I wasn’t expecting that. Not for on

I wasn’t expecting that. Not for one minute did I think Jax would still be in town.
I hurried to the other side of the street, locked in a weird daze as Chevelle pounded in my ears. Turning around, I watched his Mustang just sit there.
What was he doing?
Finally he revved the engine and cruised past slowly, car after car, all tricked out, following in his wake.
My dry tongue suddenly felt like a scrub brush in my mouth. More cars zoomed by me, blowing my short skirt across my thighs, and I felt as if I’d gotten caught in the middle of a damn parade.
What the hell was this?
Some of the vehicles I recognized. Since Liam, Jared, and Tate all used to race at the Loop, I’d learned at least a few things. Like Jax’s car was a Mustang, and I knew it was still Jax’s car, because I noticed his license plate still read NATIVE on it. The car behind it was Sam’s, a guy who graduated with me. It was a Dodge Challenger, but I had no clue what year. There was another Mustang, a Chevy SS, and a couple of older Fords and Pontiacs.
And then there were some very out-of-place ones.
Subarus? Hyundais? Was that a MINI Cooper?
Jax’s brother, Jared, would rather eat his own tongue than be seen with these cars. And they were all pimped out, too, with weird paint and huge spoilers on the back.
Wow.
But there were a shitload of them. I just stood there, staring, as car after car roared past me, all of them making their own distinct sounds as their engines sent vibrations down to the pavement at my feet, and up my body, making my belly hum.
I clenched my thighs and winced, disgusted with myself.
I was not wet.
No.
But I was. I was so completely turned on that I couldn’t remember the last time my body had burned like this.
I looked over once more, watching Jaxon Trent’s Mustang round the corner and disappear.
I spent the next few hours trying to keep as busy as possible. No friends, no car, not a lot of money, and I was restless as hell. And idle hands were the devil’s plaything.
Boredom was the root of all trouble, and apparently trouble was still living right next door.
What the hell was wrong with me? I hadn’t even seen the guy yet. He hadn’t even stepped out of his car, and all my brain wanted to do was wonder about him. Picture him. In his car. Dressed in black as he usually was. Touching me to that Chevelle song. What did he look like now?
When I finally got home, I changed into workout clothes and went to the gym, determined to kill some calories in kickboxing class. And then I stayed in the sauna, hoping to drain myself of every sexual impulse I’d had today.
For the most part, it worked. I was breathing evenly now at least.
As soon as I got back to the house, I showered, slapped on a little makeup and dried my hair, and then picked through my clothes for some sweatpants and a tank top.
Until I saw some of Tate’s clothes still in the drawers.
I smiled, reaching in and snatching out a pair of cutoff jean shorts. I slid them on, loving the way they felt so comfortable and still looked cute as hell. They were baggy, hanging off my hip bones, but they weren’t too long or too short, either. Pulling on my pink tank top, I looked in the mirror, wondering what my mother would say. She thought cutoffs were sloppy, and although she liked Tate, she stressed that her music and her style were not to be duplicated.
But she wasn’t here, and if no one was going to see me, then no harm done.
I spent the rest of the night sprawled out on the living room floor, eating mac ’n’ cheese and poring over the files Principal Masters had given me. Although he’d given me lesson plans, I typed up some K.C.– friendly instructions of my own on my laptop, adding a couple of journal activities I loved doing in my own classes at college. Sessions would be Monday through Thursday from eight fifteen to noon, and tutoring would end mid-July. After that, my hundred hours would be complete, and I’d be free for the rest of the summer.
I’d been staring at the same sentence for about five minutes when I let my head fall back and closed my eyes, completely pissed off at the noise outside.
The raucous party next door had begun as a dull hum two hours ago, but now it was a hodgepodge of laughter, squeals, thunderous engines roaring in and out of the neighborhood, and constant explosions of music that felt as if bombs might actually be detonating under Tate’s house. I gritted my teeth together and grumbled to no one, “I can’t believe no one in the neighborhood complains about this.”
I shot off the area rug, heading for the windows in the dining room to take a look at what was going on, when I heard pounding on the front door.
“Juliet?” a singsong voice called. “What light through yonder window breaks?” The familiar words made my heart flutter, and I smiled.
“Romeo, Romeo,” I called, doing an about-face for the front door. “Wherefore art thou, Romeo?”
I yanked open the door, reached for my cousin Shane’s hand, and let her pull me into her body and then dip me backward so that my back arched and my hair caressed the hardwood floors.
She held me tight. “Your nose hairs need to be trimmed, cuz.”
I popped my head up. “Your breath smells like a dead person.”
She swooped me back up and plopped a kiss on my cheek before walking past me into the living room.
“How are you?” she asked, acting as if it hadn’t been a year since we’d seen each other.
“Peachy. You?”
“Nothing that a few drinks or a bullet to the head won’t cure.”
I hesitated as I watched her crash into the armchair and slouch. Even though we rarely saw each other since college had started, we talked at least once a week and over time her jokes made me more and more uncomfortable. Those little comments were pretty constant.
Shane was my only cousin, and since we were both our parents’ only children, we grew up close. I appreciated her way with words and her easy humor, but it still didn’t erase the suspicion that she was aching to leave home and spread her wings.
“Careful,” I warned. “I may actually start worrying about someone other than myself.”
“That would be new,” she teased, folding her hands over her stomach. “So … are you really okay, Juliet?”
She was the only person who called me by my real name—Juliet Adrian Carter. Everyone else called me K.C.
“I’m fine.” I nodded, sitting back down on the floor and spreading my legs around the laptop. “You?”
“Better now that you’re home.”
Shane graduated this year and would be off to college in California in the fall. But even there, she wouldn’t have much freedom. Her parents only agreed to pay the out-of-state tuition if she lived with her grandmother—on her father’s side—in San Francisco.
Shane was less than happy, but she rolled with it. Although I think she liked Shelburne Falls—she had lots of friends—she was looking for an environment that had more than a ten percent African-American population.
Her dad was black. He loved it here and from what I gathered, he was comfortable, but Shane craved more diversity, more culture, more everything.
She cleared her throat and leaned on her knees. “What are you doing?” The question sounded like an accusation.
I looked up into her stunning hazel eyes. “Getting ready for my community service. I’m tutoring incoming seniors this summer.”
“I heard.” She still stared at me as if she were confused. “I meant why the hell are you holed up in the house when for once in your life Liam or Sandra Fucking Carter doesn’t have you on a leash?”
“You know I love you,” I started, “but I have a nice, peaceful house and a vibrator upstairs. I’m good,” I joked. “Besides, do you really think I should go looking for trouble, Shane?”
“You won’t have to look far.” Her taunting voice sounded sexy. “Has it escaped your notice that a party has commenced next door?”
Ah. Now I got it. I looked at her attire, noticing the skintight black miniskirt and the white tank top. Unlike my tank, though, hers had sequins around the neckline and in one long strip down the front. With her café au lait skin, dark, straightened hair falling below her shoulder blades, and her legs that went on for days, she was stunningly beautiful.
I wondered if Jax ever noticed her, but I shook my head clear. I didn’t care.
“No, it hasn’t escaped my notice,” I mumbled. “I think the vibrations of the music are shaking the foundations of this house, actually.”
“Well, I’m going. And so are you.”
“No, I’m not.” I let out a bitter laugh and unwrapped a piece of spearmint gum, sticking it into my mouth. “Jax is trouble, and I have no desire to be over there.”
“Yes, you do. Everyone wants to be over there. And every girl gets along with Jax.”
I couldn’t help it. I looked up and shot her what I was sure was a nasty little scowl. But I quickly looked back down again. Images of Jax screwing those two girls a couple of years ago flashed through my mind, and I thought of everyone else he’d probably had since then, and I …
I fisted the gum wrapper.
Why did he affect me so much? Jaxon Trent was just a cocky kid who had liked to push my buttons in high school—but for some reason my damn body had more of a reaction to him than the boyfriend I’d had for five years. And even though I didn’t consider what he might or might not have been doing while I was gone, I damn well couldn’t stop thinking about it now.
Oh, Christ. I hope Shane had never slept with him.
I almost asked.
“Well, I don’t,” I grumbled. “Jax was always bad news. Does he even go to college?”
“To Clarke,” she answered quickly, and I blinked.
Clarke College?
It was local. Close enough for him to live in Shelburne Falls. But it was also private and had very high ratings for its academics. Shame warmed my cheeks for assuming he wasn’t college material. He was, and he was in a much better school than I attended.
“So he still lives next door year-round with Katherine?” I ventured.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

Aku tidak mengharapkan itu. Tidak selama satu menit Apakah saya pikir Jax akan tetap berada di kota.Aku bergegas ke sisi lain jalan, terkunci dalam keadaan linglung aneh seperti Chevelle ditumbuk di telingaku. Berbalik, aku menyaksikan Mustang nya hanya duduk di sana.Apa yang dia lakukan?Akhirnya ia revved mesin dan melaju melewati perlahan-lahan, mobil setelah Mobil, Semua ditipu, mengikuti di belakangnya.Lidah saya kering tiba-tiba merasa seperti sikat dalam mulutku. Lebih banyak mobil diperbesar oleh saya, meniup rok pendek saya di paha saya, dan saya merasa seolah-olah aku mendapat terjebak di parade sialan.Apa sih Apakah ini?Beberapa kendaraan saya diakui. Sejak Liam, Jared dan Tate semua digunakan untuk balapan di Loop, saya telah belajar setidaknya beberapa hal. Seperti Jax's mobil adalah Mustang, dan aku tahu itu masih Jax's Mobil, karena aku melihat pelat masih membaca asli di atasnya. Mobil di balik itu adalah Sam, seorang pria yang lulus dengan saya. Itu Dodge Challenger, tapi aku tidak tahu apa tahun. Ada lain Mustang, Chevy SS dan beberapa lebih tua Ford dan Pontiacs.Dan kemudian ada beberapa yang sangat out-of-tempat.Subarus? Hyundais? Itu MINI Cooper?JAX's saudara, Jared, melainkan akan makan lidahnya sendiri daripada dilihat dengan mobil-mobil ini. Dan mereka adalah semua pimped, juga, dengan cat aneh dan besar spoiler di belakang.Wow.Tapi ada shitload dari mereka. Aku hanya berdiri di sana, menatap, sebagai mobil setelah mobil raung melewati saya, semua dari mereka membuat suara mereka sendiri berbeda sebagai mesin mereka dikirim getaran ke trotoar di kakiku, dan tubuh saya, membuat saya hum perut.Aku mengepalkan paha saya dan meringis, muak dengan diriku sendiri.Aku tidak basah.WakakakTapi aku. Saya sehingga benar-benar berubah bahwa aku tidak bisa mengingat waktu terakhir tubuh saya telah membakar seperti ini.Aku melihat ke atas sekali lagi, menonton Jaxon Trent Mustang di tikungan dan menghilang.Saya menghabiskan beberapa jam berusaha untuk tetap sebagai sibuk sebagai mungkin. Tidak ada teman, tidak Mobil, tidak banyak uang, dan saya gelisah sebagai neraka. Dan tangan siaga mainan setan.Kebosanan adalah akar dari semua masalah, dan tampaknya masalah masih tinggal di sebelah.Apa sih yang salah dengan saya? Aku belum pernah melihat pria belum. Dia bahkan tidak melangkah keluar dari mobil, dan semua otak saya ingin lakukan adalah bertanya-tanya tentang dirinya. Gambar Nya. Dalam mobilnya. Berpakaian hitam karena ia biasanya. Menyentuh saya untuk lagu Chevelle itu. Apa Apakah dia terlihat seperti sekarang?Ketika saya akhirnya tiba di rumah, aku berubah menjadi pakaian olahraga dan pergi ke gym, bertekad untuk membunuh beberapa kalori dalam kelas kickboxing. Dan kemudian aku tinggal di sauna, berharap untuk mengalirkan diri dari setiap dorongan seksual yang aku punya hari ini.Untuk sebagian besar, itu bekerja. Saya adalah bernapas secara merata sekarang setidaknya.Segera setelah aku kembali ke rumah, saya mandi, menampar di sedikit make-up, rambut saya kering, dan kemudian mengambil melalui beberapa celana olahraga dan tank top pakaian saya.Sampai aku melihat beberapa Tate's pakaian masih dalam laci.Aku tersenyum, mencapai di dan menyambar keluar sepasang celana cutoff jean. Aku meluncur mereka pada, mencintai cara mereka merasa begitu nyaman dan masih tampak cute sebagai neraka. Mereka adalah longgar, menggantung tulang pinggul saya, tetapi mereka tidak terlalu panjang atau terlalu pendek, baik. Menarik tank top merah muda, aku melihat di cermin, bertanya-tanya apa yang akan dikatakan ibuku. Dia pikir celana pendek ceroboh, dan meskipun dia menyukai Tate, dia menekankan bahwa musiknya dan gaya nya yang tidak agar bisa digandakan.Tetapi dia tidak di sini, dan jika tidak ada yang akan melihat saya, maka tidak ada salahnya dilakukan.Aku menghabiskan sisa malam tergeletak keluar pada lantai ruang tamu, makan mac 'n' keju dan meneliti file kepala Masters telah memberi saya. Meskipun dia memberi saya rencana pelajaran, saya mengetik beberapa petunjuk ramah K.C.– saya sendiri di laptop saya, menambahkan beberapa kegiatan jurnal aku suka lakukan di kelas saya sendiri di college. Sesi akan Senin hingga Kamis dari delapan lima belas hingga siang, dan bimbingan akan berakhir pertengahan Juli. Setelah itu, saya ratus jam akan lengkap, dan aku akan gratis untuk sisa musim panas.Saya telah menatap kalimat yang sama selama sekitar lima menit ketika saya membiarkan kepalaku jatuh kembali dan menutup mata saya, benar-benar marah pada kebisingan di luar.The raucous party next door had begun as a dull hum two hours ago, but now it was a hodgepodge of laughter, squeals, thunderous engines roaring in and out of the neighborhood, and constant explosions of music that felt as if bombs might actually be detonating under Tate’s house. I gritted my teeth together and grumbled to no one, “I can’t believe no one in the neighborhood complains about this.”I shot off the area rug, heading for the windows in the dining room to take a look at what was going on, when I heard pounding on the front door.“Juliet?” a singsong voice called. “What light through yonder window breaks?” The familiar words made my heart flutter, and I smiled.“Romeo, Romeo,” I called, doing an about-face for the front door. “Wherefore art thou, Romeo?”I yanked open the door, reached for my cousin Shane’s hand, and let her pull me into her body and then dip me backward so that my back arched and my hair caressed the hardwood floors.She held me tight. “Your nose hairs need to be trimmed, cuz.”I popped my head up. “Your breath smells like a dead person.”She swooped me back up and plopped a kiss on my cheek before walking past me into the living room.“How are you?” she asked, acting as if it hadn’t been a year since we’d seen each other.“Peachy. You?”“Nothing that a few drinks or a bullet to the head won’t cure.”I hesitated as I watched her crash into the armchair and slouch. Even though we rarely saw each other since college had started, we talked at least once a week and over time her jokes made me more and more uncomfortable. Those little comments were pretty constant.Shane was my only cousin, and since we were both our parents’ only children, we grew up close. I appreciated her way with words and her easy humor, but it still didn’t erase the suspicion that she was aching to leave home and spread her wings.“Careful,” I warned. “I may actually start worrying about someone other than myself.”“That would be new,” she teased, folding her hands over her stomach. “So … are you really okay, Juliet?”She was the only person who called me by my real name—Juliet Adrian Carter. Everyone else called me K.C.“I’m fine.” I nodded, sitting back down on the floor and spreading my legs around the laptop. “You?”“Better now that you’re home.”Shane graduated this year and would be off to college in California in the fall. But even there, she wouldn’t have much freedom. Her parents only agreed to pay the out-of-state tuition if she lived with her grandmother—on her father’s side—in San Francisco.Shane was less than happy, but she rolled with it. Although I think she liked Shelburne Falls—she had lots of friends—she was looking for an environment that had more than a ten percent African-American population.Her dad was black. He loved it here and from what I gathered, he was comfortable, but Shane craved more diversity, more culture, more everything.She cleared her throat and leaned on her knees. “What are you doing?” The question sounded like an accusation.I looked up into her stunning hazel eyes. “Getting ready for my community service. I’m tutoring incoming seniors this summer.”“I heard.” She still stared at me as if she were confused. “I meant why the hell are you holed up in the house when for once in your life Liam or Sandra Fucking Carter doesn’t have you on a leash?”“You know I love you,” I started, “but I have a nice, peaceful house and a vibrator upstairs. I’m good,” I joked. “Besides, do you really think I should go looking for trouble, Shane?”“You won’t have to look far.” Her taunting voice sounded sexy. “Has it escaped your notice that a party has commenced next door?”Ah. Now I got it. I looked at her attire, noticing the skintight black miniskirt and the white tank top. Unlike my tank, though, hers had sequins around the neckline and in one long strip down the front. With her café au lait skin, dark, straightened hair falling below her shoulder blades, and her legs that went on for days, she was stunningly beautiful.I wondered if Jax ever noticed her, but I shook my head clear. I didn’t care.“No, it hasn’t escaped my notice,” I mumbled. “I think the vibrations of the music are shaking the foundations of this house, actually.”“Well, I’m going. And so are you.”
“No, I’m not.” I let out a bitter laugh and unwrapped a piece of spearmint gum, sticking it into my mouth. “Jax is trouble, and I have no desire to be over there.”
“Yes, you do. Everyone wants to be over there. And every girl gets along with Jax.”
I couldn’t help it. I looked up and shot her what I was sure was a nasty little scowl. But I quickly looked back down again. Images of Jax screwing those two girls a couple of years ago flashed through my mind, and I thought of everyone else he’d probably had since then, and I …
I fisted the gum wrapper.
Why did he affect me so much? Jaxon Trent was just a cocky kid who had liked to push my buttons in high school—but for some reason my damn body had more of a reaction to him than the boyfriend I’d had for five years. And even though I didn’t consider what he might or might not have been doing while I was gone, I damn well couldn’t stop thinking about it now.
Oh, Christ. I hope Shane had never slept with him.
I almost asked.
“Well, I don’t,” I grumbled. “Jax was always bad news. Does he even go to college?”
“To Clarke,” she answered quickly, and I blinked.
Clarke College?
It was local. Close enough for him to live in Shelburne Falls. But it was also private and had very high ratings for its academics. Shame warmed my cheeks for assuming he wasn’t college material. He was, and he was in a much better school than I attended.
“So he still lives next door year-round with Katherine?” I ventured.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 2:

Aku tidak mengharapkan itu. Bukan untuk satu menit aku berpikir Jax masih akan berada di kota.
Saya bergegas ke sisi lain dari jalan, terkunci dalam keadaan linglung aneh seperti Chevelle ditumbuk di telingaku. Berbalik, aku melihat Mustang-nya hanya duduk di sana.
Apa yang dia lakukan?
Akhirnya ia menyalakan mesin dan melaju melewati perlahan, mobil setelah mobil, semua ditipu, berikut di belakangnya.
Lidah kering saya tiba-tiba merasa seperti sikat di saya mulut. Mobil lebih diperbesar oleh saya, meniup rok pendek saya di paha saya, dan saya merasa seolah-olah aku mendapatkan tertangkap di tengah-tengah parade sialan.
Apa itu ini?
Beberapa kendaraan saya diakui. Sejak Liam, Jared, dan Tate semua digunakan untuk balapan di Loop, aku akan belajar setidaknya beberapa hal. Seperti mobil Jax adalah Mustang, dan aku tahu itu masih mobil Jax, karena saya melihat plat nya masih membaca NATIVE di atasnya. Mobil di belakang itu Sam, seorang pria yang lulus dengan saya. Itu adalah Dodge Challenger, tapi saya tidak tahu apa tahun. Ada lagi Mustang, Chevy SS, dan beberapa Ford tua dan Pontiacs.
Dan kemudian ada beberapa yang sangat out-of-tempat yang.
Subarus? Hyundais? Adalah bahwa MINI Cooper?
Kakak Jax ini, Jared, suka makan lidahnya sendiri daripada dilihat dengan mobil-mobil ini. Dan mereka semua pimped keluar juga, dengan cat aneh dan spoiler besar di bagian belakang.
Wow.
Tapi ada shitload mereka. Aku hanya berdiri di sana, menatap, seperti mobil setelah mobil meraung melewati saya, mereka semua membuat suara mereka sendiri yang berbeda sebagai mesin mereka mengirim getaran ke trotoar di kaki saya, dan tubuhku, membuat hum perut saya.
Saya mengepalkan paha saya dan meringis, jijik dengan diriku sendiri.
Aku tidak basah.
Tidak
Tapi aku. Aku begitu benar-benar dihidupkan bahwa saya tidak bisa ingat kapan terakhir kali tubuhku terbakar seperti ini.
Aku menoleh sekali lagi, menonton Jaxon Trent Mustang tikungan dan menghilang.
Saya menghabiskan beberapa jam berikutnya mencoba untuk tetap sibuk seperti mungkin. Tidak ada teman, tidak ada mobil, tidak banyak uang, dan saya gelisah sekali. Dan tangan menganggur adalah setan mainan.
Kebosanan itu akar dari semua masalah, dan tampaknya masalah itu masih tinggal di sebelah kanan pintu.
Apa yang salah dengan saya? Aku bahkan tidak melihat orang itu belum. Dia bahkan tidak melangkah keluar dari mobilnya, dan semua otak saya ingin lakukan adalah bertanya-tanya tentang dia. Bayangkan dia. Di mobilnya. Berpakaian hitam seperti biasanya adalah. Menyentuh saya untuk lagu Chevelle. Apa yang dia terlihat seperti sekarang?
Ketika aku akhirnya sampai di rumah, saya berubah menjadi pakaian olahraga dan pergi ke gym, bertekad untuk membunuh beberapa kalori dalam kelas kickboxing. Dan kemudian saya tinggal di sauna, berharap untuk menguras diri dari setiap dorongan seksual yang aku punya saat ini.
Untuk sebagian besar, itu bekerja. Aku bernapas merata sekarang setidaknya.
Begitu aku kembali ke rumah, aku mandi, menampar pada makeup sedikit dan dikeringkan rambut saya, dan kemudian memilih melalui pakaian saya untuk beberapa celana dan tank top.
Sampai aku melihat beberapa pakaian Tate masih dalam laci.
Aku tersenyum, mencapai dan menyambar sepasang celana pendek jean cutoff. Aku meluncur mereka pada, mencintai cara mereka merasa begitu nyaman dan masih tampak lucu sekali. Mereka baggy, menggantung tulang pinggul saya, tapi mereka tidak terlalu panjang atau terlalu pendek, baik. Menarik pada tank top merah muda saya, saya melihat di cermin, bertanya-tanya apa ibuku akan berkata. Dia pikir celana yang ceroboh, dan meskipun ia menyukai Tate, dia menekankan bahwa musiknya dan gayanya tidak akan diduplikasi.
Tapi dia tidak ada di sini, dan jika tidak ada yang akan melihat saya, maka tidak ada salahnya dilakukan.
Aku menghabiskan sisa malam tergeletak di lantai ruang tamu, makan mac 'n' keju dan meneliti berkas Masters Principal telah memberi saya. Meskipun ia telah memberi saya rencana pelajaran, saya mengetik beberapa KC- petunjuk ramah saya sendiri di laptop saya, menambahkan beberapa kegiatan jurnal Aku mencintai lakukan di kelas saya sendiri di perguruan tinggi. Sesi akan Senin sampai Kamis dari delapan lima belas sampai siang, dan bimbingan akan berakhir pertengahan Juli. Setelah itu, saya ratus jam akan lengkap, dan aku akan bebas untuk sisa musim panas.
Aku telah menatap kalimat yang sama selama sekitar lima menit ketika aku membiarkan kepala saya jatuh kembali dan menutup mata, benar-benar marah off di suara di luar.
Partai parau sebelah mulai sebagai hum kusam dua jam yang lalu, tapi sekarang itu adalah gado-gado tawa, jeritan, mesin gemuruh menderu masuk dan keluar dari lingkungan, dan ledakan konstan musik yang merasa sebagai jika bom sebenarnya mungkin meledakkan bawah rumah Tate. Aku mengertakkan gigi bersama dan menggerutu tidak ada, "Aku tidak percaya ada orang di lingkungan mengeluh tentang hal ini."
Saya ditembak dari area karpet, menuju jendela di ruang makan untuk melihat apa yang sedang terjadi , ketika saya mendengar menggedor pintu depan.
"Juliet?" suara nyanyian yang disebut. "Apa cahaya melalui jendela di sana istirahat?" Kata-kata familiar membuat jantung berdebar saya, dan saya tersenyum.
"Romeo, Romeo," Aku menelepon, melakukan sekitar-wajah untuk pintu depan. "Oleh karena itu engkau, Romeo?"
Aku menarik terbuka pintu, meraih sepupu tangan Shane saya, dan membiarkan dia menarik saya ke dalam tubuhnya dan kemudian mencelupkan saya mundur sehingga punggungku melengkung dan rambut saya membelai lantai kayu.
Dia memelukku ketat. "Bulu hidung Anda perlu dipangkas, cuz."
Saya muncul kepala saya. "Napas Anda bau seperti orang mati."
Dia menukik saya kembali ke atas dan menjatuhkan sebuah ciuman di pipi saya sebelum berjalan melewati saya ke ruang tamu.
"Bagaimana kabarmu?" Tanyanya, bertindak seolah-olah itu belum setahun karena kita telah melihat satu sama lain.
"Peachy. Anda?
"" Tidak ada yang beberapa minuman atau peluru ke kepala tidak akan menyembuhkan.
"Aku ragu-ragu karena saya menyaksikan kecelakaan dia ke kursi dan bungkuk. Meskipun kita jarang melihat satu sama lain sejak kuliah sudah dimulai, kami berbicara setidaknya sekali seminggu dan dari waktu ke waktu lelucon nya membuat saya lebih dan lebih nyaman. Komentar orang-orang kecil yang cukup konstan.
Shane hanya sepupu saya, dan karena kami hanya anak kedua orang tua kami, kami tumbuh dekat. Saya menghargai cara dia dengan kata-kata dan humor mudah, tapi masih tidak menghapus kecurigaan bahwa dia sakit untuk meninggalkan rumah dan menyebar sayapnya.
"Hati-hati," aku memperingatkan. "Saya benar-benar dapat mulai khawatir tentang orang lain selain diri saya sendiri."
"Itu akan menjadi baru," dia menggoda, melipat tangan di atas perutnya. "Jadi ... kau benar-benar baik-baik saja, Juliet?"
Dia satu-satunya orang yang memanggil saya dengan nama-Juliet nyata saya Adrian Carter. Semua orang memanggil saya KC
"Aku baik-baik." Aku mengangguk, duduk kembali di lantai dan menyebarkan kaki saya sekitar laptop. "Kamu?"
"Lebih baik sekarang bahwa Anda rumah."
Shane lulus tahun ini dan akan ke perguruan tinggi di California pada musim gugur. Tapi bahkan di sana, dia tidak akan memiliki banyak kebebasan. Orangtuanya hanya setuju untuk membayar out-of-negara kuliah jika dia tinggal dengan neneknya-on ayahnya samping di San Francisco.
Shane kurang senang, tapi dia berguling dengan itu. Meskipun saya pikir dia menyukai Shelburne Falls-dia punya banyak teman-dia sedang mencari lingkungan yang memiliki lebih dari sepuluh persen penduduk Afrika-Amerika.
Ayahnya adalah hitam. Dia senang di sini dan dari apa yang saya kumpulkan, dia nyaman, tapi Shane mendambakan lebih keragaman, budaya yang lebih, lebih segalanya.
Dia berdeham dan bersandar pada lututnya. "Apa yang kamu lakukan?" Pertanyaan itu terdengar seperti tuduhan.
Aku mendongak ke mata menakjubkan cokelatnya. "Bersiap-siap untuk saya pelayanan masyarakat. Aku les senior masuk musim panas ini.
"" Aku dengar. "Dia masih menatapku seolah-olah dia bingung. "Aku berarti mengapa sih yang Anda bersembunyi di rumah ketika untuk sekali dalam hidup Anda Liam atau Sandra Vidio Carter tidak memiliki Anda pada tali?"
"Kau tahu aku mencintaimu," aku mulai, "tapi aku punya bagus, rumah damai dan vibrator lantai atas. Aku baik-baik, "aku bercanda. "Selain itu, apakah Anda benar-benar berpikir aku harus pergi mencari masalah, Shane?"
"Anda tidak harus melihat jauh." Suara mengejek nya terdengar seksi. "Apakah itu luput dari perhatian Anda bahwa pesta telah dimulai di sebelah?"
Ah. Sekarang aku mendapatkannya. Aku menatap pakaian nya, memperhatikan rok mini hitam skintight dan tank top putih. Tidak seperti tangki saya, meskipun, miliknya memiliki payet di sekitar leher dan di satu strip panjang di bagian depan. Dengan café au lait kulit nya, gelap, rambut meluruskan jatuh di bawah tulang belikat, dan kakinya yang berlangsung selama berhari-hari, dia cantik.
Aku bertanya-tanya apakah Jax pernah melihat dia, tapi aku menggeleng jelas. Aku tidak peduli.
"Tidak, itu tidak luput dari perhatian saya," gumamku. "Saya pikir getaran musik yang mengguncang fondasi rumah ini, benar-benar."
"Yah, aku akan. Dan begitu juga Anda.
"" Tidak, aku tidak. "Aku tertawa pahit dan membuka bungkusan permen karet spearmint, menempel ke mulut saya. "Jax adalah masalah, dan saya tidak punya keinginan untuk menjadi di sana."
"Ya, Anda lakukan. Semua orang ingin menjadi di sana. Dan setiap gadis akan bersama dengan Jax.
"Aku tidak bisa menahannya. Aku mendongak dan menembaknya apa yang saya yakin adalah cemberut sedikit jahat. Tapi aku cepat melihat kembali turun lagi. Gambar Jax meniduri dua gadis beberapa tahun yang lalu terlintas di benak saya, dan saya pikir dari orang lain dia mungkin punya sejak itu, dan aku ...
aku mengepalkan bungkus permen karet.
Mengapa ia mempengaruhi saya begitu banyak? Jaxon Trent hanya anak sombong yang suka menekan tombol saya di SMA-tapi untuk beberapa alasan tubuh sialan saya memiliki lebih dari reaksi baginya daripada pacar aku punya selama lima tahun. Dan meskipun saya tidak menganggap apa yang mungkin atau tidak mungkin telah melakukan sementara aku pergi, aku betul tidak bisa berhenti memikirkan tentang hal itu sekarang.
Oh, Kristus. Saya berharap Shane tidak pernah tidur dengannya.
Aku hampir bertanya.
"Yah, aku tidak," gerutuku. "Jax selalu berita buruk. Apakah dia bahkan pergi ke perguruan tinggi?
"" Untuk Clarke, "jawabnya cepat, dan aku berkedip.
Clarke College?
Itu setempat. Cukup dekat baginya untuk tinggal di Shelburne Falls. Tapi itu juga pribadi dan memiliki peringkat sangat tinggi untuk akademisi nya. Malu menghangatkan pipi saya untuk mengasumsikan ia tidak material kuliah. Dia, dan ia berada di sekolah jauh lebih baik daripada yang saya hadiri.
"Jadi dia masih tinggal di sebelah sepanjang tahun dengan Katherine?" Aku memberanikan diri.