My heart was thumping so fast in my chest, my skin on fire, my lips tingling from his touch. I craved it, I craved him so badly.
He was my addiction, my drug and my release all in one.
He was my high. A high I wanted again and again. I could never get enough of him. I never wanted to have enough of him.
Shit.
It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since mine and Conor’s first kiss, and I had fallen so hard for him. I didn’t even care. I wanted to scream from the rooftops that I had a crush on Conor fucking Royce, a crush so intense that it scared me.
He made me feel things I didn’t even know were possible.
He had imprinted on me, stealing my soul and capturing my heart.
I wanted the whole world to know just how deeply I felt for him.
He was my everything.
And going by what just happened, he had fallen for me too.
I hoped.
CONOR
I bolted out of her hospital room, crashing past Chase and his family as I ran for the exit.
“Conor,” I heard Chase call after me.
I couldn’t stop.
My heart was thumping so hard and fast in my chest, I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
I needed air, I couldn’t breathe.
She clouded me, made me hazy.
But fuck, did I love it.
I knew she was sweet, I knew I would be addicted to her from just one taste and now I want more.
So much fucking more.
I looked up at the exit signs as I carried on running towards them. I was scared, I had never felt this deeply for someone. Last night was the first time that I had ever managed to get close to her, to just have that moment that I craved. The moment I had craved ever since I laid eyes on her in her kitchen.
The warm spring air hit me, I dropped my hands to my knees and bent down, taking a few deep breaths, letting the clean air penetrate my lungs.
I felt like I was suffocating in there.
I have put on this front, acting like I don’t care, pretending and hiding from my feelings, but I can’t anymore.
I am so fucking scared.
Scared of how much I love her.
I knew she was too good for me, so pure, but I didn’t care.
I wasn’t going on without her.
I needed her, in every single way possible.
She was mine.
“Conor,” I heard his voice booming behind me. I stood up and turned slowly to face him.
“Chase,” I said quietly as I stared down at him.
“Why were you running?” He crossed his arms in front of his chest, glaring at me.
“Needed some air.” I shrugged, my walls coming back up. Being defensive and arrogant was my best trait.
“Really? Or did something happen with Darce? I told you to stay away from her, you fucking promised me,” he shouted as he stepped towards me, pushing me on my chest.
“Don’t do that, mate,” I warned.
“Why not?” he snapped, aggravating me as he pushed me again.
“Because you’ll regret it.”
“Oh, will I, big man? Regret fronting out Conor fucking ‘king’ Royce, will I? You may have been king in high school, but that’s about it. Don’t fucking forget what my family have given you.” He stepped towards me once more, this time I stepped with him, our foreheads together, our teeth gritted and our eyes trained on each other, I felt like they were going to pop from my sockets.
“I am fully fucking aware of what your family have done for me, so don’t throw that in my fucking face.” I was now shouting at him, my blood boiling, my temper rising but I wouldn’t hit him. That’s one promise I could keep. I would never lay a fucking hand on him.
But his sister on the other hand, I couldn’t help the smirk that came on my face.
“What you smirking at, prick?” He grabbed my T-shirt, bunching it at my chest and pulling me even closer to him, my head dropped back slightly, the smirk still apparent.
“Can’t tell ya, buddy,” I teased him, antagonising him, goading him.
“I’m warning you, Royce.”
“Warning me on what exactly? I haven’t done anything wrong,” I said coolly as he let go of my T-shirt.
“I don’t believe you. What has happened between you and Darcey? You didn’t have a good word to say about each other, then after her party, you are best mates?” he said agitated, his face going red where he was getting angrier.
“We turned a corner.” I shrugged.
“Stop being a prick, just talk to me, man, for fuck’s sake,” he begged.
“Okay,” I said quietly, dropping my head so my eyes were on my trainers. “I love her, man.” The words slipped off my tongue. I lifted my head slightly, my eyes meeting his. “I’m in fucking love with Darcey.”
Chase stepped back, his mouth dropping open. “Love?” he stammered. “How can you love her? You fucking hate her. I heard about all the shit you did to her in school, I didn’t get involved because I knew you didn’t mean it, and she would’ve given it back to you when she was ready. I was never worried. But love? Fuck,” he said, sitting on a planter that was by the hospital entrance.
“Shit,” he muttered as he turned his face up to me. “Have you told her?”
I scoffed before laughing. “Have I fuck. She hates me. I’m not stupid. Yeah, we kissed but I think that was more just a ‘caught in the moment’ type of kiss.”
My eyes going wide instantly when I realise that I told him that I had kissed his baby sister.
“You’ve kissed her?” he shouted, standing up from the planter and bowling himself over to me again.
Shit, here we go.
I didn’t have time to react as he swung his fist, punching me in the side of the face, my jaw clicking as he did. My head felt like it was spinning on my shoulders.
“Fuck,” he shouted, waving his hand around.
It took me a moment to register what the hell had just gone on. I bent down, spitting blood out of my mouth and running my tongue round all my teeth to make sure they were all still there. That was a blow and a half.
“Shit, sorry, Conor. I saw red, it was just a reaction. Shit. Hit me back, come on. I’ll let ya, just hit me the fuck back,” he kept on at me, in my ear, like an annoyance. I stood up, fronting up to him. He was tall, but I towered over him.
“You’re going to let me, are ya?” I jibed at him.
“Yeah, come on, just do it,” he responded, rolling his shoulders back and cracking his neck from side to side. I moved my face close to him, so our noses were nearly touching.
“Nope.” I shook my head. “Even though you were going to let me, thanks and all, but I’m alright. I think we’re even. I kissed your sister, you punched me.” I laughed. “That was a good punch though, I deserved it.” I winked at him then slapped him round the face playfully.
“Come on, let’s get inside. We can discuss this later,” he said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as we walked towards Darcey’s room.
“I never thought I would see the day that Conor Royce was in love, thought there was more chance of hell freezing over.” He laughed, and I laughed with him.
“But, Conor, mate,” he said as he stopped before we got to the waiting room, his face serious, his stare intense. “You break her heart, I’ll break you. Do you understand me?” he said. “Promise me.”