Take Me On

Chapter 25

Haley

My legs are Jell-O. Actually, Jell-O is sturdier than I am. This is my fourth morning training at the gym and tonight I have to start training West.

This morning, I ran and ran and ran. Then I began on the sit-ups and push-ups. I crave a nap, a hot bath, then another nap. I fold my arms on my desk and rest my head on the makeshift pillow. A tension stretches across my shoulder blades. I worked out on the bags this morning. Tomorrow, the muscles in my back are going to be begging for death.

“Haley.” It’s a low whisper that has to be one of those strange illusions during that semiawake, semidreaming state.

“Haley!”

My seat jerks beneath me when my head pops up. It’s not that the voice was loud this time, but it’s a shock when Marissa says anything louder than a whisper. Next to the two-seater science desk we share for Biology II, Marissa holds her books tight to her chest. “We need to talk.”

“Okay.” I rub my eyes and wait for her to sit, but she doesn’t. She remains standing, edging her books closer to her chin as if she’s contemplating hiding her face.

“What’s up?” I ask.

She glances to the left, to the right, then to the left again, like she’s preparing to cross the street, then leans toward me. “Jessica came on to West in the hall this morning. She touched him...and everything and well...he didn’t leave.”

The unsaid “everything” would include breasts pushed out against any available male body part. Jessica likes to play with the male species. Sort of like how black widow spiders snack on their mates.

“Well, crap!” Half of the room turns and stares at me. The surge of anger is a shock and I’m not sure why I’m mad. It’s not like West is my boyfriend, but he’s supposed to be acting like my boyfriend and she’s supposed to be my friend and...and...

West enters the room. The moment our eyes meet, I look away. Jessica hit on him, which means he probably hit on her back. She’s pretty and forward and guys fall all over themselves so they can be near her and I’m...me.

I slouch in my seat, a hurricane combination of ticked off and hurt and confused.

If he’s smart, he’ll stay away.

If he’s smart, he’ll come over here and apologize for fake cheating on me.

Either way, I want to punch him and Jessica in the jaw.

Maybe I should rethink my stance on sparring.

“I’ve been looking for you.” I shut my eyes at the sound of West’s deep voice. Butterflies have a field day in my stomach. He’s not my boyfriend. He’s a friend—a complication—and he’s probably kissed Jessica. Butterflies are not allowed.

“Marissa, do you mind if I sit here today?” he asks.

“No!” I open my eyes and Marissa is MIA. For real? Are all my friends abandoning me? First Jessica makes a move on West; then Marissa flees at one request.

The chair beside me scrapes against the floor and the heat of his body caresses my left side as he takes a seat. If I inched my arm over a tad, I bet we’d be touching.

Jessica walks into the room and frowns. Warm, heavy fingers lace with mine on top of the desk and the heart that had picked up speed moments before is now supersonic.

I study our joined hands on the table and I have to admit I like the image. My fingers are dwarfed compared to his. At school, I’ve always been the fighter—the girl who’s not really feminine—but against West’s masculine hands, my fingers appear slim, graceful even.

And if I’m going to daydream for a sec, I might as well concede that I like the tingle in my blood. The skin of his fingers is rough but not sandpaper. Strong but not weighted. And warm. Very, very warm. If our entwined hands create such bliss, I wonder if his lips against mine would cause fireworks.

“Your friend Jessica is a piece of work,” he mutters and I pull out of my daydream.

Cautiously, I peek at him from the corner of my eye. I’ve seen Jessica work guys over before. Did West fall for it? “Rumor has it she’s been extremely friendly with you and not a friend to me.”

“Damn, word here spreads fast. Do you guys have a text gossip notification system? If so, I need to warn the other guys she’s willing to molest anything with two legs and a dick. There’s something wrong with her. She doesn’t understand no.”

I giggle and let my fingers relax in his though I don’t understand why he’s touching me. We’ve been pulling off “together” without PDA.

“Maybe she’s testing you. You know, to see if you’re really into me.” Maybe, but probably not. The way Jessica stares death daggers over her shoulder tells me she’s not happy. Over what, I’m not sure. I’m assuming it’s because I’ve pretend scored a guy she wants.

He surveys the room. “Anyone else I should be aware of?”

“Probably everyone.” I’m not much competition when it comes to keeping a guy as gorgeous as West. Even though we would never work. Even though I shouldn’t want us to work.

The warning bell rings and Marissa chooses a seat in the back next to a hot guy. My lips curve up. Go, Marissa. Though the guy would probably notice her more if her face wasn’t glued to the inside of a book.

I rock our knotted hands on the table. “What’s with the hand-holding?”

A smile erupts on West’s face that transforms me into gooey brownies fresh out of the oven. “Besides the fact if I don’t your fingers will fall off from frostbite?”

“Ha, ha, ha.” My cheeks warm. “Besides that.”

His glorious smile fades, leaving me empty. “We’re in science. Consider it an experiment.”

“On what?”

He turns his attention to the front of the room. Matt walks in and the pure menace radiating from his glare causes me to yank away from our joined grip, except West doesn’t give. In fact, he holds on tighter. “On that.”