walking down the street. I haven’t actually been inside the building—other than to rescue Mac yesterday—in a month, but I have two reasons for making an appearance today. Finding out how Mac’s mom reacted to his tattoo, and seeing the new girl. Even if I hadn’t seen her standing on that balcony last night, I would have been here. That just sealed the deal.
Mac stops when he sees me waiting for him and hangs his head in mock shame.
I laugh as I push myself off the wall. “That bad?”
“The worst.” He lifts his head, pausing for dramatic effect. “She told me she was disappointed in me!” I chuckle, and Mac gives me a big grin as he heads my way. “She didn’t even care. She would have freaked out a few years ago, but she said it doesn’t seem that important anymore.”
At least someone gets that times have changed.
Mac comes up next to me, and when I follow him to the front door, his eyebrows shoot up. “You going in?”
“Thought I’d get in a nap today. I haven’t been sleeping well.” I do my best to look casual.
“You mean you thought you’d check out the new girl.”
He has me pegged. “Just curious,” I say, pushing past him.
Mac snorts as he follows me inside.
We find Carmen standing in the foyer, helping one of the little kids tie her shoes. Mac straightens his shoulders and pulls the sleeve of his shirt up. He’s probably trying to look casual, but it doesn’t work.
“Morning, Mac,” Carmen says, smiling up at him. She shoots me a quick look before finishing up with the little girl in front of her. When she’s done, she saunters over to Mac and puts her hand on his arm. “I was wondering if you wanted to meet me at the beach tonight. Just you and me?”
Mac’s mouth drops open, and I chuckle quietly to myself. His lips move a little, but no words come out. After a few failed attempts at answering, he manages to nod.
“Perfect.” Carmen’s smile gets so big she looks like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland .
One of the little kids calls her, and she gives a little wave before hurrying over.
Mac’s face breaks out into a huge grin. “Must be the tattoo.”
“Sure, that’s what it is,” I say with a snort. “There’s nothing a chick can resist more than a nerd with an even nerdier tat.”
Mac frowns down at his arm. “It isn’t nerdy,” he mumbles.
“Whatever you want to tell yourself, my friend,” I say with a laugh. “I’ll give you some condoms after school.”
Mac narrows his eyes on me. “Did you do this?”
“I may have mentioned in front of Carmen that aggressive girls were a turn on. Is that so bad?”
Mac purses his lips, and it’s completely obvious that he’s trying to fight back a smile. “You’re a dick.”
He shoves me, and even though it makes every one of my bruises from the day before throb, I shove him back.
I open my mouth to say something else, but the words are cut off by the sound of the door opening behind us. I turn just as Jules walks in, and I can’t deny the tightening in my stomach or the fact that my pulse picks up a few notches when our eyes meet.
Damn. This girl is going to be the death of me.
Chapter Five
School
I’m so jittery when I walk through the door that I almost slam right into Roman. He’s standing just inside, laughing with another boy, and I skid to a stop less than a foot from them. They both turn, but for some reason I can’t quite explain, the only thing I can focus on is Roman. His eyes are so...captivating and serious.
“Juliana,” he says.
How does he know my real name?
Heat creeps across my face, which makes him smile, but he doesn’t say anything else. I shuffle nervously from foot to foot, waiting for one of the guys to say something. He just stands there, though. Looking cool and relaxed. Hot.
Wait. Hot? Why did that pop into my head? Roman is not my type. Not at all.
“Jules,” I finally manage to squeak out. That’s how it sounds. Like a tiny,
Mac stops when he sees me waiting for him and hangs his head in mock shame.
I laugh as I push myself off the wall. “That bad?”
“The worst.” He lifts his head, pausing for dramatic effect. “She told me she was disappointed in me!” I chuckle, and Mac gives me a big grin as he heads my way. “She didn’t even care. She would have freaked out a few years ago, but she said it doesn’t seem that important anymore.”
At least someone gets that times have changed.
Mac comes up next to me, and when I follow him to the front door, his eyebrows shoot up. “You going in?”
“Thought I’d get in a nap today. I haven’t been sleeping well.” I do my best to look casual.
“You mean you thought you’d check out the new girl.”
He has me pegged. “Just curious,” I say, pushing past him.
Mac snorts as he follows me inside.
We find Carmen standing in the foyer, helping one of the little kids tie her shoes. Mac straightens his shoulders and pulls the sleeve of his shirt up. He’s probably trying to look casual, but it doesn’t work.
“Morning, Mac,” Carmen says, smiling up at him. She shoots me a quick look before finishing up with the little girl in front of her. When she’s done, she saunters over to Mac and puts her hand on his arm. “I was wondering if you wanted to meet me at the beach tonight. Just you and me?”
Mac’s mouth drops open, and I chuckle quietly to myself. His lips move a little, but no words come out. After a few failed attempts at answering, he manages to nod.
“Perfect.” Carmen’s smile gets so big she looks like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland .
One of the little kids calls her, and she gives a little wave before hurrying over.
Mac’s face breaks out into a huge grin. “Must be the tattoo.”
“Sure, that’s what it is,” I say with a snort. “There’s nothing a chick can resist more than a nerd with an even nerdier tat.”
Mac frowns down at his arm. “It isn’t nerdy,” he mumbles.
“Whatever you want to tell yourself, my friend,” I say with a laugh. “I’ll give you some condoms after school.”
Mac narrows his eyes on me. “Did you do this?”
“I may have mentioned in front of Carmen that aggressive girls were a turn on. Is that so bad?”
Mac purses his lips, and it’s completely obvious that he’s trying to fight back a smile. “You’re a dick.”
He shoves me, and even though it makes every one of my bruises from the day before throb, I shove him back.
I open my mouth to say something else, but the words are cut off by the sound of the door opening behind us. I turn just as Jules walks in, and I can’t deny the tightening in my stomach or the fact that my pulse picks up a few notches when our eyes meet.
Damn. This girl is going to be the death of me.
Chapter Five
School
I’m so jittery when I walk through the door that I almost slam right into Roman. He’s standing just inside, laughing with another boy, and I skid to a stop less than a foot from them. They both turn, but for some reason I can’t quite explain, the only thing I can focus on is Roman. His eyes are so...captivating and serious.
“Juliana,” he says.
How does he know my real name?
Heat creeps across my face, which makes him smile, but he doesn’t say anything else. I shuffle nervously from foot to foot, waiting for one of the guys to say something. He just stands there, though. Looking cool and relaxed. Hot.
Wait. Hot? Why did that pop into my head? Roman is not my type. Not at all.
“Jules,” I finally manage to squeak out. That’s how it sounds. Like a tiny,
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