Page 37 of Torn
Hmm. So she’s hawking on Tor’s brother. “I’m not sure,” I reply. “I see him at the shop all the time but I’ve never seen him with a girl.”
Rayne continues to stare, her green eyes sparkly with interest. “He’s hot as hell just like the rest of that clan. Find out for me, Kenzi. Tor will tell you anything.”
“Okay… I guess I could ask him.”
Sailor laughs. “Why don’t you just go talk to him? Don’t make her do your dirty work.”
Rayne playfully smacks him on the arm. “You be quiet. I’m too shy to just walk up to him.”
“You’ve known him forever. It’s not like he’s a stranger,” I remind her.
“I know… but I haven’t seen him in about two years. He probably won’t even remember me.”
Sailor and I exchange a glance and smile. There’s no way Tristan won’t recognize her. She’s not the kind of girl who’s easily forgettable, even though she’s oblivious to it.
Rayne grabs Sailor’s hand, diverting his attention from me. “Let’s go get some food. My brother makes a mean burger. You want to come, Kenzi?”
“No, I’m good,” I reply. “Nice meeting you, Sailor.”
“You too. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”
I nod hopefully as Rayne drags him up to the patio where my dad is manning the grill. After the stress of dealing with rumors about prom night all week at school, I still have no appetite for food. My stomach has been in knots from dealing with the whispers and judgmental glances.
I cross the yard and sit on a bench overlooking a stone water fountain my dad had installed last summer after I told him I love the sound of water. It’s right below my bedroom window, and being able to hear it when my windows are open is incredibly soothing. My father has always tried to create a calm, quiet, almost Zen-like atmosphere for us, which is odd considering he’s in a loud rock band and immersed in noise of some sort most of the time.
“I hope you wore that because you remembered.”
His voice startles me, and at first I can barely see him leaning against a tree about five feet away.
“Huh?”
He nods his head up and shifts his eyes to my head. “The hat.”
Oh yeah.My hand reaches up to touch the black beanie covering my head. I did remember, actually, that he said he wanted it, but I was expecting him to forget all about that conversation. Apparently, he didn’t. My heart twinges.
“Come over here, Angel.” His voice is transformed by the dusky night, familiar but tinged with a deeper, gravelly tone that makes my legs wobbly as I stand and walk over to him.
“What are you doing over here in the trees?”
“Watching you. You say you like being around everyone on bonfire night, but you always end up sitting off by yourself.”
“So do you.”
He smiles. “Guilty as charged.”
What we don’t say is we usually end up sitting alone together, one of us eventually going to the other.
“I came to get the hat you owe me for all the stuff of mine you’ve taken. Hand it over,” he says playfully.
“It doesn’t work that way. You have to take it yourself.”
“Fair enough.” He steps toward me and when he takes the knitbeanie off my head, a halo of staticky hair surrounds my face. His signature snarly but sexy grin takes over his face as he pulls my hat over his dark messy hair, which I’ve just noticed is not in a ponytail tonight, and I want to believe he left it loose for me.
“How do I look?”
He looks less like the man I’ve known my entire life and more like a dangerous stranger with eyes and a smile that could melt a glacier in two seconds flat.
“It looks good on you.”