Masquerade (Heven and Hell #1)(11)
Author: Cambria Hebert

He stared at me for another long moment before smiling and giving a nod. “Yeah.”

Before getting out I turned back. “You should try and make up with her. You two make a great couple.”

“I’ll see you on Monday.” Cole said softly.

“Thanks for the ride.” I said before hurrying away and into my house. I leaned against the front door as I listened to him drive away. On my way upstairs to my bedroom I wondered who it was that Cole thought would be so easy to date. I shied away from the obvious answer because that wasn’t something I was prepared to think about.

When Kimber put her mind to something, it got accomplished. It was an admirable trait to have – except in this instance. This time she set her sights on Sam, and things were definitely swinging in her favor. Since the night of the party, Sam and Kimber had been spotted together several times: in the halls at school, outside once classes were dismissed, at the local ice cream shop, and once Sam went to a game that Kimber was cheering at. I knew every detail about every encounter because I had to sit through the play-by-play at lunch. Every. Single. Day.

Ugh.

It made me ache from the inside out. I felt like a tire with a slow leak, except the leak was in my heart. Every single time she mentioned his name and every single time I saw his vibrant white teeth flash at her in a smile, a little bit of my heart deflated. I was hoping that soon there wouldn’t be anything left so it wouldn’t hurt anymore.

As I walked from my locker to the cafeteria, my stomach knotted in anticipation for today’s report. It was Monday, the crappiest day of the week, and it just got crappier because now I had to sit through an entire lunch of her details of the weekend. Her weekend with Sam. I tried to console myself with the fact that she said all their ‘dates’ were strategic, meaning that they only went places where she would be seen with him, and she was certain it would get back to Cole. She told me that they hadn’t ever been completely alone on a date, and I was curious what Sam thought of that. I wondered how much he liked her and how much he would hurt when she dumped him and went back to Cole. Then I wondered if Cole would even want her back. As if he knew I was thinking about him he appeared at my side.

“Hey, Hev.” He said, giving me a smile.

“Hey.”

“I thought about calling you after the other night…I wanted to see how you were doing.”

“See how I was doing? You’re the one who had to watch Kimber drape herself all over Sam.” I muttered darkly.

Hurt flashed in his eyes, and I felt bad for my comment. Just because I was suffering didn’t mean he had too as well. “Do you know him well?”

I glanced at Cole swiftly. “Who?”

“The new kid – Sam. The way you said his name…” he looked at me with questions in his eyes.

“Uh-no. I’ve heard her talk about him a lot.” As soon as the response left my lips I felt guilty again.

“I’ll catch you later,” Cole said, stopping just outside the cafeteria doors.

“Aren’t you coming to lunch?”

“I forgot my lunch money in my locker.”

Before I could respond or try to apologize for my foul mood and grouchy comments, he stalked off.

Exhaling, I walked into the cafeteria to our usual table where Kimber was already sitting, lunch bag open in front of her. I slid into my chair, bracing myself.

“How was your weekend?” she cheerfully asked.

“Fine – and yours?”

“So great. I had a date.” She smiled and her eyes sparkled. I was beginning to wonder if she was even doing this to get back at Cole anymore. I wondered if she enjoyed playing with people’s hearts like this. Then she said, “He came over to my place.”

The bottom dropped out of my stomach, and my vision blurred. I blinked several times. “Sam came to your place?”

“Uh-huh.”

That’s all she had to say? Usually it was, ‘Sam this’ and ‘Sam that’ and blah, blah, blah. She never shut up! But the one time I wanted just a single detail, she was being closed-lipped. It could only mean one thing. She liked him – really liked him.

I couldn’t do this. My chest tightened, and a cold sweat prickled my skin. Do not freak out right now. Calm down. I took several deep breaths until I felt more in control and then looked up at Kimber who was chomping on her sandwich, oblivious. Then a bright smile broke over her face. “I invited someone to join us today.”

Oh no.

Sam pulled out a chair next to Kimber and sat down. I think my heart stopped beating. So far I’d only had to listen to the gory details and see them, briefly, from across the hall. But never once did I have to witness Sam and Kimber up close and personal. I couldn’t bear it.

“Sam, you remember Heven?”

“Hey, Heven.” I swear his voice turned huskier than usual when he said my name.

“Hey,” I returned, blushing furiously.

“Where’s your lunch?” Kimber asked him.

“I need to go through the line.”

“I’ll save your seat.” She giggled, leaning toward him.

He smiled, and I wanted to gag. I scooted my chair back so I could get out of there when Kimber turned toward me. “Here.” She reached into her bag and handed me a sandwich.

I took the sandwich, laying it in front of me. “You brought me a sandwich?”

Kimber rolled her eyes. “I’ve been bringing you a sandwich every Monday for months.”

She had? Sure, she shared sometimes, but every Monday?

At my blank look she rolled her eyes again. “Mondays are the hardest day of the week for you. You never remember food. Can’t have you wasting away.”

Her thoughtfulness touched me and made me regret the things I’d been thinking earlier. Then Sam cleared his throat. My eyes shot to his face; he wasn’t looking at me, but at Kimber. “I’ll be right back.”

When he was gone I tried to escape, using the same excuse Cole had used only moments before. “I forgot something in my locker.”

“Not so fast.”

“What?”

She sighed. “I know you’re uncomfortable around new people, and I get it, but Sam, he’s important to me.”

“More important than Cole?” I shot out.

She seemed taken aback. “I…”

“Don’t you think he’s learned his lesson? How much longer are you going to hurt him?”

“He hurt me too.”