Page 43 of The Hallows Queen

“Yeah.” She slides her fingers through mine, playing with the ring I have on my middle finger mindlessly. “That’s why I’m back here. My dad was diagnosed with cancer.”

My features soften at that, leaning a little closer as I see the pain in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

She chuckles, but it’s humorless. “Don’t be. Let’s talk about something else. I didn’t mean to ruin the mood.”

“You didn’t.” I grab her waist, pulling her body flush against mine to reassure her. I want to comfort her, be someone she can confide in about her pain – and it scares the shit out of me. I’ve never felt this way about someone before. Outside of my small group of friends, the feeling is so unfamiliar that I’m not sure what else to say to her. Instead, I kiss her languidly, sliding my hand up her body and into her hair.

There’s passion behind our kiss, but it doesn’t turn hot. She kisses me back like she’s trying to get closer to me, and I kiss her like it’s the last thing I’ll ever do on earth.

When she pulls back, she’s breathless. “Stop being soft with me, Hayden. I can’t handle it.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, tipping her head back so I can look into her eyes.

“I mean,” she starts, then she takes a breath. When she speaks again, her voice has dropped to a whisper like she’s giving confessional. “I don’t want to fall for you. I already have too much going on; I can’t handle some fuckboy ruining me on top of it.”

The twisted part of me wants to ruin her, but there’s something else inside of me that is telling me it’s okay to be soft, that I won’t hurt her.

“Would it really be that bad?” I ask quietly, like a scared little boy ashamed of his words. “Falling for me?”

“You’re as addicting as the drugs you do. I’ll keep taking you and start to rely on the feelings you give me, and then you’ll fuck me up – ruin me and send me to emotional rehab. Do you even know how to catch someone?”

“No,” I say, meaning it. I’ve never loved someone a second in my life, never been in a relationship, never treated someone right. Who am I to pretend I know what the fuck I’m feeling?

She grabs the fabric of my t-shirt and pulls me closer. “So stop, and fuck me like you don’t give a fuck about me.”

I flip the switch inside of me, the one that cares, and roll her onto her back. Fitting myself between her legs, I kiss her hard and painfully, threading my fingers into her hair to yank on the strands. Pulling back, I groan against her lips as I grind my cock into her pussy. “Is this what you want?”

“Yes,” she breathes, rolling against me.

I suck on her throat and chest, ripping her bikini top off so I can make a meal of her tits, and her hand slides under the waistband of my shorts to free my dick.

She pumps her hands a few times before she uses her other hand to move her bikini bottoms to the side, and I sink into her in one powerful thrust. Moaning long and loud, she rolls her head back on the blanket.

I fuck her fast, biting her skin. “You want me to fuck you like this? Hard and fast? Like you mean nothing to me?”

Her fingers grab onto my arms, the sound of our wet flesh slapping together echoing out around us. “Yes.”

Chapter12

Penelope

The week fliesby as Mrs. Justice and I get into the nitty-gritty of lesson planning to prepare for the school year. It isn’t until Friday evening that I feel like I can take a breath easily again.

I light some candles, uncork a bottle of expensive merlot, and run myself a steaming bath with bubbles falling over the sides as soon as I get home from school. When I submerge myself under the water, my entire body relaxes as I sigh loudly.

I still haven’t made any progress in getting Mrs. Justice to particularlylikeme – I doubt I will – but we’re learning how to coexist in the classroom. She’s tough and seems like the type of teacher who doesn’t take any shit from students. I’m looking forward to learning from her, even if my teaching style will most likely be a lot less intense, it’ll be good to see how she moves with the students.

I drink half the glass of wine I poured myself and lean back in the tub. Closing my eyes, I let my long week melt away within the soapy, swirling water.

I have plans to see my dad tomorrow, which is a whole different kind of emotional rollercoaster, so for tonight, I just need to decompress. I need to find an ounce of calm to keep me from slipping over the edge into insanity.

I haven’t heard from Hayden since the beach, and there’s been this little reminder of him in the back of my mind like an annoying fly that won’t buzz the fuck off. He’s more than I expected – and definitely something I think I want to avoid so early in my move back to Luxington. I meant what I said to him; I don’t need something else to add to my emotional pile of shit right now and ruin me. No matter how drawn to him I may feel, it just isn’t the right time.

After a half hour in the bath, my wineglass is empty and my toes are pruning, so I unplug the drain and say goodbye to my bubbles. It’s getting close to dinnertime, so while I dress, I go over all the options I have in my kitchen. It isn’t much since I’m still getting settled.

I have no idea what to make for dinner by the time I’m in sweats and opening the fridge.

I need to putgo grocery shoppingon my to-do list for this weekend.

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