Alone (5 page)

Roz looks up, her eyes peering at me over the top of her glasses, but her body is still rigid. So I press my mouth to hers and run my tongue over her lips. Finally, she relaxes. She pulls me closer, and her tongue traces mine, making me forget my growling stomach. Bringing to mind a hunger of a completely different nature.

She kisses her way to my ear, biting it lightly before whispering, “Everyone is watching us.”

I smile and pull back so I can look her in the eye. “Does that turn you on?”

She throws her head back and laughs, and it reminds me of how things used to be between us. Before she started to
need
me. Things were a lot more fun back then.

Maybe option one would have been better…

My stomach growls.

I throw Roz one more quick kiss before turning back to the group. “I’m starving.”

She jogs to catch up, slipping her hand into mine. I’m not really the handholding kind of guy and it isn’t something we’ve ever done, but I let it happen. She’s placated for the moment, and that’s all that matters.

“You two kiss and make up?” Clay asks with a wink. Like he couldn’t see it.

I rip my dinner out of his hands. “We’re saving the making up part for later.”

“So where’s Mac?” Carmen asks, drawing my attention away from Clay’s cheesy grin.

She’s biting her lip, probably trying to keep her face unemotional, but it doesn’t work. I knew she liked him.

I shove a big bite of cold stew into my mouth and wiggle my eyebrows in her direction while I chew. Slowly. Carmen narrows her eyes, and I swallow dramatically, taking my time. Putting the fork back to my mouth like I’m not going to answer. She frowns and I can’t help it, a half-smile makes its way to my lips and I wink.

Carmen is the only one from our group I’d actually spoken to before the infection. We were never friends, but I was friends with her kid brother. James. He was a year younger than me, but we’d met at Saturday school. We got into a lot of trouble together.

Carmen was the older sister who glared at me when I came over to the house and accused me of being a bad influence on her baby brother. She was a senior at the time and heavier. A lot heavier. Insecure and unpopular. But the protective thing made me like her. Probably because I’d never had anyone to be protective of me. James didn’t know how lucky he was. Anyway, I had to work my ass off to charm Carmen, but by the time the infection hit she’d stopped being rude to me. We were actually together for the first few months. Carmen and me. Not James. The virus took him down so fast it made my head spin.

I swallow even though my mouth is empty. Two years is a long time, but not long enough to make me forget. Probably never will.

I ignore the lump that won’t quite go away and give Carmen a big grin. “Mac had to go home and face the music. He got a tattoo while we were in town.”

“Mac?” A smile turns up Carmen’s lips.

Roz starts rubbing my shoulders, and even though it feels good, it makes that annoyance creep up on me again. I ignore the urge to push her hands away and focus on Carmen. I want to help Mac out, but I don’t want to embarrass her.

“I think he’s trying to impress someone.” I turn my eyes on my dinner, keeping my face blank and my voice even.

Kyle snorts. “Who? You? I always knew he had a thing for you.”

Just like that, heat fills my body. I swear to God it feels like Speed Racer is making his way through my veins. My head snaps up, and my eyes narrow on Kyle. He sits up straighter and meets my gaze. He’s bigger than me, but I’d be willing to bet all my cigarettes I’ve been in more fights.

“Shut up, Kyle!” Viki’s voice is high and her eyes wide as they dart back and forth between Kyle and me.

Roz stops massaging my shoulders and Carmen frowns. But Clay—that little freak—has a huge grin on his face. I bet he would’ve been one of those kids in school standing off to the side yelling, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” while two guys beat the shit out of each other.

“You got something to say to me?” I spit at Kyle. My blood reaching boiling point as I get to my feet and take a step toward him.

Kyle gets up and cracks his knuckles. I swear to God, he actually cracks his knuckles. I have to choke back a laugh when he steps closer, but I don’t stop the smile that curls my lips.

Carmen jumps up. “Kyle, cut it out.”

Her eyes narrow when she glances back and forth between us. She focuses on me and bites down on her bottom lip, hard. I’m not sure if she’s worried about me getting hurt or about how badly I’m going to hurt Kyle.

She shouldn’t be worried about me.

I flash her a smile before taking another step toward Kyle and focus all my attention on him. “You sure you wanna do this? I’ll kick your ass.”

Kyle smiles and nods, not even batting an eye. He’s confident, but stupid. He thinks he has the advantage just because he’s bigger. He’s wrong. I can take a beating. Course, nobody knows that but me.

“You know Mac’s in love with you,” Kyle sneers, an evil smile lighting up his face.

I flinch. I can take him trashing me, I grew up with it, but Mac has never been anything other than nice to Kyle. Plus, everyone knows Mac’s into Carmen. Kyle is just being an ass.

“You know that’s not true.” My jaw clenches so tight it comes out like a hiss, the words pushing their way between my teeth.

Kyle just grins like he’s enjoying himself. Sadistic prick.

It makes me think of Rick, and inside me, the heat grows as everything turns a brilliant shade of red. I ball my hand into a fist and swing without warning, landing a punch on Kyle’s lower jaw. He grunts and lurches back. Pain courses through my knuckles and down my hand, but I ignore it and wait for Kyle to retaliate. He shakes his head slightly when he steps forward and rubs his jaw. His eyes harden as he moves even closer.

I see the punch coming from a mile away, but don’t even flinch. A fierce, white light clouds my vision when his knuckles make contact with my eye. I stagger back, but I don’t feel a thing. I will later, but right now the adrenaline coursing through my veins has blocked it out.

I blink twice to clear my vision before swinging again. This time, I hit him in the stomach. His hands go to his gut, and the second he’s distracted, I grab his shoulders and throw my knee up, right into his groin. Kyle falls to the ground with a groan, and Viki is immediately next to him. Clay stands on the other side of the fire with his hands clenched and a big smile on his face. Carmen just frowns.

Roz comes from out of nowhere and puts her hands on my shoulders. I shrug her off and head down the beach. My eye has started to throb—along with the injuries Rick gave me earlier, which I’d almost forgotten about them. I’m going to have a shiner tomorrow morning.

Shit.

I shake my head and let out a sigh. Why can’t I make it through a whole day without getting hurt in some way?

Footsteps pound against the sand at my back, and my shoulders tense. I can’t take Roz right now, but if I tell her to get lost, she’s going to be pissed all over again.

“Roman!” Carmen calls out.

Thank God.

I stop, waiting for her to catch up. Breathing heavily as my heart pounds like a bass drum at a rock concert. By the time Carmen stops next to me, my shoulders have relaxed a little. Not much, though.

“You didn’t have to do that, you know,” she says breathlessly. “Mac would have just laughed it off.”

I shrug and look out over the dark ocean, concentrating on the sound of the waves lapping up onto the beach. She’s right, but Mac shouldn’t have to.

“Roman.”

I look up because I know that’s what she needs from me—and I’m not a total asshole. Carmen shakes her head and frowns, disappointment in her eyes. It makes a smile creep across my face. Her expression reminds me of the look my mom used give me when I’d done something wrong.

“You know he likes you,” I blurt out before I have a chance to think better of it.

Mac is going to be pissed.

Unless it gets him laid, that is. Then he’ll worship the ground I walk on.

Carmen smiles, and the pink that spreads across her cheeks is just visible in the moonlight. “I know. I keep waiting for him to make a move. Kiss me or something…” She looks down.

I shove her playfully and wink when she tears her eyes away from the sand. “Guys like an aggressive girl.”

Carmen laughs.

My side is throbbing and my eye feels like it’s going to swell shut, so I turn away before she can say anything. Waving over my shoulder, I say, “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

“You’re actually going to be there?”

I nod in response, and it must be enough of an answer because a second later, her footsteps fade behind me as she heads back toward the bonfire. Hopefully, Kyle’s face will be black and blue tomorrow.

I walk past my house, not even glancing toward it, and continue down the beach without really knowing where I’m headed. I never go home until I’m sure Rick is out for the night. The less I see him, the better.

A light in the house next to ours catches my eye, and I find myself stopping. The balcony door on the second floor is open, and Jules is standing there. The wind blows her hair across her face as she leans against the railing in nothing but a little tank top and her underwear.

Even though my head screams at me to move on, I can’t. Especially not when a low aches starts in my stomach and works its way down.

Kyle was right. She is hot.

I’m leaning up against the wall outside school when I spot Mac 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?”