Kieran stood casually by his black Maserati as I crossed the asphalt parking lot. I couldn't help but notice how the blazer and khakis uniform seemed perfectly tailored to fit his broad shoulders, while my own polo and skirt sat like a bedraggled paper sack on my thin frame.
I climbed in the car and buckled my seatbelt. "No motorcycle today?"
He turned the volume of the car stereo down as he drove, fiddling with the aux controls until he came across a song he liked. "Nah, I don't usually take it to school." He glanced at me, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. "Why do you ask? Do you want to go for a ride sometime?"
I didn't miss the innuendo, but chose to ignore it. "Believe it or not, I'd actually like to graduate with all of my limbs intact."
"Don't tell me you're scared." His grin widened.
"I'm not scared, but if I get injured, there go my chances of playing college soccer. Excuse me if I'd rather not jeopardize my future on that metal death contraption."
Kieran laughed lightly. "Vale, whatever you say." His accent made the word come across more like bale.
I wanted to press my case further, but his casual use of the Spanish phrase had brought another topic to mind. "By the way, have you ever heard of Don Quixote? We're reading it in class."
"Of course. That was my favorite bedtime story."
First Felicity, now Kieran. "Was this some sort of childhood rite of passage that I missed out on? I've never heard of it."
He shrugged. "It's very famous. My mother used to read it to me in Spanish. She thinks it's practically heresy to hear it in any other language."
I smiled as I pictured Mercedes Cardenas reading a bedtime story to a younger version of Kieran. I had never met her, but the tall, willowy woman had quite a reputation. She was a retired supermodel, which had to be where Kieran's good looks came from, but she had also made a name for herself in the business world and ran several nonprofit organizations. In short, she was my life goals.
A few minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of Homer's, a local coffee house slash bakery that always promised delicious food. Kieran killed the engine. Before I could ask why we had driven all the way out here when there were much closer places to get food near our school, he stepped out and around the car, pulling open the passenger side door for me.
"How chivalrous," I said sarcastically, giving him a teasing grin as I slid out of the car.
He rolled his eyes at my comment and started walking toward the quaint café. "This is the thanks I get for trying to be a gentleman?"
"You don't even know the meaning of the word." I pushed open the door before he could and entered the building.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee was the first thing I noticed, with flavors of mocha, caramel, and hazelnut intermingling and adding to the rich smell. The inside looked like a regular coffee shop, with chairs arranged neatly around tables scattered throughout the room. A stage in the back for the occasional live performer lay vacant, which made sense considering it was lunchtime on a weekday—not exactly prime time for a jazz concert.
My gaze zeroed in on the giant coffee brownies, neatly packaged in saran wrap and sitting on the front counter. Already, I could practically taste the heavenly combination of chocolate and coffee melting on my tongue. Kieran followed my gaze, the corners of his full lips rising in amusement as he spotted the dessert I was drooling over.
I reached for my wallet and frowned when I came up empty. I must have left it in the car. "Hey, give me your keys."
He edged away from me. "Absolutely not."
"I'm not going to drive off with your car, I just need to grab my wallet!"
"Don't worry about it."
"What is this, a date?" I snorted. "Let me pay for myself."
He didn't answer, having stepped up to order. I glanced around at the other occupants, who were few and far between at this time of day. In one corner sat an elderly couple playing a game of chess, while a college-age girl sat in another corner, lips pursed in concentration as she stared at her laptop screen. A few other strangers sat at the tables throughout the place, sipping drinks and munching on fresh sandwiches and wraps.
Kieran nudged me forward. Startled, I blurted out my order before realizing my mistake. I was about to ask the barista to make them separate payments, when he picked up a brownie and set it down on the counter too.
"You don't have to get that," I said, my face flushing slightly.
He handed the barista a black credit card. "Who said the brownie was for you?"
I glared at him. He didn't look at me, but his grin told me that he was well aware of the expression on my face. The girl behind the counter handed back his credit card, blushing furiously as he winked at her.
Kieran pocketed his wallet and grabbed the brownie as we headed toward an empty booth. I watched enviously as he tore the plastic wrap off, the tantalizing smell of chocolate and coffee drifting up to my nose.
He broke off a chunk and chewed, closing his eyes as he savored the taste. "Mmm, this is delicious."
I was half a second away from strangling him when he opened his eyes, the same rich brown color as the priceless treasure on the table. He burst out laughing at the murderous expression on my face and pushed the brownie toward me. "I was joking. This is actually for you."
I reached for his face. He ducked, eyeing my hand warily. "What are you doing?"
"Checking for a fever. Or alien possession."
Kieran looked mildly affronted. "What, I can't be nice? Wait, actually, don't answer that. Knowing you, it won't be anything I want to hear."
My eyebrows shot up. "Oh, so I'm the one who can't be nice?"
"Shut up and eat your brownie," he said.
I didn't need to be told twice. Within a few seconds, the plastic wrapping and a few crumbs were all that remained of the savory treat. I chewed in silence as Kieran grabbed our coffee orders. He sat back down and handed me my iced drink, gazing thoughtfully out at the parking lot, his seat being the one to face the windows of the café.
After I swallowed the last bite, he turned his pensive gaze on me. I looked at him expectantly. "So, what's this grand scheme of yours to get back at my brother?"
He leaned over the table conspiratorially and gestured for me to do the same. "I was thinking... we pretend to be on a date."
I stared at him. All the mystery and suspense for this? "Alright, you've definitely been possessed. Or taken a few too many soccer balls to the head."
"Think about it!" Kieran insisted. "It's the perfect revenge scheme. I know he's always told you to stay away from his teammates—"
"—a ridiculous suggestion that I have never listened to—"
"—so what would be a better way to piss him off than pretending to go on a date with his teammate slash best friend?"
Admittedly, that would piss Finn off pretty badly, but things still weren't adding up. Kieran was hiding something else. "Yeah, well, I'm sure he's also told all of you to stay away from me. So why would you want to bring his wrath down upon yourself as well?" I narrowed my eyes. "What are we really doing here?"
"I can't just enjoy a nice lunch with a pretty girl who happens to be my best friend's sister?" He was definitely deflecting now, his eyes flicking to the door behind me as if he was waiting for something.
My heart skipped a beat at the compliment, but I refused to take the bait. "No, you can't." I fixed a steely glare on him. "Spill."
"Alright, fine! I brought you here to make a point," he grumbled.
"What point, and to who, exactly?"
He hesitated. The urge to throttle him, which had temporarily dissipated with the gift of the brownie, had returned full-force and was growing steadily stronger. I was half a second away from either demanding an answer or just directly lunging across the table at him, when the bell above the entrance to Homer's chimed. Kieran inhaled sharply as his eyes locked on whoever had just entered. I craned my neck to look.
Marissa Willingham strode in the café, school-dress-code-breaking skirt swishing around her legs. Her golden blonde hair sat in perfect curls around her deceptively angelic face. How did she manage to make a school uniform look good? Life was so unfair.
I swiveled back around to face Kieran angrily. Finally, things were starting to make sense. "You're shitting me. You brought me here to piss off your girlfriend?" I stole another glance in her direction and noticed the inky black hair of the girl who'd walked in behind her. "Great. She brought her minion."
"Ex-girlfriend," he corrected. At least he had the decency to look somewhat sheepish. "Please, do me a favor and just play along."
"Play along? No way in hell am I—"
"Babe, I think our food's ready," he said loudly. He slid casually out of the booth and grabbed my hand, tugging me to my feet as the sound of heels clicking on the hardwood floor grew louder. His arm reached behind me and wrapped itself around my waist.
I had half a second to compose my expression before my mortal enemies appeared in front of us. It gave me an immense amount of satisfaction to note that I towered over both girls, despite the tall heels they wore. Marissa's icy blue eyes swept over the scene in front of her, dainty nose wrinkled in disgust. "Kieran, what on Earth is going on here?" Eden stood silently beside her, bored disdain written in every line of her face.
"I'm having lunch with my girlfriend," Kieran said casually. I had to give it to him; he was a convincing actor. The only crack in his indifferent façade was the tension in his body, which I only noticed because we were standing so close.
I, on the other hand, was resisting the urge to wriggle out of his grasp and let him fend for himself against the two she-devils. His arm tightened imperceptibly around my waist, as if he knew instinctively that I was moments from bolting.
Marissa barely spared me a second glance before bursting into laughter. "That's so cute. I didn't realize you were taking charity cases now, even if they are your best friend's twin."
Oh hell no. "The charity case has a name," I grumbled.
"I wasn't talking to you, so shut the hell up," she snapped.
I saw Kieran's mouth open out of the corner of my eye, but I beat him to the punch. My hands curled into fists at my side. I was still annoyed at Kieran for dragging me into his mess, but now that we were here, well, I could hardly pass up an opportunity to bitch at my arch-nemesis. "No, you shut up. You're in no position to come here and make demands like you still belong in Kieran's life, when he's clearly over you and has moved on. There's nothing else you can say to him that he would want to hear."
She turned a wide-eyed gaze on him. "Really, Kier? You're choosing her over me? Over us?"
He sighed, a bone-deep weariness conveyed in the fine lines of his face. "There is no us, Marissa. You saw to that when you cheated on me."
Marissa waved a perfectly manicured hand flippantly. "It was a mistake. And one I won't be repeating. Because now I know what it feels like to lose the person you love, and I don't intend on ever feeling that way again."
Kieran's dark eyes churned with conflicted emotions. For a moment I worried that he was actually considering getting back together with her, which would have been seriously fucked up for a variety of reasons. Then he blinked and the expression disappeared. "You lost me a long time ago. I've moved on now; can't you do the same?"
For a moment she looked genuinely hurt, before the bitchy mask slid back over her face. She gave me another disgusted once-over, taking in my casual sneakers and ill-fitting uniform, coming to a rest on my fiery red hair. "I refuse to believe this is the reason you won't get back together with me."
I rolled my eyes, utterly fed up. Who knew lunch could get this dramatic? And I haven't even gotten my food yet.
"We were over long before Abby was ever in the picture," he said softly. "But, to tell you the truth, she makes me happier than you ever did."
I blinked in surprise. Damn, Kieran deserved an Oscar for that damn good acting. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was being genuine.
Marissa stepped back, eyes narrowed fiercely. "I don't know what game you're playing at, but I will get you back." Her icy eyes locked onto mine. "He's mine. Stay away from him, bitch." She turned and strode away. Eden, her loyal watchdog, gave us both one last uninterested look before she followed suit.
Kieran's shoulders slumped as soon as the two of them were no longer looking at us, though he didn't release the grip around my waist. Clearly the whole situation with his ex-girlfriend had taken a larger toll on him than he had let on. I felt my earlier irritation start to fade. Dealing with a cheating ex had to be an emotionally complicated situation; I couldn't be too upset at him for wanting backup. Though, a heads-up would certainly have been appreciated.
I reached up and patted his back somewhat awkwardly, trying to break the tension. "You owe me big time, buddy."
"You can say that again." He exhaled slowly and dropped his arm. "I'm sorry you got dragged into this. I just thought that maybe her seeing me with someone else would finally get the message through her head that we're done."
The last of my annoyance disappeared as I took in the frown that lingered over his face. "I hate to say it, but it seems like she's only more determined to get you back." I peered at him closely. "You don't want to do that, right?"
He shook his head quickly. "Hell no. It's just... we had a lot of history. It's hard to let all of it go. I just wish she would get that doesn't mean I want to get back together."
"Well, speaking of getting things," I said slowly. "Our food is still on the counter and the barista's been polishing the same cup with this goggle-eyed expression for the past ten minutes. I think this was even more dramatic than those crazy soap operas our Spanish teacher puts on in class."
Kieran let out a laugh as he sat back down in the booth. "You mean a telenovela?"
"Exactly." I headed to the counter and picked up our sandwiches with a wink at the dumbstruck teenage girl. Setting the food down, I nudged one of the neatly wrapped packages toward him. "Eat. It'll make you feel better."
He grumbled but took a large bite. I bit into my own chicken salad croissant, which was, admittedly, much better than whatever I would've been eating in the Claremont cafeteria. "You know, I don't understand why you brought me of all people here for this. I'm sure you're aware of how many girls at school would happily go on a real date with you."
He looked like he'd been expecting this to come up. "It's because you're the one that gets under her skin the most. When we were dating, she used to make all these snide comments if I said I was hanging out at Finn's house, even if I told her you weren't going to be there." He frowned curiously. "I understand her feeling threatened by you, maybe, but I don't know why you guys hate each other so much."
I nodded sagely. "Yeah, that's probably because I broke her wrist back in seventh grade."
Kieran choked. "You did what?"
"We were on the same soccer team, and I was new because we had just moved here, right? She made some snooty comment about the color of my hair and about my family not being as rich as hers, so I shoved her, and she fell and broke her wrist. She never got over that incident, so we've hated each other ever since!" I concluded brightly.
"Then I definitely picked the right person for the job," he said wryly. "At least she's already painted a target on your head; I could hardly subject some other poor innocent soul to her wrath."
"Good thing I'm a soulless ginger," I mused. "That's certainly true. Marissa hating me is nothing new. The only way to make it worse would be if we were actually dating. Could you imagine the look on her face?"
Inspiration popped into my head like a bolt of lightning, birthed from insanity and mad genius and a definite lack of self-preservation—so basically, every idea I ever had. I snapped my fingers. "That's it!"
Kieran looked at me warily. "What's it?"
"What if we pretended like we were actually dating? Just for like, a month or so. Long enough to get Marissa off your back, and then we can stage a fake breakup or something."
His eyebrows shot up, and a hint of his sly humor returned. "Are you asking me to be your boyfriend? I knew it would only be a matter of time before you confessed your secret attraction to me, but I never expected you to be so bold about it." An amused smile played around his full lips.
I scowled. "Reel in that ego of yours before I leave you to fend for yourself against your psychotic demon of an ex-girlfriend."
He chuckled before composing himself, a contemplative expression settling over his features. "You're crazy, but honestly, it might work."
"Hey, I wasn't the one who came up with this whole fake dating idea, so watch who you're calling loco, bitch."
"In my defense, this was only supposed to be a one-time thing! I just wanted to show her that I've moved on, so she can do the same."
"What better way to show that than to date someone new?" I countered. "She already saw us here today. If we're not together the next time she sees you, she's going to assume it's because you want to get back together with her."
He groaned. "I hate it when you're right."
"Get used to it, buddy."
"I can't believe I'm actually considering this," he muttered. "What are you getting out of this deal, anyway? You could date anyone you wanted—hell, half of our team is in love with you—so why haven't you?"
I shrugged. "Just never had time. My free time is pretty much spread between soccer and working at the restaurant. Most people don't like hearing that they're not a priority. Besides, at least you'd make an okay-looking fake boyfriend." That was the biggest lie I had ever told in my life. Okay-looking? Those devastating cheekbones and angular physique belonged on magazine covers and runways. Not that his ego needed that kind of boost, but that didn't make it any less true.
Kieran snorted. "What a nice thing to say about your boyfriend." He raised a dark eyebrow at me in a gesture that could only mean trouble. "Are you absolutely sure there's no one else involved? Not even a tall, brunet goalie, whose name starts with M and ends with ad—"
I nearly lunged across the table. "Shut the hell up!" My cheeks flushed a bright red. "How do you know anything about that?"
"Please. He's always pining after you when you're at our games. You think I haven't noticed?" At my stony silence, he continued, the joking tone gone from his voice. "Seriously, I don't want you to do this if you like someone else."
Well, damn. I crossed my arms and sighed. "It's actually the opposite issue."
Though I was being purposefully vague, Kieran was smart enough to put the pieces together. Realization dawned on his face. "He likes you, but you don't like him back. You're using this relationship to tell him to move on." The corners of his lips twitched, as if he was suppressing a smile. "You're quite the heartbreaker, Abby McMahon."
"Guess you better watch out," I said, grinning lazily at him. "So, do we have a deal?"
Kieran looked up at the ceiling, as if sending a silent prayer to whatever deity lay above us. Then his dark eyes came back down and met my gaze steadily. "We have a deal."
We gathered our things and prepared to go back to school. I crumpled the brown sandwich wrapping into a ball and tossed it, watching with satisfaction as it landed neatly in the trash can. "Any ideas for how we want to announce our new relationship to everyone?" A new thought occurred to me. "Oh my God, Finn is going to lose his mind."
Kieran laughed. "Should we tell him it's fake?"
"Hell no," I scoffed. "Even though your so-called revenge idea was a shitty lie to get me here, it's stupid enough that it just might work."
"He's going to murder me."
"I think he might kill me first, actually."
"Ten bucks says you're wrong."
"Game on, buddy."