Left Behind: Left Behind Series #1 (7 page)

“You’re
welcome to come to the club anytime you want, but you won’t pay for a damn
thing while you’re there,” I tell her.

“You
don’t have to do that! You don’t even know me,” she says, looking puzzled.

“You’re
Jade’s best friend. That’s good enough for me.” That and the fact that she has
me so turned on, I can’t think straight.

She smiles,
nods her thanks, and goes back to her book. Jade glances over and sticks her
tongue out at me. Why doesn’t this girl want to talk to me? Once again, my eyes
leave Kacie’s face, linger on her chest, gaze over her tight abs, check out her
navel piercing, and travel down her perfectly toned legs. She must put in hours
at the gym to look this good. I can’t take the silence any longer, so I reach
over and yank the book out of her hand.

“Hey!
Give me that!” Kacie leans over, trying to grab the book back, only to give me
a perfect view down her bikini top. She almost manages to grab it from me while
I’m distracted, but I quickly recover.

“Let’s
see what’s so interesting,” I smirk, pretending to read the words on the page.

She
scrambles to get up off of the chair, but I stand up at the same time and hold
it high enough so she can’t reach it. Good thing she’s short. “Seriously. Give
me the book. They’re fighting. He’s about to admit he loves her.”

“How
do you know?”

“She’s
read it about five times,” Jade blurts out, clearly annoyed. I’m not sure if
she’s annoyed because Kacie read the book so many times or because I’m flirting
with her.

Kacie
is now holding her balance by leaning her one hand on my forearm, trying to reach
for the book. Again, she throws me off-guard. This time, it’s by how good it
feels to have her touching me. Why is she affecting me like this? Our eyes
lock, but she pulls her hand away and looks down.

“Can
I please have my book back?” she whispers.

“Nope,”
I tease.

Kacie
sighs and walks over to the edge of the pool. She breathes in deeply before
launching herself into the water. She must have had some type of training
because she flawlessly glides from one end of the pool to the other.

Jade
brings me out of a trance by laughing almost hysterically. “What’s so funny?” I
ask, a little pissed.

“Other
than watching you fail for the first time in your life, you just assured me
that Kacie will
never
beg you. Now I don’t have to worry about you
running her out of town. Thank you very much,” she answers, still chuckling.

“And
how did I do that?”

She
points to the book I’m still holding in my hand. “You don’t
ever
touch a
girl’s favorite book, especially when she’s at one of the best parts.”

“That’s
ridiculous. I was just kidding with her. She’s not really going to hate me
because I touched her book,” I try to convince myself. Jade sounds so sure.
Maybe she’s just trying to psych me out.

“We’ll
see,” she smiles.

“Whatever,”
I grumble.

When
I look back, Kacie is climbing out of the shallow end. One step at a time, she
makes her way up the steps and onto the concrete walkway that runs all the way
around the pool. Her eyes are closed as she reaches up and fixes her hair the
water just loosened from its position. She’s not trying to flaunt her body the
way most girls would. She’s standing there as if no one is watching. Kacie
doesn’t come back to where Jade and I are sitting. She heads over to a garden,
still dripping wet. 

Even
though I’ve only been in her presence on two short occasions, the realization
of how different Kacie is from anyone I’ve ever met sets in. She is completely
confident in herself. Not the narcissistic type of confident, either. More like
the type that exudes maturity, determination, and sophistication. Kacie Foster
isn’t the kind of girl who sleeps with random guys, nor would such a guy
deserve to have someone like her. She deserves better. She deserves so much
more than a guy like me.

Rising
up from the chair, I sigh as I drop her book and grab the towel hanging over
the back of Kacie’s chair. “What’s the matter, playboy? Can’t figure out why
the pretty girl isn’t begging yet?” Jade remarks, mockingly.

“No.
I know exactly why,” I say, miserably. She doesn’t make any more comments, but
I can feel her stare burning into my back as I walk over to Kacie. As I walk up
behind her, I can see she has a tattoo on her lower back off to the right side.
It’s so bright out here that I can barely see, but it looks like a bouquet of
flowers. Softly, I say to her, “I’m sorry for taking your book from you. I
brought your towel as a peace offering.” She must not have heard me coming
because she jumps at the sound of my voice. “And now I’m sorry for scaring
you.” I laugh a little, draping the towel over her shoulders.

“You’re
lucky I read that part already or I would have slapped you,” she says.

“I
don’t doubt it for a second.”

“Thank
you for the towel.” She turns back to look at the flowers in front of her.

“You’re
welcome. Where did you learn to swim?” Why am I still standing here? I’ve
already come to the conclusion she deserves better than me. I need to get the
hell away from her and stay away.

She
turns around to face me, clutching the towel closed in front of her chest.
“Years and years of swimming lessons my mother made me take at the country club
her and my father belong to. Do you swim?” she asks, almost as if she cares to
know.

“Not
like that. We didn’t really swim much back in New York. Only occasionally at a
friend’s house, or a really long time ago when we’d go on family vacations.”

“New
York? You don’t sound like you’re from New York.” The way she’s looking at me
somehow makes it even worse to know I’m not good enough for her.

“What
do you mean by that?” I try to sound offended

She laughs.
“I don’t know. I had a few friends at college who were from New York and they
had an accent. You don’t.”

I
shrug my shoulders. “Maybe because I’ve been here for four years?”

“Maybe.”

“So,
that guy from the club last night? Is he someone who will be bothering you
again?” I really need to shut the fuck up and go home but, instead, I dig my
hands into the pockets of my shorts and refuse to do what my brain is
encouraging me to do.

“I’m
not worried about him. It’s my parents that annoy the shit out of me.”

Just
as I am about to ask her to elaborate on that, Jake calls my name. “Yo, Evan!
Chris is on the phone! Thursday night! You in?!” Not everyone gets this much
notice about a race. Any new people or those who have been around a few times
only hear about it the day prior. Otherwise, we’d have a whole shitload of
people show up to enter. Too many people would attract unwanted attention.

“Yeah,
I’m in!” I call back. He waves me over to him and goes back to talking on the
phone. “I’ll see you around,” I say to Kacie.

“‘Bye,”
she says.

As
much as I don’t want to leave, I walk away and try really hard not to look
back. I meet up with Jake in his kitchen. He is just finishing up the call when
I sit at the table and put my head in my hands. “Chris said he’s expecting at
least seven cars. I think that’s more than enough. This shit is starting to get
too big.”

“It’s
fine,” I tell him. “If we didn’t have the cops, I’d worry. The road will be
empty both directions by the time the flag drops.” I don’t look up.

“Evan,”
he starts, “what Jade isn’t telling you is that she needs Kacie to be here. She
depends on Kacie way more than Kacie will ever depend on her. I’m quite happy
with our parents not wanting to be around, but Jade isn’t. She’s hurt that they
aren’t. Kacie gets it. That’s why Jade was freaking out so much.”

“You
don’t have to worry about it,” I sigh. “I just met the first girl in my life
who’s not interested in me.”

“Don’t
take it so hard,” he laughs, patting me on the shoulder. “Kacie Foster isn’t
interested in anyone.”

Jake’s
attempt to make me feel better only makes this whole thing a lot worse.

Kacie

Since
we left the club last night, Jade has done nothing except lecture me on how awful
a human being Evan Pierce is. She told me all about how he’s the biggest player
she’s ever met. How Evan has been known to take girls into his office, back to
his place, out to his truck in the parking lot, and even random places in
public only to send them on their merry way shortly afterwards. Very rarely
will he be with the same girl more than once but, apparently, he does have a
few favorites he’s able to call on every so often. He doesn’t try to hide it,
either. All the girls are aware of his behavior, but each wants to be the one
he picks. Jade said to make sure I don’t fall for him. That he’ll put on an act
by pretending to be a sweet guy, but then he’ll end up breaking my heart. She’s
witnessed him doing it over and over again.

Lying
on the lounge chair, I’m thinking about how many times I listened to Jade’s
warnings. Not only did I listen, but I also thanked her and assured her nothing
would happen between Evan and myself. The sight of him threw me for a loop last
night. That’s all. Those eyes make it all too clear why so many girls would
risk anything to be his flavor of the night. I’m sure my attraction to him was
only due to the amount of alcohol I consumed, along with the lack of sleep from
the long drive from Pennsylvania. The next time we meet, if there even is a
next time, will be different.

When
Jade comes back from her house, she whispers, “Speaking of the asshole” as she
drops into her chair beside me. I glance up from my book to see Evan following
her through the yard, heading right toward us.

“What
the hell is he doing here?” I mumble low enough so he can’t hear me.

“Not
sure, but it probably has something to do with you,” she says, not looking away
from her magazine.

Evan
plops himself next to me and I have to force myself to keep looking at my book.
So much for the alcohol being the reason my head started spinning in his
presence. Why does he keep trying to talk to me? I’m at one of the best parts
in the whole book, but I can’t read a single word with him so close to me. My
eyes stay glued to the page, hoping he’ll get tired of being ignored and leave.
Has he noticed that I haven’t even turned the page?

My
damn heart starts racing the second he so rudely rips the book out of my hand.
Now I actually have to deal with him. Damn it! I make the mistake of touching
his arm as I try to get my book back. It’s almost as if my hand is shocked the
instant our skin connects. I feel as though it suddenly became even hotter than
normal in the Florida sun. I need to get away from him, so I jump in the pool.
The moment my body hits the water, I’m hoping he’ll be gone by the time I come
up for air. No such luck.

I
silently curse myself for not grabbing my towel before getting in. Feeling exposed
and extremely insecure in this bikini, I wander over to check on the garden
instead of walking back to where Jade and Evan are. Out of nowhere, he’s right
behind me, putting a towel over my shoulders. His hands linger on my arms and,
unexpectedly, I like the way it feels. The look on his face forces me to turn
away. Why am I feeling like this with someone I don’t even know instead of with
Jake? He’s the one who has always been wonderful to me.  

Just
in time, Jake yells over, saving me. I wonder what he’s talking about, though.
Is Evan in for what on Thursday? If I ask Jade, she’s going to worry about me
being interested and I don’t want to deal with that.

It’s
not until he leaves my yard that I’m able to return to my chair.

“What
the hell was that?” Jade demands to know, slamming her magazine on her lap.

“What?”
I ask, opening my book back to the page I was on.

“With
Evan.”

“Nothing.
I walked away from him. That’s what you wanted, right?” I say, nonchalantly.

“Kacie,
if anyone else would have touched your book, you would have bitch-slapped
them.”

“Don’t
you think you’re overreacting just a little bit? I don’t even know him. I can’t
go around slapping people.”

“Overreacting?
Me?” She willfully takes a deep breath. “I told you he was going to pull this
shit. You’re new. He always goes for the new girls in town. You should see when
tourists come into the club.”

“I’m
not a tourist, and I’m certainly not new. Did you forget I was here long before
he was?”

“You’re
new to
him
,” she states.

“Jade.”
I put the book down and stand up. “I didn’t move back here to get involved with
anyone in any way. My focus is completely on teaching and continuing the
mission Gram started at Shining Stars. I owe her that. I can’t risk being
distracted by some boy I don’t even know.”

She
seems satisfied with my reaction and relaxes. “And hanging out with me, right?”
Jade asks, rhetorically.

“Right.”
I smile at her. “I’m going to make a sandwich. Want one?”

“I
guess your hangover is gone. Sure, if you don’t mind. Thanks.” Jade pulls her
magazine back up to her face and all is well again.

My
hangover from the alcohol is gone, but the one left by Evan Pierce doesn’t feel
like it will ever be cured. Good thing I’m smart enough to keep that minor
detail to myself.

Once
inside, the cool air helps clear my head. What is it about Evan that causes my
brain to get all fuzzy? Of all the guys I’ve dated over the last four years,
not one of them ever made me feel the way he has. I’ve only known Evan for
about twenty minutes, but the shit I want from him would make even Jade blush.
Which is no small feat, by the
way.           

 Leaning
on the counter in front of me, I try to think of a way to shake the thought of
him. Since he’s such good friends with Jake, avoiding him isn’t an option
unless I want to avoid my friend. The thought of sleeping with him
does
cross my mind. Like Jade said, he very rarely goes for the same girl twice.
Maybe once he’s gotten me out of his system, he’ll move on, making it easier
for me to do the same. Would that make it easier? Of course, this theory is
totally based on Evan being interested in me. What if Jade is completely off?

The
rest of the afternoon, Jade and I alternate our time between baking in the sun
and cooling off indoors. Jake stops over with take out and asks what our plans
are for the evening.

“We’re
going back to Skyline,” Jade announces
. Wait, we didn’t discuss that
!

“Isn’t
there somewhere else we can go?” I ask, trying to sound indifferent. “We were
just there last night.”

“I
know, but it’s a cheap night out,” Jade says, shoving a piece of chicken in her
mouth. “Besides, you were only there for the party. You didn’t get the full
experience.”

“What’s
the full experience?” I must look horrified because Jade laughs.

“Don’t
worry, Kacie. I’m just talking about dancing and cute boys.”

“I’m
sure there are plenty of cute boys somewhere else,” I mumble, noticing Jake’s
smirk. Nope. Still doesn’t affect me.

“Alright,”
he says. “I’ll be ready before the two of you, so just text me when you’re
ready to go.”

“Will
you be escorting us everywhere we go this summer, Jake?” I wonder. “Don’t you
think it will get old after a while?”

“Didn’t
we go over this last night? Making sure my little sister and my best friend are
safe will never get old.” He stands up to go. “Evan asked me to come in tonight
anyway. We have some things to go over.” This is my chance to ask what they
were talking about earlier, but I notice Jade tense at the sound of Evan’s name.
“About what time will you be ready?” Jake directs his attention to her.

“Around
nine-thirty. The hot guys don’t start showing up until then.”

Jake
covers his ears. “Okay. Okay. The time was all I needed to know. See you girls
later.”

“I
don’t think he wanted to hear about the hot guys,” I tell Jade after he left.

“And
you think I enjoy listening to the sounds coming from his bedroom whenever he
has a new girl over?”

“That’s
just gross,” I reply, disgusted.

“Exactly.”

***

After
napping and showering, we walk through Skyline’s front doors ready for a night
out. A different kind of stress falls over me than what I felt the previous
night. Is it possible to be here and not run into Evan? I wish he was off
tonight.

“Jade!”
a sweet voice calls out. When I turn to see who it is, the tall blond Evan was
talking to last night is walking toward us.

“Hey,
Meg! I saw you around last night. Every time I went to talk to you, someone was
pulling you in another direction.”

“I’m
sorry. It was supposed to be my night off, but Evan needed me to come in for a
party. I was a little flustered.”

“No
big deal. I was here for the party, too. Believe it or not, I wanted to be here
even less than you did.”

“Why
the hell did you come then?” Meg asks.

“Best
friends always stick together,” Jade says, grabbing my arm. “This is Kacie. I
came for her.”

Meg
just now notices me. “Hi,” she says, recognition on her face. “Weren’t you the
girl at the bar I saw my cousin talking with?” Evan is her cousin?

“I’m
sure just one of many.” I make it known there’s no interest on my part. “I’m
sorry you had to waste your night off because of my family. I’m sure it wasn’t
pleasant.”

By
the look on her face, it’s obvious that she has things to say about them, but
decides against it. “You’re related to Addison Morgan?”

“Not
exactly. She’s dating my brother. The party was for him.”

“The
doctor?”

I
sigh. “That’s him.”

“Don’t
hold anything either of her parents said or did against Kacie. She’s nothing
like them,” Jade adds. Meg visibly relaxes. “We’ll be over in my normal spot.
Come hang out later if you get a chance.”

“I
will. Want me to tell Evan you’re here?” She glances between the both of us. I
keep my mouth shut.

“Jake
went to find him. I’m sure they’ll find us eventually,” Jade tells her as we
walk away.

“Have
fun,” Meg says, disappearing into the crowd.

“You
have a normal spot here?”

“I
had to find something to do while you were gone, Kacie. Hanging out where I can
get free drinks and be surrounded by sexy, drunk guys always seems like a good
idea.”

“She
seems nice.”

“Meg?”
Jade looks at me. “She is. Most of the time, anyway. Sometimes she’s a royal
bitch. Jake knows her from middle school or something. I think he comes here
more to see her than Evan.”

“Really?
Has he asked her out?” I inquire. The news of Jake being interested in someone
else doesn’t bother me. I wish it would. At least it would give me hope that
maybe he was a possibility.  

“Not
that I know of,” she says, suddenly distracted. “I think she has a boyfriend.”

“Poor
Jake.”

“If
you feel bad, maybe you should stop being such a chicken shit and date him
yourself.”

Before
I can flip out, my attention is diverted to a group of people screaming
surprise. It takes a few moments to realize that I know the people at the table
in front of me and a few more moments to realize they were the ones just
yelling.

“What
the hell?” I ask, looking around, trying to figure out what’s going on.

“Welcome
home, Kacie!” the girls shout.

“What
are you all doing here?” My mood brightens immediately. With Gram being so sick
the last time I was home, I was only able to see these girls briefly.

“You
didn’t think we’d ignore the fact that you’re back in town for the summer, did
you?” Brittany blurts out.

Danielle
comes over to give me a hug. “We’ve been planning this since Jade told us you
were coming home.”

“Why
didn’t you just come over? We could have hung out all day,” I tell them.

“We’ll
have plenty of those days, girlfriend!” Danielle says. “This is a special
night.”

“Things
haven’t been the same around here without you,” Amber says, coming over to put
her arms around me.

“I
can’t believe you did this,” I say, mostly to Jade.

“Yes,
you can. Don’t get all teary-eyed on me now,” she whispers.

These
girls have been our friends since freshman year of high school, when we all had
to suffer through Mr. Wright’s Geometry class together. Part of me is surprised
any of them would care so much about me coming home. Essentially, I bailed on
all of them four years ago. I took off and never looked back. I never
considered the people I was leaving behind or how it would affect them. It’s
been four years and I’m just realizing what a shitty friend I was.

As
we climb onto the stools surrounding the table, a waitress appears with a tray
full of margaritas. “We ordered the first round already,” Danielle says.
“Figured we’d go with our all-time favorite drink.”