Page 1 of Creed

Chapter One

The Past

“What if we get caught?”

“Isn’t that part of the thrill?” Seth grins at me with his panty dropping smile. The one that got me into this position. In his room. In his bed. Doing naughty things that we shouldn’t. Since the day we met, all I’ve wanted is this. His lips on mine.

We’re dirty and wrong.

I’m his secret.

He calls me his hellcat.

His heaven and his hell.

Because no one can know about us.

One day, we’ll really be together. And everyone will know that I’m his girl.

When his friends are around, he pretends to hate me and messes around with other girls.

When it’s only us, he’s sweet.

I wish it could always be like this.

The two of us, alone in this room. A space where no one else exists.

Present Day

“Are we still on for tonight?” Tonya smirks deviously at me as she undoes the strings of her apron and tosses it into her locker.

“I don’t know.” I straighten my ponytail and test my pen on my order pad, wondering if Tonya swapped our pens again when I wasn’t paying attention. She’s always stealing my good ones.

“What do you mean you don’t know? Don’t be a sourpuss and wuss out on me. This is the first night I’ve had a babysitter in months, and I want to go watch hot dudes pummel the shit out of each other.” She swaps out her work shoes for flats. Tonya worked the breakfast and lunch rush, and I came in about halfway through her shift to work the split shift.

I’m just happy I’m not stuck on closing, but I still have another three hours.

“Don’t tell me you’re still pining after that asshole biker.” I scrunch mynose.

“No, but if he is there and wants to give me a ride on that purple headed monster then…” she shrugs.

“Never call sex that again. Please and thank you.”

“Pfft. Whatever. I’ll be expecting you at my place. You can wear something of mine. None of your stuff is slutty enough for where we’re going tonight.” She flashes me a dazzling smile that is normally reserved for male customers she’s hoping to earn a big tip from.

“Yeah. Yeah. I’ll be there.” Tonya knows how I feel about hanging around bikers.

They remind me of my former stepbrother. When our parents were married, he was always tinkering with his motorcycle or getting into fights. He stayed in trouble. So much so that all our parents did was fight about what to do with him.

He’s probably in jail if he’s not dead.

I shake off those old memories. The last thing I want to do is reminisce about the past or Seth. He’s long gone and has been out of my life for nearly a decade.

“Perfect. Don’t be late.” Tonya gives me a little wave and exits the back door with her purse slung over her shoulder.

“Order up,” Carl shouts from behind the counter, signaling that my break is over.

I arrange steaming hot plates of food on the tray. The scent of burning bacon and freshly brewed coffee permeates the kitchen of Trish’s Diner. A busy restaurant that’s a second home to me with how much time I spend here.I glance at myself in the reflection of the glass cooler reserved for the creamer and orange juice. My lipstick is long gone, and my eyeliner could use a touchup.

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