Copyright 2013 © Rosesareforever
Delicate Hearts
Chapter 2
'Meeting Mr. Cocky and Arrogant'
Jasmine sat motionless on top of her new queen-sized bed, staring blankly ahead of her as she processed the events of the past twenty-four hours. Her day had been overwhelming to say the least. She still didn't feel comfortable in her new environment, but accepted the fact she would be obligated to stay there until the end of the school year.
The Wood family seemed nice and she appreciated the warm welcome she had received, though Jasmine couldn't exactly say she had enjoyed their kindness. It would have been much easier to hate her new 'housemates' if they had been cold and disobligingly. Add the giant mansion she was now living in, the expensive gifts she had gotten and it became almost impossible not to develop a liking towards them.
She had promised herself she would stay unattached and distant. It would be much easier to leave them behind if they didn't have some kind of bond. A firm knock on her door caught her attention and she quickly stood up to let her visitor enter.
When she opened the door, she was met with a smiling Nathan who carried a tray full of deliciously smelling food. "My mom thought you might have wanted to get settled in and enjoy some rest so she had me deliver your dinner. You're always welcome to join us in the dining room as well, of course," he announced. She suddenly noticed he had the cutest dimples in his cheeks when he smiled. It hadn't struck her before.
When he caught her staring, she blushed profoundly and quickly took over the tray. She was careful to make sure their fingers didn't touch to avoid another embarrassing situation. "Thank you. The food looks lovely," she replied gracefully. Her bad mood was completely forgotten as Nathan kept smiling at her.
"Our cook Grace has done a remarkable job as always. She's truly the savior of our kitchen. My mom can't even boil an egg," Nathan confessed, winking. "Enjoy your meal, Jasmine. If you're in need off company, you can always knock on my door. My room is at the end of this hallway," he stated, pointing at the correct door.
She thanked him politely and gave him a small smile before closing the door. Nathan seemed like a good kid. It was obvious he was well-raised and courteous. She would have done everything to meet a nice guy like him back in Florida. She always seemed to end up dating the wrong guys. It was clear she attracted trouble.
She sat the tray of delights down on her nightstand and let out a deep sigh as she picked at the food. To be honest, she wasn't all that hungry. Her stomach practically convulsed at the sole thought of eating. Most of her appetite had died when she got the phone call her grandmother passed away and it still hadn't fully returned.
At the airport earlier, she'd eaten a granola bar to keep her body functioning, but that was about all she had eaten all day. When she looked in a mirror, it was obvious she'd lost a few pounds. Her clothes had become a little baggy and even her favorite bra started to gape. She'd always been kind of skinny, so it wasn't like she had to lose the extra weight.
Reluctantly she took a decent bite of the pasta in front of her. Even though her stomach started to protest, she forced herself to keep eating until half of the plate was emptied. She congratulated herself for the effort and put the tray aside. She was stuffed.
After taking a quick shower, brushing her teeth and changing into a pair of pajamas, Jasmine took the first book that seemed interesting out of her brand new bookcase and started to read. It had been a while since she last read. She used to be a big fan off romance novels, but quit reading them when the umpteenth guy decided to break her heart.
Her dating life in the past, truly had been horrible. For some reason she always picked out the guys that were destined to end up hurting her feelings. She still vividly remembered her first boyfriend. Jasmine had been fourteen when she met Drake and immediately fell for his bad boy look. He'd been her first kiss and she had been certain they would end up marrying each other.
Back then, Jasmine was as naïve as a five year old child. Two months after their first kiss, she found out he had been dating other girls behind her back and she immediately broke up with him.
Half a year later she met Jacob. He was the opposite of Drake: a well-mannered football player with a bright future ahead of him. They dated for about a year before he broke up with her because she refused to give up her virginity to him. It became clear he never deserved her, yet she still had been heartbroken.
It was easy to say Jasmine didn't have the greatest taste in men. Somehow she always chose the wrong guys. It was kind of embarrassing to be honest. Drake and Jacob were just two in a much longer list of heartache.
As she browsed through the book, Jasmine played with the chain that was neatly tucked away between the hollow of her breasts. It was the last remaining memory she had of her grandmother. The morning before Theresa passed away, she gave Jasmine a necklace that held a silver key.
Jasmine had asked her time and time again what the key locked away, but Theresa kept telling her that someday she would figure it out. It was a puzzle to Jasmine what the woman had meant. As far as she knew, she didn't have stuff that was locked away.
A sudden noise startled her and Jasmine quickly sat upright to see an outdated Harley Davidson driving up the lane. She stepped closer to the window and pushed the curtains aside to see a tall, well-muscled guy turned off the engine. His messy onyx hair was ruffled as he took off his helmet. There was a redhead sitting behind him, her skirt extremely short so she could show off her long and tanned legs. She looked like a true skank.
The guy smirked devilishly at the girl before pulling her close to his chest and sticking his tongue down her throat. Jasmine quickly closed the curtains and sat back down on the bed, her cheeks flushed. She should have ignored that noise instead of deciding to look at what was going on outside.
Lying down on the bed, she decided it was probably Lucas she just witnessed practically mauling that skank. From what she had heard about him earlier, there was a big chance he was indeed the guy with the onyx hair. Jasmine was not a prude, but watching Lucas getting hot and heavy with a girl kind of made her feel like a peeper.
As she turned off her bedside lamp and crawled underneath the covers she suddenly heard someone coming up the stairs followed by moaning sounds coming from the hallway. Oh, hell no! She was not going to listen to them having sex. "Yes baby, right there," she heard a high-pitched voice scream.
Deciding she had heard more than enough, Jasmine quickly jumped off the bed and put on a robe before opening her bedroom door. In front of her was the black-haired guy. He practically towered over the redhead as he had her pushed against the wooden door, his hands cupped her breasts as his tongue rapidly plunged inside the girl's mouth.
Disgusted by the sight in front of her eyes, Jasmine coughed rather loudly to get their attention. The couple ignored her, too far gone in their actions to hear her. The redhead started to pull at Lucas hair while wrapping her legs around his waist, her moans becoming louder each second.
"Excuse me, some of us are trying to sleep!" Jasmine cried out, sighing deeply. Lucas suddenly turned his head and let go of the girl, clearly looking annoyed beyond reason. Her fierce stance slumped a little as she was caught up in his eyes. He clearly took after his mother and had the same dreamy color of blue eyes that made Jasmine's heart beat faster in her chest. He was extremely handsome and looked like some kind of rock god with the leather jacket he wore earlier and the many tattoos that were visible on his body.
"What the hell is your problem, little girl?" he grumbled, sounding pissed off. The redhead tried to peek over his shoulder to look where the fuss came from, standing on her tiptoes.
"Who's that? I didn't know you had a sister," she whined, looking slightly bored. Now that Jasmine could see her up-close she noticed the girl had a thick layer of makeup across her face and a nose piercing.
"I don't. She's a new charity case of my mother's that will be living at my house for the next couple months," Lucas replied in a monotone, clearly not giving a shit if he hurt Jasmine's feelings or not. What a complete jerk!
"Can't she join us? I've always wanted to have a threesome!" the girl practically begged, her eyes widened with obvious enthusiasm and excitement. Jasmine gagged at the thought.
"I don't know. You should ask her," Lucas said, giving Jasmine a once over, his gaze lingering on her breasts. Her cheeks turned slightly pink, her body temperature rising. "She doesn't really look like the adventurous type, though, more like a goody-two-shoes."
"We could change that," the redhead replied, wiggling her eyebrows mischievously. "She has nice tits, a bit small, but I'm sure they're quite responsive," she added.
"Uhm, hello?" Jasmine cried out, clearly affronted, her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets as she listened to the duo. Who the hell did they think she was? She wasn't some kind of slut that opened her legs for every guy that tried to get into her panties. "I'm right here you know!"
"I know. I can see you," the redhead smiled dumbly. Great a skank without a brain. Just the kind of person Jasmine wanted to be acquainted with today.
"Could you two, please, tone down the noise? Some people actually want to get some rest tonight," Jasmine stated, pointing at her watch that now read two o'clock in the morning. She hadn't even known she'd been reading her book that long. She must have been gone from the world for a little while. The storyline had been kind of addicting.
"What's wrong, princess? Afraid we might disturb your beauty sleep? You should have stayed in Florida where you belonged," Lucas smirked. His eyes lacked any remorse at his cruel words. Jasmine's eyes widened as she felt tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to slide down her cheeks. She refused to give in to the feeling of weakness though and instead of cowardly retreating to her room, she took a step closer to the asshole.
"How dare you say something like that to me? You don't know me!" she shouted, her face turning beet red with fury as she heavily slapped Lucas across the face. He stumbled backward from the shock he just received, clearly not expecting her to hit him. His hand lingered on his cheek as his face went from teasing to completely serious in a flash.
"Don't ever do that again, little girl," he stated calmly, his voice holding a clear warning before he turned around and pulled the redhead into his room.
***
The next morning Jasmine woke up with a major headache due to the little sleep she had gotten during the night. After Lucas and his girlfriend retreated to their room, they'd kept her awake until nearly five o'clock in the morning. The bumping from the headboard against the wall and the loud moans and screams were a dead giveaway off what they had been doing.
Sleep deprived, she slowly got out of bed and strolled towards the bathroom. She looked like a complete wreck, her hair tangled and her eyes a bloody red color. The reflection in the mirror staring back at her clearly wasn't in the best of moods. Sighing tiredly, she turned on the shower and stepped out of her clothes.
As she stepped under the spray the warm water cascaded down her body, relaxing her sore muscles. She closed her eyes in contentment and rested her forehead against the cold tiles. A sudden flash of piercing blue eyes went through her mind, effectively waking her up. Goddamnit. She already hated that Lucas guy.
How dare he talk to her like she was some piece of dirt underneath his shoe? They had never been acquainted before, yet he acted like she was his biggest enemy. He clearly had been unhappy about her moving into their house. Maybe he should complain to his mother instead of treating her badly.
Gabriella had warned her about her eldest son, but nothing could have prepared Jasmine for what a dickhead he actually was. She had never met someone who infuriated her as much. She usually acted cold and collected towards strangers. The guy brought out her inner bitch.
Ending her train of thought, she stepped out of the shower. The cold air immediately embraced her body, leaving a trail of goose bumps across her pale skin. She shivered softly as she draped a towel around her frame and pulled her hair into a bun.
She walked towards her closet to choose an outfit for the day. As she stepped inside she stayed still for a moment, taking in the room. It still shocked her to no end how enormous the walk-in-closet was. She could have never imagined having such a giant pile of clothes to choose from.
Her grandmother hadn't exactly been poor, but they certainly didn't live in wealth like the Wood family. She'd had a decent bedroom with an adjoining bathroom. Something she had been eternally grateful for. Not many of her friends back in Florida had a bathroom to themselves. They usually had to share with their siblings or their parents.
She picked a red lace thong from the pile of panties and searched for the matching bra. She quickly put them on and was surprised by how nice they fit her curves. She was used to wearing plane cotton underwear. Looking in the mirror, she had to admit she looked kind of sexy - which was a first.
Deciding she wanted to look good on her first day of school, she chose a tightly fitted pair of skinny jeans and a black tank top that showed some cleavage. A leather jacket finished off her outfit, together with a matching shoulder bag. She barely recognized herself in the mirror. She wondered if maybe she should change into something different, something more 'her'.
"Jasmine? Breakfast is ready!" Gabriella screamed at the top of her lungs. Guess, she didn't have time to change. She quickly walked back to the bathroom to brush her teeth and make her hair look presentable before joining the Wood family downstairs.
When she walked into the kitchen, she immediately spotted Nathan at the end of the table, his hair still slightly wet from the shower he took earlier. "Good morning, Jasmine," he smiled, showing those cute dimples again.
"Hi," she replied stupidly before taking a seat next to Gabriella. She noted Lucas wasn't anywhere to be seen. The rest of the family didn't seem surprised so she decided it was probably normal he didn't show up for breakfast.
"How did you sleep? Was the bed comfortable? If not, we could always look for a new one," Gabriella smiled, looking at her intently.
Jasmine looked at her wide-eyed, taken aback by her question. She had never slept in a more comfortable bed in her seventeen years. "Mom, give her a minute to wake up before you start bombarding her with your motherly concern," Nathan interrupted, rolling his eyes.
Jasmine smiled at him gratefully before replying, "The bed is just fine. No need to replace it." She would have to be very careful to stay unattached from this family. Most of them were far too nice and good to be true, the sole exception made her skin crawl if she only thought about him.
"Did your brother already leave?" Frank asked his youngest son, raising his eyebrow.
Nathan simply shrugged in reply. "How should I know? It's not like he actually talks to me." Jasmine immediately spotted the bitterness in his voice and wondered if something had happened between the two of them.
"I don't understand," Gabriella said, looking confused. "The two of you used to be inseparable." Again Nathan shrugged. It seemed to be a habit of his.
"That was a long time ago, mom. People change," Nathan replied as he took a bite of his oatmeal.
"What would you like to eat, honey? Should I ask Grace to prepare some pancakes?" Gabriella questioned, returning her attention to Jasmine. It was then she realized her mistake of not immediately grabbing some food. Her appetite was still gone, but she didn't want to worry her 'temporary' family.
"An apple should be fine," she stated, looking down and playing with the ends of her long locks. She had been kind of rude yesterday and had decided to try to be a little friendlier today. She had simply been taken off guard by Gabriella's kindness, even though Jasmine kept pushing her away and being mean.
"That's not wise, Jasmine. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," Frank lectured, looking a tad worried.
"Don't mind him. That's just the doctor inside of him speaking. If you're not hungry, you shouldn't stuff your stomach or you might get sick," Nathan interrupted, glancing at his father. Gabriella smiled a little at the intervention of her son and nodded at Jasmine.
"It's okay, Jazzy. Just make sure you eat a snack during your first break at school," she said. "Grace has prepared your lunch and put a few granola bars in your lunch. She usually makes whatever she feels like in the morning, but if you want a certain snack to be added to your lunch you should tell her."
"I'm sure whatever she prepared will be just fine," Jasmine replied evenly. She didn't give a shit what food Grace made. It wasn't like she was one of those picky, whiny girls. She probably would grab lunch in the cafeteria anyways.
After she finished her apple, she put her lunch in her bag and started to make her way out of the house. "I'll give you a ride to school," Nathan announced, appearing next to her.
"That's okay. I can walk," she shrugged, not in the mood to be sociable. She'd rather start her first day of school on her own.
"No need. I don't mind," Nathan smiled, playfully elbowing her in the side. She tried to smile, but was still a bit taken aback by his sudden touch. If there was one thing she absolutely despised, it was people touching her without permission, no matter if their intentions were good or bad. It was something she had been born with.
As she stepped into the garage, her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. Lucas' Lamborghini was parked in the back, next to Frank's car. His Harley was absent, but in its spot stood a crimson red Kawasaki next to a black Mercedes.
"My family enjoys spending money on cars," Nathan explained as he watched her eyes dart around. "The Kawasaki is mine, but today we're taking my mom's Mercedes. My Lamborghini is still in the repair shop. Lucas decided it could use a good kick after he came home drunk a few nights ago," he said as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Crazy people.
Jasmine merely nodded as she stepped inside the Mercedes and put her bag in her lap, still at a loss for words after watching the many cars parked in the garage. As Nathan put the car into first gear and drove off, she rested her head against the soft cushion of the seat. She inhaled deeply, mustering some courage to get through the day. Being the new girl was never a good thing. Most of the time they were the first victims singled out by bullies.
"Don't worry, everything is going to be fine," Nathan assured her, seeming to read her thoughts. The horrified look on her face had probably given her away. "I'll protect you," he winked, showing off the dimples she was already addicted to.
They arrived at school a few minutes later. The parking lot was already filled with happy teenagers. The crowd immediately made a place when they noticed Nathan driving up the lane. "You're quite popular, huh?" Jasmine mumbled as she watched extravagantly clad girls surrounding the car. Looks like every high school had its sluts.
As they stepped out of the car, Nathan was immediately jumped by a blonde girl, her arms wrapping tightly around him. "Good morning to you, too, Kelsey," Nathan laughed, returning her hug. Jasmine had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.
"Who's she?" the girl asked as she finally let go of Nathan and turned her attention towards Jasmine.
"She's the girl that lives with us. I told you about her last night on Skype, remember?" he said, smiling at Jasmine.
"Right!" Kelsey answered, nodding her head furiously. Great, another bimbo without brains.
"Jasmine, this is Kelsey, a good friend of mine," Nathan said, introducing them. No matter what he said, it was clear the two of them were much more than just friends. They hadn't stopped touching each in some way since Nathan left the car. The way they acted around each other made Jasmine believe they hooked up from time to time. Not that she could blame Nathan. He was a good-looking guy surrounded by beauties.
"I'm going to get my schedule," Jasmine stated, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.
"I'll come with you," Nathan offered, but she quickly shook her head.
"No need. I won't get lost. Promise," she pledged, trying to smile at him as she turned around and made her way towards the office. She kept her eyes locked to the floor as she walked away from them, not liking the way people kept shamelessly ogling her.
A low whistle startled her for a moment, but she kept walking straight ahead. "Damn, Nate, that's some hot chick you got there. Watch that ass. I'd definitely tap that," a guy laughed. She could feel his eyes burning holes in her skin and quickened her pace. Guys could be such a pigs. She absolutely hated it when they talked about her like she was some sex object.
As she stepped inside the school building, she could see some girls whispering and pointing at her. They clearly had no shame whatsoever. Noticing their clothes, she decided they were probably cheerleaders. They showed off enough skin to be classified as hoes. Girls didn't have dignity these days.
Jasmine suddenly started to feel a little depressed and lonely. It was the first time since she arrived in California she started to miss home. No matter how badly her so called friends had treated her, anything was better than being the new girl. Right now she was the center of attention. All the guys were betting on their chances of getting in her panties first and girls were plotting jokes to make her look like an idiot because they felt jealous of the attention she got.
She wanted out of that kind of drama. She preferred being a nobody over getting everyone's full attention. Walking through the hallway of her new school, she decided it was going to be a long week.
***
Jasmine quickly threw her bag aside as she stepped into the foyer of her new home after a long and dreadful day of school. Her expectations had been fulfilled. She had been hit on more times today than the past three years of high school combined and the hateful stares of the cheerleaders hadn't done her ego much good either.
She couldn't wait to take a long and relaxing bath, put some pajamas on and crawl into bed. To her absolute horror, Nathan hadn't been waiting for her in the parking lot after school. In the morning, she would have been more than happy to walk, but as the day passed she'd become kind of exhausted and didn't exactly feel like taking a hike.
She'd received a text from Nathan during her last class - she didn't even know the guy had her number - that he had to stay late for football practice and wouldn't be able to take her home. Since she hadn't exactly made any friends on her first day of school, she had no other choice than to walk home. Luckily she'd memorized the way when they drove to school in the morning.
"What's up with the long face, princess? Did you have a bad day?" a sultry voice suddenly spoke from behind her, startling her. She immediately stopped dead in her tracks and looked up. In front of her stood none other than Lucas Wood himself, looking extremely badass as always with his messy hair and trademark smirk plastered across his features.
He was wearing a tightly fitted pair of black jeans, onyx shirt and leather jacket. His well-defined muscles were clearly visible through the tin fabric of his shirt, leaving her slightly stupefied for a moment. Why did the bad guys always have to be good looking? Karma was a bitch.
"Leave me alone, jerk," she deadpanned as she walked passed him. He seemed to be stunned into silence for a moment before his smirk returned and he took hold of her arm to halt her. "Let. Go. Off. Me." Her voice was calm and powerful as she spoke, her eyes practically spitting fire.
"No need to get your panties in a twist, princess," Lucas teased as he let go of her arm and took a step back. "I know I'm good-looking, but you don't have to act all shy." She felt the urge to slap him once again growing stronger, but refrained only because she wouldn't let him get the satisfaction of seeing her mad.
"It wasn't shyness that made me pull away from you, mister cocky and arrogant, but absolute revulsion," she stated coolly, before running up the stairs and closing her bedroom door with a loud thud. It had been a while since someone got her that riled up. Lucas seemed to make a habit out of pestering her.
Thanks for reading! Hopefully you've enjoyed the second chapter of this story and liked the way I introduced Lucas. He's a real handful isn't he? ;)
Show me some love: vote and comment!