There was just something about the boy that demanded attention.
And I could see why he was so popular.
He was probably one of the most beautiful human beings I had ever seen, physically speaking, with dark blue eyes that perched on high cheekbones, a sharp jawline covered with stubble, and short brown hair that stood messy atop his head. He was tall, too. He towered over everyone in the school by at least a head, with broad shoulders and a wide frame.
He looked like he was years older than everyone else.
Hell, he looked like he was older than me when I knew we were about the same age.
He started school the same year I did.
But the way he looked at everyone and everything…
I swallowed and slowed down a bit when his dark gaze landed on me for a quick second before he looked away.
His friends laughed obnoxiously about something, but Kai didn’t join them. It had always been like that with him. He was in with the crowd, yet it seemed like he didn’t belong or cared enough to belong.
I didn’t think he had ever dated anyone for longer than a few weeks.
He was just so detached about anything and everything, it was hard not to be fascinated by the boy behind those dark blue eyes.
Kids just gravitated toward him. They couldn’t help it. They wanted to be near him as much as they wanted to keep their distance from him, afraid they would burn if they got too close to his fire.
He was angry.
I didn’t know why.
Perhaps at his family, or his life, or the world. It didn’t matter. I just knew he was, because I see the same feeling expressed in my own eyes every morning in the mirror. I was just better at hiding it than he was.
Or maybe he just didn’t care to hide it.
But because of this, I found that I had a soft spot for him, even if we had never spoken a word to each other.
He turned his eyes on me once more, and we held our gaze for three long seconds—mine in surprise, while he had the usual detachment that made it hard for me to tell what he was thinking—before he looked away from me, taking a sip of his coffee.
The line moved up, and I moved along with it.
By the time I put in an order for my coffee, Kai was no longer in his spot. The place where he had been remained vacant, almost as if none of hisfriendsdared to take up the spot.
I caught sight of his broad shoulders moving through the doors, people leaving enough space for him to pass.
2
RYLEIGH
I lookedat myself in the mirror.
This was the most makeup I had on in a very long time.
The last time was when my father was re-elected to be the state judge, and our family threw a lavish party to celebrate.
But unlike the last time, when I wore anappropriatedress that came down to my knees, this time I was in a little black dress, strapless, and came up to my mid-thighs.
If I sat down too quickly, the dress would undoubtedly ride up and show everyone the bright pink panties I had on.
This was a splurge purchase.
I didn’t even know why I bought it when I didn’t have anywhere to go, but I had seen it displayed in the window at one of the little boutiques in Sacramento and decided to buy it on a whim.