by M. A. Lee
Breaking Secrets
Book 4 in the Breaking Boundaries Series
M.A. LEE
Breaking Secrets
Copyright © 2017 by M.A. LEE
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, scanning, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Please do not partake in or encourage piracy of copyrighted works in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting this author’s hard work.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to locales, events, or actual persons—living or dead—is purely coincidental.
More from This Author
Schooled: Book 1 of the Sunnyvale Campus Series
Breaking the Rules: Book 2 of the Sunnyvale Campus Series
Dismissed: Book 3 in the Sunnyvale Campus Series
Teacher’s Pet: Book 4 of the Sunnyvale Campus Series
Aced: Book 5 of the Sunnyvale Campus Series
Breaking Boundaries
Breaking Through
Breaking Promises
Chasing Us
New Jersey Boy
Moonstruck
Prologue
Kat Ten Years Ago
“Move freak,” Sarah sneered as she shoved me against my locker.
Of course, the hallway was almost completely empty, but still, she felt the need to move me out of her way so she could have the full space to walk.
I hate Sarah.
Slamming my locker door shut, I contemplate what to do. I can’t get suspended again for fighting and I am sure punching Sarah in her perfectly straight nose would get me suspended. Damn.
“Don’t think about it,” my voice of reason, also known as my older brother Isaac, calls from behind me.
Closing my eyes, I try to fight back the anger and tears that are threatening to spill from my eyes. I am wearing too much black eye liner and mascara today to cry, the streaks left down my cheeks would be hideous.
“Leave me alone, Isaac,” I sneer as I turn to face my brother.
Isaac is the cool one. He has beautiful, wavy blond hair and these amazing blue eyes that makes the girls just drool over him. If our parents actually cared about us, he would probably be the favorite kid too. See besides the fact that I wear only black and non-conformist clothes, the biggest difference between us is that kids at our school like Isaac.
Because I dress the way I want, everyone thinks I am an open target to be made fun of and bullied. Unfortunately for them, I don’t take shit from anyone.
“If you get suspended again, Kat, the school is going to expel you. I can’t watch out for you if you aren’t in the same school as me and I really don’t feel like getting myself expelled,” he wines as he looks at me with his mesmerizing blue eyes.
“Well, I am up for a fight,” Cole jumps in.
Cole is Isaac’s best friend. But, unlike Isaac, Cole is always up for a fight. As he walks up to us, he has his arm around his skank of the week. I roll my eyes as the girl under his arm looks at me with disgust.
“Who is this, Cole?” the girl asks.
I try to think of her name, but nothing comes to mind. Isaac and Cole are two grades ahead of me and I barely know the kids in my own grade. Well, I don’t care to know the kids in my own eyes.
Ignoring the girl, Cole continues to watch Isaac and I stare each other down.
Sarah is still in ear shot and I know she is waiting for me to react. She would love nothing more than for me to go after her and get kicked out of school. They all think I am a freak.
The only thing going for me is my art work. The art teacher thinks I have talent or a gift. She has been the only person in this school, other than my brother, to have my back when the principal has tried to kick me out.
“Kat, please don’t do this,” Isaac pleads as she watches me take a small step forward.
I want to go after Sarah, but I also don’t want to upset my brother. He is the only person who truly cares for me and if I am being honest, I need him to watch out for me.
“Her name is Kat?” the girl with Cole comments. A laugh escapes past her lips and Cole’s arm falls from her shoulders.
“Yes, my name is Kat. Do you have a problem with that?” I ask as I place my hands on my hips and glare at the girl.
She looks to Cole, but he takes a step away from her. “Sorry Megan, but you don’t mess with my family,” Cole states. He turns his back to Megan as she stomps away.
My cold heart warms for a moment as I watch my only family stand up for me. So that was her name, Megan.
Why do people act like my name is so weird. It’s actually Katherine, but I changed it to Kat. I hate the name Katherine.
Isaac and Cole stand side by side now, waiting for my answer. Sarah is almost to her classroom door and if I am going to go after her, now is my chance.
Instead though, I relax my shoulders and fall into my brother’s side. “Will you walk me to my next class?” I ask as Isaac wraps her arm around my shoulders.
I feel him relax too and as Cole follows beside us, I allow my brother to lead me to safety and keep me from making a huge mistake. I know if I didn’t love Isaac so much, I would have punched Sarah straight in the face. But, I respect my brother and would never do anything to break his trust. I may not say it aloud but it is the truth. This will just be my own little secret.
1
KAT
I could hear the loud rap music vibrating before we even turned onto the fraternity lined street. Cars lined the roadway as we searched for a clear spot. I couldn’t believe how many people were at this party, classes didn’t even start for another week. Since deciding to transfer to Sunnyvale University from the small community college back home in Kentucky, I didn’t really know what to expect. I had received a full scholarship to the art school and couldn’t turn down this opportunity. Anyway, the university had placed me with Grace, a sophomore like myself who had attended Sunnyvale her freshman year. As much as I hated to admit it, the quirky and loud mouth girl was kind of growing on me.
“Maybe we should just go back to my brother’s house,” I shouted as we walked up the beer can lined walkway. I kicked an empty beer can out of my way with too much force. I watched as it hit the side of the cement stairs to the front porch and made a loud ding. This was totally not my scene and every instinct in me screamed to run away screaming. I preferred grunge music and dark cafes and bars, not a frat boy infested party.
“Come on you big baby, you’re in college now, put on your big girl panties and have some fun.” Grace, my new friend and overly experienced new friend pulled my arm, dragging me through the front door and into the chaos that was my first college party.
“Shut the fuck up,” I sneered as I slapped her hand away from my arm. “I have to work tomorrow, the last thing I need to do is to be tattooing someone with a hangover,” I muttered as I stopped dead in my tracks.
Waving her hands, Grace offered me her best smile. “Kat, you are such a downer. Come on and have a little fun. I promise you will be home in time to get enough rest to work at that weird job of yours,” she laughed as she spun around and continued walking.
She was lucky I liked her. Underneath her perky smile and obnoxiously peppy attitude, I had found a cool chick who liked to have fun, was up to listening to all genres of music and was down to earth. It had taken me a few days after arriving in Lexington to warm up to her, but now she wa
s growing on me and was the only person here who could talk to me the way she just had and live to tell about it. I had met Grace in my art class. She had enrolled thinking it would be an easy A, not a passion for all of the other students. Everything about her I had hated, but after talking to her, I realized she was sort of cool. She liked rock music and tattoos, even if she also looked like the stereotypical sorority girl, which she was totally not. I mean, I would hate her if she were. Rolling my eyes, I stuck up my finger as I followed her along the beer can lined path.
“I saw that,” Grace laughed again while walking.
Her short blonde curls bounced as she ignored my pleas to leave. Her baby blue eyes sparkled against the gleaming headlights of another car coming through the madness. This was her element, she lived for parties, and drama, and guys. As I tucked a short strand of my pixie cut hair back in place, I huffed, knowing any attempt to argue would just be ignored. My dragonfly tattoo was showing through my shirt and the street lights seemed to bounce off the silver from my nose ring. Truth be told, this was my first real party ever. From the moment we met at freshmen orientation, we had bonded. She was loud, abrasive and way too intrusive, but I loved her anyway. She was the only person who knew I had come to Lexington to be near my brother, Isaac. Honestly, he was the only person who truly got me. Well, except for Grace. I was what most kids in high school called weird and strange. I liked to wear black and dye my hair purple. I had piercings and tattoos before I turned seventeen. And, I loved to draw and create amazing masterpieces. I was an artist with my body, my mind, and with anything I could get my hands on.
Rolling my eyes I tugged on my black leather mini skirt and adjusted my black tank top. Grace had insisted on dressing me for the night, I guess she was afraid I would embarrass her in something I would normally wear which was black. All black. But, I refused to allow her to dress me like I was her own personal gothic Barbie Doll or something.
“Fine,” I shouted. “But I’m staying for an hour, after that, I am leaving.” I folded my arms across my chest in protest.
“Ok, but have fun walking home.” Smiling her sly smile, Grace began waving at a group of guys standing next to a keg. She was off on the prowl, searching for her next one-night victim.
“Ok, sure I will stay as long as you want. However, if one frat boy or sorority chick pisses me off, I’m kicking their ass. Their blood is on your hands you know.” I finished as I plastered a large smile on my face.
Grace only rolled her eyes as she stepped through the doorway. Scanning the room, I searched for a place to sit where I wouldn’t be groped or stepped on. The small living room was full of people dancing and drinking. Finally, I spotted a chair next to a very old looking couch. Shoving my way past a couple of girls dancing together, I plopped myself down in the chair and began playing a game on my I-phone. I didn’t see him walk up beside me, I didn’t even hear him, but I felt him. Something about the atmosphere in the room seemed to shift as I felt the warm heat exuberating off his long lean frame.
“You don’t belong here.” A strong, deep and husky voice escaped from the stranger as he stood towering over me like a tree. My head popped up as I felt the voice next to my ear. His breath sent cold chills and something else like a spark down my spine. I tried to be angry, but something made me more interested in him by the way he so brazenly walked up to me.
Turning, I found myself face to face with a dark haired, green eyed six foot, six man. His tight jeans and black tee told me he was a little bit dangerous, plus the tattoos covering his pierced body led me to believe that he too, didn’t belong here either.
“Excuse me?” I replied, scooting myself farther away from him. I was sure he was going to throw me out for being the only girl here dressed like a gothic chick and not dancing. Great, now I had my perfect excuse to leave.
Leaning in and ignoring the fact that I had just moved away from him, he took a swig of his beer before continuing. “I said, you don’t belong here.” He smirked at me before scanning the room again. He had a look of disgust on his seemingly perfect face. I hoped that look was meant for the girl puking in the armchair by the window and not me.
My mind was shouting at me to ignore this large man, to block his voice and the tattoo image and the sensual feelings he created in my stomach, but instead, I allowed a totally different feeling to take over. I was shocked. How dare this stranger tell me I don’t belong somewhere? If anyone didn’t belong here, it was him. Who did he think he was? Jumping up, I put my hands on my hips and prepared myself to give this asshole a piece of my mind. “I don’t know who you think you are, but it is rude to tell someone they don’t belong.” I was shouting, but no one else seemed to hear me or notice my verbal assault. “I may not be like most of these slutty girls around here, but I can promise you I am not the girl to mess with,” I sneered as I looked him dead in the eyes.
Laughing, the guy just stared at me, allowing me to continue my rant. “Why don’t I belong? Am I not pretty enough? Am I not dressed slutty enough? Go ahead, tell me why I don’t belong?” I was just begging him to say something shitty so I’d have a reason to punch him square in his pretty little nose.
Leaning in and pressing his chest against mine, he opened his mouth allowing a mixture of beer and mint to engulf my senses. “I said you don’t belong here because you look uncomfortable. I can tell this is not your scene.” His matter of fact tone caught me off guard. I had just yelled at him, even insulted him. How could he be so calm? My knees began to tremble and for a moment I thought they were going to give out on me.
“Oh,” I replied, reaching for the back of the chair. Forgetting his sexy smirk and the fact that he had just caused my body to feel things it had never felt before, my anger began to rise again.
“How can you tell this is not my scene?” I asked again with a bitchy tone.
“From the moment you walked in the door, you have looked like you wanted to run away. Don’t get me wrong, you look all kinds of sexy, but you look and dress nothing like the girls around here. Also, you are not drinking or grinding up against the guys in here. That’s a clear sign you didn’t come here to get drunk and hook up with a guy tonight.” He continued smiling as he stood too close for comfort.
“Well, it seems you have me all figured out,” I replied as I rolled my eyes. “Who are you?”
Reaching out his hand he smiled before speaking. “The name’s Smalls.”
“Smalls?” I laughed out loud. “What kind of a name is that?” I asked.
“A nickname,” he smiled.
“I figured,” I teased. “What is your real name?” I asked.
Leaning in, Smalls became too close for my liking. “The real name is Sheldon, but let’s keep that a secret between us,” he said as he winked. “What is your name?” he asked.
“My name is Kat,” I whispered as I tried to regain my composure.
“Kat, like, the animal?” Smalls asked as he raised an eyebrow.
“No, Kat as in Katherine,” I replied harshly.
Laughing, Smalls looked me up and down. “You don’t exactly look like a cat,” he teased.
“You know, you don’t exactly look like you belong here either,” I noted as I pointed to his dark clothing and colorful tattoos plastered across his neck and arms. My mind began to wonder where lese he might be tattooed, but I quickly changed that thought. I had come to college to be myself and find work in something I love to do, guys were not part of my new plan.
“I know I don’t fit in here. I only came because my buddies needed a designated driver for the night. Alcohol and cars don’t really mix too well,” he said in a gruff voice. “Cole is off chasing tale somewhere and Jagger is hooking up with two chicks upstairs, while Isaac is sweet talking a girl in the corner while her best friends are banging Jagger,” Smalls stated like I had asked or cared.
Rolling my eyes, I tried to fight back the urge to puke. Great, his friends were man-whores. Wait, did he say Isaac? That is my brother’s name.
“Yeah, what?”
“I have a brother named Isaac,” I replied.
“Blond hair, likes tattoos, rough background?” he asked as he noted Isaac.
“Yep, that describes my brother,” I said. “How do you know my brother?” I asked.
“I met him through my buddy Cole. I needed a new tattoo and a job and we all met up one night and we just started hanging out,” he said. “Anyway, how come I didn’t know about you?” he asked with a sly grin.
“Because,” I began as I shifted my feet and placed my hands on my hips, “I don’t like Isaac talking about me. We get along great, as great as siblings can get along I guess, but I like my privacy,” I said.
Raising his hands in defense, Smalls backed away. “I get it. Maybe I will see you around,” he said as he turned and walked away.
Now I felt like a jerk. Sure, I was known for my spit fire attitude and sarcastic comments, but for some odd reason, I felt bad about being rude to this guy. Maybe it was because we were the only two people at the party who looked out of place. I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t just let him walk away like that.
“Wait,” I shouted, much louder than I had expected.
Smalls turned around and gave me an odd glance. “Yeah,” he said.
His large frame towered over me as he stood only inches away from me now. His loud and wicked tattoos screamed for me to touch them. As an art major and someone who loved and admired any form of art, I couldn’t help myself from watching out the flames on his arms seemed to move like they were dancing.
“I didn’t mean to be so rude,” I admitted. The admission shocked me and I knew my eyes must have been wide with wonderment.
“It’s cool. You didn’t offend me, in fact, it was kind of hot,” Smalls said with a smirk.