Free Riptide by H. M. Ward Page B

Let’s just say you weaseled your way into my brain and I didn’t hook up with every girl I came across. The rumors of my conquests have been greatly exaggerated.” Trystan lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it.
    “Meaning?” My heart was racing. Was he saying what I thought he was saying? That couldn’t be true, but I could tell from the expression in his eyes that it was—this was a secret that he was happy to share—one that he couldn’t wait to tell me.
    “ Meaning, I’m still a novice at this. I only had one relationship and it was with Brie.” He cringed. “Obviously I’m a total moron and have no idea what I’m doing. Besides her, I mess ed around and made-out, but…” Trystan looked at me for a second and then looked to the side , his lips curling into a bashful smile . “Are you really going to make me say it?”
    I blinked at him, assuming I was dumb as a post and not following. “I think I have to. Are you seriously telling me that you were only with one girl? What about all that stuff Seth said?”
    “Seth’s a moron. He’s all bluster, Mari. Have you ever seen him do anything but suck face with a girl?”
    I cringed, “No.”
    “Well, same thing for me. Appearances are deceiving . I hope you won’t use this information to tarnish my bad-boy persona at school. I like all the ladies drooling when I walk by.” He was laughing now, watching me with laughter in his eyes.
    Grinning, I swatted him with my hand, “Oh , gross! Now you sound like him!”
    Trystan and I laughed and kissed until the bell rang. When I emerged from the auditorium, I ran into Katie. She instantly noticed my swollen lips and blotchy skin. “S ucking face? With whom might this suckage be occurring? Or should I go look for him?” She glanced behind me, hoping to see the object of my affection.
    I yanked her arm and led her down the hall. “No one.”
    “Yeah, right. And that’s why we ’ re running away, so I can’t see the invisible man who ate your strawberry lip gloss.” Katie’s tone was light, teasing. She kept looking over her shoulder like the guy would magically appear.
    “Where’s Mathboy when I need him?” I glanced around hoping he was nearby.
    “He’s my sexy nerd, and he’s not going to save you from the slew of questions I’m going to hurl at your head.” We walked into the classroom and Katie set her books on her desk.
    I looked back to the spot where Brie sat. Her chair was empty. I swallowed hard wondering if I could really go up against her and walk away intact.
     

 
     
    CHAPTER 13
     
    ~TRYSTAN~
     
    Rehearsal was much more enjoyable with Mari in his arms and Brie god-knows-where. Trystan tried as hard as he could to live in the now, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that it would all slip between his fingers at any moment. The more time he spent with Mari, the more t he y kissed, the more he realized he wanted her—and not in a temporary kind of way. There was something about Mari that made him come alive when she was around. All the years of jaded cynicism melted into giddy glee around her.
    Tucker barely corrected Mari. She remembered everything , because she’d been prompting the entire time. She’d only lost a couple of days when Tucker threw her out. The cast had a different feel with Mari among them. She affected Trystan’s performance for the better and everyone around him strove to be as charismatic as Trystan. It was a domino effect and it started with Mari.
    When Tucker first announced Brie’s replacement, no one though Mari could do it. She sat in the shadows, reading books—she wasn’t an actor—but Mari proved them wrong by the end of the first scene. Tucker didn’t stop the play, he let the entire thing run from start to end and when they finished, Tucker just sat there, staring at them with one eyebrow lifted too high.
    The entire cast stood on stage, waiting for him to say something.
    “Did he have a stroke?” Tia whispered out of the side of her