by Dawn Doyle
I closed the door, tidied away the leftover pizza, and recycled the box. It was less than an hour before the door opened and my parents walked in. I checked the clock; it was just after eleven.
“Hey, honey, how was your evening?” my mom asked, walking over and hugging me. “Did you and Paige have a good time?”
“Yeah, but she had to go pick up her brother. He called for a ride from the bar.”
“Smart man,” my dad said, tapping the side of his head.
The sides had grown considerably lighter, adding natural highlights to his already dark-blond hair. I put it down to stress from work. I’d heard him talking about some unsolved cases of guys being assaulted, only to pass away from their injuries. It was awful. They’d been dumped at the hospital with their ID’s, and no evidence of who’d left them there. I couldn’t listen to the details—it turned my stomach—but I guessed being a detective on those cases was frustrating.
“Did you guys have a good night?” I asked, looking up at my dad as he kissed the top of my head.
He wrapped his big, strong arms around me, surrounding me with warmth and protection. “We sure did, sweetheart. Dinner was delicious, and the company was exquisite.” I grinned as he winked at my mom.
Her smile lit up her whole face. “Oh, John,” she gushed, “you’re still the charmer.” She began taking off her thin black blazer, and my dad released me to help.
He pulled it down her arms, exposing her bare shoulders under her wide strapped dress, and dipped his head. He placed a soft kiss on her shoulder, and she turned her head to look at him. Her blue eyes, just like mine, sparkled with adoration.
“And with that, I’m outta here!” I said, turning and rushing out the door to the sound of my parents’ giggles.
It was so sweet that they were still so into each other after more than twenty years of marriage. I wished that I would find the same one day; a man that looked at me like my dad looked at my mom. Pure love.
*****
I couldn’t sleep. I’d been tossing and turning since going to bed, and for the past hour and a half, all I could think about was what I was going to walk into in school the next day. The weekend had been a welcome break, and since I hadn’t seen Lucian around, I was thankful I could turn my phone off until I invited Paige over. I couldn’t go to her house; Abby lived next door, and I didn’t want to give her any excuse to gossip to her friends.
I kicked back my thin summer duvet and sat up. I crossed my legs and fluffed my pillow behind me, then picked up my phone to scroll until my eyes became heavy enough for me to sleep.
I was about to hit play on a YouTube video when I heard a light tapping. My head shot up from the screen and I looked around my room. The white dresser at the end of my bed had a few trinkets on top, but they were all still standing up. I looked over at my matching vanity to my right, and saw that there was nothing on there that could have tipped over.
The tapping sounded again, and my heart rate increased.
Outside of my window, a dark shadow loomed. It was rounded, hunched, and right next to the glass as though sitting on my sill. There were definitely no birds big enough that would take up all that room.
“Luca,” a voice whispered. “Luca, open the window.”
My gut churned, memories coming back of an old creepy horror movie that had scared me half to death. I tiptoed to the window, and reached out toward the cream-colored drapes. My hand shook as I gripped the fabric and slowly pulled it back.
“Lucian?” My stomach somersaulted at seeing him squatting outside my window, his face close to the pane. “What the hell, Lucian? You nearly gave me a heart attack,” I snapped while pressing my palm against my chest. His eyes lowered, making me hyperaware that I was standing there in my shortie pajamas, exposed and vulnerable. My nipples tightened as he took me in.
“Let me in, Luca,” he said, lifting his gaze back to my face.
I forced myself to stay put and not run away. I had to show him that I didn’t care, when deep down, I wanted to cover every inch of my skin. “Hang on, Nosferatu, what are you doing here?” I looked out and down. “And how did you get on the garage?” My room was directly above it but set back, my front window small with a little pitched roof. There was no way he could’ve climbed up the side of the house. My large window was open to let in the summer night’s breeze, but there was nothing there to access it from outside. I was glad, because instead of him being outside, he might have just let himself in.
Lucian rolled his eyes. “Let me in and I’ll tell you.”
“Fuck off.” I flipped him the bird, closed the drapes, then turned around.
He tapped three times and then said my name, then again and again.
“Oh my fucking god!” I whisper-shouted into the air, then yanked the drapes back. I gripped the lock and opened the window, seeing the victorious grin on his face. “Are you a vampire? Do I have to invite you in?”
One leg encased in black denim stepped inside and stood on my window seat, followed by his bulky body. I watched as Lucian’s full frame straightened out and stood before me. I tried not to look down at his oak-green t-shirt, because then I would’ve seen how it hung on his chest and shoulders. I put my finger against my lips to tell him to be quiet.
“Hi,” he whispered.
“How did you know this was my room?” I asked, right to the conversation so I could get back to hating him from afar. Up close was too much. His gaze was hypnotic and as soon as I looked up into those cool pools, it took me back to the beach.
“I watched.”
My insides bottomed out and I took two steps back. “What? Are you a creeper?” I asked, horrified. “A fucking stalker? Have you been following me? My dad’s a cop, Lucian, I could have you arrested—”
“I’ve only been watching for two hours,” he said, holding his palms up.
I made a crucifix with my fingers. “You are a vampire. Stay back, bloodsucker.” I shouldn’t have joked because the second I said that last word, he closed the gap between us and grabbed my hands while they were together, his fingers gripping gently as he slowly lowered them. It was then I noticed the cut and bruise above his left eye, with swelling over it.
There was a knock on my door and I held my breath. “Luca, are you all right?” my mom asked. “I thought I heard voices.”
“Um, yeah,” I called out. “Sorry, I couldn’t sleep. I was watching youtube videos. I’ll turn the volume down.”
“Okay, honey, but don’t stay up too late. School tomorrow.” Her steps grew quieter as she walked away, and when I heard her door closing, I blew out a breath.
“What’s that I hear?” Lucian asked, looking above him. “Are those rotating blades above your head? Yeah, I swear that’s what it is.”
I swiped at his arm. “She’s just worried about me. I can’t really blame her, can you?” I rubbed my temples. “Just shut the fuck up, Lucian, and tell me why you’re here.”
“Well, I can’t shut up and tell you—”
“You know what I mean,” I snapped, glaring at him. I flicked my eyes back up to the injuries on his face, wondering what had happened. I wanted to reach up and push his hair back to inspect them.
“You wouldn’t talk to me outside your school last week, so I brought the conversation to you.”
I folded my arms above my chest and jutted out my chin. “You have two minutes, then you can get the fuck out of my house.”
“Okay.” He ran a hand over his hair, and as I watched the movement, I spotted redness across his knuckles. Before I could ask about it, he spoke. “I need to ask you something and please, keep the smart ass answers to yourself and tell me the truth.”
“Then you’ll leave me alone?”
He gritted his jaw, his eyes steeling. “Yeah.” He closed them for a second, then blew out a breath. “Why did you run from Grace’s?”
I jerked back. “You’re asking me that? It was nearly two weeks ago—”
“Are you gonna answer?”
/>
I huffed and dropped my head back, and I swear I heard a rumble coming from Lucian’s throat. I looked him right in the eyes. “You kissed me.” And no matter how much I hated him for the crap I was facing, just one look at his mouth and I wished he would do it again.
“Didn’t you want me to?” he asked, and my jaw dropped. “The truth, Luca.”
Fire shot up from my stomach into my face, reaching so high the warmth carried into my hairline. My cheeks were blazing. “Yes,” I replied truthfully. There was no point in lying; he would see right through it.
“Then why? Were you ashamed?”
“Yes.” I barely heard my own voice.
Lucian’s eyes flared, the color glinting in the sliver of light shining in my room through the open drapes. “Do you think you’re too good for me?” If he weren’t whispering, he would be yelling, I was sure of it.
I shook my head, and the bubble of pent up rage that I’d tried to keep down, began to rise. I glared right back and jabbed my finger toward him. “You played me.”
His brows dipped, making his cut stand out. “How do you figure that?”
I held my fists to my mouth to stop me from screaming at him. When I could lower them, I let it all out. “You laughed at me. Right after. You smirked like I was a joke, like out of all the guys that I’d turned down that night, you were the one that kissed me.” He held his hand up to cut in, but I continued. “You even said your winnings, like you’d won some twisted game and I was the unlucky victim to fall for it.”
“That’s not—”
“You were so nice to me, having me think you were so sweet, making sure I never saw anybody else with someone between their legs”—I blushed again—“but it was all bullshit. Did you follow me, knowing I would be alone?”
“Just shut the fuck up,” he snapped and shook his head. “No more fucking ranting—you’re getting hysterical. You’re making it out to be something completely ridiculous. It was just a kiss for fuck’s sake, Luca, and you’re acting like I fucked you in front of everybody.” My eyes bore into his. Passing it off like I was ridiculous was pissing me off. “Now, what was it Grace said that made you say those things?” I snorted. He was still on that? He dipped his head toward me and spoke between his teeth. “Luca.”
“I saw your friends at the party,” I blurted out, making sure not to go above a whisper; I didn’t want my parents barging in. “I asked who they were, and she told me that they chew people up, spit them out, then move on without blinking an eye. She said they were trouble and would only drag me down with them.”
“You don’t need to worry about them.”
“I’m not. It’s not like I was going to ask them to be BFF’s.”
He bit down on his lip before asking, “And me?”
“I’d already left before I found out you were with them. Grace sent me a text—and an I told you so message.” He didn’t say anything, just stared as though waiting for something. “She said you’re the worst of them.”
He ground his jaw, the muscles ticking below the surface as his teeth gritted. “And you believe her?”
I shrugged. “Why not? You know what you did and, yeah, I might be slightly hysterical over something stupid, but I’ve been the topic of conversation ever since.” The bridge of my nose began to sting. “Instead of meeting new friends, I was a leper. Instead of enjoying my day, I hid in the library with Paige, just to avoid the stares. I was even asked how many of you I’d slept…” Tears welled in my eyes, and I willed them not to fall in front of him. “My phone number was passed around and I was being called constantly, and I had to change it. So, why wouldn’t I believe her? If it weren’t for you, none of that would’ve happened.”
He dropped his head for a moment, and I was glad he seemed to feel even just a little fucking remorseful. “You gave me two minutes, but still haven’t given me the chance to give you my version.”
I gestured toward the window. “Just leave, Lucian.” He lifted his hand and reached for my face. He stroked down my cheek, his fingertips causing all kinds of strange sensations to run through me. I wanted to close my eyes and turn into his hand. It was so damn hard not to, but I resisted, congratulating myself on not being one of those girls who flips out over a gorgeous guy touching them. Fuck, I was deluding myself. I was just as stupid and shallow. I couldn’t stop myself from being attracted to Lucian, I know how the brain works when it sees something it deems beautiful, but it didn’t mean I wanted to. “Stop it.” I jerked back from him. I tried to turn away, but the second I did, his hands cupped my face, turning me back. He stood so close to me I could feel his body heat warming my prickled skin. “You’re just making it worse.”
“I never played you, Luca,” he said, then tilted my head back and pressed his lips to mine. My lids shut on their own, and my pulse sped faster than before as his gentle kiss floored me. This guy, apparently dangerous to be near, held my face as though I were delicate, his lips careful on mine as though I would shatter. He pulled back and ran his thumbs across my cheekbones. “I wasn’t smirking or laughing at you. It was because you looked exactly the same as you did on the beach—the way you’re looking at me right now.” He wasn’t laughing, he wasn’t smiling, he just stared right at me, his lids hooded and lips parted. “I wanted to kiss you Luca, I swear, and it wasn’t for what you thought.” He searched my face, then returned his gaze to my mouth, his expression hardening. “Nobody is gonna fuck with you again.” I swallowed hard, his words sounding more like a promise than just a threat.
His hands began to loosen around my face, and when I thought he was about to let go, he took my mouth again kissing me harder. He parted his lips as he tilted his head, coaxing me to open my mouth. His tongue entered just a little as though seeking out unknown territory.
I crumbled. A moan escaped me and I fisted my hands in his shirt, keeping him there so he wouldn’t dare stop. His hands smoothed up my face, his fingers running into my hair, gripping tight. He deepened the kiss, his body brushing mine as he did, my nipples grazing over his torso and sending waves down south faster than a tsunami.
He captured my bottom lip, sucking and drawing it out. He released it, then brushed his lips over mine while I caught my breath. “I have to go.” He stared down at my mouth, then pulled back.
I released my tight grip from his shirt, revealing creases from where I’d screwed it up in my hands. As he turned to the window, I whisper-shouted, “Wait.” He turned to look at me. “What happened to you face—your hand?”
A slow smile spread across his face, his dimples deep, and his eyes crinkled up. “Just a scuffle.” Then, he slipped out effortlessly and disappeared.
I touched my buzzing lips, the aftershocks of Lucian’s kiss still rushing through them. “What the hell was that?”
Lucian
“I want to know who the fuck spread that shit, and where they are,” I spat. Charlie and Nate sat opposite me on the deep-navy blue sofa, their elbows resting on their knees. “I don’t give a fuck if it takes all day, I want to know where the little shit is.”
Charlie flicked his stupid hair back while Nate nodded. “We just need the details,” Charlie said, pulling his phone out of his pocket and swiping the screen. “Shoot.”
I sat back and rested my ankle over my knee. “Grace’s party,” I began. Their eyes snapped to each other then back to me, their faces scrunched up in confusion. “You fucking know who Luca is, so don’t treat me like I’m a dumb shit.”
“We’re not,” Nate countered. “It’s just that she’s Grace’s cousin.”
“Your point?”
“The only person who said anything about Luca to us at the party, was Grace. She already said that if we went near her, she’d cut off our balls.”
Blaine walked into the living room and down the three steps from the kitchen, then placed three beers on the glass coffee table. “She also said that Luca wasn’t going to be our latest fuck toy. Can’t say I’m not disappointed, though. She seemed to like
what she saw when I was eating Cadence’s pus—”
“What?” My eyes bulged and my fists balled up. The guys looked at me like I was a madman about to explode.
“Are you fucking crazy?” Brady yelled at Blaine, rushing through while holding onto two beers. “Lucian…”
“I know,” I ground out between my teeth. I pointed at each one of them while Brady sat in the other armchair. “If any of you so much as look at her twice, I will fucking end you, got it?”
“Dude, lighten the fuck up,” Blaine said, dropping backward next to Charlie and took a swig of his beer. “I’m kidding, stop being a bitch.”
“I told you not to joke about that shit, dickhead,” Brady said, reaching over and slapping Blaine across the back of the head.
“Ow!” Blaine rubbed the spot while shooting daggers at my brother. “Hey, prick, uncalled for,” he complained. Charlie shoved him sideways, causing him to spill drops of beer down his front. “What the fuck? Come on!” he screeched while Nate laughed.
“I don’t give a rat’s ass what you get up to and who with, but Luca’s off limits.” All four of them nodded their head.
“So, are we still looking?” Charlie asked, looking up at me.
I continued glaring at the little white-haired dick until I sat back down. “I want to know who, and when.” I thought back to the date Larry had given me after the fight. “Find out what you can about Daryl Cane.”
“On it,” Charlie and Nate said in unison.
They could find out about anything except one thing… And that was the kind of fight that put one of my friends in the ground.
“Good. Brady, we have stuff to do, and not a lot of time to do it.”
Brady stood and saluted. “Yes, sir, no sir, drain your blue balls, sir.”
The idiots fell about laughing, and I rubbed my forehead. “Grow the fuck up.” I jerked my chin for my brother to follow me.
“What do I do?” Blaine asked, his hands wide.