Untouched (Bay Falls High, #1)(13)

He tried to get me into trouble and that backfired.

So screw you, dude.

I walked forward with purpose and lifted an eyebrow.

As I came around another bend I saw him standing there with a foot up on a stone bench in the middle of the garden.

He leaned on his right leg and looked like everything wrong that made everything right.

And all that did was make me regret not enjoying myself after Devin and I broke up. He was quick to do his thing and I was the one who felt so sad and messed up. I should have been kissing a hundred boys, amongst doing other things.

Now I was at the mercy of this killer cute guy smoking outside the school.

I reminded myself once again where I was coming from. That this guy was just some pretty rich boy.

“Thanks for getting me into trouble in there,” I said.

“What was the punishment?” he asked, taking his foot off the bench.

Standing tall, that v-cut shirt driving the v-part of mine crazy.

“Nothing,” I said. “Got out of it.”

“Oh yeah? How’d you pull that off?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I asked. “Maybe next time try harder. Or just leave me alone.”

I took a few steps and he blocked the way. “Not going to happen, love.”

“You know, the only thing you love is yourself. Right? Cool, tough guy. You don’t know anything about me. Who I am. Where I came from. Or that I’m not interested in anything to do with you.”

That was all the tough girl talk I could muster at the moment.

And it was draining.

It took all my might to not have my knees smacking together or have me sweating in uncomfortable places.

I told myself if I could just stand up to this guy he’d back down.

Instead of backing down he brought the cigarette back to his lips. He took a deep drag and held it for a couple seconds as he lowered his mouth down to my face.

I started to slink back but he was quick, putting his right hand to my back. His hand was big, fingers spreading wide across my entire back, holding me from getting away.

Just like on the beach with that other one, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t punch him. I couldn’t knee him in the balls.

I was frozen once again.

He gently parted his lips and the smoke hit my face.

That smell of the smoke… right up my nose, into my mouth, burning my eyes, engulfing my entire face.

And I just stood there taking it.

He exhaled so fucking slow. The cloud all around me. His hand against my back keeping me in place.

Then it was over.

It was done.

The smoke was gone.

I could breathe fresh air (even if my first few breaths were stained with the smoke).

And he was moving too.

The guy.

This guy.

“What’s your name?” I called out.

I whipped around and he just kept walking.

Going around the bend I had come from.

So I followed.

Against any sense of judgment that I should have had.

When I went around the bend to find sexy smoker (yup, that was his name now) he was already gone.

Which seemed impossible.

Unless he knew of a secret path or something.

Which was possible.

Because I was the new girl.

“Fuck,” I whispered.

“Lost, girl?” a voice asked.

I screamed and spun around, swinging my hand.

I finally got the nerve to do something.

Except when my hand connected with his face, it wasn’t the him I thought.

I had just slapped a complete and total stranger.





“I’m so sorry,” I said.

“Damn, girl,” he said. “Did I forget to call you back or something?”

“What?”

This new guy (like, seriously, where the fuck did they come from?) closed in on me.

He smelled like the beach. He had dirty blonde hair parted to the side and blue eyes that were innocent to adults and cruel to girls like me. A smile that filled up his face. Dimples that made my fingertips tingle to touch them. Wearing a short sleeved white shirt with the top three buttons undone to show off his bare skin underneath. Bare skin that was toned and cut meaning it should have been shown off.

“Where’s the fire?” he asked.

I blinked fast and shook my head. “There’s no fire.”

“You smell like smoke, girl.”

“That was…” I turned my head. “I… some guy was smoking.”

“And you were that close to him?”

“What? No. I mean, not by choice.”

“Damn. Sounds like a rough first day.”

“First day…”

“Don’t worry about it, girl,” he said. He touched my chin and winked. “Take a deep breath. Relax. It’s okay.”

I nodded. “Thanks. I’m Ti.”

“I’m Kip,” he said.

Finally, a name for one of these guys I kept running into.

“Kip,” I said. “Thanks for telling me your name.”

“Why’s that?”

“You wouldn’t believe me.”

“Whoa, whoa,” he said. “Don’t tell me what I believe or don’t.”