A Girl and Her Wolf (Howl, #7) Read online

  I don’t know why he hates me, but I guess it just goes to prove one thing. Popular girls and dorky boys can never be friends. Period.

  Xoxo, Emma

  Colby laughed. It amused him to see that it had actually bothered Emma when he’d gone through his period of hating her. It wasn’t that he hated her as a person, but he hated that she put her popularity before everything else. He thought back to the events leading up to his temporary hatred of her. . .

  *

  On Friday night, Colby sat in front of the TV in his family’s entertainment room, fast-forwarding through a few scenes of A Walk to Remember. He’d already gotten through The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, and Dear John. So far, Colby liked to think that he most resembled Noah. He even had the shaggy blonde hair to go along with the role. But that wasn’t the only reason; Emma definitely seemed like she could be his Allie.

  At that moment, he heard footsteps down the hallway and the door was flung open.

  “Colby?” Steve asked. “Are you seriously watching A Walk to Remember?”

  Colby didn’t even turn to face him. “Make fun of me all you want, but you’re the one who knew what it was just by looking at the TV screen. How did you get in here?”

  “Your mom let us in,” Chris spoke up from behind him. “We thought maybe you wanted to play some PlayStation with us. Or maybe we could watch a better movie. Why are you watching this, anyway?”

  “How would you describe Landon?” Colby asked, motioning to the TV screen as Shane West embraced Mandy Moore right after the scene where everyone had embarrassed her in the cafeteria.

  “I don’t know, but Jamie kind of reminds me of you,” Steve admitted. “You know . . . the one everyone picks on at school, even though you’re really a good person and shit. What makes you ask?”

  “Well, that doesn’t help at all. It’s just that Emma told me she wants to meet a guy like one of the ones in a Nicholas Sparks movie,” Colby replied, not even realizing what he was saying. Crap. He’d probably said too much.

  “Emma? As in Emma Taylor?” Steve asked with wide eyes.

  “Is that something you overheard her say?” Chris questioned. “She wasn’t talking to you, was she?”

  Colby felt himself growing a little angry. He knew that he wasn’t that popular, but if Emma thought he was good enough to talk to, that had to mean something. “Actually, she was talking to me. She invited me to her party tomorrow night, too.” Without even thinking about what he was saying, he blurted, “And I think she likes me, guys.”

  Chris glanced over at Steve. “Did he just say what I think he said?”

  “Uh huh,” Steve replied with a nod. “He’s outta his damn mind, though. You know that, right, Colby? You’re outta your damn mind.”

  Colby sighed, knowing that they probably wouldn’t have believed him anyway. “Whatever, guys.” He turned his attention back to the TV screen, making mental notes about some of Landon’s finer qualities.

  “Wait, Colby. We’re not trying to be mean,” Chris insisted. “It’s just weird. You’re not exactly Emma’s type. That’s all.”

  “I know,” Colby agreed. “It came as somewhat of a shock to me, too, but . . . I don’t know, guys. She just seems to open up to me in a way that I’ve never seen her open up to anyone before.” He shrugged, deciding to omit the part about her sitting at his table in art class and definitely not telling them about how he’d spent the night at her house. He knew what sorts of jokes they’d probably come up with, and he also didn’t want rumors to spread around school like wildfire.

  No, it was a secret that would stay between him and Emma forever, as far as he was concerned.

  “You know what, Chris? Remember when we walked past Emma’s locker the other day and she was talking to Ashley about some guy she liked? I bet that was Colby,” Steve said.

  “I was just thinking that, too.” Chris nodded. “And remember how she was telling her that her ex-boyfriend was so unromantic that she has to make sure that the next guy will have to prove that he’s more romantic before she’ll even consider dating him?”

  “And that she wishes the man of her dreams would just be waiting for her in her bed after one of her parties so she could stop lookin’ for the right guy,” Steve continued. “I say forget about all this A Walk to Remember shit. Watching these cheesy movies isn’t going to help you figure out what to do. There’s one really easy way to charm her.”

  Colby felt a surge of hope run through him. Steve and Chris had both dated a lot of girls from school, so maybe they actually knew what they were talking about. “How?” he asked.

  “On the night of the party, all you gotta do is go up to her room with some wine and light some candles. Most importantly, though, you’ll want to make sure that you’re waiting in her bed for her . . . without your clothes on. That will really bring the point across to her.”

  Colby lifted his eyebrows questioningly. “How will waiting in her bed naked charm her?”

  “Well, you don’t want to be completely naked,” Chris explained. “You’ll want to make sure that the only thing you’re wearing is boxers. You have a pair, right?”

  “Yeah, I do,” Colby admitted quietly. “Why would I only wear boxers, though?”

  “Oh, it’s a well-known fact that Emma has a thing for guys in boxers,” Steve said quickly.

  “Hmm,” Colby replied with hesitation. It didn’t sound completely unbelievable. “Okay, guys. Thanks for your advice. I think I’m going to try this on Saturday and see what happens.”

  “You really should,” Chris agreed. “It’s the only way to know how she feels about you for sure.”

  “And lucky for you, we’re going to be at the party, too,” Steve said. “So, we’ll be there for moral support.”

  Colby grinned. “Thanks.”

  Suddenly, he felt more hopeful about this than he had about anything in a long time. So what if Emma wasn’t going to turn out to be his mate? The feelings he felt for her were real, and that was all that mattered.

  *

  The party at her house that Saturday night was much crazier than the last one he’d gone to. There were more guests than usual, the music was cranked louder, and most of all? Emma was wearing a short, black little number that showed off way more leg than usual.

  Now, Colby just had to work up the nerve to do what his friends had said. He’d already snuck a bottle of wine into her room earlier when no one was watching, but now he had to figure out a way to slip away and wait there for her.

  He had a really good feeling about what would happen later that night. He didn’t expect to lose his virginity or anything—and yes, he was still a virgin, even though he’d already had a mate—but he thought that they might have a really hot make-out session if it turned out that he was right and she did have feelings for him. Just the idea of lying in her bed and kissing her after everyone else had already gone home made him feel so excited—so aroused; he really needed to find a way to contain his animal instincts.

  At that moment, Emma caught his gaze from across the room. She gave him a small wave and smiled as she made her way over to him.

  When she approached him, she gave him a small kiss on the cheek. “Hey, Colby Jack! It’s good to see you.”

  “You, too,” Colby replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets nervously.

  “Hey, do you remember what we were talking about at the art studio the other day?” Emma asked. Glancing around to make sure that no one was listening in on their conversation, she whispered, “My crush?”

  “Yeah,” Colby replied, nervously licking his lips. Maybe he wouldn’t have to go through with what Chris and Steve had told him to do. Maybe Emma was going to admit her crush to him right now on her own.

  “Well, I really need to talk to you,” Emma explained. At that moment, there was the sound of something crashing in the kitchen, which was followed by glass shattering. “Shit,” she said. “I should probably go check on that, but why don’t you go wait for me in my bedro
om so we can have that talk?”

  Colby nodded. “Okay, sounds good.”

  As Emma headed into the kitchen, Colby spotted Steve and Chris standing in the corner of the room, watching him like a hawk.

  He strolled over to them and whispered, “You were right. She told me to wait for her in her room. She said she needs to talk to me about her crush.” Even though he didn’t want to seem pathetic, he couldn’t help it; he was beaming.

  “Awesome, bro. Maybe she really does like you,” Chris said.

  “But remember, Colby. The only way for you to find out for sure is to go with our original plan. Now is the perfect time for you to go in her room and wait for her in your boxers. Now, you’re wearing your SpongeBob ones like we told you to before we left the house, right?” Steve asked, the seriousness written all over his face. “Emma can’t resist a guy in yellow.”

  “Yeah,” Colby replied with a nod. “I’ll let you guys know how it goes later on.”

  He began to climb up the stairs that led to her room, feeling a rush of nervousness erupt through him.

  There was no turning back now.

  Luckily, there was no one upstairs, so he didn’t have to worry about anyone walking in on him. How embarrassing would that be?

  He quickly stripped out of his clothes, down to his underwear, and then lit a few candles. Once he was done, he flicked off the lights and climbed on top of her pink comforter. Stretching his legs out over the bed, he rested his head on his elbow as he waited for her to come into the room, his heart pounding against his chest the entire time.

  Emma didn’t come right away, though. He watched her digital clock as fifteen minutes passed and then twenty. Beginning to feel uncomfortable and suddenly exposed, he climbed underneath the comforter.

  Just as he was convinced that she’d completely forgotten about him and was ready to put his clothes back on, the door clicked open.

  “Colby?” Emma asked, glancing around the room. “Are you even in here?”

  “Yeah,” Colby replied, instantly regretting going with the plan. He felt more nervous than ever now that it was actually happening. He wished he’d just gone with his plan of telling her how he felt. This felt so wrong, but if she thought he could be the man of her dreams, he needed to prove how romantic he could be.

  “Why is it so dark in here?”

  He cleared his throat nervously. “It’s not completely dark,” he replied quietly, motioning to the candles that he’d lit.

  “Hmm. Okay,” Emma agreed, sitting down on the bed next to him.

  He pulled the comforter to himself, feeling uneasy about her seeing what was underneath. “So, you wanted to talk about your crush?” he asked, trying to sound casual, even though he was really squealing inside.

  “Yeah. I guess it’s just that I’m a little nervous to admit how I feel,” she admitted. “It’s not like we know each other that well, you know? We’ve only recently started talking a little in a class we have together.”

  “Uh huh,” Colby replied with a nod. He wanted her to just blurt it out already. “Well, I think you should just tell him.”

  “Really?” She glanced over at him, her eyes sparkling in the candle light. “I’m afraid he won’t like me. We’re so . . . different.”

  “Different can be a good thing sometimes,” Colby pointed out. “Opposites attract, you know.”

  “I guess. I don’t know.” She sighed loudly. “Crushes are so complicated sometimes.”

  “They don’t need to be,” Colby replied. “They’re only complicated when you make them complicated. And honestly, Emma? Any guy would be lucky to have you.”

  “Aww, that’s so sweet,” she replied with a smile. “And it really means a lot to me, coming from you.”

  His heart started to beat a little faster. “Really?”

  “Definitely. This guy I’m crushing on . . . You know him better than anyone else,” Emma said quietly, leaning in closer to him.

  “I do believe I know him well,” Colby murmured with confidence. “I know him enough to know that he feels the same way as you.”

  She stared at him, astonished. “Really?”

  “Yeah. I know this is all so new and we don’t really know each other that well, but I feel the same way about you, Emma,” Colby said quietly, just as he went in for the kiss, pressing his lips against hers.

  Emma blinked, breaking away from him. “Wait, what?” She laughed uncomfortably. “You think my crush is on you?”

  Colby stared back at her blankly. “Well, isn’t it? You keep saying that you’re just starting to get to know this person. You have a class with him, and you don’t run in the same social circles. That description fits me exactly.” He could feel the embarrassment rise to his cheeks.

  “I’m sorry if I lead you on, Colby, but . . . I wasn’t talking about you,” Emma admitted. “I was talking about Luke Davenport. I thought you might have some insight, considering he’s your best friend and all. He’s new here, and we seem so different.”

  Suddenly, everything made sense. That was why she’d gotten so close to him over the past week. She was trying to use him to get close to Luke.

  Colby didn’t just feel embarrassed anymore. He felt angry now, too. “He is my best friend,” he muttered.

  “Do you think he likes me?” Emma asked, sounding hopeful.

  “Luke is dating someone right now,” Colby replied. “He’s dating a few people, actually. Because that’s how Luke is. He gets around a lot,” he lied. Sure, Luke had been with a few human girls since he’d moved to Grandview, but he wasn’t that much of a man whore—or at least, not to Colby’s knowledge.

  He didn’t want Emma to date his best friend, though. He had to find a way to make sure that she wouldn’t like him, so telling her false information seemed like the easiest way. He would explain it all to Luke later, though. They’d been best friends for years, so he’d understand, of course. And he also wouldn’t try to go out with her, either. They had an unspoken rule between them; neither could steal the other’s lady of interest.

  “Well, that sucks,” Emma said loudly. “Oh, well. I’m sure I can find someone else at the party tonight to crush on.”

  Colby forced a smile, hugging the comforter close to him again. He needed to find a way to get his clothes on without Emma realizing that he wasn’t wearing anything besides his boxers. That was the only thing that would be more embarrassing than that awkward kiss.

  “Oh, well. Do you want to go back downstairs with me?” she asked, rising to her feet. She blew out the candles and turned on the light.

  “Actually, I think I’ll just hang out in here for a little bit if that’s okay,” Colby told her.

  She frowned and then her eyes drifted to his pile of clothes in the corner. She eyed him curiously. “Are you wearing anything?” she questioned, narrowing her eyebrows at him.

  “Yeah, I am,” he replied.

  “I think you’re lying. You’re not wearing anything,” Emma replied. She eyed him curiously. “You didn’t think I was going to have sex with you tonight, did you?”

  “No, no. Of course not,” Colby tried to reassure her, even though he knew that it didn’t seem too convincing. Of course that’s how it looked to her. “I heard that you were trying to find a romantic guy. And that you wished one would just be waiting for you in your bed.” Without even thinking about what he was doing, he pulled down the comforter. “See, I’m even wearing your favorite outfit.”

  Emma burst into laughter. “Who wears SpongeBob boxers? What are you, like, ten?”

  He stared at her with a dumbfounded look on his face. “You don’t really love yellow boxers on a guy, do you?” And suddenly, it all fell into place.

  “Well . . . I guess it’s better than tighty whities,” she replied with a shrug. “It’s sort of immature, though.”

  He felt angry again, but not at Emma this time. He climbed out of bed and began to pull on his clothes. “I’m sorry about all this,” he said.

 
Before he got the chance to put his pants on, though, he heard the sound of a click. Was that a . . . cell phone camera?

  He turned to face Emma, who had pulled out her cell phone and snapped a photo of him. “What are you doing?” he questioned.

  “Oh, you know. Just taking a picture for blackmailing purposes,” Emma replied.

  “Blackmail?”

  She turned to face him, her face twisted into a serious expression and her hands on her hips defensively. “If you ever try to tell anyone that you slept with me, I can personally guarantee you that this picture of you in those SpongeBob boxers will make its way all around school—on every cell phone, every locker. So you better think twice before you start untrue rumors. I promise you that no one will believe that I would have sex with someone of your social rank and, more importantly, someone who wears SpongeBob boxers,” she said before turning away from him and heading out into the hallway.

  Wow. So much for that friendship. And so much for her seeming way cooler—and way nicer—than he’d ever thought she was. It had only been so she could get close to his best friend.

  Colby really hated her at that moment.

  Once he was dressed and went out of the room, he found Chris and Steve standing at the foot of the stairs with smirks on their faces.

  “So, did Emma like your SpongeBob boxers?” Steve asked with a laugh.

  Colby glared at him. “No, and I don’t appreciate you guys setting me up like that. It wasn’t funny.”

  “You’re right, it wasn’t. It was hilarious,” Chris replied. “Emma’s already told a bunch of people what a loser you are. Why would you think she liked you?”

  Colby grimaced, feeling his stomach clench. He couldn’t wait until next week, when school ended for the year. Hopefully, everyone would forget about this night really soon, and if they didn’t, he wouldn’t have to face them anymore for a few months. “I’m ready to get out of here.” He descended the steps, ignoring the stares he got from people as he crossed the front entryway and went outside.