Page 6 of Soul Mates: Hercules Valentine and I

I drop my face bashfully. “Thanks.”

“You know, I never played along with that ‘this is Valentine country’ crap.”

My head shoots up. “What do you mean by ‘Valentine country’?”

“The feud,” he says as if I’m supposed to know what the hell he’s talking about.

In a way, I do. Our families had business disagreements in the past. I have no idea what those disputes were, but I wouldn’t have thought corporate issues would find their way to our high school.

“I don’t understand,” I say over the music. The song has changed to an electronic rap number that’s a bit louder than the last.

I’m caught off guard when O’Brien comes even closer. His mouth is next to my ear. “Me neither. But I’ve had a crush on you since I first saw you. You’re sexy, Paisley.”

I’m experiencing sensory overload. “Me?” I’m barely audible, still ruffled by the mention of the Grove-Valentine feud.

He moves his mouth close to my other ear. “Yeah, you.”

I’m staring into his eyes, speechless. I want to ask him more about the feud. It explains a lot about why everyone behaved as if World War III had ended when Hercules spoke to me in class today. It would also explain why it’s been so difficult to make the kind of friends I have back in California.

O’Brien continues to lean into my intimate space. I don’t think a boy has ever gotten this close to me before. The faint rosewood scent of his cologne rages through me like a gust of pure animal instinct. This feeling is strange because he’s not at all my type. I’m not into jocks or guys who appear to have no depth.

“What do you think about that?” he asks.

I’m experiencing sensory overload. “I don’t know,” I exhale.

His lips are on my earlobe. “I think you’re naturally sexy.”

I’m speechless. My body is confused, and so is my mind.Me? Sexy? No way.

“How about I get you a drink? Like a Coke or something?” Finally, he leans back, and I’m staring into his lit eyes and noting his slanted smile.

“I don’t…” I stop myself from telling him that I don’t drink soda either. My parents never allowed me to have it growing up, and therefore, my tastebuds reject the syrupy sweet taste. But I don’t want to come off as a party pooper. So I nod. “Okay, I’ll take a Coke.”

His smile turns broader as he puts his hands on my shoulders. “Don’t move.”

He doesn’t have to worry about that, because I can’t move.

Chapter Five

Looking For PG

Hercules Valentine

Ibob my head to Junga’s “Uprise,” a rousing electronic mix. I’m casually scanning the room, pretending I’m not looking forher. I haven’t spotted Paisley Grove yet. Maybe she’s on the rooftop, catching some air. This isn’t her scene. I’m aware of this not because I know her but because I’ve been watching her. In my family, you hear a lot about the Groves. The grandfather, Charles Gregory Grove, was conniving. My mother thinks he deserves to be dead. I’ve been waiting for Paisley to live up to the bad press, but she hasn’t. As a matter of fact, I can’t figure her out. She’s quiet and resides in her own world, which I think is on a different plane than ours. And if you give people the chance to treat someone like dirt, they’ll jump on it. Either she doesn’t know she’s been treated like dirt, or she doesn’t care. I suspect she’s too smart and mature to care. The software she made for the teachers was a whole new level of brilliant. And then there’s the fact that she’s attractive in a sensual way.

“Who are you looking for?” Greenly’s voice rises above the music.

All eyes are on me. Donovan, Kirk, and a brunette whose name I can’t remember have been holding Greenly’s attention. I thought Paisley would find her way to our group since Greenly was the one who invited her to this lame-ass party and I made sure she got in. I want to talk to her, get to know her for myself.

I shrug. “Just checking out the scene.”

I look away from the group. Paisley’s the only reason I’m with them. I glare at the staircase leading to the rooftop and then focus on Greenly. I heard she’s been spreading rumors that we used to go out. We never did. She’s never appealed to me. There’s no mystery to her. She was my first kiss of the year, though. We were at my buddy Scott’s New Year’s Eve party. The countdown ended, and Greenly jumped on me, wrapped her legs around my torso, and shoved her tongue in my mouth. I didn’t like it. Her overeager lips were too tense, and I pulled away from her, set her back down on her feet, and got the hell away from her.

Donovan lifts his chin, pointing it at something behind me. “If you’re looking for Paisley Grove, she’s leaving with O’Brien.”

What?I jerk my head around, following his gaze. I would have continued feigning indifference if she was with anyone but O’Brien. The guy’s bad news, especially at parties like this.

“Let’s go dance, Hercules,” Greenly says, her fingers wrapping around my wrist.