Beauty and the Bad

e something, and know right away that I broke her house rules. It worked in my favor; s

from the party on Saturday kept me up every night since,

rst k

my first kiss with Ethan moments before, and I'm still unsure how I feel about that. I like him,

king about the party, with Sissy apologizing for getting too hammered.

wn the hallway. I frown as I watch her walk away, but it drops when I spot Etha

and Sissy. They put their hands up and back away, winking and grinning

to say I'm really sorry about ditching you a

mutter, though I don't feel

nce I never would have went out in

coincidence

ed me. I try to ignore it and focus on Etha

ies know each other, and they like to harass those who they think are below th

ou mean, 'out of

to you. Can I take you out to dinner some time?" he asks and grins at me,

biting my tongue after. Do I really want to go out t

stantly thinking of someone else? Especially

s phone out to grab my number. I type it in with

down the hall just as the warning bell rings. I turn back to my lo

hen Athena, her warning. It's a constant loop I can't seem to end. Logan and Sissy are caught up in conversation about a ne

e to her tha

*

my mother. I still feel guilty for lying to her, when she already has so m

. Live a new life, the one I always wanted, but was too afraid to

head straight for the parking lot, forgetting my locker and books. I'm going to need all the

, black car pulls up in front of me. I wait for the window to roll down and

mberland boots. I have never seen a man look so mouthwatering, wearing all black. He walks around his car a

into each other like th

"Something tells me th

s chin. My heart does back-flips in my

e onto somet

but it's nearly impossible not to let them roam all ov

e you doing

e were on the beach. I shake my head before the memory of the kiss can come back, knowing

" he says. "Do you remember what yo

rying so hard to keep the heat from my face, as

oser. "Well, I really wa

He removes his shades, and his honey brown eyes envelope me the

is man doi

ght?" Reece asks, shocki

I don't thin

me." He doesn

protective ever since we moved here, " I say and bite my lip, regretting s

st smile

he asks, his smile widen

Some part of me doesn't want to lie to him, doesn't want to hide who I really am

oo late

seen my mother. I quickly pull my phone out and see I got a message from h

ss his face. "Why don't you think about it while I drive you home?" he a

ce closes the door and rushes to the driver's side, pressing a button by the steering wheel. The

of car is t

ays with a wink, before quickly peeling out of the parking lot. Students stop and stare, some

s. I bite my lip again, wonder

n't wa

ues to nag me. It's true, like I felt before,

fore focusing on the road. I take the opportunity to really look at him. In the light, his eye

o sculpt this man. He is that gorgeous. So gorgeous, I can't believe I'm sitti

blue eyes. They don't shine in the light or glow in the da

s he see

his eyes shift from the road, realizing I

no sign of my mother. I let out a small breath of relie

t takes me a second to remember what he

ould we

lot, take my mind off things and le

stirs in my stomach. A night out with Reece? Regardless of where it i

nothing bad has happened, but I've only spent a few hours at most with him, and even though

s without permission from my brain. He flashes me another heart stopping

enter my number. I type it in, my fingers trembling. All I can think about

, leaving me trapped between the car and his chiseled chest. I look up slowly,

gertips down my cheek, his eyes never lea

ment, already getting in the passenger seat before I comprehend what just happened. I stand n

l does he k

*

hes in the house, apologizing and saying she will get dinner started, but I'm alre

t?" she asks, a smal

and over the stove. Besides, we haven't had take-out in a long time, and food

le back, telling me I'm

ing to wear. At least this time, I can settle for something a little more mediocre, than

of the house. It doesn't look like my mother is going anywhere for the night, at least right now. I

side of town seemed to be designed almost exactly the same. But that would just make them ask questions, and after wh

than and Athena. That means, there's a chan

re th

? Did he mean criminals? Or just mean people? The way Athen

wh

t. If that's the case, do

lence, away from wandering, pressuring thoughts. These thoughts are also distrac

trying to suppress a groan, whe

the door. I fight the urge to roll my eyes at her, even th

what's

e same tired sm

I'm really sorry I wasn't there today to pick you up from school, and to cook dinner. I know this job has been keeping me busy from the very

I'm just glad you're doing something you want to do, even though

es down her cheek.

ook, but she just laug

nues to laugh and wraps an arm around me in a hug. I roll my eyes at her ridiculous kid nam

to get ready, not before she promises to make something for me to eat

le inside when

d to the guilt I still already care with me from the first time. But one thought of a night out with Reece,

front window, terrified my mother is going to come home early,

re I walk out. Reece is already outside the car waiting for me, a worried look on his face. Bu

've never seen anyone sneak out the front door when they try

y grin before I hop in the seat. I catch a glimpse of Reece's grin when he closes the

g nice, but not flashy, like the night before. A simple white tank top with a ruffle design aro

ood, or bad, until his tongue comes out to dart over his bottom lip, and his eye

ys, not looking at me, barely even blinking

change, " I mutter, trailing off

from under the sleeve of his leather jacket. It looks like black ink; a tattoo? The first night I met him, it

s the back of my palm. "I'm just worried I won't be able to keep my hands off you." He turns the car on and t

the butterflies dancing in my stomach too much for me to even think of a response.

I'm dressed like this, how woul

eeling the heat creep not only to my cheeks, b

ough the streets, the lights of the city guiding us. This is my first time being in the city,

he corner of my eye. "This your fir

had the chance to get out and see

id you m

mentioned the game 20 questions, but I hold my tong

id you

e had moved from Britain. Reece grins and lets out a low chuckle, but doesn't say anything. I look o

rom the feel of it, not too far away. We turn down a few more streets, the sound getting l

eir hoods open, some with LED neon lights, flashing under and in their cars. There are large speakers set u

t able to take my eyes off the colorfu

o the end of the parked cars. That's when I

o an illegal st