Sam Campbell needed to escape, escape from her life, her messy divorce, and all the pitying looks. Looks she couldn't ignore when everyone in town had known her and Cam, had known her shame and failure. So, she took the first job she could get, teac...
Sam stiffened at his rude inquiry, her spine straightened, hackles raised instantly. His tone sounded offended, rude, as if she had no right to be here, as if she hadn't been invited. Maybe he didn't know her but was that really how he greeted somebody new? Not so much as a hello or a nice to meet you? Who in the hell did this guy think he was?
Clearly, she'd been suffering temporary insanity brought on by big brown eyes, long brown hair, full lips, and a leather jacket. Teenage Sam had come out to play for just a moment, flashing back to all those teen romances she'd read, the movies and t.v. shows she'd watched, getting lost in fantasies of misunderstood bad boys who just needed the right girl to love them. This guy definitely looked the part but adult Sam, rational Sam, quickly slammed back into place at his rude question.
"This is Sam," Steve answered before she had a chance to rip the guy a new one, a warm hand coming to cover her own that was still resting on his arm as if he could sense her sudden tension. He probably could with the way her body had snapped rigid like a wire pulled taut. "She's new to Hawkins. She doesn't know many people yet so she's hanging out with us tonight. Sam, this would be Eddie."
Those mocha colored pools, depths she'd almost lost herself in, narrowed, his nose wrinkled up as if he suddenly smelled something bad, "Didn't know you had a new flavor of the week, Harrington. What is she doing here? I thought we all agreed that we didn't bring extras to our annual bonfire?"
Extras? Flavor of the week? Was he being serious right now? Fuck him and his ridiculous jawline and his lashes that should be a sin and his tantalizing neck with those thick tendons running down the side that she was just now noticing as he lifted his chin toward the sky, as if asking the heavens to answer his question.
Ugh, he wasn't even that cute anyway. His attitude and tone were definitely making it easier for her to get control of herself once again. She stepped forward, noticing how silent the entire group had suddenly gotten in the last two minutes. Mindless chatter, a variety of conversations murmured around the fire, had filled the air prior to this Eddie guy's arrival. Now everyone stood silent, suddenly very interested in the exchange in front of them as if they were all waiting for her reaction.
"I am no one's flavor of the week. Trust me, I have far too much self respect for that shit. I'm also not some stray cat that you didn't want but your girlfriend picked up off the street anyway and brought home so now you have to tolerate it," Sam seethed, fist clenching at her side, nails digging into her palm, her body struggling against the anger and annoyance coursing through her."So sorry if my being here is a problem for you."
The corner of Eddie's mouth twitched, as if he were on the verge of smiling, but just as quickly his mouth was set in a hard, firm line once again, his jaw clenching, "Never said it was a problem for me. You're not impacting my evening. Just thought we'd already agreed on the rules. This night is not for outsiders but clearly Harrington disagrees. Man can't seem to resist a pretty face."
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