Secrets and Lies (6 page)

Emily steps toward the window. “Yeah. It’s kinda hard not to.”

“That’s mine.”

“Bitchin’. And I like how you took up three prime parking spots with your inconspicuous, rodent infested vehicle.” Emily gives me a crooked smile and we both look out at the bus.

“No one will notice.”

“No, of course not.” She’s trying so hard not to laugh, which makes me like her even more. Turning toward me, she adds, “I have heard some very shitty first week of college stories, but yours is the worst. You win. Hands down.”

I smile primly and bow at the waist. “Thank you. Thank you so much. I’d like to thank my mother for sending me here with no money, and my father for only paying my tuition. Lastly, I’d like to thank the naked man who was lovely to look at while it lasted.”

Emily can’t help it, she starts laughing and I laugh with her, because it’s either that or cry. “You crack me up. Like, seriously.”

“If anything, my life is amusing.”

“So, what kind of gas mileage does that thing get?”

“I don’t know, but it’s pretty bad. Like a mile a gallon. That beast is personally responsible for the hole in the ozone layer.”

Emily laughs again, and then pulls her long dark hair back into a ponytail. It’s jet black, but I think she dyed it because her eyebrows are so light, blonde almost. “A bunch of us are going out later. Do you want to come?”

“Where are you going?”

“Does it matter?”

“No.” I pause, and after a second add, “Hey, you’re not just asking me because you need a bus driver, are you?”

“I call dibs on the seat next to the rodent.”

“You can have the rodent.”

“I might take you up on that.”

After figuring out where I’m supposed to meet up with Emily later, I head to my room. I need to change and unwind before I lose my mind. Lucky me. Roommate is in there. “Hey,” I offer before I flop down on my bed, face first into a pillow.

“You have a package downstairs.” She points a manicured nail toward the desk we share. There’s a UPS call slip.

I wonder why they didn’t bring the boxes up, but don’t ask. Roommate is being nice and I don’t want to spoil it. Pushing off the bed, I cross the room and grab the slip. I don’t want to walk downstairs, but I want my clothes. That’s what’s in the boxes. I shipped them because I didn’t have time to pack up my room before I left. I didn’t plan on coming to college here and it was a three-day drive. By the time I decided to come, there wasn’t enough time, so my parents threw my clothes in boxes and shipped them the cheapest way possible. I’ve been living out of a suitcase for the past week.

After walking down the stairs, I go to the girl at the desk and ask where my boxes are. “Let me see your paper.” I hand her the call tag. She snaps her gum and points out the doors. “This is going to be in the student center by the mailboxes. Go to the window and ask them.”

Damn it. I don’t want to walk across campus and get them. There are seven boxes and I bet each one is heavier than I am. Taking the slip back, I thank her and start my walk across campus. By the time I get to the mail window, it’s about to close.

“Wait!” I yell and run the last few steps. The woman in the window looks like she’s going to shut it anyway, so I lunge the call slip at her and slap it down on the counter. “I need these.”

She picks up the slip and looks it over before disappearing into the back. As I wait, I glance around at the other students. They all seem like they have friends and that they know what’s going on. No one looks lost or like they feel the way I do. It’s nearly dinnertime. I see Carter push through the doors with a bunch of other guys that I haven’t seen before. I nod my head at him, wondering if he’s going to blow me off or say hello. To my surprise, he walks away from the man pack and heads my way. “Hey, Kerry.”

“Hey, yourself. My boxes finally got here.” I rub my palms together and smile at him.

“Boxes?”

“Yeah, my cheap-o parents mailed all my stuff after they threw my butt on a plane. I’m lucky they didn’t buy me a seat on the livestock flight.”

He smirks. “I’m sure.” He pushes his hands into the pockets of his jeans that are two sizes too big.

The woman returns with a blank look on her face and no boxes. “Honey, you need to call the number on this slip.” She shoves it at me and reaches over her head to close the window.

“Wait, why? Where are my things?”

“From the looks of it, this entire lot was shipped to Guam.”

“What?”

She says it louder, like I didn’t hear. “Guam.” And then she pulls the metal screen down and disappears from sight. I’m still staring blankly at the closed window when Carter reaches in front of me and picks up the paper.

“Come and have dinner. We can get your boxes back. I can even call if you want. It’s not a big deal, Kerry.”

“You’re just saying that.” I smile a tiny bit and look over at him.

“Yeah, but it made you smile. Come on.”

Carter is on the phone for a long time and I don’t say much. Emily interjects that I got a new car, but stops talking when I slam my heel down on her toe under the table. She didn’t really feel it, thanks to those military boots she’s always wearing. Tonight she has on a studded black collar, a tight black top layered with a leather jacket, and a pleated blue and black skirt with rocker stockings—the kind that look like a cat clawed them before they were sent to the store and put on the shelf.

“So, where are we going?” I ask, changing the subject before they hear about my bus. My plan is to deny ownership and hope to God that someone is stupid enough to steal it. Or that the raccoon starts a fire, because he looked a little crazy if you ask me. Those tiny paws could pull off arson. Maybe I should throw some matches in the back later.

“There’s a club in the city that’s really cool. It’s like a club, a coffee house, a poetry reading, and an art show all in one place.” The guy speaking is named Noah. He’s barely said two words to me before now. He’s rail thin and tall, with a mop of sandy blonde hair and a nose that’s too big for his face. “It’s cool. You’ll like it.”

Carter hangs up and looks over at me. “So, I, uh, have some news.” He says it carefully, like he expects me to have a public meltdown. “Your boxes—all seven of them—are, in fact, in Guam.”

“Why? They were supposed to come here. How’d they end up there?”

“Well, that’s the funny thing about it. No one seems to know, but they did find your stuff.” He hesitates, like he doesn’t want to tell me.

“And?” I prompt.

“And your stuff is at an orphanage. They, uh, thought it was a donation and opened the boxes, but UPS said your things will be boxed back up and rerouted, wait—Kerry…” I’m up and walking away from the table. I have to move or I’m going to lose it. He catches up with me as I push through the doors and head outside into the night air.

“Thanks for trying, Carter. I appreciate it.”

“They can get you your stuff back. It’s not lost, Kerry.” He touches my elbow and stops, so I turn to face him.

I shake my head. “I can’t ask people who have less than me to send it back, never mind homeless, motherless, children.” My mind is spinning because I know what the decision means. I’ll be wearing the same three outfits for the next sixteen weeks.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. Buy a butt load of gym clothes and wear those.” If you wanted a formula for being the most unpopular, weirdest kid on campus, that’s it: gym clothes girl. Like I need another reason for my roommate to call me Bacon.

“Seriously?” He can’t tell if I’m kidding around or not.

I glance up at him. “Yeah, I’m not loaded like most of the kids here, but I can get by.” I start to walk again, and wrap my arms around my middle. I feel lost, like I’m floating. There are too many problems and not enough ways to fix them. When I notice Carter isn’t beside me, I look back. He’s standing there with his lips parted, staring. “What?”

“Nothing. You just surprise me. I’ve never met someone like you.”

“Me neither, and it’s nothing worth noting.”

Carter walks up to me and says, “Yes it is. You gave away all your earthly possessions without a second thought. Who does that?”

“Uh, people who have their earthly possessions accidentally shipped to Guam? Seriously, it wasn’t voluntary so you can’t be impressed.”

He gives me a lopsided smile. “You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

“It’s not like I did it on purpose, Carter, so don’t act like I did. If I had things my way, I would have my boxes. The Universe is out to get me, so I don’t fight back anymore. That’s all it is. I’m lazy.”

“I doubt that.” He looks me over once and asks, “Did you really just break up with someone?”

I don’t want to look at him, but I manage to answer. “That was very PC, but yeah, he dumped me.”

“His loss, Kerry. Seriously. The guy’s an idiot.” I look up at him and see a faint smile. “So, are you still coming with us?”

“I don’t know. I don’t really feel like it and I have nothing to wear.”

“Screw that shit, Freshman.” Emily is there again, racing up behind us. “We’re about the same size and I have a dress you can use. It’ll be awesome. Come on.” She takes my hand and tugs me back to the dorm.

CHAPTER 10

Two hours later, I’m dressed like someone else, again, and wandering around a club in Austin. I’m wearing a short leather skirt, a pair of combat boots and a thin top that is way too short. If I raise my hands, the bottom of my bra sticks out. It barely covers my boobs. All around me, live music is blaring. Emily and the other people I came with are all dancing like head bangers. I wander off on my own to look at paintings they’ve already seen a million times.

The hairs on my arms prickle when I feel eyes on me. I glance around, but don’t see who’s looking. Smoothing my skin, I step around the painting to the other side, and gaze at it. I like this one. It’s cool blues, blacks, and purples mixing together like soul sucking shadows. They almost seem alive.

“I thought I saw you.” His voice drifts lazily over my shoulder and I stiffen. Mystery Man steps to the side and tries to catch my eye. He doesn’t say why he ran out on me and I don’t ask. I won’t look at his face, because if I see those eyes I know I’ll melt and I’m not letting this guy humiliate me for a third time.

“Yeah, you did.” I clutch my drink like it’s a lifeline and chant to myself over and over again
, just look at the painting, just look at the painting
.

“Do you like this piece?”

“Does it matter?” My tone says, ‘fuck off.’

He looks a little shocked and then surprises me. “Yes, because it’s mine.”

I turn and look at him. “You’re a horrible liar.”

“No, I’m serious.” He steps forward and points to the little gold plaque next to the painting. Nathan Smith. “That’s me.”

“Sure, Smitty.”

“You don’t believe me?” He looks shocked and there’s a big beautiful smile on his face that says as much.

“No.”

He smiles and works his jaw, before reaching into his pocket. I wish he’d leave, but he doesn’t. He stands there with me, a step too close. “Here.” He hands me his ID. NATHAN SMITH. Damn, even his driver’s license picture looks perfect. Mine looks like aliens were chewing on my toes.

I hand it back to him. “Lovely.”

“You aren’t going to give me a second chance, are you?”

Turning, I smile up at him. “Not a chance in Hell.” I walk to the next piece and fold my arms over my chest as I look it over.

Nathan is trailing me and smiling that cocky grin that guys wear when a woman shoots them down. He mirrors my pose, which makes his arms look lickable. “Exactly what part of Hell has to freeze over before you give me another try? The foyer? The basement?”

I don’t want to laugh, but the idea of Hell having a basement is funny. I get a picture in my head of an old guy burying bodies at the bottom of a staircase, next to a creepy furnace. It amuses me. “Level nine, ya know, the basement.”

He presses his hand to his heart. “That’s a long ways down.”

“Yes, but the fall was fast. I bet you hit your ass on the way down.” I turn and look at his backside and then up into his face. Damn, he’s hot. I remember the way that body looked naked and try to push the memories away.

“Nice,” he grins and I realize that I’m flirting with him. I remember what Beth’s brother said and try to walk away, but he follows me to the next painting. “I could say something inappropriate about your ass, but I think that’ll only bury me further.”

I laugh and look over my shoulder at him. “You are never seeing this ass again, or any other part of me, so walk away. You’re good at that.”

“Ouch.” He grins harder. “You realize what you just did, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I told you to go to Hell and leave me alone.”

Nathan steps into my space and looks down into my eyes. As the music pounds through my body, his scent fills my head. “That’s not what your eyes say. Or your lips.” He lifts his hand and touches the center of my lower lip lightly.

I can’t move. He’s so beautiful and my body responds to him so quickly. My heart thumps wildly as I tear my eyes away. “Yeah, well, then you need a hearing aid, old man. You might want to get your vision checked, too, because I think you’re a little bit on the blind side.” I scratch my temple, overtly using only my middle finger.

He doesn’t comment. Nathan continues to beam at me and ignores my crude gesture. “Only because of your radiant beauty.”

“Oh, my God! You did not just use that line on me.”

“I think I did.” He steps so close to me that his chest brushes mine. A jolt of electricity shoots through my body. Bastard.

I don’t move, but I should. We’re way too close. “What’s the matter? Didn’t have a drawing of me to whip out this time?”

He leans in kissably close and whispers, “I could whip out something else I know you like.”

I flinch like he slapped me and growl, “Fuck you.”

“Anytime.” He gives me that boyish smirk and I want to rip it off his beautiful face.

“I wasn’t offering.”

“You don’t have to. I can tell that you want me.”

“Yeah, I want you about as much as I want hemorrhoids. Walk away, pretty boy. I’m not changing my mind.”