Marked (4 page)

“
Yeah, that wouldn’t go over so
well,” I said, headed toward the front door.

* * *

I spent the entire drive home cursing myself for
agreeing to another date with Jace. One was all I’d been obligated
to go on, but in his presence I found it hard to tell him no to
date number two. Even though I knew it was incredibly wrong of me
to want him, there was no denying that I did.

I woke late Sunday morning to the buzzing of my cell
phone as it glided across my nightstand in vibrate mode. The
unmistakable scent of bacon and pancakes filled my nose, and I
smiled at the thought of breakfast. I flipped over and grabbed my
cell—it was Sam calling. After hitting ignore, I sat up in bed and
sent him a text.

Just woke up. Call you in a bit ~Tessa

Less than five seconds later Sam replied.

Wanna do something today?

My heart dropped to my stomach and pounded away with
guilt.

Sure. ~Tessa

Text me when you’re ready and I’ll come get you.

K ~Tessa

I flopped back down on my pillow and buried my face
deep into it, the scent of breakfast suddenly making me feel
nauseous. How do you break up with someone when you aren’t even
fighting? I wasn’t sure if that’s what I should do, but I had to do
something. Didn’t I?

Break up with Sam or stop talking to Jace, those
were my two options and I didn’t particularly want to do either of
them.

I lay in bed contemplating what should be my next
move. I’d come to the conclusion that I’d have to say something to
Sam, but I didn’t know what or if I’d even have the courage to once
we were face to face.

* * *

Sam picked me up a little before one and we drove to
Huddle House for lunch. I ordered a salad and some mozzarella
sticks, but didn’t do much besides pick at them.

“
What’s the matter, not hungry?”
Sam asked before taking another massive bite of his
burger.

“
Not really, I had a big
breakfast.”

“
You should have said something,”
he insisted with his mouth still full.

I gazed at him from across the table, wondering why
all of a sudden he seemed so dim and average looking against the
images of Jace I’d burned into my memory from last night. Sam was
attractive: chestnut-colored hair, baby-blue eyes, large dimples in
both cheeks when he smiled, and he was in fairly good shape, too.
So what was my problem?

“
What did you and Rachel get into
last night?” he asked.

My stomach dropped and I felt like I had the word
cheater
written in thick, bold letters across my forehead.
“Not much.”

“
Cool. Do you work tonight at the
diner?”

His eyes met mine and I looked away, gazing out into
the parking lot. I couldn’t even meet his stare. I felt horrible
and nervously wondered if he’d pick up on it soon. A black
motorcycle pulled into a parking space close to the front door of
the restaurant and I suddenly couldn’t breathe—it was Jace!

“
Earth to Tessa, I asked you a
question,” Sam said, waving his hand in front of my face, breaking
my stare.

“
N-No, I don’t have to work,” I
fumbled and then shoved a bite of a mozzarella stick into my
mouth.

I heard the ding of the restaurant door as it opened
and my eyes instantly shifted toward it. Jace stepped inside and
walked to the cashier.

“
You wanna hang out with Rachel and
Kyle tonight, then? We can go to the movies or
something.”

“
No,” I answered a little too
quickly as my thoughts jumped to my plans with Jace—who was
standing only a few feet away from me and my boyfriend at the
moment.

“
No, why not?” Sam asked, his
eyebrows drawing together.

I picked up my fork and began sifting out a cucumber
slice. “I’ve got some reading to get done for English by tomorrow
that I haven’t even started yet,” I lied.

“
Whatever. You’ve been acting
strange all weekend. You still pissed about the other night or
somethin’?” he asked, narrowing his blue eyes at me. “I said I was
only messing around; I knew you weren’t really flirting with that
guy.”

I crammed the cucumber slice into my mouth. “I’m not
pissed about anything.” True, I was guilty.

“
Then what’s your problem, are you
on the rag or something?”

My jaw slacked. “You’re such an ass.”

“
What?” He grinned, igniting his
dimples, amused with himself and the reaction he’d gotten out of
me. “It’s a fair assumption; you’re always bitchy around that time
of the month.”

I rolled my eyes and caught a glimpse of Jace
walking away from the cash register with a takeout bag in his hand.
He turned in my direction, matching my stare. Just before opening
the door, he winked at me. I felt my face grow hot and dropped my
gaze back to my salad.

“
Sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass
you,” Sam said, reaching across the table and taking my hand, still
smiling.

“
You didn’t,” I said, bringing my
eyes to his.

Any thought of dumping Sam disappeared when his hand
touched mine. I couldn’t do it, not when he was actually being sort
of sweet. My heart crushed because I didn’t know what the hell I
was going to do.

* * *

As soon as Sam dropped me back off at my house I was
texting Rachel to find out where she was. I had to talk to someone
about what had been going on or else I was going to pop. I’d told
her I needed her to come over and sat staring at the TV without
really seeing it until I heard her pull up.

“
So, what’s going on? You and Sam
get into another fight?” Rachel asked once we’d made it to my room,
away from my parents’ eavesdropping ears, and I’d closed the door
behind us.

“
No, but I wish.”

Rachel scrunched her eyebrows together. “Why do you
say that?”

“
Because things would be so much
easier if we were fighting,” I answered, walking to sit on my
bed.

“
I’m confused, spill.”

“
You’re going to think I’m a
freaking horrible person,” I muttered. “But you shouldn’t because
technically it’s kinda your fault.”

“
My fault?” Her voice raised an
octave or two.

“
Well, maybe not really, but you
did ask me to get Jace to buy the tequila for your birthday and
that’s what started it all.”

“
I’m completely not following this
conversation, started what?”

“
Jace didn’t make me pay for the
tequila with money. He wanted a date with me instead,” I
said.

Rachel’s hazel eyes widened. “Oh my God! You
didn’t!” She slapped my arm when I didn’t answer. “You did! You
went out with him and you
liked
it! Slut!”

There was that word again, the word I’d never been
called before until now. Even if it was coming from my best
friend’s mouth in a joking manner, it still stung.

“
Thanks, Rach. So glad I asked you
to come over.”

“
I can’t believe this! So... what
happened, where did you guys go? Oh.” Her hand flew to her mouth.
“Did Sam find out?”

“
No, Sam doesn’t know. I told him I
was with you last night,” I admitted and a large lump of guilt
formed in my throat.

“
Are you gonna tell him or dump
him?”

“
I don’t know what to do. I planned
on breaking up with him earlier this afternoon, but didn’t. I
couldn’t; he wasn’t being a complete ass for once.”

“
And you let that one rare moment
stop you
because
?” she asked, sprawling out across my
bed.

“
I’m not sure. Does it sound stupid
to say, ‘because I was scared?’” My stomach knotted up just
thinking about it.

“
Yes, as a matter of fact it does.
The guy practically turned into an ass overnight, Tessa. If I
hadn’t known better I’d have thought you held out a little longer
than you told me in giving up your virginity to him.”

I shoved her. “My parents are home, you know?”

“
They can’t hear me. And you know
I’m right; some guys act like a total jerk after that, but since
that isn’t his problem—because that did happen months ago, right?”
She raised an eyebrow at me.

“
Yes,” I said truthfully, feeling
my cheeks redden.

“
Then I don’t know what his problem
is... other than he’s an ass.”

“
Well, now you’re going to think
I’m the ass because I told Jace I’d go out with him again,
tonight.” I winced, waiting for her reaction.

“
Jesus, Tessa! Who the hell are you
right now?” She grinned.

“
I have no freaking clue.” I
dropped my gaze to a stray thread on my comforter and began to pull
at it. “There’s just something about him; I can’t tell him
no.”

“
Oh, I’ve seen him. I bet most
girls can’t tell him no,” she said, and my stomach churned at the
thought of Jace being with someone else. “What time is he supposed
to come get you?”

“
He’s not. I’m meeting him at his
place again at six.”

“
Having another rendezvous at his
house, huh? Seriously, I’m blown away by you right now. This sounds
like something I’d do. When the hell did we switch
roles?”

I smirked. “When you met Kyle, I guess.”

She pursed her lips together in thought. “True. I
snagged myself a total hottie and haven’t had a bad girl moment
yet.”

It was true. Rachel had tamed a lot since her and
Kyle had started dating. They were the cutest couple and so
completely into each other that at times it could be sickening.

“
Where’s this guy’s house
anyway?”

“
Actually, it’s the old Larkin
house,” I said and watched her face contort into a shocked
expression.

“
No way! Creepy!” She
shuddered.

“
It’s not as bad as I thought it
would be. He’s done a lot of work on the inside
recently.”

“
Sure, it’s nice on the inside,
like you were even paying attention.” She grinned.

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”

“
Well, I’ve got to get going. I’m
meeting Kyle in a few; I just wanted to stop by and see what you
needed to talk about.” She stood and stretched. “Have fun tonight
and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, which doesn’t leave out much.”
She winked.

I stood on Jace’s front porch trying to slow the
erratic beating of my heart before knocking on his door. Finally
deciding it was impossible to do, I stepped forward and rapped my
knuckles against the door. I rolled on my ankles as the seconds
dragged by and large butterflies broke into flight in the pit of my
stomach. He never answered.

I knocked a second time and waited. This time quick
footsteps from inside caught my attention.

“
Coming,” Jace shouted. He answered
the door and shock rippled through me at the sight of him. He was
shirtless. “Hey, you been waiting out here a while? I was in the
shower.”

“
No, not really,” I said, unable to
remove my eyes from his bare, and incredibly solid looking, chest
with its well defined muscles.

“
You’re a little early.”

“
Am I?” I asked, struggling hard to
tear my eyes away from his six-pack.

“
Nah, just messin’ with you. I’m
running a little behind—got caught up in tearing off the back porch
and rebuilding it,” he said with a low chuckle. “Come on in and let
me go grab a shirt. You’re staring at me like you’re either about
to faint or eat me... and I don’t particularly care to witness
either.”

My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I shifted my
eyes from his exposed skin for the first time. “Whatever.” I
scoffed.

Jace smiled and shook his head before turning to
retrieve a shirt. I bit my bottom lip and allowed myself to indulge
in watching him saunter away. It was then I became struck by the
sheer beauty of a large, full moon tattoo, which stretched across
his entire back.

“
Wow, I didn’t know you had a
tattoo,” I said, pleasantly surprised.

Jace paused mid-step. “Uh, yeah.”

“
It’s beautiful...,” I whispered,
walking to where he stood, mesmerized.

I gazed at the intricate design displayed across
solid muscle with fascination. I’d never seen anything like it
before—slight shadows in places formed the illusion of tiny
craters, creating a realistic, 3-D effect, and bluish-black clouds
hung in the night sky surrounding and touching it in two places. It
was absolutely breathtaking.

“
Thank you,” Jace said, glancing
over his shoulder to look at me.

“
Did it hurt?” I wondered, reaching
out to trace a finger across the raised, colored skin. Goosebumps
prickled across his skin as my fingertips wandered the length of
the tattoo.

“
I have a high tolerance for pain.”
A lopsided grin formed on his face, obviously due to my amazed
expression.

I dropped my hand and straightened my back.

“
Done?” He smirked.

“
Yeah,” I said, holding his
stare.

Jace started up the stairs and I remained where I
stood, unsure whether or not to follow him.

“
So, how was your lunch date with
Sam?” he shouted from somewhere upstairs.