Banished: Book 1 of The Grimm Laws (20 page)

Edward was disappointed when he heard the news. “Are you sure you want to quit?” he asked. “You love cheerleading.”

She tried to explain to him that the old Elle had loved cheerleading and that she’d changed. The new Elle—the freak she’d become—felt differently about things. But her explanation fell on deaf ears. Edward was determined to keep things the way they’d always been. “Who’s going to decorate my locker during spirit week or make me cookies?” he wanted to know.

“I quit the squad, Edward, I’m not dead! I can still do those things.”

“No, you can’t,” he insisted. “You’re not a cheerleader anymore.”

She’d wanted to wring his neck. Her world was falling apart, and all Edward cared about was his stupid locker and cookies! The whole thing was so absurd that she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She blew out a breath and tried to push aside the negative thoughts. Her dad was coming home tomorrow, so that meant she wouldn’t have to spend the entire weekend alone with Sera and Josselyn—aka the dragon lady and her demon daughter. And she was going to work at The Chocolate Fountain tomorrow during the day. More and more, she was starting to think of The Chocolate Fountain as a refuge from her crazy life. It surprised her when she realized that she was actually looking forward to spending time with Adele. She chuckled. That was a little concerning—considering how kooky Adele was. Her spirits lifted a little at the thought.

Tomorrow night was the get-together at Edward’s house. At this point, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to go, but she’d promised Edward that she would. Things were tense enough between them as it was without adding additional stress to the situation. She’d almost told him about the creepy guy in the car to get his take, but when he acted so putout by the cheerleading thing, she decided to save her breath. If the guy gave her anymore problems then she would deal with it then.

She walked up the steps and back into her room. She stopped short and nearly spilled the root beer down the front of her shirt when she saw him sitting on the bed, strumming her bass guitar. Her pulse bumped up a notch. “Rush, what’re you doing here?”

He motioned toward the open window. “I hope you don’t mind. I let myself in. I couldn’t stand it any longer.”

“Stand what?”

He gave her a crooked smile. “You really don’t remember how to play at all, do you? That sounded terrible.”

She smirked. “Why don’t you tell me what you really think?”

He shrugged. “I always do.”

She sat down in the chair beside her bed. “I’m not sure how I feel about you barging into my room. What if I had been changing … or something.”

“That would’ve been tragic,” he mused. His eyes met hers, and the space between them seemed to shrink. The room seemed smaller, somehow, now that he was in it. How could she be so aware of him? Today, in English she could hardly concentrate with him sitting right in front of her. That proximity had felt too close, and now he was here in her room, and they were alone. Her cheeks went hot. She swallowed hard and tried to think clearly. What was it about him that made her so crazy? It irked her when she realized that he was watching her with an amused expression on his face. He was enjoying watching her squirm.

He motioned. “Don’t let me keep you from eating.”

She looked down at the root beer and bag of chips. She’d nearly forgotten that she was holding them. “Oh.” She held out the bag. “Would you like one?” There, that had come out sounding casual enough. At least she could pretend that she was unaffected by him.

He shook his head. “No thanks.” Effortlessly, he began playing the song that she’d spent the whole afternoon trying to learn. In his capable hands, it looked so simple—so easy. She sat there watching him, all the while trying to think of something to say. Even though she was no longer in the mood to eat, she forced herself to chomp down a couple of chips and a few sips of root beer. After all, she’d gone all the way down to the kitchen to get the food. Just because Rush was here, in her bedroom, didn’t mean that she had to completely turn to mush. “You really know how to put me to shame,” she said when he finished.

He glanced at her and then back at the guitar. “That’s not why I came.”

She cocked her head. “Why did you come?”

He raked a hand through his hair and shook his head. He placed the guitar on the bed. “About the other day …” He reached for something beside him. “I brought a peace offering.”

It only took her a second to recognize the box. She laughed. “Adele’s chocolate? Oh, no. That’s not fair. You’re bringing out the big guns now.”

“Uh huh, she gave them to me. I’ve been saving them for just the right occasion.” He flashed a devilish smile. “I think your aunt likes me.”

“Is that so?”

“Yep, seeing how handsome and irresistible that I am. I think your aunt digs younger guys.”

She gulped and nearly choked on her root beer, and then she started laughing. Rush was always so serious and intense. This was a side of him she hadn’t seen, and she was enjoying it immensely.

He gave her a sly look. “Adele and I had a nice conversation about you.”

Her eyes went wide. “Really? What did you and Adele talk about?”

He shook his head. “Oh, no, I can’t tell you that now.” He made a motion of zipping his lips.

A furrow appeared between her brows. “Why not?”

A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. “Maybe later.” He lifted the lid of the chocolates. “Want one?”

She lifted her chin in the air. “No thanks. Maybe later,” she sniffed, doing her best to sound aloof. They both started laughing.

He patted the bed beside him. “Come here.”

“What?” Her mouth went dry, and she suddenly felt unsure of herself. Was he wanting to kiss her? Surely not after what happened the other day. A tingle raced down her spine, causing her breath to catch. She thought about how it would feel to have his lips on hers. How it would feel to satisfy this incredible need she obviously had for him.

Amusement danced in his eyes. “I don’t bite, I promise.”

She made a face and put her root beer and chips aside. If he tried anything funny, she’d deck him … or kiss him. Her eyes went to the dark curls on his tanned neck, and she thought about how it would feel to touch them. Stop it! she ordered herself. This was utterly ridiculous! She sat down next to him and felt a twinge of disappointment when he reached for the guitar and placed it in her arms.

“Okay, I’m going to show you a few things that will make playing the bass easier. You can’t force the music. It has to become part of you. It must flow out of you naturally like running water.”

She took the guitar. He was sitting so close. Every inch of her body was aware of him, and he wanted her to concentrate on the guitar? Not a chance!

“No, don’t hold it like that.” He put an arm around her and adjusted her right hand so that it was holding the guitar. She became aware of how his muscles moved under his shirt. How his warm breath tickled her neck. “If you’ll hold the guitar in this position, it will be easier to transition between the chords.”

“Okay.” Her heart was pounding, and she wondered if he could hear it. At that moment, she’d never been so grateful that he couldn’t read her thoughts. It was only when he moved his arm away that she was able to regain a measure of concentration. She forced herself to listen to what he was saying as he continued to instruct her. “Play a G. Now F … A.” They went through each chord over and over until he was finally satisfied. He brought his fingers to his chin, making a steeple. “I want you to play ‘Not Enough.’”

She tensed. “By myself?” ‘Not Enough’ was the song they were doing for the tryouts for the formal, and it was also the song that his mother had criticized. She shook her head. “I don’t know it well enough. You said so yourself … I don’t remember how.” She looked pleadingly at him, hating the way her eyes were misting. She looked down so that she wouldn’t have to meet his gaze.

He put a hand on her arm. “There’s no judgment here, Elle. I’m on your side.” He put a finger under her chin and lifted it so that her eyes met his. Time seemed to slow, and she was struck by how stormy blue they were. There was a softness in them that pricked at her heart. She could get lost in those fierce eyes and never make it out again. He gave her a small smile. How incredibly handsome he was with those chiseled features and strong jaw. “You can do it,” he urged. “We just went through all of the chords.” He ran a finger down the curve of her jaw, and then he seemed to realize what he was doing. He dropped his hand to his side.

She blew out a breath. “Okay, I’ll give it a try.” She took the guitar and tried to do as he instructed and let the music
flow
out of her. Unfortunately, in her case, it tumbled out like boulders falling off a cliff. She cringed inwardly when she stumbled over the intro, but by the time she played the chorus, she was transitioning more smoothly. When she got to the end, she was delighted to discover that she was playing it perfectly.

He rewarded her with a brilliant smile. “Bravo,” he said, clapping his hands.

Warmth settled into her chest, and she basked in the comfort of his smile. It felt good to do something right, albeit small. “I did it!” She punched a fist in the air. “I did it!”

“I knew you would.” A look settled between them, and she could sense that his guard was going up. He scooted back and gave her a tight smile. “Well, I guess my job here is done.”

She hurriedly placed the guitar on the chair. He moved to stand, but she caught him by the arm. “Wait.” She knew she shouldn’t do it, but she couldn’t help herself. She couldn’t let him leave without talking about what had happened the other day. She didn’t want things to be weird between them. She needed Rush in her life, if only as a friend. “I’m sorry about what happened between us.” Her apology bumbled out like straws tipping haphazardly out of a box. They were scattered before she could pick them up, so she kept going. “I don’t know what this thing is between us.”

He lifted an eyebrow in amusement. “Thing?”

Was he going to make her spell it out? She swallowed hard. “I want you to know how much I appreciate you coming over here tonight to help me. You’re always there for me when I need you, and I’m so grateful for that. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t come here and—”

He brushed a lock of hair from her face. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured. He traced over her lips with the tip of his finger. She leaned into him. “I shouldn’t be here, and I shouldn’t kiss you. I promised myself I wouldn’t …” The side of his finger went down her neck and along her collarbone, sending tantalizing shivers down her spine that melted into her bones. He leaned in, and her lips parted expectantly. For a fraction of a second, she feared that he would pull away, but then his lips came down hard on hers. She let out a tiny moan as his tongue found hers, and she linked her fingers around his neck. The kiss deepened, and he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist. She felt she would go dizzy as his tongue explored her mouth. Kissing him was everything she’d hoped it would be and more. A whisper of something settled over her, and she felt like they’d been in each other’s arms a million times before. It was a feeling of coming home. Of completeness. She’d never had the strength to resist him. He was the strong one. It felt right to be here with him, like nothing could ever come between them.

“What—is—going—on—here?” They looked up to see Sera standing in the doorway. That dark shadow of misery that was always blocking out the sun.

Elle let out a cry of dismay and jumped back from Rush.

Josselyn stepped up beside her, a cynical smile on her face. She giggled. “From the looks of things, Mother, I’d say it’s pretty obvious what they’re doing.”

Humiliation burned through Elle. She glanced at Rush who looked as angry as she felt. They were both still breathing hard. “You have no right to be in here,” Elle said stiffly, trying to hold onto whatever shred of dignity she had left.

Sera raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?” She pointed at Rush. “You have no right to be here.” She turned on Elle. “And you … ” condemnation dripped from her lips “ … now I know why you didn’t want to go to the game. You planned this whole thing so you could be alone with him in your bedroom.”

Rush stood and faced Sera. “This isn’t her fault. I came over to help her with some chords, that’s all.”

“Oh, is that what you were doing?” Sera let out a derisive chuckle. “Obviously.”

Rush’s eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you give Elle some credit? She’s a good person, and you would see that if you would open your beady eyes.”

Elle stood and grabbed his arm. “Don’t.” She knew from personal experience that going head to head with Sera would only make things worse.

He looked at Elle and then back at Sera. “I won’t apologize for what I’ve done,” he said, squaring his jaw.

Sera smirked. “Well, we’ll see about that … once your mother finds out.”

Rush’s face fell a notch, and he jerked it back into place, but not before Elle saw it. Sera had gone for the jugular vein and it worked. Ms. Porter already disliked her, and now she would hate her. Everything was crumbling, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

“Just wait until Edward finds out. Your devoted boyfriend was so worried about you tonight. He even came over after the game and asked about you.” Josselyn frowned. “Imagine what he’ll do when he finds out that you were here … with him.” She shook her head. “Poor Edward,” she purred.

A furious expression twisted over Rush’s face, and he looked like he was going to say something else. “Just go,” Elle urged. Her eyes met his. “Please.”

He shook his head and stormed out.

When he left, Elle sat down on the bed. She felt empty and cold. “Nothing happened.” She hated how dirty she felt. It was just like Sera and Josselyn to twist something good around, turning it ugly. “He just kissed me … that’s all.”

Sera scoffed. “You were alone in the house with that boy, and you expect me to believe that all you did was kiss?”

Elle hugged herself. “Yes, that’s all we did.” Tears welled, and she started blinking them back. “You saw us, all we were doing was kissing.”