Page 26 of Lust For

I called her and told her the morning after I arrived that he was here. She’s been sending me little notes of encouragement on seducing him. Little did she know, I would do just that—without having to result to any of her tricks.

“He kissed me last night. At the fireworks.”

“Seriously?” She squeals so loudly into the phone I have to pull it away or I’ll go deaf.

“Easy there,” I say with a giggle.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t believe it. Really? Oh, my goodness, you have to tell me absolutely everything!” Her voice comes out in a rush.

I laugh. “Okay.” I fill her in on the funnel cake, the kiss, and how good it felt to have him against me.

“I’m so freaking excited for you. And now you’re going on a date with him? This is huge. I thought Derek would have second thoughts, and then you’d be having to convince him that, Ace’s little sister or not, you’re worth it.”

“I’m not totally convinced we won’t be having that conversation at some point. But for right now, he seems to be onboard with going on a date with me. So, we shall see.”

“What’s wrong?” She knows me so well. “I can tell by your tone of voice. It’s like you want to be excited, but you won’t let yourself. And now your voice is coming out all flat, when clearly you should be on cloud nine because you’ve wanted this boy since you could walk.”

I have wanted him for a long time, but it hasn’t been since we could walk. I met Derek Walsh when we were twelve. His mother moved to my hometown, Cary, when she finished up her latest stint in rehab. Something about a fresh start. Derek was none too pleased to have moved again. But him and Aiden became fast friends. Everyone did with Aiden; he was so warm and welcoming. I, on the other hand, was always shy. So, when I met Derek, it was a little bumpier than Aiden’s introduction to him.

I sigh, thinking back to that day.

It had been a normal summer day. I was out on the back porch, sulking. We were going to the beach house again, so I should have been happy. Most girls my age would have killed for a beach house in Corolla. But Emma and I had just been invited to Bree Summers thirteenth birthday party. She was one of the cool kids, and as we were going into middle school, Emma and I were determined to go to all the important parties. We wanted to start our middle school years out on the right foot. Well, my parents were on the verge of ruining that for me. Emma would still go, and of course I wanted her to, but I was just sad that I couldn’t go too.

“What are you doing here?” I asked the boy who climbed up our back steps. He looked all disheveled and like he could have been crying.

“Aiden here?” he asked. No hello for me. Just immediately wanting to know about Aiden, and it pissed me off.

“Who wants to know if Aiden is here?” I asked, getting to my feet. I placed my hands on my hips and stared him down.

He laughed, pushing his black hair from his eyes. “I’m Derek, his friend.”

“No, you’re not. I know all of Aiden’s friends, and he doesn’t have one named Derek.”

Derek chuckled again. “You must be the twin sister,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Oh, and you must be the new kid that moved next door to us, huh?”

“At your service.” He tipped an imaginary hat at me.

“You’re so weird. Who speaks like that?” I shook my head and moved toward the house.

“What’s up your ass?” he called after me, making me pause. He sounded so arrogant when he spoke. “You know, your brother is nice and friendly. But you, man! It’s like someone pissed in your cheerios.”

I whirled around, my eyes burning with fire. “I’m not sure who you think you are, but I don’t owe you an explanation for anything.”

He just laughed at me again.

“Why are you laughing at me?” I screamed and stomped my foot. This only caused him to laugh harder. “Stop it!”

“Okay, okay.” He held up his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry. I just think it’s funny. You’re cute, but you’re not at all like Aiden described you.”

“I’m sorry I can’t be on all the time. My parents just appear to be hell-bent on ruining my life right now.”

“How are they doing that? Are they making you move for the umpteenth time?”

I furrowed my brows. “No.”

His brown eyes turned sad as he sat down on one of the patio chairs, leaned back, and let his arms prop up his head. I watched his arms flex, and then my eyes did an exploration of the rest of his body. He had definitely been hitting the gym or working out. He was broader than the rest of the boys my age, and I could see his six-pack starting to form as his stomach peaked out from the bottom of his T-shirt.