Becca

“What are you doing here?” I step aside, granting my two best friends entrance into my tiny one-room apartment.

“We came to see you, silly,” Felicia squeals in that high-pitched voice that aligns with her bubbly personality.

“And I live here, remember?” Jocelyn adds as she makes herself at home, collapsing onto the small hand-me-down love seat her mom gave me when she agreed to rent me the efficiency apartment over their garage.

“What I meant is, how did you know I’d be home?”

“Tommy,” Felicia smiles in that dreamy way she does whenever she speaks of her boyfriend. “He texted to let us know he and Parker would catch a ride over with Shane, and that Joss and I should wait here for them.”

“That’s just great,” I huff under my breath and shut the door behind them.

I can’t believe this. As If the crappy day I had wasn’t bad enough, it looks like I’m missing out on an entire night of tips to entertain Shane and his friends. Wasn’t the whole point of me taking the night off so he could come over to talk about my course load? Frustrated, I walk over to the stove without sparing them another glance. 

“Oooh, fajitas!” Felicia comes to stand next to me, enthusiastically eyeing the skillet as I stir. “Why didn’t you tell us it was fajita night?”

“Probably because she’s not cooking for us.” Though Jocelyn has moved to sit at the kitchen island behind us, I don’t need to see her face to recognize the teasing grin interlaced in her voice. “So this thing with Shane, tell us, is it serious?”

“You know darn well it’s not like that.” Afraid they’ll mistake the heat in my cheeks as anything other than the effect of me standing over a hot stove, I keep my eyes on the simmering chicken and vegetable mixture.

“Why not?” Felicia bounces on the balls of her feet, and I don’t need to look at her to know she’s elated by the prospect. “You dating Shane would be so perfect. Think about it, my Tommy is the quarterback, and then you and Joss dating the two star receivers of Ruby Creek High… wouldn’t that be awesome?”

“No, it would not.” Why in the world she would think that is beyond me? I’ll never understand the appeal of a bunch of sweaty guys tackling each other to the ground as they chase after a stupid ball.

“Why not? What’s wrong with Shane? Is it because of Lucas? Are you still in love with him?” She fires back question after question, without taking a second to breathe.

At the mention of Lucas, my heart constricts. It’s been six months since we split up, but the pain of losing him still lingers, especially with what happened to him after the breakup. Though I’m fairly certain I’m over him, you can’t go ten months loving someone and not feel completely shattered when their entire world suddenly falls to pieces. Lucas lost not only his home but both of his parents in that fire, and that he didn’t reach out to me for help before running away hurt more than I care to admit. Had he called there’s nothing I wouldn’t have done to help him.

“It has nothing to do with Lucas.” I turn down the heat of the burner and put the lid back on the skillet. Grabbing a pot holder, I open the oven, leaning down to take out the homemade flour tortillas. “Shane is my peer advisor, nothing more, and if not for Mr. Blair forcing us together, I wouldn’t be working with him at all.”

“We know,” Jocelyn cuts in. “But don’t you think it’s a bit more than that? I mean, think about it, the guy goes out of his way to sit in a booth at the diner every Wednesday night after practice just to see you…”

“To talk about school,” I interrupt.

“When he’s around, he can’t take his eyes off of you…”

“Because he’s a player, who in case you’ve forgotten, has been in some weird on-again-off-again relationship with Amanda Kline since middle school,” I cut in, curling my lip in disgust at the mention of my arch-nemesis, and apparent half-sister—though I’m not supposed to know about that, and chances are she doesn’t either. Amanda Kline is the legitimate daughter of my mother’s rapist.

“But didn’t you say he’s made it clear he likes you?”

“Yes, Joss! He did say that, but look at who he is. Saying whatever it takes to get what he wants is what people like him do.”

“So you at least admit he wants you?”

“No, what I admit is that he wants in my pants, but that has more to do with his need to add me to his list of conquests and less to do with him wanting to fall in love with me.”

“I happen to agree with Joss on this one, Becks. It has to be more than that. I mean, if it was only about sleeping with you, wouldn’t he have given up by now? It’s been months.”

“No. Think about it. No one ever says no to a guy like Shane. The fact I’m probably the only girl at school that doesn’t fawn all over him and his entitled entourage of rich asshole friends is the only reason he’s even bothering to try. It’s a game to him.”

“Maybe you should give him a chance. Out of all of them, he’s always seemed the most genuine.”

“Ha!” I snort in derision at Felicia’s assessment. While I get what she’s trying to say, it doesn’t change where Shane comes from. He’s used to people bending to his will. In his world, people like me are a means to an end. We mean absolutely nothing to them. We’re just pawns in the games they play, people they use and abuse without fear of consequence or retribution. But before I can tell her any of this, we’re interrupted by a knock at the door.

“It’s them!” Felicia bounces on her toes a few times before spinning away in a rush to open the door. “It has to be them.”

“Great,” I mumble under my breath, feigning indifference as my insides tingle stupidly in anticipation. This is what I hate most about Shane. His ability to twist me up and turn me into something I’m not grates on my nerves. I’m not one of those love-struck girls who worship the ground guys like him walk on, so why do I feel like crawling out of my skin, but in a good way? It’s so stupid!

In my attempt to tamp down the nervous flutters coursing through me, I keep my back to the door, going to my refrigerator to pull out the salsa and guacamole I made from scratch when I got home. Behind me, I hear the unmistakable sounds of Felicia sucking face with Tommy.

“You two seriously need to get a room,” Parker laughs, right before he grabs hold of Jocelyn and does the same to her.

While Shane doesn’t speak, I can sense him. It’s like a buzz in the air that infiltrates the space around me and slithers its way, like a soft caress over my skin.

“So what’s for dinner, Becks?” Parker comes up next to me, and with his arm around my shoulders, drops a kiss on the top of my head.

“Nothing that’s for you. Now get your hands off her.” Shane’s voice sounds more like a growl. That he’s standing so close behind us catches me off guard. “Now go. I told you both, Becca and I have business to discuss. We’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Reeling from his mere presence, I keep my back to the room, unable to utter a goodbye to our friends as they exit my tiny apartment. How does he do this to me? I’m normally so confident, and self-assured, but when I get near him, it’s like I become a different person. I’m suddenly awkward and uncertain, something that’s made obvious by my inability to face him, or speak, never mind act like a normal human being. My cheeks choose this very moment to flame with heat as utter embarrassment settles over me.

Moving to the cabinets, I reach up to grab two plates and water goblets. Setting them on the counter, I go to the drawer where I keep my silverware and placemats. After getting everything I need, I move to the island and proceed to set the table.

“Is there a reason you’re ignoring me, pretty girl?” he asks in that smooth, seductive tone that does nothing to alleviate my current predicament.

“I-I’m not, I’m just…” intending to grab a serving bowl from the cabinet, I turn around, not expecting to run right into his hard, well-defined chest. The impact steals the air from my lungs, and when I take a deep breath, it’s like inhaling a fresh mountain breeze. Overwhelmed by the heat of his body, the hard planes of his chest under my fingers, and surrounded by his woodsy scent, it’s like I’m stunned. Unable to step back or pull away. To apologize, let alone pretend I’m not affected, which is why I just stare at the buttons of the black henley he’s wearing.

“Why won’t you look at me, pretty girl?” His warm voice wraps around me, cloaking me in a feeling of safety that’s as welcoming as it is terrifying. Still, I’m unable to bring this awkward exchange to an end. When his hands travel up to cup my face, with gentle fingers, he coaxes me to look up at him. “You feel it too, don’t you?” He whispers.

Oh god!

As my insides flood with warmth, a deep sense of need pulsates from somewhere deep inside me. This is dangerous. Not only does he make me feel safe, he makes me long for things I shouldn’t want.

For months now, I’ve judged my mother for allowing a monster to destroy her life, but what if this is how it all began? What if he, too, made her feel safe? What if he lulled her into a sense of security, only to pounce when her guard was down?

That thought is enough to snap me free from the trance that is Shane Montgomery. Stepping back, I avoid answering. Instead, I busy myself serving the food and filling the goblets with water.

“Take a seat. You can eat. I’ll be back in a second,” I blurt in a rush, before making a harried exit to the only room in my apartment with a door. Once in my bathroom, I lean against the wall, and promptly collapse on the floor, with my face buried in my hands.

What the hell am I going to do?

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Author’s Note:

The chemistry between these two is crazy! But for Becca, the thought of being attracted to someone like Shane comes with such mixed feelings. 

What do you think of this Chapter and the chemistry between Shane and Becca?

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