The Secret Girl (Adamson All-Boys Academy #1) - C.M. Stunich Page 0,51
in California.” He drops his arms to his sides and looks over at me, and I wonder if he can tell how hard I'm breathing, or how many beads of sweat are tracing their way down my spine.
Spencer steps closer again, and I back up against the tree, giving him a chance to lord over me.
“Or maybe we should have one last, kiss, so you've got something to compare Monica to? What do you think, Chuck?” He reaches up and pulls my lower lip down with his thumb, leaning in toward me and breathing against my mouth. My eyes go half-lidded, and my heart rate picks up speed. I should push him away, but … I'm really struggling here.
Spencer closes the distance between us, and crushes his mouth against mine, kissing me with so much passion that I nearly stumble. A strong arm wrapped around my waist is the only thing holding me up, and I find my breath knocked away, my head spinning, stars bursting behind my closed lids.
It's the sort of kiss you only ever read about it, the kind you can never forget, not when a dozen years pass, not when a century does.
Pushing away from Spencer, I take off up the hill, throw my stuff in Dad's trunk, and then put my earbuds in to drown out the emotions that are so desperately calling out for my attention.
After two layovers, and god only knows how many hours shoved in the crowded economy seats on some budget airplane, Dad and I arrive at the San Jose International Airport. Even though it's winter here, too, it's about a million times warmer than back in stupid Nutmeg, Connecticut.
The drive into Santa Cruz is excruciating, especially when Monica and Cody stop answering messages. I'm on pins and freaking needles, but I sit quietly in the passenger seat of our rental car, and say nothing. This road we're driving—State Route 17—is considered to be one of the most dangerous in the entire state.
Once we get into Santa Cruz proper, my heart nearly explodes in my chest. I'm practically bouncing up and down as I curl my hands on the edges of the seat and wait for Dad to take me straight to Monica's mansion on the beach.
“What are you doing after you drop me off?” I ask, and Dad sighs heavily.
“Heading back to the hotel to work. This trip is for you, Charlotte, not for me. I left everything behind when we moved, and I'm happy to keep it that way.” I scowl at him when he isn't looking. How can he talk about Mom so casually like that? Like she's some broken vase to be discarded? It just pisses me off.
“Whatever,” I mumble, but my irritation quickly fades when we pull up to the huge front steps, a fountain on our left, and Monica's brand-new silver Beemer on the right.
I'm out of the car and taking off before Dad even has a chance to come to a complete stop. Not only is today special because it's a break from the academy and its stupid Student Council, but I'm back home, and it just so happens to be my seventeenth birthday.
The front door opens before I even get to it, and there she is, dark hair shorn short, makeup on point, mouth curled up at the edges in a big grin.
“Welcome home, babe!” she calls out as I throw my arms around her neck in a huge hug. Laughing, Monica pushes me back a step and holds me by the shoulders so she can look me over. “You're as pale as a ghost.” She reaches up and plays with my hair. “And this hair, girl, we need to get you into my mom's stylist.”
A small sliver of hurt cuts through me, but I ignore it. Actually … I'm just looking for Cody now. He said he'd meet me here.
“Hey, cutie!” Cody calls out, sauntering in from the next room. He's as handsome as ever with his golden tan, sun-bleached hair, and shiny white smile. I ready myself for butterflies, ones that are a thousand times more intense than the ones I felt while kissing Spencer.
Only … nothing happens, and I'm left standing there feeling so lost and alone that I sort of want to throw up.
Cody swaggers up and puts his arms around me, pulling me in for a tight hug. He gets a little fresh and cups my ass, and both Monica and I make a sound of disgust.