An almost imperceptible smile ghosted across his face. “Do I seem like the kind of guy you’d forget?”
I let out a surprised laugh. “No.”
“Good.” He closed the short distance between us, his lips dangerously close to mine. “Because you’re definitely not the kind of girl I’d ever forget.”
My breath hitched.
His eyes darkened.
Our mouths, like magnets, pulled closer and closer. “Trent, we can’t.” I placed my hands on his chest, intending to push him away, but my fingers curled against him, like I was trying to find a way to crawl inside of him rather than get away from him.
He sat back, eyes even darker than they were a moment ago. “Because of him?”
Not more than a second later, Simon strolled outside, carrying an ice pack. I jerked away from Trent, putting some much needed distance between us. Simon must not have noticed, because he sat beside me, our legs pressed against one another like nothing was wrong.
“Sorry. Livi was being a pain,” he said and handed me the ice.
I took it and held it to my cheek, wincing only slightly. “Thanks.”
“Better?” Simon asked.
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
But one look at Trent, and I wasn’t so sure about that.
CHAPTER TWELVE:
Everyone Has a Twin Somewhere
HALF AN HOUR LATER WHEN DECLAN dropped me off at the bookstore, my cheek still stung, and it was probably red, too. I should have canceled Jaxon’s tutoring session, but it was the only thing that made any sense—my entire day had been bizarre. Besides, I could really use a bit more of his no-nonsense advice.
Jaxon was once again seated on the couch in the alcove, and when he saw me, he stood. “Why is your hair wet? What happened to your face?” he asked, eyes wide. “It wasn’t the mean girl, was it?”
“I went swimming after school,” I said, taken aback by his concern. “And no, it wasn’t Olivia. It was an unfortunate volleyball accident.”
He narrowed his eyes and studied me as if he didn’t believe me.
I sighed. “Sit, and I’ll tell you everything.” I dropped my bag to the floor and flopped down on the couch.
Jaxon sat a moment later, much closer than he had last week, and our legs were pressed together. Warmth spread through me. Nothing like the fire Trent’s touch caused, but this sensation was pleasant.
“So, how was your date Friday night?” he asked.
I playfully elbowed him. “It wasn’t a date.”
He smirked. “Uh-huh. Did he hold your hand?”
I kept my gaze trained on my hands in my lap.
“Yeah, it was most definitely a date,” Jaxon said with a laugh. “I hope you let him down easy.”
I glanced at him and tilted my head. I barely knew him, yet I felt comfortable with him—comfortable enough to tell him everything that had happened this past weekend—and that was unusual for me. But there was something about him, a strong, silent will that made it easy to open up.
“I keep telling Simon we’re just friends.” I tucked one leg under me and shifted so I was facing Jaxon. “But that’s not even the weirdest thing that happened.”
“Oh yeah?” Jaxon rested his elbow on the back of the couch, angling his body so he was facing me, too.
“Yeah, so the concert was great. I had a ton of fun. His sister ignored us all night, which only made it better.”
Jaxon chuckled but remained silent, waiting for me to continue.
“Simon had VIP tickets, and at one point, we got close to the mosh pit. We were right in front of the stage. People were pushing and shoving, and we got separated. This crowd surfer was seconds away from crashing down on my head when this guy yanked me out of the way.”
My heart raced at the memory of Trent grabbing me and hauling me against his chest. I could still feel his arms around me, see the way he looked at me. I suppressed a shiver.
“Sounds like you were lucky,” Jaxon said.
“Yeah, I guess. But the really weird part… He looked exactly like you. Except his arms were a tad smaller than yours, and he was an inch or so taller, but seriously. He looked so much like you. It was creepy.”
“Hmm.” Jaxon shrugged. “Well, you know what they say. Everyone has a twin somewhere.”
I narrowed my eyes. “So, you don’t happen to have a twin brother?”
“Nope.” He grinned, but his eyes were darker than they had been a second ago.
Was he lying to me? Why would he do that, especially about something as harmless as having a brother?
“But I’m dying to know.” Jaxon’s lips curved into a mischievous smile. “Was this guy as hot as I am?”
I laughed. “Nice try.”
“What?” he said innocently.
“Oh, come on. You know you’re hot. You don’t need me to tell you that.” I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t stop the heat that spread across my cheeks. “So, Saturday,” I said, refusing to dwell on the fact that I’d just told Jaxon to his face that I thought he was hot. “I go to this charity ball with my dad and stepmom, and this guy is there!”
“Interesting.” Jaxon’s expression was one of amused interest, but he didn’t seem the least bit shocked by anything I was telling him.
“Right? We talked and danced, and then he tells me he’s starting at my school.” My eyes widened to emphasize my point, and I gestured with my hands. “Can you believe that?” I didn’t give him a chance to respond. “Sure enough, he’s there today, and, of course, he’s now friends with Simon.” Groaning, I dropped my head to the back of the couch.
Jaxon laughed. “Well, that certainly makes things… complicated. I take it you like this guy?”
“Yes, and what’s really weird is that I feel like I know him. I can’t explain it, but every time I’m near him, it’s…” I took a deep breath. “I don’t even know.”
He was quiet for several moments, and his expression hardened for a flash of a second before returning to its relaxed state.
