Reckless
by: Danielle Weiler
Publication: August 9, 2013
ISBN: 0987546708
ASIN: B00EESYLS6
Length: 338 pages
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult
Book Description:
'Are you going to ask me in?' he replied, a cheeky smile forming on the edges of his lips. Then he leaned towards me conspiratorially. 'We aren't strangers, you know.'
Milly Benton wants it to all go away. Wants to flip the bird to the nightmares and her parent's grief and the incessant questions about when she's going to make something of herself.
But when her parents exile her to the country, Milly has to cope with her annoyingly helpful aunt and three cousins instead. Bitter at the hand she's been dealt, Milly has stopped dreaming of a future.
In steps Jerome with his tormented blue eyes. Familiar from her childhood and as broken as she. They need each other. But how can they forget?
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The day before Aunt Charmaine was due to visit, Pierre arrived. I couldn’t shake off a feeling of dread. What if I didn’t like him? He came all this way to see me, only me ...
Driving to the bus stop that afternoon, my hands shook.
What if he was, like, forty years old, seedy and hairy? What if Ava laughed at me ’cos I got fooled? As I turned into the pick up area, I was instantly relieved. I recognised Pierre straight away. He was the only one left. I slowly got out of my car and walked towards him, feeling coy. At the same time, I wished I could back away and go back to my normal life of no commitments. But I wasn’t committing myself, was I? I could walk away from this whenever I wanted, right?
‘Milly,’ he said as we closed the gap, and his voice was the only familiar thing about him. I felt odd as he opened his broad arms to give me a hug as a long lost friend, yet a stranger. ‘It’s so good to finally see you. You are just as beautiful as your photos.’
‘Thanks,’ I said shyly. I wasn’t sure I could say the same. He was shorter than I thought he’d be from his photos. And I’d never seen the back of his head. Now, I could. The 3D thing was weird. ‘Let’s get your stuff into my car.’
I could feel his eyes on me, checking me out, drinking me in.
After making a joke about the steering wheel being on the wrong side of the car, we started driving.
‘You are a very good driver,’ he commented.
I said nothing as I turned the last corner into the nearest beach car park. He made me self-conscious.
A high-pitched sound began ringing in my head, like a warning buzzer.
‘I don’t really think about it,’ I said finally. ‘I bet you’re good at a lot of things.’
I rolled my eyes. ‘OK, that was lame,’ I said, and forced a smile. I hoped he wouldn’t notice the fakeness in it.
‘That’s better. I like it when you are relaxed.’
He leaned over and kissed my cheek lightly. ‘Let’s see what these Australian beaches are made of.’
We walked up the white, powder-like sand. He tried to make me laugh, telling me stories about the flight over, and how the air hostesses flirted with him.
‘You’re so full of yourself. It’s their job to be nice,’ I said as I shook my head.
‘They were about to lock me in the toilet. It was only because I told them I was going to see the girl of my dreams in Australia that they backed off.’ He nodded towards me.
I pushed his shoulder playfully then, surprised at how much I liked the feeling of his tense muscles under my palm.
Pierre suddenly started chasing me, all the way down to the water, until I only had the ocean at my back. My heart raced.
‘Pierre, you don’t want to do this,’ I said as he stepped gingerly into the icy cold water.
‘I’m sure I do,’ he answered, ‘but why don’t I want to?’
‘Because there are really big sharks. Haven’t you seen the documentaries? They can eat you.’
I eyed off ways to get around him while he kept coming closer into the water, intent on his target.
‘Let the sharks come!’ he bellowed, then went down like a little girl falling off a bike, straight into the crashing waves.
‘Pierre?’ I shouted, running to help him.
‘I’m stung! I’m stung!’ he screamed, his face contorted, hands clutching his right calf. ‘Something is eating me!’
I looked around wildly for a stingray, a blue-bottle jelly- fish. Anything sinister enough to be causing him this much pain. Then I saw little clear tentacles floating aimlessly near Pierre and rolled my eyes.
‘Ah, yes, I forgot to tell you about our deadly stingers, too. My bad.’ Smiling behind one hand and giggling, I helped him up.
Four long red streaks across his calf showed where the stinger had offered its tattoo.
Pierre began to gesture and spit in French. I could only assume he was swearing and fussing about dying. People walking past us on the beach looked at Pierre strangely.
Worse, they then looked at me.
I just laughed at him.
‘Well I’m glad this is so funny for you,’ he said darkly, rubbing his calf. ‘Sook.’
‘ “Sook?’’ ’
I rolled my eyes at his accent. ‘Pierre, you’re so ... I don’t know. French.’
‘You haven’t seen anything yet,’ he winked. And the playful Pierre was back.
I shook my head to clear it, wondering at how quickly he could change his moods.
The peach sun was slowly disappearing into the horizon as we made our way back to my car.
‘Let’s go out to dinner, yes? My shout.’ Pierre’s eyes sparkled with mischief.
Yet he was limping. From a stinger.
‘After we drop off your bags. We need to check you in, King Neptune.’
‘OK, then we’ll go for our first date.’
I nodded, stomach churning.
Danielle Weiler loves all things written. She has her best story ideas in the middle of the night when there's no chance to remember them the next day. Her first YA novel, Friendship of Fire, was published in 2011. Reckless is Danielle's first novel for new adults. She has lived and taught high school in New South Wales and Victoria but prefers the sunny weather of Perth. She is kept company by her husband, son and naughty cat, Ginger. Stalk her :
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signed copies of both Reckless & Friendship on Fire
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