Riley's Secret (A Moon's Glow Novel # 1) by Christina Smith Page B

I
knew who it was.
    I pulled into my driveway extremely ticked off. “Do
you not understand the words ‘I don’t need your help’?” I yelled before Nate
even got out of his car. I was standing against mine waiting, arms folded in
front of me.
    “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” He slammed
his door in frustration.
    “Why do you care?” I shouted at him. “You’re nice one
minute and a total ass the next. I don’t know how to take you. So I’m done. I’m
giving up trying with you. If you can’t have a friendship with me without
blowing me off every other day, I definitely don’t want your help.”
    He took a deep breath, glancing away from me in the
direction of the woods that bordered our yard. “I’m sorry if I’ve been giving
you mixed messages. It’s not that I don’t want to be around you… it’s just that
I shouldn’t.”
    “What does that mean?” I wasn’t sure why I was
yelling, but it felt good.
    “Will you tell me what happened last night?” he asked,
ignoring my question.
    I sighed, giving up and began to replay the events of
the night before in detail. When I finished, he leaned against my car beside
me. His hand brushed mine, but I refused to read anything into it. “Let’s agree
to call a truce. I won’t be an ass and you will let me help you when it’s
needed, okay?”
    Nowhere in the compromise was anything about being
more than friends. But I decided it didn’t have to be, as long as I could be
near him. “All right, you can help me. Does that mean I can eat lunch with
you?”
    He frowned, a crease forming between his eyes, but the
look quickly faded as he smiled. “That’s fine,” he said eventually, even though
I could tell it wasn’t.
    With the agreement made, an awkward silence fell over
us that only ended when he made an excuse to leave, muttering something about
paperwork.
     
    Lauren pulled into my driveway just as I was finished
getting ready for our night out.
    “Don’t we need ID?” I asked once I was seated in the
back seat beside Lily, inside Lauren’s compact car.
    Lauren pulled out and headed in the direction of
Montaview Heights. Even though I’d never been there, I knew the way. It was a
twenty-minute drive. Nate had told me not to go with Lauren when he asked me my
plans earlier. At first I was shocked at his attitude. He didn’t want to be
with me, but had no problem telling me what to do. After the last two weeks I
had come to expect it. I might have implied that I would do what he said. As
soon as he left though, I changed into my denim miniskirt and black halter top.
I straightened my hair and pulled it up at the sides, leaving some of my bangs
hanging in my eyes, to which I had added black eye liner. I looked in the
mirror, happy with my reflection. I looked dangerous. Since I was going to a
part of town that I was unfamiliar with, I needed to look the part.
    “No, I know the bouncer. As long as you flash him
something and you’re with me, you’re good.” Allison answered, bringing me back
to the present. I watched her take out her makeup mirror to touch up her
lipstick. The dark purple made her already pale skin almost glow. Her raven
hair, blue eyes and light complexion made her appear mysterious. The short
black lacy dress she wore only added to the look.
    “I heard what you did at the shelter, Megan.”
    “What did she do?” Allison’s head spun around to look
at Lily.
    “She gave away a bunch of new designer clothes to the
girls there. It was a cool thing to do.” Lily gave me an approving smile. I
glanced out the window, uncomfortable with her praise.
    “You bought them new clothes?” Allison asked.
    “No, my mother gives me clothes instead of attention,
so I put them to good use, since I never wear them.” I continued to gaze out
the window to avoid the looks of pity they might give me. But when I glanced
into the rearview mirror that’s not what I saw. Lauren was peering at me with knowing
smile. I had no idea