Текст книги "In Pieces"

Автор книги: Gia Riley

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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 20 страниц)

I STAYED WITH Kinsley until one in the morning before climbing out of her bed, and driving home. I told my parents twelve at the latest, but I couldn’t leave her. She was still in so much pain from the fight, and all I wanted to do was watch over her while she slept in my arms. But after getting a warning text from my dad that my mom was about to come drag me home, I knew it was time to go. I’m eighteen. Kinsley and I are both adults by law, but while I’m living under their roof, I have to play by their rules.

Knowing it’s going to be another late night, I slept half the day away before asking my mom to iron my dress shirt for the homecoming dance. Yeah, so much for being a grown adult. Turns out I still need my mom unless I want to do it myself and risk setting the house on fire.

“Mom, do you have my shirt? I have to leave.”

She hurries up the stairs, handing me a crisp, white button down that’s ironed to perfection. “Do you want me to help you?”

I laugh at her, she’s never going to stop treating me like I’m five. “I can dress myself, you know.”

“I know honey, but this is my last year with you. Soon you’ll be graduating, and moving away, and you’ll have a family of your own. You could end up anywhere in the world—I’ll lose my baby forever.”

“Whoa, slow down, Mom. I’m going to homecoming, not getting married.”

“It all happens to fast, Rhett. Slow down a little, please. And I don’t want you staying out all night again.”

“Mom, it’s senior year. I’m just trying to enjoy it.”

“You’re spending too much time with this Kinsley girl. What about your friends? They’ll all be going in different directions soon. Trust me, you’ll want your friends when you’re all alone in a new place.”

“I do hang out with my friends, but I love Kinsley. She’s going to be with me whether I’m with friends or not.”

“You don’t know what love is yet. What you’re feeling is all puppy love—the kind that comes and goes and ends up a silly thing of the past.”

“That’s not how it feels at all. It’s real.”

“It may seem like that now, but once you’re older, you’ll see this was just something to help pass the time. That’s all she is, sweetie—a distraction.”

“Well, I don’t see it that way. I’m not sure I ever will.”

“Just promise me you’ll be smart. Don’t let her bring you down. She’s not like us, Rhett. She comes from a different place.”

I finish buttoning my shirt, and adjust my tie, all while doing my best not to yell at my own mother. How can she be so close-minded? I’ve never seen her be anything but nice to my friends, but when it comes to Kinsley, she wants her gone. “She’s a good person. You’d see that if you gave her a chance.” I grab my jacket and sling it over my shoulder, ending our conversation.

“I love you, honey. I do. I’m just worried,” she yells down to the foyer from atop the landing. I’m already halfway out the door. Nothing she can say will convince me she’s right. I love Kinsley—and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

And that love only grows when I get to her apartment to pick her up, and she’s waiting for me in the living room. The dress. Wow. All I can do is stand and stare at the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen in my life. I can’t blink for fear she’s going to disappear because there’s no way I could be lucky enough to have her as my own.

“Rhett?”

I hear my name. It sounds like perfection coming from her painted red lips, but still, all I can do is stare. Her hair’s curled just the way I like it with a sparkly feather tucked behind her ear. The things I want to do with that feather.

But I don’t stay fixated on it for long. I can’t. Not when the heels she’s wearing are calling for attention. They make her a few inches taller, and the closer I get to her, I realize I won’t have to bend down quite as far to kiss her tonight. All put together, she looks like an angel in white, with more sparkles covering her body, and legs for days.

I motion with my finger for her to spin around so I can get the full effect. She fidgets nervously, obviously unsure if I like what I’m seeing. She’ll know when I’m finished looking.

Little by little I admire every inch of her, and hell if it isn’t absolute perfection. “Sunny, you look—you’re so beautiful. God, I’m so damn lucky.”

“You like it? Really?”

“I love it, and I love you. But we need to leave.” We need to leave before I push her into her bedroom and never let her leave.

“I’m ready,” she whispers in her most innocent voice while I’m busy thinking all kinds of dirty thoughts.

I take her hand, and link my fingers with hers. With more pride than I’ve ever had, I walk out of the house with Kinsley on my arm, and once I get my girl safely in my truck, I’m ready to get this night started.

I glance at her as I back out of the driveway. “How’s your eye?”

“It’s not as puffy. I tried covering up the bruise with make-up. Can you still see it?”

“Barely, and only because I know it’s there. I still can’t believe you got hit.”

“Have you talked to Jake?”

“Nope.” I almost called him, but each time I tried, I got more pissed off. Even a text would have been a string of useless curses. He had no right coming to Kinsley’s last night.

She sighs, and I know I’m in for an earful—that I won’t like. “You can’t be mad at him forever. It’s over and done with. He’s your best friend.”

“He hit you in the face, Kinsley. My best friend showed up at my girlfriend’s house, even after I told him to stay away, and hurt you. That’s not something I’m going to get over or take lightly.”

“But I’m fine. I don’t want you two being pissed at each other because of me.”

This isn’t an argument I’m going to win, so until we get to the dance, I keep my mouth closed before I say something I’ll end up regretting. She takes my silence as anger, and crosses her arms over her chest. “This is ridiculous,” she mumbles.

Maybe it is, but it doesn’t change the way I feel.

Almost everyone’s already inside the gym by the time we get to the high school. It’s my fault we’re running a little late. Between the conversation with my mom, and then ogling Kinsley a little too long in the living room, we could have been here twenty minutes ago.

“Do you think Becca still came with Jake?” I ask her, unsure if she’s spoken with Becca since she ran last night. Wyatt told us he found her a couple blocks away from the apartment, swinging on a swing at the playground. She shouldn’t have been out so late by herself, but at least he found her before anything else happened.

“I’m not sure what she decided. She was with Wyatt until early this morning. He left at some ungodly hour to go back to school—said he wanted to get some sleep before the game tonight.” She glances at the time on her cell phone. “The game starts in ten minutes.”

“Sorry you’re missing it.”

“What? Are you serious right now? I’m pretty excited to go to my first dance with a date if you haven’t noticed.”

“Another first.”

She smiles shyly, her cheeks turning the slightest bit of pink, as we walk hand in hand through the gym doors. Heads turn toward us, and Kinsley grips my hand a little tighter. She hates when people stare at her, but looking like she does tonight, there’s no way they can’t. She’s the prettiest girl in the entire room.

“Dance with me?” I ask her even though she has no choice. I’ve been waiting for this all day.

“Sure.”

We find a spot on the floor, and I pull her close. One Direction’s, “Eighteen,” plays in the background. People continue to stare, as I kiss her lips while slowly swaying our bodies from side to side, but I couldn’t care less. All I see is my Sunny.

Just as the song ends, we almost bump right into Becca and Jake. “Come on, Kinsley.” I have nothing to say to Jake. Not yet anyway.

But she tugs on my arm, pulling me back to where we were standing a moment ago. “Rhett, please. Talk to Jake.” Her eyes are pained and I can tell it’s eating her up inside to have come between the two of us. She doesn’t get it though. I’d put her first no matter who touched her.

“Rhett, come on man. This is stupid.”

And once again, I’m in his face. “Stupid? You think showing up at my girlfriend’s apartment completely wasted and picking fights is stupid?”

“No, I think you being this pissed about it is stupid. I didn’t try to hit her. I’d never lay a hand on a girl and you know that.”

“He’s right, Rhett. He’s not a bad person just because he made one mistake.”

I whip my head toward the girl I love more than anything. Even she’s on Jake’s side. “That one mistake could have knocked you out, Kinsley. He shouldn’t have even been there!”

“But he was. It’s in the past.”

“Pfft, maybe for you.”

Kinsley pulls me aside, and grabs my face between her hands. “Listen to me. He’s been your best friend for years. Don’t throw away a friendship because of me. He needs his best friend right now.”

I glance at Jake and for the first time I notice he looks pretty miserable. Part of me wants to stay mad, but when I see how much it means to Kinsley to talk to him, I know I have to. There’s no way I’ll ever forgive him for hurting her, but I can at least try to have a conversation. “I can’t pretend I’m not pissed, but I’ll try.”

“Thank you. I’ll take Becca. Find out what’s going on.”

Once the girls are gone, I have no choice but to work things out with Jake. “Lets go sit down.”

“Dude, this is probably the shittiest homecoming ever.”

“Why?”

“Because I fucked up. I can’t lose my best friend and my girlfriend in the same weekend. That’s serious loser status.”

I follow Kinsley with my eyes until I see where they’re going. They stop on the other side of the room near the bleachers. Becca’s talking a mile a minute like she normally does, and Kinsley’s listening to her every word. “I’m still your friend, Jake. But I swear to god if you ever touch her again I will kick your ass—accident or no accident. And lay off the alcohol.”

“Done. I don’t care if I ever touch it again. Not after last night.” Everything happens for a reason and maybe Kinsley getting hurt is enough for Jake to realize there’s more to life than getting drunk every free chance he has. He’s getting to the point that if he doesn’t slow down now, he’ll surely kill himself by the time he goes to college.

“Are you and Becca still together?”

“Hell if I know. She’s barely talking to me and when she does, it’s not like it used to be. Whatever Wyatt put into her head last night worked. I feel like she’s already with him and we’re not even officially broken up.”

“Have some confidence, then. Maybe she doesn’t want to break up. You’re all uptight about losing her, but you still have her. Make her want to stay.” Jake’s finally looking a little more optimistic, but now Kinsley has the same look he had a couple minutes ago.

“What’s wrong, Sunny?”

“Do you mind if we go back to my apartment?”

“Are you sure? We haven’t even been here for an hour.”

“I know, but I think Becca needs us right now.”

Jake overhears her, and raises an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with her?”

Kinsley chews on her fingernail, her eyes looking toward mine for help. I can’t help her though—I have no idea what’s going on. Regardless, I trust her judgement. If she thinks we need to leave, then we probably do. “We can leave.”

Jake’s on our heels, not giving up on getting information out of Kinsley. “Will someone tell me what’s going on?”

Becca’s standing next to my truck once we get to the parking lot. Tears are streaming down her cheeks, and there’s a trail of black shit all over her face. This can’t be good.

Jake takes one look at her and a bunch of unspoken words are tossed back and forth before he shakes his head and kicks my tire. “I fucking knew it. I knew you were lying.”

His reaction only makes Becca cry harder. “D-don’t Jake,” she pleads. “I’m s-sorry.”

“So am I. I’m sorry I ever thought you gave a shit about me. I would never have cheated on you, Becca. Never.”

He turns to walk away and Becca runs after him, grabbing his arm. She holds onto him as she cries into his suit jacket. “Jake, please. I’m so sorry. This wasn’t supposed to h-happen.”

“It is what it is,” he says before peeling her hands off his arm and walking away. Becca falls to the ground, her sobs coming out in short bursts in between her silent tears.

Kinsley and I help her off the ground before I pick her up and sit her inside my truck. Kinsley climbs in next to her and shuts the door.

Becca raises her head from her hands, “I’m sorry I ruined your night.”

“You didn’t ruin anything,” I tell her. I don’t even need to know the rest of the story to understand that she hooked up with Wyatt last night. Now she’s trying to survive the guilt. It’s the worst kind of karma.

Becca’s not the kind of girl to randomly hook up with guys which makes what she did sting that much more. Jake knows she would only give herself to someone she needed in her life. And she needs Wyatt—not Jake.

WE ALL SURVIVED homecoming week despite all the drama—though some better than others. Oddly enough, after all the fighting and serious talks were over, it all brought us closer together. Now, a week later, it’s finally time to have a little fun at Fall Fest.

Rhett and I wanted as much time together as possible, so as soon as the football game ended, we hopped in his truck and drove the almost two hours to the camp ground. My cheeks are wind burned from sitting at the football game, my feet hurt, and I could sleep for an entire day, but I couldn’t be more excited for this weekend away.

Rhett has everything we need for the next two days scattered around us on the ground. He’s putting the finishing touches on our bright red tent while I finish pumping some air into the air mattress.

“What do you think? Not bad for putting it together in the dark, right?”

I walk toward the tent, leaning down to peek inside. “It’s bigger than I thought It would be.” Not that we need a lot of room. I plan on staying as close to Rhett as I can, all night long.

“The guy who sold it to me said it’s like the Cadillac of the tent world.” Rhett says, as he chucks a hammer into the back of his truck. I admit I watched him the entire time he drove all four stakes into the ground—his arm muscles straining against the thin fabric of his Under Armour.

It’s a good thing he’s done this before because I don’t have the first clue about camping. In fact, I can’t help but laugh when I think about how this tent would look if he wasn’t here.

“What’s so funny, Sunny?”

“That rhymed.”

When I shiver, he runs his hands up and down my arms. “Are you cold?”

“A little, but we have sleeping bags to stay warm.”

“I plan on keeping you warm, but grab your pillow and a blanket out of the truck. I’ll get this mattress inside.”

I get goosebumps thinking about lying next to Rhett all night long. I’ve never shared a bed with a guy before let alone a boyfriend. But I have a feeling tonight will be a night filled with more firsts—and there’s nobody I’d rather share them with than Rhett.

He’s waiting next to the tent, messing with the zippers. “Got everything?”

I nod my head. “Is it okay if I change?”

Rhett blinks a couple times, swallows, and then finally gets it together. “Yeah, of course. I didn’t even think about that. Climb inside and let me know when you’re done.”

I clutch my clothes and my pillow against my chest, trying to get the nerve to tell him he doesn’t have to wait out here. “You can come inside with me. If you want.”

“I’ll be in. I need a minute.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m more than okay, Sunny. I’m about to lie next to you all night long. I can’t think of anything better.”

“But you don’t want to come inside?”

“I should probably wait out here,” he says, as he tries to discretely adjust himself.

Biting my lip, I try not to laugh. “Okay. I’ll only be a minute.”

Climbing inside the tent, I change out of my jeans and sweatshirt into a pair of yoga pants and a long sleeve T-shirt. I notice Rhett’s silhouette pacing back and forth outside the tent. I’ve never seen him nervous before, but he definitely is.

When I’m finished, I peek my head outside. “You can come in now.” I notice he’s changed, too. In true Rhett style, he even manages to make sweats and a basic, black pullover look hot.

I lie back on the air mattress, and Rhett flops down beside me. Only he does it a little too hard, and I flip off the side, landing face down on the ground.

“Shit!” he says, as he scrambles over to my side. “Are you okay?”

Laughing I tell him, “I’m fine, but if you didn’t want to sleep with me, all you had to do was say so.”

My laughter dies in my throat when he says, “Kinsley, all I want to do is hold you—whether it goes further or not. I have to have you next to me.”

His words land straight on my heart, and I’m positive he can feel how much I want him right now—how much I’ve been looking forward to spending the night with him. “I didn’t mean—” I start to say, nervously.

“Come’ere, Sunny.” He holds out his hand, pulling me on top of him. “There’s no rush. We have all weekend together.”

I rest my head against his chest, and he rubs soothing circles on my back. It’s enough to ease my nerves, but it doesn’t last long. Not when my body’s touching every inch of his. There are so many things I want to say to him—to tell him I want. But instead, I chicken out and settle for something else. Something boring. “It’s really cozy in here. Can we build a fire tomorrow?”

“Sure. Anything you want.”

When I gather enough courage, I lift my head and say it before I miss my chance. “If I can have anything, then I want you to kiss me.”

“I love kissing you. What else does my girl want?”

The second part takes a little longer to get out, and I’m not sure I can say the actual words. Rhett feeds off my insecurities, and tries to ease my nerves. “What is it? What else do you want?”

I force myself to stay right where I am with my head held high. If this is what I want, I should be able to tell my boyfriend. “I want everything, Rhett—all of you.”

"Yeah? Are you sure?"

Smiling shyly, I tell him, “I'm sure.”

Rhett closes his eyes, and exhales. When he opens them, I lick my lips, and bite down, waiting for him to make the first move. But I’m the one who started this conversation, so I sit up far enough to straddle his waist, and pull my shirt over my head.

He swallows, his eyes falling to my chest. I reach behind my back and unclasp my bra. We’ve gone this far before, but it still feels like the first time for the simple fact that this is only the beginning.

“Shit, Sunny.” He grabs my waist, and rolls me onto my back. Hovering over top of me, he reaches behind his head and pulls his shirt over his head.

Before I can ask him what he wants next, his mouth is on me. It feels incredible, but when I can’t take anymore, I reach down and slide my pants over my hips. He helps me pull them off the entire way until I’m completely naked. It’s dark inside the tent, and it helps me feel less self-conscious, but with the way he’s looking at my body, there’s no doubt he likes what he sees.

“Tell me to stop, Kinsley.”

“I don’t want you to.”

He lays down next to me and kisses my lips. “Your first time shouldn’t be in a tent in the middle of nowhere.”

“Why not?”

“Because it should be special. I should have flowers or something.”

I chuckle because flowers have nothing to do with having sex. “I don’t need anything, Rhett. And this is special—because I’m with you.”

He pulls his sweats over his hips, and I can’t help but stare. But when he reaches above his head and into his backpack, I close my eyes. This is really happening.

I hear the tear of the foil packet, and I lie completely still until he’s over top of me again. My heart’s beating so fast I feel it pulsing in my ears. I’ve waited for this moment, and now that it’s here, I’m terrified about what’s about to happen.

“I’ll go slow. If I hurt you, tell me to stop.”

I nod my head and bite the inside of my cheek. Slowly, he pushes inside me. At first it’s okay, but as he inches in, a burning pain erupts, and I clench my muscles.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” I lie. It isn’t the worst pain I’ve ever felt, but it’s not the most comfortable either. But I wanted this, and I’m not about to stop now.

He pushes a little more, and once he’s completely inside me, I’m afraid to move, so I don’t. Tears prick my eyes, and when he starts to pull out, the pain returns. I bite down harder, and they finally fall, soaking the pillow under my head.

“Look at me, Kinsley.”

I move my eyes, from the reflector patch on the side of the tent where I was focusing, to Rhett.

“Don’t cry, baby.”

“I’m okay. It doesn’t hurt as much anymore.”

“Do you want me to stop?”

I shake my head. “No, keep going. I want you to feel good.”

“I love you so much, Sunny.” He pushes in and out of me, his pace quickening, but still gentle enough that he doesn’t hurt me.

“I love you, too,” I whisper, as a few more stray tears fall.

Being with Rhett is nothing like I’d imagined it would be, yet it’s still one of the best moments of my life. Whether being with him changes us or not, I’ll never regret this night. Not with the way he’s looking at me right now. Like I’m his entire world.