Bloodlust by Alex Duval

Author:Alex Duval [Duval, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: 2011-03-22T03:22:47+00:00

An hour and two bottles of Evian later, he was jogging along the top of the bluffs overlooking the ocean. He was so tired that each step felt like swimming through quicksand, but he didn’t allow himself to stop. He needed to sweat out the alcohol. How much had he drunk last night? Too much, that’s all he knew for sure.

His legs felt like they were made of rubber. Really heavy rubber. But he pushed himself to go faster, to outrun the disturbing, insistent images of Sienna. And yet they kept pace with him. He saw her walking away with every step, saw her face with every breath. Miles and miles later, Jason allowed himself to slow down, to rest.

Jason climbed down a pathway from the bluff to the beach. He pulled off his sneakers and walked into the surf up to his calves, letting the cold water of the Pacific ease the strain on his muscles. Running usually invigorated him, but he still couldn’t shake his exhaustion from the night before. Slowly, he walked toward home, ignoring the cries of the seagulls and the laughter of beachgoers drifting over the dunes. The sun hung low in the sky now, making his shadow stretch out a long way to his left.

As he neared the stretch of beach near Brad’s house, Jason spotted the last thing he wanted to see: a group of people from school. More specifically, a group of girls from DeVere Heights, spread out on blankets and beach towels. He’d bet Sienna was one of them. And maybe Erin. Jason slowed down, squinting into the sun to get a better look at who was there. Did he want to see Sienna? Or Erin, for that matter? It would be awkward with either one of them.

He hesitated, wondering if he should climb back up the bluff so he wouldn’t have to walk right by them. But then it occurred to him that if he could see them, they could see him. And he didn’t want them to see him scurry off like a puppy with his tail between his legs.

So Jason kept walking. His heart began to pound when he got close enough to actually pick Sienna out of the crowd. She and the others had begun packing up picnic stuff, a volleyball net, and some surfboards. They were clearly leaving. Maybe she’d just go….

But, no, she came heading right toward him. Obviously the potential for awkwardness didn’t bother her. Maybe she wanted to yell at him.

Jason sucked in a deep breath and walked over to meet her. “Hi,” he said.

“Hi.” Her voice was flat and emotionless, giving him nothing. Well, he deserved that.

He glanced at the boards. “I didn’t know you surfed,” he said.

“You don’t really know that much about me at all,” Sienna countered.

“True,” Jason acknowledged. He wanted to reach out and touch her, just to break through the barrier he could feel between them. But he knew that would be a bad idea.

“Sienna, come on. We’re heading up,” Belle called.

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