The only sound in the room moments later was our heavy breathing. Catching my breath, I walked over to the small sink in the corner and wet a few paper towels, handing some to Ever when I returned to the desk.
“Thanks,” he said before he began cleaning between Four’s legs. I quickly averted my gaze when I got a glimpse of her pussy. That was a memory that wouldn’t be leaving me any time soon.
Sighing, I began cleaning my cum from Bee’s thighs while she laid on her back next to Four with her eyes closed. Once finished, I righted her dress before fixing my own clothes and then helped Bee from the desk while Ever did the same for Four.
“Well, this was fun,” I drawled, sarcasm dripping from each word. “Why don’t we make it a weekly thing? I’m good for Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
While Four had trouble meeting anyone’s gaze, Ever sighed. He already seemed resigned to living with the huge fuck up we’d just made. I would never be able to look at Four again without seeing the way her tits bounced while my cousin was driving into her. I didn’t even want to know how much he’d seen of Bee. I’d probably carve his eyes from his skull.
Needless to say, we wouldn’t be getting together for Naked Twister anytime soon.
“We should get back,” Ever mumbled. “What time does the ceremony start?”
Glancing at my watch, I winced. “An hour ago.”
We quickly rushed for the door. As soon as we stepped into the quiet hall, however, we each froze, seeing who awaited us. None of us had time to react, least of all me, before Elliot stepped forward, his expression filled with rage, and backhanded his daughter.
Summer… Five Years Ago
I STEPPED OFF THE TRAIN and took a deep breath. It had been terrifying riding alone from Boston, but I’d had no choice. Clutched in my fist was the last letter Bee had sent me. Like always, I’d responded immediately, but almost a month had gone by and… nothing.
What was going on?
I’d kept the promise I made her a year ago and came back to Blackwood Keep. Our second summer together was even more amazing than the first because this time, there’d been no pretending to hate each other. Leaving her for a second time, however, was even harder. I’d even gone so far as to try to convince my parents to leave Boston. Whenever I brought it up, my dad would simply chuckle around his eighth or eighteenth smoke for the day while my mom would offer me a gentle smile. They both knew my reason for wanting to move.
I was in love at fourteen, and I didn’t care who knew it.
Or maybe I did?
I still hadn’t asked Bee to be my girlfriend, not officially or anything. Maybe that’s why she stopped writing me? Was she tired of waiting for me to ask?
My hands shook at the thought of finally asking her. What if she said no? What if she still secretly liked Ever?
The wind blew, so I zipped my hoodie up. It was the first day of fall—the official end of summer. Sadness whipped through me, chilling my bones like that gust of wind. Recalling the words in the poem Bee had given me before I left, I realized why. Bee had changed the meaning of summer for me, too, and whenever it ended, she somehow felt farther away.
Since I’d hopped a train to find Bee without my parents’ knowledge or permission, there was no one waiting for me when I arrived in Blackwood Keep. School would be over in a couple of hours, so I didn’t think twice before starting the trek to Bee.
Underestimating how long it would take to walk five miles, I reached her school with less than five minutes to spare. I walked through the doors as if I belonged and beelined to the nearest water fountain and drank my fill. I was sweating everywhere, and my feet ached, but I still wandered the halls in search of Mrs. Newman’s class. In Bee’s last letter, she’d written to me about her teachers and how her writing teacher was her favorite and last class of the day.
I was still searching when the bell rang. Moments later, several doors opened, and kids spilled out of them. None of them paid me any mind as they rushed past me. Eager to start the weekend, it didn’t take long for the hall to empty.
Still no Bee.
Giving up, I pressed my back against the wall and stared at the white tiled floor. I wasn’t sure how long I stood there before the door right in front of me opened, and a girl stepped into the hall. The first thing I noticed was the mint-colored ankle boots with a dark-brown heel. Her long, slim legs were covered in white floral tights, and I almost laughed knowing how much Bee would hate them. Whenever her mom forced her into them, she’d say they itched liked hell.
Dismissing the girl without checking out the rest of her, I straightened only to find that it was Bee all along. My heart started to pound as surprise, confusion, and joy rushed through me. I barely noticed the blank stare she gave me in return. Suddenly, I realized there was only a couple of feet separating us now rather than a couple of hundred miles. I rushed across the hall and swooped her up in my arms.
“You’re okay,” I said more to myself than to her. I’d begun to fear the worst. “Why didn’t you write me back?” When she said nothing, I set her down, worried that I held her too tight. I couldn’t help myself. I thought I might never get the chance again.
The second her feet touched the ground, I stumbled back. I stared at Bee in shock as her worried gaze searched the hall. We were completely alone.
And she’d shoved me.
“Bee?”
“My name is Barbette.” She started to walk away, but then she paused. “I hope you find who you’re looking for.” Was that regret in her tone? What the hell was going on?
I watched her walk—no, strut—away in those heels. When the hell had she learned to walk in those? And what the hell did she mean?
She was the one I wanted. She was the reason I’d come all this way and risked being grounded for the rest of my life. After this stunt, my parents probably wouldn’t even let me come back next summer. I had told myself it would all be worth it. Of course, I’d called Ever first. All he would ever tell me was that she was fine, so the moment he hesitated to tell me more, I knew something was up.
Finally getting my feet to move, I followed after her. She obviously hadn’t been paying attention if she thought I’d let her go that easily. I burst through the front doors of the school, ignoring the curious glances I got and searched the parking lot. A few feet away, I could see Barbette heading straight for a black Escalade. Why hadn’t she ridden her bike to school? An expressionless man dressed in a black suit stood at the open back door. I reached her before she could reach him.
“Bee, stop. Wait,” I pleaded as I grabbed her hand.
Turning her around, I shoved my fingers through the strawberry locks that had grown out, messing up her perfect curls. It wasn’t my first time seeing her hair like this, but she never lasted more than an hour out of her mother’s sight before shoving her hair underneath her favorite red baseball cap. At a loss, I pressed my forehead to hers. I’d grown a little faster than her in the year since I met Bee, but in those heels she had on, we were the same height.
“Please, talk to me. Tell me what I did wrong.”
I inhaled her scent, fearing it was the last time I’d hold her this close, but she no longer smelled the same—like the sun and the grass and the rain. I nearly choked on the heavy perfume soaking her skin.