You Don't Know Me: A Stand-Alone New Adult Romance by Faleena Hopkins Page A

them trailing victoriously behind us. The woman shoots us a bloodcurdling look, and hurls a few choice curse words we have to dive under to get in the cab. There’s a collective groan from the line, too.
    Sticking my whole body out the window, I throw a heartfelt apology to the lady and the crowd, “Sorry! We didn’t bring jackets.” Some guy takes my picture. “Shit,” I mutter, sinking back inside. The cab driver tosses our bags with a vengeance into the trunk, slamming it shut.
    “Did you see that?” Jenna asks, pointing out the back window. I look over to the angry people who are dressed warmer than we are.
    “What?”
    “Another guy taking our picture.”
    I turn around, annoyed. “Yeah, I saw him. Hey, look at this.” We both raise our eyebrows at the T.V. screen anchored in the backseat. As soon as we pull away from the curb, it turns on. Commercials of New York City with Tina Fey doing the voice-over, flash before us. It’s surreal being here, and this just added to that wondrous feeling. “It’s so strange that you can be on one side of the country, and then not even six hours later, you’re all the way on the other end.”
    We caught the Delta Airlines 9:30 a.m. flight and arrived ahead of schedule at 5:32 p.m. with the time difference. The sun’s going down here, but back home that’d be hours away.
    “Yeah. But look at this!” Jenna scoffs, “I thought Brooklyn was supposed to be cool?” She motions to the graffiti-covered buildings passing by our window so fast you think we were being chased by cops.
    “It’s probably just the area by the airport that looks like this. Airports are always far away from where people want to live. Too much noise. Remember Bobby, the guy who went on tour with Lady Gaga? He’s from Brooklyn. Williamsburg, I think…was that it? Yeah, I think that was what he called it. He said it’s a lot like Silverlake.”
    “Ooo! I’m getting excited, Ruefus!” Her hand is tapping on her leg even though there’s no music. Our cab driver is doing the same; his bearded chin bobs like there’s a beat in his body, too. I’d ask him to turn on the radio, but then what would happen to the song in their heads?
    “Me too! Very excited,” I whisper, watching the darkening sky loom over a gray blur of industrial buildings and structures that no one should be living in. My mind detours back to Alec yet again. The way his hair fell over his eyes. The way he looked at me like he wanted to tear me apart. The way I reacted to the urgency emanating from him. The way he smelled.
    Why am I tormenting myself? He ran away from me and told me what Sean said about him was true. And then there’s my new brother. Sean doesn’t want it to happen. And if what he warned me is true, then I shouldn’t want it, either.
    But I do want it. I want him.
    The ache in my chest feels like the seeds for obsession, and that would be a first for me. “I think I’ve got it bad, Jenna. It’s not possible to fall in love with someone in one night, is it?”
    Jenna sends a raised eyebrow my way. “The problem with meeting someone famous is you feel like you already know them.”
    Making a little noise, I stare out the window, not sure if she’s got a point. “It felt like more than that. I know it’s crazy, but I think he felt it, too. Never mind. I’m being crazy.”
    My phone rings, and I’m more than happy for the distraction, but pulling it out, I don’t recognize the number. Jenna and I exchange looks; distressed another slandering of my mother’s good name is on the way. “Ugh. I swear, if this is another...” I swipe to answer it. “Hello?”
    “It’s Jack.”
    “Oh! Jack! Hi!” Jenna exhales with me. “What’s up?”
    Authoritative and low, his voice sounds as clear and as scary as if he were sitting right here next to me. “You’re coming over for dinner tonight. Mom wants to meet you.”
    Jenna makes a face, wondering why I look like someone punched my stomach after a heavy