Lost in Starlight (Starlight Saga) (19 page)

The next day, Hayden and I have lunch together in the cafeteria. Determined to ignore all the inquisitive glances and critical whispers directed our way, I sit up straighter, my shoulders back. As if we’re rebelliously announcing to the universe that we want to be together no matter what anyone else thinks. Even if we have to keep up pretenses in public for now.

We sit far enough apart that it looks like we’re just friends having lunch together, but close enough to touch if we want. I have my calculus textbook open and my worksheets spread out, so if anyone looks over at us, it will just look like we’re studying together.

Yet every time I look at him, our gazes fuse with heat. And the way Hayden is staring at me, his eyes fiery and hypnotic, is sure to blow our cover. It’s impossible to concentrate on anything when he looks at me like that.

For a moment, I completely forget that we’re in the cafeteria surrounded by other students. I suddenly want Hayden Lancaster in a very primal way. For the first time in my life, I want to do naughty things I’ve only seen in movies or read about in books. But we can’t. At least not yet.

Those firm lips lift into an uneven smile—
oh
, his mouth is so damn distracting and makes me crave more of those sweltering kisses. I’m forever lost, looking at the incredibly hot boy who stares back at me with that impassioned look of pure want. My heart does a wild flutter, then finally settles in my chest.

Oh, man. I wonder if anyone would care if I took a cold shower in the girl’s locker room before my next class.

“Stop looking at me like that,” he whispers. “Or I might just grab you and teleport your cute ass back to my bedroom.”

My stomach somersaults. He wants me as much I want him.

I gasp, feigning innocence. “And what would you do with me, Mr. Lancaster?”

He grins wickedly, his expression heating. “More like what
won’t
I do with you, Miss Masterson.”

“Behave,” I say, lightly slapping his hand.

His burning gaze finds mine. “Never.”

We both crack smiles. I love this playful, mischievous side of him.

But our bubble of happiness bursts when I catch Zach’s hard stare from across the cafeteria, shooting missiles of hatred in my direction. His nostrils flare and his eyes flash. The unexpectedness of his glare takes my breath away. I lower my head and doodle a drooling zombie on my binder paper. I get that Zach thinks dating human girls is against his honor code, but dang, the boy needs to take a chill pill. It’s not like Hayden and I have decided to run off and elope.

“Hayden?” I open my Monster High lunchbox and take out my pastrami on rye and a juice box.

He swallows a bite of chicken nugget. “Yeah?”

I lean forward and lower my voice. “You never told me how those other hybrids or Agent Dixon knew about us.”

Hayden drops the half-eaten chicken nugget on his plate. “It must’ve been Zach who said something. But I don’t know
what
, and now he’s not talking to me. Must be the reason why my cousins came to Winter Haven for an unofficial visit.”

I glance down at the knotted fingers in my lap. “All because we’re friends?”

No response. His mouth presses into a hard line.

I wipe sweaty palms on my shirt and take a breath to slow my pulse. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve come to really care about Hayden. I love his fearlessness, his strength, and even his dogged loyalty to his family that I know will someday take him away from me.

I peek at him through my lashes. “I mean, everybody already knows that we went to that party together, but people go to parties with their friends all the time. And they’d assume our friendship is platonic, so what’s the big deal?”

He gazes at me with a stoic expression. “Please don’t worry about it or my eccentric relatives.” He clasps my hand, grazing my knuckles with his thumb for the briefest of seconds. All the muscles in my belly clench tightly. “My brother can be an ass sometimes. He’ll get over it.”

But I’m not so sure. His cousins didn’t look too thrilled about our friendship, either.

I sip my juice box. “What about Agent Dixon?”

“He’s kind of cool. I helped him out with something once and he owes me a favor. He does checkups on all the families in the Bay Area every six months.”

“What did you do for him?”

“It doesn’t matter and I don’t like discussing this stuff while we’re at school,” Hayden says quietly. “Do you mind if we change the subject?”

“Sure.” I fidget with a strand of hair, twirling it around my finger. “Um, I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”

He raises his brows. “Yes, Peaches?”

“Devin invited our club to his house this weekend to watch a zombie flick and all my friends are going. And I get that you guys don’t get along, but I’d like you to go with.”

“You really want to keep hanging out with that asshat?”

“Not really, but Devin’s never done anything to hurt me physically, and we’re in that club together. All my friends belong to it…”

He runs his hand through his long bangs. He looks frustrated, angry even. “Then why was he practically manhandling you the other day?”

“Devin’s got a stupid crush on me. Sure, he can be a jerk sometimes, but I really don’t want to start a big
thing
over it. Besides, there’ll be a lot of people around, including you, so he can’t try anything.”

He regards me closely, and then shakes his head. “Okay, then I’m down. Mainly because I don’t want him to have another chance to get you alone.”

A big dorky smile stretches across my face. “Awesomesauce.”

Hayden opens his mouth to answer, but just then Viola, Raymond, and Tanisha stride across the room to our table.

Hayden shifts in his seat and his leg bumps against mine. “Are they coming over here? I’m not sure your friends like me.”

I roll my eyes. “You don’t seem overly worried about your relatives finding out about us, but you’re actually stressing on my friends not liking you?”

“Well, when you put it like that.”

My crew sits down and make themselves comfortable. Raymond and Tanisha say polite hellos to Hayden, and then start eating their lunch.

“So are you ditching your old friends for new ones?” Tanisha asks, eyeing me.

“No,” I say quickly. “Hayden is just, um, tutoring me in calculus. My grade has slipped to a C and he offered to help.”

“Yeah, that’s what friends
do,
” Hayden adds.

“Okay! Don’t get defensive. I was just asking.” Tanisha shrugs and goes back to eating her lunch.

Viola smiles at me coyly. She’s wearing a red vinyl corset over a frilly blouse—so it doesn’t violate the school’s dress-code policy—and her black satin skirt sweeps the floor. “Hello, love birds.”

More like hybrids, but I don’t correct her.

I shake my head, frowning. “Cut the crap, Viola.”

She stares at me. Maybe she’s upset because she knows I’m not telling her everything about my friendship with Hayden. We’ve always been close and I hate keeping secrets from her, but I have no choice. This is super awkward. I don’t know what to do or say now. So I just sit there and thrum my fingers on my knees until a few uncomfortable seconds pass. I can’t stand this weird silence.

“Play nice,” I whisper to my best friend, and then shake my head at her in a
please back off
gesture.

Viola relaxes her posture, but still looks intrigued. Crap. I’ll have to spill some harmless details later.

“Sloane invited me to tag along to Devin’s movie-fest this weekend,” Hayden says casually, breaking the tension. “I don’t really know too many people here so I thought I’d go.”

“We’d love to have you.” Tanisha elbows Viola in the ribs. “V is coming with her new boy-toy, Brendan.”

Viola rolls her eyes. “Stop it. He’s cute and we like the same bands. It’s not like we’re getting matching tattoos.” She focuses on me with a teasing look. “So, Sloane, you’re actually bringing a date?”

“No, she’s bringing a friend, that’s
all
,” Hayden replies.

He has effectively slammed the door shut on that complicated subject. I know we’re still an ‘us,’ but we need to be cautious in public. Which majorly sucks.

Chewing a strand of hair in my usual nervous habit, I mutter, “What’s the big deal?”

“Nothing. The more the merrier,” Viola says, and shifts toward Hayden. “Are you into zombie films like Sloane?”

Hayden reaches across the table and places his hand over mine for the briefest of seconds, immersing me with a feeling so warm and peaceful, my entire body slowly unwinds.

“I prefer science fiction.” He winks at me, sharing our own private joke. “But I like all genres.”

Raymond slings his arm around Tanisha’s shoulders. “That’s cool.”

Viola takes a potato chip off Tanisha’s plate and crunches into it. When she reaches for another, Tanisha swats Viola’s chip-stealing fingers away from her food.

“After the movie, let’s all go dancing at Club Nocturne.” Viola tilts her head in Hayden’s direction. “Whaddya say, Lancaster, you in?”

“If Sloane wants to go—I’m game.”

I swallow a not-quite-chewed chunk of lunch meat and almost choke. “Fine with me, but please don’t tell Devin, it’ll just be all kinds of awkward.” I explain how the creepazoid gripped my arm all possessively—leaving a few bruises—and visually molested me.

They utter angry grunts and appalled groans. It makes me feel better knowing they’ve got my back. That Viola, Raymond, and Tanisha are my closest friends. But it sucks keeping secrets from them. Big fat alien hybrid secrets.

“Devin is a total creeper,” Tanisha says, peering through her dreadlocks, their unevenly cut tips ending shy of her bright red lips. “You should’ve had Hayden open up a can of whoop-ass on him.”

Viola snatches one of Hayden’s chicken nuggets off his tray and bites into it. He glances at her in surprise.

I smile.
The lunch vulture strikes again!

“Actually, he showed up and told Devin off,” I admit, pulling the crust off my sandwich.

“Except I’m
not
some superhero coming to the rescue. I just don’t like it when people are rude to my friends.” Hayden chews his food slowly and avoids looking at me.

Viola is smiling in a way that makes me feel like she knows every single one of my innermost secrets. Gulp. I turn away and sip my juice.

“I can have Raymond talk to him. Right, babe?” Tanisha says.

“Sloane doesn’t need me to fight her battles. She’s got it handled,” Raymond replies.

“That’s right!” Viola points a partially eaten nugget at me. “You need to start being meaner to that jerk, Sloane. He needs a karate chop to the throat, if you ask me.”

“I guess.” I crumple my napkin. “But he’s the editor of the
Haven Gazette
, and I don’t want to make things weird between us when we have to work together.”

Viola rolls her eyes. “Why are some boys such idiots?”

“Genetics.” I shrug. “Sometimes they outgrow it.”

Hayden drops a heavy arm around the back of my chair and his musky, spicy cologne wraps around me. “As long as I’m around, she doesn’t have to worry about guys like Devin anymore.”

I cast a glance at...my secret boyfriend? My stomach flutters. I feel completely safe. With an alien half-breed. Go figure.

Viola puckers her lips. “Well, well, isn’t that all caveman of you,” she teases Hayden.

He beats on his chest with one hand. “Me keep female safe.”

Everyone laughs and goes back to eating their lunch. Thankfully, my friends have embraced Hayden and everyone seems to be getting along. If I want to be in a relationship with Hayden, then I need to be on good terms with his family, too. Now if I can just work on winning over Zach, and Hayden’s judgy cousins, life will once again go back to being relatively normal.

I spot Devin walking into the caf and staring in our direction with wide eyes. Hayden notices him too and shoots him a death glare. Ducking his head, Devin takes his sack lunch over to another table where some boys are playing chess. Good.

Turning, I catch Hayden’s stare. His gaze is so heavy, warm, and tantalizing, it makes me want to jump his bones right here. Being this close to Hayden is like sitting in front of a mound of Godiva chocolate, and not being allowed to eat it. Too much freakin’ temptation.

I hazard another glance at Zach, sitting with his basketball teammates, and cradling a ball. My lustful thoughts vanish. He’s slumped in his seat and glaring at Hayden’s back. I have no idea how to smooth things over with a hotheaded crossbreed, but I have to find a way if Hayden and I are going to be together.

I rub my temples. No ready answers come to mind, but quite a few questions do.

What did Hayden do for Agent Dixon? Mystery.

A way to convince Zach I’m not the enemy? Mystery.

The hybrid cousins’ real motives? Mystery.

That’s why I like the horror genre. It’s so straightforward. In every plot it’s the same—kill or be killed. Sadly, life is never that simple.

In school, I’m totally distracted in class and barely take any notes. Every secret moment I’ve spent with Hayden has been etched upon my heart permanently. I’m preoccupied with fantasies about him, and I can’t help imagining my hands caressing his broad shoulders. My fingers stroking that warm flesh. Those velvety lips against mine—

“Listen up, class!”

My daydreams are rudely interrupted by my AP English teacher, Mr. Cooper. He has a medium build and shaggy hair, and a commanding voice that captures the room.

In his hands is an old leather book, which Mr. Cooper recites from, “Oh, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father, refuse thy name, thou art thyself not a Montague. What is Montague? Tis not hand, nor foot, nor any other part belonging to a man. What’s in a name?” Mr. Cooper stops reading and looks at the class. “Shakespeare often embedded sonnets in his plays, so I want everyone to write a ten sentence poem in iambic pentameter based on Shakespeare’s play,
Romeo and Juliet
as your last big assignment. You’ll each take turns reading them aloud over the next six weeks.”

I slump in my seat. No need to go all “10 Things I Hate About You” with the homework and make us write corny poems because it’s close to the end of the year.
Meh.

And read them aloud to the class? Seriously?

No. Thanks.

I think about how strange it is that the assignment resembles my own pitiful love life. Like doomed lovers, Hayden and I are forced to hide our feelings for each other at school. Very
Romeo & Juliet
-esque.

All of my morning classes drag, and I drift through them in a numb fog. Daydreaming in fourth period, I picture myself like one of those women in old black-and-white movies collapsing on the sofa in need of smelling salts because their true love has abandoned them. A bit overdramatic, but still entertaining.

Surreptitiously, I pull out some Belgian chocolate from my purse, pop it into my mouth, and savor the taste. It’s like a dose of sweet, delicious crack and instantly brightens my mood.

By the time the lunch bell chimes, I’m having major Hayden withdrawals. Might need those smelling salts after all.

To my surprise and delight, I find Hayden waiting for me outside my classroom. He sidles up to me, and we walk to the lunchroom.

“How about I buy you lunch today?” he offers with a smile.

“Fine with me. I woke up late and forgot to pack something.”

“Excellent.”

Hayden leads the way into the line, glancing at my face every few seconds, his expression unreadable. The atmosphere is swollen with the aroma of cheese and pepperoni, mixed with riotous echoes of talking and laughter. It seems everyone’s chatting about the upcoming spring break and the big school dance, which makes me hope Hayden will ask me to go. I wonder if we can dance together without arousing suspicion.

I wave at Viola, who’s reading a book and nibbling on Raymond’s food. The gang is all there.

At the counter, Hayden grabs a tray and places two small plates on it. We get two slices of pizza, sodas, and chocolate chip cookies. Hayden pays for our food, and then he bypasses my friends and directs us to an empty table near the windows, which is fine with me since I don’t feel like joining them today. I need some alone time with Hayden.

From another table, Emma and Kaitlyn gape at us as we sit down. Everyone seems to be staring. Hayden, the quiet loner, talking to Sloane, the purple-haired queen of the geeks. We do make an interesting, gossip-worthy pair. Fortunately, Zach and his crew are ignoring us. Maybe Hayden’s younger brother has given up on trying to keep us apart. But then I look up and Zach skewers me with his icy stare. Guess not.

So. Much. Drama.

“I really wish your brother would stop hating on me,” I say.

Hayden takes his slice of pizza from the tray and bites off a mouthful. “We’re only a year apart, but you’d think he was the older sibling the way he looks out for me.” He shrugs. “Zach’s got major trust issues.”

“Ya think?” I crack open my diet soda. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“Good idea.” He takes another big bite of pizza. “You seem kind of down today. Long morning?”

“More like majorly sucky.”

“Talk to me. I don’t know what’s wrong, but maybe I can help. Is it Devin? Has he been bothering you again?”

“No…I just can’t
wait
to graduate. Reviewing horror movies is a whole lot easier than high school.” I proceed to tell him about Mr. Cooper’s lame English assignment.

“It sounds kind of fun.”

“Easy for you to say, Boy Genius. I stink at writing sonnets.”

“I can always teleport your English teacher to an exotic location, if you’d like,” he says with a twinkle in his eyes.

“No, thanks. But I’ll keep that in mind.”

“So, Devin’s been leaving you alone?” His voice is tight, movements stiff.

I take a gulp of soda and lick the bubbly liquid from my upper lip. “Yup. I think he’s finally taking the hint that I’ve got
you
watching my back.”

“Bet your sweet ass.”

As if to prove it, he reaches under the table and his thumb lazily strokes the back of my hand for a few precious seconds. My breathing accelerates. How does he do this to me? He’s only touching a small area of my body, but my entire being thrums with awareness and the feeling spreads over my skin.

I stare at him. He’s so gorgeous—the sharp angles of his face, his smoldering gaze, and those full lips pressed together with concern for me. I don’t want to stop looking at him for even one solitary moment despite how inappropriate the moment is for gawking.

Wild, sexy fantasies enter my head filled with images of kissing, touching, and other naughty things. My gaze lingers on his mouth...

Stop!
Enough with the dirty thoughts.

I have to remind myself that we’re in a busy cafeteria, with nosey onlookers observing us. It’s so natural to become completely engrossed with each other, as if we’re ensnared in our own little world.

Emma glances over at us, and I jerk my hand from his.

“Sloane?” Hayden asks.

“Yeah?”

“You’re not eating.”

I take a huge bit out of my cookie. “Now I am. Happy?”

“Yup. But next time you’ll get a spanking.”

I snort. “You’re so bad.”

His eyes flash with a wicked gleam. “What can I say? I’ve
always
been bad.”

“Too modest.”

“That’s me.” He cracks his knuckles. “Hey, do you have any plans tomorrow night?”

“Nope. Why?”

“There’s an old drive-in movie theater in Oakland that has all you can eat popcorn. They’re having a special horror night and I thought of you.”

A secret date with Hayden?
Yes, please.

“Are you inviting me? ’Cause I accept!”

He laughs. “Cool. Then I’ll text you the instructions.”

“Instructions?”

“I can’t pick you up at your house in case we’re seen or followed. We have to do this under the radar.”

“Whatever you say.” I glance over my shoulder, making sure no one else is within hearing distance, then lean closer. “Hayden, there’s something I’ve been curious about…when did you find out that you were, you know,
different
?”

Hayden scratches his cheek. “Um, I was about nine and had teleported into the kitchen, scaring my mother half to death.” He chuckles at the memory. “She sat me down and tried to explain that I couldn’t use my powers in public. My brother and I were just kids...and sometimes we screwed up. That’s why my family ended up moving around a lot.”

“Where did you guys live the longest?”

He looks away. A muscle twitches in his cheek. “Here.”

Nervous fluttering pricks my chest. “I don’t want you to go anywhere.”

“Me either.”

“Then let’s make sure you stick around this time.”

Like forever.

“We need to make sure Devin doesn’t run that bio or the hacking story in the school paper,” he says, his gaze defiant. “So I don’t have to move again.”

I swallow hard and glance at the table where my friends are seated. Devin is scowling at us and looking all butthurt that I’m sitting with Hayden today. I’d feel bad for him, but the guy’s lower than pool scum.

“I’ll find a way to get him to back off. I promise,” I say. “But it won’t be easy.”

Hayden and I finish eating our lunch and talk about various comics that we’ve enjoyed until the bell chimes. We gather our stuff and walk to class. Since we have calculus together, Hayden and I take seats by each other in the back. My heart beats faster when I look into his eyes. The other girls are probably drooling over him like I used to do every day before we hooked up. And the stolen moments we have together seem all the more precious because they’re so rare.

He leans closer, and I think he’s going to kiss me right here in front of everybody, but he doesn’t. “I can’t wait until tomorrow night to be alone with you,” he whispers. “So, what’re you doing tonight?”

A frisson of anticipation runs through my body. “No plans.”

“Good. I have a surprise for you.”