Nobody's Girl

by Love, Michelle

  I wish I could help her!

  I hug her tightly and rock her back and forth. “Do you want to talk about it or go to sleep?” I ask.

  Her small face, her cheeks red from all the tears, looks up at me. “Could you sleep with me? I’m tired, but I’d like you to hold me. I feel like I’ve lost so much and having you next to me, holding me, would remind me why I let it all go. I’m not sorry I did, but I am feeling the loss.”

  My arm goes under her legs, lifting her. I carry her up the stairs as she lays her head against my chest. If I could take this all away, I would. I’d do it all differently if I’d known she’d be this hurt.

  I place her on the bed. “If you’re sure about this, I’ll go change and be right back.”

  Her hand lingers in mine. “I’m sure, Eden. I need you.”

  She needs me!

  I hate it’s because she’s in pain, but I love to hear it.

  “I’ll be right back, princess.”

  I change into some pajama bottoms and a T-shirt, then trod back down the hall to my mate’s bedroom door and do a quick tap before I enter.

  “Come in,” her sweet and very tired voice calls out to me.

  I open the door to find her cuddled up on the bed, lying next to the wall. She’s left room for me and pats the bed, reminding me of what she did a few hours ago and how that turned out. I’ll have to exercise great restraint with her.

  “How do you feel?” I ask as I slide in next to her.

  She takes my hand and holds it to her cheek. “Terrible and wonderful at the same time.”

  I stroke her hair back from her freshly washed face. “I’m sorry it’s this way. I truly am, Alyssa.”

  “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.” Her hand touches my chest, sending electric currents through it.

  I close my eyes with the intense sense of the current as it flows out of my heart and through my veins, carrying guilt over the knowledge this is my fault.

  If I would’ve done as my mother suggested and taken her when she was thirteen, this would never have happened. I open my eyes to find her looking at me.

  “I love you, Alyssa.”

  A frown draws her brows together. “Why do I feel you have something to tell me?”

  My eyes widen in surprise. Can it be true? Is the time to change close enough for her to start reading my thoughts?

  “I don’t know why you think that, princess. It’s late and we’re beyond exhausted. Why don’t you put your back to me and let me hold you?” Her frown isn’t going away, so I kiss her cheek. “We can talk when we wake up.”

  “I suppose,” she says as she turns over and scoots back to me.

  I wrap my arm around her and pull her into me. Thank The Creator I’m so tired, or I would never be able to hold her like this without great difficulty.

  The touch of her silky hair on my cheek is enough to drive me crazy. This night I will have the sweetest of dreams as I can finally hold my mate as I’ve only dreamt of.

  CHAPTER 22

  ALYSSA

  Something heavy lies on my leg as I open my eyes. A hard lump in my back is unfamiliar.

  All I see is the wall, and sunshine fills my bedroom. As I move my hand in front of my eyes to shield them, a flash of light nearly blinds me. After blinking a couple of times, I can see the giant ring on my finger.

  It’s as if I had a wild night of drinking because I’ve done the craziest things I’ve ever done. I had a very naughty make-out session with Eden and then said yes when he asked me to marry him.

  We came home and Kyle was in handcuffs and I made the police let him go, then I broke up with him. It nearly killed me to do it, but he took it a lot better than I thought he would.

  Maybe he wasn’t so in love with me after all.

  And I just remembered that I asked Eden to sleep with me.

  God! Who am I?

  Did I get taken over by the pod people like my mother and father have?

  My life has turned upside down. Am I really going to go through with marrying Eden?

  The total number of days I’ve known him is seven. In a mere five days I’ll be eighteen, and that’s when he wants to get married.

  What a birthday present that will be!

  No, I’m going crazy. I can’t go through with it. Not so soon anyway. I’ll have to push the date back so we can get to know each other better. Although he said we can’t have sex until I marry him, I bet I can get him to change his mind.

  The rock-hard lump in the small of my back lets me know I might be able to change his mind right now if I play my cards right. The even breaths I hear coming from him near my ear tell me he’s still asleep. I move ever so slowly back and forth, stroking him with my back.

  A growl comes from his throat, so I turn my body to face his.

  Even as he sleeps he’s beautiful beyond anyone I’ve ever seen, and he’s mine. I place a kiss on his cheek as I wrap myself around him, making sure to let his long, thick, hard lump stroke my inner thigh.

  His eyes open and a sleepy smile crosses his lips. “Mornin’ princess.”

  I kiss his stubbly cheek again as I rub my chest against his. “Good morning, Mr. Way Too Handsome In The Morning To Be Real.”

  He makes a soft chuckle. “That one was a bit long, was it not?”

  I grind against him. “Speaking of things which are long.”

  His arms wrap around me, pulling me tighter into him. “Do I have myself a temptress?”

  He places a gentle kiss on my neck sending a chill through me. “Maybe,” I say as I lay my lips on his neck to see if I can produce a similar effect in him.

  A low groan from him answers my unasked question. In a quick motion, he has me flat on my back as he moves his body over mine. His bulge grinds against me, only his pajama bottoms and my panties separating us from actually touching.

  He stops moving and looks into my eyes. “Tell me the words I long to hear.”

  I wrap my arms around his neck and pull his mouth almost to mine. I think he may be about to give in. “I love you, Eden.”

  I can feel his smile on my lips. “I love you too, Alyssa, my princess.”

  His lips touch mine, sending a surge of warmth through me. His tongue moves into my mouth, slicking past mine.

  One of his hands tangles up in my hair and he pulls it, making my head move. His mouth leaves mine to nip at my exposed neck and I think I might pass out from the desire which has built up in me so quickly.

  The shaft of his long erection strokes the sensitive area he found on me last night. I’m nearly bursting as I rise up to meet his hard, throbbing bulge. He rakes it over me as if we’re actually making love, but we aren’t.

  The heat inside me is overwhelming. I’m sweating and so is he. My hands run through his hair and I pull at it. My legs are trembling and my breath is coming in gasps.

  A hard bite on my neck sends me over the edge and I almost scream as I come undone inside. I wrap my legs around him as he stops moving. The pulse of his erection matches the pulse in me.

  How does he know how to do the things he does?

  Soft kisses drift over my neck and breasts before he brings his lips back to mine, which are still quivering. They’re so soft and tender, though he’s still rock hard. He maintains his composure as he looks at me.

  “Did I take care of your needs, princess?”

  I blush at his words. “You did, but what about yours?”

  “Mine have to wait,” he says, then brushes a piece of my hair back before he rolls off me, leaving me lonely.

  His back is to me as he sits up, then gets up and walks across the bedroom to the door. “Are you leaving?” I ask.

  He turns back to look at me. “I think it’s about time we got out of bed. I’m going to take a shower and get dressed, then I’m taking you to meet my parents.”

  What?

  “God, no, Eden. I’m not ready for that!”

  He flashes a smile at me. “Get ready, princess.”

&nb
sp; He’s out the door before I can attempt an argument. His parents will hate me!

  They’ll think me a gold digger. No one gets married this quickly. The sound of a car pulling into the drive gets my attention and I look out the window. It’s my best friend, Laura. I haven’t spoken to her since the day I had my accident. Man, she’s going to freak on me.

  She’s taking the stairs two at a time. Her footsteps are loud, and dare I say, angry?

  My door flies open and there she is.

  Oh yeah, she’s angry!

  “Alyssa Shaylee Devlin, how could you?” Her long blonde hair is put up into a high ponytail, just like she used to wear it when we were kids. It swings back and forth as she moves quickly to me.

  “I can’t believe Kyle told you. I wanted to do that,” I say as I hold up the hand with the to-die-for engagement ring on it.

  Laura’s big, blue eyes widen as she looks at the ring. “Christ, Ally, it’s true. I thought he was messing with me, but it’s true,” she says, then turns her eyes to me. “I can’t let you do this. It’s insane, and I can’t believe your parents are going along with this. What’s happened to you and your entire family?”

  I pat the bed for Laura to sit next to me. “Take a seat and I’ll tell you everything. Once you’ve heard my story, I hope you understand. You do remember the totally hot guy from the hospital, right?”

  Hesitantly, she sits on the bed and holds my hand. She’s in shock. I guess I would be too if she was doing this.

  “Yeah, he was exceptional, but this is too sudden, even for a guy like him,” she says.

  “In a normal situation, I would be waiting to marry him. This situation is not normal. The way we make each other feel is not normal. It’s like electricity flows through us when we touch. Hell, sometimes when we just look at each other we can feel it.”

  She squeezes my hand. “Ally, that’s lust. You can’t love this guy yet, and he can’t love you. This is a mistake. How long will your engagement be?”

  My eyes look away. I know what her reaction will be. “Not long. We’re getting married on my birthday.”

  She stands up and throws her arms in the air. “No! No, Ally! This is crazy. I tell you what we need to do. Kyle and I are loading your ass up in his truck and taking you to his grandfather’s house in Texas. They won’t find you there and we can de-brainwash you. You have to have been brainwashed, don’t you see that?”

  Hearing her tell me how crazy this is makes me realize just how insane it really is.

  “Maybe I’ve been living in a fantasy land. You might be right, but if I couldn’t see Eden, if I couldn’t touch him, I think I might die. Even now, I miss him, and he’s just down the hall.”

  Laura sits on the bed and takes my hands. “Don’t you see how unhealthy that is? You are way too wrapped up in him. It’s not normal.”

  “It isn’t normal. Not one bit. I do know this, Laura. Maybe I should leave with you and see how I feel about him after a day or so apart,” I say. My stomach clenches at the thought.

  Laura jumps into action, running to my closet to grab some clothes. “So, he’s here, but your parents and Scotty are gone. Let’s get the hell out of here before he leaves his room.”

  I scramble out of bed and run to the bathroom. “I need a shower.”

  “No! You can take one at my house before we leave,” Laura orders. “We need to hurry and get you out of here.”

  I grab a fresh pair of underwear, a pair of shorts, and a shirt from my drawer, then go into the bathroom to change. My reflection in the mirror shows pink cheeks where the stubble from Eden’s overnight beard growth rubbed them as he kissed me a while ago. On my neck is a bit of red where he bit me, making me come undone.

  I run my hand over it and swear I can still feel his teeth as they clamped down on me. The electric current is back, though he’s not anywhere near me.

  My hands flow over my neck, down the front of my body, and stop at where he’s kissed me and stroked me until I orgasmed. The first two of my life and Laura wants me to run away from him. I can’t.

  I dress, put my hair in a ponytail, and go out to let my best friend know that, crazy or not, I can’t leave him. She has a bag packed and is sitting on my bed, looking at her phone, texting someone.

  “Hey, Laura, I’ve been thinking, and I can’t go.”

  She looks up at me. “You can go. You need to go. This is not mentally healthy for you, Ally. Let me and Kyle take care of you for a little while. If you still think you love him, then we’ll understand. We’ll bring you back if after a few days you still want him.”

  A few days away from Eden sounds like hell to me. “No, I won’t go. I love him. I know you don’t understand how this can happen so fast, but it has. I love you for trying so hard to help me, but I don’t need any help. Maybe if you see us together you’d understand.”

  As if on cue, he walks in my bedroom door. A smile on his face, he looks at me, then quickly over at Laura. He smiles at her and walks to her. “Nice to see you again, Laura.”

  He holds out his hand and she places hers in his. He takes it, lifts it to his lips, and leaves a kiss on top of it.

  A smile covers her face and she looks directly into his eyes and says, “Oh, aren’t you smooth.”

  He lets her hand go and looks over at me. “Is something wrong?” he asks.

  “She thinks I’m crazy,” I answer.

  With a low chuckle, he says, “Does she now?”

  Laura crosses her arms over her chest. “I do, and I blame you for it. What have you done to my best friend? This whole family has gone berserk since you came to visit. I think it best if Ally got away from you and her parents for a few days. She needs to get her head back on straight, and the influence of all of you won’t help her accomplish that.”

  Eden moves to me, putting his arm around my waist. “Her head is on straight for the first time in years. Isn’t that right, baby?”

  I look up at him and smile. “I think so. I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life.”

  Laura looks at me like I’m nuts. “Ally, just come away with me for a few days. I promise I’ll bring you back as soon as you want.”

  Eden looks at me. “Is that something you want to do? Because you can, if you want. I’ll never hold you back from anything, princess.”

  My eyes search his and I know in an instant that I don’t want to leave him and run away for even a minute. “It’s not what I want,” I say, and hear Laura huff.

  She throws her arms up and says, “God! Go ruin your young lives. Get married way too young, end up divorced with three kids by the time you’re twenty-five, and then come crying to me that you wrecked your life over lust.”

  Eden kisses the top of my head. “Is that all we have, Alyssa?”

  I shake my head. “It’s love, Laura. Believe it or not, that’s what it is.”

  Laura’s eyes are shiny with unshed tears and I find it disturbing. I go to her and hold out my arms to hug her. She comes into them and I feel her shaking.

  “Why are you so afraid, Laura?” I ask.

  “Because I’m losing you, Ally. You’re leaving us all behind for this guy. Since the day of your accident, I’ve felt your absence. No phone calls or texts. Nothing. You’ve been so wrapped up in him. There are other people who care about you. Kyle, me, and even Cody have been missing you. Now you’re getting married and I’m assuming you’ll move away. You’ll forget about us and go live some fantasy life.”

  Crap! Now she has me crying.

  “I won’t forget about you. I promise, Laura. We’ll be friends forever. Eden and I haven’t even talked about where we’ll live. No matter where it is, though, you can come visit me and I’ll come visit you. You’ll see, it won’t be as bad as you think.”

  “What are your plans for today, Laura,” Eden asks.

  I let her go and grab a couple of tissues from my nightstand. I hand her one while I dab at my tears with the other. She looks at me for a few seconds before she look
s at Eden.

  “Since I’m not taking Ally anywhere, my plans are nothing.”

  “I wonder if you might like to join us for the weekend,” Eden says. “I’m taking Alyssa to New Orleans to meet my parents. Her family is coming, so you might want to come along too. I’d like to get to know you, and I’m sure seeing where I’ll be taking Alyssa to live will give you some comfort.”

  “I wouldn’t want to impose,” Laura says as she looks at me.

  “Would it be an imposition, Eden?” I ask.

  He laughs. “There are thirty-three bedrooms, so I don’t think you’ll be any imposition.”

  “Thirty-three!” Laura and I say in awe.

  “I guess I never thought about you living in a mansion, but of course you do,” I say.

  “What do you think, Ally?” she asks.

  I hug her, and whisper in her ear, “Go get your things packed. You’re coming with me.”

  She giggles and I let her go. On her way out of the bedroom, she stops in front of Eden. Her arms wrap around him in a hug. “Thank you, Eden. You can’t know how much this means to me,” she says, then leaves the room.

  My heart swells with love for him as I saunter over to him and throw my arms around his neck. “You are amazing. Do you know that?”

  He touches his forehead to mine. “She loves you and you love her. I’m not trying to take anyone from you, princess. I only want you to add me in.”

  Damn it, he’s sweet!

  Will he always be this way? Will my life with him always be like a fantasy, almost too good to be true?

  CHAPTER 23

  KYLE

  “What do you mean you’re going with them?” I ask Laura as I sit on her bed and watch her pack.

  “Eden invited me and I said yes. He has a mansion and I’d like to see where Ally will be living,” Laura answers.

  “So he’s taking her to meet the parents. I can’t believe Al’s marrying him on her birthday. Do you know she and I were supposed to leave for Texas on her birthday? What is it with that girl and losing her virginity on that day? I mean, come hell or high water, she’s getting laid on her birthday.”