by Dawn Doyle
“I like that you girls take turns,” my mom said. “Very responsible of you.”
I shrugged and took another bite of my veggie. “Saves gas.”
My dad gestured toward the hall. “Go do your homework while we get dinner ready.”
“Roger that,” I replied in my best military style voice, making him grin. “I’ll get on it, stat.”
I opened my bedroom door and gasped, freezing to the spot with my hand gripping the doorknob for support.
“Hi.” The deep voice caught me off guard. Lucian was lying on my bed, his feet crossed and his hands resting behind his head.
I glanced back, then to him, darting in my room and closing the door before pressing the lock. “What are you doing here?” I whispered, dropping my bag. “My parents are downstairs… Hang on, how the hell did you get in here?” I asked. He pointed to my open window. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”
He sat up and swung his legs over the bed to face me. “I think so.”
As I contemplated having him thrown in a psych ward, my insides dropped. “What happened to your face?” I asked, standing in front of him and looking down at the bruises along the left side of his jaw and over his right eye. The previous injuries had healed, but these were definitely fresh.
“That’s a topic for another day,” he said, his smile dropping. “How are you doing?”
“No.” I shook my head. “You came in here last time with cuts and swelling, and I never questioned it again, but this looks bad.” I lifted my hand to touch the long lump on his jaw. As I smoothed my finger over the swollen area, he closed his eyes. “Who did this to you?”
Lucian grabbed my wrist, pulling my hand away. “Luca, I haven’t seen you for days, can we not do this now?”
I frowned. “I looked for you.” Great, I sounded desperate. “I mean—”
“I can’t see you at school anymore, Luca.” His silver eyes looked up into mine, and the room disappeared. The sincerity in them floored me, something behind them hat drew me in. “But don’t think I didn’t want to be there.”
I held my breath when he lifted my hand to his mouth and pressed his warm lips to my palm, my mouth popping open as tingles broke out all over me.
He lowered it, then took hold of the top of my hips and gently tugged me toward him. “I’m not good to be around, Luca,” he whispered and pressed his forehead to my stomach.
I ran my hand over his head carefully, stroking over the back and running my fingers through his hair. “Says who? Grace?”
He looked up and let his hands slide up my waist and around to my lower back. “Says me.”
“Then why are you here?” We stared at each other, neither of us saying a word. I stroked my hands down the sides of his face, gently cradling it in my hands, avoiding the marks that someone had dared put on him.
“Because I can’t stop. I know I should, Luca, but I really don’t fucking want to.” He swallowed then took a long breath. “I’m no good for you.”
My heart pounded against my ribs with an audible thud in my head. My insides were doing things I’d never felt before, flipping, swirling, and doing an Olympic gymnast routine that made me feel like I was going to puke.
“Isn’t that my decision?” I asked, tilting his head back and pausing when he winced. “Who did this to you, Lucian?”
He dropped his hands and I had to step back as he stood. He walked toward the window. “I did it to myself.” He stood on my seat, ready to leave.
“Wait,” I whisper-shouted, rushing him and holding onto his solid arm. His muscle bunched where I touched, the black fabric of his long sleeved T-shirt stretching over them. “What do you mean, yourself?” I searched his face, looking for anything that would decipher his silence that gripped me with worry.
“Luca…” He put his foot back down, and faced me. “I have to get out of here before your parents come looking for you.”
I closed the gap between us, trying to get close enough so he could feel that I didn’t want him to leave, focusing on his mouth, hoping he would kiss me again like he did a few days before. “Stay.”
He hooked his finger under my chin and lifted, showing his dimples as his gorgeous smile made them pop. “Do you know where Lynnfield is?” he asked, and I nodded. I’d never been there, but I knew it wasn’t far from Paige’s house. “One-one-two-six, Freeland Avenue.”
“I’ll find it,” I rushed out.
“Tonight.” He leaned closer, and I swear my heart skipped in anticipation. “Nine o’clock,” he said, brushing his lips painfully slowly across mine.
“I’ll be there.”
He finally kissed me. One single long, hard kiss was enough to make the room spin and my legs turn to jello. Heat rushed through me, and I craved more.
“Think about it, Luca,” he said when he pulled back, his thumb still holding my chin in place. “Before you do anything, take a look at my face and understand that I can’t tell you about it.” I tried to speak, but he continued. “I refuse to drag you into my shit, Luca. I should let you go, but my selfish ass can’t keep away.”
Then he was gone. His body slipped through my window, and he crept down the garage roof before leaping to the ground below.
I blew out the breath I was holding and wiped the tear that had escaped down my cheek. I tried to do the impossible by pulling myself together, grabbing my bag and taking out my school books and iPad, smiling when the picture of the dildo fell to the floor. Homework would have to serve as a distraction, because from four until eight forty-five when I could leave, it was going to feel like a lifetime.
“Is everything okay?” my mom asked me for the fifth time.
“Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind.” That wasn’t a lie at all. I had a huge thing on my mind, and it was Lucian. My nerves were getting the better of me, and I’d dropped my fork at least three times already.
“Senior year can be stressful,” my dad offered, and I nodded. “They put too much on kids these days.”
“Dad,” I admonished. “I’m eighteen. I’m not exactly a kid anymore.”
“You’ll always be my baby girl,” he said between mouthfuls of food.
I rolled my eyes and my mom laughed. “You’ve grown into a beautiful young woman,” she said, nudging my dad with her elbow. “Pay no attention to your father.”
“I don’t,” I joked, and snorted when his eyebrows shot up. “I’m going to visit a friend after dinner,” I said, changing the subject while moving food around my plate. “They don’t live far, and I won’t be too late.”
Shit.
Dad was in full cop mode. His assessing stare, his tight mouth, and his curling fingers. “Where?”
“Lynnfield.” I tired to sound casual, but he didn’t relax all that much.
“Not far.” He wiped his mouth then took a sip of his water. “Who is this friend?”
“John,” my mom scolded. “Luca doesn’t need to be interrogated. She’s a smart girl”—she turned to me—“you’re a smart girl, honey and we trust you.”
You shouldn’t.
Even through my guilt, I held my hand out toward her. “Thank you!”
“Go to your friends’ house, and if you need anything, we’re only a phone call away.”
“Will their parents be home?” my dad added.
I knew he couldn’t leave it at that. My mom even had to keep it a secret I had beer at Grace’s party; she was awesome like that.
She stared at my dad until he backed down. “Just don’t be too late, honey, okay? Maybe you can invite your friend over here sometime?”
I sincerely doubt that.
My dad would have a background check done on him before he’d gotten through the door. From what Lucian had told me tonight, I wasn’t sure my dad would come up empty handed.
Chapter 8
Luca
“Your destination is on the left.”
My GPS informed me I was there, but all I could see was an empty road. No houses, no lights; nothing.
I checked my doors were locked, but fear still crept in when I turned around to find that apart from my headlights, I was in complete darkness.
Two loud bangs hit the roof of the car and I screamed, my heart in my throat and my hands gripping onto the steering wheel so hard I was fully prepared to tear it off and use as a weapon. Lucian’s face appeared next to the passenger door, making me jump again.
“Unlock it.”
I took me a few attempts to press the right button, my hands shaking so much from the massive fright he’d given me. When the lock finally popped, he opened the door and got inside, locking it from there.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” he said, turning to me and running his fingers down my cheek, then tucking my freshly washed and dried hair behind my ear. “I knew if you’d come, you’d be right here. The house isn’t visible from the road.”
“I-I-just need a minute,” I stammered, taking deep breaths to slow down my rapid pulse. “You scared the crap out me, Lucian.” I could feel his eyes on me, fixed, staring, like he’d never seen me before. “I’m fine.”
“I know,” he replied. His voice was rough and bold—almost dominant. “When you’re ready, take the left a few feet ahead. When you see a white rock, that’s where it is.”
I glanced to him and saw his expression. His irises stood out in the dark, the lights from the dash reflecting off of them. His mouth was set, his jaw tight.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, then looked out for the white rock.
“You shouldn’t have come.”
I pulled my lips between my teeth, disappointment washing over me at his words. I shouldn’t have come? I was also so fucking confused. I cleared my throat. “But, you asked me to,” I said, my voice tight.
“Because I wanted you to.”
I saw the white rock and my headlights landed on a pathway curving just after it. I pressed my foot on the brake. “I don’t understand.”
“If you know what’s good for you, Luca, you’ll tell me to get out of the car, you’ll lock the doors, and then you’ll drive home.”
“What if I don’t want to?” I countered. “What if I’m prepared to drive down that path and see where it leads?”
His eyes sparkled in the light, a half smile forming on his full lips. “Then you’ve followed the wrong rabbit.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Did you just make an Alice in Wonderland reference?”
He chuckled, and sat back in the seat. “That depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether you think this is going to be a fairytale or a nightmare.”
“Lucian,” I said on a breath. “I’m a big girl, I can make my own decisions on what I want, and I want to be here. Stop trying to scare me away because it’s not working.” I leaned toward him, getting as close as I could. “I’ve picked my door.”
“Then turn here.”
I maneuvered my car around the tight curve, concentrating on the beams lighting the way, careful not to go off road. My car was definitely not built for that. We traveled in silence until a huge house appeared, shrouded in darkness except for a light either side of the black front door. It lit up the two sets of two long sectional windows either side, creating a welcoming entrance along with the two planters with pink roses.
“This is your house?” I asked in awe. The red-orange brick looked brand new as though it was freshly built. The attached garage looked big enough to fit at least four cars. Lucian dug into his pocket, pressed a fob, and one of the massive black doors rolled up.
He nodded. “You can park there,” he said pointing to the empty bay in the dimly lit garage.
I drove in next to a white BMW X5, the paint shiny and sleek. I cut the engine and slowly opened my door, careful not to catch the expensive car, even though there was plenty of room between us.
Lucian walked around the hood and took my hand. “Watch your step. Stay close, okay?”
I nodded like an idiot. “Why is it so dark?”
He stopped and looked over his shoulder. “Only out here. I like my privacy, and so do the others. My parents are out at a work function tonight, so it’s just us.”
A flush of adrenaline flooded in my gut, causing heat to rise up my neck. It had become too warm and the hairs on my neck stood on end when Lucian opened the door that led to the house. He reached inside and then the room lit up slowly, starting as a faint glow from the outside edge of the ceiling and gradually increasing until the kitchen was illuminated.
It. Was. Magnificent. Chrome appliances, black granite counter tops, and a center island with a stove, a sink, and a seating area that could easily fit at least six people. The long section curved around, and as Lucian led me past it, I saw that the huge area opened up into another room. I walked carefully on the shiny white tiled floor, and took the steps down into a sitting room.
“This is the living room,” he said, quickly sweeping his arm around.
A huge deep navy-blue sofa faced the wall behind me, and two large matching armchairs were either side, set up perfectly for the enormous flat screen TV. My eyes dropped to the wall-mounted fireplace. I imagined what the flames would look like as they danced over the white pebbles inside.
“Wow, your house is beautiful,” I whispered in awe.
“Thanks.”
I could feel his eyes on me as I looked back to the white tiles to where they led to the steps, and then down to the parquet flooring. A rectangular table sat on a matching rug, with a small pile of black coasters next to a large glass bowl full of white flowers.
“This is only the living room,” he said on a chuckle. “We could stay in here, or we could go see the others downstairs in the basement.”
Of course, the others. For a moment, I thought we were all alone. “Um, sure.”
“You don’t seem so sure,” he said, turning to sideways glance at me. “In fact, you seem a little disappointed they’re here.”
“W-well, when you said it was just us…” I let my voice trail off.
He stood close—too close—his torso grazing my breasts making my nipples tighten. “You weren’t worried when you thought we were all alone?” he drew out with an edge to his voice that had my stomach clenching.
“No,” I replied, standing tall even though my instinct was to step back to get some safe space between us. Nothing about Lucian Moretz was safe. He was dangerous, to my head, to my body; to my heart. In such a short space of time, he’d become the main focus of my thoughts.
He dipped his head. “Luca,” he breathed against my mouth. He rested his forehead against mine, our height difference making him tower above me. He straightened quickly, turning his back while still gripping my hand.
Had I done something wrong? “Lucian—”
“Let’s go before I take you back to your car.”
He led me up a similar staircase to Aunt Cora’s, darting quickly to the right and down the landing to the last door right ahead. The white walls were covered in picture frames, but we were walking so fast, I didn’t have time to notice the faces in them.
He hit a switch on the wall inside, turning on lamps either side of huge bed. The dark shades didn’t cast much light around the room. They highlighted the black nightstands that looked like tall luggage trunks, the vintage looking edges and locks bright under the glow.
“Take a seat.” Lucian gestured toward an oversized armchair that was easily big enough for two people.
I turned and sat on the edge, the soft fabric velvety under my hand as I pressed it down. My butt sank down, and I wanted to scoot back and bury myself in the matching cushions and contrasting cream ones. Instinctively, I slid a little further back to get more comfortable. “This is nice.” I cringed. The first words to come out of my mouth since I walked into his bedroom, and that was all I could think of?
Lucian walked over to me and crouched so I had to look down at him. He titled his head to the side, the light shining against his bruises. “Don’t worry about those,” he said, maneuvering his head to ca
tch my eyes. “In a few days, they’ll be gone.”
“But more will appear soon after, right?” I hadn’t forgotten about the first time, and I was not going to forget this, either.
“Probably.” He took my hands in his, and turned them over as though inspecting them. “But remember what I said—I’m not involving you in that part of my life, okay? You being here, showing up after everything I said, you made that choice…” He dropped my hands and stood, turning his back on me.
“I’m still here, Lucian.”
He slowly turned to look over his shoulder before the rest of him followed. “Exactly. So you know what that means.”
I wanted to ask what the hell was going on, but he was right. My decision to be here was taken as my agreement. If I hadn’t made that choice, that would’ve been it; no more Lucian. It was selfish of me too, because even though he’d warned me away, it wasn’t possible. I could get up from the chair, walk out that door and never look back. But, I knew deep down that I would regret taking this chance, because no matter how hard he tried to scare me away, I wasn’t prepared to go.
I chose that moment to make full use of the inviting chair. I slipped off my sneakers, then blew a long breath out of my nose as I shuffled back until I could go no further. “It means I’m getting myself comfortable.” I wiggled side-to-side, snuggling down into the fabric and between the cushions. I let out a tiny moan. “Oh, and it feels so great.” I tucked my hands under, and made a show of closing my eyes and savoring the softness as though I’d just laid down on the world’s most comfortable bed.
When I opened them, Lucian rubbed his hands over his head then down his face. Was he having second thoughts? I studied his expression for a few seconds, trying not to let my nervousness show on my face. I continued to smile at him, but couldn’t get it to stay around my eyes.
Then he was there, his hands either side of my legs, his head above my chest, and his face trained on mine like a predator. He stalked upward until he was directly above me. I was trapped underneath, his hands and knees caging me in, letting me know that I was in a dangerous situation. There was nothing scary about it except for the way his action had elicited sensations in me that I wanted to act on.
