Page 41 of Untouchable

“Like a date,” Antonio says as if I am slow.

“I know what out means,” I snap harshly before closing my eyes and letting out a deep breath.

When I open my eyes, I wish I hadn’t. I see Dean lean down and whisper something into Seraphina’s ear. She lets out a gasp and smacks his chest before smiling furiously. He gives her a cocky smile in return as he inches closer to her. My hands are just itching to rip this punk away from her. It bothers the fuck out of me that he seems to feel so comfortable being so close to her. I think the thing that is more bothersome though is that she seems to enjoy his attention. Maybe she likes him. That idea has my blood simmering and my chest rising and falling faster and faster.

What the fuck is the matter with me? I have never felt this way before. Now that I think about it though, I never really had a reason to. Seraphina’s attention has always solely been on me. We are just friends obviously, best friends. There has never been anything more. Well, I mean there was that one day when I almost kissed her last year, but I didn’t. It was a good thing too.

The last thing that I need is to get involved with The Boss’s daughter who is also my life long best friend. If we didn’t work out, it would be too weird between our families. I would lose her all together. So, I have done my best to push away these brewing feelings and thoughts that I have had of her. I am just feeling this way because I haven’t had a girlfriend in a while. I am just a little lonely, and Seraphina is undeniably gorgeous and funny and fierce and…oh shit.

Lost in my daydream, I missed seeing Dean inch even closer to Seraphina. I watch as his head dips down, slowly leaning in to kiss her. Fuck that. I slam my hand on the horn and let it blare through the school yard. Seraphina jumps away from Dean as her eyes quickly snap over to mine.

That’s right, Bella. Look at me.

Staring at her through the windshield I don’t say a thing, I just point my thumb towards the car with a stern look on my face. She mumbles something to Dean before she hurriedly walks towards us. Only then, do I let off the horn. I look to see the entire school yard is staring at us. I don’t give a shit though. My blood is still thrumming rapidly in my veins at the thought that she was about to give away her first kiss just like that, especially to that fucking douche.

I notice that Dean is frowning as he watches her walk away. His eyes come to meet mine and I can’t help but let a cocky smile slip as Seraphina climbs into the front seat next to me. As soon as she sits down, I lean over and kiss her cheek, letting my lips linger for a second longer than I usually do before pulling away and facing Dean. I keep my smile in place as I put the car into gear, and it only grows when I see Dean’s disappointment turn into anger.

“What was with the horn?” Seraphina asks after a bit.

I glance at her out of the corner of my eye before I turn to face the road again. “What was with letting some random dude almost kiss you?”

Seraphina’s cheeks pink as she looks down to her lap, her fingers fiddling with the hem line of her skirt.

“I wasn’t going to let him,” she says softly.

“Didn’t look that way from here.”

She looks up to me, her brows furrowed, mouth parted like she wants to say something, but Antonio speaks first.

“I think you should go out with him. His dad was a famous NASCAR driver, and they have a go-kart track at their house. I want to go check it out.”

“Antonio,” I snap.

“What?” He asks with a confused look.

“I am not going to date someone just because they have a go-kart track,” Seraphina says with an eye roll as she looks into the rearview mirror at him before looking forward again.

Antonio grumbles about it not being fair but doesn’t say anything more as I shake my head. I steal a glance at Seraphina and see her still facing forward, a conflicted look on her face. If Antonio wasn’t in the car, I would ask her what she is thinking. We tell each other everything, always have. Though I have a strong feeling that I don’t really want to know everything that is currently on her mind.

I am beginning to realize that Seraphina growing up may pose some issues for me. No doubt the older she gets the more guys will start to notice her, how could they not? How am I supposed to handle that when just seeing one breathing the same air as her had me on the verge of choking the life out of him? I know I can’t have her, but that doesn’t mean I want anyone else to have her.

I blink my eyes open slowly as I try to make sense of where I am. I see the smoldering fire in the corner and realize that I am in the living room of my family’s lake house. I sit up from the couch and instantly regret it as the world begins to spin. I grab my head with my hands to try to slow it down, but it is no use.

I look at the empty scotch bottle laying on the ground and realize just how much I drank.Shit. That probably wasn’t one of my brighter moments. I was pretty buzzed when Seraphina got off the phone with Aiden. I thought she would go to bed after that. I didn’t expect her to come hangout in the living room with me. I really didn’t expect me to finally speak my mind to her after all this time.

After she stormed away, I decided to kill the bottle and numb all of the swirling thoughts in my head that wouldn’t fucking stop. She didn’t answer me when I asked her if she really loves him or not. I wanted her to say no or that she wasn’t sure more than I wanted my next fucking breath. But she didn’t answer me, instead, she asked me why I cared. A question I had no business answering, one that Icouldn’tanswer. If she knew what was going on in my head, then all of the distance and hurt that has grown between us over the last two years was for nothing. If she knew, then there would be nothing keeping me from her.

She isn’t yours. She can never be yours.

I remind myself of those words almost daily, how else could I handle being in the same room as her and not claim what is rightfully mine? What has always been mine.No. I can’t think like that. But if we are going to continue running for our lives together, the best thing for both of us is to at least get along. How are we supposed to work together and stay vigilant if we are fighting tooth and nail just so that we don’t kill each other?

I open the cabinets in the kitchen and frown when I remember how bare the kitchen is. I guess it has been a while since anyone has come up here. Thinking about the closest store, which is only 15 minutes away, I decide it is a safe enough place to go to for some more supplies. I contemplate just going right now so that I can get back quickly, but I know I can’t. She can’t leave my sight, even for a minute, especially when we don’t even know exactly who or where our enemy is, yet.

I go into my mom and dad’s room and hop into the shower in their bathroom. I rinse off quickly and use some of the leftover body wash before I raid the closet and find some old clothes that my dad has left here. We are about the same size now, so they fit well enough. I look through the other dresser and pull out a pair of yoga pants and purple shirt that looks pretty. My mom and Seraphina have pretty similar body types but totally different styles. I am sure she will appreciate something that isn’t sweats though.

Walking out of my parent’s room, I turn to the right and knock on the spare room that I saw Seraphina disappear into last night. A few moments go by with no answer. My eyebrows dip in concern before I turn the handle and slowly move the door open. My eyes flick wildly around the room until they rest on a sleeping Seraphina.

She is tucked perfectly in the center of her bed, not a hair out of place. She looks like that Disney princess that falls asleep after she pricks her finger. Her golden hair is lying on either side of her shoulders, her face is makeup-free, but you wouldn’t know it with her flawless skin and ruby red lips. She looks so perfect, so peaceful, I almost don’t want to wake her. But we need supplies, and it is better to go sooner rather than later.

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