Intertwined

That’s one of the reasons she dated Tucker. He was safe. Cute and popular, but safe. He was busy with football and didn’t mind how often she skipped out on him to work or study.

“Don’t be a prude. Give me permission, and I’ll call him over here. I’ll have his digits in five flat, and you guys can go out. I won’t tell Tucker, I swear.”

“No. No, no, no!” She shook her head for emphasis, ponytail slapping her cheeks. “One, I would never cheat on Tucker.”

Penny rolled her eyes. “So break up with him.”

“And two,” she said, ignoring her friend’s remark, “I don’t have time to juggle another boy. Even as a friend. Grades have never been more important. SATs are coming up.”

“You have straight As. And you’ll nail the SATs, guaranteed.”

“I want to keep the As, and the only way I’ll nail the SATs is if I stay the course. You know that stuff doesn’t come easily for me.”

“Fine. But when you die from stress and disappointment, you’ll think back to this moment and wish to God you’d taken me up on my offer.” Penny splayed her arms and peered heavenward. “Who would have thought I’d be the smart one in this relationship?”

Now Mary Ann was the one to roll her eyes. “If you’re the smart one, what does that make me?”

“The dull, pretty one.” Penny grinned, but for once the expression lacked its usual dazzle. “You can’t help it, I suppose. What with the psychobabble your dad is always feeding you. There’s good in everyone, blah, blah, blah. I’m telling you, Mar, some people are as worthless as an empty bottle of beer and Tucker is one … of … them.” The last was said on an excited gust of breath. “Swweet! I didn’t have to do anything and he’s coming over! Yep, you heard me right. Your stalker is coming over here!”

Mary Ann turned before she could stop herself. It was the boy from the graveyard. She barely hid her grimace as another of those jolts swept through her, burning her like acid.

At least the world didn’t seem to implode on itself this time, leaving her with a strange sense of nothingness.

Steadier now, she studied him. His jeans were ripped but he had indeed changed his shirt. This one was clean and free of holes. His face was just as perfect as she remembered, too flawless to be real. He had thick black lashes that perfectly framed his eyes. Perfectly sculpted cheekbones that surrounded a perfectly sloped nose. Perfectly shaped lips, now dipped into a frown.

This close, she realized he was taller than she’d assumed. If they stood next to each other, he would tower over her. His features were tight with determination.

One step, two, he hesitantly approached. When he reached them, he stopped and dropped his backpack at his feet.

Mary Ann tensed and her mouth dried. What would she do if he asked her out? Tucker was her first and only boyfriend. The first and only guy to ask her out, really, so she’d never had to turn someone down before. Not that this boy wanted to ask her out. Please don’t ask me out.

Aren’t you an egotistical one? Most boys want your study notes, not your body. Oh, yeah.

“This day couldn’t get any better,” Penny said, clapping.

He waved shyly. “Hi,” he said. Then he frowned and rubbed at his chest, just as she had done a bit ago. His gaze narrowed, and he glanced all around them.

“Hi,” Mary Ann said, dropping her focus to the iron tabletop. Her tongue suddenly felt huge and glued to the roof of her mouth. Worse, her brain seemed to have taken a vacation and she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Awkward silence bloomed between them.

Penny released a heavy sigh. “Fine. Allow me. Her name’s Mary Ann Gray, and she’s a junior at Crossroads High School. I’ll give you her phone number if you ask nicely.”

“Penny.” Mary Ann slapped her friend’s shoulder.

Penny ignored her. “What’s your name? And where do you go to school?” she asked the boy. “Wild Horse?” Disgust dripped from her tone.

“I’m Aden. Aden Stone. I just moved here. And I don’t go to public school.” Pause. “Yet. But what’s wrong with Wild Horse?”

His voice was deep and oddly shiver-inducing. She forced herself to focus on his words, though, rather than his tone. He’d said he didn’t go to public school. Did that mean he attended private school? Or that he was homeschooled?

“Hello, it’s only our biggest rival and home of the worst humans on earth.” Penny kicked out a chair. “But since you don’t go there, would you like to join us, Aden Stone?”

“Oh, I—I—if you wouldn’t mind?” The question was directed at Mary Ann.

Before she could reply—not that she’d known what to say—Penny preened and replied, “Of course she wouldn’t mind. She was just telling me she hoped you’d join us. Sit, sit. Tell us about yourself.”

Slowly Aden inched into the chair, as though he feared having it shoved out from under him. The sun stroked him lovingly, practically worshipping his beautiful face. And for a moment, only a moment, Mary Ann saw those different hues in his eyes again. Green, blue, gold and brown. Amazing. But as quickly as they appeared, they vanished, leaving that blazing onyx.

The scent of pine and newborn baby drifted from him. Why a baby? From a wet wipe, maybe? Anyway, dirty as he was, she would have expected a more unpleasant odor. Instead, the sweet smell reminded her of something … of someone. Who, she couldn’t place. She just knew she had a sudden urge to hug him.

Hug him?

From attraction to curiosity to distaste to affection? Seriously, what was wrong with her? And what would Tucker say? She’d never flirted with other boys—not that she was flirting now—so she had no idea how Tucker would react if she did. He might be a piranha on the football field, but he’d always been nice to her.

“I was wondering … I saw you outside the cemetery,” Aden said to Mary Ann. “Do you, uh … did you … notice anything that disturbed you?”

So hesitant, he was. It was kind of cute. Sweet, too. The urge to hug him increased. But she merely blinked over at him, unsure she’d heard him correctly. Had he felt that bizarre wind, too? “Like what?”

“Never mind.” Slowly he grinned, and it was a grin that not only rivaled Penny’s, but surpassed it.

Guess he hadn’t, she thought. “Were you visiting a loved one there?”

“Uh, no. I, uh, work there. Just so you know, news stations will probably be blasting stories about the desecration of several graves soon. I was … cleaning things up.”

Was her mother’s grave okay? It had better be!

“How wonderfully morbid.” Penny blew a puff of smoke in his direction. “Are you ever tempted to do a little digging and steal a little bling?”

To his credit, he didn’t cough or flinch. “Never,” he said, turning to shield his face as a pudgy man walked by their table.

Hiding? Maybe that was his boss and he wasn’t supposed to be on break.

She studied him, wondering what he—Her gaze caught on the bruise on his neck and she gasped. “Oh, ouch! What happened to you?” There were two puncture wounds, both a mix of blue and black. Teeth marks, she realized then, and blushed. He could have gotten them from a girl. Probably had. “Never mind. That’s personal. You don’t have to answer that.”

He didn’t. He covered the wounds with his hand, his own cheeks heating.

“Great, two prudes at one table.” Penny released a long- suffering sigh. “So what do you do for fun, Aden? Where do you go to school, if not public? And do you have a girlfriend? I’m assuming the answer is yes, since you’ve been nibbled on, but I’m hoping you’ll tell us it’s about to end.”

His attention returned to Mary Ann. “I’m more curious about Mary Ann. Why don’t we talk about her?”

Way to dodge the questions, she thought.

“Yes, Mary Ann.” Penny rested her elbows on the table, expression mockingly rapt. “Tell us about your exciting fifteen-year plan.”

Mary Ann knew what her friend was doing: trying to force her to voice her supposed dullness so that she’d realize she needed excitement. How many times had Mary Ann told her that admitting a problem was the first step to fixing it? Penny must have been listening because, for once, she was acting as the shrink. “Another word out of you and I’m going to take you up on your earlier offer. Your tongue will look nice above my bed.”

Palms up and out, Penny projected her innocence. “Just trying to lighten the mood, sugar.” Grinning, she dropped her cigarette to the concrete and smashed it with her foot. “Maybe the only way to do that is to leave. You two can get to know each other.”