Slow Burn Part 50

"Wow, Dean Youngblood," Detective Pacheco gushes, holding up the Styrofoam football Dean just autographed for him. I want to laugh at how carefully he places it in a desk drawer. "This is gonna be worth something some day."

Yeah? Probably not as much as Dean Youngblood's s.e.x video. Ugh.

Despite their fanboy behavior, they seem like good cops. They're very thorough and detailed, which is both mortifying and rea.s.suring. Everyone's very sympathetic, but I freak out when Dean reveals that Kara showed the video to Dalton Paley, and some guy named Eli-another one of her screw buddies.

"Did she just show it to them, or do they have copies?" I ask, dreading the answer.

"If they do have copies, they won't be showing it to anyone else," Detective Daniel says firmly. He pats my hand. "We have their names, and we'll make sure the video doesn't get out. It ends here."

I smile weakly in return. But I watch the news-I've read about cases where videos and pictures are leaked online, and go viral. And the victims...their lives are completely ruined. I don't know if I can handle that, but I guess if it's going to happen, then there's nothing I can do to stop it. Whatever happens, Kara and her cohorts have committed crimes, and they deserve to be punished accordingly.

My dad has to show up when we're talking about the s.e.x video, of course. He brings Mich.e.l.le with him, whom I'm both shocked and pleased to see. Mich.e.l.le hugs both me and Mom, then proceeds to check out Dean. Dad is also staring at Dean, but in a completely differently way. My good-natured laid back father looks like he wants to tear my boyfriend in half.

"Why did you call him?" I mutter to Mom as Dad starts interrogating Dean like he's a suspect. Detective Pacheco is trying to intervene, speaking in calm tones to Dad.

"He's your father," Mom replies with a shrug. "He has a right to know."

I stare after her as she walks over to Dad. He whips around to look at her, his eyes bugging out. She gestures toward the door, and with one last glare at Dean, he follows her out. It's the first time I've seen them together in years. It's kind of cool that they're not fighting, even if they are discussing ways to keep me locked up until I go away for college.

"So, that's Dean," Mich.e.l.le mutters in my ear, startling me.

I follow her gaze to him. He's talking with the detectives, tall and in control, and mature beyond his years. Dad's hostility doesn't seem to faze him, and I'm proud of how respectful he is to both my parents. He sees me looking at him, and his impa.s.sive expression transforms into something warm and intimate.

"Daaaaamn," Mich.e.l.le sings in my ear. "Does he have an older brother?"

"Well, he has a stepbrother, but I dated him, too," I point out wryly.

"Kinky, yet intriguing," she muses, sounding like her old self.

I shake my head at her. Now I know where I inherited my pervert gene!

My parents come back in the room, and Dad is much more calm, thank goodness. I don't think he's made the connection with Dean's last name, but it looks like Mom enlightened him. He's looking at Dean now with a weird combination of wariness and embarra.s.sment. You know, I guess it's a good thing that Dean's father is a no-show. I can just imagine the bloodshed that would occur. I wonder if they know each other, and if Mr. Youngblood still holds a grudge. If so, I hope Dean loves me enough to hold his father back. My dad's a lover, not a fighter.

Ugh, forget I said that. A disgusting mental image of him and Cherise just popped into my head.

I slump into a chair, suddenly completely exhausted. Dean is immediately there, rubbing my back.

"You okay?" he asks quietly.

"I'm fine, I just want this to be over with." I lean both elbows on the table, and rest my head in my hands. "G.o.d, this is so humiliating."

"Hey," he says, and tilts my face up to his. "Whatever happens, we'll deal with it. I won't let you get hurt again."

I manage a feeble smile. "What, are you gonna beat up everyone who gives me a hard time?"

"I have no problem with that," Dean replies, completely serious.

That gets a laugh out of me. "And what if it's a girl?"

"Then I'm sure you'll be able to handle yourself, slugger."

A snort escapes me. Dad hears me, and glares at Dean like-I don't know-like he's whipped it out, and is chasing me around the table with it. That image makes me bury my face in my arms, my shoulders heaving. It's totally inappropriate. I hope everyone thinks I'm sobbing. Dean gives me a few half-hearted pats to maintain the illusion, though I know he can hear my gasping giggles. I'm sure he doesn't know what to make of it.

Dean finally gets a hold of his dad, who agrees to come down to the station-but it will take a while because he's bringing his lawyer with him. Why does he need a lawyer? I ask Dean, but he only answers with a half-hearted shrug. I want to stay and wait with him, but my parents want to leave, and Dean convinces me to go. Both Mom and Dad shake his hand before we leave, astonishing me. Mich.e.l.le gives him a hug, and I'm pretty sure she copped a feel of his abs.

The adults decide to do lunch, though I've never felt less hungry in my life. Dad picks a Mexican restaurant that we used to go to all the time because Mom loved their red sauce. I push my enchiladas around on my plate, and watch my parents cautiously talk and smile at each other. Mich.e.l.le stays pretty quiet, only responding to questions directed at her. The sparkle in her eye is gone.

Dad and I wait outside the restaurant while Mom and Mich.e.l.le visit the restroom, and it's there that he decides to begin the most awkward conversation in human history. I don't want to repeat it, I just want to strike it from my memory. Mercifully, it's short-and then Dad starts talking about Dean's quarterback stats. He seems to like Dean better than he did Johnny-whom he did not trust at all. He still threatens to kick Dean's a.s.s, "no matter how big he is," if he hurts me.

As soon as I get home, I call Heather, who arrives on my doorstep twenty minutes later with a huge carton of Boppy's Mochalatta Crunch. We check online for any activity, but there's nothing unusual. Heather informs me that she's seen the video of Kara going down on some pizza, and would like her number, please. I'm almost tempted to give it to her.

"Either she made her profile private, or she deleted her account," Heather is saying, busily typing away on her phone. "I'm betting she deleted it, because I know I saw her on Sloane's friend list and now...yeah, she's not on there, anymore. Ha!"

"Hey, who's that guy?" I ask, pointing to Sloane's profile picture. Her arms are wrapped around a very tall, slim, dark-skinned guy.

Heather loses her smile. "That's Slater. They met through her modeling agency. They just started dating."

"Oh. Sorry." I fight to keep my tone neutral, though I can feel my left eyelid twitching madly. "Um...are you okay with that?"

Heather stares daggers at the picture, before waving a hand in the air. "Whatever. She never promised to be exclusive with me. I don't think she knows what she wants."

She wants people to worship her-but I don't say that out loud. Really, I don't like that girl. Especially after Heather told me that Sloane was the one who told Kara about my father and Dean's mother. I knew Dean wouldn't have said anything!

"Huh," I mutter, twisting a piece of string hanging from my shirt. "Are you sure you want to follow her to NYU?"

Heather makes a face at me. "Are you following Dean to LSU?" she counters.

"I haven't decided yet," I say snootily. "And he said he'd go wherever I want."

"He signed with LSU, he kinda has to go there," Heather points out. She digs out a huge spoonful of Mochalatta Crunch and points it at me.

"He would walk away from it if I wanted him to," I say. I know I'm wearing a disgustingly sappy grin, but I don't care.

"Yeck."

Heather catapults a blob of ice cream at my face. It hits me in the forehead, and slides down my nose. It's disgusting...and delicious.

"You're so immature." I wipe my face off with a napkin, then I grab her bowl and lick the whole top of her ice cream. I set it back in front of her with a flourish.

She sputters a laugh. "Nice tongue action. Dean's a lucky guy."

"Gross."

"So..." Heather stares at her ice cream, as if trying to decide whether she should still eat it. "What happens now? Are you gonna have to testify against Kara?"

"Probably." I grimace at the thought. "The detectives told me it will probably take months to interview everyone, and, you know, gather evidence. They said they'd keep our names out of it-but things get leaked all the time. Not because anyone would want to see me-but Dean's a different story He's Dean Youngblood, star quarterback and a walking Abercrombie and Fitch ad. I'll just be the little s.l.u.t who kept begging him for more."

Heather turns to look at me curiously. "Did you really? Beg, I mean."

I throw a pillow at her. "Shut up."

"Aw, come on, Jujubee. It's going to be okay. You're not just some dirty little s.l.u.t-you're Dean's dirty little s.l.u.t. And if anyone tries to mess with you, I'll go all gangster lesbian on their a.s.s."

"Heather, you big goober, I love you."

"b.i.t.c.h, I know," she replies smugly.

Chapter 54.

The good news is no one cares about me, or my relationship with Dean anymore. Kara and Dalton have disappeared from school, and the rumors run rampant. No one knows anything, but out group-and amazingly, all of us are keeping our mouths shut. Even knife-wielding Bobo (who is now dating Tanya, one of the biggest gossips I've ever met) keeps silent about the whole thing, though he tells us that Kara is trying to pin the whole thing on Dalton, claiming that he's the mastermind behind everything, and she just went along with it because she was intimidated by him. Gag. I really hope the investigators aren't dumb enough to fall for her b.o.o.bs. I mean, her bulls.h.i.t.

Mr. Rigby resigns that same week, and I hear he's throwing the full weight of the Giroux name (and money) around to ensure that Kara's criminal activities are kept quiet. Because how would it look if the girl who's mother, biological father, and stepfather are all in the mental health field-is a raging psycho? It really p.i.s.ses me off that she might actually get away with it, but if she does, I hope she comes after me. I'd love to knock her on her a.s.s again.

Dean and I go back to spending all of our free time together, though he doesn't sleep over out of respect for my mother. The more we hang out, the more I realize that we don't have a whole lot in common, but so far that doesn't seem to be a problem. I happily tag along when he wants to check out a car he found online, and when he works on cars, I hang out in the garage with him, reading or listening to music. He takes me to any movie I want to see without complaining, and I teach him how to cook basic meals. We even work out together-well, he works out, and I drool over him while he lifts weights. It's a workout for my eyes, so that counts.

We talk about everything. Okay, I talk-but his listening skills are unparalleled. The way to get Dean to open up is to keep asking the same questions, but in different ways. In other words, be really annoying. He doesn't seem to mind, and I've found out some really interesting things about him-like, he watches game shows religiously, and once stood in line to be in the audience for Family Feud! I have to pretend I'm looking for something under the bed so he doesn't see me giggling hysterically. I love how matter-of-fact he is when he admits to things that would embarra.s.s other people.

It's Dean birthday today, and we're throwing him a party tonight at Mack's place. Most of the gang is here to help set up, and it's kind of like a party before the party. Lorena and Heather helped me make fried chicken, macaroni salad, and biscuits for lunch. We're having the food for tonight catered from Wimpy Pete's-Dean's favorite restaurant. It's good to see Lorena, though there's still quite a bit of tension between her and Mack. She doesn't want to talk about their relationship, so I don't push her.

Arianna, Dani, and Sloane are here, too, though I guess they came for the use of Mack's pool. All three have settled on the chaise lounges, and haven't moved since. They seem to be more relaxed and approachable now that their queen has been dethroned. They're still not my favorite people, and I kind of hate being indebted to Arianna.

Jason and Ryan are supposed to be helping Mack set up the speakers, but-I don't know what they're doing. Why are they pouring milk all over each other? Man, Ryan is so lucky that the JV team took the fall for the Larrabee thing. I guess I'm glad that he won't lose his scholarship. Deep, deep down the twins are good guys. Maybe.

"Where's Johnny?" Heather asks me, taking a break from balloon-blowing. "I haven't seen him all day."

"I don't know. He texted me this morning saying he said he had some things to do, and that he'll be by later to help," I tell her. Nick walks by, and I call out to him. "Hey, Nick! Have you heard from Johnny?"

"Not today," he replies with a shrug.

"OMG, dude-what happened to your eye?" Heather's eyes widen at the sight of Nick's impressive black eye.

He grins, walking backwards. "Tripped and fell into a giant fist."

Heather turns to me, eyebrows raised. "You know how I told you Lala has a huge crush on Nick?" When she nods, I continue. "Well, yesterday she went for it. She cornered Nick in the kitchen, and pretty much attacked him. Mack walked in on that, and..."

"It's hammer time. Poor Nick." Heather shudders, well aware of what a protective older brother is capable of. "But I have to admit, I'm impressed. That girl not gonna have any problem getting guys when she's older."

"Getting them, no. Keeping Big Mack from killing them...that's another story."

She smiles sympathetically, but she's distracted by Dani, who is rubbing sunscreen onto her long tanned legs. She does look really s.e.xy, and glamorous enough to make an average girl like me a little insecure. It does make me feel better to know that if Dean were here, he wouldn't look twice in her direction.

I miss him. I remember his reaction when I gave him his birthday present last night: a spring break trip for two to Seattle. I try to play it off like it's been a lifelong dream of mine to see the s.p.a.ce Needle-but of course he doesn't buy it. He did say that he'd love to go to Seattle with me, so I'm feeling pretty positive about it. And while we're there...if we want to look up his mom, then...whatever. No pressure.

I know it's not my place to arrange a meeting between him and his mother-and it's really not like I want to meet the homewrecker. He doesn't say much about his mom, but...I know it would make him happy to see her again. And I guess I'd do anything to make him happy.

"We can't leave your birthday party to have s.e.x!" I laugh. "We're supposed to be having fun."

Dean has his arms around me, the beginnings of a s.e.xy grin on his face. "I guarantee that we'll have lots of fun," he counters.

I shake my head at him. I remember when I thought Dean's favorite activity was working on his Pontiac. He tries to prove me wrong several times a day.

We're hiding out in Mack's kitchen. No one else wants to be in the house-not with all the breakable Precious Moment dolls everywhere. It's not that we don't want to hang out with everyone...more like we'd rather just hang out with each other.

"If you really want to leave, I know somewhere you can take me," I say slowly.

"Oh, yeah?" His voice is smoky as he pulls me closer.

"Not for that!" I wiggle away from him. "Let's go to Sally Brown. I want to show you something."

"The park?" Dean's brows draw together, perplexed. "Right now?"

"Yeah, just for a bit. We can be back before anyone knows we're missing." Grinning, I grab his hand and give it a tug. "Come on, birthday boy."

Of course, we have to run into Johnny on our way to Dean's car. I'm sure it looks like we're sneaking off to have s.e.x, especially because of the guilty look on my face when I see who we've b.u.mped into.

"Oh, hi," I say awkwardly, trying for a smile. "Where have you been?"

"Around," Johnny replies vaguely. He looks at Dean. "Happy birthday, man."

Dean nods in acknowledgment. "Thanks."

Talk about uncomfortable. The three of us stand in the driveway, doing a good impression of statues. The relationship between Johnny and Dean is no longer hostile, but it's not what it used to be. Add me into the mix, and it's all kinds of painful.

I risk a glance at Johnny, and find that he's already looking at me. "I went to my uncle Joe today," he says out of the blue. "He's an army recruiter. I talked to him about maybe joining after graduation."

I gape at him. "Seriously? But...what about your knee?"

"My knee will be fine by then. Joe said it shouldn't be problem, as long as I can pa.s.s the physical."

I look at Dean to see what he thinks, but he's regarding Johnny with an impa.s.sive expression. "I didn't know you were thinking about joining," I say carefully. "Are you sure that's what you want to do? I mean, it's kind of a big commitment."

Johnny gives a restless shrug. He runs a hand through his golden hair. "I don't have a whole lot of options right now, thanks to my own stupidity. Plus-I don't know...maybe it will be good for me, you know? Maybe doing a s.h.i.t ton of pushups in the rain, and scrubbing toilets with my toothbrush will help me grow the h.e.l.l up."

"You watch too many movies," Dean says, sounding amused.

Johnny smirks back at him. "Yeah? Next you're gonna tell me there's no tough-as-nails drill sergeant with a heart of gold who will help me realize my full potential."

"I'll let you discover that on your own."

"Johnny." I touch his arm to get his attention. "You don't have to do this. What about your mom...?"