Zola Flash (The Zola Flash Series Book 1) Read online

  Moving over to Pin, I find a seat in his lap. I lower my head to his shoulder and wrap my arms around his neck. Being so close to him brings instant relief, and the disturbing memories begin melting away.

  “You were screaming,” Pin says, breaking the silence between us.

  “It was dreadful. I reacted like a child.”

  “You are a child.” He sighs. “Which brings me to something we need to talk about.”

  “What?”

  Pin runs his fingers through my tangled hair. He does not smile, nor look at me. I twist in his lap to face him. Wanting to erase the pain in his eyes, I pull the tie from his hair, letting the strands hangs free, and begin to kiss his neck. The skin there is warm, and his pulse quickens beneath my lips. For a few short, sweet seconds he seems to enjoy our contact, but as though a spell is broken, he suddenly shoves me to the floor.

  Hurt and confusion run rampant within me as I glance up at him. What did I do wrong? I climb to my feet and head into the kitchen, taking the serum with me.

  Seconds later, Pin enters. He must see the confusion in me—must. “Are you okay?” he asks.

  I arch my eyebrows at him. Why does he even have to ask? If okay is what he sees, he needs his eyes seriously checked.

  “I know you probably don’t want to talk to me right now,” he says.

  He’s right. I don’t.

  “But we have to eventually talk, so say something.”

  His face shows little emotion when I finally lift my gaze. He’s like a rock. “I’m fine, just a little confused. Last night . . . your actions made me think you wanted me . . .”

  “I need to talk to you about last night.” Pin pauses—for too long, and my palms become sweaty and clammy. My heart races as I think through what he will possibly say. We shared a kissed last night. A passionate kiss. Does he want to talk about that? Does he feel weak around me too?

  “It was a mistake,” he finally continues. “I never meant to implant in your head that I wanted you. You were upset and hurting, so I comforted you.”

  Pin avoids my eyes as he says this. He said the kiss was a mistake, that last night was a mistake. How could a kiss like that be a mistake—did he not feel the love it held, as I did?

  “You’re lying! That was not a kiss of comfort. You were into it. I could tell.”

  “Apparently, you cannot tell!” He clenches his fists at his sides. “I feel nothing for you! At least not like that. You’re a child. I am your Guardian, Zola. I have a job I must do. And I’m sorry, but it doesn’t include cuddling up next to you.”

  Tears well up in my eyes. I don’t know what to do, or say. All I know is that I feel my heart breaking, and it is the worst feeling in the universe. Sucking in my bottom lip, I hold back the tears. Instead of showing how much his words have affected me, I throw my cup of pea-ku at his head.

  He dodges the cup, and it hits the wall, where it shatters into fractures that fall to the floor.

  I bolt from the kitchen and run to my room, lock myself away from the vindictive Payohlini that attacked rather than protected my heart. Anyone who can pretend as well as he did last night has to be from a cold, dark place. Lucky me, I’m stuck with the one person whose actually from a frozen, obscured planet.

  I curl up into a ball on the floor. I have never cared before what people think of me. Why is Pin’s opinion different? I could care for him if he let me. Yet, he rejects me.

  Drying my eyes, I check the time, and my eyes widen. I am going to be late for my second day of school. I pull my hair into pigtails and dart past where Pin cleans pea-ku off the kitchen wall before he can see me.

  As soon as I open the door, Trevor pulls me into a hug.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I HAD COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN I told Trevor I would give him a chance. I pull back and smile at him. He wraps his arms around my waist and gives me a quick good morning kiss, but I break the kiss. His lips are not Pin’s. Besides, I should not do anything that would make Trevor feel as if I actually care. At least in that way. I cannot fill his head with nonsense when my heart is tearing. There doesn’t need to be two of us with pieces in our hands.

  Trevor steps back and seems to examine me. “Something wrong?”

  “It’s nothing. I didn’t sleep well last night.” It isn’t a complete lie.

  “Well, maybe we can take the day off, go back to my place, and you can relax,” he suggests.

  I nod. A day of relaxation sounds pretty good. It’s been forever since I even heard the word. Relaxation. My planet hasn’t had that in quite some time.

  Trevor wraps his arms around my waist and leads me to the passenger door of a different car to the one he drove yesterday. He watches as I slide into the seat before jogging to the driver’s side. He puts his key in the ignition and swerves away from the curb.

  On the way to Trevor’s house, he stops at a shopping mall in this city. The building is huge. On Victian, probably hundreds of homes could be built on such a site. The exterior is mostly glass, and the sun reflecting off it reminds me of the Ladic Shore, which sparkles like this all the time. The view takes my breath away.

  When Trevor and I enter, I immediately want to back up and leave. There are people everywhere, and I really don’t want to repeat my first day of school. I swear I still have footprints on my back. Trevor pulls me along. So many garments line the pathway. Yeah, this place could seriously home a few of my people. Are all malls like this? If only Cleo could see it . . . She would love this.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a black lace garment, with shiny back rhinestones that resemble the shells of glumunks around the neck. I lurch over to it and check out the price. Why am I even looking? No earth currency. No currency, period. I will never be able to get it.

  Trevor comes over and hauls me away. We go into a store called Smitty. As soon as the employees notice Trevor, they rush to his side, shoving me out of the way.

  “How can we help you, Mr. Smith?” one of the guys asks Trevor, as I step aside.

  Trevor pushes the people aside and catches up with me. “First of all, I don’t appreciate your treatment of my girlfriend. She expects an apology. Second, I need you to dress her. She needs clothes to relax in.”

  Girlfriend? Where did that come from? If I recall, I said friends.

  “Yes, Mr. Smith, and we’re all sorry, Miss . . . ?”

  “Zola. Call me Zola,” I reply in reserved voice.

  “Well, go! Don’t keep us waiting!” Trevor snaps.

  As everyone quickly scrambles to follow Trevor’s orders, he pulls a chair from behind the checkout counter and sits down. Trevor pulls me across his lap and begins nibbling on my ear. I laugh out when he begins kissing me down my neck. His lips move to mine, and his warm breath smells of butter and bacon, but I pull back. This is far from what I want. Just a couple of days ago, I had my first kiss. Now Trevor has decided to put an earthly claim on me?

  When a sales clerk returns, carrying different items, Trevor rises and guides me toward her. “Zola, this is Anastasia. She will be dressing you, today.”

  “Can I have a minute alone with Trevor, please?” I ask everyone, but the attendants wait for permission from ‘Mr. Smith’.

  He nods in approval, and once everyone has left, I eye Trevor. He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses the tip of my nose, and I step away. Man, he is grabby.

  “Trevor, this very generous of you, but I can’t accept,”

  “Why?”

  “I can’t afford this. I don’t have any means of paying for it. And I will feel like I am taking advantage of you, if I allow you to buy all of this for me.”

  Trevor just laughs, and as if it’s some sort of cue, Anastasia comes from around the corner and draws me away. Trevor flops back down in the chair, his gaze tracking me as I vanish from his sight.

  When I turn, Anastasia has an unpleasant expression spread across her face. Yeah, I’m definitely going to avoid making her angry. She pulls me in a room and flips on the ligh
ts. Within minutes, my personal space is invaded by people handing me clothes, rushing to offer me different suggestions. I can hardly breathe. Not that I need oxygen, anyway.

  I try on everything, just to humor him. When I’m able to breathe again, Anastasia brings a gorgeous dress before me, and all I can do is stare.

  The dress reminds me of the one my mother wore to the Victian Solar-Luna Ball. The Ball is—or was—one of the most popular events on my home planet, open to the entire planet, where everyone gets—or got—to have as much fun as they want. My mother always wore beautiful outfits that everyone admired. I guess I know now that it’s because she was queen.

  Anastasia hands me the dress. There is black lace around the neck and hem. Once I’ve pulled it on, I realize how short the skirt is—it shows more skin than the ones worn by my mother, certainly more skin than I am comfortable with.

  Tears spills, and I bow my head, giving in to sadness as it spills into my soul from my heavy heart. Mom. I miss you. Sorrowfully, I walk out to Trevor.

  Trevor’s eyes widen as soon as he turns to me, and he seems oblivious to my shed tears. I think he actually stop breathing, but what male, in their right mind, wouldn’t stop breathing if they saw any girl in this dress?

  Pin. He wouldn’t care what I put on. I can always expect rejection after rejection from that damn Payohlini.

  I take a deep breath. Today is not about Pin. Pin could be chased by an army of mog-sloggers about to throw him in Tiheme—a boiling lake on Frizzlea—and the day still would not be about him. No, today is about me. Relaxation. I wipe away the final tear.

  “You look hot,” Trevor says, interrupting my thoughts.

  “Thanks.” I pause, thinking of what my mother would say. “My mother had a similar dress like this.”

  “If your mother looks anything like you, you have one hot mama.”

  I glance away. I can’t talk about my parents. It’s my fault my family are dead.

  “Look, it is nearly noon,” Trevor says. “So, if you need a rest, change, and we’ll go.”

  It doesn’t take long for me to return to the outer shop, and once the new clothes the assistants picked out for me have been bagged up, Trevor takes them from me and carries them to the car. Once he’s popped them in the trunk, he slides into the car while I stand there watching.

  If only his intentions aren’t to make me his . . .

  He finally looks at me, as I climb in beside him, and runs his hands through his blond hair, and I suddenly know what I should have done.

  When my mother wanted to thank someone in a proper manner, she would kiss their palm. I take one of his hands and do exactly that.

  Smiling, Trevor removes his hand from mine, and drives off.

  We arrive shortly at a white mansion, which is almost as big as the shopping mall. Three fountains stand proud out front, and trees surround the entire house.

  After retrieving my bags from the trunk, we head inside the house, where I pause to stare. The ceiling has angels painted on it, and a maroon carpet covers the staircase. I have never seen a house so beautiful— it’s astonishing. Almost as astonishing as the palace—my palace I guess—back home.

  “You like it?” Trevor asks.

  Turning to him, I nod. “Your house is beautiful.”

  “This old house? My other three look better.”

  “So . . . where do I change?”

  Trevor takes the bags from my hand and guides me up the grand staircase. We enter a blue room that has a huge chandelier. My eyes move toward the bed, which looks to be as pale as the white ground of Victian during the cold season, and I walk towards it, flop down backwards. The bed feels like air against my back, soft and warm, unlike the bed I sleep on now, which is warm but not as soft as this.

  Trevor comes over to me and set the bags down before climbing onto the bed beside me. He place his weight across me so I can’t move.

  Feeling immediately trapped, I shove against him. “Trevor, I am supposed to be changing.”

  “Sorry.” He rolls away and stands before pointing to across the room. “The bathroom is through that door.”

  I pick up the bag with the swimsuit Trevor chose and head into the bathroom, where I look around. Everything is made of silver or gold. I sit on the edge of the bathtub, thinking about Trevor and me, and sigh. He really likes me, and I don’t want to shatter his heart like some brutish guardian.

  As I take the suit out of the bag, my emotions go crazy. The suit scares me. It is no more than two little pieces, with white and black dots. I have never shown so much skin before.

  Steadying my nerves, I slip on the suit on and leave the bathroom. I wrap my arms around my chest as Trevor scans my body. He probably sees me shaking. Why can’t that be all he sees?

  Trevor crosses to me and wraps an arm around my waist. His other hand pulls my arm apart, and I can tell by the way he study’s me that he’s about to pounce again. I break away just as his head moves to my neck.

  Behind me, I can hear him sigh angrily as I rush to the door, but as I glance back at Trevor, he has no emotions. He’s lifeless like a statue, but even a statue has something carved on its stony face.

  Maybe I should tell Trevor the truth about everything. He would understand, wouldn’t he? I mean doesn’t he have the right to know who he is befriending?

  “Trevor, I need to talk to you about something important,” before I can change my mind—though I’m unsure how he will take this.

  “Okay.”

  “You know I am not from around here, yes?”

  “I could tell that by your hair and accent.”

  Accent? I have an accent?

  Swallowing, I meet his eyes. “Would you still like me if I’m royalty and a fox?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “WHAT KIND OF QUESTION is that?” Trevor asks, pausing a moment as if waiting for a response, before continuing, “You’re in New York. Guys here love for their girls to be wild animals.”

  I nod, even though he misunderstood my question.

  “Come on. Let’s take a swim.”

  Trevor walks ahead of me, and I follow. We enter a room with a large body of water in the center. I suppose it could be a lake or beach. The ones back home aren’t quite as industrial. There’s no purple sand to be eroded here, just hard flooring.

  Trevor removes his shirt and shorts, revealing Caribbean blue, nylon boxers he wears beneath. He dives in the water, making a large splash that only a water-chemp makes on my planet.

  Spinning in the water, Trevor waves for me to join him, but I reject his invitation, and Trevor grins at me. Wondering what’s so funny, I smile back, until he splashes me with water. I jump back, gasping. All Trevor does is laugh in my face, so I decide to dive into the water myself. If he wants something to laugh about, I will give him something.

  I swim close to Trevor, and he tracks me with his eyes while I circle around his body. Now I have his attention, I let my body sink to the bottom of the pool.

  The concrete that meets my feet is colder than the actual water, and I glance up toward where I can Trevor—he seems to be searching for me.

  His face plunges beneath the surface, and as his gaze lands on me, he laughs and withdraws.

  I frown. He shouldn’t be laughing. He is supposed to be panicking.

  “Zola, I know you’re trying to get back at me for splashing you …” Though the water distorts his voice, I still catch his words. “… but it’s not going to work.”

  I stay where I am. Sooner or later he’ll cave.

  Just as I expected, Trevor’s face reappears and this time, his eyes hold panic. “Zola?” He waits a second. “This is not funny, Zola!”

  Bored of the game, I swim to the surface and exit the pool, heading across to one of the side chairs to sit in. Within seconds, Trevor has followed me. He sinks onto the seat I aimed for and pulls me down between his thighs, his lips instantly brushing my head, as he runs his hand through my wet hair.

  I half wish I cou
ld return the same love Trevor gives me. However, I’m not sure his actions are love. They seem more like lust, desire maybe. No matter, I cannot and I don’t know why.

  Footsteps approach, and Trevor sits up, as a dozen, or so, guys enter, each wearing a red and white shirt emblazoned with ‘Knights’ and a number different to the others’.

  A couple of the guys smile at me, and my body goes bright green at the humiliation. Uhh . . . now more men have seen my exposed body. The guys’ eyes widen, probably in response to my green body, and take a couple of steps away. “Dude, you’re girl is green! Why is she green?!” asks one of the Knights

  I grab a long, fuzzy, blue towel and wrap it around me. Trevor eyes me just as the green tint starts to fade, but before he has a time to respond, I say, “Um . . . my skin was green because of all the chlorine in the water. Chlorine and I don’t mix.”

  “Sure—”

  “I’m fine now.”

  Trevor pushes to his feet. “What are you guys doin’ here?” he asks the Knights.

  “Aren’t you goin’ to introduce us to this very beautiful specimen,” another player asks.

  Wrapping his arms around me, Trevor moves me from the chair very gently. “Zola,” Trevor says, “this is the school’s football team. Team, Zola Flash.”

  A tall boy, probably six feet tall with blue eyes and light brown hair, steps forward. “I’m Jacob, the assistant football captain.”

  “Nice to meet you.” I have to look up at him.

  “Sorry to interrupt your date, but Trevor has football practice. We need to steal him away for a couple of hours.”

  “Sure. I better head home. Pin’s probably wondering about me.”

  I start to walk away when a pair of hands land on my shoulders. Trevor spins me around and catches me in his arms. I give him a very quick goodbye peck on the cheek and run back to the bedroom, where I quickly throw on the matching shorts to the swimsuit. After gathering my new things, I head down stairs.

  All of the Knights are waiting at the foot to the staircase when I descend. Jacob grabs my bags and Trevor my waist.

  Outside is a big black vehicle. An SUV, I believe.