Page 71 of The Scars of Us

“Yeah. Kamden was just upset that I didn’t let him know I was staying here.”

“He’s protective over you,” Ryker commented.

“He’s been like that since the whole thing with Kaleb.” I still couldn’t believe that I had told him that Kaleb was my brother the day before.

“I would be, too if something like that happened to my sister.”

Reaching him in the doorway, he blocked my path before tugging me in his arms. He must have sensed my unease about talking about Kaleb because he stated, “He’s never going to hurt you again, Ky. I’ll kill him if he tries.”

Our eyes had locked as he spoke, and the warmth normally present when he looked at me was gone—he was completely serious. I knew without a doubt that he meant what he said, and that both comforted and scared me. If Kaleb ever did get released, he’d come after me. And that meant Ryker would protect me, and possibly get hurt. Kaleb always hurt people I got involved with, and I didn’t want that for Ryker.

I didn’t know how he found me—I hadn’t told anyone at home about the party. They all thought I was spending the night at Nori’s house.

One of the varsity football players, Liam, and I were upstairs. It was his best friend’s party, so he let us use his bedroom to hook up.

We were both pretty drunk, and had been all over each other the whole night. By the time we made it to the bed, lust had gripped us in full force, and most of our clothes were off.

Liam ripped a condom open with his teeth and fumbled to slip it on. I needed him to be faster, wanted him to rid me of Kaleb’s touch and replace it with his; anything to make me forget, at least for a little while.

Finally, he entered me, flushing out my thoughts and filling me with sensation. I couldn’t focus on anything else except the intimate tangling of our bodies, and that was exactly what I wanted; to lose myself, if only for a short time.

Noise filled my ears, like a door slamming, but it didn’t completely register, my mind lost in sexual oblivion as it closed off the outside world.

Only when I felt the loss of Liam against me did I start to comprehend what was happening. Kaleb was atop Liam on the floor, repeatedly punching him.Shit.

“Kaleb, stop!” I screamed as I pulled the blanket to cover my naked body.

Hand raised in the air, ready to throw another punch, he stilled before turning to look at me. He had that look in his eyes, the one that I had come to fear, the one that there was no reasoning with.Fuck.

I clutched the comforter tighter to me as he approached. Sitting next to me on the bed, he pried the covers from my hands and pulled them away, exposing my bare flesh to him. I cringed as he began to trace his fingers down my skin, trembling in fear for what he might do to me, how he would punish me.

“Kaleb, don’t,” I whimpered.

His fingers dug into my thigh as he snarled, “So, he can touch you, but I can’t?”

Flinching, I cried out, “You’re not supposed to touch me like that, Kaleb. You’re my brother!”

His other hand came up to roughly grab my jaw, squeezing it painfully. “Yes, and that means that you’re mine! No one else’s! You let him fuck you, gave him what was mine,” he accused angrily.

There has to be something wrong with him. He shouldn’t be this way with me. Or maybe there’s something wrong with me. Maybe I’m crazy. No one else makes their brother act this way.

“Look at me, Kaiya!” he yelled as he gripped my jaw harder.

My eyes snapped open to meet his, which were identical to mine. Same unique shade of blue, but I hated them. Tears trickled down my cheeks as he let go of me and roamed his hands over my breasts down to my sex.

I pushed his hands away and prepared for the backlash, clenching my eyes shut. Noise of footsteps and talking from outside the door caused them to snap back open. Kaleb stood up and backed away. Thank God.

Kaleb made his way for the door, glancing over his shoulder as he said, “This isn’t over. I will take back what’s mine.”

I zoned out after that, pretending that I didn’t hear his words, and wishing that my life was different.

“Ky? You with me, baby?” Ryker asked, cupping my cheek, bringing me back to the present. His eyes were brimmed with concern as he searched my face.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I get lost in my head sometimes.” I smiled weakly.Too much.

“Don’t get too lost up there. I want to be able to find you,” he said as he grazed his thumb softly over my skin.

I couldn’t stop myself from speaking what I felt in my heart. I’d always been strangely drawn to Ryker, like iron to a magnet, unable to stay away from him, even from the beginning. There was no way I’d be able to now. “I’ll always find my way back to you.”

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