Objective (Bloodlines #2)(8)

I banged my head off the steering wheel three times and chastised myself out loud for being such an enormous dork. I turned to the passenger seat to fish my keys from my purse so I could get the hell outta there when I realized my purse wasn’t on the seat like it should be. Three loud knocks on the window made me clutch my chest and scream like a little girl. “You left this,” Cane said through the glass while he dangled my purse in the air. I’m sure my face was beet red by then, again, but there was nothing I could do about it at that point. I opened the door and stepped out slowly.

“Welp. This day cannot get any more embarrassing,” I crowed nervously at him.

“What if I told you there’s a hole in the crotch of your pants?” he deadpanned. Panic shot through me as my eyes bugged out and I contorted my body to a weird angle to try to see the crotch of my pants. He was kidding, obviously. I looked up at him, horrified to see pure amusement dancing on his face. His ribs were shaking and I knew he was trying his best not to laugh out loud. I couldn’t take it anymore. A loud giggle bubbled up from my gut and burst out of me over all this ridiculousness. At my laugh he let his rumble out of him. His laugh was heartfelt and completely contagious. Moments later both of us were doubled over with laughter, struggling to catch our breath. The last thirty minutes had been nothing short of bizarre. All thanks to me of course. But somehow, he’d managed to make me feel okay about it instead of horrified.

“Thanks for making my shift entertaining.” He grinned and handed my purse to me.

“You’re welcome?” I’d offered, unsure.

“Maybe we could hang out sometime?” His eyes darted over my body, head to toe, as he said this, making me blush again.

“Um, sure. I mean, if you want to,” I lamely replied.

“I asked, didn’t I?” he retorted with a grin.

“You did. Yeah.”

“Okay, well, I have to get back in… but tomorrow - in History class - I want your number.” He smirked. Stunning me, he leaned in to kiss my cheek before jogging across the parking lot back into work.

“Yeah… okay,” I mumbled to myself. Aster was never going to believe this. I pulled my phone out and dialed her number, mentally reminding myself not to squeal when she picked up.





*****


The next day in History class, true to his word, Cane kicked John Edgecomb out of his seat next to me and plopped down, grinning. “Hey, Cypress. Think I could get that number?” Grinning like a fool, I’d grabbed his notebook off his desk and scribbled my number on the back cover. “There.” I handed it back to him.

“Everyone take your seats and let’s get started... who actually read chapter thirteen?” Mr. Eskilson bellowed to us all. I flicked my eyes over to Cane to find him watching me. I could feel my skin turning pink as he smirked at me instead of looking away. By the end of class I was a nervous wreck over the secret attention he was lavishing on me.

“Boy, Cy, you really don't like it when I check you out, eh?” he’d chuckled as we headed into the hall.

“I…uh…I’m not used to it?” I mumbled awkwardly. He grabbed my hand and laced his fingers through mine. My head snapped down to look at our intertwined hands. The gesture felt too intimate yet just right all at once. “Get used to it, Cy, you’re worth looking at.” I whipped my head back up to his face and despite my blush, smiled at him.

“I’ve never had a boyfriend. I wasn't allowed to date until this year,” I explained. I’m not sure why I told him this. It was embarrassing. I knew he’d been with girls, a lot of them actually, and I didn’t want to seem...inexperienced, even though that’s exactly what I was. But something about his face, the way he’d held my hand and the way he looked at me made me want to tell him everything about myself. He bumped my shoulder playfully and smiled wide. “I know.”

“You do?” My voice squeaked with embarrassment.

“Yeah, Cypress, I think everyone knows. Aster has a big mouth and there’s probably not a guy in our class that hasn't wanted to ask you out over the last three years.” His words shocked me. I knew I was pretty but I was also a nerd. I worked hard on my studies and read a lot. I’d only been to a handful of parties and even then Aster had to drag me to them. He was right though, my cousin Aster was boisterous and a loud mouth, but she'd been the closest thing I’d had to a sibling and I loved her to death. She was always telling me she wished she looked more like me and I would think she was on crack because she was stunning. Boys fell all over her and she fell all over them right back. I lived vicariously through her since my parents were so strict.

“Well I don’t know about that, but Aster does have a big mouth,” I giggled. We arrived at the door to my next class and Cane released my hand. I missed the connection as soon as he let go. I liked the way his large rough hand molded to my soft small one. He smiled at me and his eyes seemed to light up. “I’ll call you later, Cy,” he said as he turned to leave.

“Okay,” I’d mumbled softly.

“HOLY shit,” Aster barked, “was that what I think it was?!”

“What do you think it was?” I’d laughed and tossed my bag on the floor next to my desk.

“Cane f*cking Ash holding your hand and walking you to class!” she’d squealed.