Collide: A Riverbend Novel by Sara Daniell

him.
     
    I liked Garrett all the
time and when he kissed me or touched me I enjoyed it. But him just
looking at me didn't make my heart want to jump out of my chest. I
cursed myself. This wasn't a fairy tale. I didn't need fireworks. I
wanted, no needed ,
someone stable. Someone I cared for and who cared for me. That was
not Havock. Havock only cared for one person and that was
Havock.
     
    I tugged on my dress a
little but Mrs. Johanna slapped my hand away. I really believed
this was the shortest dress I had ever worn.
     
    Havock was taking a drink
when he saw me. His mouth dropped open causing his drink to miss
his mouth completely, soaking his lap.
     
    Garrett ignored him as he
started grabbing every cloth napkin he could. Garrett smiled but
didn't say anything. We agreed we would keep us a secret if there
ever was an us.
     
    Garrett was dressed nice.
He had on a dark pair of jeans and long sleeved button down shirt
tucked in. His short hair was fixed like it always was.
     
    Havock had on an ACDC
t-shirt with a hooded leather jacket, jeans, and of course his
converse. His hair was in a mess like he just stepped out of bed,
but it looked good on him.
     
    Rick pulled out a chair for
me and Johanna. He whispered in his wife's ear, and she giggled as
she sat.
     
    "Thank you," I said as I
took my seat next to Garrett.
     
    Mrs. Johanna had
straightened my hair making it look even longer than normal. "So
did you guys have fun today?" I asked Garrett and
Havock.
     
    Garrett nodded. "Yeah. Dad
and I went hiking. It was great. Saw some moose and
everything."
     
    Garrett smiled, but Rick
glared at Havock. It was obvious he was upset Havock didn't come
along.
     
    "How about you, Lone
Ranger, what'd you do?" I asked Havock as I put the new napkin the
waiter brought in my lap.
     
    Out of the corner of my eye
I saw Garrett do the same, but he only brought one hand back up. I
wondered about that for a second before I felt it on my
thigh.
     
    That warm tingling feeling
filled me with his hand there. Garrett made me feel cared for and
safe.
     
    "Oh you know, a few
drugs....slept..." He smiled at his dad.
     
    "Do you have to be so rude
all the time?!" Garrett snapped.
     
    Havock laughed. "Tell me,
Garrett, is it exhausting living to please everyone or do you
actually enjoy it?"
     
    Rick slammed his fist on
the table. "Enough!"
     
    Johanna put her head in her
hands. "Just one dinner. Just one could we please, "she looked up
at her boys, "eat without a fight?"
     
    Havock kept a cocky grin on
his face but never agreed our disagreed. Garrett nodded.
     
    Havock pulled out his cell
but dropped it. He knelt down to get it and when he came back up,
he raised a brow at me.
     
    He stared at me with
intense, fiery eyes for a few seconds then started texting on his
phone. Garrett noticed and started talking to me to distract me
from Havock.
     
    "You haven't looked at the
menu yet. Have any idea about what you want?" He opened my menu in
front of me.
     
    "They have the best pasta,"
Johanna said as she scanned her menu.
     
    "Pasta isn't a good choice
for a diabetic," Havock said never looking up from his
phone.
     
    "How do you know?" Garrett
asked.
     
    Havock's lips curled. "I've
done my research." Havock put his phone back in his pocket when the
waitress came over.
     
    "Ready or would you like
more time?"
     
    "My brother," Havock said
as he pointed at Garrett, "can't read. He has to look at the
pictures."
     
    "Aww it's okay, I'll give
you more time." The waitress looked sympathetically at Garrett then
walked away.
     
    Havock laughed when
everyone glared at him. "What? It was funny. She fell for it!"
Garrett nor his parents were amused.
     
    I sighed and shook my head
then looked at the menu. I felt a prickle on the back of my neck. I
looked around and saw a dark figure staring at me from the shadows.
I stiffened, my eyes locked on the shadow. Then suddenly it
disappeared.
     
    "Reese?" Garrett said
worriedly. "You