Page 2 of Ink & Reina

I pressed my finger to the doorbell, waiting for someone to come answer the door. I was kind of expecting a butler or a maid, but instead, a girl a couple of years younger than me pulled open the front door.

The breath was immediately knocked from my lungs.

Her brown hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, strands falling out all around her face. Blue-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, and her dark eyes were locked on the book in her hand. She slowly looked up, and her cheeks instantly colored red. She quickly snapped her book closed and wrapped her arm around the book, hugging it to her chest to prevent me from seeing the cover.

I couldn’t help but smirk. Obviously, she was reading something smutty, and I was all for that shit. Girls who read were already sexy as fuck to me. To have the bravery to read something with sex in it as a teen was even fucking sexier.

“Hi,” she squeaked.Fucking adorable.“Um, can I help you?”

“Drew,” I told her. “Drew Yeller. Um, I’m supposed to be meeting Johnny here for a school project.”

“Oh.” She frowned and looked at the watch on her wrist. An expensive watch. Fake diamonds didn’t glitter like that. “He’s not home yet.” I scowled.Of course, he wasn’t. It was four o’clock. Would it kill people to be on time?

I sighed. “I’ll head on back home then,” I told her, not particularly wanting to stick around the mayor’s place. Shit made my skin crawl. I came from the lowest of the lows, and this family? Yeah—nah. Not my fucking cup of tea. “Tell him I dropped by, yeah?”

Her cheeks colored even more. Jesus, she was fucking adorable, and I couldn’t get enough of it, dammit.

“I’m sure he’ll be home soon. He probably got caught up with Dad or something. You want to come in?” she asked, stepping back to allow me the room to slip by her if I wanted.

I shrugged but walked inside, not particularly wanting to, but I also couldn’t deny that I wanted to be around this girl. She shut the door, still hiding her book cover from me. It just made me more intrigued to know what she was reading, but I didn’t want to embarrass her by asking.

“I’m Reina, by the way,” she said shyly. “Um,” she paused for a moment, “you want something to drink?”

I smiled at her, unable to help myself. She was so nervous around me, but it was cute as fuck. “Nah, sweetheart; I’m good.” Her entire face turned red.

Fuck, I wanted to kiss her. She was so fucking cute—so damn sweet looking. Every bit of me wanted to both protect her and corrupt her.

But I refrained. I’d tarnish her—damage her. I’d fuck her up in more ways than one. Someone as sweet and innocent as her? I didn’t want to darken her light, and I would. My darkness might even snuff her light out completely.

I heard Johnny’s car rumble into the driveway. A moment later, he stormed inside, slamming the front door shut behind him. Reina flinched. My body moved closer to her before I could register what I was doing, a sudden instinct to protect her pulsing through me.

“Hey, Drew,” Johnny said, nodding once at me. Anger simmered low in his eyes. He turned to look at Reina, his eyes softening, his body relaxing some. I relaxed as well, taking a step back. He wouldn’t hurt her. “Reina, you mind getting us something to drink?” he asked his little sister.

“Dad?” she quietly asked him.

He nodded once, his teeth audibly grinding together. She gave him a small smile. I wanted one of those smiles aimed at me. Fuck, she was gorgeous. “Yeah, Johnny. Go take a breather.”

He grabbed the side of her head and pressed a kiss to her temple before striding up the stairs.

Good to know Johnny wasn’t cocky with everyone. Apparently, the school douchebag could be kind to his sister. Made me respect him a little bit, honestly.

Reina was curled up in a recliner while Johnny and I got our notes sorted and outlined how we planned to do our project. Instead of going to do whatever thing he had originally plannedat six, he stayed. His dad came home later that evening, but he didn’t cast his kids a glance as he stormed into his office, slamming the door shut behind him. Reina had flinched, but her eyes never left her book.

It sent a wave of anger through me, knowing that she was afraid of loud noises. But I kept my mouth shut. This shit wasn’t any of my business. But still, I knew that kind of reaction didn’t come from a loving and warm home. It came from a home full of hateful words and anger. So much fucking anger.

I hated that she was living like this. Just went to show that their little family wasn’t so perfect after all, no matter what front they put on for the entire town and the media.

I noticed Johnny glared at the closed office door for a moment before he focused back on what we were doing without a word. Eventually, Reina got up to make dinner. I didn’t understand why she was making dinner and their mom wasn’t, but again, it wasn’t my business. I knew their parents were still together. They made enough appearances on the news and at events around town, but for some reason, the woman hadn’t made a single appearance since I’d been there.

My eyes followed Reina as she walked into the kitchen, unable tonotlook at her. Every few minutes, my eyes had been drawn to her. I was a moth, and she was the light I wanted to burn myself on.

“Don’t even think about it,” Johnny quietly grunted to me once she was out of earshot. Turning my head, I arched an eyebrow at him, silently asking him what the fuck he was on about, though I already knew. I just wanted him to voice it instead of being a pussy about it. He steadily met my gaze. “I mean it, Drew. I know your reputation with the girls at our school.” I gritted my teeth. I knew his, too. He didn’t have any space to judge me—the asshole. “I’m not any better.” I snorted.At least he confessed it. “But I won’t let you or anyone else fuck her up, you hear me? She’s too pure.”

I gritted my teeth and focused back on what we were doing. I never wanted a girlfriend—never even played with the idea in my head—until I’d laid my eyes on Reina. But I understood Johnny wanting me to keep my distance from her.

Because from the little bit of time I’d spent in Reina’s presence so far? Johnny was right. She was pure.

And I was darkness. Inky black. And I burned in the pits of hell daily.

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