"Another thing-you know I don't regret having you, I never have, but it hasn't been easy, baby. I don't want that for you, so make sure you keep your head in the books and your grades up. You understand me? I want better for you."

Her shoulders sagged. Alyssa's heard this speech for the past couple of years. It always started with, 'You know I don't regret', but how could she believe her mother's words if she started the conversation the same every time? That part of the speech bothered her and she wished her mom would leave it out. It was almost like she was saying she didn't want her. As if it was Alyssa's fault her mom got pregnant at sixteen.

She tried to make light of the subject. "Note to self: Don't follow my mom's footsteps. Got it."

"I'm serious, Alyssa. Stay focused on school. Don't fall for the charm and sweet talking the way I did. I was young and naive, I didn't know any better. Just because you're over eighteen now doesn't mean anything either. If you screw around, there will be consequences to pay just like there was for me. I barely make it to support both of us, and now we don't have anything to fall back on like we used to."

As if that was what she wanted to do? "Mom, I'm well aware of that."

Lauren looked into her glass, moving the straw. "I just wished I would have planned better and saved money. Now we're starting over and it's my fault."

Alyssa could feel the pain in her mother's voice. She didn't want her to feel bad. "It's okay, mom. You gave me everything I wanted."

Lauren probably wasn't the best role model, but Alyssa knew she did her best and didn't fault her. Her mom had had more boyfriends than fingers to count on. But when she found out that her current flavor of the month was actually married with children? That was the final straw. It broke her mother, and one month later they were gone.

"Except stability. I moved you around too much. I was selfish."

"Eh. Who cares? It's been fun. I can call myself a world traveler." She laughed, hoping to show her mom that she was happy.

Regrets plagued her mother's mouth, thin lines curved the corners, and it was the first time she noticed them. She put on a front every time she looked at her and she wasn't sure what to think of it.

Here they were in a small town eating pizza while her mother preached about stability and preventing babies. The two things her mother could never master.

He knew it. He knew she'd be walking alone.

John specifically left his house early because he had a feeling Alyssa didn't have a ride to school.

Idling slowly up next to her, John rolled down the window. "Jump in."

Alyssa didn't hesitate. She flung the door open and jumped inside. Her mother told her she would drive her last night when they got home from having pizza, but working a double wore her down and Alyssa didn't have the heart to wake her up. So she started walking to school. She was actually grateful John stopped to pick her up.

John said nothing, just turned up the music as he drove. It was on the tip of his tongue to say something about her not taking rides from him, but he left it. Something was going on with Alyssa. He could feel it the moment she stepped foot in his truck without giving him a hard time. He noticed her reflection in the passenger mirror as she stared out of the window. Her lips were puckered together and her arms were crossed firmly against her chest.

Ten minutes later they were pulling into the school parking lot. John put his truck in park and said, "Give me your phone."

"What? Why?"

"Don't ask me questions. Just hand it over."

She handed it to him and he pushed a few buttons, programming his number. "There you go. Anytime you need a ride, I'm your guy."

A small dimple appeared at the corner of John's mouth as he smirked. Alyssa's chest tightened. He looked damn cute with that dimple.

"Thank you," she said quietly, and slipped her phone into her bag then climbed out of the truck.

Together they walked through the maze of cars in the parking lot in silence. The discontent written on her face gave John the urge to wrap his arm around her shoulders and bring her in close and erase that look. For some odd reason, he didn't like seeing her sad.

Passing rows of cars and trucks, Alyssa spotted Ben standing off to the left leaning against his truck. He was dressed all in black, smoking a cigarette. She'd seen him around but they hadn't spoken much yet. A high here, a high there. The intensity of his gaze made her feel like he could see right through her each time they had locked eyes, as if he could read her thoughts and knew her deepest secrets. He took a puff of his cigarette and blew it out, a diminutive smirk forming on his lips that caused a rapture of feelings to simmer inside of her.

"That's Ben," John said, breaking her stare.

"Who?"

"The one you're staring at," he said, glaring at Ben with disgust. "I wouldn't suggest making friends with him."

"I've actually already met him. We have a class together."

"He's bad news . . . heard some stories about how he likes to get rough-and not just with guys either. A couple of years back, rumors were circulating that he forced himself on a girl, not sure if it's true though because there were no charges pressed or anything. I'm surprised he's even enrolled in college to be honest. I figured when he dropped out of high school that he would go straight to working, guess not."

"You know him?" she asked.

"Yeah, he actually lives near us."

She puckered her lips, thinking about what John just said. Had Ben been rough with another girl, wouldn't she have come forward and made everyone aware?

Alyssa glanced one last time at Ben, curious about him. He dipped his head slightly, acknowledging her.

Once they reached the square, Ford and Jace were there. Jace spotted both of them and nodded his head saying hi, his eyes landing on Alyssa.

"So you two rode together?"

John spoke up before Alyssa could say anything. "Well, I was already driving and happened to see her walking, so I made her get in. She can be a little hardheaded at times," John nudged her.

"I don't know what he's talking about," she said innocently.

A laugh rolled off his tongue. "Right . . ." Looking to his friends, he said, "So we still on for this weekend?"

"Yup. For sure." Jace and Ford both stated in unison. "I'm always ready to get my truck dirty and drink a few beers."

"Jace, your truck is always dirty-inside and out," Ford laughed. "When has it ever been clean? I don't even remember what color it is since it's covered in mud all the time."

Alyssa's face scrunched up. "Isn't that going to ruin the paint and interior?"

Jace shrugged indifferently. "I'm a dirty boy. It doesn't bother me a bit."

"Do you have a girlfriend? Doesn't she care when she rides inside your truck?"

"I have a few girls, they've never complained before, but then again we usually hang out in the back of my truck . . ." Jace winked playfully.

Shaking her head, Alyssa said, "I have to get going. See you guys around."

"Here, let me walk you to class," John offered.

"It's okay. I can find my way. See ya later."

Alyssa glanced over her shoulder as she walked away and locked eyes with John. He tracked her every step, his heady gaze stripping her down. She needed to tread carefully. Facing forward, she hid a small smile, actually looking forward to seeing him later. She was doing her best to not make friends so quickly, but he was an easy person to like.

"Why do you sit out here? It's so damn hot."

The first time she noticed Ben, there was a dark and dangerous aura surrounding him that drew her in. His dark brown eyes pierced right through her, causing lust to swirl inside. Alyssa couldn't help the feeling streaming through her and that lip ring of his caught her attention when he pulled it into his mouth.

"I'm plotting to take out my archenemies from afar."

"Funny girl," he said, leaning against the wall and crossing his legs.

"Oddly enough, I kind of like it." Not wanting to face the crowd, she was sitting under the overhang with her back to everyone lost in her school work until Ben showed up.

Trying to avoid that awkward silence, she asked, "What do you people do for fun around here? I haven't had a chance to really get out and explore."

Ben blew out a loud breath. "Not much to be honest. It's boring as fuck around here. I guess some work on the weekend at their family's farms, they get jobs outside of town, or they sit in a field and drink beer with friends. Some go hunting, and some swim down by the river. There isn't really much to do."

She rolled her eyes. "Wow . . . that is boring." She went from swimming in the most sought after beaches to swimming in a river?

"You're telling me," he smirked. "If you want, I can take you for a drive and show you around town." He took out a paper and pen and scribbled his cell phone number down and handed it to her.

"That would take all of what? Five minutes?" She did the same and handed Ben her cell number.

"Funny girl," Ben chuckled. Alyssa finally got a good look at him, starting with his lip ring. She never had a boyfriend that had piercings before, and she wondered if Ben had any tattoos now. They seemed to go hand in hand. Ben's tongue slipped out and licked it, pulling it into his mouth.

"It didn't hurt," he said.

"What?"

"My lip ring that you're staring at, it didn't hurt in case you wanted to know."

Heat rose to her cheeks. Ben looked so deeply into her eyes that she had to fight the urge not so squirm under his gaze. Her body simmered, her heart beat faster. She could tell he was temptation . . . and she liked it. Alyssa had a few casual boyfriends in the past, but Ben was the kind of boy you didn't bring home, the one a father would warn you to stay away from.

But she didn't have a father to remind her of that.

"What did your parents say about your lip ring?"

Ben huffed, his jagged smile tightening her stomach. "Mom took off when I was a kid so it's just been me and my dad. Let's just say he wasn't too fond of it and tried to rip it out a few times."

Alyssa's eyes widened.

"Don't worry about it-he didn't get very far since he was drunk and shit."

"What does he say now since you still have it?"

Ben shook his head. "Nothing. He put his hands on me, so I put mine on him. It was only fair. He hasn't fucked with me since." Ben shrugged it off. "Have any plans this weekend?"

"Yeah-she does. With me." That southern voice commanded attention more so than Ben's did.

"I should have known," Ben sneered.

"Why don't you take a hike?" John suggested.

"I actually don't have any plans, but I'm looking for a job," she interrupted.

"I'll see you around, Alyssa. Maybe this weekend I can help with your job search," Ben winked and then left.

John watched Ben walk away, his skin crawling. He heard from people around town that Ben's father raised him with an iron fist and a splash of vodka.

"You need to stay away from him. He's bad news."

The last thing Alyssa wanted was to be told what to do. "So you've said. Why don't you let me be the one to decide that?"

"I'm serious, Alyssa. I've heard things."

"He didn't seem so bad to me."

"That's because you don't know any better yet."

She ignored his last comment. "What are you doing here anyway?" she asked incredulously.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I just figured you would be with your friends."

"You are my friend." He stated plainly. "Why aren't you trying to make friends?"

"I just tried to make a new friend, but you told me to stay away from him." Alyssa shrugged. "Besides, what's the point? Every time I make friends and get comfortable I have to up and move."

"Why do you guys move around so much anyways?"

"My mom can't stay in one spot too long or else she gets antsy. It doesn't help that she's a serial dater either. All her relationships seem to end on a bad note and she feels the need to move when that happens."

John laughed. "What relationships end on a good note, though?"

"Well, some people have amicable splits, but that's not the point. The point is, she moves with each break up. It's ridiculous. Who does that? She swears this is it though, that we're not moving this time."

"If you had the chance would you move back to California?"

Alyssa pursed her lips together and thought about John's question. "I'm not sure . . . probably not. I guess I could live on my own if she wants to move again, but it's always just been me and her, you know? I kind of want to stay in one spot and just live each day without worry."

He nodded. "That's kind of how the people are down here. Laid back and easy going."

She smiled. "So I've noticed."

John laughed. "How do you like this campus so far? It's small in comparison to other community colleges, but that's what I like about it."

Alyssa shrugged, enjoying the natural flow of conversation. "It's alright I guess. It gives me some sort of constancy, so I'm happy about that . . ." she trailed off. "What's your major? Or have you changed it already?"

John offered her some French fries. She took a few. "I've been thinking about enlisting in the Marines. My dad served. I actually just took my ASVAB test, and I'm waiting to hear back on that. So rather than enroll in a big college and spend all that money, go in to debt, I picked a small CC. And my mom is sick, so I'd like to stay close to home just in case. But then if I join the Marines, I wouldn't be home much, would I?" John wasn't sure why he was opening up to Alyssa the way he was, and it caught him by surprise.

Alyssa's brows pinched together. "Your mom is sick?"

John grew quiet and looked Alyssa directly in the eyes. "She has Multiple Sclerosis."