Page 12 of Ruin

Then, without warning, he turns his head and looks straight at me, catching me staring.

Shit.

I look away, turning to the store window. I use my long hair to curtain my face, trying to pretend I wasn’t staring when he clearly knows I was.

I’m such a loser.

My face is reaching inferno levels of hotness at the embarrassment of getting caught staring and also because I was right. Holy Christ on a hottie cracker, that guy is gorgeous. Beautiful. The quick glimpse I saw of his face was more than enough to confirm to me that he is super high on the sex god meter. And definitely older than me. A lot older, I’d say. Around twenty-ish at a guess.

Yes, I know I’m a dork.

And I also look like a complete dick, standing here, staring into the window of a closed store. But I daren’t turn around in case Sex God is still there.

I can’t hear him and his friends anymore, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there.

I look at the reflection in the store window to try to see if he and his friends are still there, but I can’t.

Okay, so I’m just going to have to suck it up. Turn around and casually walk away like I wasn’t just staring at the hottie.

One…two…three…

And they’re gone.

I don’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed that I’m probably never going to see Sex God again.

I stare at the boxing machine where he just was and have the sudden urge to try it before I head home. Not because Sex God touched it. I’m not that much of a loser. I’ve just never tried one before, and I wonder if I’m any good.

I walk over to the arcade and stop at the boxing machine.

Fifty cents.

I dig into the pocket of my skinny jeans and pull out some coins.

I push them into the slot, and the machine lights up. The punching bag lowers.

I curl up my fist, ready.

Can’t be that hard, right?

I pull my arm back and punch it.

Apparently, it is that hard.

Because I don’t even move the bag back up to make a score. It just kind of wobbles a bit but stays put.

Well, that’s embarrassing.

I glance around to see if anyone saw, but no one is paying me any attention.

Okay. Try again, Cam. You can do this.

I prepare myself a bit more this time.

I shake out my shoulders, loosening up. I spread my legs apart and plant my feet. Then, I swing my arm back and punch the bag.

Yay! I did it!

But…oh…is that the lowest score you can get?