Absolute Zero (18 page)

“Seems like he can’t make up his mind if he wants to date you or doesn’t.” Nate glanced at me sideways. “Or is he always like that with his ex-girlfriends?”

“His psycho-girlfriend is just rubbing off on him.” I dismissed it with a wave of my hand. “You were sweet though. He was being a jerk to you and you just shrugged him off.”

“He’s probably just realizing what a huge mistake he made. Can’t fault him for that, can I?” Nate winked. “You’re pretty special.”

“Wow.” I poked his chest. “Are you real? And are you really only eighteen? Or is there a thirty-year-old hiding in there somewhere?”

I couldn’t believe Nate. So patient and kind. Mature, too.

He smiled. “I feel horrible for hitting you with that ball.” He shook his head and shoved his racquet into its little case. “I usually have better aim, I just miss-hit or something.”

“At least it wasn’t my face, don’t need another bruise there, huh?” I laughed. Oh, but then my back stung, reminding me not to laugh. “I’m going to have a nice bruise back there, aren’t I?”

“Yeah. Probably. Jeez. I’m so sorry.” He shook his head. “First you almost die on my balcony and I bruise your face with my head, then you stumble around in the dark while on your birthday date. Now this. You’re not going to want to hang around me much any more, are you?”

“True. You are a little dangerous to be around. I might have to rethink things.” I winked at him.

His jaw muscles twitched, and his chest deflated with air.

I shoved my racquet into its case, then swiped my palm against his shoulder. “I’m tough. Don’t worry about it.”

He grunted.

“I think a double scoop ice cream cone will heal me up just fine.”

Chapter 24

“T
hese guys are so drunk. Look,” I said, pointing to the silver laptop Jasmine got us.

Five people—three girls and two guys—stumbled through the front parking lot. Our computer didn’t have an audio feed to those cameras, but had there been, I figured there would be a lot of laughing and cussing going on. One guy just lurched forward into a car, then landed on his butt. Surprisingly, I didn’t see the car start beaming lights or something. Must not have an alarm.

Georgia hopped up from the floor in front of the DVD cases and scurried over to me, carrying one of the movies. “What?”

“Look.” My stomach cramped from laughing so hard. “That guy can’t even stand up.”

Georgia looked at her watch. “It’s only nine-thirty and he’s that drunk?”

“It’s Saturday night, he’s probably been drinking all day,” I laughed. “Okay, so what movie did you pick to watch? Or are we watching dumb drunk guys?”

“Movie. You said Dad liked Rambo?”

“The first one. That’s the best.”

“That’s the one I grabbed.” She hopped to her feet toward the DVD station. “I think I need popcorn, though.”

“Me too.” I glanced down at the computer screen once more, ready to shut it, but then I saw those drunk guys getting into a car. “Oh, crap.”

“What?” Georgia faced me.

“I think those nimrods are going to drive. Look.” I turned the computer toward her. She crawled to the ottoman and pulled it close.

“You’re right. Oh. And that one guy is grabbing at that chick.” Georgia’s eyes popped wide. “He’s pulling her to the back lot.”

The hairs on my neck shot up. “Shit. Come on. You wanted to be a super-hero, right?”

She looked up at me, bottom jaw dropped. “Um. Yeah. Ahh—”

“Miss Writer at a loss for words?” I bolted to my feet and grabbed my shoes. “Let’s go.”

Georgia squeaked and followed me out the door. I hopped down the hall pulling my shoe over my heel.

“What do we do? What if they see us?”

“Ah, hell. What do I know? Just wing it.”

I thrust open the stairwell door leading to the back entrance. My heart hammered my chest. The ground floor door loomed in front of me. I paused, sucked in a deep breath and pushed it open.

Georgia’d been right. A guy had pulled one of those chicks to the back. The single, scrawny light on the other side of the lot and the little sconce above the door did little to cut through the darkness draped over the lot.

“Ah, come on. Just a little more,” the guy said as he nuzzled against the dark-haired girl’s neck.

Her hands were planted against his chest. “Brock, no. I don’t want to. Stop.”

He didn’t budge. In fact, seemed like he moved his body against her even more.

“
Brock
is it?” I said as I stepped down from the door to the gravel. “I think she said stop.”

The girl looked at me with wide eyes. “Help me.”

“Workin’ on that,” I said. “Hey, buddy. Get off her.”

My voice must have trickled through the booze sloshing around in his brain, because he looked up. Couldn’t see his eyes too clear, but I was sure the glare wouldn’t have been too loving. “Beat it,” he said, then returned his face to her neck.

“Brock. Please. Just let me go,” the girl said.

I took the final step that separated us and grabbed Brock by his shoulder, then reached for his hand, which was curled around the girl’s butt. I peeled his fingers back.

“Ahh, wait,” he said.

“Thought that’d get your attention.” The girl stumbled out from Brock’s grasp and toward Georgia.

“Stop. Okay. Let go.”

I released my grip on his fingers, but kept my other hand on his shoulder. I took a quick look at Georgia. She steered the drunk chick away, toward the side lot.

“Dude. What are you doing, anyway?”

His glazed eyes flickered at me. “She wanted it. She—”

I iced my forehead and smacked it against his. He oozed to the ground, motionless.

“Sleep that one off, buddy.” I scurried around the corner and joined Georgia.

“Where’s the guy?” she asked.

“Passed out. I left him there.”

A car engine revved and giggles spilled out from an SUV a few cars down from us. “Where’s Brock and Lisa?”

“Having some fun in the woods,” someone sang out. “Woo-hooo, let’s go.”

“Are you Lisa?” I asked.

She nodded and looked at me through heavy lids.

“Georgia, set her down and go talk to these jerks. They’re about to drive off totally plastered.”

I bolted behind the car. Somehow they’d managed to back the car in and the trunk sat about a foot from the brick wall. I squatted down and glanced around.

Music spilled out from the open windows. The car jostled from side-to-side. Cracks of cans opening rattled the darkness around me.

“Oh, hey, guys,” Georgia said as she approached the driver’s side. “You can’t drive. You’re totally drunk.”

“Who the hell are you?” the guy said.

“Yeah, who are you?” the two girls in the back seat echoed.

“Dude, you’re going to kill someone if you drive like this. I’ll take you where you want to go. Just get out.”

“A designated driver goody-goody.” The engine revved. “No thanks.”

I heard the distinct click of gears grinding. I grabbed the hitch connection. The car lurched forward, but I held tight.

The engine revved, dirt and rocks spit out at me, nicking my arms. Okay, so I wasn’t the smartest light bulb in the pack. Never thought about the tires spinning.

Crap.
I glanced around. Pinned behind the SUV and in the dark, I should be safe. I threw up a thin layer of ice around me and the rocks and dirt bounced off that.

“Ahh, that’s hot! Wait.”

The car suddenly died. “I’ll take those,” Georgia said.

I pulled my ice back in and stood.

“Everything okay here?” Martin’s voice resonated from around the corner.

His massive form came into view with Lisa cowering beside him.

“Mandy? What the heck are you doing back there?”

I shuffled out from behind the car toward Georgia. Her glowing hand dimmed and she released the kid’s hand. “Nothing. Georgia’s just sweet talking the keys from this idiot so he won’t drive.”

“She burned me. Ow,” he said.

I looked at his wrist. Just a little red. “Let me see that, you nimrod.” I grabbed his wrist and cooled it down. “It is not. You’re just fine. Well, drunk, but fine.”

Gravel crackled beneath Martin’s weight as he neared the front end of the SUV. “Guys, get out of the car.”

I released my hold on the kid and yanked his door open. He all but fell out. I held him up. Georgia opened the back door for the girls, and they stumbled out. Two crumpled beer cans clanked against the rocky ground as well.

“Graceful, ladies.” Georgia snickered.

I pushed my guy toward Martin, and he smiled. “Lisa came and got me. She said some chick yanked Brock off her. Is that the kid passed out around the corner?”

“Yep.”

His rolly-polly laugh tickled my funny bone, too. I joined in, as did Georgia.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Nate’s voice chimed in. “Everything okay?” Nate strode toward me.

“Hey, you.” I held my hand out for him to take. “Where’re you coming from?”

He glanced behind him and drew in a deep breath. He looked winded almost. “Oh me? I was just—”

“Mandy and Georgia are just kicking ass and taking names,” Martin said. “Come here, punk.” He grabbed the almost driver and yanked him toward him.

“Here are his keys,” Georgia said as she tossed them to Martin.

He snatched them from the air and dropped them into his pocket. “I’ll hang onto these for you, deal? Which apartment are you in?”

“Screw you.”

“I’ll find out from your ID either way. Either tell me, or I’m ripping your pants off for your wallet to see.”

“C-4, jeez,” the guy said. His shoulders slumped, obviously resigning himself to a night on the couch.

“And you ladies, where are we taking you?”

“We’re in the complex across the street and down a block.”

Martin nodded toward Nate. “Then I guess we’ll just walk you ladies home, then, right?”

Nate stepped toward the three girls as they wavered as if they stood on a little fishing boat or something. He glanced back to me. “Mandy, want to come with me?”

“Georgia, you good?”

“Go ahead. I’ll start the movie.”

“Georgia. Tim’s up in the apartment—or will be soon—if you want to give him a call,” Nate said.

“Movie night at the Hillma—” Georgia’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “Um-at our place.”

“Be back soon,” I said as I took off after Nate.

Not too bad for our first night as superheroes. It felt good to do something productive with my powers.

“So, where were you coming from? I thought you and Tim had gone out?” I asked as Nate and I trailed the giggling, stumbling girls.

“Um—yeah—we did go out. Just grabbed some food. We drove separately, and I beat him back to the apartment. Then I remembered I forgot something in the car.”

“You parked out back? I didn’t see your car there.”

“Um, yeah. Forgot where I parked it. I was running around up front when I found you guys.” Nate looked ahead to the girls. “Good thing you were down there, huh? To help these ladies.”

“Dorks. Drunk, going to drive, not so bright.” And boy did I know what it meant to be plowed over by a drunk driver. I only survived because I could heal myself. No one else out there is so lucky. “We kept them off the road for one night at least.”

He gripped his hand tight around mine. “Good job.”

“This is us,” the girl named Lisa said. “Thanks. I’ll get them upstairs.”

I faced Nate and smiled. The light breeze shuffled his dark, wispy hair against his forehead. The streetlights out here were much brighter than the back and side lots at our complex, so I got a good view of my tall, dark, and handsome boyfriend.

Hadn’t seen him since Thursday when we had lunch together on campus. Thankfully free from any run-ins with Zach and Samantha. Although I’d seen them around a couple times, holding hands of course.

Nate looked fantastic in his dark blue jeans and white V-neck T-shirt. The lights threw a deep shadow over his crater-sized dimple in his left cheek. His smooth, bronzed skin shimmered beneath the sodium lights.

“What?” he asked with a smile.

His sweet voice snapped me back to the moment. “Oh. Nothing. Um—ready to head back?”

“Let’s stand out here a minute longer, just to make sure they get in okay.”

I glanced back at the entrance. Through the windows, the three stood wavering in front of an elevator door. Lisa reached out an unsteady hand to press a number.

“You’re sweet. You know that? Offering to walk these guys home, then making sure they get in safely. Such a gentleman.”

“Thanks for coming with to keep me company.” He grabbed my hands and pulled me close. “So, what have you been up to today?”

His warm breath washed over me. Boy, didn’t realize how much I missed him. Talking over Facebook or texting just wasn’t the same as face-to-face.

“Mandy?” Nate whispered. “Are you okay tonight?”

“Yeah. Just—”
Oh, just distracted by your shining lips. Sweet face. Warm, tingly hands.
“Today? Just did some studying, hung out with Georgia. Studied up some racquetball moves, too, so you better watch out next time.”

His lips tugged downward. “I don’t know if I want to play with you again.”

“What?” I swung his hands. “I’m not that bad, am I?”

“You’re great. I just don’t want to hit you again. I still feel bad.” He glanced toward the complex then nudged me to start walking. “Really. I feel horrible. Does it still hurt?”

“Naw, it’s fine.” Especially since I’d healed it later that same night. He wouldn’t be seeing me with my shirt off to tell anyway, so I was safe. “Get over it.”

He huffed. His fingers laced with mine. “So, want to try another venture to Thunderbird Trails?”

“I promised Georgia we’d watch Rambo.”

“You like Rambo? That’s kind of a strange movie for a girl to like.”

“Why?”

“It’s really old for one, and it’s an action movie. Like army stuff, you like that kind of movie?”

“I’ve seen it, like, fifteen times.”

“You have?” He looked down at me with wide eyes.

“It was one of Dad’s favorites. He liked those kinds of movies. So we watched them together.”

“Oh. And Georgia likes them, too?”