Page 4 of Risking it All

Was I looking forward to going home to my tragically hopeful parents and informing them I had failed to participate in therapy again and then watched as they tried to keep an upbeat attitude even though I was breaking their hearts? Nope.

Accepting my silence as an answer, Ariel and I watched as the other members of my therapy group walked toward their awaiting rides. Everyone but Relic. He stood near the front doors of our school, looking bored while Zuri chatted at him.

“You didn’t tell me Relic Aslanov was in your group therapy.”

No, I didn’t. We had all signed papers and agreed we wouldn’t divulge group therapy with anyone. Sort of like the rules of an AA meeting. Did I trust that everyone else would keep the deal? No, but all I could control was me. At least that was what Mom and three of my therapists said.

“That kid is super trouble,” Ariel said, “but you have to admit he’s super hot, too.”

Relic was definitely super hot. Every girl was scared to look at him longer than a few seconds because if they did, they might burst into flames.

He was this weird mismatch between a California surfer dude and a biker belonging to an outlaw motorcycle club. He had this mess of brilliant blond hair that looked two months overdue for a cut, electrifying blue eyes, a clean-shaven face, a lean, toned body, and this aggravatingly carefree attitude like nothing ever bothered him. If that were the case, I was jealous to the point of hating him.

Dressed in baggy jeans and a white T-shirt that stretched tight across his chest, he was beautiful to look at, and while that beauty drew me in, instinct told me to give him a wide berth. Like, cross the street and run wide berth.

His entire aura screamed trouble, like he was comfortable in situations that would make most people cower in fear. Underneath the jokes and comebacks was an undertow of rawness, a wildness that separated him from my world. My life was neat and tidy, but Relic—I had a feeling Relic’s world was rooted in chaos and anarchy.

“When he shows and decides to let loose,” said Ariel, “which isn’t very often on either account, Relic’s fun at a party.” She gave me her wild side grin. While she loved playing the good girl at school and at home, Ariel had developed a feral side to her personality around the age of six, and she’d been secretly nurturing it ever since. Neither of our sets of parents were aware of her after-hour activities, and if they ever found out, they’d probably lock her up in a convent until she turned fifty-two. Did I participate in that part of her life? Nope. We were best friends, sisters of the soul, but that didn’t mean we had to doeverythingtogether. We were allowed separate lives.

“Have you kissed him?” I asked out of curiosity, not judgement. Ariel loved kissing, and she loved kissing people she had just met.

“I wish. I bet he’s a great kisser.”

So incorrigible, and I loved every ounce of Ariel. “I want to be you when I grow up.”

“That’s okay. Everyone does.”

Relic broke away from Zuri and walked in an easy, unhurried stride for the road. I nibbled on my lower lip. I didn’t want to fracture any type of don’t-talk group therapy rule, but I wasn’t the one driving. “I’d like to offer Relic a ride home.”

Ariel cocked an eyebrow. So, yeah, I hadn’t volunteered to have much interaction with anyone since February. Before February, was I an introvert? Not by any stretch of the imagination. Before February, I had lots of friends, had plans on weekends, belonged to a ton of clubs where I typically held a leadership position because I loved to be in charge, and I’d held a coveted spot on the varsity volleyball team, too. Ariel and I even went out on a few double dates—double dating because my dad was overprotective when it came to me and boys. Point was, I’d had a life. A fun life. A full life. Now, I preferred the safety of my room over social interaction because February taught me the human race sucked.

“Aslanov,” Ariel called.

He swung his head in our direction.

“You want a ride?” Ariel asked, as if she could care less if he accepted.

His gaze darted to me, to Ariel, and then back to me. He had an intense stare, and good lord, he had a beautiful face. Like a stunning runway model with eyes straight from heaven. But that stare told me he had seen way more of the world than I had. The good, the bad, and the wild. I wasn’t the type of girl to look away shyly before February, and I had no intention of being her now.

After another second or two, he said, “Sure.”

As he approached the car, Ariel said, “Macie gets the front.” With her Mustang only having two doors, she opened her door,slid her seat forward, and it was comical to watch the tall guy crouch to fit into the back, but he made it without complaining.

Ariel glanced in her rearview mirror. “Where do you live?”

“Do you know the neighborhood market near Beckley?” Relic answered in that deep voice of his.

“Yep. It’s a half-mile from where we live.”

“You two live in Beckley Woods then?” He said the name of my neighborhood as though it created a vile taste in his mouth, and it felt like a slap in the face. It wasn’t the gated neighborhood Ariel’s grandparents lived in, but it was definitely one of the nicer ones in the city. Nice size plots, custom-built houses, not a single one looking the same.

“Yes, we do,” Ariel answered proudly. “We’re next-door neighbors. Since birth. Macie and I are basically identical twins except for the genetics thing.”

“I can’t believe anyone would make the mistake you aren’t twins. You two look exactly alike.”

“Right? Shockingly even.”

“Just take me to the market.”

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