Chapter 1
"Head'sup,NewGirl!"
The warning comes half a second before impact. I've just turned my head in the direction of the voice before the ball nails me in the side of my head.
“Oh shit!”
For a second, the world goes silent, black, waiting for me to gather my senses.
When the world comes back to me, Easton Krowatski is standing over me with a horrified look on his face, which is funny, because I feel pretty horrified too once I blink and realize he’s talking to me. I can see his lips moving, his dark eyes appraising me, and his brows drawn together.
What the fuck.
I reach for my head, which feels like it’s got a thunderstorm going on inside it. It’sthrobbing.
“I’m so sorry!” Krowe says, and finally, sound seems to come back to me. “Are you okay?”
I’m lying flat on my back still, and he’s braced over top of me, his knees on either side of my waist as he checks on me. It feels oddly intimate, especially given that we’re in the center of the campus courtyard.
“I… think so.”
He scrambles off of me when I move to sit up and stands, offering me his hand so that he can help hoist me to my full height. Which, next to him, isn’t much. He proves that once he pulls me with such force I teeter right into him, throwing a hand out on his chest to keep myself from falling on top of him this time.
“Whoa, there. Easy, New Girl. You sure you’re okay?” He cranes his head, and his fingers brush the hair away from my face gently as he searches for the injury. “You’re not bleeding, but hits to the head can be pretty gnarly.”
“Gnarly?”
It’s such a strange word. I can’t help it; I laugh.
Krowe looks at me, shocked. “Are you making fun of me, New Girl?”
“No… yes.” I laugh again, covering my face with my hand to try and hide the embarrassment. I feel oddly disjointed right now,and I can’t tell if it’s because he has me flustered or if it’s a head injury that’s making everything feel weird. “And it’s Gianna, by the way.”
“Gianna.” Krowe grins, flicking his tongue out over his lips.
“Krowe.”
I know who he is.Everyoneknows who he is.
“Gnarly name, Krowe.” I tease.
As soon as the words leave my tongue, I wish I could take them back. God, what the hell is wrong with me? I really must have some sort of brain injury, because normally, I would not be volunteering to continue this conversation. I mean, Krowe is gorgeous, but I’m so shy that I barely know anyone here in Hollow Fields despite being here for months now… hence the reason he called menew girl.
“Yeah?” He chuckles, shoving his dark hair out of his eyes, which glitter green in the weak afternoon sun. “It’s short for my last name. Krotowski.”
I know that. His dad is the sheriff, and it’s a small town. It’s been easy to learn who everyone is; all I do is sit back and watch, and the pieces fall together all on their own. Like Jackson Devoreaux, who throws his arm around Krowe, reeling him in.
“You giving New Girl a hard time over here, Krowe?” He teases, ruffling the top of Krowe’s head and shaking strands of his hair into his eyes again.
Whereas Krowe is dark-haired and somehow maintains an aura of mystery, Jackson is a sandy blonde; he’s exactly like half the guys I knew in California. An open book, with way less brain cells than money. His dad is the mayor, and apparently, he owns the land the entire town sits on.
“She’s giving me a hard time, actually.” Krowe smirks.
Okay, so we’re playing this game. So much for being demure.
“Gianna.” I say, turning to Jackson.
“Gi anna.” He says, enunciating each half of my name on its own, like he’s testing the feel of it. He must like it, because he moans just a little. “Beautiful name for a beautiful girl. How’s your head, G? You took that hit like a champ.”
