Page 7 of Wild Hearts

Again, I nod, and then I let out a deep moan as he rolls his hips against mine. The friction is delicious, and I arch my back toward him. His movements are slow at first, but it quickly becomes clear that it’s not enough and I wrap my legs around his waist, thrusting up to meet him.

He lets out a low, “Fuuuuck,”as our pace quickens, and I can feel another orgasm building from the pit of my stomach. His kisses become sloppier as my walls clench around him until I feel him shudder before his cock throbs inside me, my body milking his release.

He rolls us to the side, still connected, as he peppers kisses across my face, my lips, my neck. I cling to him as my erratic breathing slowly returns to normal. He pulls out slowly and I wince at the slight sting.

“Are you okay?” he asks, concern coating his features.

“Mhm,” I breathe out, a grin tugging the corner of my lips. “I’m perfect. That was perfect.”

His chuckle rumbles through me and he presses his lips to my temple. “Way to stroke a man’s ego,” he says, pulling me close to him.

I fall asleep in the arms of the boy I’ve been crushing on since I was twelve, excited for our future together. I’m convinced after this perfect night, that nothing can tear us apart.

CHAPTER FOUR

Wren

10MONTHS LATER

I STARE BLANKLY out the window as the scenery changes from skyscrapers and bumper to bumper traffic to open roads and fields of sunflowers and canola. I take a large mouthful of the lukewarm coffee I bought an hour ago when I stopped for fuel. In less than thirty minutes, the fields are going to give way to the ocean, and I’m not sure if I’m ready for what awaits me back in Blue Haven. Drumming my fingers on the steering wheel, I try to fade away into the latest Jamie Miller song as I attempt to sort through the plethora of emotions that are swirling through me.

It’s been nine months since I last spoke to Brady. Ivy still has no idea about what went down between us. After everything I’ve been through in the last few months, fighting with Brady at Ivy’s birthday seems insignificant. It was such a dumb thing for us to have broken up over. God knows I wish I could change so much about the past year, but what’s done is done. I can’t be with Brady now. I can’t be with anyone. Not after what happened the night of my year twelve formal.

Acid rises up my throat, and I take a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm my stomach. I flick on my indicator before easing the car off onto the shoulder of the highway. I rest my head on the steering wheel and pinch my eyes closed.

Pull yourself together, Wren. He can’t get to you anymore.

It takes me about fifteen minutes to push the memories of that night out of my mind. I go through the controlled breathing exercises that my therapist gave me.In for four... hold for five... out for seven.Sniffling, I search through the centre console for some napkins to wipe the tears from my face, blowing out a few calming breaths before pulling back onto the highway.

I can do this. I need to be able to do this. The last three months have been an ordeal with the police statements, the lawyer meetings, the nightmares, the panic attacks and depression, the therapy. Mum and Dad were worried about me moving so far away on my own, but I need a fresh start, and it’s not like I’ll be totally alone. My therapist agreed that I could continue my sessions via phone, and Blue Haven is like a second home to me. I also have Ivy–not that she knows about any of it. I don’t imagine she’ll judge me, but I don’t want to be treated any differently–I’m stillme.

I know that moving to Blue Haven means that I won’t be able to avoid Brady, but I hope that we’ll be able to at least get some closure and it will help me heal. Maybe we’ll even be able to be friends.

My phone rings, startling me out of my thoughts, and I connect it through the Bluetooth speaker on my car. “Hi Mum.”

“Hi sweetheart. How’s the drive? Are you there yet?”

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