A Beautiful Dark

bed, flipped onto my stomach, and pulled out my American History notebook, figuring I could distract myself by actually learning a thing or two. But dark thoughts tiptoed through my brain for the rest of the night. I’d always been so good, not wanting to disappoint my parents—even though they were no longer here to know—not wanting to be a burden to Aunt Jo. I followed the rules. Got to class before the late-bell rang. Always turned in my homework on time. Asher was a little bit wild. Alluring, maybe, in a bad boy sort of way. What would it feel like to be with someone like that? To not follow the rules?
    Devin, on the other hand, was a rule follower. Rules created order. It was the reason every civilized society lived by them. A set of codes, moral and ethical. But what really appealed to me about Devin was the tranquility I could see on his face. He possessed that calmness that I had yet to achieve. Rules created order— and order created calm. I always strove for calm.
    Hours of fruitless studying passed. I made sure the window was closed and locked before I got into bed. I lay wide awake, counting the fake stars on my ceiling till I couldn’t remember what number came next.
    In my dreams, Devin was forgotten. Asher’s face was close to mine, his lips almost touching me as he whispered in my ear.

Chapter 8

    T he moment I saw Asher in homeroom on Monday, my face flushed embarrassingly and goose bumps trailed all the way down my arms. I looked away quickly. After my dream, I just couldn’t face him. I didn’t remember what he had whispered to me—only the feeling that had lingered afterward. Only the memory of his lips as they barely grazed my skin.
    In American History, he tossed his backpack down and sat in the empty chair next to me.
    “That’s Ellie’s seat,” I said, perhaps a little too sharply. Ellie and I were two of only three juniors on the ski team, and she’d kill me if I gave up her seat. “She always sits there.”
    He crossed his arms and leaned way back in his chair, looking at me. “From what I understand, you need someone to keep you on task. There are a lot of dates to memorize in American History. And it doesn’t look like you’re doing too hot as far as World War One is concerned.”
    I grimaced. He was right, of course. Since he’d arrived, I was having a difficult time concentrating in all of my classes, but for some reason, history, with its rote memorization, had been the hardest. Having him sit next to me was like sabotage.
    “Hey, Skye,” Ellie said, appearing behind us. “Ready for practice today? I heard . . .” She trailed off as she noticed Asher. Her hand immediately went to her blond corkscrew curls, and she began twirling one around her index finger.
    “Sorry,” I said. “He was just leaving.”
    Ellie’s eyes grew wide.
    “No!” she said quickly. “Really, don’t worry about it.” She smiled at Asher. “You take it. I forgot my glasses today anyway, so I should sit closer to the blackboard.” The flirtation in her voice was a little sickening. “Enjoy my seat. Keep it warm for me.”
    She sashayed up the rows of desks to a seat closer to the front, eyeing us the whole time.
    I turned to Asher, dumbfounded. He laughed.
    “Hey, don’t look at me,” he said, hands up in surrender. “I can’t help it if I have that effect on people.”
    “On girls, you mean,” I shot back.
    “If you say so,” he said with a grin.
    “I’d rather not.”
    He leaned in, bringing his earthy scent with him. There was something primal and familiar about it, but with him leaning so close to me, I couldn’t concentrate hard enough to place it. “I know you’ve been spending some time with my cousin. Really not a good idea. You might want to avoid him in the future.”
    “Funny. He said the same thing about you.”
    His eyes widened slightly at that. “Yeah, I’ll bet he did.”
    “What is it with you two anyway?”
    He settled back in his chair. “We just have different philosophies on life.”
    “I’m not sure that statement would hold up in court. You do know that most people who break the rules eventually end up in prison, right?”
    “Right,” Asher said, grinning again as if we had some kind of secret between us. “Or they discover lifesaving medical procedures, or invent machines that make our life easier, or win Nobel Prizes for advances in world peace and get written up in history books. Rule-breakers color outside the lines. They