“Where there’s no emotion, there’s no motive for violence.”
—Spock
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Time slowed to a crawl, the days as gloomy as my mood as the date of the Surfer Ball crept up on me. Dallas hadn’t tried to talk to me or hadn’t sent any more apology texts after that night in the bookstore. Toff didn’t eat lunch at our table anymore, and I knew it was because of me. Jake left me alone, so I was hopeful his anger had finally abated since he’d defaced my locker.
I hadn’t read a romance in weeks, but now that the night of the Surfer Ball had finally arrived, I needed to find something to distract me.
After I locked up the shop, I perused a new stack of donations, lingering over an Austen sequel about Mary Bennett. Heck, if awkward Mary Bennett could find love… My phone pinged with a text from Claire.
“Hey! We beat San Antigua! Now u have 2 come 2 the ball. At least to the party. I changed my mind & am going to the dance.”
San Antigua High was the reigning surf team champions. They’d won state for several years in a row. For our small school to beat them in some of the league final events was huge. I pictured Toff doing his bicep curl pose and smiled. As if he’d read my mind, his text pinged my phone, with a photo of him celebrating. “Party on the beach after the dance, Wordworm. U better show.” We’d hardly spoken since the incident with Jake, so his text felt like an olive branch I couldn’t ignore.
Texts from Jaz and Amy arrived in quick succession with the same basic message, telling me to at least come to the party even if I wasn’t going to the dance. I sank into one of the store’s overstuffed chairs, weighing my options.
It would be a huge party. Lots of celebrating. Lots of hooking up, especially for the surfer gods triumphant in their victory. I wondered if there was any way I could get Toff to notice Amy. Really notice her. I rubbed my forehead. I’d done a horrible job of matchmaking for myself; why did I think I could do it for my friends?
I should go. I hadn’t done anything fun in forever. But what if Dallas was there with Kylie? And Jake would probably be there. I sighed, curling into the chair. I couldn’t avoid everyone forever.
I sent a group message. “OK. Not the dance, but the beach party. But I need a ride.” Mom had left earlier this afternoon with Paul, telling me she wasn’t sure if they’d be back tonight or tomorrow morning. I wasn’t going to ride my bike miles down the coastal highway in the dark.
Three offers of rides pinged back at me. I smiled at my phone. Maybe my love life was a train wreck, but I had awesome friends.
...
Before Amy and Jaz picked me up for the party, they peppered me with texts and Snapchat photos from the Surfer Ball. The girls from the surf team looked amazing in their rainbow of mermaid dresses, shimmering in the laser lights at the dance.
Jaz Face-Timed me when it was time for the Poseidon award. I wasn’t at all surprised to see Toff crowned King of the Sea amidst a roar of cheers. He strutted across the stage waving his trident scepter, rocking a three-pointed golden crown, a smug grin plastered on his face. I knew Amy must’ve been swooning.
Amy and Jaz still wore their ball dresses when they picked me up. I wore jeans and a bulky sweatshirt since I wasn’t trying to impress anyone. They chattered nonstop all the way to the beach, but I noticed they were careful not to mention Dallas, and I didn’t ask about him.
The party was wild. Two huge bonfires lit up the beach and music blared from competing speaker systems. I could smell the beer and weed when I stepped out of Amy’s car.
“Wow,” I said. “Looks like a rager.”
“I wonder how long ’til the cops show?” Jaz said as she picked her way across the beach, her dress shoes clutched in her hands.
“That’s why we’re so far out of town,” Amy said. “So they don’t show. At least not for awhile.”
“How do you know that?” I asked.
She slanted me a smile. “Toff told me.”
Jaz and I stared at each other, each wondering the same thing.
“Don’t do that,” Amy said. “Nothing’s going on between us.”
“Oh, really?” Jaz said. “I noticed you two dancing a few times tonight.”
Even in the dark, I could see Amy blushing. “That was nothing. He danced with everybody. That’s just how he is.”
Before I could ask more probing questions, Claire ran up and hugged me. “You came! I’m so happy to see you.”
“Congratulations.” I returned her hug. “I heard you smoked the short board division.”
She grinned proudly. “It was sick. I still can’t believe I won.”
A loud roar caught our attention, and we all turned toward the source. The guys on the surf team had formed a human pyramid, dressed in their tux jackets and board shorts, with Toff on the top, waving his scepter.
We laughed and cheered, especially when the pyramid collapsed, sending all of them sprawling. Toff spotted us and jogged over, grabbing me in a sideways hug. “Wordworm. I’m shocked and honored you made an appearance.”
“I’m here for Claire, not you,” I teased.
He grinned down at me. “Liar.” He reached out to tug on my curls. We looked at each other for a long moment, then his mouth curved into his easy grin, and I knew he’d forgiven me for our argument about Jake.
“Is, um, Jake here tonight?” I asked, apprehension coiling through me.
Toff shook his head. “Haven’t seen him. Probably because I warned him not to show.”
Relieved, I returned his grin. “Excellent. Take us to the food, Flipper.”
We trailed along, laughing and joking as we made our way through the huge crowd. Jaz handed me a plastic beer cup. “Live a little, Viv. Don’t worry, I’ll be the DD tonight.”
I took a sip. I didn’t drink much, but maybe she was right—I should try and have fun tonight.
I turned to look up the beach and my gaze landed on Dallas, who stood by himself, looking right at me. Even though it was windy and cold on the beach, I was suddenly flooded with heat. His eyes locked on mine, and I felt as if the Enterprise’s tractor beam had latched onto me, pulling me in.
He wore a tux, but his bow tie hung loose and his pants were rolled up. He was barefoot, holding his dress shoes in one hand. Everything in me wanted to run toward him, but I knew that was the crazy hormones talking. He was here with Kylie. I broke eye contact and turned back to my friends.
I danced with my friends, pretending to have fun, but my heart wasn’t in it. My eyes kept searching for Dallas. Occasionally I’d spot his silhouette, but then I’d turn away, not wanting him to catch me staring. After awhile I decided to walk up the beach by myself to clear my head and try to shake off my sadness. I had to let go of my McNerd obsession. Whatever could’ve happened between us was in the past. He’d moved on. So should I.
The sounds of the party faded as I strolled along the beach, letting the cold waves lap over my feet. I loved the beach at night with the canopy of stars overhead. Nights like this I pretended I was a visitor from another planet, that I’d just beamed down from my spaceship like a Star Trek explorer, the only form of sentient life. At least if that were true I wouldn’t have to worry about my love life.
“Hey!” a voice called after me and I pivoted. I couldn’t make out the figure in the darkness but as he jogged closer I was shocked to recognize Jake.
My pulse thudded in my ears as he caught up to me. Apparently he’d ignored Toff’s warning and decided to crash the party. When I saw the anger slashing across his face, my internal warning system activated. Panicked, I looked around, but we were the only ones on this deserted section of the beach.
“What’s up?” I asked, forcing lightness into my voice. Could I defuse this somehow? Convince him to leave me alone?
He stood so close he could have kissed me. Or hit me. He glared down at me and my eyes darted around again, searching for witnesses, but there weren’t any.
“Who the hell do you think you are, Viv?” His voice echoed in the night air, and he stepped even closer.
I took a step back. “What are you talking about?”
His eyes narrowed, but before I could react, he grabbed my sweatshirt, pulling me in close. “You’re the reason Claire dumped me. You and your frigid bitch bullshit. Then you ratted me out because of your locker. Now everyone’s pissed at me because Toff made it sound like I practically raped you or something.” His hands twisted in the fabric of my shirt, and my heart hammered in my chest.
“Let go of me, Jake.” I wanted to scream, but fear tamped down my volume and the words came out as barely a whisper.
“Why should I?” He pulled me in. In his drunken belligerence, he tried to kiss me, but ended up slamming his forehead into mine. My head spun, and when my vision cleared I could see the anger in his eyes. “You bitch. You’re just a scared little whore, but I know what you want.”
I tried to shove him away but he’d wrapped a leg behind me and I was trapped. Terror tore through me as I struggled against him. I turned my face away from him, but he yanked it back, hurting my neck and scratching my face. Far in the distance, I heard shouting. I thought I saw shadowy figures running toward us in the darkness, but they were far away.
“No!” I found my voice at last, yelling as loud as I could and pushing my hands against his chest, but he was much stronger than me. Adrenaline flooded through me as tears welled in my eyes. I tried to remember what I’d learned in the self-defense class Mom had forced me to take. I tried to lift my knee to aim for his groin, but he held me tight, his sour, beer-soaked breath in my face, his dark eyes full of venom. His fingers pressed into my arms, and I knew I’d have bruises in the morning.
“I’m gonna make you like it. Make you beg for it.” He sneered. “Your bodyguard Toff isn’t around to save you.”
“No!” I was sobbing now, using all my strength to try to pull away. Then suddenly I was wrenched out of his grip, strong arms wrapping around my shoulders and hugging me against a tall, firm body, while another body flew through the air, tackling Jake with a grunt, and pinning him to the sand.
Shaking and sobbing I turned to see whose arms held me. Toff’s worried face loomed over me. “Holy crap. Are you all right, Viv?”
I nodded, unable to form words. We both turned back toward the sounds of swearing and fighting. Jake staggered up from the sand. He and Dallas faced each other like wild animals, circling each other warily. Somewhere along the way, Dallas had lost his tuxedo jacket and his tie. And his shoes.
“You want her?” Jake sneered. “She’s all yours, geek. She won’t put out, though. Not unless you make her.” Jake’s words hit me like a punch, making me stagger against Toff, whose arms tightened around me.
“I might need to get in on the ass-kicking,” Toff whispered in my ear. “If that’s okay with you.”
I nodded mutely, my eyes transfixed by Dallas. Rage and power rolled off him in waves I could practically feel.
“Shut the fuck up,” Dallas growled. His eyes never left Jake’s face.
“Make me,” Jake snarled.
Dallas was lightning fast. One minute they faced each other, the next, Dallas spun like a top. His leg shot into the air and his foot connected with Jake’s head. Jake collapsed onto the sand, Dallas leaning over him, Jake’s shirt twisted in his grip.
“You sure about that?” Dallas asked, his voice low and threatening. “Cuz I’d love to make you shut the hell up. Permanently.”
“Oh, yeah.” Toff laughed next to me. “I knew he was good but I didn’t know how good.”
“What?” I glanced at him, confused.
Toff shot me a weird look. “Google him, dork.”
A strange spidey sense tingled the top of my head. Google Dallas?
Toff squeezed my shoulders reassuringly, then rushed toward Dallas and Jake. Toff leaned over Jake’s prone figure and yelled in his face. “You’re a fucking snake, Fontaine, and I’m going to make sure everyone knows it. You try that shit with any other girl and I will personally rip off your dick and shove it up your ass.”
“Don’t forget his balls,” Dallas growled, tightening his grip and making Jake wince in pain.
“Them too.” Toff glanced at Dallas and they shared a victorious, testosterone-laden grin that sent shivers up my spine.
“Let me go,” Jake whined, his voice plaintive.
Dallas leaned closer to Jake, turning so that his ear was next to Jake’s mouth. “Speak up. I can’t hear you.”
Toff’s laughter ricocheted off the waves and I hugged myself tight. I felt as if I was having an out-of-body experience watching all this unfold. What would have happened if they hadn’t showed up?
My eyes connected with Dallas’s as he stood up, letting Toff take over the asshole-wrangling. We stared at each other, and I swore I could feel electrical currents bouncing in the air between us.
“You okay?” he asked, his eyes fixating on me so intensely I took a step back.
I nodded, then stumbled in the sand, overwhelmed with the desire to crumple as I was overcome by tears, realizing how close I’d come to a horrible assault.
Dallas was next to me in just a few quick strides. He glanced over his shoulder at Toff. “You got him?”
Toff had pulled Jake to his feet and held him like a cop with a perp. “Yeah.” He nodded brusquely. “You take care of Viv. I’ll throw away the trash.”
“Fuck you,” Jake said, but his heart wasn’t in it. Toff yanked him hard, dragging him away from us like a wild dog.
“Wait,” I said, so softly my voice disappeared into the wind. “Toff, wait!” He heard me this time and stopped. I took a shaky breath and walked toward them, Dallas hovering next to me.
Jake glared at me, blood running from his nose, his tuxedo shirt torn and ripped. I trembled, but I had to do this. “This is the third time you’ve tried to hurt me.” I heard Dallas inhale sharply and remembered he didn’t know about the incidents in the parking lot or the hallway. I took a breath and tried to catch Dallas’s gaze, but he was staring directly at Jake now. “If you ever touch me again, I will call the cops. I’m…I’m not scared of you, Jake. You lied about me. If anyone’s a slut, it’s you.”
“Screw you, Vivian.” He barely got the words out before Toff had him immobilized.
“That’s no way to talk to a lady,” Toff growled at him.
Jake snorted. “She’s not a lady. She’s a—”
I felt Dallas vibrating next to me, but before I could stop him, he launched himself at Jake again, wrapping his hand around Jake’s throat.
“Dallas, wait,” I pleaded. This was so unlike him; I’d never even seen Dallas kill a spider.
I was afraid he’d hurt Jake again, more than he already had. Much as I loathed Jake, I didn’t want Dallas to end up in jail, and I was afraid he might.
Dallas turned to me, the raw emotion in his eyes stunning me.
“L-let him go, Dallas. Please.” We stared at each other for a long moment until he tore his gaze from mine and exchanged a look with Toff. He unclenched his hand from Jake’s throat, but I noticed Toff tighten his grip around Jake’s chest.
Dallas took a step closer toward him, and I saw sheer terror in Jake’s eyes. “So I lied about us. So what?” He turned his face toward me. “You would’ve let me f—”
He never finished his sentence because Dallas’s fist slammed into Jake’s stomach and he crumpled, even though Toff still held him.
“Dude,” Toff said to Dallas. “I’m taking him away before you do any more damage.” Then he yanked Jake’s hair. “You’re even dumber than you look, asshole. You do realize he could probably kill you if he wanted to, right?”
Dallas ran a hand through his hair as he watched them go, breathing heavily. He was shaking, too, but I knew it wasn’t from fear. I wasn’t sure I could handle the intensity rolling off of him. He was like an amped up superhero who needed to fly to the moon and back to calm himself down.
I realized he’d lost his glasses during the fight. I turned away, scanning the beach for the black frames. I knelt in the sand, feeling around for his glasses, my eyes filling with tears. I wanted to go home, to hide under my covers and release all the emotions warring within me.
Dallas knelt next to me, the smell of sweat, adrenaline, and his soap filling my nose and making my head spin. I kept digging, pushing away broken seashells and strands of kelp.
“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice surprisingly gentle for someone who’d almost snapped a guy’s neck.
“Looking for your glasses.”
He laughed softly. “They’re in my jacket. Back by the bonfire.”
My hands stilled in the wet sand. I sat back on my heels and finally looked at him. A long, shaky breath eased out of me as I met his eyes.
“Why’d you take them off?” I whispered.
He shrugged. “Thought I might be doing some wild dancing.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“Did you? Do a lot of dancing?”
He kept his eyes on mine. “No.”
My heart raced. The adrenaline pumping through me tonight was making me queasy. I dropped my gaze from his face, taking in his torn and bloody shirt. “I don’t think you’re going to get your deposit back on your tux rental.”
“It was worth it.”
I looked up into his eyes, wishing I could lose myself in them forever. I squeezed my eyes shut, reminding myself he’d come here with Kylie, not me.
“Is it…okay if I touch you?” he asked softly as he stood up. I opened my eyes to see his hands reaching out, waiting to pull me to a standing position.
I nodded, letting him tug me upright. Electricity shot through me, and I stumbled back, the impact of what had almost happened hitting me full force.
He held onto me, his grip firm. “It’s all right, Vivian,” he whispered. “He’s gone. He’s not coming back.” He lifted one of his hands, lightly brushing the scratch on my cheek. His eyes darkened when I flinched. I hadn’t realized how rough Jake had been. He had truly wanted to hurt me.
I nodded, but I couldn’t speak. Trembling, I let myself fall into him. As his arms enfolded me, I wondered if this was what it felt like to be hugged by an avenging angel. He sighed into my hair as I melted into his warmth. His hands stroked my back as I cried softly, dampening his shirt with my tears.
“I’m s-s-orry,” I whispered, though I knew I had nothing to apologize for.
“Shh,” he said, his lips in my hair. His arms tightened around me. “God, Viv. If we hadn’t come after you…” His voice trailed away as he pulled me even closer.
“Why did you?” I asked, pulling away just enough to look up into his glorious eyes.
His eyes roamed over my face. “I saw you walk off by yourself. Then I saw Jake run after you. He came out of nowhere. I think maybe he was hiding out. Waiting.” His face tightened into an angry grimace. “I grabbed Toff and we came after you.”
“Why?”
He sighed, pain etching his face. “The graffiti on your locker. The stuff Toff told me about…What an ass he is. I knew whatever he was up to wasn’t good, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to stand around and do nothing.”
I nodded, then dropped my gaze. His hand cupped my chin and tilted my face up.
We stared into each other’s eyes, the moonlight shining down on us, the waves crashing behind us. I wanted to linger forever in the comfort of his arms. I wanted him to kiss me, but I was afraid to hope for that. And truthfully, I wasn’t ready for anyone to touch me like that. Not yet. Right now, I just needed to get home, far away from Jake and the craziness of this night.
And I needed to Google Dallas. I couldn’t wait to do that.
“I’m taking you home,” he said, reading my mind.
“Okay.” I hesitated. “What about Kylie? How will she get home?”
He shifted slightly, keeping his arm tight around my shoulders. “She didn’t come with me.”
I turned my face to look up at him. “She didn’t?”
He shook his head. “She asked me, but I said no. I came by myself.” He sighed. “I think I caused my own collateral damage. But I couldn’t keep—” He broke off, his gaze dropping to my mouth, then he turned away toward the bonfires. “You should let your friends know you’re leaving with me.”
“Yeah,” I said, fumbling for my phone. What had he meant by causing collateral damage?
He reached for my phone. “Want me to do it?”
I nodded, overwhelmed again by his sweetness. Then I panicked at what he might see if he pulled up my text histories. I imagined Dallas reading the messages Jaz sent about him, and my cheeks burned red. Thank goodness it was dark out. I clutched my phone to my chest. “I’ll do it.”
A hint of a smile tugged at his lips.
We paused while I fired off a quick message to Jaz, Amy, and Claire.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll tell Toff to give your friends a ride if they need one, after he deals with Jake.”
I frowned. “I thought Toff was drinking.”
Dallas glanced up at me. “Nope.” A grin flashed across his face. “Like that guy needs any extra chemicals.”
I laughed softly, flushing under Dallas’s warm smile.
He sent his text, then pulled me in close. We walked in silence across the beach, then climbed the crumbling steps. Cars lined the road as far as I could see. Far in the distance, I heard sirens. The party would be breaking up soon. I shot off another line of texts to my friends, warning them to head out sooner rather than later. The sound of sirens made me wonder what Toff would do with Jake.
“I’m down this way.” Dallas pointed and I let him lead me. I couldn’t wait to get home and crawl underneath my covers. I might even have to dig my old stuffed bear out of the closet to sleep with tonight. A sudden vision of curling up next to Dallas in my bed overwhelmed my senses and I stumbled.
“You sure you’re okay? To ride on the back of the Vespa?” Concern etched his face.
So I was finally going to live out one of my swoony fantasies. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.”
We reached his Vespa and he handed me the Union Jack helmet. “What about you?” I asked.
He shot me a crooked grin. “My skull’s thicker than yours.”
“I’m not sure anyone’s is.” Dallas seemed surprised that I was able to crack a joke at a time like this, but I felt safe with him.
“Your glasses,” I said, suddenly wondering how he’d drive without them. He pressed a button on his scooter and popped open the Vespa’s seat, revealing a storage compartment. He pulled out a leather jacket and reached into the pocket for a pair of glasses that looked exactly like his usual pair.
“Always prepared.” He grinned as he put them on. He held out the jacket. “You should wear this.”
“No.” I pointed to his torn and bloody shirt. “You need it more than me. I’ll be fine.”
I tugged the helmet on while he zipped up his jacket. He reached over to buckle the strap under my chin, adjusting the strap to fit me. His warm fingers against my throat made me shiver.
“Ready?” He cocked an eyebrow and I nodded, biting my lip.
He settled himself on the seat, and I climbed on behind him. He started the engine and we pulled away, winding slowly up the coast, just as I’d fantasized so many times.
I reveled in the feel of his muscles, wondering if he felt the same way about me pressing against him. I closed my eyes, pushing away images of Jake. Son of a... I wanted to kill him. Maybe Dallas would do it for me since he was apparently a bad-ass ninja, just like in my favorite book. I closed my eyes, leaning into his back. We swerved slightly and my grip tightened around him.
“Sorry,” he called over his shoulder, his voice swallowed by the wind. I dropped my hands to his thighs, and felt every muscle in him tense at my touch. I wished we could ride forever, just the two us, following the road wherever it took us.
Much too soon, we pulled into my driveway, slowing next to Mom’s car. So she’d come home after all. Great.
Dallas lowered his feet to the ground and killed the engine. We sat there, neither of us moving, then I decided I’d better disentangle myself before I made a fool of myself clinging to him like a desperate cello groupie.
He dismounted, and I unbuckled my helmet and handed it to him. He looked toward our house, tugging at his hair. The glow of the TV made the living room look blue. Movie night. I hoped Mom and Paul weren’t making out on the couch like a couple of teenagers.
“I’ll walk you up,” Dallas said.
The cold night air and vivid memories of Jake’s attack made me long to be connected to him again. I wanted his arms around me, but he stood motionless, waiting, and watching me.
Sadness and regret, so much regret, washed over me. I turned to walk across the gravel driveway. He matched my pace, his body just inches from mine. The backs of our hands brushed against each other as we mounted the steps, and I sucked in a breath. Did he feel the electricity crackling between us or was it just me?
We reached the top of the stairs and turned toward each other. My body tingled with anticipation. He ran a hand through his hair, then shoved both hands in his pockets.
“Are you going to tell your mom? About Jake?” His voice was low and intense.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” I knew I had to, but I couldn’t even think about it right now.
He nodded. “Toff and I are witnesses. You know we’ll be there for you, right? If you want to, um, do something official, or whatever.”
The thought of calling the cops made my knees buckle. I grabbed the deck chair closest to me. Dallas’s face tightened with anger. “Son of a... I’m going to fucking kill him.” He grunted. “Sorry. I meant to say frakking kill him.”
I laughed softly. “I don’t know if I’m more shocked by your ninja skills or your f-bombs.” I forced a wan smile. “Anyway, I want to frakking kill him, too.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “You going to hit him with a stack of books?”
I loved that he knew it was the perfect moment to make a joke. I stared at my feet. “No. But I think I might hire a ninja to do it for me.” I raised my eyes. “You know any kick-ass karate guys?”
His eyes narrowed but his lips quirked slightly. “Nope.”
“I can Google it in five seconds, you know.”
His smile deepened. “You’re going to Google hit men? I bet your mom already has.” He shrugged, still smiling. “Research.”
I reached out to swat him playfully on the shoulder, then dropped my hand, afraid to touch him because what if he didn’t want me to?
His eyes tracked my hand as it dropped to my side, then he raised his eyes to mine. His jaw tightened before he spoke. “Vivian, I—”
“Vivvy! I didn’t know you were home.” Mom’s voice shattered the chemistry between us as she stepped onto the deck.
“Hi, Ms. Galdi.” Dallas looked relieved. What had he been about to tell me?
“Dallas!” Mom oozed giddiness, darting me a smug look. “What a nice surprise. Do you want to come inside?”
I was grateful Dallas wore the leather jacket. Mom would’ve freaked at the bloody shirt.
Paul appeared behind Mom in the doorway. “You kids are home early. I thought tonight would be a late one with all the celebrating.”
Dallas and I shared a pained glance.
“I wasn’t feeling well,” I said quickly. “Dallas brought me home.”
Mom frowned, reaching out to touch my forehead like I was five years old.
“I should go,” Dallas said, taking a step back from all of us.
Mom tilted her head. “You sure? We have brownies, fresh from the bakery.”
Paul grinned. “I splurged. White flour instead of wheat.”
Dallas ducked his head. “Thanks, but I need to go.” He glanced at me. “Remember what I said, okay?”
I nodded, swallowing over the lump in my throat. I needed to get to my room, stat, so I could fall apart.
“Bye.” He nodded at Mom and Paul, his glance sweeping over me quickly, then he turned and jogged down the steps, disappearing into the darkness.
“Vivian, what’s going on?” Mom asked.
I pushed past her, tears streaming down my face, and ran to the safety of my room where I locked the door and cried myself to sleep.