Pivotal Moments (In Time #1) (9 page)

The bell would ring soon, so I grabbed my things and got out of my car, making sure to lock up before heading into the main building. I raced up the stairs along with most of the Quincy High student body, and hurried down the halls to my locker in the senior block. I spun the combination and then gave the door a sharp kick on the lower part and it popped open. I swapped out what books and paper I needed to and swung my door closed. This revealed Brody leaning against the locker next to mine. I jumped, gasped, and glanced around for Tracey.

“She’s not here today. You can relax,” he said, an evil, teasing gleam in his eye.

As usual, he looked pretty damn good. He was at least six foot tall with broad shoulders and a trim waist. His jeans hugged legs thick with muscle, built up from years of playing football, and his shirt showcased biceps and pecs. His dark hair was cut short with the top styled spiky, and his bright blue eyes contrasted his golden toned skin. Brody was, hands down, the most sought-after guy in the school. All the girls had a crush on him, and I wasn’t excluded from the pool of panting hormones.

Well…I hadn’t been. Before this weekend, I would have been a puddle of adoring goo right about now. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what had changed. Brody was gorgeous, but he didn’t hold a candle to Teagan.

I brought myself back to the conversation. “Where is she?”

He smirked. “You and Penny beat her ass. Do you really think she’s going to come to school looking like a raccoon?” The look of evil glee deepened, speaking volumes as to how he now felt about her.

I shrugged and started toward homeroom. As I passed, he pushed off the locker and fell in step beside me. His stare was burning a hole in the side of my face, but I forced myself to look straight ahead. When we reached the doorway, I couldn’t take it anymore. I stopped dead in my tracks and grabbed his arm, causing him to stop as well.

“Okay. Let’s have it. Am I going to have to deal with her minions today? Do I need to watch my back?” She would never just leave me alone. It couldn’t be that simple.

His lips twitched. “Minions?”

“Yeah, her little cheerleader followers, you know?” I clarified.

He nodded and then chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “You don’t have a whole lot to worry about there. Not after the gym incident and the run-in at the lake.” He shook his head. “I don’t think you’ll need to worry about her ‘friends’ anymore.”

I stared at him for a moment before giving a slight nod and letting go of his arm. With a smile, I said, “Thanks, Brody.”

“No problem, Slugger!” he quipped with a cheeky grin.

I just snickered and shook my head before going into class. I slid into my seat before the bell rang, just missing being late. I breathed a sigh of relief and settled in for the long day of school.

***

“I wanna know what’s going on between you and my brother,” I announced, slamming my things on the lunch table. Penny just looked at me, unfazed, and cocked an eyebrow. Her expression morphed into pleased surprise when she saw me.

“Oh, my God, Ash, you look great! It’s about time you wore something decent.” I blushed at the sincerity in her voice. “What made you decide to put together an outfit?”

My blush deepened. Understanding crept across her face, and she flashed me an evil grin and a wink. “Never mind, then.” She popped her soda open and then sat back in her chair, running a hand through her red curls. “As for me and Connor…your guess is as good as mine.”

That was so not the answer I was looking for. “I think he likes you,” I said with trepidation. I knew how Connor was, but I knew how Penny felt too.

She sighed, spinning her soda can from one hand to the other. “Yeah, I kind of thought he noticed me. Finally.” I frowned. For years, that had been all she’d dreamed of. What had changed? She sat up in her chair again. “I know, I know,” she said. “And it’s not a case of me not liking him anymore. Because I do. A lot.” She reached up and scratched her nose before focusing on twirling her can around once again. “It’s just…I don’t know…he’s so passionate about things!”

I sat back and blinked. “Uh, are we talking about Connor Munroe? The one you referred to once as ‘The Unemotional Asshole Extraordinaire’?”

Penny smiled. “You’re his sister. I get that. But you need to remember there’s a lot you’re going to miss, because you’re his sister. There’s a ton of emotion running under that asshole-player façade. It’s almost scary.” She leaned forward and folded her arms on the table, looking at me. “I wasn’t expecting what I saw Saturday. That wasn’t Connor, Ash’s jerk brother. That was Connor, the man who quite possibly holds too much in.”

I frowned as I looked down at the table, but didn’t say anything.

“When we were growing up,” Penny continued, “I lived for just a glance from him. I measured every guy against him, and while he went through girls like tissues, it’s not like he forced them. He was always nice, always respectful, and he let them know what to expect.” She paused to take a sip, staring at the can even when she set it on the table again. “The whole time, I just kept hoping one day he would look at me and everything would change.” She started tracing designs in the condensation ring with her French manicure, chewing her lip. “I don’t know. I just have this feeling there is so much more to him than there was before. There’s an intensity I didn’t notice when I saw him last.” She spared me a brief glance before saying, “I’ve had some stuff happen since then…and I just don’t know if this is something I can handle.”

I frowned. Two years ago, I’d left with Mom to go on a three-week vacation. Penny had been invited, but she’d decided to stay home. When we returned, I’d noticed Penny seemed different. She’d seemed more…I don’t know, self-contained? Whenever I brought it up, though, she’d just shrug and say her eyes had been opened to how the world was. Whatever that meant.

“Look, Pen,” I said, sitting up and placing my hand on hers. “I don’t know what’s going on. I know you changed during my vacation that summer. Even Connor could tell. But whatever it was, don’t let it keep you from seeing what’s happening with my brother.” I squeezed her hand. “Maybe you’re what he needs to open up before he explodes.”

She gave me a wan smile. “I get the feeling he’s a control freak, Ash.”

I withdrew my hand with a grimace. “Yeah, I noticed that too. I don’t know why. He wasn’t that bad before.”

Penny looked away and spoke softly. “I’m not sure I can handle someone trying to control me.”

I could only shake my head. “I don’t know what to tell you. I can only say if it’s meant to be, you two will reach some sort of middle ground. Dad was a lot like him, and Mom is most definitely not submissive. As you know.” Penny flashed a quick smile. She knew. “The two of them made it work,” I said. “They were extremely happy, from what I remember.”

She nodded, her features clearing. “You know what? You’re right. Whatever happens, happens. I could be getting all worked up over nothing.” She reached over and poked me, grinning. “Anyway, enough of this. What’s up with you and your Teeg, huh?”

I blushed and told her about how we spent the rest of Sunday hanging out, and then about breakfast this morning. She was practically bouncing in her seat and I had to shush her several times as her antics repeatedly brought attention to our table.

“That boy wants you, girl!” she exclaimed, then pointed at me. “You mark my words. He’s going to make a move before he goes back to school.” She emphasized the statement with a nod.

I released a breath I hadn’t been aware I was holding. “I don’t think so. I mean, he’s my brother’s best friend and roommate. Isn’t that kind of cliché?” I paused and gathered my thoughts. “Not only that, but he’s leaving to go back to school in two weeks.”

“Ash, he is the type of guy who would drive here every weekend, three hours each way, to spend half a day with you.”

I waved her off.

“Okay,” she said. “I totally get the bad-boy, player vibe off of him. He has that walk that says he knows what he’s doing, but that guy is totally into you. Girls were throwing themselves at him at the lake, especially after you left, and he didn’t give them the time of the day. When you didn’t come back right away, he called his dog and went looking for you.”

I stared at her in surprise. I’d had no idea he’d been that concerned.

“Yeah,” she said, nodding. “He was worried. He brushed off every chick there and even got into it with Scott and Jace when they said they’d go and look for you.” She smirked. “He shot that idea down real quick. Connor didn’t seem to be too thrilled about it, either. Just sayin’.”

I allowed a small grin to break through. “Really?”

Penny huffed and shot me a look. “Yes, really. And don’t think I forgot about the whole hand-holding thing on the way home. Connect the dots, Ash.”

I stared at her, contemplating what she’d said. Could she be right? Did I stand a chance? She was saying I did. After past experiences, I was afraid to get my hopes up, but it didn’t stop the little bubble of excited hope from building up.

Maybe this time would be different.

***

The next several days passed much the same. I’d get up and get ready and head downstairs. Teagan and Connor would be at the kitchen table, eating breakfast, having just finished their morning runs. I would have to say Teagan always looked his sexiest then—sweat still drying, shirt still clinging to his chest and back, muscles bulging…

Yeah, I’d been caught staring once or twice.

I’d make my lunch, chatting with Teagan and sharing my plans for the day.

I still wasn’t speaking to Connor. I was angry for what had happened on the way home from the lake, but it didn’t change the fact I missed my big brother. I didn’t know what’d happened to make him act the way that he was, but I still loved him.

From there, I’d get to school and Brody would meet me. We’d walk to homeroom together, joking and teasing, just friends. I was fine with that. Tracey still hadn’t returned to school, and the rumor mill was having a blast. Word was that when she got back to school, she was gunning for both Penny and me. Penny wasn’t too worried about it, but I had a feeling some crap was going to go down.

The clock was ticking.

It was Friday and I was in fifth-period calculus, learning about finding areas of curves and how it would save my life—yeah, right—when my phone vibrated. Surprised someone had texted me during class, I frowned when I saw an unfamiliar number. The teacher was preoccupied with writing out examples on the board, so I risked a look at the message. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest.

Teagan had messaged me.

Teagan: Connor has a party lined up tonight.

I cocked an eyebrow.

Me: Okay…and?

Teagan: I don’t want to go.

Me: Still not understanding.

Teagan: I need an excuse.

Me: Just tell him you don’t want to go.

Teagan: Do you even know your brother?

I choked back a laugh and glanced around. No one was watching me.

Me: Good point. What can I do to help?

Teagan: Go see a movie with me.

My heart thudded to a stop. I desperately wanted to read a subtext into that message, an undertone. Despite reality, various scenarios played out in my head.

Teagan: Babe? You there? I didn’t get you into trouble did I?

Babe. He called me ‘babe’! That had to mean something, right? Then I realized I needed an excuse for not responding back. Panicked, I sent back the only thing I could think of.

Me: No, I’m here. I was copying down notes.

I frowned at my reply. God, I was pathetic.

Teagan: So, movie tonight? Your pick!

I smiled and shrugged. What the hell; why not? It’d be nice to spend time with him.

Me: All right, but you have to help with my calc homework. By the way, it’s nice to see a guy not using text speak.

Teagan: See you when you get home, baby.

Oh. My. God. This boy was going to give me a heart attack. I smiled, put away my phone, and actually did start copying down the notes. Date or not, I was looking forward to tonight.

Chapter 9

To say I was a nervous wreck when I got home would have been a serious understatement. When I got there and discovered my brother had already left to help Scott set up for the party, I was profoundly grateful. Since Scott lived in Tallahassee, an hour away, Connor had left early. That meant I only had to deal with Mom, and truth be told, I’d rather deal with her than Mr. Asshat any day.

Zver was spread out like road kill in the family room. Teagan was on the floor as well, watching TV and using the dog as a pillow. Upon seeing me, Zver’s tail began thumping loudly on the area rug beneath them. As I walked in, Teagan lifted the remote from his chest and muted the TV. I glanced at the screen, saw what he was watching, and tried to hide my amusement. I failed miserably. I burst into laughter. It was a moment to treasure.

“What?” he challenged.

I shook my head and pointed to the TV, trying to breathe. “Seriously? One hundred and fifty channels, and this is what you watch during the day?”

Teagan narrowed his eyes. “Is there something wrong with it?”

I just laughed harder.

“I fail to see what’s so funny about my viewing preferences.” He almost sounded insulted, which just made me laugh even harder.

At his huff of annoyance, I wiped the tears from my eyes and took a deep breath. But try as I might, I just couldn’t stop the giggles from coming. “It’s not that there’s anything wrong with it, Teagan. I mean, doesn’t every twenty-two-year-old guy watch shows about kids competing to get crowns?” I took a deep breath and held it, then choked back my laughter again.

“Okay, okay. Granted, it’s not my usual viewing preference. I was channel surfing and passed it…” He pointed at the TV. “Have you seen this show? It’s a train wreck. These women are bat shit crazy!” He almost sounded traumatized. It only made me laugh harder. Concern creasing his face, he said, “Are there really women out there like this?”

One mother on the TV was yelling at her tear-stricken daughter, and I said, “Yeah. Some people will use anything to get what they want, even their own children.”

He shook his head sadly, then sat up and turned off the TV. He scrubbed his hands over his face, then lifted his arms above his head to stretch. His shirt rode up, and I saw the line of smooth skin stretched taut over rippling muscles. My breath caught, and a smirk formed on his face. Caught red-handed gawking at him, I spun around and hauled ass into the kitchen, Zver hot on my heels, and Teagan chuckled as I fled.

Where was Mom? I turned to ask Teagan if he knew and slammed into a wall of muscle. I stumbled back a step and would have fallen had it not been for him grabbing my shoulders and steadying me. I grasped his shirt, clinging to it so I wouldn’t fall on my butt. I risked glancing up at him and got lost in his eyes. I know that’s cheesy and goofy. But there it is.

I don’t know how long we stood there, practically wrapped up in each other. Then a look crossed his face and he ran his hands down from my shoulders, along my arms, and up to where my hands were still clutching his shirt. His large, warm hands closed over mine and gently squeezed, pressing them closer to his chest. His eyes darkened and dropped to rest on my lips. His gaze was tangible, like a physical caress. I shivered and he looked back up to look me in the eye. Warmth flamed through me as he quickly licked his lips. All sorts of naughty thoughts started dancing through my mind.

The phone rang.

We jumped apart, and I was pretty sure my blush covered most of my body at this point. Penny’s suggestion to just let it play out was starting to sound like excellent advice. I didn’t know what that was—or what to do with it.

The phone rang again, making me jump yet again. I raced to the counter and snatched up the handset, out of breath and heart racing. “Hello?”

“Ash?” Mom asked, worry in her voice. “Are you okay?”

I nodded—but she couldn’t see me. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just ran for the phone is all. Where are you?”

She spoke to someone in the background and then she came back to me. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I have to work late tonight. A new case came in and it’s been placed as a high priority. Will you be okay tonight?”

Mom was a computer forensics specialist, and when a case came in that was considered high priority, usually meaning it involved children, she would stay there as long as needed to get the job done. She worked a lot, but more than made up for it afterward. Like firefighters, police officers, and Dad, she was just doing her job. Protecting people.

I glanced at Teagan, who was pulling Zver’s food out of the fridge. “Yeah,” I said. “I’ll be fine. Connor went to a party, so Teagan and I are going to see a movie, I think.” My statement was met by silence. “Mom?”

“Is this a date?” she asked, suspicion leaking from her tone.

I froze. Pulling the phone away, I regarded it for a moment, much as I might a snake. I put it back to my ear and said, “No.” There was no way Teagan was taking me on a date, despite my endless fantasizing earlier.

She snorted. “Were Connor and Penny invited?”

I started to say yes—but I didn’t want to tell a lie. I hadn’t even thought to say anything to Penny about this. I know Teagan didn’t invite Connor because he was at a party.

My silence must have answered her question, because she sighed. I knew what was coming, so I turned to walk into the laundry room, phone still pressed to my ear. “Ash,” Mom said, “this is a date.”

“Mom—” I started.

“Just hear me out.” I sighed and she continued. “You’re almost eighteen, Ash. You’ve never dated, and you’ve never had a boyfriend.”

“Wow, thanks for the obvious, Mom.” It wasn’t like that was news to me.

“Honey, all I’m saying is I think this boy is someone you could very easily fall for. I just want you to be careful. Everything is exciting and new, and you won’t necessarily think clearly.” Her voice was gentle and understanding. I felt really low for snapping at her.

“I’m sorry, Mom.” I bit my lip. “Do you think I shouldn’t go?”

“Ash, honey, you should definitely go! You’re young, and you need to have fun. Teeg seems like a nice boy and I’m comfortable with you spending time with him.” I smiled. Because of her job, Mom was a damn good judge of character.

Now if I could just get off the phone…

“Okay. Well, I’m going to scrounge up some food to eat.”

She snorted. “If my suspicions are correct, you won’t need to worry about food. Have fun tonight, all right? And be good.”

I laughed and hung up, shaking my head. Then I walked back into the kitchen. Teagan was sitting at the island on a stool, playing with his cell phone. He looked up at me as I set the handset back into its cradle and gave me a smile.

“Everything good?” he asked, his eyes going back to his phone for a quick second before looking back at me.

I hummed a yes and leaned on the counter next to him. “What time are we leaving?”

“Well, I’m starving. So I was thinking I’d take you to dinner and then we’d go see the movie from there. How does that sound?” He looked at me expectantly.

I blinked. What do you know? Mom was right. I decided I should pay more attention to what she had to say. I smiled and nodded.

“Sure, sounds great. Just let me run upstairs and change.” I jerked my thumb up toward the ceiling. “Is that okay? Do I have time?”

He looked at me quizzically. “Aislinn, you look amazing. You really don’t need to change, honey.”

The sincerity in his eyes had a wave of heat washing over me. I felt like I was dressed kind of frumpy, but I could see the honest truth in Teagan’s eyes. He really did think I looked nice. I flashed him a big smile.

Somehow, I’d managed to grab the attention of the perfect guy.

***

“So, what are you in the mood to see?” Teagan asked. He stood behind me, his hands resting firmly on my shoulders. “I’m not picky, so it’s your choice,” he finished, giving them a squeeze while his thumbs rubbed against the nape of my neck.

It was hard to concentrate with him touching me and the warmth of his chest so close to my back. I wondered if he knew his effect on me, then I remembered how Penny said he knew women.

Yeah, he totally knew what he was doing to me.

It was exhilarating and nerve-racking. I wanted all of this to be real and not some game or friendship-type thing. To be honest, I wasn’t sure which of those scenarios would be more devastating. I just knew both would hurt. That said, I got the feeling Teagan wasn’t one to play games. That brought a small measure of comfort.

“You do that a lot, don’t you?” His warm breath blew against my ear, and I shivered.

The line moved forward, and I followed it. Teagan stayed right behind me, not letting me go. I turned my head slightly toward him and spoke over my shoulder. “What do you mean?”

“You disappear in your head a lot,” he stated.

I stared at the floor in embarrassment. Getting lost in thought was something I’d done forever. It creeped Connor out, and now apparently it did Teagan as well.

“I’m sorry,” I said in a small voice.

He sighed and leaned forward, resting his forehead against the back of my head. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the most talkative myself.” He took a breath and let it out softly. “Just don’t go so deep in there that you don’t share with me, okay? Sound good?”

My breath caught. What did that mean? I was extremely innocent—but that sounded an awful lot like a relationship-type thing to say.

I nodded shyly. “I’ll try.”

He gave a brilliant smile and then nodded toward the ticket booth. We’d arrived to the front of the line. “Pick out which movie, babe.”

I pondered my choices, and narrowed it down to two. I couldn’t decide which one; they both sounded good. One was a remake of a teenaged cop show, and the other was about hunters who went after fairy tale creatures. I shared my dilemma with Teagan, and he helped me to decide on the cop movie. It looked funny, and I wanted us to have a good time.

After he paid for the tickets, he took me by the hand and led me over to the concession stand. I was so fixated on the feeling of his large, warm hand enveloping mine that I didn’t realize the cashier was waiting for me to order something. I wasn’t hungry; we’d come straight here from eating at the local pizza place. I ordered a small drink, gaping when Teagan ordered a large popcorn, a large drink, and a pretzel.

He flashed me a sheepish grin. “What? Don’t look at me like that. I get hungry during movies.” The last was said with a cute flush. I couldn’t help it; I giggled. I took the two drinks with a smirk and turned to head toward our theater. I stumbled when he caught up and slung an arm around my shoulders, as if he’d been doing it forever.

When I gathered up enough courage to look up at him, he was glaring. Two guys from school were standing at the games, watching us walk by. I nudged him, and when he glanced down at me, the frown was replaced by that purely-Teagan grin. He tightened his arm and pulled me closer to his side.

I smiled back up at him, but cocked an eyebrow when he glanced at the guys again to give them a smug smirk. What in the world was going on? Catching me watching, he just shrugged. Moving his hand slightly, he gently tugged at one of my curls before placing his fingers back on my shoulder.

***

I won’t lie. I couldn’t tell you anything about the movie; I paid no attention to it. I spent most of my time laughing at Teagan’s running commentary. His presence had the ability to take over my senses. If his arm wasn’t around my shoulders, he was holding my hand. Hyperaware of the man next to me, even the need for oxygen was difficult to remember. As the evening progressed, I found myself becoming more hopeful that Mom and Penny were right. Was it possible Teagan liked me?

As he helped me into his truck, I attempted to insert some reality into my thinking. I wasn’t going to put too much hope into him, into us. That had ended in epic disaster before, and I really didn’t want a repeat. Especially with my brother’s best friend.

In the real world, the world outside of books, the brother’s best friend did not fall for the younger sister. There was that ‘code’ that guys lived and died by. Sometimes it was broken, but that usually ended in criminal charges and jail time. From what I heard, breaking that code got really ugly, really fast.

But when Teagan reached over and took my hand, his fingers lacing tightly with mine, my whirling thoughts died down, leaving a sort of calm. I glanced over, and he quickly looked at me before turning back to the road, a small smile twitching his lips. The silence between us was comfortable, soothing, and as I laid my head back on the seat, I found that I didn’t feel inadequate or unattractive. For once, I basked in the attention Teagan was willing to provide and allowed myself to relax. I would just take this as it came.

And I was okay with that.

I rolled my head against the headrest to look at him. His profile was periodically lit up by the street lamps, and my breath caught at the strength it revealed. He really was a gorgeous man. And he had just taken me out on a date.