Pulled Back (Twin Flames Series)

by Bannister, Danielle

  Looking around I see that her clothes are scattered in random piles around her. I grab her shirt and do my best to put it back on her limp body. It's an extremely frustrating job having my hands touch her skin while not allowing them to explore every inch of her like they are begging me to.

  But I'm not a monster.

  As I pull down her shirt, I smell something besides lilac on her skin. Something that makes my blood boil. The scent of a cologne only one person wears.

  Hawk.

  Bile forms at the back of my throat.

  I'll kill him. I swear to God. I'll end him.

  Chapter 8

  Jada

  The sound of the door shutting downstairs feels like a sledge hammer against my eyeballs.

  I groan as I open my eyes. Man, my head is killing me.

  Pulling back the covers, I yawn. Something scratches at my neck and when I go down to itch it, I notice it’s a tag. From my shirt. Which is on backwards. Huh? My hand reaches up to cradle my throbbing head and feels something crunchy. I yank it out. It's a leaf. What the hell?

  I stand up and check myself over in the mirror, and gasp at what I see. I look awful. My hair is all tangled with even more bits of leaves woven in. Leaning in, I touch my lips. They hurt. They are red and swollen. Inventorying the rest of my body, I notice a few odd bruises. My whole body aches. I feel like I've been tossed around like a rag doll.

  What happened last night? Guess I shouldn't have taken three pills. Damn. It's scary, now that I think about it. I don't even remember walking home.

  On the other hand, I did have some pretty intense dreams about Tobias. I'm actually starting to blush just thinking about them. Dangerous, Jada. Dangerous. We're not going to fall for him. We. Are. Not. I will not end up like a lovesick fool like Dad.

  I slump my shoulders, pulling the tabs out of my purse. I should put them back before he finds them missing. Coffee first. Priorities must be observed.

  As I walk out of my room, my e-portal goes off. I know it's a wrong number without even checking. No one ever calls me. Leaving it buzzing on the floor, I head downstairs for my little cup of clarity.

  Tobias

  The sun hits me square in the face. My bloodshot eyes don't even flinch. They're too dried out to care.

  All night. I have literally been up all night replaying the image of them together over and over again. Each time I think about his hands covering her body I get more and more volatile. I want to hit him. Hard.

  My fist slams into my pillow, but it bounces right back to its original form, which only ticks me off further. How could he do that? And then leave her there like some animal he hunted down?

  “Tobias?” Mom calls from the other side of my door.

  I open the door faster than she was clearly expecting. Her hand raises to her chest. I scared her.

  “You're up?” she huffs.

  “So are you.”

  She frowns at me. “That's because your friend just woke me up. He was pounding on the door to let him in. I'm surprised you didn't hear him.”

  “Hawk is here?”

  “And before my morning tea.” She shakes her head in mock frustration before she grows serious. “He said it couldn't wait until school started. You'd best see what he wants.” She grabs my arm and practically shoves me down the stairs.

  When I see Hawk, anger burns in my veins. I square my shoulders and scowl at him, waiting for his confession.

  “She won't answer my calls, Tobs.” His voice is firm, as though that one statement explains it all. It strikes me then that Hawk's never really been refused anything he's wanted before. Judging from his rigid posture, he doesn't care for that.

  “Who won't call you?” I ask, even though I know who he means. I need to hear him say it. I need him to confirm that what I smelled last night really was him.

  “Jada.”

  My nostrils flair involuntarily.

  Although Mom hasn't made a peep since shoving me down the stairs, I know she's up there now listening from just around the hall. I have to contain myself. For the moment.

  “Hawk, it's 5:00 in the morning,” I say. “Maybe she's sleeping, like I was five minutes ago,” I lie. “Or maybe she just missed the call. You're overreacting.”

  He snorts a deep guttural snort. “There's no way someone sleeps through or misses fifty-eight calls.” His head shakes eerily slow. “I know what she's doing. She's trying to ignore me. But it won't work.” The tint of his bloodshot eyes makes him look almost evil.

  I shove him into the living room hoping mom won't hear us in there.

  “Fifty-eight times? Hawk, that's insanity. No wonder she's not taking your call.”

  His head whips around as he glares at me. “She's mine, Tobias.” He shoves past me, hitting my shoulder and slamming me into the wall. “She just doesn't know it yet. But she will,” he warns to no one in particular. Before I can even process what he just said, he storms out the room and into the morning.

  Pissed, I follow after him. When we're both tucked safely into the woods, I can't hold it in any longer.

  “Did you rape her?” I hiss.

  Hawk stops mid-step and turns to look at me. His head cocks to the side.

  “That was you I heard in the woods last night. You sick pervert!” He rushes toward me and throws a swing, which I just barely manage to dodge.

  “Answer the question!” I shout.

  His eyes bulge at the volume of my voice, afraid someone will hear.

  “No,” he spits.

  “Then why did you leave her alone in the woods like that?”

  A growl escapes his lips.

  “Did you touch her?” Hawk asks slowly, as though he's doing everything in his power to hold himself back.

  “I made sure she got home safe, asshole.” His fist doesn't miss its mark this time and I sink to my knees.

  “That's for thinking I'd rape the woman I am going to marry,” he spits, as I gasp for breath. “Not that it's any of your business, but I left her there because she asked me to. She said she wanted to stay out and look at the stars.” He takes a few steps away from me as I start to attempt to get up. “I thought you were my friend,” he whispers. The bridge of his nose crinkles before he turns around and leaves me there broken on the ground. Just as he had with Jada.

  Jada

  Things do not improve after coffee, because there is no coffee. Dad, of course, neglected to add it to his e-cart, but somehow remembered vodka. So much for staying sober.

  Let the fun begin.

  With my head in my hands, I fumble around the house opening random drawers, searching for anything that might have caffeine in it. My search only produces a melt-away tab of aspirin and a handful of what I think are chocolate-covered raisins. Cringing, I stick the tab against my tongue and chase it down with the mystery blobs. Even after chewing, I'm still not sure what they are, but at least part of it had chocolate. I hope.

  “There,” I mumble to the empty kitchen, “Headache and breakfast all in one.”

  Aside from Dad's snores, the house is mercifully quiet which will help the battle raging inside my head.

  The safest time to be around Dad is when he's asleep. I tip-toe into his room to drop the pills back behind the dresser. The envelope makes the tiniest of crinkles as the bottle slides in and I hold my breath.

  “Jeanne?”

  I whip around to find my Dad sitting up in his bed. My heart stops.

  “Jeanne, baby. Why did you leave me?” That's when I see his eyes are still safely closed. He's sleep-talking. He hasn't done that in years. I slink backwards against a wall, praying he doesn't discover me. I can’t even think about what he’d do to me if he woke up now and found me in his room.

  “It's all her fault, Jeanne. It's all her fault.” Nausea consumes me. If he found me now, I'd be a goner. I pull my limbs in close and hold my breath until his breathing becomes steady and the snoring begins again. With my belly to the ground, I crawl out of his room and into my own and
close the curtain behind me.

  That was a close call.

  I crawl into my bed and start to shake. Why were things so messed up? Why couldn't I just have a normal life? It wasn't fair.

  Beside me my cursed e-port goes off again, which I ignore. This time, however, a recording sounds.

  “Incoming call limit met,” it announces cheerfully.

  Incoming calls met? That's impossible. I can get up to sixty calls a day.

  I kick around my clothes on the floor until I find the bag I had last night and dump everything right out onto my bed. The blood-red device stands out among the other captives from my bag: an apple core (gross), my scan card (though I never actually have any money in my account to buy anything), the balled up remains of a gum wrapper and a pair of socks (why I keep those in there I have no idea.)

  Touching the screen, it comes to life and reports that I do, indeed, have sixty incoming calls. Scanning through the list of missed calls, I notice they are all from the same number.

  “Who the hell is calling me?” I say to the phone. I touch the screen and listen to the messages.

  “Jada, it's Hawk. I just wanted to say I had an amazing time with you last night.”

  Hawk... last night? I didn't see him last night.

  My heart starts to pound as my fingers reach up to my lips. I swallow hard. Fractured bits of memories start to replay in my mind: my hands in someone's hair, teeth crashing together, arms pinning my hands over my head and me... me, begging him to touch me.

  “Oh my God.” I drop the e-port and bolt to the bathroom and bring up what little is in my stomach.

  “That didn't really happen,” I gag on the words. “Did it?”

  Again, images bubble up: Hawk's hands cupping my breasts, my back arched up, inviting him in.

  I dry heave again.

  Like a zombie, I walk back into my room and pick up the phone. Sitting on my bed, I play the rest of the messages.

  “Jada, I can't stop thinking of you. You taste like nothing I've ever had before and I want more. Need more. Please. Call me.” I'm shaken by the blatant hunger in his voice.

  I skip forward a few messages as my brain tries to put the night back together.

  “Why aren't you answering my calls? Pick up!”

  Fear tingles down my spine as I skip ahead some more.

  “I know you're there Jada. I'm standing right outside your window, now pick up the damn phone!”

  Gasping, I run to look out my window. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see he's not there.

  I jump to the end of the messages, too stunned to think straight.

  “Look, I'm sorry, all right. It's just that... you're the one. The girl I've been waiting for my whole life and now that I've found you, I can't bear to let you go. I love you, Jada. Do you hear me? I love you.”

  I stopped playing the messages and deleted all but that last one. He'd said he loved me.

  Me.

  It didn't matter one iota that I didn't love him. The only thing that mattered was that he loved me. And as much as I hate to admit it, it feels nice.

  I even have a soft smile on my face when I carve this morning's letter into my flesh.

  Tobias

  I walk to school on the start of the year without Hawk for the first time since we were five. Screw him. Whatever he did to Jada last night has severed our friendship. There's no hope of repairing it now. Not after what he did.

  Even so, I left the house about twenty minutes after I saw Hawk leave. I didn't want to chance him catching up to me if I left first.

  Of course it takes me longer than most to get to school, so by the time I actually make it there the campus is abuzz with students filtering into the school. Shouting out their hellos to friends missed over the summer, cliques reforming and recruiting. It's not surprising that no one is shouting out my name. That is, until someone does.

  “Tobias!”

  Even without turning around, I know it's her running towards me. The hair lifting off my body is all the confirmation I need. I clench my hands tight around my bag hoping that will make them stay put. My feet, however, start to turn toward her without me actually telling them to. When my head lifts up to find her I don't bother to try to look away. It would be pointless.

  The moment we lock eyes she stops running and stares at me. She pants a bit to catch her breath. Each exhalation carries her scent to me. It makes my knees go soft.

  She's only ten feet away from me, but my body is begging to be closer, insisting on it. I actually have to lean backwards to stop from being pushed straight into her.

  “What do you want?” I ask, the jealousy seething through me. All I can see is her and Hawk. In the woods. Naked. I can't stand it!

  Jada opens her mouth to speak, but pauses there. Her brain seemingly trying to form the words she wants to say.

  “Have you seen Hawk?” she finally spits out. His name is like an arrow to the gut.

  Hawk. Of course, she's looking for him.

  “No.”

  “Good,” she says, letting out a great mouthful of air.

  “Good?”

  Her face contorts, giving the impression that she's conflicted about something.

  Ignoring my question she says, “I think he might be mad at me.” Is that fear I see in her eyes? My fists clench on their own accord.

  “Why would he be mad at you?”

  She turns away from me. My insides ache from her apparent rejection.

  “He called me a few times and I didn't answer. I didn't know it was him,” she whispers. “I thought it was a wrong number.”

  Like a fool, I ask, “Would you have taken the calls if you'd known it was him?”

  She turns back to me; her deep brown eyes piercing into mine, searching for something. An eternity could have passed as we stared at each other and I wouldn't have noticed. When she finally closes her lids, I am winded. This girl literally takes my breath away.

  “I don't know,” she finally says.

  “Well, you'd better figure it out soon.” I say, nodding over her head. “Because here he comes.” Her eyes widen and when she turns to look for him. I use that as my chance to rip my feet away from her pull. There is no way I'm about to stick around now that Hawk is here.

  I march into the school without so much as a backward glance. Good riddance to both of them.

  Jada

  I can feel Tobias walking away from me and his withdrawal feels so raw that I almost gasp. Gazing into his eyes, I could tell that he had wanted me to say 'no' when he asked about Hawk's calls. That realization, that he cared about me – enough so that there was a tinge of jealousy in his eyes, well, it terrified me. I had to lie to him. Falling for Tobias would be as easy as breathing and as painful as death when it eventually ended. Because it would. That much I knew for certain. Sooner or later, love stops. People cheat, fall out of love or die. But in the end, the result is the same. Love is finite. Why set yourself up for that?

  As Hawk approaches me, my heart starts to thrum. But it's a different sensation than when I'm near Tobias. This is a thrum of... warning?

  “Jada, we need to talk. Now,” Hawk says, taking me by the arm and pulling me off the to edge of the school property. No one either sees or cares that I'm being dragged away by him.

  It is only once we're in the woods that he goes off on me.

  “Why didn't you pick up last night?” There is a dangerous fire in his ice-blue eyes. I realize there is only one way to put out that heat, so I do my best to imagine those cold eyes getting darker, warmer. Like the color of mahogany. If I squint, Hawk's hard jaw softens around the edges. I pretend his blonde waves become a sea of chocolate curls. Standing on tip-toes, I lean in and kiss Hawk, but taste only Tobias.

  Instantly, I feel his anger melt away. He pulls me in closer to him practically crushing me, but I don't flinch. The pain reminds just me to stay numb, to keep pretending.

  Eventually, he yanks his lips from mine. There is still a touch of fury etched
along his forehead.

  Holding my chin firmly in his hand, he asks me again, slower this time. “Why didn't you answer my calls?”

  Instinctively, I know I have to answer this question very carefully. I have to answer it the way he wants it to be answered.

  “I didn't know it was you. I thought you were a prank caller. If I had known it was you,” I say, with my very breakable jaw still tight in his grasp.

  “If you'd known it was me, what?” He releases the pressure on my chin, but only by a fraction. A small grin touches the corner of his mouth. “I want to hear you say it.”

  Heat burns in my eyes at his blatant order, but I don't see a safe alternative. We are completely out of eyesight of anyone who can help if this ends badly, and I am very aware of the pressure he's still exerting on my chin. “If I had known it was you, I would have taken your calls. All sixty of them.” The lie almost catches in my throat.

  His half-grin grows more complete and he releases my face. It's all I can do not to rub the pain away. I won't give him the satisfaction of knowing he's hurt me.

  “So now that you have my number you're out of excuses not to answer the next time I call.” His hands slide down my back and over my butt where they land and anchor themselves. “Right?” he whispers hot into my ear.

  “Right.”

  He kisses me again, but this time it's different. Even though his lips feel the same crushed against mine, I know intuitively, what this kiss is: he has officially marked his territory.

  Oh, Jada, what have you just done?

  Chapter 9

  Tobias

  I plow my way past kids crowding the hallways and manage to find my science class, even though my thoughts are focused on something else entirely. I don't want to admit it, but I'm worried. I left her alone with Hawk practically charging at her and I did nothing to protect her from his overt anger.

  She's not my problem though. She's chosen Hawk; so let her find out for herself the jerk he's turned into.