Eden High: Part Two (Eden High #2) Read online

  Eden High Book 2

  By

  Jordan Silver

  Copyright© 2014 Alison Jordan

  All Rights Reserved

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 1

  SIAN

  I think this bitch tried to drop me; no seriously, if not for my quick reflexes I would’ve been on my ass.

  I played it off like I didn’t know what was up, even when she and her coven started to snicker and give me looks.

  There had been a buzz all day that her and the hottie weren’t exactly as lovey-dovey and hot and heavy as they apparently were before summer break.

  I wasn’t sure if that was true and had no real way of finding out, but after yesterday’s warning I was pretty sure that might have something to do with her trying to kill me.

  I was working really hard at not letting my eyes stray to where he was on the field, but my body seemed to have its own thing going on.

  My bra felt tight if that made any sense and I felt like I do when dad breaks out the cash for an all day shopping spree for mom and I.

  Ain’t much can give me that feeling I’ll tell you that. But all day I’ve been feeling on edge. It could be because I kept feeling his eyes on me, though he hadn’t said anything to me.

  I set up for my fly and made sure I kept my wits about me, just in case she’d lost her damn mind.

  Coach was watching this time though so I didn’t think she’d try anything. I went through my routine and kept my mouth shut.

  The rest of practice was uneventful so I figured it had been my imagination.

  When it was all said and done I left the field alone. Tammy and Belle had headed home already after last bell with Belle proclaiming that she’d rather dig her eye out with a rusty nail than come to sit and watch a bunch of brain dead twits stand on their heads and jump around for no good damn reason; me included.

  And since I’d driven myself, I didn’t have to wait for my brother, so there was no excuse to hang around and get one last look as his hotness.

  I decided not to go to the locker room, just head home as is. I’ve watched enough of those after school specials to know how some of these things can go.

  So just in the off chance that she had been trying to break my ass, I wasn’t giving her and her girls an open opportunity to jump me.

  I didn’t see him when I left the field and was a little disappointed that I would have to wait for the next day to see his beautiful face after all.

  I didn’t look too hard at my disappointment, or my reasons for it. I am after all, a connoisseur of self-denial.

  I lusted after the Phantom for a hot minute before hopping in my car and driving off. I wonder what his family did that they could buy a seventeen year old a car like that?

  It’s funny, but no one talks about him. Except for the few whispers I heard about him and queen bitch having a frosty spell, there were no whispers about the man himself. So I still didn’t know who he was really.

  I’ll have to find a way to get info out of Jared without letting on to what I was really up to. I had the sneaky suspicion though that I was falling for this guy in a big way and that would be a very stupid thing to do.

  There’s no way that he’d have any interest in someone like me lengthy looks and secret smiles aside. He probably had a case of wanting to be the first to bag the new girl.

  It’s not like I didn’t think I was hot enough for him or anything that trite, but more like what he was accustomed to. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Mandy and I were two completely different species altogether; and if that’s what he liked, well then.

  ***

  Mom wasn’t back yet from picking Maggie up from school, so I had the house to my lonesome for the next hour or so.

  My parents were in the process of hiring help. Our old housekeeper would’ve loved to come with, but she just had a new grandson and didn’t want to leave him.

  I’d shed a tear or two over that one. Stella had been with us since I was five I think, and was as much a part of our family as mom and dad.

  I made myself a sandwich since I’d only picked at my lunch. And no wonder, ‘he’ was in the cafeteria and I’d forgotten how to eat.

  I knew every second of every minute that his eyes were on me and I’d become all thumbs. Belle was her usual snarky self and asked me what the hell was wrong with me.

  So instead of drawing even more attention to myself, I’d pushed my lunch aside and pretended an interest in the Calculus assignment we had next class.

  The three of us had fallen into a groove, like we’d known each other all along, and then there was my little Cassandra.

  She was a year younger than us and didn’t seem to have any friends either, so when I saw her looking around the room for a place to sit, I’d called her over.

  Tammy and Belle didn’t seem to mind and had even included her in our conversation, so I guess ‘and then they were four’.

  Something strange was going on with me though I noticed. I’d taken one look at Belle and felt laughter bubbling in my throat, and with Cassandra I’d wanted to cry.

  Not because I’d sensed any sadness in her per se, but there was just something about her that made me feel, I don’t know, protective. Like she needed me to stand between her and everyone else.

  It was still early days yet so I hadn’t really dug into anyone’s backgrounds, but I planned to do that soon. Maybe I’ll plan a sleepover for the four of us; that would be cool.

  All in all I was feeling very good about things. I very rarely got a case of the blues anymore when I thought about my old life and the friends I left behind.

  Maybe I should call Jessica. Thinking of Jessica made me think of Jace. I could finally talk to her about boys and giggle like a freak.

  She answered on the second ring.

  “Hey my little starlet, I was beginning to think you’d forgotten all about the little people.”

  “Shut up, we spoke like two days ago.” She’s such a ham.

  “Oh did we? I forgot, it seemed so long ago, so how is it, meet any hot stars yet?” I had to go through the whole list of leading men that she had papered her bedroom wall with since we were twelve, denying having run into any one of them thus far.

  “So what’s the point?”

  I rolled my eyes at her question. “The point is that dad got a kick ass promo and is making more money to keep yours truly in designer wear.”

  “Meh, so any cute boys?” she said it in a singsong voice. I think Jessica was more bummed about my dating situation back home than I was.

  She wanted to do the whole double dating thing and sharing stories in my back yard around the campfire that dad would build for us in the summer and fall.

  For the first time I actually felt that tingle that I guess most teenage girls get when asked that question.

  I told her about Jace and the Mandy situation. “Oh she’s so done.”

  “What do you mean, why do you say that?”

  “Because if she was in there she wouldn’t feel threatened by you, unless the guy is a total dog who cheats on her all the time.”

  “I didn’t hear anything like that, only that they were the hottest item last year and now, ice-burg. I did see the two of them together and she seemed way more interested than he did.”

  “See, they’re on the outs, now the thing to find out is is it temporary, a lover’s spat or is it permanent?”

  “How do I do that?”

  “Did you learn
nothing from me? Geez, here’s what you do. You don’t approach him at all, like never.

  Whenever you see him make sure you’re doing something that will get his attention but don’t be too obvious.

  You know, like laugh at something someone else said and throw your head back like it’s really funny, that sort of thing.

  “Uh Jess, that sounds really lame. Why can’t I just talk to him if I like him?”

  “Are you insane, no no no no no, under no circumstances are you to approach this guy; shit I need to be there to oversee this first courtship of yours. Do you really like this boy Si?”

  “I don’t know we haven’t even really met. All I know is that whenever I see him I forget my damn name.”

  “Awww, my little chickie is in love.”

  “Shut up.”

  “Okay this is your first real biggie so there’s no way you’re going to follow protocol, and the way you talk about this guy I’d be lucky if you don’t do him in the stands after practice.”

  “Eww, Jessica I won’t do no such thing.” Though the thought made me all hot.

  We stayed on the phone for another ten minutes catching up on the news back home before it was time for homework.

  By the time the others filed in that evening one by one I was finished and ready for dinner.

  I asked mom about the sleepover and other than being surprised that I’d already met someone that I wanted to bring home she was cool.

  Sleepovers were a big part of my life back home, like almost every other weekend since I couldn’t date.

  Thinking about dating brought Jace to mind again and I started blushing for no reason whatsoever, which I had to hide, because my family didn’t miss much of anything.

  Dinner that evening was the usual Claiborne boisterous ordeal with talk of everything from what we did at school that day to the state of the union.

  No joke, mom and dad think it’s beneficial for us kids to have a handle on what’s going on in the world around us, since, as they put it, we’ll be the ones inheriting it.

  Jared was being his usual teenage boy weird and kept giving me knowing looks, like he knew something that I didn’t. I wanted to punch his lights out at about the third time I caught him at it.

  “You got tackled once too often at practice today or something?”

  “Nope.” He had that stupid grin on his face that always made me want to smother him in his sleep. Was it only yesterday I was thinking he was great? I take it back he’s a pain.

  I rushed up to my room after dinner to plan my sleepover party. There was a lot to be done to be the perfect hostess after all.

  Like what snacks to get, what games, movies and most importantly, formulating plans for the attack that would most definitely be occurring on my annoying brother.

  Speaking of which, I better tell mom to forbid him to invite any of his friends over that night.

  The last time he did that, he all but spoiled my sleepover, because all the girls wanted to do was parade their new boy shorts in front of his stupid friends. Where was the fun in that for me, the dateless one?

  Then again! No don’t even go there Sian. I had Jace Saunders on the brain. I don’t think I’d gone five minutes since that little meet yesterday without thinking about him in one way or another.

  It was too early for bed so I decided to go down and watch a movie in the family room.

  Everyone was usually doing their own thing by this time of the evening after homework and dinner was over with.

  Maggie was in her room on her phone with one of her little friends gabbing away. Jared was talking to dad in the home office, probably about stupid pigskin.

  “Hey Sian be a dear and take this out to the trash. Our men have hidden themselves away in the office.”

  “No problem mom.” I took the bag of trash and went out the door to the trash bins on the side of the house.

  One good thing about Cali was the weather. Here it was September and I was heading outside in shorts and a tank after dusk.

  All in all I have to say the move hadn’t turned out too bad after all, though I wouldn’t be sharing that little tidbit with dad anytime soon.

  I heard a car engine purring up the driveway and looked in that direction questioningly. Mom and dad hadn’t said anything about visitors.

  Chapter 2

  JACE

  Talk about perfect fucking timing. She was putting something in the trash at the side of the house when I pulled into the driveway.

  I took a second to enjoy the sight of her caught in my headlights wearing pajama shorts and a tank top.

  Fuck she’s perfect. My heart did his little dance and other body parts were heard from as well, but he’d have to wait his turn.

  I had a feeling this one was going to be a little different from the norm. I felt the rush in my blood yes, but there was also a sweet languidness that I’d never known before.

  I was actually looking forward to the dance. After grilling her brother farther today I now had a better handle on her.

  That, plus the fact that I had been watching her and forming my own opinion made me believe that she was going to be unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.

  I stepped out of the car pleased that I’d followed my mind and got dressed for this first time on her turf.

  Not overdressed mind you, but I’d foregone a tank and sweats for a Henley and jeans. I’d even taken extra care with my hair and shave to the delight of my nosy ass parents who wanted to know what I was up to.

  I just told them I’d let them know soon enough if all went well. That too was another first. Girls had been to my home before of course, but I’ve never formally introduced anyone as mine and don’t recall ever wanting to.

  I hadn’t even spoken to this one as yet and already I was mapping out our relationship.

  I didn’t take my eyes off of her as I made my approach. She looked younger here on here home turf.

  Her hair, that amazing fall of gold, was flowing freely down her back, the curls were gone. Somehow I liked this look better even though it made her look about twelve.

  Since she seemed stuck in a trance at the sight of me I moved in on her.

  The closer I got the more she tried to disappear into the wall behind her, but those eyes of hers never left mine.

  I was going to kiss her, that was my first intention, almost a compulsion you could say, but I got caught up in her eyes.

  There wasn’t much light out here as the sun was setting, but still I could see the pure dark blue of them, not black, blue.

  “Beautiful.” I ran my finger down her cheek and her eyes stayed on mine as her breathing went shallow. Lowering my head I sniffed her hair, running my nose down the side of her face.

  I wrapped one of my arms around her waist and pulled her into me. She fit perfectly, even though I dwarfed her with my six two frame. Perfect fucking fit!

  I savored the feeling as she stood still as a block of wood in my arms. I was tempted to lift her legs around my hips and take her mouth but I left it too late.

  Something snapped her out of her trance because the next thing I felt was a punch to the gut. I loosened my grip but didn’t let her go as I looked down at her in shock.

  “Your girlfriend know you’re here sniffing around me?” So much attitude.

  “What girlfriend?” I gritted the words out through my teeth; damn she packed a punch for such a little thing.

  “What do you mean what girlfriend you pig, I’m talking about…” she got away from me and started to stomp off back into the house. I’m thinking it was best we got this little issue taken care of first.

  “Mandy? We’ve been quits for a long time.” I caught up to her and pulled her back to me, back into the shadows.

  “Just so you know, I’m not the kind of guy who would go after one girl while hooked up with another, and you should know that.”

  “Me, how should I know anything? I don’t even know you.”

  “Because your heart wouldn�
��t beat this fast for a guy like that.” Her mouth fell open and she tried to step back when I put my hand over the place where her heart beat wildly.

  “You’re demented, could you please release me?”

  “I would but I don’t think you really want me to. Now I’m guessing pretty soon someone’s gonna come out that door looking for you so let’s clear a few things up before that happens.

  One, I’m not seeing Mandy, haven’t been since the beginning of summer. Two, I know you haven’t dated before, in other words you’ve never had a man.

  You’ve just met your first and last.” I kissed her lips quickly before letting her go and headed for the door. Didn’t want another run in with that fist of hers.

  “You coming?” I looked back to find her standing there with her mouth hanging open.

  I didn’t want to make the wrong impression on her parents. So that’s the only reason I didn’t go back there, and finish what I started.

  I reached my hand out to her and she made as if to take it before she caught herself and pulled back. She gave me a ‘humph’ and flounced by me with her nose in the air.

  “Nice ass.” She stopped short and threw me a glare over her shoulder before continuing on. I grinned as I followed her inside.

  She turned in the door and looked back over her shoulder to make sure no one else was in the kitchen.

  “What’re you doing here anyway?”

  “What do you think? I was going to pretend to be helping your brother with math, but I kinda ditched that idea between home and here. I don’t want there to be any deceit between us.

  Damn she was so fucking gorgeous. Up close, with the light, I could finally see all of her.

  She had the sexiest mouth I’d ever seen, small and perfectly shaped. She was a tiny bit of a thing though and my mind went to wondering whether or not she would be able to take me.

  She’d never dated but that didn’t mean she was still a virgin. I’m a teenage boy I know there’re ways around everything, but I was hoping that she was and that I would get to find out real soon.