Page 12 of Sweet Punk
“Oh.” His dark brow furrows. “I’m going to order breakfast soon from a pancake house not too far from here. Do you want me to get you anything? I’ll order online and pick it up when they open at six.”
As good as that sounds, I’m unsure if being around Kellan when he wakes up is something I want to subject myself to. I haven’t slept. I’m embarrassed. And there’s all this other bullshit to deal with today. I shake my head. “No, thank you.” I jerk my thumb over my shoulder. “I’m going to get over there.”
Maddox rubs his hand over the heavy stubble that’s come in on his face overnight and steals another look at Kellan’s partially open door that I hadn’t gotten a chance to close behind me. “Are you sure you’re okay?” A deep crease mars his forehead, a scowl darkening his features. If I thought I’d done anything to warrant it, I’d be fucking nervous right about now.
The swallow works painfully down the length of my throat before I find it in me to answer. “I asked him to come in there. If that’s what you’re wondering. He didn’t force his way in or anything weird like that.”
He draws in a deep, fortifying breath. “Look. I won’t say much because I can’t. But Kellan has some shit that he deals with. If he… upset you, he probably didn’t mean to. Or may not have realized he was doing it at the time.”
“Are you making excuses for him?” My traitorous voice trembles as my heart jolts in my chest.
Maddox’s jaw tenses. “No. Hell no. If he hurt you—” He hesitates, peering carefully at me while placing his hands on his hips, then shaking his head regretfully. “Fuck. I’m not good with this stuff.” We’re both quiet for the space of several seconds. “He’s like a brother to me. But I’d still want to know if I needed to knock some sense into him. Are we clear?”
I nod, then point toward the suite door. “I really am going to go now.” But midway out, I stop and turn around. “Maddox?”
He glances up from where he’s setting his glass in the sink. “Yeah?”
“Thank you. Could you tell everyone I don’t want to be disturbed?”
Scrubbing his hand over his hair, making it stand on end, he grits his teeth for a moment before subtly nodding. “You got it.”
When I make it across the hall, I discover they haven’t changed our lock yet, and in fact, the suite is completely unlocked, which pisses me off. I sigh, staring at the door. We were all off our game last night, that’s for certain. I hope everything else is as we left it, and I’m not in for another round of unpleasant surprises.
Resting my hand on the doorknob, I finally give in, twisting it and allowing myself entry. Inside the suite, I flip the overhead light on, which we hardly use because it’s so damn bright, but I want that obnoxious illumination now more than anything. I let my gaze travel the common area of our suite. Nothing else seems to have been disturbed. Raven’s expensive coffee maker sits on the counter like it has since the day we moved in. A few plush blankets are neatly folded and stacked on one end of the couch. The TV mounted on the wall is also untouched. I cross to Raven’s room first, check the door, and find it locked, then do the same with Lux’s. Also locked.
Mine, however, stands open, my personal belongings strewn everywhere. I hadn’t so much as set foot inside my room last night. I could see the destruction perfectly well from the doorway. I push the door wide and hit the light switch on the wall, then slowly make my way inside. I can’t help it. I gasp. It’s worse than I’d thought.
My laptop is open and facedown on the floor, the hinge smashed like someone stepped on it after tossing it carelessly to the ground. The computer parts that I’d mentioned to Kellan last night are mostly in pieces as well. The drawers of my dresser were pulled out completely and upended everywhere—articles of clothing, everything from leggings and jeans to socks, bras, and panties are scattered from one side of the room to the other. Inside the closet, my clothing is a mess on the floor.
I back out of the closet. What was the point of this? Unable to comprehend any of it, I turn and look at my bed. The duvet and sheets and pillows are a huge mess, ripped and torn.
And there on the nightstand lies a single matchbook. With a shaking hand, I pick it up. My thoughts scatter.
* * *
It takesme a long time to process the fact that I’m now positive Milo has been in my room. I don’t want to have to make the call, but I do. Pulling out my phone, I open my contacts and tap on my mother’s number. We’ve never been super close, but she remarried several years ago, and our relationship hasn’t been good since. Right now, I’d say it’s mostly in the toilet. Ever since Raymond came into her life, she’s been hard to deal with. I can hear her in my head.Your stepfather has all the money we’ll ever need. Don’t be ungrateful, Star. Raymond can afford to send you to SRU like you’ve always wanted. I don’t understand why you can’t be appreciative of everything Raymond is doing for you.
And all of that is great. Except Raymond and his fourteen-year-old son, Milo, had come to us as a pair. And for every kindness Raymond has ever extended to me, his son paid me back in awfulness and dirty deeds. Things started out okay. I even liked him at first. Soon though, it became apparent that there was something really, really wrong with him. Like he was sick in the head. Perverse. And most often, I was his target.
But no one wanted to listen to me. Because outwardly, to everyone else, he’s the golden boy who can do no wrong.
It’s a miracle I stopped that psycho. And it’s unfortunate that he’s now roaming about free. I listen as the phone rings several times before my mother’s groggy voice answers. “Star? Why are you calling so early?”
Biting my lip, I close my eyes and gather my strength. “Um. I hate to ask this because I know every time I bring him up, shit hits the fan. But do you know where Milo is?”
EIGHT
KELLAN
What a fuckin’ weekend. As if the fire alarm craziness and the Halloween party hadn’t been enough, I’d let things go way too far with Star. When she asked if I wanted her to touch me—not in so many words because we’d both been nervous—I’m the one who got my dick out. And when we were done, and both satisfied, I brushed it aside like it meant less than nothing to me. Like we’d given each other a release and it was no big deal. Because I’d made a mistake. I shouldn’t have touched her or let her touch me.
I can’t let her think that I could ever have any sort of normal relationship with her. I’d known the second the words came out of my mouth that she wouldn’t take it well. But what the fuck am I supposed to do? Fortunately, we hadn’t crossed any of my boundaries, so I hadn’t flipped out, but I’m sure she fuckin’ hates me.
Jesus, and the looks the rest of our crew had given me yesterday morning. Maddox, true to his word, had gone out for food and coffee early, and he must have spoken to her because he shared that she’d had trouble sleeping and didn’t want to be bothered by anyone.
Later in the day, I’d heard from Hawk and Lux that she’d been sorting through her things to see if anything was salvageable and had asked for some privacy. She’s not even letting the girls help her.
And all that kinda makes me feel like shit because I hadn’t handled things well. Why can’t I be like other guys? Normal. Human. I should have held her close. Whispered comforting words in her ear. Told her she was beautiful and let her know how much I’d enjoyed the hell out of every second of what we’d done together. But no. I’m a grade A asshole. That’s all there is to it.
