He nods, then gets to his feet, and dusts the dirt off his jeans. “We should head back. I got a killer Literature paper I have to write.” He offers me his hand to help me up, but I just can’t bring myself to take it.

I turn over onto my hands and knees and push myself to my feet. “Now I just have to make it back down,” I say with a sigh as I walk toward the cliff and peek over the edge.

He laughs quietly as he follows behind me. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you down, if you’ll let me.”

My eyes broaden at his words and then at the cliff. What a dilemma. But I trusted him once and I decide to do it again. I just pray to God he doesn’t shove me down and break me, because I’m already in too many pieces and I just don’t know how much more breaking I can take.

Kayden

I’m nervous helping her scale down the cliff and not because I think she’s going to fall. My arm is around her back and her weight is against me. She’s safe and I’m glad she is.

The problem lies inside me. The entire time we’re climbing down, my heart is thumping in my chest. I want to reach over and feel her skin, suck on her lips, even let my fingers graze her ass. I’ve never wanted anyone like this before and it’s fucking scary as hell. For a second, I considered kissing her while we were up on the cliff, but it would have been wrong of me. Not only because I shouldn’t be kissing someone as nice as Callie, but also because I have a girlfriend and it wouldn’t be fair to anyone.

Even though our conversation on the cliff was a minor moment in time, it held more depth than any other conversation I’ve had. When I talk to Daisy, it mostly focuses on shallow things, like homecoming, what she is going to wear, and where the parties are going to take place. That’s how I want my life. Simple. I already have enough complexity locked away inside me to shadow the whole world with darkness.

“Are you sure we’re not going to fall?” Callie grips at my upper arm, delving her fingertips into the fabric of my shirt as she blinks her eyes at the ground. “It feels like you’re going to drop me.”

“I’m not going to drop you. I promise.” I tighten my arm around her back and gently tug her closer. “Just relax. We’re almost there.”

I slide my foot down along the rock toward the next ledge, resisting the urge to grab her ass, and place my hand on her lower back. She reaches her hand down, holding on to me as she stretches her leg toward the lower ridge. Once her foot touches it, she relaxes as she steps down on the one below.

I let go of her as her feet touch the bottom. “See, I told you I wouldn’t drop you.”

Showing off a little, I jump down the rest of the way and land in front of her, ignoring the pain in my calf muscles. “Remind me never to take you somewhere up high again.”

She makes an apologetic face as she brushes the dirt off the front of her shirt with her hands. “I’m sorry, I should have warned you. Although, climbing like that doesn’t seem very natural. It felt like we were trying to be lizards or something.

Unable to help myself, I laugh at her. It’s been a while and it feels good. “So for future planning, what kind of places do you like to go?”

She looks about as lost as I feel. “I have no idea.”

“Well think about it.” I start down the path toward where the truck is parked and Callie follows me. “And the next time I ask you if you want to hang out, you can tell me where.”

Her forehead creases as she stares out at the hills to the side of us. “Is there going to be a next time?”

“Sure,” I say casually. “Why wouldn’t there be?”

She looks at me and shrugs, looking unconvinced. “I don’t know.”

It seems like she knows a lot of things, which is why I should be running away from her, before she finds out about me. But like my father always says, I was never that bright, and I have a feeling I’m not going to be able to stay away.

Chapter 4

#43 Don’t Take Shit From Anyone

Kayden

I’m having a good dream. Callie and I are climbing down the cliff. As I help her to the bottom, she bites at her bottom lip, stumbling back against the rocks, looking nervous as hell.

With my eyes locked on her lips, I place my hands on the rocky wall, so her head is trapped between my arms. Her body trembles as I tip my head down and breathe against her neck. I love that she’s shivering and I want to make her shiver more.

The palms of my hands slide down the rocks, the jagged edges scraping against my skin. It’s a combination of pain and fucking want and my adrenaline pumps through my body. Gripping her hips, her lips part as her head falls back and she moans.

“Tell me you want me,” I say, because I have a feeling she’s never told anyone that.

“I want you,” she breathes.

Lifting her up, my lips come down on hers as I press up against her, wanting nothing more than to rip her clothes off and bury my dick deep inside her.

“Wake up, lover boy.” A warm hand pats my cheek and I fling my arm at them because they’re ruining my dream.

“Come on, sexy boy.” Someone bounces on top of me. “You have a present waiting for you if you wake up.”

I blink my eyes open to a pair of blue eyes and a lot of curly blond hair hanging in my face.

Daisy is straddling my lap, wearing a short denim skirt, and a white lacy top. “Surprise.”

I rise up on my elbows, feeling deflated and wanting to go back to my dream to see how it ends. “What are you doing here?”

Her eyes narrow at me. “Way to welcome the love of your life. God Kayden, you can be such an asshole sometimes.”

I sigh and put on my plastic smile. “Sorry, I’m just tired. Between school and practice, I barely have time to sleep.”

She scrunches the ends of her hair with her fingers. “Well, wake up. You need to take me out somewhere before I have to go home. I’m only here for like an hour.”

“Why are you here?” I ask with caution as I sit up and lean against the headboard.

She shakes out her hair and adjusts her top over her stomach. “My mom drove here to go shopping. It’s the closest place where she can buy shoes that don’t have generic brands on them.”

I arch my eyebrows, feigning interest. “Oh yeah?”

She nods and then walks her fingers up my bare chest that’s covered up by a sheet. “I thought I’d come with her and see you. You can take me out and then maybe you’ll get lucky.”

“I have class,” I say. “And where’s Luke? I’m guessing he let you in? But who let you into the building?”

“I have my ways.” She slips her leg off me and gets to her feet. “Luke let me into the room and then left. I don’t get what his deal is with me. I mean, if I so much as look at him, he runs in the other direction.”

“He’s just quiet.” I sit up and the sheet falls off my chest.

She takes in the white lines that run in every direction along my skin likes she’s forgotten they were there. “You know they have laser treatments that can fade scars away? Maybe you should look into it.” She traces her fingernail down my cheek. “You’d be perfect if you didn’t have those scars.”

I slide away from her, take a red t-shirt out of the dresser, and put it on. “There. Now you can’t see them.”

She crinkles her nose. “I didn’t mean to be rude. I was just telling you the truth.”

I grab a pair of jeans off the floor, pull them on, and fasten the button before slipping on my shoes. “Where do you want to go?”

She taps her lip thoughtfully. “Surprise me. Just as long as it’s somewhere nice.”

I swipe up my wallet and phone and then open the door for her. “You know I don’t have my car.”

“Duh.” She rolls her eyes as I shut the door. “That’s why I made my mom let me use hers. She’s stuck at the mall so we have to make this a quickie. Although, you better make sure I enjoy it.” She flashes me a grin and sways her hips as she struts down the hall. Her skirt barely covers her ass and her long legs stretch with confidence. A few guys walking down the hall check out her ass.

When she approaches the door, she waits for me to open it for her and then we step out into the sunshine. The campus yard is packed with people heading to and from class with books in their hands.

We start down the path beneath the trees, and Seth and Callie emerge at the end. Callie has a long sleeved purple shirt on and her hair is pulled up. My mind drifts back to my dirty dream and how it felt to have her in my arms.

She’s talking to Seth with a serious expression on her face and Seth is waving his arms in the air animatedly. When her eyes meet mine, they light up for a split second then she looks over at Daisy. Callie is the sweetest girl I’ve ever met, but the look on her face is filled with hatred.

I start to wave, when she extends her arm up toward me with an ID card in her hand. “I’m supposed to give this to you.” Her tone is flat.

I take my card from her, offering her a small smile. “Thanks. How did you end up with this?”

She shrugs. “Luke said he grabbed it by accident. He stopped me after class and asked if I could stop by your dorm and give it to you, but since I ran into you, here you go.”

Daisy gives Callie a once over. “Who the hell are you?”

Callie’s eyes are as cold as ice. “Callie Lawrence.”

Daisy sneers maliciously. “Oh my God. It’s the Anorexic Satan Worshipper. Different clothes, but the same skinny body. Starve yourself much?”

“Daisy,” I say in a tight voice. “Back off.”

Seth’s eyes widen, which means Callie must have told him about Daisy. But why? Am I missing something?

Daisy glares at me. “Maybe I should ask you what the fuck you’re doing? Hanging out with someone like her.”

A light turns off in Callie’s eyes as she starts to step around us, but Seth whisks forward and gets in Daisy’s face.

“I don’t know what you’re being so cocky about girl,” he says. “Take away that push up bra, fake tan, dyed hair, and fancy clothes, and all you’d be is a slightly overweight girl with a really bad nose job.”

Daisy gasps and covers her nose with her hand. “I didn’t get a nose job.”

“Whatever you say.” He smirks at her, links arms with Callie, and waves to me. “See you later, Kayden.”

Callie doesn’t look at me as they dart around us and hurry off toward the front entrance of the campus.

Daisy places her hands on her hips and purses her lips. “Why were you talking to that girl?” she asks. “You remember who she is, right?”

“Yeah, she’s Callie Lawrence.” I shrug and head up the sidewalk. “She was in my grade at school and was really quiet.”

“She was also a freak.” She laces her fingers through mine and it sends a feeling of numbness through my body. “She’s anorexic and used to wear all those baggy clothes. She had that God awful haircut and never talked to anyone.”