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“Sure, yeah.” I finally nod.
“Awesome,” he says with a grin, which accentuates his dimples. “See you then, pretty girl.” He turns and leaves me at the car, and my attention is once more caught on the man in the doorway. His hands stuck in his jean pockets, his dark hair and face shadowed. When he moves, I get a glimpse of his face, which is almost sculpture perfect.
He turns and shuts the door behind him after Tarian disappears inside, and I’m shaken. I’m not sure what it is about him, but I don’t like the way he was looking at me. Perhaps it’s my imagination playing tricks on me. Or maybe there’s more to the stranger in the darkness than meets the eye.
Slipping into the driver’s seat, I start the car and pull out of the parking spot, which really is just a large open area in front of the lake house. The high trees swallow us up as I pull onto the road and away from the mansion that overlooks silver water. Even though it’s not far from town, it seems like it’s nestled in the middle of nowhere.
With a quick glance to my left, I find my best friend passed out in the seat beside me, so I don’t turn on the music.
Instead, my mind replays the strange interaction with Tarian and the stranger from the doorway. I should’ve asked what his name is, but I was far too shaken to think about it. His glare heated every inch of me in ways I don’t think I want to explore right now.
In the silence, I wonder if I’ll see him tomorrow.
Would he be as threatening in the light?
It only takes us fifteen minutes to reach Rukaiya’s house. I kill the engine and exit the car. Once I’ve opened her door, I shake her awake, startling her for a second. When my best friend realizes where she is, she smiles sheepishly.
“I’m sorry for ruining your party,” she tells me.
“Trust me, it wasn’t my party.” Shaking my head, I help her to stand, before shutting the door. “I’m happy to go home and get lost in a new book.”
Rukaiya rolls her eyes, and I know she’s about to make fun of me for my love of books. “You know, book boyfriends aren’t going to keep you warm at night,” she tells me with a wink.
“Yeah, they can, I have an overactive imagination,” I retort. “And I have many book boyfriends who will keep me all cuddly and warm.” This time, we both fall into a fit of giggles.
“Yeah, yeah,” my best friend says. “Next party is on Saturday, and I’ll be ready. You’re going to meet some hottie, and you’ll forget all about those boys in your books.” She presses a kiss to my cheek before heading inside her house.
I watch for a moment before I slip back into my car and turn the engine. It’s only a few minutes before I’m home and pulling into the driveway behind Gran’s old Toyota. When I step into the house, the smell of freshly baked bread and soup assaults my senses, and my stomach growls.
“I guess my girl is hungry?” Gran smiles from the doorway that leads into the kitchen. Even though it’s late, she’s been cooking for me.
“I am. Thanks, Gran,” I tell her, leaving my phone and keys on the dining room table before following her into the kitchen where there are two large bowls she’s filling with soup and a loaf of bread waiting to be devoured.
I sit on one of the chairs, grabbing a spoon, and scoop soup into the metal utensil. The scent of vegetables is overwhelming, and I take my first sip, savoring the peppery flavor.
“I’ve added quite a bit of black pepper, it’s good for this cold weather,” Gran tells me. Winter is on its way, and I’m not looking forward to it. My dad told me about how snowy, and cold Tynewood gets.
“Thanks for this.”
“You’re home early,” Gran remarks, glancing at the large wooden clock that hangs above the doorway to the hall.
Nodding, I cut a slice of bread before answering, “Rukaiya wasn’t feeling well.”
“How much did she have to drink?” My grandmother doesn’t miss a thing, and I can’t help but smile. Even though we’re considered adults, she still worries about us.
“A few shots of something or the other. I was driving so I didn’t have any.”
Gran shakes her head as she joins me at the table. We eat in silence, which only has my mind reeling back to the moment with the guy in the doorway at the Lakehouse. Tarian is sweet and friendly, but there was something about the stranger who stood in the shadows. A magnetism that attempted to pull me in closer. And I wanted to go to him, to see him up close, but I have a feeling I’ll be seeing him soon enough if he’s attending university with Tarian.
