"Go. I'll meet you at your place. I'll help Mags finish up." Relief spreads through me, and I could kiss him.
I'm about to turn away when he takes my hand.
"Don't do it, King." Kiwi using my real name tells me how serious he is, and I smash my lips together. "Roe-Roe," he presses.
Shuffling my feet, my gaze dips to the floor between us. I can't lie to him. Never could. A finger touches under my chin and gently tilts my head back up. "Do not leave me. If you need to move on, I am coming with you. Do we understand each other?" His tone is low, and his usual joking demeanor is nowhere in sight.
I briefly close my eyes. When I let my lids flutter open, I hold his gaze. "Yes."
Kiwi nods and lets go of me. I spin on my heels and dash out the door and down the corridor leading to the parking lot behind the building.
I lean against the metal door with my shoulder, applying more force than necessary. It flies open and slams into the brick wall behind it.
Shit.
As I walk toward my Jeep, my head is down while I dig through my bag in search of my car keys. "Where the fuck are you?"
"Leaving early?" The one voice I've craved to hear directed toward me for over a year yet never wanted to be addressed with makes my step falter.
Oh, please no.
I slowly lift my gaze and find him leaning against the side of my Jeep.
I swallow hard, and there is a shift deep inside of me. My self-preservation mode slams into gear, and I let it happen, even though I swore to Kiwi I would never become that person again. But it's the only way, no matter what my heart wants.
I let the numbness spread through every cell of my body—a trick I adapted years ago. When you don't feel, you can't get hurt. Physically or emotionally. You're an empty shell. I set my face, void of any emotion, and force the words out. "Do I know you?"
Wes arches an eyebrow in a perfect semicircle and folds his arms over his chest. His bulging biceps stretch the fabric of his white T-shirt to the max, and I wouldn't have been surprised to hear a ripping sound. And why does the possibility excite me so much? He looks nothing like the kid who was plastered all over the papers and internet when the news of the Babysitter case broke.
Back then, the gossip sites had a field day when it became public knowledge that UG had dropped him because of his association and friendship with Lilly. I dug up every single article I could get my hands on after the day I ran into him—literally.
My mind driftsto that day last October.
Besides flirting free meals out of innocent college students while on the move, I also sat in on several lectures a week. I chose my temporary homes based on the schools and if they offered the subjects I needed. Not that I would get credits for them—I couldn't afford a degree—but that didn't stop me. One day I would be able to, when I saved up enough to go to a real school and pursue my dream. Which was why I continued the habit after I settled in Stonebriar.
Mags hadinterceptedme three days earlier. I had moved my meager belongings into her spare bedroom and started my bartending gig. For the first time in a long time, I felt somewhat normal—like I belonged.
I was leaving the criminology lecture and was late for the next class. Not that I had to be on time; I wasn't an official student at MPU. But being late would mean drawing attention—and that I didn't want. I made sure the professors knew I was in class, got their permission, and as long as I wouldn't disrupt the lectures, they let me sit in the back and take my notes. All in all, it was a great deal if I could ever make use of what I learned…one day.
I was speed walking out of the hall, head down, reading a text Kiwi had sent sometime during the last two hours, when I ran face—or more forehead—first into a hard chest. A very hard chest.
"Holy shit, girl, slow down," a laughing male voice said before moving around me.
"Sorry," I mumbled, then paused.
Wait! I had heard that voice before. Where had I heard that voice?
The guy was already moving on, and I jerked my head up to get a glimpse of whomever it was. I didn't know anyone in this town, which was why I chose it. His back was to me as he walked down the corridor next to a tall blond guy who looked like he had jumped out of a surfing magazine. The speaker was blond, tall, and built. I'd seen lots of guys like that over the years, but something was familiar. Then, he turned over his shoulder and peered back once more. Locking eyes with him, my heart thudded to a complete stop. How was this possible?
Rooted in place, I stared at Weston Sheats's retreating form. Wes, the best friend of Lilly McGuire. Holy fucking shit. Now it clicked why the voice was so familiar. I had seen some of the interviews after the case made national news, and of course, I followed the fallout. Everyone did. It was huge. Everyone who was part of the events for longer than thirty seconds was put under a microscope.
Then, life happened, also known as my power and cable got shut off.Again.
It took me a few extra shifts before I could pay the bill to turn the electricity back on, but the cable and internet was put on the back burner. Whenever I asked Kiwi, he refused to let me watch footage about the case. He was acting all weird and overprotective, which was somewhat understandable. Maybe he sensed my attraction toward Wes even then. But that was all it was. Wes was good-looking, and seeing him on the screen stirred something in my chest I wasn't used to. But I had other priorities.
By the time I could afford my internet access, the reports had trickled down to reruns of Lilly, and I lost interest.
Blinking, I followed Wes and the surfer dude around the corner.