Reason and Romance (River Valley Book 1) Read online

  Her smile never wavered, but her nails dug hard into her palm once again. “I don’t have any complaints either. You’re good.”

  Alex reached for a muffin, wrapped it up in a napkin. “Oh, I always am.”

  She nearly forgot her composure. Oh yes, she had played it exactly right by subtly informing him she wasn’t looking for a repeat performance. Now he believed she didn’t give a damn about their one-night stand, and if that hurt his ego, so much better for it.

  He got up from the table in an easy motion, but when he crossed over to her side, she arched an eyebrow in a silent inquiry. What did he want now? Then her curiosity transformed into alarm when he bent down as if he meant to kiss her.

  Now her heart was beating.

  “For the record,” Alex said very softly, his breath brushing her earlobe, his hand on the back of her chair, “you were good too, Adrian.”

  She didn’t speak because she literally couldn’t think of anything to say, so she just let her cool smile speak for itself.

  Even after she heard his car pull out of the driveway, she sat there at the kitchen table with an uneaten muffin falling to pieces. The dreaded “morning after” part was done and over with. Now, if only Alex would keep his mouth shut, she would be content.

  Suddenly desolate, she closed her eyes. She didn’t move until she heard her father and Karen come downstairs. Then she squared her shoulders and plastered a smile over her face.

  She was Adrian Blake, and she could handle anything and everything.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  She was a hot gossip item. She’d anticipated it, but even she didn’t expect people to be openly staring when she emerged from her car on Monday morning. It was as if there was an invisible letter stitched across her shirt because they didn’t bother lowering their voices as she made her way over to the school building.

  “Do you think she really slept with him?”

  “Oh, she’s so dead. Mandy’s going to kill her.”

  A muscle in her jaw tightened. The only saving grace was that Nicky had hitched a ride with Alex, so she wasn’t hearing any of this. Would he even get castigated for hooking up with Adrian? Oh no, Alex would probably get lionized for banging yet another girl and adding a notch to his bedpost. It was the good old double standard at play.

  “How could she sleep with him behind Mandy’s back?”

  That comment hit a little too close to home. From what she’d seen in the last few days, the redhead didn’t seem to have any friends outside Alex’s circle, if even that, but now everyone was suddenly rallying for her cause. Or rather, rallying against Adrian.

  The sharp squeal of rubber had everyone looking up, Adrian included.

  A red Maserati roared into the parking lot. It wove in and out of the line of drivers hunting down open slots and then slashed across the path of the car in the front. Students, who were still walking to the school, scattered like birds. With a final screech, the Maserati swung into the closest available spot. There were skid marks all across the asphalt.

  It didn’t surprise Adrian when Quentin Maxwell emerged from the driver’s side with a wide grin. Nor did it surprise her that he had a vanity plate that said: SXY Q. She’d never met someone so unabashedly in love with himself.

  His dark eyes lit up when he saw her on the sidewalk. “How is our little vixen this fine morning?” he shouted across the parking lot.

  It was oh-so tempting to flip him the bird. Was there anyone who hadn’t heard him?

  Even worse, she couldn’t actually give him the finger because everyone was looking at her and because it would inevitably cause yet another scandal she didn’t need. So she did the only thing she could do: walk to the building as if she hadn’t heard him. Head high, shoulders straight.

  He chased after her anyway. “Vixen!”

  Resigned, she stopped. “What do you want?”

  “Sex and more sex.”

  “Can’t help you there.” She stepped around him. Maybe she would just retreat to the girls’ restroom until it was time for Mr. Melbourne’s class. Five minutes and she was already exhausted. “Run along and harass someone else.”

  Quentin threw an arm around her shoulders. “Right after I talk to you, darling.” The gleam in his dark eyes forewarned what was coming next. “So did you sleep with Alex?”

  She’d expected the question, yes, but even so, her stomach tightened painfully. She wasn’t allowed to forget her biggest mistake, was she? Getting away from Jason’s presence was one thing since he wasn’t physically here, but Alex would always be here. One glance at the parking lot confirmed the presence of that black car in its usual spot. How was she supposed to look at him and not remember what they’d done together? It had felt too good, and maybe that was the problem.

  “Cat got your tongue?” Quentin said with a grin. “Or did Alex get yours?”

  Adrian shrugged him off. “I’m surprised you don’t already know. Why didn’t he tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  It was a good thing that Quentin didn’t have his arm around her shoulders anymore because her muscles were suddenly tense. It sounded as if he was fishing for information, but surely that was impossible. He was one of Alex’s best friends. But what if Alex hadn’t told anyone about that one-night stand?

  Hope leapt in her heart. Could there still be a way out of this miserable situation? If Alex kept his mouth shut, no one would ever know one way or another.

  “Shame,” she said. “I thought you were in Alex’s inner circle, but I guess not.”

  “Oh, my social position’s secure enough. We’ve been best friends since kindergarten.”

  “How touching.” She pretended to shade her eyes and search the parking lot as if waiting for someone. The other kids really were gawking at her, so it wasn’t just her imagination. Who knew what they were saying? Would Travis even talk to her today? “Maybe I’ll find Justin instead. He doesn’t bore me as much.”

  He put a hand over his heart. “Ouch! That hurt.”

  “Unfortunately for you,” Adrian said, “I don’t care about your feelings. That’s the nice thing about being the school bitch, Maxwell. I don’t have to worry about liking you or flattering your ego because otherwise? You aren’t that impressive.”

  Quentin blinked twice. He wasn’t as outwardly controlled as Alex, so she had the distinct pleasure of seeing him rock back a bit on his heels. Oh, why had it taken her so long to put him in his place? Now she had finally paid him back for his rude behavior.

  “Goddamn, you really are a bitch,” he said.

  “Always. Run along.” She fluttered her fingers.

  “I don’t get it.”

  They were almost at the school’s outer doors, so Adrian only had to walk away and leave him there, but she still had too much time to kill before getting to AP English. She really didn’t relish the idea of sitting in the classroom under the scrutiny of her classmates, all wondering if she’d slept with Alex.

  “Don’t get what?” she said.

  Quentin’s dark eyes were searching her face. “What is it with you, Adrian?” And maybe because it was one of the few times he’d so used her name without his customary leer, she listened. “You’re hot as hell, but you don’t let anyone get too close. The only person I’ve ever seen you talk to is that stoner. A girl like you, I figure you can have the school eating out of your hand if you want. So why don’t you?”

  What was he talking about? He had been the one to insult her with that stupid “bang her like a screen door” comment, not the other way around. He hadn’t invited her to hang out with him—that had been Justin. And what did Quentin mean by saying she could have the school eating out of her hand? Back at home, she hadn’t been unpopular, but neither had she been the most popular girl. She’d simply been one of the socially accepted people that everyone knew. Jason had been the outgoing one instead.

  “Travis may be a stoner,” she said, “but I owe him for telling me about that party. If not for him, I wo
uldn’t have known.”

  “You don’t owe Cates anything! You’re Alex’s future stepsister, or did you forget? Normally you’d have been invited.”

  “One more word about Travis, and this conversation ends.”

  “Whatever. My point still stands. That party—now that’s what I’m talking about. You were the center of attention.”

  Now Adrian couldn’t resist laughing. “Is that so?” she said wryly. If she’d shown up wearing a T-shirt and jeans, she wouldn’t have garnered the same level of attention. “See what that gets me now. People think Alex and I slept together. Mandy’s probably out for my blood.”

  “So you’re denying it?”

  Something about that smile put her on her guard again. “People are so gullible. Don’t tell me you are too.”

  Amusement sparkled in his dark eyes. “If you really believe they didn’t see the way you and Alex looked at each other at the party, you’re deluding yourself.” He slung an arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the doors. “And like I said, I’m his best friend. So, yes, I did ask Alex if he’d slept with you. He said no.”

  Sheer relief swept over her like a tidal wave. If not for the fact Quentin was watching her closely, she would have staggered and lost her balance. Alex really wasn’t bragging to his friends about how he’d banged her? No sexual performance rating? No juicy step-by-step descriptions?

  “And?” she said coolly.

  Quentin waggled his eyebrows. “I didn’t say I believed him. The gentleman doth protest too much, methinks.”

  “Cute.” She headed toward the doors. “I almost feel sorry for Alex. With a best friend like you, who needs enemies?”

  Maybe her voice was a little sharper than she’d intended because Quentin angled his head and considered her for a moment. He wasn’t half as good-looking as Alex since his features lacked symmetrical perfection, but when he flashed a brilliant grin that could have knocked out the sun, she could see why he attracted more than his fair share of girls.

  “Oh, I can be a very good friend, sweetums.” He opened the door and gestured her to precede him. “And as a show of my good faith, I’m telling you it’s all over the school that you allegedly slept with Alex. You have Vaughn Mackintosh to thank for that.”

  Her mind flew back to that blonde who’d approached her at the party. So she’d been right to be wary after all.

  “How are you going to spin it, Adrian?”

  “If there’s nothing to spin, why should I?”

  “Denying it, are we?”

  “Or it just means the sex was so mediocre that there’s nothing to spin.”

  Quentin burst out laughing. It was an action that transformed his face because, all of a sudden, he was five times more attractive.

  “You may be a bitch, but damned if you don’t have style.”

  The AP English classroom fell eerily silent when she walked inside. Or rather, the lack of noise and chatter slapped her in the face. Even as her mind registered the quiet, she knew what had caused it.

  Alex’s eyes were hooded as his gaze flickered over her and Quentin. He was sprawled in his seat like a lazy jungle cat, but the strained expressions and the tense body language of the students around him told the true story. Somehow Alex could make his mood known without lifting a finger or saying a single word. And for whatever reason, he wasn’t in a particularly good mood today.

  Well, it wasn’t her problem. Right now they were all watching her to see how she’d respond. She went straight to her desk. Since the teacher had so thoughtfully placed her in the front where anyone could stare at the back of her head, she could practically read into their silence.

  Did she really sleep with him? That’s a sick thing to do. Aren’t they going to be stepsiblings? Oh man, Mandy’s going to kill her …

  It was almost a relief when Mr. Melbourne started talking. “What do you think of the symbolism in the last chapter? Let’s hear it, guys.”

  He didn’t look surprised when no one raised a hand. It was, after all, Monday morning. And no one was surprised when his gaze fell onto Adrian. “Ms. Blake, I assume you did the reading. So what do you—yes, Mr. Maxwell?”

  Curious, Adrian turned her head. Quentin usually spent his time cracking jokes with Alex and his friends. Either that or he napped. She’d never seen him with an open notebook, but here he was, with a hand in the air.

  Quentin winked at her. “I thought the symbolism was particularly inspired, especially with the use of the characterization …” He launched into an explanation that left no doubt that he’d read the book. Or at least the abridged version.

  The teacher seemed torn between suspicion and gratification. “An enlightened opinion, Mr. Maxwell. I hope we hear more from you. We haven’t heard from you yet, Ms. Blake. Do you agree with his—”

  He broke off again because Justin Latimer jumped in.

  Adrian doodled in her notebook, trying to seem casual, so no one would sense her shock. Two of Alex’s closest friends had just spoken up! Justin—okay, yes, she could understand that, but Quentin? What was going on?

  Vaughn Mackintosh raised her hand. “I agree with Justin, sir,” she said to the teacher. She sounded friendly, but as always there was that twinkle in her eyes.

  Adrian shot her a tight smile. What’s your game, Vaughn?

  When AP English ended, it capped one of the most uncomfortable classes she’d ever had, and that was saying a lot. Last week, she’d been a pariah, but now she was a pariah and an evil seductress.

  Justin’s greeting was like a beacon of hope. “Hi, Adrian,” he said as he fell into step with her in the hallway. “You got home okay and everything?”

  He sounded so genuine that her smile warmed. She hadn’t forgotten that it was Justin who had insisted she get a ride home from the party. It wasn’t his fault she’d stupidly slept with Alex that night. And besides, he’d turned her down when she’d drunkenly hit on him. That, right there, said he was trustworthy.

  “Everything went fine,” she said. “Thanks for watching out for me.”

  “Not a problem. Ah …” Justin glanced up and down the hallway. “You should be careful with Mandy. Uh, she heard the rumors about you and Alex.”

  Adrian’s shoulders knotted. He was one of the two kids who had been nothing but nice to her. Oh, if only she could take back that night.

  “Justin,” she began. “I want you to know—”

  “Hey, I got your back.”

  It was embarrassing how her throat tightened. “Thanks,” she managed. “Shouldn’t you run?”

  Justin shrugged. “Nah. I’ll walk you to your next class.”

  She was about to send him off until she realized he was deliberately escorting her in public view, so everyone would know he was on her side. Maybe Justin really was what he seemed like: a decent guy who just happened to be Alex’s friend.

  “Yo, Passion Fruit!”

  A little laugh escaped her when she saw Travis bouncing up and down on his tiptoes at the far end of the hallway. There were too many kids between them, so he hadn’t been able to get to her, but he was waving.

  Some of the tension eased from her shoulders. Why had she ever worried about Travis turning his back on her? Strange to think how quickly she’d come to rely on him. Her friends back home would have looked askance at him, but they didn’t know what he’d done for her in that parking lot when she’d cried her heart out.

  “Dude, you’re alive!” Travis said with obvious relief when she approached. “You gotta hear what they’re saying about you. They’re saying—”

  “She knows,” Justin interrupted. “Mandy’s been screaming all about it. God, Alex should never have hooked up with her.”

  Adrian looked at him sharply. It was perhaps the first criticism she’d ever heard about Alex from his friends.

  “I’ll deal with Mandy,” she said.

  “Dude, no. She’s like hydrogen.” Travis flung his arms open wide to demonstrate. “Every time you kill her, she com
es back. You gotta stake her.”

  “The Hydra, you mean? I thought you did pretty okay with that throwing thing.”

  The reference to the party made him chortle. “Yeah, that was fun!” He nodded respectfully at Justin. “Hey, dude. Thanks for helping me get home on Friday.”

  Justin smiled. “Not a problem. I’ll see you guys at lunch?”

  “Someone’s got a crush,” Travis said after Justin had left them. But before Adrian could laugh it off, Travis pinned her with a surprisingly astute look. “But he’s not the big fish you’ve got your eye on.”

  Something about that statement—maybe it was the inelegant way he said it—pierced her to the core. All of a sudden, she was so tired that she could barely stand it. The hallways were rapidly emptying, so there was no need to put on an act anymore.

  She rubbed her eyes. “Travis …”

  “You slept with him?”

  Her shoulders slumped because, at last, this was one person she couldn’t lie to. Not after everything he’d done for her. If he wanted to stone her, she’d let him because he had earned that right, but oh God, she hoped he didn’t.

  “Yes.”

  Travis nodded. “Figured it’d be something like that. Come on.”

  Her lips parted in surprise before she clamped her mouth shut. That was it? No criticism of her morals or even a reminder that Alex was her future stepbrother?

  He stuck by her side even when it was lunchtime. He stood with her in the cafeteria line (or rather, he bounced up and down), and he found seats for both of them. As they were about to sit down, he frowned at something behind her back.

  “Maxwell’s coming this way,” he said.

  She just couldn’t seem to escape Quentin today. He flashed a smile and held his hands up. “I come in peace, Adrian. Why don’t you sit with us?”

  “No, she won’t! You’re not throwing her body in the river.”

  Quentin rolled his eyes. “You’re really hanging out with him?” he said to Adrian, a shadow of a sneer playing around his mouth. “I thought we’d talked about this, but apparently not …”