Page 64 of The Pact

For a second I’m tempted to come clean about who my father is but then I decide against it.

Today is Kelley’s birthday and he’s already had to deal with some bullshit, so I don’t want to add to it.

And yeah, ok. I’m also worried that he won’t be as understanding as Bode when he realizes that I’ve kept the truth from them. I’m afraid that after he knows that I’m the girl he called unfuckable, he’ll stop looking at me with desire in his eyes.

The look between us is full of heat and understanding and I convince myself that it doesn’t really matter who my father is. That at school we didn’t really know each other and that this is exactly what we’re doing now.

His lips touch mine and I melt against him but he breaks the kiss too soon. “We could still go to the beach if you want, or we could hang out here for a while.”

I tell him that I don’t mind either way. “Like I said, the birthday boy should get what he wants. So it’s up to you. Just know that I’d never been on a bike before and I loved riding it.”

He offers me his most charming smile. “That’s awesome. Then I’ll pick you up on the bike more often. It’ll be code for ‘I want to be alone with you.’ How’s that?”

His smile is contagious. “It sounds great,” I say, tucking myself closer to his side when he wraps one arm around my shoulders.

“Since we’re here, I’ll give you a tour of the place.”

The apartment is bigger than the one I share with my sister and while not being luxurious accommodation by any means, it’s kept meticulously clean and tidy.

After meeting Rosalie though, and hearing about Kelley having to rescue his mother more often than not, I’m starting to suspect that he’s the one who takes care of most things around here.

“This is Mom’s room; you’ve seen Nora’s and this is my room.”

He ushers me into a medium sized room with a full bed and a dresser with a TV on it. There’s a game console on the dresser too.

“Meow!” Two cats are on Kelley’s bed and our arrival obviously disturbs them while they’re ... mating.

“Fudge and Smudge, stop fucking right this second!” Kelley warns the fuzzy creatures, stepping toward the bed. “I swear to God, tomorrow we’re going to get you both fixed.”

He throws an apologetic look my way as he lets the cats onto the balcony right outside his room.

“I’m sorry, Ausra. Those fucking cats. They’re rescues, Nora and I found them about a month ago by the public beach. Nora fell in love with them at first sight and I didn’t have the heart to say no, especially when they followed us home. Which wasn’t hard since she fed them her sandwich. I told Mom to take them to get fixed because from the moment they moved in, those two haven’t done anything but fuck. And my bed seems to be their favorite place too. Obviously she keeps saying she’ll take them but she’s too busy fucking around with the man that ruined her life to do anything else.”

The tension is back in his shoulders and in the hard set of his jaw. “I’m sorry things are hard for you at home. Trust me I understand it better than most.”

Kelley sighs. “Yeah, well. If it wasn’t for Nora, I’d have moved out last year. Bode offered me to stay with him until his parents are back and Ashton’s house is so huge that I doubt his parents would even fucking notice if we all moved in. But like you saw, my mother can’t be trusted with her. Both times she tried to kill herself, Nora was home. It was lucky that both times, I called to check on them and got alarmed when she didn’t answer. Can you imagine if my sister had found her?”

I can’t imagine the kind of worry that Kelley must feel every day. It’s obvious how much he loves his little sister.

The bullshit I had to deal with at home was totally different than what Kelley has to endure. My father is a monster but at least he’s always been reliable in his constant, watchful presence. Rosalie looks like a sweet woman, however, I could see a flicker of recklessness in her hazel eyes. I recognized that look because I used to see it in McKayla all the time before she had Skye.

Kelley is looking at me and I walk the two steps that separate me from him until I crash against his chest. I’ve never felt so close to him as I do right now. This glimmer into his family life helped me understand a lot of his reactions just for what they are. He lashes out at anyone who tries to take other people’s freedom away. Whether it is my father’s church, a guy in a dark back alley or his mother’s married boyfriend, it doesn’t matter to him. He’s fiercely protective of other people’s power to choose for themselves.

His arms close around my waist again and our lips collide in an intense kiss. We’re chasing each other, staking a claim that contains all the attraction that has been mounting between us. Now that I understand him better, I have no more reservations on wanting him. So I give as good as I get and I’m again surprised by how sweet Kelley is when he kisses. There’s fire there for sure but he’s much softer and more reverent than I’d ever have expected from him. His softer side calls to me and makes me feel closer than ever to this perfect, popular beach god. For the first time I really see him and I like him more than I ever thought possible.

He takes a couple of steps back, toward his bed and I walk with him with my hands splayed on his ripped chest while my mouth explores his.

We crash-land on his bed and I’m on top of him as he’s propped against his pillows.

I’m straddling him while our lips are still fused together and I feel him going harder underneath me with each swipe of our tongues.

His strong, slightly calloused hands close over the globes of my breasts, feeling their weight and massaging them gently through the thin fabric of my t-shirt.

I touch his golden brown hair and my fingers play with the silky, short strands.

Kelley shifts underneath me, sitting up a little more and letting his hands settle on my hips as he grinds his own, making me gasp in his mouth.

I bite on his bottom lip to communicate how much I want him, how much I desperately need him.

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