Or maybe I would just have to finally deal with her…and her friends.
Kade was talking with Johan, Tom, and a kid I had seen around school.
“I’m going inside with the girls,” I said.
“I’ll be right there,” Kade replied, and I felt his gaze on me as I walked away. I glanced over my shoulder and sure enough he was watching me. I flashed a smile and he winked.
I followed the girls into the bathroom where we spent the next ten minutes reapplying makeup. I didn’t pretend that Dana being here didn’t bother me. I couldn’t stand her, and she would forever be a constant reminder of what Laria had done to Kade that night at Tom’s house.
I left the bathroom before the other girls, and walked down the hallway. Kade headed my way, his lips spreading into a devilish grin. “Hey, you want to dance?”
I was surprised he was asking. I guess I never took him as the dancing type, but I was happy he was. Having taken dance classes for years when I was younger, I loved any opportunity to dance.
Half the guests were already out on the floor, moving and gyrating to a song with a great beat.
Kade took me by the hand and I followed him out to the dance floor, near the middle of the crowd. He was an incredible dancer, and I could feel the blood in my veins sizzle as he moved closer. The heat came off him in waves. His hand slid to my hip.
I reached up and touched his arm.
The side of his mouth curved in a sexy smile, and he leaned and whispered in my ear, “I want to be with you tonight.”
My breath caught in my throat. “I want to be with you, too.”
Despite all the drama of late, I wanted to be alone with him. The day at the river seemed like a lifetime ago and I craved the intimacy we’d shared that day.
I saw Dana dancing with a friend, and the way they both watched us, with huge smiles on their faces, made me frown and wonder what she was up to now. I quickly looked away. I would not let that bitch ruin my night.
“You’re a great dancer,” Kade said in my ear. “So sexy.”
“You’re pretty damn good yourself,” I said, feeling slightly lightheaded. I’d had a cup of the spiked punch, maybe enough to get a little buzz on, but not enough to get drunk and pass out.
At least I was in good hands.
The dizziness faded. We moved closer together, and I slipped my arms around his neck. He slid his hands around my waist, and held me so close I could feel his heart pounding against my chest.
His hands moved from my hips to my butt.
I lifted a brow. He lowered his head, his lips hovering over mine.
A second later Kade was ripped away, and before I could blink Johan was on the floor and Kade was on top of him, punching him in the face.
What the hell?
It took Shane, Tom, and Milo to pull Kade off of Johan.
Johan’s face was bloodied, and Kade’s chest was rising and falling as he looked at Johan, then at me.
Cass’s eyes narrowed as she watched me. “What the fuck, Riley?” She rushed off the floor and I glanced at Megan, who shook her head and ran after Cass.
Everyone was staring at me, mostly in surprise. My heart was a roar in my ears. Something was very wrong.
Shane came up to me and put his arm around me. “You okay?”
“No, not really.” I was ready to ask him what had happened when Kade came up to me, took me by the hand and walked off the floor.
“Dude, where are you going?” Shane said, right behind us.
Kade turned on him. “Give me a minute with your sister, will you? She’ll be fine. I promise.”
“She better be,” Shane replied, and glanced at me. “You okay? If you want to leave, we can go right now.”
“I’m fine,” I said, and followed Kade, whose fingers tightened on mine.
We walked out the back door, onto a beautiful patio, and past guests who went silent the second they saw us. I had to take two steps to his one. I could feel his rage.
We rounded the corner, and up a walkway on the side of the house. He abruptly dropped my hand and turned on me. “Why would you dance with Johan like that? I know we fought last night, and you’ve been distant this week, but I don’t—”
“What do you mean dancing with Johan?” I said, dread filling me at his words. “I was dancing with you.”
He watched me for a long minute and shook his head. “What?”
“Kade, I swear on my life that I was dancing with you. I wasn’t dancing with Johan.”
His eyes narrowed. “I don’t understand.”
Oh my God, no wonder Cass was so mad. She had seen me dancing with Johan. Everyone had seen me dancing with Johan. Laria was at it again…
He ran a trembling hand through his hair. “Wait, you’re telling me you thought you were dancing with me?”
“I was dancing with you. Seriously, go ask Johan—ask him if he remembers any of the past ten minutes. I guarantee you he won’t remember a thing.”
“This sounds familiar,” he said, shaking his head. “Bloody hell, when will she stop?”
“Hopefully when we bind her to her grave,” I said absently, my mind racing. I needed to find Cass and explain. This looked really bad. “I should find Cass and Megan, and you should probably talk to Johan.”
His fingers threaded through mine. “Let’s go together.”
I nodded, but he stopped short and pulled me close. “I’m sorry, Riley. I just saw red when I saw you together. I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
I cradled his face between my palms. “I love you, Kade. I want you. I don’t want anyone else. I would never knowingly hurt you.”
He looked so relieved. “I love you, too…and I don’t want anyone else either.”
We hadn’t made it five feet into the house when Cass’s stepmum blocked us from coming inside.
“It’s time for you to leave,” she said, looking at Kade. She glanced at our linked hands and lifted a brow.
Shane and Cait came up to us.
“I need to go,” Kade said, looking at his sister. “Will you tell Johan I’d like to talk to him outside?”
Cait nodded. “Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, that’s okay. You stay and have fun with your friends. I’m sure Cass or Megan will drive you home.”
There was no way I was staying at the party. “I’m coming with you.”
He didn’t argue with me.
“I just need to get my purse,” I said to Cass’s stepmum, who let me in, but she made a point of keeping Kade out.
“I’ll meet you out front,” Kade said, and I nodded and raced up the steps to Cass’s room where I’d left my things.
Cass and Megan were in the room and seeing me, Cass looked at me, eyes red and swollen. “What the fuck was that, Riley? I thought you were my friend.”
“Laria’s back. I swear to God I was dancing with Kade. That wasn’t Johan. I didn’t even see Johan until Kade had him on the floor.”
“Fuckin’ hell,” Megan said, getting up from where she’d been sitting on the bed. “I knew something was off. I just knew there was no way you would do that to Kade or Cass.”
“I’m sorry, Cass. I didn’t mean to mess up your birthday.”
Cass swallowed hard and gave me a hug. “I feel like such an idiot.”
“I feel like an idiot,” I said. “All those people out there saw me dancing with Johan.” I just wanted to leave, go home with Kade, and forget about tonight.
“They probably just think you’re getting back at him for Tom’s party,” Megan said, and then clamped her mouth shut. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“That’s okay, and I’m sure you’re right.”
I grabbed my purse, gave Cass a hug. “Your stepmum asked Kade to leave, and I really need to go with him.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but Megan interrupted. “I completely understand. If it was Milo, I’d do the same. You two have a good night.”
“I could talk to my stepmu
m and see if she’d reconsider,” Cass said, already heading for the door.
“You know what—I think it’s time for us to go, especially considering Laria is here. Let’s face it, who knows what else she’ll pull if I stay.”
Cass’s eyes went wide.
“Let us at least walk you out,” Megan said, beating me to the door.
I nodded and followed behind them, relieved things were okay between us.
The party had resumed, and aside from a few gawkers, no one paid us much attention.
Outside, Kade was talking to Johan, with Tom, Shane, Cait, Milo and Richie nearby.
I breathed a sigh of relief. Johan nodded at something Kade said. Kade put his hand out and Johan took it.
“Thank God,” Megan said under her breath.
I couldn’t agree more.
Dana walked up to Kade and he turned around. He frowned at her, and she slapped him across the face.
Oh shit. I rushed toward them.
“What about us?” she said, shrieking.
“There is no us, Dana,” Kade said, sounding exhausted. “There never was.”
“That’s not what you said the night of Tom’s party.”
I cleared my throat and she turned around, her gaze shifting slowly over me. “She wants Johan, anyway. We all saw them practically shagging on the dance floor before you busted them.”
My cheeks grew hot as others gathered around us.
“You fucking asshole,” Dana yelled.
People filed out onto the yard, obviously wanting to get a glimpse of the train wreck.
Dana was pounding on Kade’s chest, and screeching like a banshee, tears streaming down her face.
Johan stepped between them and held Dana at bay.
In that moment, all the anger, frustration, and jealousy I’d felt toward Dana hit me hard. I wanted to rip her eyes out.
“I can’t believe you want that freak!” she screamed.
“Dana, get the hell out,” Cass said, furious. “These are my friends and they were invited, you weren’t.”
Dana turned to her buddies, almost like she expected them to do something.
“I left my purse inside,” one of them said.
“Well, go get it,” Megan replied, pointing toward the house.
“Okay. Jesus,” she said with a sneer. “You don’t have to be such a bitch.”
I glanced up and I saw the faces of the others amongst the crowd of school friends. I blinked a few times, but those faces didn’t shift or change back. When I glanced at Dana, I saw Laria’s features juxtaposed over hers.
Kade’s fingers slid around mine. “Are you ready?”
I nodded.
“I can’t believe you want the cutter over me,” Dana said, her voice odd. All my friends heard it because they had the same shocked expressions on their faces.
An unexplainable rage rushed through me. I didn’t even remember moving, but the next thing I knew, I was standing in front of Dana and I punched her hard.
Dana lifted her hand to hit me back, but I caught her wrist.
“You touch me and I’ll kill you.” The words came from me, but they didn’t sound like me.
Dana’s eyes widened. “Whatever…bitch.”
I had never touched anyone before, and yet I lost my mind in that moment as I saw red.
Chapter 19
Kade lay on my bed beside me, his fingers lazily drawing circles on my arm. It had been too long since we’d last just relaxed together. I could have stayed like this forever. The past weeks had been traumatic for our relationship, and I could feel him holding onto me with both hands, especially after tonight’s nightmare.
Having the shoe on the other foot, so to speak, definitely put things in perspective. Now I knew firsthand what Kade had experienced, because tonight when I’d been dancing, I’d been with Kade, not Johan.
I was just so happy Kade was able to talk to Johan before we’d left, but I was still stewing about Dana’s outburst.
Kade was bothered by it, too. His thoughts were so chaotic.
Poor Cass, Megan, and Cait. Little had they realized what havoc I would cause in their lives when they had befriended me.
I knew with all that was happening, I shouldn’t involve anyone else, but I needed Kade’s strength more than ever. And as much as Laria was trying to come between us, I knew that we were meant to be together.
“You sure Miss A is asleep?” Kade said, pulling me closer.
“Trust me, she sleeps like the dead.”
His eyes widened. “That’s hardly reassuring considering…”
I smiled, glad he still had a sense of humor.
I pressed my lips against his jaw, kissing a pathway down his neck, the pulse there quickening.
His hands were at my back, unzipping my dress. “I’ve missed you, Riley.”
“I’ve missed you, too.” It had been weeks since the day he’d taken my virginity, and I wanted him, needed to feel his hands on my body, touch his body in turn, and experience the shared excitement that seemed to vibrate through my very core.
I unbuttoned his shirt, and pushed it off his shoulders. He sat up and slid it off, and helped me off with my dress.
There was a heavy-lidded look to his eyes I recognized that made the blood in my veins simmer.
I unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned his jeans, and slid the zipper down. I pressed a kiss against his chiseled abdomen, the muscles there clenching beneath my lips.
With a little growl, he flipped me onto my back, and as I stared up into those beautiful eyes, all my concerns and fears evaporated.
My arms slid around his neck and I lifted my head for a kiss.
He didn’t disappoint, kissing me softly at first, but then with a fiery need that matched my own.
***
I rested my head against Kade’s shoulder and fought to catch my breath. I felt exhilarated, and I marveled at how naturally our bodies fit together, how we had moved together so perfectly.
A long finger slid along my spine, upward, along the base of my neck, and then back down again, over the curve of my hip.
I smiled, happy and relaxed for the first time in weeks. I was finally able to just let everything go. “What’s so funny?” he asked, arching a brow, a soft smile on his lips.
“I’m happy and content,” I said.
He kissed my shoulder, and wound a lock of my hair around his finger. “I am, too.”
I noticed two of the fingers on his right hand were cut.
“You’re hurt.”
His brows lifted. “That’s what I get for punching my best friend in the face.”
“You know, if we make it through this, we’ll make it through anything.”
I put my hand up to his and he wove his fingers through mine, and kissed the top of my hand. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Do you remember a few weeks ago when you told me about a dream you’d had where we were in the castle looking for a book?” I recalled how shocked I’d been when he’d told me, especially since Ian and I had broken into the castle weeks before to find Laria’s journal.
He nodded. “Yes.”
“That actually happened. We—the two of us—were looking for a journal.”
His eyes narrowed as he watched me. “I don’t understand.”
Maybe now hadn’t been the time to talk about his past life as Ian. “What if I told you that you and Ian were the same person? That it was me and Ian who looked for the journal.”
“But you said that you and Ian hung out this summer after you moved here. If I’m supposed to be him…”
“I don’t understand how it works, exactly…I just know what Ian told me and what I’ve been told by Anne Marie.”
“Anne Marie who is now dead? Did she tell you this when she was alive?”
I chewed on my lip. Why the hell had I opened my big mouth? I knew this could go sideways on me fast…and I was slowly leaning toward the point of no return.
�
�That’s a lot to wrap the brain around.”
It was. I knew that. “Even a lot of your mannerisms are the same,” I said, reaching for the drawer in my nightstand where I had stashed the pictures I had drawn of Ian and Kade. The one of Kade had been crushed in my fist when I’d first heard about him and Dana. I had kept it in a book to straighten it out and it had helped, but it still seemed pretty obvious I had intentionally crumpled it. “I drew this picture one night. Just look at your expressions. Even the way you’re sitting.”
His gaze shifted back and forth between the pictures. “Look at the way he’s looking at you.” It was funny, because he actually sounded jealous.
“We always had a close connection, but now it makes even more sense.”
“He told you that he was me?”
“Yes, after he died. He has come to me in my dreams. I keep seeing a life we had experienced together when Laria was alive.” Even hearing myself say it aloud made me cringe. As I kept talking about that lifetime, what I had seen, and how Laria had been, he listened intently.
He asked me a good twenty questions about Ian, and not once did he make me feel like I was crazy.
“It actually makes sense,” he finally said. “I know it sounds strange.”
I laughed, because nothing sounded strange to me any longer.
“I’ve always been so drawn to the pictures of him and his family. More so than any other of my other descendants’ pictures.”
I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful he now knew everything.
His phone rang, and he glanced at the screen. “I didn’t realize how late it was.” He gave me a kiss, and started getting dressed.
I did the same, and walked him to the front door.
“Will you go to Inverness with me and my family tomorrow?” he asked, one hand on the door handle. “We’re meeting family up there for my cousin’s tenth birthday.”
“I wish I could, but I have a homework assignment I need to get finished.” I knew if I showed up in class without it, Mr. Monahan would keep me after school for detention, and that’s the last thing I needed right now.
“I’ll help you with the assignment on the way.”
It was pretty clear that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Plus, I could think of worse things than hanging out with his family for the afternoon.
The Departed - J A Templeton Page 14
