Flaw (The Flaw Series) (5 page)

“Oh, my God, no. You did not just actually pull over to let me walk.” She spits at me. “What kind of guy does that?”

“What the hell? You told me to.” What was I supposed to do? Drive her to school against her will? This is crazy. She stays put in my car, arms crossed, pissed off as all hell at me for doing what she told me to do. “So, should I continue driving to school?”

“Yes, you should continue driving to school. I’m not actually gonna walk,” she huffs. Her arms stay crossed. I drive off and after a few minutes of silence, she starts talking again. “I hate the way you treat girls.”

“I didn’t mean it.” I don’t even know exactly what I ‘didn’t mean.’ I wasn’t even that bad just now. I do treat girls like shit. I always have. They’ve always let me. Even my mom has always put up with an enormous amount of shit from me. I don’t know where I get it from, since my dad isn’t like this. “I didn’t mean to offend you,” I say.

“Pfft.” She lets out a noise, making sure I know she’s still aggravated. “I want to like you, but I gotta tell you, you make it hard.”

“Well, I want you to like me, too. I know I certainly like you.” The words just sort of come out on their own. Almost in the same way I would deliver a line to a girl. Only this time I mean what I said. Aidan pops into my head. I shouldn’t feel guilty. I said ‘like.’ No harm in the word ‘like.’

“Maybe I overreacted. Let’s just forget it.” She stares out the window. I keep the radio turned down.

“I don’t know what I want to do, what my dreams are. But it’s not accounting. What about you? Is your dream Art History?” I try and make up for ignoring her before.

“No.” Her laugh brings a smile to my face. “I like Art. All kinds. I’m taking a bunch of Art classes this semester. But I’m not exactly sure what my dreams are yet, either.”

“Know what I would do if I could? At least for now? Bartend,” I say with a chuckle. “It’s not that ambitious and my parents would probably freak out, but I think it would be fun. I think I’d be good at it, too.” I shake an imaginary cocktail in the air.

“Then you should do it. See if some place around here is willing to train you. Or else take a bartending class. If you’re serious, maybe I can talk to my friend Jordyn. Her dad owns Twisted, the bar by our house. I’m gonna see her today so I can ask.”

“Okay, yeah. Thanks. That’d be great.” I park the car and walk around to Becca’s side to walk with her. I’m not sure how long I’ll have to walk with her before she needs to go off in a different direction. “I’m sorry about before. If you want a ride home I can give you my number so you can send me a text when your class is done and I’ll bring you home.” This is odd behavior for me. But I actually care about how she feels and what she thinks of me. I don’t think I ever have before.

She takes out her phone to add my number and over her shoulder I see two familiar faces walking towards us. Two faces I’d like to just ignore: Ashley Simons and her goon boyfriend, Patrick Daniels. I don’t expect them to acknowledge me since neither of them is a big fan of mine. I hooked up with Ashley on and off in high school. Not some of my finer moments. The memory of Patrick bashing my face in reminds me of that. I keep my head down and finish giving Becca my number, hoping they’ll pass by quickly. No such luck. Patrick struts over and crowds me out to stand in front of Becca, with Ashley at his side. Both act as if I’m not even here.

“Becca? I thought that was you. How are you?” Patrick asks, his massive ape-like body planted in front of me, blocking my view. I can’t see Becca, but I do get a good view of Ashley and of how Ashley’s head nearly swivels off her neck when she hears Patrick say the name Becca. Ashley’s brown eyes bulge out of her head as she eyes Becca down from head to toe and then back up again.

“Patrick, oh my God, hi, I haven’t seen you in forever.” I see Patrick swoop down and Becca’s arms go around his neck for a quick hug. Ashley shifts nervously until a glance back at me, noticing I’m watching her, sets her composure straight.

“You look great,” Patrick says and pulls Ashley in close and introduces her. “This is my girlfriend, Ashley.”

“Oh, hi. Nice to meet you, Ashley. I’m Becca. Duh, he just said that, didn’t he?” Becca’s tone changes. A weird disconnected voice comes out. “You probably didn’t think I would have pink hair, did you? Well it was actually blue when I was with Patrick. So…it wasn’t pink.”

No one says anything. Everyone just stands there. I take the opportunity to walk around Patrick and grab Becca by the arm. “We gotta go. We’re gonna be late for class.” I usher her away from the couple and as soon as we are a few feet away, she bursts out laughing.

“How embarrassing was that?” she says gasping for air through laughs. “I can’t believe I just said that and acted like that.”

“It wasn’t that bad.” It was awful. Painful to watch but I’m not saying anything after what happened during the car ride.

“I just hadn’t seen him since we broke up and then I was surprised and he was with his new girlfriend,” she says with a groan, bringing her hand up to her forehead. “I could have said a million different things and I chose to say ‘uh, duh, my hair was blue.’” She sticks out her tongue and continues groaning. “I should have introduced you. He was introducing someone. I should have introduced someone.”

“Don’t worry. You were fine. And you didn’t have to introduce me. I know them, they’re no big deal.”

“How do you know them?”

“I went to high school with them. It’s funny that you used to hook up with Patrick, ’cause I used to hook up with Ashley.” I realize I’m following Becca towards her class, completely forgetting about my own.

Becca stops walking. “I didn’t just hook up with Patrick. He was my first boyfriend. I liked him a lot. It was kind of sad when we broke up.”

“Oh, do you still like him?”

“No, but it’s still weird seeing him with someone else. It wasn’t weird seeing Ashley?”

Only weird in the fact that I know she hates me. I tilt my head and shrug. We start walking again. At this point, I decide to walk her all the way to her class. I’m thinking about skipping mine. Maybe even dropping it. I don’t want to be an accountant. Maybe I’ll take Art History?

Becca pulls a tube out of her purse and applies a thin layer of shiny clear gloss to her lips. Smacking them together, she makes that same popping sound that she always does. My eyes stay focused on those kissable lips for a moment, then I force myself to look away. I can have any other girl. This one needs to be left alone. “Text me after class and I’ll take ya home.” I jog away in a rush to go nowhere, just away from her and those shiny lips.

Aidan

“Becca, you know I hate this kind of stuff,” I grunt into the phone. She’s putting me in an awful tight spot here.

“I know, but I told her I would be there and I’m stuck at work. It’s only for a few minutes because then Josh will be home and he’ll take over. That’s who she’s coming over to see anyway. She wants to meet him so they can talk about him getting a job at Twisted. Please,” Becca pleads, leaving me no choice but to agree.

“Fine, but Josh has ten minutes. That’s all I’m willing to entertain her for.” I look around the apartment; it’s not that bad. Living with a roommate has forced me into a somewhat neater lifestyle.

“Thank you. I love you. You’re the best.”

“Yeah, whatever, I’m the best. Just make sure he gets his ass home.” I hang up the phone and look for my sunglasses. I slide on a pair of mirrored aviators. I’m sure I’ll answer the door and spend ten minutes with a girl who avoids looking at me, all the while wondering why I’m wearing glasses inside. She won’t say anything, though. They never do, but I’ll know she’ll be thinking it. Hopefully the girl won’t show up on time and Josh will be back by then. He can take care of his own shit.

There’s a knock on the door. Of course, right on time.

I open the door, ready to begin the ten minute nightmare. In the dimly lit hall to our apartment I’m greeted by the whipping of long brown hair being swung around. A slow motion hair toss. I recognize her instantly, the girl from the shop, the one who tried to earn the label of “the nice one,” the one who was going to let me tattoo her.

“Hi, I’m Jordyn Sharpe. Are you Aidan?” She extends her hand out for me to shake and I nod my head, shaking her hand. I know she must recognize me from the shop. I’m not one of those faces people tend to forget. “Becca told me she wasn’t going to make it in time and Josh is running late.” Jordyn says, her hair still moving. She shakes her neck to toss the hair back and forth, then reaches up and slides a finger into the silky locks, tucking a strand behind her ear. Beautiful eyes stare right into my concealed ones. “Are you going somewhere?” she asks.

“No,” I manage to squeeze out.

“Then why are you wearing sunglasses? We’re inside and it’s dark.”

I’ve never had someone question me. I know even with the glasses on my scar is still extremely visible. Most people notice it right away and it shuts them right up, immediately feeling bad for the poor disfigured guy with the screwed up face.

“I feel more comfortable in them,” I say. Aside from the waist length, perfect flowing hair and the big amber eyes so filled with gold specs that they glimmer, her complexion is smooth and flawless. Perfect creamy skin and full round red lips. Polished business-like attire, white button down blouse, the first two buttons undone exposing more smooth skin and a strand of white pearls. She pulls down on her fitted skirt that ends right above the knee and brings two high heeled feet together, clicking her heels.

“May I sit?” she asks.

“Of course, please.” I should have offered that right away. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“No, thank you.” She looks directly at me. Taking a seat in Josh’s leather chair, she sits perfectly poised and straight, her legs crossed at the ankles. With her hands folded neatly in her lap, she gives me a polite smile. “Would you mind taking those glasses off? I find it very distracting to have you wearing them if we’re going to sit here and make small talk.”

My heart’s racing but it has been since the second I opened the door to this beautiful vision. I’m powerless and slide the glasses from my face. Even though she’s seen it before, I brace myself for her reaction. The drooping eye and the red jagged scar leading out of it. She’ll probably ask me to put them back on any second.

“Much better,” she says, easing back into the seat. “I feel like I can concentrate on you now and not my reflection.”

She seems relaxed. I’m anything but.

“How did your tattoo turn out?” I ask. “Did you get a pretty butterfly?”

“Oh, so you do remember me?” She grins, sitting back on the chair and crossing her long smooth legs. “I decided not to get the tattoo just yet. But it wasn’t going to be a butterfly.”

“No? Well, I guess you’re more of skull and crossbones kind of girl.”

“Maybe I am. I guess you’ll never know, being you turned me down.” She tilts her head and raises an eyebrow. She appears very comfortable in my presence. Even Becca wasn’t this comfortable when we first met.

I can’t stop my eyes from wandering down to her hip, the place where she wanted the tattoo. “Next time I won’t turn you down.” I’m unable to control the throaty way it comes out. Clearing my throat, I drag my eyes back up to meet her face. Who the hell do I think I am, flirting with a girl like this? Those days are long gone for me.

“You know, I think I would like a drink,” she says, smoothing her hands over her skirt. “Would you mind getting me a glass of water?”

In the kitchen I glance back and notice her exhale, letting out her nervousness when I’m not there to see it. Not quite as collected when she thinks I’m not looking. Her whole cool, composed demeanor around me is an act. I’ve got to hand it to her, it’s a good one. I give her a bottle of water. “Josh should be home soon. I have some work to do in my room, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Please stay.” Her fingers graze my wrist. The heart I’m fighting to slow down goes into over drive. “I’m sorry if I said or did something to make you upset. I admit I am a bit uneasy today. I had a meeting before and I’m all dressed up and in business mode. And now I’m here to meet Josh and discuss a position for him at the bar. It’s been a long day.”

“If I’m making you uncomfortable, just tell me. I have no problem waiting in my room.”

“No, not at all.” Her shoulders straighten. “Seeing you again threw me off.” She pauses. “Things don’t usually throw me off.”

Seeing her again is throwing me off too. I travel over to the fridge and take out a beer. I hold one up to offer her. She shakes her head no.

“What kind of meeting did you have?” I ask, twisting off the top, taking the first sip.

“The bar is looking to start having some live entertainment on the weekends. Offering gigs to a few different local bands. I met with some people to discuss the legal side of it. The boring stuff to most people but I enjoy it.”

“Are you studying to become a lawyer?”

“Getting there. It’s a long road.” She looks down at her phone. “Looks like Josh is running late. Maybe one beer wouldn’t hurt.”

I’m across the room and back with a bottle instantly. To my surprise Jordyn has moved over to the couch. Sitting down next to her I open the beer and hand it to her.

“Thanks,” Jordyn crosses her legs towards mine. Her luscious red lips wrap around the top of the long neck bottle. She’s very close and unlike the comfortable feeling I get when Becca sits this close to me, I feel my insides scatter, my heart vaulting into my stomach causing chaos.

We both start speaking at the same time, then stop and laugh. If I didn’t know better I’d think I was picking up a vibe between us. She slides off her heels, slipping her legs up underneath herself on the couch. “Is this okay?” she asks, running her hand down over the soft skin of her leg seductively.

“Very.” I hear my voice go deep and once again cough to clear it. “It’s fine.” Whatever seductive things I think she’s doing is clearly all in my head. Jordyn goes to say something but we’re interrupted by the front door being swung open.

“I am so sorry. Josh is running late and he’ll be in here in like five minutes, I swear.” Becca walks in panting and out of breath. She holds her arms up to me. “I tried texting you and calling you. Where’s your phone? Why didn’t you answer?”