by Tabatha Kiss
“What? You were gone all night.”
I shake my head. “No — I mean, there were a few candidates, I suppose. But, I don’t know, I just wasn’t in the mood.” I take a sip of my tea and stare out the window at the green world passing by. When I look back at Mandy, I find her gawking at me. “What?” I ask.
“You weren’t in the mood?” she parrots back.
I nod. “Yeah. So?”
“You weren’t in the mood?” she says again.
“Okay, that’s enough,” I laugh. “I’m not that insatiable.”
She shakes her head with a knowing smile. “Uh-huh.” Her lips press together, tight-lipped and silent.
“What?” I ask. She refuses to speak. “Mandy, what?”
“I just think…” she begins, “that maybe somebody dug his nails a little deeper into you than you think.”
My eyes glance behind her and I spot Kai and Shawn walking into the diner car together. “No,” I finally say. “It’s not like that.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Well, if there was no Mr. Munich, then where were you all night?”
I hesitate, knowing that the answer will be like giving a soda to four-year-old child. “I was in Kai’s room.” I drink my tea again.
She starts a smooth laugh, purposeful and quiet. “Okay then,” she grins.
“Well, I couldn’t exactly sleep in my bed, now could I?” I argue. “Thanks for leaving me stranded, too, by the way.”
“Oh, like you’ve never ditched me for a hook-up,” she scoffs.
“Touche, lady,” I wink. “Kai caught me waiting in the hall. He offered me Shawn’s bed.”
“Did you two make up?”
“I suppose it was not… unpleasant. But I think there’s still some smoothing out to do around the edges,” I say.
Mandy rolls her eyes. “Jesus, Piper, it’s a simple yes or no question. Don’t you ever give a direct answer?”
“Not really.” I wink at her.
She laughs. “So, what did you and Mr. Casablancas talk about then?”
“Oh, could you not hear us? Because we could hear every word coming out of your mouth,” I joke.
Her lips curl into a sultry smile and she moans softly to herself. “I was a bit distracted.”
“Obviously,” I say. Once again, my eyes drift over Mandy’s shoulder and land on Kai’s amused grin. He’s standing at the counter, laughing softly as he and Shawn chat away while waiting on cups of coffee. “We talked about… nothing,” I sigh. “It was absolutely nothing.”
“Did he come onto you?”
“Not even once. I thought for sure he would after finally getting me alone in a hotel room, but it was like we really were siblings — for once.”
“Try not to sound too disappointed there, Piper,” she says. “You used to complain constantly about him hitting on you and the one time he doesn’t do it…?”
“I am not unaware of the irony, Mandy,” I say, my eyes on Kai. “I think I might have actually gone a little too far with what I said.”
“Apologize then.”
“He apologized to me,” I say after cracking a quick smile. “Maybe I should.”
Mandy performs a subtle peak over her shoulder at the boys. “Do you think you’ll tell him about—”
“No.”
“Well…” She raises her cup to her lips. “It doesn’t get more direct than that.”
I take a deep breath and force myself to stare out the window instead.
“Hello, ladies…”
I look up to find Shawn and Kai standing above our table. “Hi,” I greet. Shawn’s eyes linger lovingly on Mandy and I suddenly feel like a broken third wheel. “I think I’m going to go take my seat,” I say as I stand up.
Shawn slips into the chair after me and just like that, Kai and I no longer exist to them.
“I’ll go with you,” Kai says. He looks at me and rolls his eyes before we both walk out of the diner car. We make our way back to our compartment together. “And here I thought Shawn was going to be bored on this trip,” he says as he sits down.
I take the seat across from him. “Oh, you mean while you were busy making time with me?” I ask.
He pauses and tilts his head. “Honestly, yes.”
My tongue feels raw inside my head. If I don’t say it, I’ll obsess over it until I do. “I shouldn’t have said those things to you last night.” The words spill out quickly, soft on the air. “I’m sorry.”
He smirks. “For what you said during the ‘I Never’ game or for saying my mother was good at giving head?”
“The game, obviously,” I answer. “I meant every word about your mom.”
He laughs. “Fair enough.” His eyes glance me up and down. “You don’t have to be sorry, Pipes. I deserved it. The bet was stupid.”
“Then why even make it?” I ask.
“Seemed like a decent idea at the time,” he explains. He looks at me with narrow eyes. “How did you know about it?”
“Really?” I ask. “You don’t remember?”
He stares at me with a confused expression. “Remember what?”
I chuckle as the memory takes shape in my mind. “I was there when you made it,” I say.
“No, you weren’t—”
“We were fifteen,” I interrupt. “It was right after our parents started dating and my dad made me host your stupid birthday party at our house.”
“But—” He leans forward. “Shawn and I made that bet after the party…”
“In the pool house.” I glance out the window as a vineyard stretches out for miles. “I was hiding in the corner with a book. You guys didn’t notice me there for like an hour.”
“Goddamn…” he whispers as he puts it all together.
“Idiot…” I fight the smile climbing my face. “I didn’t think you were serious until word of your hook-ups started spreading around the girls in our class sophomore year. I pretty much put it together for myself after that.”
“It wasn’t serious,” he says, “at first. Then…” he rocks his head back and forth, “things — admittedly — got a little out of hand.”
“I’ll agree with that,” I say. “It was awkward enough avoiding you in the halls at school. After you and your mom moved in, I had to do it at home, too.”
“Sorry,” he says. I look him in the eyes and I see genuine remorse shining through. “I never thought it’d get this far.”
“You never thought you’d be so desperate to fuck me, you’d stalk me all the way to Europe?” I ask.
He laughs. “Nope. I did not.” His eyes linger on me and the smile drops from his face. “Did you ever think about going for it?”
“Going for what?” I ask.
“Pipes...” He raises an eyebrow. “Be honest.”
I stare at him and bite my inner lip. “Yes,” I finally answer.
He blinks slowly. “Did you ever want to?”
I hold my lips together, tight and true, to keep myself from answering. Did I ever think about giving in and spending the night with Kai Casablancas? Of course I did. Every human being at Belle Academy with two X chromosomes thought about it at least once. It would have been easy, too. We live under the same roof, in a large mansion full of empty rooms to sneak into. No one would have ever known — until the day when everyone knew.
The compartment door flies open before I’m forced to answer. I breathe a sigh of relief at Mandy and Shawn’s impeccable timing. They each sit down, their laughter and giggles filling the silent void taking shape in the room.
“I’m going to hit the ladies’ room,” I say as I hop out of my seat. I can feel Kai’s eyes on me. He wants my answer, but I can’t in good conscious admit it to him.
The restroom sits down the train from our compartment. I move slowly with shaking knees. The train rocks back and forth as I move, making me even more dizzy. I slide the restroom door open and slam it closed behind me.
There’s no real space in the tiny quarters, so I close my eyes to cur
b the dreadful squeeze inching in around me. I inhale slowly, filling my lungs full of the musky air and keeping it there until I absolutely have to breathe again.
Kai Casablancas. Never in my life has he ever had this much of an effect on me. I stare at myself in the mirror and notice the perfect pink rouge in my pearl-white cheeks. I bite my lip and bend over to splash water on my face.
It all started last night. I was on the street, looking for a hook-up in Munich, but every guy I looked at had his face. At first, I thought it was just guilt over what I said to him, but it slowly dawned on me that this was something way more complicated than that. I was angry, so very angry, when he appeared on the train in front of me in Berlin with that shit-eating grin on his face. But deep down, I was fucking impressed. He was doing everything in his power to earn my body. I got so used to it over the years. Now that I’ve effectively destroyed his chances, and he’s backed off, I miss the constant attention he gave me.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
I look up and shake my head at myself in the mirror as I dab the water away with a paper towel.
Why cause trouble, you stupid fucking idiot? Let it go.
I jolt the restroom door open and nearly jump out of my skin. “Kai—” I gasp as his face fills my vision. He steps forward and places both hands on my fevered cheeks. I’m pulled in for a silent kiss, sweet and warm. His lips envelope my own and I get my first official taste of Kai Casablancas.
He pulls away almost as quickly as it began. “I just wanted to be able to say I’ve done that,” he whispers. “I’m sorry.”
And just like that, he turns around and disappears from my sight.
I reach up and touch my lips. I can still feel him on me. That gentle memory of his teeth marking my bottom lip. I let them drop from my fingertips, tingling numb in the dark.
Oh, I’m in trouble now.
Chapter 10
Kai
I stare at the window as yet another damn vineyard passes us by. What the hell is it with Italy and vineyards, anyway? Everywhere I look, it’s another vineyard. Taunting me, baiting me. Looking at me with those tranquil blue eyes and those perfect, red lips.
Fucking vineyards, man.
The compartment door opens and Piper steps inside.
“Did you get lost?” Mandy jokes. “You’ve been gone for like an hour.”
She takes the seat across from me, her eyes refusing to even glance in my direction. “No, I just needed to stretch my legs awhile.”
Translation: I’m avoiding Kai because he straight up harassed me in the bathroom.
That was probably a mistake.
I can see the anger behind her eyes.
Definitely a mistake... I lick my lips and taste her lip gloss still lingering on my tongue. But it was a mistake worth making.
“What’s with all the damn vineyards?” she mutters as she stares out the window.
I smile. Maybe it’s a mistake worth making twice.
“So, we need to address the elephant in the room.”
I flinch a glance over at Shawn and his booming voice. “What elephant?” I ask.
“I don’t want things to get awkward, okay?” he continues. “We’re all going to be in some pretty close quarters for the next few days. We should eliminate any and all doubt.” Piper stares across the compartment at him, her eyes flicking in my direction once. He takes a quick breath. “Mandy and I did it last night and it was pretty much the best thing ever.”
“Yeah, we know,” Piper assures him.
“We were there,” I add, remembering the impressive bout of constant moaning for nearly an hour before Piper showed up.
“I know…” Shawn says. “I just wanted to formally announce it.”
Mandy shakes her head. “How sweet…” she says with a half smile. She and Piper exchange a roll of the eyes and I don’t blame them for one second.
“And I wanted to say that it’ll probably happen again, so if you two could bunk up again tonight, that’d be great.” He nudges my arm and nods at Piper.
She and I lock eyes. “Shawn—” I say. “I don’t think that’s—”
“Sure,” Piper interrupts. “Why not?” Her voice is as flat as her straight hair. “Go nuts, you two.” She raises one foot onto her seat and rests her chin on her knee as she resumes staring out the window.
The bright yellow Italian sun makes her eyes shine like water diamonds and I can’t bring myself to turn away from her. When I finally do, I notice Mandy staring at me, her eyes bouncing back and forth between the two of us. To her credit, she says nothing, but I’ve never known anyone better at reading subtle social cues than Mandy Black. She’s probably figured out that something happened during that brief moment when I snuck out after Piper left the compartment.
Shawn, on the other hand…
“Maybe we can find a hot and loose Italian girl for you in Roma,” he smirks at me. “It shouldn’t be too difficult for you with that hot man bod of yours.”
“Once again, Shawn, your appreciation for my hot man body is entirely unwelcome,” I say.
“Yet completely factual.” Shawn looks at Mandy. “Am I right, though?”
She looks at me and gives a devious smile. “I’ve definitely had worse,” she says.
“And it doesn’t bother me at all that you’ve banged my best friend,” he says to Mandy. “Just don’t do it again and we’ll be cool.”
“Oh, I’ll try and restrain myself,” Mandy jokes, “but from the looks of it, I think the two of you boys are more likely to get it on than the two of us again. No offense, Kai.”
“None taken.”
Shawn nods. “I’ve always said that I’m constantly one subtle wink away from being down on my knees for Kai Casablancas—”
“You have never said that,” I argue.
“Settle one thing for us, Mandy,” Shawn continues. “Who’s bigger?”
Piper scoffs quietly.
“I don’t think either of you could handle the answer to that question,” Mandy teases after a glance at Piper.
I chew on my lip as I watch the girls exchange looks at one another. I’m not nearly as adept at reading faces as Mandy is, but one thing is certain…
Mandy is protecting Piper.
“Yeah, don’t answer that…” I say to Mandy. I glance back at Piper and she catches me watching her.
“I’m going to get a drink,” Piper says as she suddenly plants both feet on the floor. She moves through the compartment and slides the door open and closed again before any of us can say another word.
Mandy’s eyes instantly stab at me. She quickly flashes a warm smile at Shawn. “Hey, Shawn,” she says. “Would you go with her and grab me a soda?” She uses a sweet voice and has no problem seducing Shawn with it.
“Of course, babe,” he says. He stands up and looks back at me. “Want anything?”
“No,” I answer.
“Cool.” He follows Piper out of the compartment.
The door is barely even closed before Mandy starts in on me. “What did you do?” she bites.
“I didn’t do anything—”
“Kai…” She speaks through her teeth. “What did you do?”
I sigh and cross my arms over my chest. “I kissed her. Okay?”
She stares at me through the narrow slits of her eyelids. “Why?”
“Why? What do you mean why?” I ask. “You may not be aware of this, Mandy, but kissing is a common sign of affection towards someone you are physically attracted to.”
“Put a fucking lid on it, Kai,” she warns. “Piper doesn’t need this right now.”
“How about we let Piper speak for herself on what she needs, hmm?”
“I mean it, Kai. The last thing she needs is her stepbrother trying to get in her pants to win some bet.”
“It wasn’t like that…” I stare out the window, but turn back to her when I put it together. “Wait — what do you mean? What’s wrong with Piper?”
She sits back. “N
othing is wrong with Piper, but she’s got a full plate.”
“Mandy, what’s going on?”
“Don’t worry about it, Kai. The only thing you should be worried about is me beating the hell out of you if you try something like that again.”
I open my mouth to argue some more, but the door slides open and Piper steps back inside. As she passes in front of us, Mandy mimes a “Got it?” expression at me. I nod in understanding and sit back in my chair as Shawn follows her in. I usually don’t make it a habit to buckle under verbal threats, but when Mandy Black says she’ll beat the hell out of you, she means it. Hell, I’ve seen it.
“For you…” Shawn presents a cold can of soda to her.
Mandy smiles up at him. “Thank you,” she coos. She glares at me as she pops the top open.
He holds an extra can out for me. “I got you one anyway. Enjoy, asshole.”
I take it from him. “Thanks, douche.” Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Piper grinning before she herself takes a sip of her drink. I look out the window with her and shake my head. “Another damn vineyard?” I mutter.
She looks at me once before pulling out her phone.
Chapter 11
Piper
If I don’t get as far away from Kai Casablancas as possible, I’m going to do something I will regret.
We arrive in Rome long after nightfall. The eager city lights greet us with warm intentions with streets full of tourists and enthusiastic locals looking to bleed them dry. I clutch my itinerary to my chest, knowing full well what the city holds for me in the night. I focus on it instead of what I’m too tempted to think about.
I burst into our hotel room and toss my bags onto the nearest bed. Mandy follows me inside with an eyebrow raised. “Penny for your thoughts?” she asks as she closes the door.
I zip open my suitcase and pull out some fresh clothes. “I have to go out,” I say. “I have to go out and find a man because if I don’t get a good, hard dicking soon, I’m going to fucking lose it.”
She plops down on the bed in front of me. “Man, Kai has really messed you up—”