by Chloe Walsh
“Fuck the line.” I grabbed the back of her neck and sealed my mouth against hers. She moaned a real genuine to God erotic moan and I thought I might lose it. I plunged my tongue inside her mouth. She tasted unbelievable. Her hands were in my hair tugging me closer to her. “Mmm you taste like fucking heaven. I need more.” I did.
I couldn’t help myself. I shifted in the seat until I had her on her back. I kept my mouth on hers as pressed against her. Her racy little moans and cries were driving me fucking insane, I couldn’t think of anything except the driving urge I had to be inside her. I moved my hands up under her shirt to feel her tits. I realised from the first night I saw her she was blessed in the breast department, but sweet Jesus her tits were huge and one hundred percent real. “Kyle,” she cried out softly as she bucked her hips against me. The way she was responding to me was driving me wild. “Damn baby, these are fucking perfect.” I had to have a taste. I stuck my head under her t-shirt.
Pulling down the lace bra blocking me from my destination, I grabbed one of her full breasts with my hand and latched my mouth to her stiff ripe nipple. I moved my other hand down to cup her between her legs. Holy hell, her jeans were damp. She was fucking ready for my here and now. I stroked between her legs as I flicked her nipple with my tongue, until she was crying out my name. “Kyle…” “Uh Kyle?” “Kyle, get the fuck up man.” Wait… what? I paused, and realised that it was a lot brighter under this shirt than what it had been when I first ducked under. I pulled my head out from under her shirt and looked up to see the lights had come on and Derek’s face grinning down at me. “Dude, you’re in a movie theatre,” he said with a mocking tone, “Show some restraint.”
LEE
I couldn’t look Cam in the eye; she was furious. I couldn’t look Derek in the eye; he was laughing at me. I couldn’t look Kyle in the eye, because he had ran off. “What the hell was that?” Cam asked when she eventually calmed down enough to talk to me. “I don’t know.” I didn’t.
One minute Kyle and I were getting along, and the next I was on my back with his hands and his mouth on my chest. He had quite literally jumped off me, muttered something about being sorry and then bolted. I leaned further into the passenger seat of Cam’s ford focus, wishing there was a secret button that I could press and fall out of this car and away from the angry looks from my best friend. “Well you sounded as if you sure as hell knew,” she sighed, as she indicated onto a street I was familiar with. Oh thank God, we were nearly home. I needed to get away from Cam, and be alone. I needed to figure out what happened back there. “Babe what were you thinking. Haven’t I told you, warned you not to go there? You are not cut out for him.”
Her words hurt because I knew she was telling the truth. “Don’t you think I know that Cam,” my voice was barely a whisper. “Do you think I don’t know I’m not good enough for him?” “Wait, Lee I didn’t mean…” “I know what you meant Cam, and I know I can’t compete with girls like Rachel. I’m plain looking and have too much hips and thighs. I have little education and even less money. I’m a small town girl with no mama and a two-bit drunk for a daddy. I know I don’t have the pedigree and I don’t care about that. What I do care about is the fact that my best friend, my only friend in the whole world, would count that against me.”
Cam pulled the car into the driveway and killed the engine. She inhaled sharply and turned to face me. “Firstly, I do not, nor have I ever thought any of those things about you, and if you ever suggest that I do again, im gonna be real pissed.” Cam grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently, “You are a good person Lee. That’s what I meant when I said you’re not cut out for Kyle. You are too good for him. I love Kyle like he’s my own brother but babe, he aint never gonna be good enough to have your heart. And that’s where this is going Lee. I can see it. It’s written all over that pretty face of yours.” What was she saying? Did she think? How could she know…?
“Kyle has issues. I’m not sure what they are exactly, but I know they have something to do with Rachel Grayson.” I already guessed that. “He doesn’t talk about it, but I know the girl has something on him, something big. There is no other possible reason way he would tolerate her.” “What do you think is going on with them?” I couldn’t help but ask.
Cam shifted in her seat. “He was different when we were younger, fun and easy-going and he didn’t have that nasty temper. He was seeing Rachel back then but it wasn’t anything serious for either of them. Anyway during winter break of our sophomore year, his grandfather died. He was visiting his grandfather in Denver when it happened, he’d phoned to let us know, but he never came back over the holidays. He was gone for weeks. When Kyle finally came back, he was different.” I didn’t get it, “So you’re saying Kyle changed when his grandpa died?”
Cam groaned loudly. “I don’t really know what I’m trying to say Lee. All I know is one minute he the same old Kyle we knew and loved and then the next, he was…empty. Something happened to him, something more than just the grief of his grandfather dying.” Cam left out a breath, “He’s been Rachel’s lapdog ever since.”
I tried to piece the puzzle in my own head, but all the information Cam had given me was swirling around and not making much sense. “I need you to stay away from him Lee. I don’t want you dragged down in their drama. Something weird is going on with him and that bitch, and you need to stay out of it.” I inhaled slowly, and forced the words out of my mouth. “Cam you have nothing to worry about,” I forced a smile, “From the look of horror on his face before he ran out, he won’t be touching me again. “I pulled my hand free and climbed out of the car. “Where are you going Lee? We need to talk about this.” I kept walking and let myself inside. I couldn’t talk about it. I couldn’t think about it. I made it as far as my room before the tears came.
KYLE
My phone was ringing. I knew who it would be. I turned it off. She knew. I pulled the covers over my head and prayed for sleep to take me. I knew it wouldn’t. I hadn’t slept a wink last night. My conscience had reared its ugly head.
Every time I closed my eyes, the image of Lee’s hurt face plagued me. Running out on her last night was one of the shittiest things I’ve ever done. It was my piss poor attempt to protect her. The look on her face, I didn’t think my opinion of myself could get any lower. I was wrong. My phone was ringing again. It wouldn’t be long now. The loud hammering noise and the screaming of my name was my signal to get out of bed. Goddammit.
I trudged down the stairs to the front door. I was in no hurry to deal with her. I inhaled a calming breath and pulled back the door. “You fucking bastard.” She stormed in. “Hello to you to Rachel.” I closed the door behind her and leaned against it.
“I heard about your little date night at the movies.” I nodded. What did she want me to do, lie? There was no fucking point. Her face reddened, “You no good sack of shit. The one girl I tell you not to touch and you can’t even do that.” She slammed her index finger against my chest. “What do you want me to say Rachel?” I asked, “That I don’t want any other girl but you?” I growled, moving away from the door. I could not stand still anymore. “If it wasn’t for the accident, I wouldn’t have you inside my fucking door and you know it. You trapped me.”
I knew what was coming, even before her hand connected with my face. It was a usual occurrence. “Do you think you deserve to be happy? You know what that accident cost me. You’re a fucking waste of fresh air Kyle Carter. You should have died that night.” I couldn’t agree more with her .It would have been easier to have died in the car crash, than deal with the consequences, and live this fucking empty life.
LEE
I hid in the living room until I heard the front door slam. I took that as a sign Rachel had left. I released a breath I felt like I had been holding for an eternity. I had been in here cleaning when Rachel barged in screaming and shouting at Kyle. They had a massive fight, over me. She knew about last night. Someone told her and she was furious. I cringed, thinking of the hor
rible things she was saying to Kyle. My urge to run out to the hall and protect him had disintegrated when I heard the sharp crack of flesh hitting flesh. I knew that sound well, I had felt it often enough.
I sat on the couch, focussing on breathing slow and even, and trying to ignore the instinct of self-preservation inside of my body urging me to run. The door opened and Kyle walked in, his eyes widening when he saw me. His reddened cheek was proof as to who received the slap I had heard being bestowed.
A moment of relief surged through me, followed swiftly by an even greater feeling of anguish. I was on my feet and in front of Kyle within seconds. “Are you okay?” I reached up and stroked his cheek. “Did she hurt you? Are you sore?” I could feel the tears trickling down my face but I couldn’t stop crying. “You’re not any of those names she called you. Don’t listen to her.” A dark side of me was relieved, relieved that it hadn’t been Kyle. That he didn’t hit…women. Thinking that wasn’t the reason I was crying, it was the reason I couldn’t stop. I was a terrible person.
“Shit Lee, I didn’t know you were in here.” Kyle clasped my face in his hands and looked down at me, his face etched with concern. He stroked my cheeks with his thumbs, wiping my tears. “Relax, everything’s okay.” Kyle pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms me. He held my head against his heart with one hand and stroked my back with the other. I felt my body relaxing against the warmth of his, and the rapid beat of his heart. “I’m fine. Please stop crying princess. I don’t want you upset.” I nodded and slowly pulled away from him and moved towards to the couch. I sank down, and covered my face in hands.
“What was that?” he asked eventually when the silence grew thick. I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees. “I don’t like violence.” It was all I could say. I could hardly tell him about the turbulence of feelings whizzing through me, all of which concentrated on him. “Are you sure that’s all it was? Because I’m gonna be honest with you Lee that was scary.” Oh great, I freaked him out.
I faked a smile, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just…I really do not like violence. I am sorry. I don’t like knowing she hit you because of me.” Kyle let out a soft sigh. “Don’t say sorry. This wasn’t your fault, she doesn’t need much of an excuse to fly off the handle,” he said, “I’m just glad you’ve not been around to witness Rachel’s outbursts. You would have flooded the house with those tears.” I knew he was trying to crack a joke. It wasn’t funny. “You mean she does that a lot to you?” I whispered. I hear the disgust dripping from my question. Kyle shrugged, “She has a bad temper. She lashes out. I don’t like it but I understand it.” I gasped and stood up. I could feel my body shaking. “Why do you let her do that to you?” Kyle laughed. I could tell it was forced. “Have you looked at me lately princess? I can take a few bitch slaps here and there.” How could he make jokes about this?
“It’s not a joke Kyle. She shouldn’t be hitting you. She treats you so bad I can’t stand it. Rachel needs to see someone. What if when she does this to someone other than you? What about when she has children…”
Kyle stopped me before I could finish. “Back up Lee, just back the fuck up.” I backed up, all the way to opposite side of the room. I could feel the anger vibrating from him. “Whatever psychobabble analysis you’ve constructing in your head about Rachel you can forget it. You don’t know anything about her. And you definitely don’t know shit about me. So keep your self-help guides and your goddam opinions to yourself. I’m not interested in hearing anything you have to say right now.” With that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I crumpled to the floor, and let the pain flood me.
KYLE
I was a bastard. I truly was. I shouldn’t have gone off on Lee earlier. I was pissed with Rachel for slapping me again and took my frustration out on Lee. I cringed remembering the look of terror in her eyes when I shouted at her. I shouldn’t have shouted. It was obvious Lee was nervous. But what she had said touched on something Rachel would never have to deal with and that was entirely my fault. The girl had every right to hit me. Christ I would hit me if I were her.
That didn’t excuse the way I treated Lee. She had defended me when Rachel was shooting her mouth off and had given me one of the best nights of my life last night. She tried to comfort me when she thought I was hurt. She was nothing but good. I owed her an apology, and I would give her one, just as soon as I could look her in the eye again.
LEE
I wasn’t sure if I should go downstairs when Cam called me for dinner. I didn’t know if Kyle wanted me to come down. I knew he was still here. I could hear him rustling around in his room all afternoon. He had gone downstairs when Cam shouted up that the pizza had arrived. But he had been so angry earlier that I was still shuffling around my room, debating whether I could face him or not…“Lee, come on down here girl.” Cam called again. I was just going to have to face him. He would have to deal with it. We all had to live here.
I walked downstairs and poked my head around the living room door. Cam and Derek were cuddled up on the love chair eating each other’s faces, which left only the couch to sit on. That option wasn’t looking very good either, not with Kyle sitting on it with Rachel sprawled across his lap.
Dixon and Mo were here too so I focussed on them. “Lee you’re here,” Dixon smiled broadly “I thought I wasn’t gonna be able to stop myself from eating your piece.” I took a deep breath and walked in, ignoring the two pairs of eyes that bore into me. “Well I’m here now Dixon so hands off,” I joked as I sat on the floor alongside him. I could see Kyle shift on the couch. He moved slightly further from Rachel but I didn’t dare look to see her reaction. I was too busy hoping to hell that she wouldn’t put a beating on me. I focussed on the two boys beside me. They were very much alike. But that was expected with twins.
Both boys were lanky and thin. They both had brown hair, but Mo had green eyes and Dixons were brown. Dixon had his eyebrow pierced, which distinguished them from one another even more. “You’re looking good Lee. Tell me you got your eye on any man here in Boulder?” I heard a choking noise from behind me.
“You okay bro? You need a drink?” Derek asked. “No I’m good Derek,” Kyle said. I blushed and made some comment to Dixon about focussing on work right now. Dixon prattled on while I ate my slice of margarita. It felt like I was swallowing glass. It was obvious which twin was the outgoing one. “I’m heading out.” I heard Rachel say, and a few seconds later felt a burning pain shoot through my fingers.
I looked down at my hand, to see a shoe pressing into my skin. “Good night everyone,” Rachel smirked down at me, there was a look of pure malice in her eyes. I held in the scream that was bubbling in my throat. I would not give her the satisfaction of knowing she was hurting me. “Bye now. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Oh wait never mind,” Cam said as she waved at Rachel falsely. Rachel huffed. “Kyle, walk me out? Now.” She moved her foot and I pulled my hand towards me. Holding it to stomach, I covered it with my other. “You okay there Lee?” Mo asked. “Yeah I’m good, just real thirsty. I’ll be right back.”
I got up and went straight to kitchen sink. Running the tap, I let the cold water wash over my aching fingers. Thank god, Rachel was skinny; otherwise, my fingers could have been a lot sorer. I reckoned it was just bruising. They stung but I could move them, I’d had a lot worse.
“I’m sorry about today.” I turned to see Kyle standing in the doorway. He was sorry? “Me too, I interfered in your business. I won’t do it again.” I turned off the tap and wrapped my hand in a tea towel. “You hurt your hand or something?” Kyle stepped closer. He had that worried look on his face. Before I could move, he took my hand and slowly unwound the towel. “Holy shit Lee. How’d you do that?” His thumb softly traced my swollen fingers. “I caught them in the door.” He believed me; I was good at covering up. “Damn Lee, you gotta be more careful. You could have snapped these. It could have been a lot worse.” I grimaced. Kyle di
dn’t realise how much more careful I needed to be. “Thanks, I’ll be sure to remember that.”
“You know I’m sorry right?” He was close, too close. “You already said that,” I muttered, taking a step closer to the door. I needed to keep some distance between Kyle and I. Cam was right, I didn’t want to get in the middle of his drama with Rachel.
He stared at me, his brows furrowed, and I felt naked. It was disturbing how my body reacted to something as trivial as a look. But I was on fire, burning up. “We’re all gonna hit a club, you guys in?” I heard Derek call out. “Yeah, sure,” I replied, relieved to have an escape from Kyle and his penetrating stare.
KYLE
This was all I needed; Lee in a fucking dress, and Dixon chasing after her like some lovesick puppy Granted, it was one of those long dresses that girls wore during the summer, but I wanted to strangle Derek for his stupid fucking idea. I needed to go clubbing, like I needed a hole in the head.
Why was she here? Lee didn’t do clubbing. Hell, she didn’t do house parties. Her being here was messing with my head, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the way she moved her body on the dance floor. “You have to get a handle on this man.” I gave Derek my best death glare, “You don’t know what you’re talking about Derek.” It was his fucking fault. “You know exactly what I’m talking about,” he said quietly, “You’re infatuation with little Lee over there.” He pointed over to where she was being accosted by Dixon. “Dude, either walk away from her now, or do something about it. Stop sitting on the fence like a fucking girl.”
I stood up and made my way through the crowd until I was behind her. I glared at Dixon as I pulled her hips. She staggered against my chest and turned her neck. “Kyle,” she whispered. Her eyes were wide, her lips tempting. I leaned down and nipped her neck. She made to turn towards me but I stilled her. “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice thick with desire.
