The Libby Garrett Intervention (Science Squad #2) (40 page)

Then she turned back to me, grabbed my face, pulled it to hers, and planted a firm kiss on my mouth. She let go and leaned back before I had time to figure out what was happening and kiss her back. She dropped one eyelid in a slow wink and grinned at me. “Knock ’em dead today, superstar.”

I watched, shocked, as she pranced back to her own seat at her own table and blew me one last kiss from her seat. Beside me, Kendrick chuckled. I knew my face was as red as a tomato, and I couldn’t meet his gaze.

“I think you’ve got some trouble on your hands,” Kendrick teased. “Sean’s wild little firecracker is crazy.”

I nodded but smiled too, and finally looked at Kendrick. “Completely insane,” I agreed. “But I’ve had to raise Kate. I can handle a little trouble.”

Kendrick laughed again, and then, suddenly, the store was open and things got chaotic. Time flew by. I met dozens and dozens of people, signed autographs, and talked equipment and skating tips—which was easy to do because skating was my favorite thing in the world. People were friendly and excited to talk to me, and even a little bit awed. A lot of people even asked about my eyebrow ring and complimented my tattoos. It was exhausting, but very cool at the same time. I’d never fit in with a crowd of people so well in my life.

It was so strange to be treated not only like an adult, but like someone who could be taken seriously. As if I was a guy to be admired. Every time some little kid told me how cool I was and how he wanted to be like me when he grew up, I got overwhelmed. Both Kate and Libby noticed every time and would smile encouragingly. Their obvious pride in me was twice as hard to swallow. But after a few hours, I started to feel more comfortable and I realized I loved my new job as a sponsored skater.

By the time I had to go skate in front of the crowd for the first time, I was ready. It started when Joey Stinson came over to meet Kendrick. After getting his autograph, he looked at me and did a double take. He covered his shock well and sounded almost casual when he said, “You signed with Kendrick Abbey?” I nodded. “Cool.”

“Is that new board you’ve been using all week one of theirs? I noticed you’ve been getting more air with your jumps.”

“Yeah, man. Sticking a lot more of my landings, too.” I reached behind me and handed him my new skateboard. “Hell of a lot better than the piece of crap I was using before. The deck’s bamboo, so it’s a lot lighter and pops a little when I jump it. And since I can use the old board for cruising, I was able to put the smaller SPF wheels on this one. Makes all the difference in the world.”

I handed over the board, and while Joey inspected it I looked over at Libby. I laughed at the sour look on her face and winked. I knew she hated Joey. The guy was a bit of a tool, but I couldn’t hate him entirely because his heart was in the sport.

Joey handed me back my board with a question in his eyes. “Straight up, though, is it worth the money? These boards aren’t cheap.”

I nodded. “If you can afford one, hell yeah, they’re worth it.”

That’s when Kendrick interrupted our conversation. “You want to try one out?” he asked Joey. “We’ve got the ramp and some rails set up outside. We can bring a couple boards out there, let you get a feel for them.”

Joey’s face lit up. “Yeah, that’d be awesome. Thanks.”

Kendrick looked at me. “You want to have Libby help you grab some boards and helmets and meet us outside?”

The crowd followed Kendrick when they realized he’d grabbed his own board and was headed for the parking lot. That’s why most of the people were here anyway; they wanted to see Kendrick skate.

As the store cleared out, Libby and Kate helped me grab a bunch of gear. “Stinson was totally kissing your ass,” Kate said with a snort.

“He’s dreaming if he thinks it’s going to get him anywhere,” Libby said. “That guy’s skating is complete
Equus ferus
feces.”

I laughed and pushed the girls outside. “He’ll never be pro material, but he’s not so bad.”

Libby scoffed. “He’s still an
Equus africanus asinus
.”

I wasn’t exactly sure what that was, but I could imagine what it translated to. I laughed again until a small hand touched my arm. Avery was there with Grayson, and gave me a big grin. “Ignore Libby. We hate Joey on principle because he stole Jenna Wilcox from Brandon.”

I tried to imagine Joey’s cheerleader girlfriend with the tall, skinny freckled nerd from Avery’s science club, and just couldn’t manage it. Kate broke me from my thoughts. “That’s one story I’ve never heard. I can’t imagine Jenna Wilcox going with Brandon Campbell at all.”

Avery laughed. “None of us really can, but we’ve seen the pictures. Poor guy has never gotten over her. Sun Li is crazy about him, but he pretends like he doesn’t know she’s crushing on him, because he’s still hung up on Jenna.”

We reached the ramp, where Kendrick was waiting for us. As we dropped all the equipment into a pile, Kate said, “Sounds like Brandon needs to take his own twelve-step journey. I mean, if it worked for Libby, it could probably work for him, too.”

Grayson slipped her arm over Kate’s shoulder. “Spoken like a true science geek.”

“Hey! I’m not a science geek.”

Grayson sighed. “I keep trying to tell myself the same thing, but that doesn’t make it true. I’m afraid you’re doomed, skater girl. I heard you’re going to join Brandon’s study group next year. Fair warning: the Science Squad has a way of sucking you in and converting you.”

Kate pushed Grayson away from her, and as the group continued to banter, I spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Above the crowd, really. The jerk was almost seven feet tall. I nudge Libby with my elbow. “I think you have a visitor.”

Libby’s eyes scanned the crowd, and she stiffened. “You want me to come with?” I asked.

I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until she smiled at me and said, “Always.”

We broke away from the crowd in the parking lot and met Owen near the front entrance of the store. His eyes were fixed on our linked hands as we approached. He struggled with some internal battle for a moment, and then looked at Libby. “Libs, can we talk?”

Libby pulled her hand out of mine and shifted herself into a badass stance. “Sure. Talk.”

Owen’s eyes flicked to me and his jaw clenched. “Can we talk
privately?
”

My blood boiled, but I managed to keep my mouth shut. Barely. And only because Libby spoke first. “No, Owen. Adam and I are together now. If you need to say something, go ahead, but I told you on prom night that I was done.”

I was impressed with how calm she sounded. She was the only one who managed it. Owen sucked in a sharp breath through his nose, and his face flushed red. “You’re dumping me for that coffee-serving loser?”

I gritted my teeth. His insult stung more than I cared to admit. I stepped forward to beat his ass, but Libby grabbed me before I could throw a punch. Then she shocked me with the nicest compliment I’d ever received. “Adam is a hundred times the man you will ever be. But as smart, and sexy, and thoughtful, and selfless as he is, I didn’t dump you for him.”

Now I knew why Libby had been so unsettled the first time I’d really complimented her. It was almost as if I couldn’t believe it. Like my head wouldn’t let my heart accept the things she was saying, even though I was sure she meant them.

“I did it for me,” Libby continued. “Because I wanted to.
Needed
to.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Owen glared at me as if I were the one who’d spoken, and tried to make himself look even bigger by standing up straight and pulling his shoulders back.

I stiffened again, and Libby slipped her arm around my waist, hugging me tightly as if tethering me to her so I couldn’t attack Owen. “It means,” she said, “that I didn’t want to keep seeing someone who only used me for sex and refused to be my boyfriend because I’m fat and nerdy and he was embarrassed of me.”

The blood drained from Owen’s face, and he actually looked hurt as he frowned at Libby. Libby shrugged, completely unfazed. “Is it not true? The fact that I’m amazeballs in the sack is the only reason you ever liked me.”

I fisted my hands at my sides, barely able to stomach this conversation. I hated thinking of the two of them together almost as much as I hated knowing Libby wasn’t exaggerating about the way Owen had treated her.

Owen dragged his hand through his hair. “Shit, Libby, that’s not true. I like you for a lot of reasons. That’s the problem.”

And that was it. I was going to kill the bastard. “You son of a bitch!”

I didn’t realize I’d lunged until Libby had to use force to hold me back. “Adam, easy. Relax.”

Yeah, right.

I glared at her and she flashed me a small I-got-this smile, then folded her arms across her chest. She had to let go of me to do it, so I grabbed her by the belt loop of her jeans and pulled her back against my chest. I took a deep breath as I linked my hands around her. If I was holding her like this, I couldn’t pound the douche she was talking to. “Liking me is a
problem?
” she asked Owen once she was sure Owen and I weren’t going to tear each other apart.

Owen grimaced. He looked tortured, as if he knew his answer was going to get him in worse trouble. “It’s not ideal,” he finally said.

Libby stiffened, and I shook with the need to kick his ass. If I hadn’t been holding onto Libby, I definitely would have. “Screw you,” Libby said.

Owen let out a huff of air. “Cut me some slack, Libs. I’m just being honest. I can get any girl I want. Beautiful girls. Models with perfect bodies. Do you know the kind of shit I’ll get for having you as a girlfriend? But I don’t care anymore, because none of those other girls make me laugh the way you do. When we were together, you made me feel smart. And special.”

Libby didn’t miss a beat. “Yeah, well you made me feel like a pathetic whore. You made me feel ashamed of myself.”

Even though I’d already known that—had been the one to tell her Owen treated her that way—I couldn’t stand to hear her say such awful things, and became desperate to make her feel something good. Squeezing her tight, I kissed the side of her head. She patted my arms where they trapped her stomach. “It’s okay, Adam.”

“No, it’s not,” I growled.

“Yes, it is,” Libby assured me. “Because I don’t feel that way anymore.”

She spoke to Owen with an amazing sense of peace. “Thank you for finally realizing that I’m awesome sauce with a cherry on top.”

“Yeah, you are, Mad Libs,” Owen said, shocking me by sounding sincere. “You’re
unicorn
awesome.” He shook his head and his eyes softened, became pleading. “When you left me on prom night, I was pissed. I’d put a lot of thought and money into that night. I was tempted to find another girl to take out that night, but I didn’t want any other girl. I wanted
you
. Lately, you’re the only one I want. If I have to be exclusive to get you back, then I’ll be exclusive.”

I was going to be sick to my stomach. Owen was standing here with his heart on his sleeve, saying everything Libby wanted to hear. So far she hadn’t stepped away from me, but I couldn’t help fearing I was going to lose her again. It was prom night all over again.

Owen stepped closer with his hand outstretched to Libby, but at my glare, he dropped his hand. Still, the bastard had the balls to say, “Be my girlfriend, Libby. Maybe you won’t ever be the most beautiful girl in the world, but I can live with that. I need you, wildcat.”

I wanted to pick Libby up and carry her away. Pulling her a step back, I clung to her tightly, as if to shield her from him. “She said it’s over, asshole. You need to leave her alone.”

“Adam, it’s okay.” She twisted in my arms and leaned her cheek against my chest, sliding one of her arms around my waist. The move calmed me instantly, and I held her to me as if my life depended on it.

Still holding onto me, she looked at Owen and quietly said, “I’m sorry, Owen. You might want me, but I don’t want you anymore. I don’t want to be with someone who’s only settling for me because he likes the way I make him feel. I want someone who feels lucky to have me. Someone who thinks I’m beautiful inside
and
out.”

Owen flinched back, realizing the cold, hard truth that he was being rejected. The vulnerability only lasted a second before he scoffed bitterly. “Whatever. You’re not worth this bullshit, anyway.”

“Yes, you are,” I whispered as Owen stormed away. “You’re absolutely worth it.”

Libby shifted once more so that she was now pressed flat against me. I was surprised to see a grin on her face. “It seems Avery’s done it again. The Libby Garrett Intervention is officially a success. Thank you for your part in it, oh great spiritual guide.”

She slid her arms up over my neck, and my hands happily followed her lead, sliding low around her waist. I smirked as I pulled her to me as tightly as I could. “My motives were purely selfish, I assure you.”

My adrenaline had been through the roof since the moment Owen had shown up. As I lowered my mouth to Libby’s, I used all of that energy—all of that raw emotion—and channeled it into a kiss I hoped Libby would never forget. I’d wanted this girl for so long, and she was finally mine. I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity.