Page 10 of Siren’s Mark (The Siren’s Mark Duology #1)

AVA

My phone buzzes on the kitchen counter. I open it to see two missed calls from Jen and three missed text messages.

Zane

Hey love. What you up to?

Headed to Pike’s later with Kieran. Will I see you there?

Jen

Grrl answer ur phoonnnee

Ugh. I’m so tired and all this hanging out with Zane and going to the bar with Jen has me even more worn out than usual. The only downside about pretending to be a normal twenty-something is that my body is not in on the secret and insists on reacting like an arthritic 70-year-old instead.

My phone rings again. This time I answer.

“Finally!” Jen’s voice says on the other end of the line.

“Yes, Jen. And I’ve missed you too!”

“So what is up with you and that Zane guy?” she asks. Jen never asks a question like that if she doesn’t already have an opinion to share.

What is up with us? We’ve been going to movies together, grabbing coffee, chatting on the phone.

One time he joined me at the laundromat while I waited for my clothes to dry.

We’ve been texting and calling each other a lot.

We’ve kissed, but only twice, and each time I was the one who had to make the first move.

Is this just a friendship where early on I tried to kiss him two times and he was too polite to turn me away?

But then he keeps making all these suggestive comments and seems to be flirtatious.

“Hello?” Jen’s voice echoes. “Earth to Ava?”

“Yeah um… sorry. I don’t know, Jen, I guess we’re friends?”

“But you guys make out, right?” she asks.

“Well,” I say. “I kind of initiated it both times.”

“Okay so you two are basically free agents, right?” she asks.

No… I mean… are we? I mean… I guess?

“He has insinuated that he’s not the player type,” I say, my voice sounding more unsure than I intended. “So I think he’s just dating me. But I don’t know, Jen, that’s not a conversation we’ve had yet.”

“Hmm,” she says in her judgey, something-is-definitely-up-but-I-don’t-want-to-say-what kind of voice.

“What’s the ‘hmm’ for?”

“Shayna was just telling me that the other night at the bar, Zane and Kieran were competing over a girl.”

My heart drops. I can’t think of any words to respond with.

“I mean, that’s okay, right?” she asks. “Since you’re not officially together?”

I can’t find the words to respond. Is he just one of those guys who tries to pick up a new girl at the bar every night?

“Yeah, totally…” I mumble. Despite my attempts to sound unaffected, my voice comes out shaky and dejected.

“I’m sorry honey,” she says. “I really didn’t mean to upset you, I just thought you should know. It seemed like you guys might be heading in the direction of something more serious. I’m sorry, should I not have told you? I thought it was the right thing but now I feel bad.”

“No, no… Thank you for telling me. I mean, it’s not like we’re exclusive or anything. We hardly even kiss so I mean… I guess I thought there was something there but… it doesn’t matter.”

I feel tears welling up in my eyes.

“Aww honey,” she says. “Are you crying?”

“No, I’m fine,” I say, my wavering voice betraying me.

“You know what, he’s a total idiot. I think I was right about him being gay anyway. You’re gorgeous and wonderful and anyone who doesn’t see that is a giant idiot. If you were a lesbian and I didn’t see you as my sister, I would date you so fast!”

I laugh. “Thanks,” I say, “I guess.”

“You’re damn right, ‘thanks,’” she says. “I’m quite a catch!”

“Would you be up for hanging out tonight?”

She takes a breath and pauses. “I told Shayna I was going to visit her while she’s working tonight. I was gonna ask if you wanted to come out with me but… I don’t want to put you in an awkward position if we end up running into Zane and Kieran.”

“Yeah, Zane actually asked me to come by, so I know they’ll be there tonight.”

I feel sick thinking that he just hits on whatever girls are in that bar. Zane and Kieran are just players and I should have known better. Guys that good-looking are always massive tools.

“Oh my god, I have the best idea,” she says. I know her well enough to know that this tone of voice is always the precursor to a truly evil plan.

“What idea?”

“We know Zane is gonna be at Pike’s. Why don’t you show up looking out-of-this-world hot, and then totally ignore him all night and make him jealous?”

My brain knows instantly that this is a bad plan. A very bad plan. This is childish, incredibly immature, and a ridiculously passive-aggressive way to handle a problem. My petty heart, however, is cackling with delight.

Let’s make the bastard squirm.

Jen pulls up to the bar and I’m suddenly filled with a mixture of nausea and regret. Jen talked me into tight leather pants and a loose, somewhat-sheer white v-neck tee that shows a fair amount of cleavage.

She assured me that as a ‘connoisseur of women,’ she determined this was the hottest possible outfit. I was debating wearing a tight dress, but she insisted this was more me. And she’s right, but now I’m worried that this outfit isn’t attention-grabbing enough.

“Get out of the car, you super fox, you!” she shouts.

I oblige, if only to avoid her loudly calling me a super fox in the parking lot again. I haven’t responded to Zane’s texts all day, so he doesn’t know I’ll be here. I’m suddenly feeling embarrassed. This is crazy immature of me.

I follow Jen in through the front door and immediately spot Kieran and Zane sitting in the corner with two beautiful women.

What is this, a meeting of the way-too-attractive people’s club?

I’m hit with a pang of jealousy that quickly kicks my vindictiveness into high gear.

Fine. He doesn’t want me? Good. I don’t want him either.

Jen and I approach the bar as Shayna pours a couple of beers from the tap. I can sense Zane’s gaze in my peripheral vision, but I avoid looking his way.

“Hey there!” Jen says to Shayna.

“Hey, sexy mama!” Shayna says back with a sly wink.

Oh my god, you two, get a room already—can’t you see I’m having an awkward moment over here?

Shayna takes our orders and returns with our drinks. Jen and I make small talk for a bit, but it’s not long before I feel a presence behind me. Zane must’ve come over from their table. Maybe he was interested after all?

“Hey,” the voice says. I turn to see a tall, thirty-something man with dirty blond hair, a five-o-clock shadow, and a cocky grin. He must have just gotten off work at some sort of corporate job because he’s wearing a suit with the tie loosened.

“I love the hair,” he says.

I catch Jen’s grin out of the corner of my eye. She seems pleased with how her plan is working so far.

“Thanks,” I say, taking a sip of my drink as Shayna hands it to me. I forgot how much getting hit on is the worst. This is why I don’t go to bars. Now I remember.

He seems slightly tipsy already and his smile is devilish.

“Those pants are awfully tight,” he says.

Eww . This guy is already giving me the creeps. Before I have a chance to respond, he leans in closer.

“I bet it feels real good to take them off,” he says in a low, heavy voice.

“Hey mate, piss off,” a British voice says behind me. Part of me is still hurt by Zane’s hitting on other women, but another part of me is so glad he’s here right now.

“Oh, shit,” the guy says. “Is she your girlfriend?”

Of course he’s asking Zane rather than asking me directly. What a charmer.

“No!” he says, in an almost aggressive way. Ouch . Thanks for that.

“Then mind your business, mate ,” the guy says, mimicking Zane’s British accent and poking him in the chest with his index finger.

This guy seems like he has a death wish. I can see every muscle and vein in Zane’s neck and arms practically ready to burst. His skin has turned five shades redder and his eyes are narrow and vivid green.

“You fucking serious, you prick?” Zane says, knocking the guy back with a shove to his shoulders.

I step in between them to calm things down, my hands raised.

“Hey, hey,” I say. “To your corners, okay? Don’t fight, it’s fine. Just calm down.”

The guy walks away in a huff to join a group of guys in the pool room that seem to be his friends.

I take a hefty swig of my drink and finish it off. As if she’s reading my mind, Shayna brings some shots over for each of us. I quickly down one of those too.

Zane is clenching his jaw hard, his hands balled into fists. He grabs his shot and Jen’s and downs them in quick succession.

“What the hell, Zane?” I ask.

“What the hell? Seriously? You ignored my texts, didn’t even tell me you were coming tonight, and then I try to save you from this creep and it’s ‘What the hell?’ to me ?”

“First off,” I say. “I don’t need to tell you I’m coming to a bar with my friend. Secondly, I didn’t ask to be saved from anybody.”

Did I want to be saved? Yes. But that is not the point right now, and he doesn’t have to know that part.

“Oh, did I interrupt your night then, Ava? Did you want to go fuck him?”

Kieran is now standing behind Zane, wide-eyed and clearly not expecting to have stumbled upon this particular conversation.

“And what if I did?” I snap.

I don’t—because, eww —but he doesn’t have to know that.

“Wow, okay,” he says, combing a hand through his hair. “Then excuse me for intruding.”

“Speak for yourself! You and Kieran seem to have dates for the evening.”

“You’re right. I don’t know why I’m here trying to save your sorry arse when I could be fucking one of them. You’re not worth my bloody time.”

His expression is cold and his eyes are glowing green. I feel the urge to cry, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of knowing his insult had its intended effect.

“Don’t talk to her like that, you snobby British dick!” Jen spits.

This is getting way out of hand and I feel all the eyes in the room on us. Kieran is trying to deescalate the situation, talking in hushed tones to Zane. The tension dies down for a moment and the bar patrons seem to return to their conversations.

“So if I’m not worth your time, Zane, then why do you keep calling me? Why do you keep talking to me? Why are you getting jealous?” I ask. I struggle to keep my voice from sounding teary.

“You seriously think I’m jealous ?!” he asks, like it’s a ridiculous thought.

“If you’re not jealous, then what was that?” I ask.

“I felt sorry for you,” he says, with no expression in his face.

I hate him. I wish he had said anything but that. That’s why he let me kiss him but he didn’t try to kiss me. That’s why after I told him about being sick he didn’t make a move. He felt sorry for me. I was sick, I was broken, and that was all he saw in me.

I can feel tears about to spill from my eyes, and I feel the overwhelming urge to do something stupid.

Fuck it. It’s either this or cry in front of this entire room of people.

I make a beeline for the back room with the pool tables. The blond guy from earlier catches my eye as I approach. I walk up, grab his tie, and pull him in for a kiss. He’s shocked but more than happy to join in.

I feel his hands instantly roaming around my ass and taste vodka on his lips.

His kiss is aggressive and sloppy, but missing the fire behind Zane’s.

The man’s friends make cheering noises behind us.

He grabs a firm handful of my ass, and I feel simultaneously disgusted and pleased with myself at the thought of the visual Zane is getting right now.

Suddenly, I feel myself being pulled off of him in a flurry of motion. In an instant, Zane is on top of the guy, his fist connecting with his face. Kieran and one of their lady friends are pulling Zane back and Jen is tugging me away.

“Time to go, time to go, time to go,” Jen repeats frantically, guiding me further toward the door.

I watch a wooden stool go flying across the bar. It hits the wall at lightning speed and splinters like it had gone through a wood chipper.

Did that come from them? Could someone have possibly thrown a stool that hard?

I suddenly feel woozy. The combination of the alcohol, stress, and one of my more potent dizzy spells hits me and I know in an instant that I am going down fast.

I watch as the edge of the doorframe speeds closer and closer toward my face. I see Jen’s blurry face. And blood.