Backdraft - The Secret Life of Trystan Scott #2 (4 page)

“You okay?” Trystan asked. His eyes found
mine and held my gaze gently, like he knew I was close to
tears.

Irritation and anger mingled together and
vaporized my resolve. It floated away like I never had any.
Trystan’s gaze was so convincing, which made it harder not to fall
for him. I spewed out the words before I could stop them. “Yeah,
fine.” My teeth bit into my bottom lip. I tried to shut up, I tried
to stop talking, but I couldn’t. “I just don’t get it,” I said,
arms flying around like a crazy person, my tone too clipped to be
fine.

Trystan leaned next to me and looked down
into my face. Those startling blue eyes were like twin pools. I
wanted to get lost in them. I wanted them on me and only me. “What
don’t you get?” he asked.

“How you can do that?” I squeak, unable to
keep my mouth shut. “How you can make everyone believe you’re
emotions are real, even when they aren’t? That kiss...” I shook my
head. My brain was telling my mouth to shut up, but it kept going.
My heart overpowered my head, like it usually did. Taking a deep
breath, the rest of the thought rolled out, “It makes it hard to
believe that you like someone else. That’s all.”

“Why does it matter, Mari? It doesn’t affect
you.” His words struck me like a blow to the cheek. I never
expected him to say it. Not to me. Not so callously.

“No, it doesn’t.” Sickened, I turned away. I
had to leave.
Now
. I couldn’t stand there another minute.
Trystan was all talk, all smooth lips, and smoother lies. I didn’t
want that from him. I thought I knew him and I didn’t. It felt like
someone was strangling me. I couldn’t stand it another second.

Trystan’s hand shot out and grabbed my wrist,
stopping me, “Hey, wait a second. Mari, what is this? You know
me.”

Heart pounding, I looked down at his hand and
then up at Trystan’s face. I wanted to say so many things, but the
only one I could manages was, “I’m not so sure anymore.”

He looked offended, dark hair falling into
his eyes, his lips curving into a confused expression, “What do you
mean? Of course you know me.”

“I’m never really sure if the guy I know is
the real Trystan or the act. You can put on a dazzling show when
you try. How I am supposed to know what’s real and what’s not?” I
couldn’t stop the words flying out of my mouth. It was like I was
running straight into a freight-train and hoping it would miss
smashing me to bits when it hit. I knew what he thought of me, how
he felt for me, and yet—I was standing there doing what? Demanding
more?

He’s not mine
, I reminded myself.
I
shouldn’t be so upset
.
It shouldn’t matter if he can
photocopy a kiss and give it to every girl in the school. Trystan
isn’t mine. His heart belongs to someone else, assuming he has a
heart at all.

Trystan shocked me out of my thoughts when he
placed his hands on my shoulders. A current ran through me. That
jolt laced around my throat, traveling down into my stomach, and
froze me in place. I couldn’t breathe. My brain was fighting it,
screaming for him to let go. I couldn’t take his touch and his
false sincerity.

Panic clutched me harder until I heard his
voice, “Look at me, Mari.” But I couldn’t look at him. Those eyes,
that gaze would knock the sense out of me. He continued, his voice
pleading with me, “You know me. I wouldn’t lie to you. About
anything. You know me better than anyone else. You always
have.”

I couldn’t help it. As he spoke, my gaze
lifted to meet his and once I did, I couldn’t look away. Trystan
stole my heart and I couldn’t take it back. Hope and dread mingled
together as his words washed over me. They were too easy to
believe. I wanted to believe him, but I couldn’t.

By the time I spoke, my voice was small, “I
don’t know.”

“Come to the prop room tomorrow with Tucker’s
pass. I’ll show you that I’m serious. Acting is acting. Brie
doesn’t have my heart. Someone else does.”

His words were like a foot to my stomach.
There was no air. I tried to cover it up. I looked away even though
I felt his gaze burning a hole on the side of my face. Tucking a
piece of hair behind my ear, I pressed my lips together trying to
find an answer that wouldn’t hurt me more.

Brie. He gave Brie my kiss. He kissed Brie
before. He slept with Brie
, I reminded myself. Closing my eyes,
I wished he was gone. I didn’t shirk him off this time. His hands
felt too good. They were strong and warm, holding me in place,
demanding something from me that I was afraid to give.

I babbled a few words that I couldn’t
remember saying even if I tried and then added, “I don’t know
anymore, but I’ll come. I’ll be there because of what happened
today.”

Because of what you did for me. Because of
your gaze in the closet. Because of the way you defended me to
Tucker. Because of the song that poured from your heart. Because I
heard it from your lips. Because I’m not sure who you are anymore
and I think I’m more in love with this version of you than the
last.

Oh God. Katie was right. He was going to hurt
me and I was giving him every means possible. I couldn’t stand it
anymore. Turning, I freed myself from his grip. When his hands fell
away, it felt like someone ripped off a piece of my heart. I walked
away leaving Trystan behind. For once, he didn’t say anything. He
didn’t bound up the hallway chasing after me. Instead he stayed
there, staring, speechless.

CHAPTER 5

~TRYSTAN~

“Well, that couldn’t have gone worse,”
Trystan mumbled, as he walked back into the theater. Running his
fingers through his hair, he pressed his eyes closed. There were so
many things he did that totally screwed his relationship with Mari.
It was like the whole relationship went up in a ball of flames
before he even realized he liked her—before he fell in love with
her.

Regret snaked through his stomach, as he
walked to a few rows behind Tucker and slouched down into a seat.
Within a matter of moments, girls he didn’t really know filled the
seats next to him. They fell from the sky like rain. They were
always there chattering. He was never alone, but he always felt
isolated. Trying to block out the chatter, he watched the beginning
of the third act on stage. Brie was sucking-up her lines and trying
to cover it by blaming someone else.

That’s when he finally zoned in on the
conversation going on around him.

The girl was saying, “I know, right? I heard
there’s a reward for the person who outs him.”

Trystan’s gaze snapped toward her, “Outs
who?”

Regan beamed, glad that he noticed her. Her
inky hair gleamed in the dim light, falling over her shoulders as
she leaned closer to him. “Day Jones. Who else? The guy’s a shadow.
Every time someone thinks they got a line on him, he vanishes.
Poof.” She lifted her hand, making the fingers of her fist fly
open. Her dark brows rose as if it were impressive.

Another voice spoke and Trystan turned to see
Jamie, a coppery-haired girl with olive skin. “There’s a reward,
and it’s huge. That rich dude said he’d offer a million bucks to
the person who finds him. Something about wanting Day to sing at
his kid’s birthday.” She shrugged like it was a normal thing to do.
Trystan never celebrated his birthday. Actually, he spent it as far
away from his dad as he could manage. It was a reminder of
everything they lost, of everything he’d never have.

Trystan’s skin prickled as ice filled his
stomach. He shifted in his seat, hiding behind that cool smile he
always wore. “Are you serious?” he was shocked, but he hid it like
he hid everything.

What the hell was wrong with people? Why
couldn’t they admire a song and leave a guy alone?

“Totally,” Regan replied. She laughed and
turned toward Tessa behind her. “Did you see that Day-Tracker site?
The one with all the leads and how they panned out?”

Tessa laughed, “Yeah, that was awesome,” she
leaned forward. “That last guy they tracked seemed like a good fit,
but in the end, it wasn’t him. I was totally hoping they’d find
him. I can’t wait to see what he’ll do—and what he looks like. With
a voice like that, he has to be hot. The shy thing just makes him
more appealing.”

“I know, right?” Regan smiled, nodding in
agreement.

“Hey, did you see the Facebook page for Find
Day?” Tessa continued, “It’s hysterical.”

Regan nodded, smiling huge. “I know right?
And the pictures were an awesome touch.” She turned to look at
Trystan, adding, “It’s like the ultimate Where’s Waldo of hot guys.
Girls have been uploading pics of what they think Day looks like
and where they think he is. I’m totally uploading my guess
later.”

“And, what’s that?” Trystan asked, a smirk on
his face. He folded his arms over his chest while they were
speaking and sat up a little bit. His stomach was tangling into a
knot. They were looking for him.

Regan giggled, “Well, with a song like that
there’s no question that he’s been playing for a long time. His
accent sounded a little Cajun, and based on the way he plays, I’m
thinking New Orleans.” She turned quickly and pointed a finger at
the others, “You better not steal my idea. Post your own city.”

“He’s
not
in New Orleans,” Tessa
whispered as Tucker looked back at them, a clear signal to shut up,
but they kept talking. “Cajun accent,” she mimicked and rolled her
eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you? He’s clearly from Long
Island. Did you hear the way he said his G’s?”

Regan contested, “Yeah, but he didn’t put W’s
in the middle of everything. There’s no way he’s from around there.
You’d hear it.”

“Scott!” Tucker yelled. “Silence your posse
or get out.”

Trystan stood, heart racing, all too happy to
flee. The girl’s looked up at him as he rose. “Mr. Tucker, you know
as well as I do that there’s nothing that will get them to stop
talking, short of the apocalypse, and even then I imagine that
they’ll be pointing out which zombie is wearing what, so I’ll take
you up on your offer and leave.” The girl’s watched him
slack-jawed, admiring him and then bursting into giggles at the
zombie fashion reference.

Trystan headed out the back door, his head
spinning. People were looking for him, trying to discover Day
Jones’ identity. The thought never occurred to him, not in his
wildest dreams. Dread pooled in his stomach as he walked to his
locker and opened the metal door. Staring into space, he wondered
if there was anything telling on the video—any signs of who he was
or where he was. Trystan admitted he wasn’t very careful. When he
made the video he was only thinking of Mari. He leaned his head
against the cold metal and took a deep breath. He’d have to watch
the video later to make sure there was nothing identifiable.
Although he’d done it already, he felt like there was something
there, something that would lead them to him. Trystan was certain
that their only real clue was the YouTube account and his user
name. Even if someone managed to track the IP address, it would
show his neighbor, not Trystan’s home. The thought still made him
squirm. That was too close.

Trystan grabbed his leather jacket and
slammed the locker door. As he headed outside, a cool burst of wind
caught his jacket and Trystan tugged it shut. Night was falling.
Practice was running longer and longer, as it normally did, up
until the day of the dress-rehearsal. Trystan walked down the
street. Car horns blared on the busy road next to him. The scent of
exhaust mingled with the crisp autumn air filled his lungs.

Passing store fronts, he walked to the diner
to meet Seth and his date. Trystan cringed inside. Maybe it
wouldn’t be so bad. He laughed hollowly. Yeah right. Knowing Seth,
there wasn’t really another option. He sighed, his breath coming
out in a white cloud. Sometimes he wished he had a different life,
a different father, a different past.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if people knew he
wrote that song, but the thought made him cringe. What would his
life be like if people knew he was Day Jones? What would they think
when they found out his mother ran out on him and that his dad
hated him? Trystan hung his head, his gaze intent on the sidewalk
in front of him. He could see it, picture it in his mind’s
eye—everything everyone ever thought about him was a lie. He wasn’t
anyone special. He wasn’t anyone at all. Revealing Day Jones’
identity would destroy him. It would strip away the little parts of
his life that mattered.

Frustration shot through Trystan. Moving his
feet faster, he came up with a plan for the date. He’d have dinner
with Seth, so he didn’t get grilled with more Mari questions, and
then get rid of the girl. There was no way he could feel okay. Not
tonight. Not after today. Everything had started off so promising,
before it derailed and turned to ash in his hands.

CHAPTER 6

~MARI~

Katie got my text and met me at the diner in
ten minutes flat. She must have hitched a ride, since she didn’t
have a car and there was no other way she could have arrived so
quickly. I didn’t expect her to get there so fast.

She slipped into the booth across from me,
gasping like she was out of breath, “What the hell happened? I ran
out after stuffing dinner down my throat. My parents think I’m a
lunatic as it is. After tonight, they’re gonna have me committed.”
I was near tears. “Awh, damn. It’s Trystan, isn’t it?”

I nodded and started spilling my guts,
telling her how that kiss felt—the way it seemed like it was
tailored just for me. Seeing him kiss Brie like that in front of
everyone, giving her my kiss, shattered the illusion.

“It was a lie,” I finished up, slumping back
in the booth, folding my arms over my chest. I let my dark hair
fall forward to hide my face and cast a shadow over the pain in my
eyes. “He used me. No—he was running lines. The entire thing was
fake and I was too stupid to notice.”