“Ohmygod! They are way too fine. I can’t believe that just happened. They’ve been here for a whole month and have spoken to me maybe three times. Two of those when I was working. So, they didn’t really have a choice.”
“Precisely.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. They’ve never been rude or anything. We don’t run in the same circles.”
“We don’t run in anyone’s circles. That’s how we became friends.”
She couldn’t refute that, not when we both knew it was true. Em and I never had a specific clique or type of person that we gravitated towards. We’d never gone out of our way to find one either. Too many people flitted between masks to disguise themselves and fit in, losing who they were in the process. All to please a select few that didn’t give a damn about them anyway.
It was perhaps hypocritical of me to judge when one could argue that I was guilty of the exact same thing. I hid away the side of me that could never be understood. No one knew who I really was–except for Emery. But lately, I’d been keeping secrets from even her.
“So, what did you think of them? By them I really mean Rhett.”
“Em, seriously?”
“Yes, Nova. Seriously.”
“I think that I’m not the type of girl guys like him pay any attention to.”
She clicked her teeth at me. “He called you gorgeous. Which you are by the way.”
I shrugged, not seeing the big deal. “I’m sure he’s called lots of girls gorgeous.”
“Probably. But lots of girls aren’t you.”
“That’s a good thing,” I muttered.
“It is a good thing. You’re unique,” she said smugly.
“Riiiight. Anyways, can you text Nika and tell her to meet us at the car? I forgot my phone at the house.”
“You know you’re the only person on the planet who isn’t attached to their cellphone? Take this.” She passed the bag to me and retrieved her cell from her hoodie pocket.
We hit the parking lot and for the first time I noticed the matte black Porsche and lifted pick up a few spots down from my car.
It wasn’t the make of the vehicles that caught my attention, but the two chicks and the guy leaning against them.
I studied their faces, not recognizing any of them. A peculiar smell permeated the air, heightened by a soft breeze, giving away what it was they were smoking. It was a bold move but by the looks of it they had money, that alone made the blunt they were passing around invisible.
Legacy Falls was a college town where everyone mostly knew everyone and only cared about three things. Sports, dollar signs, and status. If you didn’t have one or the other, you weren’t worthy of a place here. And if you had more? You were practically royalty.
“They’re friends of Rhett’s. Got here maybe two, three weeks ago. Right after him.”
“Staying at the Inn?”
She glanced at me from the corner of her eye. “Okay. Now I know you don’t listen to anything I tell you.”
“That’s not true.” I went to the driver side of the car, looking back when I heard the rattle of a shopping cart.
There was Rhett and Callum, swaggering through the parking lot with enough liquor to supply a small fraternity. When I realized I was staring again it was too late. Rhett turned his head and caught me looking right at him. He smiled, saying something to Callum that I couldn’t here before making his way towards me.
With one foot already inside the car, Emery froze and watched him approach as if she were seeing Jesus make his second coming. I would never let her live this down. My Em was guy crazy for once in her life, which sure as hell beat her pining over her shitty boyfriend.
Rhett barely glanced at her, his gaze resting solely on me. “You got any plans tomorrow night?”
“No.”
“I’m having a –.”
“I figured that. I meant no.” I internally cringed at how harsh I sounded. And I’d just cut him off. An apology settled on the tip of my tongue, never getting a chance to spill.
Undeterred by my rudeness he walked right up to me and lowered his face in such a way that from a stranger’s viewpoint it would look like he was going in for a kiss. I could smell something peppermint-ish on his breath.
Basic instinct had my hand coming up and resting on his ridiculously solid chest. Making no effort to remove it, he leaned even closer and spoke loud enough for only me to hear. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re not as sweet as they said you were?”
Who was they?
In perfect timing, Annika walked up, the sound of her heels breaking our little moment.
“What is this? Is there something I should know?” she questioned, looking between Rhett and me.
“No,” I said at the time Rhett replied, “I was telling Nova you guys should come up to the cabin tomorrow.”