Out of Ruins Page 8

“Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So a Broadway show, because you want to be up there someday yourself?”

  A peal of laughter escapes her at the thought. “Lord, no!”

  “No? Why not? You were made to be in the spotlight.” Her mouth drops open at his compliment.

  “That’s a good pick-up line.” She nods with a wink; giving him credit where credit is due.

  “I don’t plan on having to resort to pick-up lines anymore,” he replies tenderly, and brushes the back of his hand lightly over her cheek. “And I wasn’t kidding. You have this light about you — you always have — when you’re performing. I could see you being on stage.”

  “I’m a cheerleader, not an actress.” She leans back against the couch again with a shrug. The occasional clap of thunder rattles the windows of the coffee shop, but with West at her side she feels less anxious. He removes his arm as she sits back, and shakes his head in disagreement to her comment.

  “You are a performer. Didn’t you sing in choir back in middle school?” She nods in confirmation. “You sang a solo once, at the seventh grade year-end banquet.”

  “You remember that?”

  “You’re looking at me like you’re shocked. Does it freak you out that I remember?”

  She wipes her face clear of all emotions and looks at West. She’s not freaked out as much as amazed. Then the memory of their kiss at that pool party resurfaces, and suddenly it doesn’t really surprise her. They seem to have a connection that’s larger than two teenagers who fall for each other because of mutual attraction. Fate? she wonders, although she hesitates to say the word out loud. He stares at her in silence and waits for an answer.

  With a flippant smile, she teases him, “So if I looked up my biggest followers on Facebook back in seventh grade, is your picture going to pop up?”

  “Of course! And don’t go in my closet or you’ll find my secret shrine to you, too.”

  “And now I want to see your room!” she declares and their laughter echoes in the empty room.

  Her phone vibrates in her back pocket and she pulls it out to see who’s calling.

  “It’s home,” she explains, and answers the line with an apprehensive, ‘Hello?’

  “Jules?” her brother’s quivering voice whispers into the phone line.

  The scared tone surprises her for a moment. “Jase? What is it bud?” she asks; sending West a confused look.

  “I just…are you okay?”

  She expels a heavy sigh and her heart breaks at his worry. “Do mom and dad know you’re calling me?”

  “No, we’re having a bathroom break. It’s storming really hard…will you come home?”

  “Awww…bud, I’m not coming home right now. I’m safe indoors.”

  Motioning his way, West reaches for the phone and takes it from Jules’ hand. She listens with curiosity as he speaks to her brother.

  “Hey man, is it raining really hard at your house?”

  West nods as Jason talks. She can barely hear his little mumbles. “No, she’s still right here. Yes…You know what? I promise you I will take good care of her.” Tears fill her eyes as she listens to West; his deep voice reassuring and strong. She remembers that voice from the night of the twister, even if she still can’t recall all of his words. “I promise…I would never let anything happen to your sister, okay? K, see you tomorrow.”

  “Where did you come from, West Rutledge?” she asks when he lowers the phone.

  His face draws up in question. “What?”

  “What? Oh my gosh — that was the sweetest thing ever. You continue to astound me every time I’m with you.”

  “Well as long as that’s a good thing, I’m cool.”

  She nods and inches his way, placing a small kiss on his cheek while whispering, “That’s a very good thing.”

  West wraps a hand around her head as he turns towards her and kisses her full on the lips this time; the cell phone forgotten somewhere on the couch between them. The sound of people making their way up the stairs pulls them from one hot, extremely long and enjoyable kiss. Her heart races, but she smiles when she rests her palm on his chest and feels his heartbeat matching the timing of hers. They pull away from one another when a new couple walks in, sending them an apologetic smile. They sit in two chairs at the opposite corner of the room; their muted voices almost drowned out completely by the mellow, ambient music piping into the room.

  “Bucket list,” West prods a little breathlessly.

  She sinks back and touches her swollen lips. “Um, I think I can mark off ‘Be kissed thoroughly’ now.”

  “That’s just the beginning. I can be much more thorough,” he promises and her abdomen leaps; the desire his statement elicits in her body, immediate.

  Jules takes a shaky breath as their eyes stay locked on each other. The heavy rain pounding on the windows, with its staccato beat drumming down on the roof, mixed with the rumble of thunder and snaps of lightning provide a romantic backdrop, yet all Jules can focus on are the lips in front of her and the racing of her pulse. Wary of the effect he’s having on her, especially in a public place, she withdraws from his stare.

  “So,” she starts; her voice unnaturally loud in the moment. “What’s an item from your bucket list?”

  “To kiss you thoroughly,” he replies without hesitation.

  “West!”

  He rolls his brown eyes and his signature sly grin stretches across his face; tempting Jules to give in to kissing him again.

  “Alright. I want to live.” His face shows how serious he is and Jules waits for an explanation. “I can see you’re confused by that. You always suck your lips in and crease your eyebrows when you’re confused,” he points out.

  “I do?” Her finger touches her forehead absently.

  “It’s adorable.”

  She sighs. “You’re being awfully charming tonight.”

  “Charming enough for another kiss?” he asks and leans forward again.

  Raising her arm, she presses her palm to his chest with a shake of her head. “You’ll get another kiss, but not right now,” she says meaningfully and shifts her eyes to the other couple. “Explain what you meant. You want to live?”

  “Yeah, I want to live. Really live. That’s the whole list — living.” His fingers go to the cuff of his shirt; fiddling with it as he adjusts his position on the couch. “I want to do the things I want and not be afraid. I want to drive fast and love hard. To swim with sharks and jump out of planes. To live every moment of this life we are given. Backpack through Europe, surf in Australia, drink from coconuts in Hawaii.”

  “Wow. You’ve put a lot of thought into this.”

  He sits forward and rests his elbows on his knees. “My mom was sick for a long time. We spent a lot of time talking about all of the things we’d do if she were well again.”

  “I’m sorry,” she says softly and bites her bottom lip. West shakes his head and looks straight ahead.

  “No, it’s okay. I want to tell you about it. I just don’t talk about her often, so…it’s hard, you know?” She moves to his side, still facing sideways, and her chest touches his arm as she leans against him and rubs his back. His strong hand moves to her jean-clad thigh; giving it a squeeze and resting there.

  “She was full of energy before she got sick. I don’t know if you remember that about her, but damn, was she energetic. Always going…it drove my dad crazy. When she got sick, Carson was already playing ball at A&M, but Austin and I would lay with her in bed or on the couch for hours at a time. It irritated her. She kept telling us to go outside, to go live. It was a big deal to her, to know we were doing everything we could to enjoy life. It’s something I’ve been trying to do since she…left.”

  “That’s an amazing gift she gave you.”

  He hesitates a second before replying, “Yeah, it is.” Giving her thigh another squeeze, he straightens and lightly shakes her off as he sits up. He gives her a contrite smile. “Think we can have one conv
ersation that doesn’t make you cry?”

  Jules smiles and looks at him with watery eyes. “Eventually. “

  “No more heavy stuff tonight, deal?” he asks; moving to stand and holding out his hand.

  She wants to hear more about his mother, about his life after her death. She’s always wondered why he retreated away from everyone, but she doesn’t have the heart to ask and make him open up any more than he already has. Painting on a happy smile, she agrees. “Deal. What are we doing now?”

  “We’re going to go get ice cream and you’re going to tell me another bucket list item.”

  They sit at a corner table in the ice cream parlor a few doors down from the coffee shop. Her hair and shirt are damp and cold from the heavy rain, but she wouldn’t change this date for anything. She enjoys getting to know West in ways she didn’t know him before. “You know what? There’s an item you mentioned before that struck me as odd,” he recalls.

  “What’s that?”

  “You said you wanted to kick a field goal.”

  Jules laughs and licks her spoon. “I said that, huh?”

  “Yep.”

  “Well I imagine I didn’t say just any field goal. I want to kick a field goal at A&M,” she replies, and then tells him the story of how she wanted to be a football player when she was younger. “You know, for all of the time I’ve spent on a football field, I’ve never actually played football on the field. I’d like to run the ball across the goal line and do a touchdown dance, too.” She giggles at her ridiculous dreams.

  “What would your dance look like?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I’d make the Heisman pose or do the Wobble.” She laughs and West joins in.

  “Well then, this is one bucket list item we’re going to have to make come true. I want to see you Wobble.”

  * * *

  “Wobble. What a ridiculous dance! I can’t believe I actually mentioned that as one I would do,” Jules says with a laugh. “We had an amazing first date that night. We talked and talked, and each of us revealed things we’d like to do someday. Some of the items were outrageous, while others were simple. He kept his deal, though. We stayed away from emotional topics and laughed the entire time.”

  Pressing her hand to her heart, she closes her eyes. “When he took me home, he stopped around the corner from my house and kissed me. Thoroughly. And I do mean thoroughly. It was the best kiss I’d ever had.”

  Her eyes stay closed as she allows herself to go back in time to that night. That kiss.

  “The next day he came over, much to Jason’s excitement, and hung out for a few hours. They built a made-up space center and debated the merits of different powers superheroes have. Jase quickly began to admire West. He looked up to him like a big brother and West allowed him to do so. Later, when he was leaving, West told me that he enjoyed the attention. He’d always looked up to Carson and Austin, and he enjoyed playing that role for my little brother.

  “I fell a little more in love with West that weekend.”

  Nine

  “So, remember when I mentioned how my temper tantrum at the bonfire was good for a few things? Well, as I said…one was the fact that I didn’t have any nightmares that night. The other happened the next week at school. Suddenly, thanks to my little rant, I was getting some attention.”

  * * *

  Monday rolls around with Jules moaning and groaning as she pulls herself out of bed. She has had another early morning nightmare to match the one she had Saturday night.

  Similar to all the others, she is in a field of crops with the sky turning red and black as a giant twister hops around in the distance. It teases her; dancing around and letting her know it can snatch her or anyone else it wants.

  West’s early morning text is the only reason she is up and moving when her alarm goes off.

  Spike: Early morning trip through the drive thru?

  Coffee and a biscuit with West sounds like heaven, and she throws herself together in record time; leaving the house to pace the driveway before her parents are even moving.

  She slides into the passenger seat of West’s car with a smile and meets him halfway with a light kiss.

  “Good morning, gorgeous. You look tired.”

  “Do I?” Jules digs into her purse and pulls out her powder.

  “Babe, I said you look tired. Not horrible.” He laughs and closes his hand over hers to stop her primping.

  “Yes, and makeup is an essential key to making me not look so tired. And coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.”

  “Makeup and coffee, huh?”

  “Weeelll,” she sings; leaning his way again. “Morning smiles from my sexy boyfriend help too.”

  “Smiles or kisses?” He tugs on her braid lightly.

  “Both.”

  West uses her long braid to pull her closer and smiles when she complies. He kisses her soundly, his mouth taking possession of hers, and she fights back an instinctive moan.

  “You taste like peppermints and smell like strawberries,” he murmurs as they part; resting his forehead against hers.

  “Would you believe I actually brush my teeth and wash my hair in the morning?” she admits and presses another peck to his mouth.

  “Shocking amount of hygiene.” He grins and takes a whiff of her hair one last time before returning to his position behind the wheel. “Coffee and breakfast, then?”

  “You are so my hero.”

  That day, school is different. Her first class is par for the course, but as she walks the hall to her second class, she is aware of the increased amount of stares she receives. She thought she'd received a lot of stares last week, but this is different. These are curious stares, followed by whispers behind palms and folders.

  “Hey Jules!”

  She turns to see two guys wave at her as they approach. She recognizes them from the bonfire as friends of Carter’s, but doesn’t know their names and hasn’t spoken to them before. Smiling politely, she stands outside the door to her second class and waits to see what they want.

  “Girl, you earned some props Friday night.”

  “Yeah?” she asks with an unconcerned shrug.

  “Dude, you totally stood up to Aubrey’s crap. It was impressive.”

  “Yeah, it was.” Fist bumps abound as the two laugh and give her props.

  “Chalk it up to liquid courage.” She laughs and dread sinks in as she realizes the crap she is most likely in now. It’s never a good idea to poke the Queen bee, not unless you want to get stung.

  “We gotta run — see ya around!” they call out, already moving down the hall.

  Stepping into second period, Jules takes her assigned seat next to Alexis, another former Hillsdale student. Alexis brightens the moment she sees Jules and her eyes go wide as she leans over.

  “Jules! I heard the craziest rumor in Econ this morning.”

  Jules takes a deep breath and braces herself for the inevitable questions. Unzipping her backpack, she pulls out a folder and gives Alexis a noncommittal, “Yeah?”

  Alexis’ mouth drops an inch and she looks like someone who was let in on a huge secret. She smiles and claps her hands excitedly.

  “You did it, didn’t you? You totally went off on Aubrey Pratt at some bonfire Friday night?” she squeals; trying to keep her voice low.

  Jules mentally formulates a reply, but is thankfully cut off by the arrival of their teacher. Instead, she turns towards the front of the class with a shrug and manages to ignore Alexis’ not-so-subtle gestures to get her attention for the remainder of class.

  Five minutes before the bell, a slip of paper slides onto her desk as their teacher lingers over an issue with another student.

  The paper is folded in half and Jules rubs her chin against her shoulder as she looks next to her covertly, catching Alexis’ silent nod. Her anxious eyes prod her to open the note and Jules sighs in defeat. Her gaze darts around the room to verify no one is paying attention and unfolds the sheet; flattening it out and reading the scrib
bled bubble script scrawled across the bottom of the page.

  You told her you would kick her ass???

  A million answers cross Jules’ mind as she reads the words. Why does it matter? she wonders. Irritated that anyone would expect an explanation from her, she forms two large block letters no one could easily identify as hers.

  SO?

  She folds the sheet again, fakes a stretch and drops the note on Alexis’ desk. The eagerness of juicy gossip drops from Alexis’ face when she opens the note and takes in the one word; a small frown visible on her thin lips.

  ‘Saved by the bell’ takes on new meaning as class ends. Jules jumps up and swings her backpack over her shoulder, trying to hurry from the room before Alexis has time to corner her for more information. She rushes to third period; eager to see West and hear how much gossip he’s had to endure this morning.

  A soft touch runs across her back as West walks behind her desk and slips into his chair just as the bell rings.

  “You okay?” he mouths silently and she nods once; registering the skeptical look crossing his face. That look is all the confirmation she needs that he’s heard something.

  Lauren slips into her chair in front of West as well, and Jules gets the idea they were walking together since they came in at the same time. Mr. Stiles starts in on his lesson and Jules is forced to pay attention to his lecture instead of the worried glances West gives her.

  Lunch time finally creeps around and West wraps her in a quick hug as he pulls her from her desk with a low voice.

  “You sure you’re okay?” he murmurs; kissing the top of her head as he moves her from a hug to walk beside him.

  “I’m fine, West.”

  “You haven’t seen Queen B or her minions then, huh?” Lauren interrupts as she steps up to West’s left side.

  “Uh, I assume you mean Aubrey?”

  Lauren rolls her eyes with a firm shake of her head. “The one and only.” When Jules only gives a derisive snort, Lauren’s hand shoots up and grasps her by the wrist. She glares at the offending hand as Lauren pulls Jules with her to the side of the hall by the exit into the courtyard.