back in a ponytail. It still feels pretty ratty, but at least it's out of my face.

The speedboat is in great shape. The white leather looks unworn—no rips, stains, or cracks.

Now that the boat has stopped, William opens the basket then pulls out two candles and a lantern. The sun is setting on the horizon.

"So, I have one question, if you don't mind?" There's hesitation in William's voice.

"What?"

"Why didn't you ask
me
to your prom?"

I make a conscious effort not to frown. Not the type of question I had been expecting.

Where is this coming from?

"Would you have gone if I had asked you?"

"Maybe," he says.

I'm not sure why, but his reply makes me feel uncomfortable. I shake my head.

"I don't really like dancing. That's why I didn't ask you. I wasn't planning to go to prom to begin with."

"So, you wouldn't have gone with your ex-boyfriend if you two were still together?"

The tone of his voice surprises me.

"Your point?"

He says nothing in response.

"The answer to your question is no." I can feel my face harden, resembling stone as I speak those words, although I'm not sure if I'm being truthful.

William nods, and his eyes narrow at my comment, but he doesn't say a word.

Maybe he doesn't believe me. Maybe he does. At this point, it doesn't really matter.

I'm still struggling to make Sam become a memory of my past. The more I think about him, the more I yearn to see him, hear his voice, or touch his skin. It drives me insane that I don't know if he's even alive. I wish I could see him just once to be sure he is safe.

Like that would help make me move on
!

Time apart has
not
made me immune to the perfection of Sam's beauty. I'd lose all my strength if I looked into his amazing, teal eyes.

I turn and glance at the peaceful view. Lake Arrowhead really is beautiful. No wonder my grandparents moved here and didn't leave. Now that I'm finally appreciating its beauty, I am a little surprised my mother left this place. I guess finding someone you love will do that to you.

I turn my attention back to William. I've got to quit thinking about Sam and love.

"So, tell me more about you."

"Like what?"

"Like, do you have brothers and sisters? Where does your family live? Things like that," I say.

I'm still not happy with the way I have my hair pulled back, so I yank out my hair tie and attempt to redo my excuse for a ponytail.