It Was You (6 page)

“
So sure of yourself,” I said. “Maybe I am one of those chicks who looks down her nose at everyone here.”

He shoved his phone back in his pocket and stepped in closer to me. I made a concerted effort to take a step back, to not breathe in the scent of his shampoo, to not get lost in those blue eyes that were boring into me.

“I don't think you are,” he said, grinning. “I don't think you are, Abby Sellers.”

NINE

My fork clattered to my plate. “No? You're saying no?”

My dad picked up his glass of wine and sipped. “No for now, Abs. Not no forever.”

I shook my head in disgust. “But where am I supposed to live?”

They'd just dropped the bomb. They'd discussed my request for an apartment. And decided against it. Annika twirled her fork in her mashed potatoes, a smirk on her face. I resisted the urge to pick up my knife and stab her in the eye.

“
Where you've always lived,” my mom said. “Here.”

I put my hands in my lap, clasping them together so I couldn't do any physical damage. “But I told you. I want a fresh start. A chance to be on my own like I would have at State.”

“
If
you were still going to State,” Annika murmured and, before I could stop myself, my leg shot out from under the table and connected with her knee. She winced and her eyes narrowed but she said nothing.

“
We called the housing office,” Dad said. “There's no guarantee we'll get our money back this late in the game.”

I felt a pang of guilt. I hadn't thought about that.

My mom set her fork down and looked at me. “And how do we know this is really what you want? How do we know you're not going to change your mind in a month's time and decide you want to join the Peace Corps or something?”

I stared at her. “The
what
?”

She waved her hand. “You know what I mean. We need to see that you're committed to this. That you're going to go to school at Mesa and dedicate yourself to your classes and treat it with the same respect that we'd expect if you were at a four-year institution.”

“But I will,” I said. “I already told you I was going to.”

Dad cleared his throat. “Yes, you've told us. Just like you told us you were going to go to State.”

I swallowed hard.

“
Now we need you to show us,” he said. “Show us you're serious about this.”

I tossed my napkin on the table and stood up.

“Where are you going?” Mom asked.

I glanced down at the pork tenderloin and mashed potatoes, at the still-full salad bowl. “I'm done.”

From the safety of my bedroom, I called Tana and told her the news.

“
Well, that blows,” she said.

Sarcasm flavored my voice. “Ya think? My journey through hell continues.”

“Stop being so dramatic. You're not seeing the bright side.”

I flopped on to my bed and stared at the ceiling. “There's a bright side?”

“Yep. A pretty bright one, actually.”

I closed my eyes. “Hmm. Not seeing it.”

“Abs,” she said. “You might not be moving out. But Annika still is. No matter what, as long as you're not in the dorms at State, she won't be living with you.”

I opened my eyes, considering this. She had a point. I wasn't getting my own place or the fresh start I wanted, but I was going to be in a house where my sister wasn't. And even though I knew she'd come home—probably pretty frequently—she wouldn't be breathing down my back and sticking her nose in all of my business.

“I guess,” I finally said, sighing.

“
I know it's not exactly what you wanted, but it's better than the alternative.”

She was right. We hung up and, rather than sit and sulk, I decided to start unpacking my boxes. It wasn't like I was going to be moving out any time soon, by the looks of things. I docked my iphone and turned the volume up while I folded clothes and stuffed them back into drawers or hung them in my closet. I would focus on the positives. I was going to a different school than Annika. And my sister was still moving out.

My music came to an abrupt stop. I hung the hanger I was holding and peeked around my closet door.

Annika stood by my dresser, her arms folded across her chest. “So, how was Harvard on the Hill?”

I didn't answer, just grabbed another shirt and slid it on to an empty hanger.

“
Did you get signed up for all of your classes? What are you taking? Basket-weaving?”

“
Go to hell.”

She laughed. “No, thanks. I'm headed to State.”

“Yep. You are. Thank God.”

Annika smiled but there was no warmth, no love. “You don't think you're gonna miss me? Bet you will. But don't worry. I'll be around. I don't know that I can go for long without seeing my dear, sweet sister.”

If my eyes could shoot daggers, she would have been pinned to the door. “Get out.”

She laughed again. “Whatever, Abs.”

I shoved a long-sleeved shirt on the hanger, cursing when I heard a seam rip as I jammed the hanger through the neck hole. My phone rang and I dropped the shirt, grateful for the diversion. I hoped it was Tana. She could calm me down, or at least talk me into not murdering my sister. I reached for it, punching the answer button without even looking at the screen.

“
I'm still in hell,” I told her.

A gravelly voice I didn't recognize answered. “Hmm. Sounds like my kind of place.”

I glanced at the screen on my phone. It was a number I didn't know.

“
Who is this?”

There was a soft laugh. “Who do you think this is?”

I felt my cheeks flush. I recognized that laugh. My heart hammered out of control. He was already calling me?

I couldn't let him know I was rattled.

“Kevin?” I asked innocently.

“
Who?” His voice had an edge to it and I bit back a grin.

“
You looked great out in the water yesterday,” I said, trying to keep a straight face.

“
Wrong answer, sweetheart.” He paused. “Or should I say wrong guy?”

“
Mark?” I asked. “Brandon?”

“
Jesus Christ.”

The smile forced its way through. “Kidding. I know who this is.”

“Yeah? Tell me.”

“
West,” I said, thrilling at the sound of his name on my lips.

“
Damn straight it is.”

I sat down on my bed. “Why are you calling me?”

“Why are you in hell?”

I wasn't about to tell him anything. “I'm not. I was kidding.”

“Hmm. Doubt it.”

“
I don't care if you believe me or not.”

“
Do you wanna stay in hell?”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is, do you wanna stay where you are for the night? Or are you free?”

My heart dropped into my stomach. Was West with-no-last-name actually asking me out? What was I supposed to say?

“Free?”

He laughed again, a soft chuckle that caused my heart to trip a little faster. “Maybe I should put it another way? Abby Sellers, are you free to go out with me tonight?”

I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind. “I don't even know you.”

“
Yeah, I know. Which is why we should go out. So we can, like, get to know each other.”

I smiled, but I was glad he couldn't see me. The arrogance combined with the charm made me like him, despite wanting to punch him. I didn't want him to see how easily his words disarmed me.

“I don't know if I'm free tonight,” I said.

“
Well, when might you know?” he asked. “And what is there to know?”

Before I could come up with an answer, Annika was back in my doorway. “I need a phone charger.”

I pointed at the phone held to my ear.

“
Like it's anyone important,” she said, frowning. “I need a charger. My phone is nearly dead and...”

I walked over and shut the door in her face, then turned the small lock on the doorknob.

“Sounds like someone needs a charger,” West said.

“
You suck!” my sister yelled through the door.

I smiled as her footsteps echoed down the hall.

“No one important,” I said.

“
You say so,” he said. “Now. When will you know if you're free?”

I thought about my other options. Stay home and be harassed by Annika, fret over not getting my own place or go on a date with arrogant but gorgeous West.

No brainer.

“
I'm free,” I said.

“
That was fast.”

“
I'm decisive.”

He chuckled. “Right. Okay. Can I come pick you up?”

I nearly said yes, then caught myself. The last thing I needed was Annika getting in the way.  And she would. One way or another, she would. I also wasn't sure I was ready for a guy I just met to know where I lived.

“
I'll meet you,” I said.

“
Don't trust me with your address?” he said and I knew he was smiling. “I changed your tire, Abby Sellers. I'm totally trustworthy.”

“
Yeah, we'll see about that,” I said. “I'll meet you.”

“
Alright. Fair enough. A couple of friends are having a small get together. Totally casual. That sound okay to you?”

I thought for a moment. If I was going to go, I really did want the chance to talk to him and figure out exactly who he was. “As long it's small, that's fine.”

“It will be,” he said. “It's down in Pacific Beach.” He gave me an address. “Meet you there around eight?”

I copied down the address. “I'll be there.”

“You better be, Abby Sellers,” he said. “Don't disappoint me.”

“
Oh, I'll be there,” I said, just a tiny bit glad that he seemed so insistent on seeing me. “I'll be there, West I-Don't-Know-Your-Last-Name.”

He laughed. “You show up, I'll make sure you get my last name.”

TEN

Small to West meant about a thousand people.

I'd taken a quick shower, done my hair and put on a pair of denim shorts and my favorite Love t-shirt from Victoria's Secret. It was pink and the V-neck stretched tight across my chest, giving the illusion that I had more cleavage than I actually did. I rooted through my closet for a pair of sandals, finally settling on a pair of glittery flips. If we were going to the beach, I wanted something I could slip out of easily. I blushed as I thought this. Shoes, I told myself. Shoes I could slip out of easily.

I'd thought about calling Tana and asking her to come along in case things were bad, but then decided against it. West said it was going to be small and I thought that probably meant hanging out with a few of his friends, eating, drinking, maybe watching TV.

I managed to escape the house without seeing Annika and muttered a quick goodbye to my parents. They didn't ask where I was going, probably because they knew I was still stewing over our dinner conversation. I grabbed my phone and plugged in the address, not paying much attention to where I was going until I was down near Ingraham, near the bays. A couple of turns later and I was parked in front of a house off of Riviera Drive. But the party wasn't at a house.

It was at the beach.

And as the GPS told me I was arriving at my destination, it appeared that West's small gathering was a bonfire down at the edge of the water with approximately one thousand of his closest friends.

I pulled the car to the curb. The bonfire was massive and I couldn't see the sand because there were so many people packed around it. With lots of red cups.

I sat there for a moment, debating. This wasn't what I'd expected. And I was pretty sure this wasn't how I wanted to spend my evening. I decided I was going to leave and then I saw West, sitting on the railing at the sidewalk, looking up and down the road.

For me.

I took a deep breath. He was there. Waiting for me. I didn't owe him anything but I also didn't want to be the kind of girl who stood someone up. Especially a hot guy who'd been nice enough to change my flat tire. I turned on to a side street and somehow managed to find a parking spot. I shut off the engine, checked my makeup in the mirror, decided I was in good shape, and got out.

He saw me walking down the pavement and he smiled, pushing himself off the railing. “You made it.”

“
And you lied,” I said, gesturing to the carnival down below us. “A few people? Totally casual?”

He stared down at the crowd below us, then turned back to me. “I have a lot of friends. What can I say?”