Pretty Dark Nothing (6 page)

CHAPTER SIX

Kerstin delivered retribution sometime between the start of practice and Reese’s third lip-gloss application.

“Is it me, or has she gone a bit psycho?” Reese pulled the screwdriver from the side of the rear tire wall. The hole blew a raspberry as the weight of the car emptied the tire’s pressure.

“Great.” Quinn kicked the deflated rubber then circled the car, examining it for any more damage. “Know how to change a tire?”

“Yeah, flirt with a cute guy and let them offer to change it for you.”

Quinn surveyed the parking lot. Only a few cars dotted the concrete, and she recognized none of them. “Could this day get any worse?” Quinn dropped her bag on the concrete and pushed the key fob. The car tweeted as the locks clicked open. “I am too damn tired to deal with Kerstin’s crap.”

“Are you sure it was Kerstin? She left right before us. She wouldn’t have had time.”

True, and Kerstin wasn’t the type to get her hands dirty if she could help it. “Spring, maybe?” Quinn leaned over the seat, pulled the latch on the passenger glove box, and retrieved a small, leather binder.

“Does Spring look like the type of girl who knows what a screwdriver looks like? Although, she has been hanging around with Ricky Dupree a lot lately. Maybe she traded sexual favors with that tool for this tool.” Reese slapped the rubber end of the screwdriver into her palm for emphasis. “What are you doing?”

“Do you see any guys to flirt with?” Quinn flipped through the binder. Her roadside assistance membership card, pristine and unused, slipped free from its plastic case. “Hand me my phone, please.”

Reese pulled Quinn’s phone from her backpack and tossed it to her. “I wonder if Shonda’s left yet.” She grumbled.

Quinn glared at her.

“Guess I’ll make myself comfortable.” Reese settled on the curb.

Quinn typed her member number at the voice prompt and paced until an agent finally answered. “Hi, yes. I’ve got a flat tire. Westland High School student parking lot,” she explained. “They can’t come any sooner? Right. Thanks for nothing.” She hung up.

“What did they say?”

“An hour. Can you believe it?” Quinn kicked her backpack as hard as she could. It skidded a couple of inches, scraping across the asphalt and falling over with a thud. She winced and curled her toes inside her boot.

“Feel better?”

Quinn bent and rubbed her foot. “No. Worse.” She grabbed the screwdriver from Reese and twirled it between her fingers. “Maybe there are fingerprints on it.”

“Yeah, yours.” Reese pulled a dandelion weed from the crack in the asphalt and blew the white fluff into the wind.

“What did you wish for?”

“A cute guy to come and save us.” Reese grinned.

“This is real life, not a movie.” Quinn sighed, sat next to Reese, and picked a dandelion of her own. If this were a movie, Jeff would appear to tell her he’d broken up with Kerstin. He’d change the tire, rid her of the nightmares, and kiss her until her lips went numb. Happily ever after.

“I could always call my dad. He might be able to leave work a little early to get us,” Reese offered.

Jealous pain thumped in Quinn’s chest. At least Reese had a father she could call in an emergency. Who did Quinn have? Once upon a time, Jeff would have been the first person she would call. Now he would be the last.

Reese straightened, and her eyes went wide. “Or maybe we won’t have to.”

Two boys appeared from the natatorium and headed for a lone white Jeep in the parking lot.

“Only works in the movies, huh? Let’s see you make fun of me now, ye of little faith.” Reese stood and waved as if she were a drowning victim. When they didn’t notice her, Reese cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, “Marcus! Aaron!”

Marcus looked up and nudged Aaron.

“You can stop jumping up and down now. They’ve seen us.”

“Be nice, and remember to flirt.”

“Hey, Teresa.” Marcus annunciated each part of her name and winked.

“Oh, you can call me Reese.” She puckered her lips and flipped her hair, shamefully flirting. “We were looking for a couple of heroes, and then you two show up. Must be fate. Right, Quinn?”

Quinn didn’t feel like flirting; she didn’t even feel like being friendly, but she didn’t want to wait an hour for roadside assistance, either. She forced a smiled.

“We’ve run into a little car trouble.” Quinn leaned against the back of the Mustang and pointed down.

Aaron let out a low whistle.

Marcus bent to inspect the gash in the deflated tire. “Did your car lose a knife fight?”

“More like it got screwed.” The rubber handle of the screwdriver thudded against the asphalt as she threw it down.

“Whose Cheerios did you pee in this morning?” Marcus asked.

“Whose do you think?”

“Oh, She Who Must Not Be Named. That explains it.” Aaron ran a hand through his dark hair. “Do you have a spare?”

Quinn nodded. “Sorry, I know it’s not your fault.” She hit the trunk icon on the key fob, opened it, and bent over to move the jumper cables and emergency kit out of his way.

“I can do that.” Aaron reached for the lever to release the cover on the tire well and his chest grazed her shoulder, his breath warm on her neck. She blushed with the sudden thought of his lips on her skin.

He brushed past her again, and she took a deep breath before sliding out of his way.

“Give me a hand, Marcus.” He rolled the spare out, letting it bounce on the ground. “We’ll have you back on the road in ten minutes.” Aaron crouched to place the jack beneath the frame.

“You don’t have to do that; roadside assistance is on the way.” She twined a strand of hair around her finger as she watched them work. She couldn’t help but notice how his jeans hugged in all the right places. He was cute, in a rugged, brooding musician type of way. Fit enough, but not overly muscled. Jeff would crush him on the field with one tackle.

Aaron smiled up at her. She mirrored him then looked down and fumbled to pick up the screwdriver to keep from meeting his gaze. A nest of bees awakened in her stomach, buzzing with anger and confusion at her sudden interest in him. It’s not like she
liked
Aaron. What harm was there in checking out other guys? Guilt twisted in her gut. She still loved Jeff, and flirting with Aaron felt like a betrayal.

Reese rolled her eyes. “Yeah, in an hour.”

“An hour? That’s crazy,” Aaron said to Reese. “Call them back; tell them assistance has already arrived.” He pumped the jack with his foot.

“Better do it quick, too. Aaron and I are faster than a pit crew at the Indy Five Hundred.”

Aaron bent down again to help Marcus take the old tire off the rim. “Looks like multiple stab wounds. See?” He beckoned Reese to examine the tire.

Quinn crossed her arms over her chest and gawked at her best friend as she crouched next to Aaron, knee touching knee, exchanging flirtatious grins. Didn’t he know it was Quinn’s car, not Reese’s? Annoyed at being left out, she squeezed between Reese and Aaron to get a better look. He smelled amazing—of citrus and mint, fresh from the shower.

“Quinn?” Oh god, she was staring at him.

“I better make that phone call.” She stood quickly and dropped her phone in the process, but Aaron caught it before it smashed against the asphalt. His fingers grazed hers when he gave it to her. She shivered and pulled her hand away. “Thanks.” She smiled. Simple chemistry, the laws of attraction, that’s all it was. She was single. She could still be in love with Jeff and find another guy attractive.

“Are you sure this was Kerstin’s work?” Aaron asked Reese.

“She saw Quinn talking to Jeff earlier.”

Hello, I’m right here
, Quinn thought as Aaron focused all his attention on Reese.

“Oh.” Aaron stared at the ground.

Marcus switched the flat for the new tire, holding it in place for Aaron while he tightened the bolts on the wheel. Marcus lowered the jack, and they loaded the ruined tire into the trunk.

“That should do it,” Aaron said to Reese.

Part of Quinn burned with jealousy. “You really didn’t have to do that, you know.” Quinn tried not to sound as annoyed as she felt. Even if he did like Reese and not her, it didn’t give him the right to be rude.

Aaron shrugged. “It’s no problem.” He pulled a black plastic guitar pick from his pocket and rolled it between his fingers, avoiding eye contact.

“Thanks.” Quinn picked up her bag and threw it in the backseat.

“We’re heading over to Ray’s to grab a soda and some fries. Want to join us? Aaron’s buying,” Marcus said to Reese.

“Thanks, but we’ve got a lot of homework to do.” Quinn jumped in before Reese could answer. The last thing she wanted was to spend her evening watching two guys fawning over her best friend while she sat like a fourth wheel.

“Another time, maybe?” Reese opened the car door.

“Saturday night. Eight-ish.” Marcus winked.

“Another time was code for never.”

“Your loss, there are plenty of ladies waitin’ in line for tickets to the Marcus love-fest.”

“I’ve heard the reviews, I think I’ll pass.”

“Oh, Reese, that hurt.”

“It’s Teresa to you.”

“But you said I could call you Reese.”

Quinn watched Marcus and Reese banter while Aaron stared at her again. She dared a glance. His eyes caught hers, and heat rose in her cheeks. He frowned and looked away, breaking the connection.

“Let’s go, lover boy.” Aaron grabbed Marcus by the arm and dragged him across the parking lot. “See you tomorrow.”

“Bye.” Quinn wondered why he frowned and then wondered why she cared. She didn’t like him but couldn’t bear the thought of him not liking her. “Thanks again.”

“Reese, you know you like me!” Marcus yelled across the parking lot as Aaron shoved him into the driver’s seat of the Jeep.

“In your dreams!” Reese yelled back and slammed the car door, the final word on the matter. Then she let out a high-pitched girly squeal. “What a great guy!”

Quinn started the engine and cut Reese a surprised glance. “Who? Marcus?”

As if on cue, the white Jeep zoomed past them. Marcus honked and waved.

Reese blushed. “No! Well, he is kind of cute, but too weird for me. I’m talking about Aaron.” Reese flipped up the passenger mirror and checked her hair.

“He’s all right.”

“All right? Have you
met
the guy?”

Quinn turned right out of the lot, catching up with the boys at a red light. Marcus danced inside the Jeep, rocking it back and forth. He sang to Aaron using his fist as a microphone. Aaron pushed his fist away but Marcus kept coming at him until Aaron finally gave in. He sang back, punctuating each word with an exaggerated arm movement.

“I bet he has a sexy singing voice.” Reese sighed.

The light turned green, and the boys turned left as the girls continued straight.

Reese didn’t stop talking about Aaron the whole drive home. The way she gushed made Quinn roll her eyes. No guy was that great.

“Twice in one day. You should have seen it. The way he ran, pushing people out of the way to catch you in his arms before you crashed to the floor.” Reese followed Quinn through her bedroom door and plopped into the wicker chair, folding both legs under her. “Like Superman or something. Wow! I wish a guy would do that for me.”

“You’re exaggerating, Reese. Superman? Really.” Quinn tried to downplay the hero archetype in hope that Reese would stop talking about him.

“Well, you didn’t see it. You were totally zonked. I mean with a capital Z. No one else even tried to help. We just stood there like idiots while Aaron jumped to action. And when you called out for Jeff—”

“I did what?” Quinn’s blue eyes widened. “Please tell me I didn’t. You’re joking, right?”

Reese held her left hand up and placed her right one over her heart. “I’d never joke about that.”

“I really called for Jeff?”

Reese nodded.

Quinn flopped backwards onto the bed, covered her face with a pillow, and screamed. “I’m never going back to school.”

“Don’t say that. I can’t make it through senior year without you. Besides, there weren’t that many people in the hall when you, you know, took your little nap.” Reese got up and rummaged through Quinn’s open closet.

“Right, only a few dozen, plus Kerstin and Jeff. It might as well been the whole school.” Quinn raised herself onto her elbow. “Maybe there’s still a chance with Jeff. Did you see the green glow around him? Asking Aaron if he was my boyfriend? He couldn’t have been more jealous.”

“Be real. If he wanted to be with you, nothing would stop him.” She pulled a shirt from the metal rod. “Hey, is this new?”

Quinn nodded.

“Cute.” Reese pressed the red peasant shirt with purple embroidery against her body. She examined herself in the full-length mirror, raising an eyebrow in contemplation. “This would be so cute with a denim mini. Anyway, he’s been nothing but a jerk. Forget him. Let Kerstin have him.”

“Easier said than done.” Quinn joined Reese, sorting through the color-coded row of skirts. “Remember the first grade Halloween Carnival?”

“Yeah, I puked all over your shoes after riding the Ferris wheel. Good times.”

“Before that. Remember how Mrs. Jenkins dressed up as a witch and decorated the playhouse with spider webs and played that creepy music? You had to enter the house and take the candy from her bubbling cauldron. And that cackle. I was too scared to go in.”

“She was scary enough without the costume. Sorry, go on.”

“Jeff took my hand and told me not to be afraid. When I wouldn’t take the candy, he reached in to get the chocolate for me. He didn’t let go of my hand the whole night. He’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I want to hate him. I should hate him, but I still love him. I still feel like he’s going to walk through that door, grab me, and swing me around until we fall on the floor laughing. That he’s going to climb the tree outside my room and bring me pizza and mint chocolate ice cream when I’ve had a bad day. My head knows he’s with Kerstin now, but my heart can’t accept it. He’s my phantom limb.” She pulled a denim mini from the hanger and handed it to Reese. “I’m damn mad. At him, at Kerstin. I’m hurting more than you know. But honestly, if he came over and begged for my forgiveness, wanted to get back together, I would. I can’t just forget a lifetime of memories.”