“Tell me what’s wrong,” Alex demanded for the fifth time since he picked her up.
Her cell phone went off again, and a look at the screen showed Reese’s number. He’d called her repeatedly since she left, which meant he knew what she knew and was trying to do damage control. But she didn’t want to deal with that right now, not when her mind and body were volatile with each other.
Her heart said to talk to Reese, hear his side of the story. But her mind said she didn’t want to risk it and didn't want to know the truth. She needed to think, get her thoughts in order. She needed to breathe.
“Keira, what the hell is wrong?” Alex sounded more impatient, getting angrier by the second.
She didn’t respond, just stared out the window and tried to force herself to stop crying. She wiped angrily at her tears, willing them to stop. She was stronger than this. She was better than it.
Another few minutes passed before he was asking her again. “Keira, tell me what the fuck is wrong.”
She closed her eyes and exhaled. He wouldn’t let this go.
Before she could say anything, he veered the truck off to the side of the road so abruptly she had to brace her hands on the dash or she would have slammed into it.
“Shit, Alex. What the hell?” She snapped her head in his direction.
“You’ll tell me what the fuck is going on, Keira. I’m not moving until you do.” His voice had dropped to a low growl.
She whispered, “It’s nothing.”
His face grew darker. “Bullshit.” His jaw worked, and he looked out the windshield. “Was it that guy you’re seeing? Did he hurt you?”
When she didn’t answer right away, his head snapped toward her again. The muscles under his jaw ticked, and she could tell he was barely controlling his temper.
“That’s it. I’m going to that fucking academy and beating the shit out of that motherfucker.” He slammed the truck into gear and pulled back onto the road.
Keira reached out and placed a hand on his forearm. The muscles under the skin were hard and tense.
“He didn’t hurt me, not in the way I’m sure you’re thinking.”
“Keira, you’re crying because of him. I don’t care if he snubbed you in the cafeteria. He hurt you, and I’m going to make him realize that if he fucks with you, he fucks with me.”
Keira closed her eyes, not wanting this to escalate. She hadn’t even spoken to Reese, hadn’t even had time to think to herself and figure out what the hell was going on. For all she knew, this was all a huge misunderstanding.
“I just want to go home,” she said softly. “Please, Alex.” The breath she’d been holding came out of her in a rush when, after several long seconds, he finally started heading to their house. “Thank you, Alex,” she whispered.
“Don’t thank me yet, princess.”
She didn’t need to ask what he meant, because the unspoken threat was there.
As soon as he pulled into the driveway, she didn’t wait for him. Climbing out, she made a beeline right to her room. Her parents thankfully seemed to be gone. Last thing she needed was them wondering why she wasn’t in school and why she was upset.
She closed her bedroom door and leaned against it. Taking a deep breath, she knew she had to clear her head and confront Reese about this. She loved him. She’d given him her virginity. He hadn’t done anything to break her trust, but the pictures and Lindy’s words repeated in her head.
Reaching for her phone, she turned it back on. The messages and missed calls flooded her screen. And then it started vibrating with an incoming call. Molly’s smiling face illuminated the screen. She thought about ignoring it, but no doubt by now everyone in the school knew about those pictures. The rumors would spread and twist, and she’d be known as the girl Reese used.
Swiping her finger across the screen, she answered. “Hello?”
“God, Keira,” she breathed out, relieved. “Ian and I have been trying to get ahold of you. Where are you?” The worry in Molly’s voice was clear. She could also hear Ian rattling off a string of questions in the background about if Keira was okay.
“I’m fine, and I had Alex come and get me. I’m home.”
“Keira.” Molly’s voice dropped to a soft volume. “Are you okay?”
The tears started again, and dammit, Molly heard the catch in her voice.
“I am so sorry, Keira.”
“Everyone knows already, don’t they?”
Molly’s deep exhale answered her question. “You know BMA is full of nosy, catty bitches.”
“Lindy is right, Molly. I was nothing but a shiny new toy he could use.” Keira hadn’t told Molly yet about losing her virginity to Reese, but by the sharp inhalation over the line, she read between the lines.
“Have you talked to Reese?”
Keira laid back on her bed and stared at the ceiling. “Not yet. I don’t know what to say. I’m afraid he won’t deny it, and I’ll feel and look like an idiot.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Keira laughed, but it was forced and hardly humorous. “And Alex now knows something obviously went down and is pissed. Wanted to go to the school and kick Reese’s ass.” Keira closed her eyes, feeling so damn tired. “It’s a huge mess.”
“He went crazy, Keira.” Molly’s words were low through the receiver.
“I bet he did, getting caught and all that.” She opened her eyes and sat up. She’d just get it done and over with concerning Reese, talk to him, let him know she was fine, that this didn’t bother her. It would be the biggest lie of her life, but she could put a poker face on.
Or try.
“No, Keira. Like he went crazy.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Reese went full-on psychotic when he found out you saw the pictures and left. Like, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone look so… panicked.”
“Yeah, well, maybe he was hoping to keep me as his side piece.” How stupid she had been to allow herself to fall in love with him.
“He peeled out in his truck like five minutes ago.”
Keira shook her head, even though no one saw her. “He was upset that he was caught.”
“I don’t know, Keira. The way he was acting was damn near frightening. His expression… God, Keira. It was scary as hell. He was cursing and screaming, but I couldn’t really make out what he said.”
It didn’t matter in the end. He could be pissed. He could be whatever he wanted. She was the one who had to deal with herself and how she felt.
After she got off the phone, she tossed it aside. Dammit, why did she have to love him?
Her phone started buzzing again, but she let it go to voicemail. Minutes later, the sound of tires squealing right outside had her getting off the bed and pulling the curtains aside to look down into the driveway.
Oh God.
Reese slammed his truck into park, was out of the vehicle in a matter of seconds, and stormed toward the entrance of her house.
“Keira!” he shouted her name over and over again, and before he disappeared from her view, he stopped and looked up at her window.
The anguish on his face was clear, and the stupid, foolishly in love part of her just wanted to go to him, to feel him. But she held her place, refusing to be weak. They’d talk, she’d hear what he had to say, but she wouldn’t let sweet words, lies, or anything else cloud her judgment ever again.