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“Why not? I think it’s kind of cute.” His tone turns flirtatious and I almost roll my eyes. “Though your full name is cute too. Willow.”
My heart squeezes at hearing him say my name and I tell myself I’m being ridiculous. This boy is nothing like the type I’m usually attracted to.
“Willow is such a long name though,” he continues, and I brace myself for insults. How is Willow too long? Just because his name is only one syllable, what? He can’t handle two? “I think I’m gonna call you Will.”
I wrinkle my nose. “That’s a man’s nickname.”
“There is nothing manly about you at all, Will. Trust me,” he drawls.
My skin tingles at the way he’s looking at me, his gaze roaming everywhere. All over me. “No one has ever called me that before in my life.”
“Really?” He sounds surprised. “Well, I guess it’s my special nickname just for you, then. And I don’t do that for just anyone.”
“He doesn’t,” says the guy sitting next to him. It’s Brooks Crosby. I’ve gone to school with him for what feels like my entire life. He’s just always there in the background, and he’s perfectly nice. “This is kind of a big deal.”
Rhett slaps him in the shoulder. “Don’t tell her that. She’ll get a big head.”
“No, I definitely won’t.” I smile and I wonder what in the world I’m doing flirting with this boy.
“Being a Lancaster and looking like you do, you don’t have a big ego, Will? Really?” He sounds like he finds that hard to believe.
“Looking like what?” I ask, my voice faint. Is he complimenting me? Am I so pathetic I need to hear him praise me further?
Yes. Right now, with the verbal beating I just took, thanks to Alana, I definitely do.
CHAPTER SIX
Willow
Anticipation ripples through me as I wait for him to say something. Anything. Feels like I’m hanging on the edge of a cliff at the moment, which is silly.
Of course, Rhett takes his time. As if he knows he has me dangling by a thread, just dying to hear him compliment me.
I am not this girl. I don’t think I’ve ever been this girl. The one who needs validation from a boy in order to feel better about herself, but I’m hurting from Alana’s casually cruel treatment and wondering if she laughed at me with Silas.
That hurts. More than I’d ever care to admit.
“Do you really need me to tell you?” he finally asks, his brows shooting up. They’re darker than his hair, which is a golden brown, though not as light as the hair on his arms. He’s a mass of various colors. “You look in the mirror every day, don’t you?”
Disappointment fills me and I can’t help but sigh. “Right. Sorry.” Why did I just apologize? I’m only making things worse.
I turn on my heel, ready to walk away with my virtual tail tucked between my legs because this is embarrassing.
“Hey, whoa. Where you going, Willy?” I can hear him calling out to me, which only makes me walk faster.
But then I hear footsteps coming up behind me and next thing I know, he’s touching my arm. The moment his fingers make contact—even through my jacket and shirt—my skin sizzles where he touches me. I jerk away from his hold and turn on him, the ball of anger growing inside my chest about ready to burst out of me.
“Oops, I mean Will,” he corrects, no doubt after he saw the feral look in my eyes. “Why’d you take off?”
“Our conversation was going nowhere.” I offer him a wan smile, trying to play off the fact that not even five seconds ago I was furious at him.
My emotions are all over the place. I need to take a couple of deep breaths and regain my composure.
“You wanted to hear me tell you how fucking beautiful you are, right?” His tone is so serious, as is the look on his face.
I suck in a sharp breath, startled by his brutal honesty. The curse word. I’m used to bad language because both of my brothers are the worst, which they get from Dad, but I’m more like Mom. She rarely uses foul language and I’m the same.
I’m also not used to gorgeous boys making such bold statements about …
