Slammed (Slammed, #1)

by Colleen Hoover

Dad loved the name Kennedy, after a Kennedy. “It doesn’t matter which Kennedy,” he would say. “I love them all!”

“I’m already dead,” I say in my best monster voice, “because I’m a zombie!”

I’m not sure why the tail end of my reply comes out like a question. I’m not sure why I’m even analyzing why it came out like a question. I’m not sure why I’m analyzing the reason why I’m analyzing—I’m flustered.

All of the pictures on the wall prove one big difference between our houses—this one is a home.

“May the force be with you!” He laughs and hops into his car as I stand there, staring down at the Darth Vader house shoes I’m still sporting. Classic.

He laughs. I like his laugh. I hate that I like his laugh.

“Wow,” I say as I take in the time on the clock. “Is that the quickest way to the store? That drive took twenty minutes.” He winks at me and opens his door. “No, actually it’s not.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I say. “From now on I’ll do like you Yankees and waste my breath by saying ‘all you guys.’ ”

“Don’t. I like your accent; it’s perfect.”

“I was wondering if you had any plans for tomorrow night, before I go?”

“Are you really going to make me admit that I have absolutely no life here?” I say.

“Great! It’s a date then. I’ll pick you up at seven thirty.”

“I’ve never regretted it. Questioned it? Sure. But never regretted.”

“Is there a difference?” I ask.

“Absolutely. Regret is counterproductive. It’s looking back on a past that you can’t change. Questioning things as they occur can prevent regret in the future. I questioned a lot about my relationship with your father. People make spontaneous decisions based on their hea...

“Does he treat you with respect at all times? That’s the first question. The second question is, if he is the exact same person twenty years from now that he is today, would you still want to marry him? And finally, does he inspire you to want to be a better person? You find someone you can answer yes about to all three, then you’ve found a good man.”

“Do something old then,” I suggest. “Or do all these people make you nervous?”

“Not all of them. Just one of them.”

He wraps his arms around my waist, and I raise mine around his shoulders. Our bodies are a perfect fit. A chill runs down my body as his breath warms my neck. I can’t believe we met only three days ago; it seems like we’ve been doing this for years.

“Lake, I’ve got a pretty long drive home,” he says. “How about one for the road?”

I laugh, then walk to the car and lean through his window, expecting another peck. Instead, he slips his hand behind my neck and gently pulls me toward him, our lips opening when they meet.

“I forgot to tell you something,”

“You look beautiful tonight.”

“Well, how’d it go? Is he a serial killer?” she says.

“You were right, Mom. I love Michigan.”

“Who’s the hottie?” asks the boy I now know as Javier. “Shut it, Javi!” Will snaps as he walks toward his desk, picking up a stack of papers.

“I do understand,” I say. “It’s ridiculous to assume we even have anything worth risking.”

He glances at the note on my console again and quietly responds, “We both know it’s more than that.”

“Is this a peace offering or did you poison my food?” she asks as she unfolds a napkin into her lap. “I guess you’ll have to eat it first to find out.”

Your heart says not again What kind of mess have you got me in? But when the feeling’s there It can lift you up and take you anywhere.

All I ever feel like doing is sleeping. I guess because it doesn’t hurt as bad when you’re asleep.

“It’s just been really hard, Will. It was so easy for you to accept this and move past it. It hasn’t been that easy for me. It’s all I think about.”

“You think this is easy for me?” he whispers.

“Well, that’s how you mak...

“Lake, nothing about this has been easy. It’s a daily struggle for me to come to work, knowing this very j...

“If it weren’t for Caulder, I would have quit that first day I saw you in the hallway. I could have taken the year off… wait...

“Will?” I whisper. “I’ll wait for you—until I graduate.”

“That’s a long wait, Lake. A lot can happen in a year.”

“Your responsibilities should come before me, which is why I want to wait for you, Will. You’re a good person. This thing about you that you think is your flaw—it’s the reason I’m falling in love with you.”

“You are not falling in love with me.”

“You cannot fall in love with me.”

I wonder if that’s how quiet my Jeep would be if I were to run over Will? Just accidentally back up over him, then put my car in drive and continue on.

“We need to talk,” he says as he shuts his door behind us. “Now.”

“Then talk!” I say.

“Dammit, Lake! I’m not your enemy. Stop hating me.”

“Stop hating you? Make up your freaking mind, Will! Last night you told me to stop loving you, now you’re

telling me to stop hating you? You tell me you don’t want me to wait for you, yet you act like an immature little boy when I agree to go out with Nick! You want me to act like I don’t know you, but then you pull me out of the lunchroom in front of everyone! We’ve got this whole facade between us, like we’re different people all the time, and it’s exhausting! I never know when you’re Will or Mr. Cooper and I really don’t know when I’m supposed to be Layken or Lake.”

“I didn’t think it would be this hard,” he says.

The courtyard is empty. I guess none of the other students needs a breather from the teacher they’re secretly in love with.

Best friend. Maybe. Hopefully.