Intertwined

“You mean, perverted? I don’t know, but I’m willing to find out. He’s hawt!”

“No. I mean dirty, as in mud and some kind of black gunk all over him? Like motor oil? Are his clothes ripped?”

“His face is dirty, yes. Well, kind of. It’s smeared, like he tried to clean up. But his shirt is clean and oh, so perfect. God, his hair is dyed black but the roots are blond. I wonder if he has a tattoo? That’s sexy. How old do you think he is? Eighteen? He’s tall enough to be legal. And oh, my God, he just looked at me! I think I’m going to faint.”

Besides the shirt, the description fit. Maybe he’d changed.

An emotion she couldn’t name skittered through her. That he might be here…

She’d meant to stop by her mother’s grave before meeting Pe

“I saw him earlier,” she said. “I think…do you think he followed me?”

Eyes widening, Pe

“Don’t stare!” she gasped, slapping her friend’s arm.

Unhurried and unrepentant, Pe

Bad boy. Yes, that fit, too. Mary A

The color didn’t matter, though. Those eyes were feral, wild, and she’d felt that undeniable shock of wind—bizarre wind that had ended as quickly as it had begun. For a moment, she’d felt hooked to a generator, the eye contact jolting her, u

Why had she experienced all that again just now, albeit in a muted way? Before she’d seen him even? Why had she felt any of it at all? This made no sense. Who was he?

“Let’s pick him up,” Pe

“Let’s not,” she replied. “I have a boyfriend.”

“No, you have a horny jock who sticks around because he’s desperate to get in your pants even though you keep saying no. Which, by the way, is a guarantee he’s knocking it with someone else every time your back is turned.”

There was something in her tone…Mary A

Heavy pause. Another drag. Then a nervous laugh. “No. No, of course not.” Pe

“I’m probably coming down with a cold.” Was it bad that she hoped her words were true? When a girl couldn’t get a boy out of her mind, she, well, couldn’t get him out of her mind. Schoolwork was forgotten. Goals were abandoned. The brain became mush. She’d seen it happen, time and time again. She wouldn’t let it happen to her.

That’s one of the reasons she dated Tucker. He was safe. Cute and popular, but safe. He was busy with football and didn’t mind how often she skipped out on him to work or study.

“Don’t be a prude. Give me permission, and I’ll call him over here. I’ll have his digits in five flat, and you guys can go out. I won’t tell Tucker, I swear.”

“No. No, no, no!” She shook her head for emphasis, ponytail slapping her cheeks. “One, I would never cheat on Tucker.”

Pe

“And two,” she said, ignoring her friend’s remark, “I don’t have time to juggle another boy. Even as a friend. Grades have never been more important. SATs are coming up.”

“You have straight As. And you’ll nail the SATs, guaranteed.”

“I want to keep the As, and the only way I’ll nail the SATs is if I stay the course. You know that stuff doesn’t come easily for me.”

“Fine. But when you die from stress and disappointment, you’ll think back to this moment and wish to God you’d taken me up on my offer.” Pe

Now Mary A

“The dull, pretty one.” Pe

Mary A

At least the world didn’t seem to implode on itself this time, leaving her with a strange sense of nothingness.

Steadier now, she studied him. His jeans were ripped but he had indeed changed his shirt. This one was clean and free of holes. His face was just as perfect as she remembered, too flawless to be real. He had thick black lashes that perfectly framed his eyes. Perfectly sculpted cheekbones that surrounded a perfectly sloped nose. Perfectly shaped lips, now dipped into a frown.

This close, she realized he was taller than she’d assumed. If they stood next to each other, he would tower over her. His features were tight with determination.

One step, two, he hesitantly approached. When he reached them, he stopped and dropped his backpack at his feet.

Mary A

Aren’t you an egotistical one? Most boys want your study notes, not your body. Oh, yeah.

“This day couldn’t get any better,” Pe

He waved shyly. “Hi,” he said. Then he frowned and rubbed at his chest, just as she had done a bit ago. His gaze narrowed, and he glanced all around them.

“Hi,” Mary A

Awkward silence bloomed between them.

Pe

“Pe

Pe

“I’m Aden. Aden Stone. I just moved here. And I don’t go to public school.” Pause. “Yet. But what’s wrong with Wild Horse?”

His voice was deep and oddly shiver-inducing. She forced herself to focus on his words, though, rather than his tone. He’d said he didn’t go to public school. Did that mean he attended private school? Or that he was homeschooled?