Will said as they slid into the car. “He’s too smug.”
Lora wrinkled her nose, suppressing a pout. “You guessed his whole personality from meeting him once?”
He nodded. “I got a bad vibe. Didn’t you?”
Lora shrugged, not ready to share her feelings about Ryan. She couldn’t tell him how Ryan’s eyes made her quiver, though whether from desire or unease, she couldn’t tell. Her feelings might fuel Will’s dislike of Ryan unjustly. “He’s just trying to make friends because he’s new.”
Will snorted. “Something tells me he won’t have much trouble meeting people.”
“It’s not his fault he’s,” she paused, trying to be careful, “attractive,” Lora finished. She possessed a strange need to protect him all of a sudden. Plus, she didn’t want Will to dislike Ryan. If Will didn’t like him, he’d probably make it hard for her to be alone with him, and she could not deny her feelings. She wanted to be alone with Ryan. The feeling was hard to pin down, but his body, his smell, the way his eyes watched her as she left, something made her believe he was unique. And Lora’s fluttering stomach told her she wanted to discover more about him.
Turning, she glanced out the window and across the parking lot, hoping to get one more glimpse of Ryan.
Instead, what she saw infuriated her. About ten cars away, Douglas rushed toward Nicholas and punched him in the stomach. The small boy doubled over, his face twisting in pain, and collapsed on the ground. Jason, who stood next to Douglas, laughed as Nicholas fell.
Before she even had time to think, Lora jumped out of the car and raced across the wet asphalt. She knelt on the ground next to Nicholas. “Are you all right?” she asked. Nicholas wheezed, but managed a pathetic nod of the head in reply. Fuming, Lora stood and found herself face to face with Douglas.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she hissed, taking a step closer. The urge to overpower him welled within her, and, in the distance, the ocean’s song encouraged her torment. It brewed, churning a potent melody to join in her anger. “What’s your problem?”
Douglas appeared amused. “He stared at Betsy. I didn’t like it.” Betsy, Douglas’s girlfriend, was foul-tempered and someone Lora had never cared for.
“Aw,” Jason said, patting Douglas’ back, his tone mocking. “She’s protecting her boyfriend.” Lora turned to glare at him when she heard Nicholas groan in pain. Still doubled over, he put his hands on the pavement and tried to stand up.
“Don’t let me catch you gawking at Betsy again, dipshit,” Douglas said as Nicholas stood. “And you,” he said to Lora, his voice threatening, “stay out of my business.”
“Make me.” She glared at him, fighting off the urge to sing and send him straight onto the freeway. Lora turned when she heard feet pounding on the pavement and saw Will approaching. To protect her, maybe, as if she needed it.
Douglas took a small step closer, until she could feel his hot breath on her forehead, for he stood at least a head taller. Her body tingled with the music. From a mile away, she heard the ocean speaking in its clear voice.
“Τραγουδήστε,” Sing, it said to her. “Τραγουδήστε μαζί μου.” Sing with me.
Lora clenched her fists, trying to ignore the ocean’s words, understanding her father would be furious if she were to subdue Douglas with her song. Around her, the wind picked up, sent in from the sea to give her power, and her hair billowed around her shoulders.
“Stop.”
Although she had expected to hear Will, another voice took her by surprise. A newly familiar voice. Ryan stepped forward to stand next to Lora, his face menacing, masking his dark features. “Leave them alone,” he said to Douglas.
“Who the hell are you?” Douglas asked, stepping away from Lora so his face was within inches of Ryan’s. She couldn’t decide who appeared more frightening, and the need to
Lora wrinkled her nose, suppressing a pout. “You guessed his whole personality from meeting him once?”
He nodded. “I got a bad vibe. Didn’t you?”
Lora shrugged, not ready to share her feelings about Ryan. She couldn’t tell him how Ryan’s eyes made her quiver, though whether from desire or unease, she couldn’t tell. Her feelings might fuel Will’s dislike of Ryan unjustly. “He’s just trying to make friends because he’s new.”
Will snorted. “Something tells me he won’t have much trouble meeting people.”
“It’s not his fault he’s,” she paused, trying to be careful, “attractive,” Lora finished. She possessed a strange need to protect him all of a sudden. Plus, she didn’t want Will to dislike Ryan. If Will didn’t like him, he’d probably make it hard for her to be alone with him, and she could not deny her feelings. She wanted to be alone with Ryan. The feeling was hard to pin down, but his body, his smell, the way his eyes watched her as she left, something made her believe he was unique. And Lora’s fluttering stomach told her she wanted to discover more about him.
Turning, she glanced out the window and across the parking lot, hoping to get one more glimpse of Ryan.
Instead, what she saw infuriated her. About ten cars away, Douglas rushed toward Nicholas and punched him in the stomach. The small boy doubled over, his face twisting in pain, and collapsed on the ground. Jason, who stood next to Douglas, laughed as Nicholas fell.
Before she even had time to think, Lora jumped out of the car and raced across the wet asphalt. She knelt on the ground next to Nicholas. “Are you all right?” she asked. Nicholas wheezed, but managed a pathetic nod of the head in reply. Fuming, Lora stood and found herself face to face with Douglas.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she hissed, taking a step closer. The urge to overpower him welled within her, and, in the distance, the ocean’s song encouraged her torment. It brewed, churning a potent melody to join in her anger. “What’s your problem?”
Douglas appeared amused. “He stared at Betsy. I didn’t like it.” Betsy, Douglas’s girlfriend, was foul-tempered and someone Lora had never cared for.
“Aw,” Jason said, patting Douglas’ back, his tone mocking. “She’s protecting her boyfriend.” Lora turned to glare at him when she heard Nicholas groan in pain. Still doubled over, he put his hands on the pavement and tried to stand up.
“Don’t let me catch you gawking at Betsy again, dipshit,” Douglas said as Nicholas stood. “And you,” he said to Lora, his voice threatening, “stay out of my business.”
“Make me.” She glared at him, fighting off the urge to sing and send him straight onto the freeway. Lora turned when she heard feet pounding on the pavement and saw Will approaching. To protect her, maybe, as if she needed it.
Douglas took a small step closer, until she could feel his hot breath on her forehead, for he stood at least a head taller. Her body tingled with the music. From a mile away, she heard the ocean speaking in its clear voice.
“Τραγουδήστε,” Sing, it said to her. “Τραγουδήστε μαζί μου.” Sing with me.
Lora clenched her fists, trying to ignore the ocean’s words, understanding her father would be furious if she were to subdue Douglas with her song. Around her, the wind picked up, sent in from the sea to give her power, and her hair billowed around her shoulders.
“Stop.”
Although she had expected to hear Will, another voice took her by surprise. A newly familiar voice. Ryan stepped forward to stand next to Lora, his face menacing, masking his dark features. “Leave them alone,” he said to Douglas.
“Who the hell are you?” Douglas asked, stepping away from Lora so his face was within inches of Ryan’s. She couldn’t decide who appeared more frightening, and the need to
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