Through the Layers (Rumor Has It series Book 4) Read online

  But on the other hand, I think I was hoping if I went out of my way; if I took her out to dinners, or bought her gifts, or surprised her with flowers on her birthday, I could mask over my memories. Sometimes it worked. Most of the time, it didn’t.

  We finish our food and pay the bill. Heading out to the parking lot, I unlock my small Chevy pickup truck. It’s a few years old, but still in good condition. A graduation gift from high school.

  “How’s the truck running?”

  “It’s good.” I give it a reassuring knock on the hood.

  “You gonna be coming over this weekend?”

  “Maybe.” I look away with a smirk, remembering the date I set up with Veronica.

  He raises an eyebrow. “What’s that smile about?”

  “Nothing. I, uh, have a date.”

  Now both eyebrows go up as he slaps my shoulder. “Jumping back in already, huh? Good for you, son.”

  “Yeah, well, we’ll see. She’s nice.”

  “Just give your mom a few more weeks.” He averts his eyes, rubbing his ear. “She really liked Lana. She was ecstatic when you guys got back together. I’ll let her know you guys broke up.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” I reach over and give him a hug. “We still on for the Angels game next week?”

  “Right behind home plate,” he answers with a smile.

  “Sounds great.”

  I take off and head to the gym. Now that the semester is over, I’ll be picking up more shifts, but I don’t start for a couple more hours. A quick workout session should be useful. It helps get my mind off of everything that happened.

  I’m not sure how long I’ll still be angry over everything. Last night with Veronica was great though. I don’t want her to be a distraction. There is something there. But it’s probably too early to think of getting something serious going with her. I still need to get rid of the anger from what Lana did. Actually, I still want to be angry over what she did. It’s better than feeling like an idiot for falling for it again.

  Chapter 8

  Veronica

  “What about this one?” I show Cindy a light blue blouse.

  Her eyes roll, once again, as she glances over at me standing in front of my closet. “That’s fine, too, V.”

  “I don’t know,” I respond, hanging the top back up and pulling down a black T-shirt. “What if I just went with a simple black shirt? Black always looks better.”

  “Veronica, if you ask me one more time what you should wear, I’m going to throw my phone at you.”

  “This is important, Cin. It’s like a first date. Wait, is it a first date? He just said meet him at Chevy’s. Do you think Chevy’s is considered a date-type atmosphere? It has karaoke and pool tables. Do you think he just wanted it to be casual, you know, to see how it goes?”

  “Oh my God.” She gets off my bed and rips the shirt out of my hands. “You’re wearing this. Stop stressing out. And yes, this is a date.”

  “Yeah, but what if he doesn’t really think of it as a date. What if he—”

  “Shut it.” She puts a finger to my lips. “You guys made out, right?” I nod with her finger still against me. “And you said he called you sexy, right? And he got your number and invited you to this place tonight, correct?” I nod again. “Then this is a date, V. Put on that shirt and let’s go.”

  She walks back over to my bed and returns to scrolling through her phone.

  “Okay,” I answer her with a smile. Then I look down and see a line of shoes. “Oh, but what shoes should I wear?”

  Her mouth drops. “Veronica, put on the freaking shirt!”

  Chevy’s is a local spot that’s one-part hangout with some air hockey and pool tables, one-part karaoke bar, and one-part pub. Walking in, I scan the area looking for Micah. He said him and Taylor like to hang out here on the weekends.

  “Stupid, Jackson,” Cindy grumbles, scowling at her phone.

  “He’s not coming?”

  “No, he’s making some lame excuse again. Something about working at his dad’s shop. I don’t know why I’m even talking to him.”

  I let out a laugh and return to looking around. “Because you like him.”

  “Not anymore.”

  “So, you guys are off again?”

  “Whatever,” she grumbles.

  Cindy’s been dating Jackson, on and off, for the past few months. They’ll hookup, and things seem to be going okay, but then he’ll blow her off for days at a time. I keep telling her she’s better off without him.

  “There’s Micah and Taylor.” I point to the back of the building. They’re both standing near a billiard table, two girls standing next to them. My self-esteem instantly lowers.

  They’re both taller and thinner than me. A blonde girl is talking to Taylor, who seems to be enjoying the attention. The other girl has long, light brown hair, tiny shorts, with a skimpy top that shows off her waist. She playfully bumps into Micah’s shoulder, saying something, and he smiles before returning his attention to the pool table. I swallow the nerves, glancing down at my capris and shirt. I don’t look horrible, and I made sure my hair had a little extra bounce to it, but compared to that girl … no. There is no comparison.

  “This was a mistake.” I turn around and head back to the entrance.

  “Hey,” Cindy hisses. “No, V, wait up.” She grabs my wrist as I get to the doorway. “No, okay? You’re not doing this. You’re not walking out before giving this a shot. Project V—”

  “Enough with stupid Project V, Cindy. My sex life is not some stupid bet. And I’m not going to try and hookup with someone just to get it over with.”

  “It’s not about hooking up, Veronica.” She looks around, keeping her voice low. “I know we joke about it, but it’s not about that. It’s about you. It’s about being confident. Do you know who that girl is back there?” She points, and I shake my head, not bothering to look. “So you know nothing about what’s happening. Her and Booby For Brains Blondie could just be hitting on them, and Micah’s over there waiting for you, you don’t know. I’m not letting you give up that easy.”

  “I don’t know if I can do this.” I stare down at my fidgeting fingers.

  “And you’re never going to know if you don’t try.”

  “Hey,” I hear Micah’s voice. Lifting my gaze, I see him approaching with a smile. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  Cindy, who still has her back to him, gives me an ‘I told you so’ look, before grinning and turning around. “We just got here. You guys busy?” She peers around him and nods back to Taylor, where both girls are still lingering.

  “What?” Micah turns to see what she’s talking about. “Oh, no. Taylor invited a friend, and she brought her own friend. The blonde girl is Stacey, and the other one is …” He chuckles and then looks at me. “I actually forgot her name.”

  “Oh,” Cindy says, giving me the look again.

  “Yeah. I was just gonna grab a couple drinks, you want anything?”

  “Sure,” Cindy answers before motioning over to me. “I’m gonna go say hi and mingle around. Can you get me a Sprite, V?” She wiggles her eyebrows.

  We approach the bar, and I notice Micah has two stamps on his hand. Everyone gets a stamp once they enter, and if you’re over twenty-one you get another, but I know he’s not. He must see me looking because he chuckles, leaning over.

  “Bobby, the door guy, is Taylor’s cousin,” he whispers. As soon as his lips graze my ear, I forget why he’s telling me this. “He hooks Taylor and me up so we can order drinks if we want.”

  “Oh.” I smile, trying to regain composure.

  “What do you want?”

  I know he’s asking me about drinks. That’s why we walked over to the bar. But he’s still so close, and I can’t help staring at his lips, thinking those are what I want.

  “What can we get you, Micah?” the bartender speaks up, breaking my train of thought.

  “Let me get a Sprite and …” Micah looks over at me with questioning ey
es.

  “Oh, just water please?”

  “Really? Okay, a Sprite and two waters.”

  “You got it.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” I say.

  “It’s cool.” He shrugs, leaning against the bar as we wait. “We get the stamp, but I hardly ever order drinks anyways.”

  I’m not sure if he’s just saying it to make me feel better or not, but it comes across as sincere. He leans closer to me, sliding an arm behind me. “You look really nice by the way.” He tugs on a piece of my hair.

  “Thank you,” I answer, unable to help how bashful it comes out.

  I’m not sure if he leans closer, or I do, but I’m staring at his lips again, remembering what they felt like the other night. We’ve already made out, but this still feels like the awkward stage of a date, where you’re not sure whether you should lean in and kiss the other person or not.

  He’s wearing a gray shirt that fits him snuggly, reminding me of how strong he felt when I was laying next to him. His hair sticks up a little in the front, and he smells like the woods. I’ve been camping a few times with my brothers, and there’s a fresh, crisp, forest smell you get right when you wake up, making you want to snuggle deeper in your blankets. That’s what it reminds me off, and now I want his arms around me.

  “Here you go.” The bartender’s words break my thoughts again.

  Micah hands me the water bottle with a smile. “So, you want to hang out in the back? We can play a game of pool or—”

  “Micah!” Taylor’s voice rings out, echoing through the entire place. “Where’s Micah?”

  “Oh no,” Micah whispers.

  “There you are!” Taylor calls out, standing on the karaoke stage. “Micah, I made sure they had this song specifically for you tonight, bro.”

  “What is he doing?” I ask, giggling.

  “Being an idiot.”

  “Hit it, Brody,” Taylor says, and looks over at a DJ. Guitar strings play through the speakers. “Now, I’m not a Beibs fan, but this is the Halsey version. Everyone cover your ears if you don’t like the F word. I can’t get enough of it.” He wiggles his eyebrows to Stacey, who laughs along with most of everyone else around. “Micah, don’t dick out on me. You’re singing this song.”

  “How much has he had to drink?” I ask, now laughing.

  “That’s the worst part. He’s completely sober.”

  “And, please, ladies and gentleman,” Taylor continues, “if you know the words, you sing along, too. It’ll help Micah forget that bitch.”

  “What’s going on?” Cindy walks over to us.

  “Taylor thinks he’s being funny,” Micah answers.

  The music hits. “For all the times that you rained on my parade.” He snaps his fingers, beginning to sing “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber. People around the place are nodding, starting to clap along.

  “Wow, he sings pretty good.”

  “Micah, you listening?” Taylor yells before he picks up the lyrics again.

  “Why’s he singing this for you?” I ask.

  As soon as I ask the question, Taylor sings the lyric about breaking his heart and I know. It’s about Lana. Micah’s blushing but scowling, shaking his head. I want to ask him about her to see if he wants to talk about it, but at the same time, if he wanted to talk about it wouldn’t he have already? The only information I know is from overhearing his one phone call in the café, so it sounded like she cheated on him. Maybe we could commiserate together, but I don’t want to commiserate with Micah or anyone else for that matter. I want new memories. Better memories. Maybe Micah does, too.

  “Micah, it’s coming up,” Taylor calls out. “Here it comes!” He yells out the main line of the chorus. Cindy yells out in excitement, singing along and laughing.

  Micah still looks like he wants to kill him, but there’s a hint of amusement on his face. It makes any tension I might’ve felt when Taylor started evaporate.

  “You should sing it,” I tell him.

  “What?”

  “It might be therapeutic.” I raise my shoulders and Micah smiles.

  “Micah!” Taylor yells again. “Sing, you ass. It’s a release!” More people start to sing along.

  Going through the next stanza of lyrics, it’s starting to come to the hook again. I decide to start singing, smiling at Micah.

  “Fine!” Micah yells at the ceiling just as the main line starts again.

  Everyone in the place continues to sing along to the end and then applauds as Taylor takes a bow, walking over to us.

  “Feel better now?” Taylor asks with a smirk.

  “I was feeling fine, dumbass,” Micah answers.

  “Of course you were.” Taylor looks over at me with a smirk. “Anyways, I think I’m gonna head out. Stacey needs a ride.”

  “I’m sure she does.” Micah rolls his eyes, making me laugh.

  Cindy leans over to us. “Oh, and I had plans tonight with my boyfriend.”

  “What?” I look at her with bloody murder. She smirks and waves her phone at me. The same phone I saw her arguing through text with Jackson earlier, who she’s also, never once, called her boyfriend.

  “Yeah, so, um, Micah, could you take Veronica home later?”

  “No problem,” Micah answers, looking at me. “If you’re cool with that.”

  “Uh, sure.”

  “Great,” Cindy says, leaning in and giving me a hug. “Take advantage of him tonight,” she whispers. “I want all the deets.”

  She whips around and heads toward the exit, while my jaw clenches and I stare daggers at her.

  “So …” I bite my lip, nervously looking around.

  “So.”

  “Sorry. I totally didn’t plan for Cindy to dump me in your lap and just leave.”

  It seems to break the awkwardness and Micah chuckles. “It’s cool. Want to just hang out for a bit?”

  “Yeah, if you want to.”

  “Oh, you know what? The street fair’s open. It’s right up the road.”

  “Okay.”

  We leave Chevy’s and head up the street. He asks if I want to drive over there, but it’s not far, so we start walking and Micah takes my hand. It’s such a little thing, holding my hand, but it feels like it’s a big moment. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been on a date with someone that I’ve really liked in a long time.

  The street fair is a few blocks long with different vendors, selling snacks or novelties. Walking around, we start talking about our classes, or if we’ve got any plans for the summer. I tell him about a trip coming up that my family always takes to visit grandmother in Mexico, and he tells me about the season tickets his father gets to see the Angels play. After all of my freaking out on Cindy, concerned whether this is technically a date and the jitters that would come with it, everything we talk about comes out seamlessly. It’s the same comfortableness I felt with him at the party.

  No sooner am I feeling completely calm around him, do I see Tim ahead of us, walking with some girl. I’ve seen him during the semester, but I try to avoid him at all costs. Micah must notice my change in mood.

  “Something wrong?”

  “Oh, no.” I give him a weak smile, turning around to act like I’m looking at a vendor’s stand of miniature snow globes. Slowly, I peer over my shoulder and see Tim laugh, then give the girl a hug, pulling her closer.

  Gazing back down at the table, I mentally scold myself. I shouldn’t be bothered by this. That scumbag cheated on me and said it was because I was too big for him. I shouldn’t care about him or that he’s with someone else. But I do.

  “Who is that?” Micah asks.

  I take a deep breath, then lift my gaze to meet his. “My ex. It’s so stupid, I shouldn’t be like this. I shouldn’t care about him.”

  “It’s okay. I know a thing or two about exes.”

  “It’s not though.” I stare back down at the globes. “He cheated on me.”

  “Again,” he lets out a chuckle, “I know a little abou
t that.”

  “It’s just …” I let out a sigh.

  Do I really want to tell Micah why he cheated on me? I guess it doesn’t matter now since it seems I’m still hung up on it.

  “When I caught him … it was over a year ago. We were still in high school. And when it happened, he basically said it was because he’d never been with a heavy girl.”

  Micah cringes, wrinkling his nose. “What an asshole.” I giggle, and he puts a finger under my chin, his eyes meeting mine. “I’m serious. He’s a complete ass. I wasn’t lying to you the other night, Vero.” Using my nickname makes me smile. “You’re beautiful.”

  Before I can say anything back, his lips are on mine. His hand falls away from my face, wrapping around me, and I tie mine around his neck, pulling him down closer to me. His lips produce a current that zips through me, and I feel the tiny tingles spreading everywhere. We’re in the middle of a street with vendors and other people walking by, but I don’t register any of them. It’s just his hands and his lips, spreading the warmth through my body as I press my mouth feverishly against his.

  He stops but only backs away a few inches, his dark mocha eyes peering into me. I lick my lips then stare at his, desperately wanting them back on mine.

  “We better stop before someone cites us for public indecency,” he whispers.

  “Do we have to?”

  He lets out a laugh, keeping his arms around me. “Silly girl.”

  Chapter 9

  Micah

  I want to reassure Veronica I know precisely what she’s felt with her jackass of an ex-boyfriend, but at the same time, I don’t want to her to dwell on it.

  We head back to where I parked, and I take her home. Making out again before she heads inside her house, I can still taste her when I get back home and hear the moaning coming from Taylor’s room.