Page 26 of The Legend (Rivers Wilde 2)

“What did my mother say?” I ask, this time firmly. She looks torn—her eyes dart away from me, her teeth worry her bottom lip.

“You can tell me,” I prod, gently.

She sighs. “Just what every mother has said to her kids about me. If any of the kids suddenly decide to walk on the wild side, she’ll know who to blame.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal.

Suddenly, I’m ashamed of the people I’ve grown up with. Their behavior is such a contradiction to the values we use to sell people on life in Rivers Wilde.

“I see,” I say quietly.

“I’m happy you liked my stories. I’m glad you’re not an asshole. It’s nice to see you.” She smiles and puts the books I just handed her onto the shelf.

I’m not letting her get away that easily. I don’t know why I’m pushing. Houston’s full of some of the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen anywhere. So, it’s not that. It’s that for five years, I’ve thought about her and that night in the library. It was just that one interaction, but it made an impression. She made an impression.

I never thought I’d see her again and now that I have, all of the pent up conversations I’ve been dying to have with her are on the tip of my tongue.

And all from that one night. What’s it going to be like to see her every day?

I lean one shoulder against the bookshelf and cock my head to the side and watch her and try to decide what to say next.

She steps off the footstool and mimics my pose. “Why are you still here?”

“We’re already friends, remember? We decided in the library.”

“Yeah… okay.” She shrugs as if to say, so what?

“Let me take you to the bookstore. I’m good company and a safe driver. I’ve never even thought about running a red light.”

I reach over and pick up one of the thick strands of curls resting on her arm and rub the silky tresses between my fingers and then let go.

Her eyes are bright and her lips are parted just slightly. I lean forward close enough that I can smell the cinnamon on her breath. I can’t wait to kiss her and see what it tastes like on her tongue.

“What do you say?” I ask when she doesn’t say anything

“I want to ride with you,” she says hesitantly.

“My mom’s overbearing. But tonight, in the car, it’ll just be us.”

Her darkening cheeks and the smile she graces me with are sweeter than anything I’ve seen in a long time. When I walked in here yesterday, I wouldn’t have guessed this girl had a smile like that in her. Knowing I helped put it there, makes me feel like, maybe, I am a fucking legend.

“I’ll see you tonight. And maybe we’ll live dangerously and speed through some yellow lights on the way,” she calls as I head out.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” I wink at her and head out.

5

SQUARE

KAL

“God, I can’t stand that stuck-up lady,” my mom chirps at me as soon as she walks into the store. She never says hello. Never says goodbye. She never beats around the bush. She always gets straight to the point because according to her “time is money and no one has nearly enough of either.”

I don’t mind. I’m just always glad to see her.

I remember the day she walked into CASA to get me. She looked like a new woman. Her hair, that she’d always bleached blond and blown straight, looked more like my own dark brown curly mop again.

She came promising me a new life, one that we’d build together. Things were off to a good start until I got mixed up with Wes. The worst part of all of that was how disappointed she’d been. How afraid she was that I was going to make the same mistakes as she did.

“Don’t know which stuck up lady you mean… but whoever it is, from what I hear, the whole I can’t stand that lady feeling is entirely mutual.” I give her a knowing look and then turn back to spray the last bookshelf with the wood cleaner and start wiping it.

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