"No."
Setting down her wine glass, she straightens from the stool and moves to me, backing me into the island. One tender, slender finger trails down my neck and along my collarbone until it hits the thin strap of my nightgown. Smoothly, the strap slides down my shoulder.
Lowering her head, she follows the path with her tongue.
"You cannot be with anyone else," she whispers to my skin. "You do know that, do you not?"
I don't answer. I stopped answering since I became an adult. If only I had the gall to break my promise to Papà and stop itall.
As she kisses along my neck, she slides the other strap down my shoulder, my nightgown falling to the ground. "You belong to me, Leyana Oliveros," she whispers as she palms my breasts. "No one but me has a right to this body." She caresses one hand down said body and into my panties. "No one gets to touchthis, but me."
I close my eyes when her slim finger presses into me.
"Tell me you understand, Leyana."
I don't. She knows I won't.
She falls to her knees in front of me, taking my panties down with her. When she looks up at me, her already swollen eyes are glossy with tears. "I cannot lose you, too. I will not…" And then she covers me with her mouth.
I hate it.
I hate her.
I hate Papà for making me swear to him.
I hate my body for reacting every time, for climaxing every time.
Most of all, I hate myself for allowing it to happen.
Chapter 8
Scratch
I pace thelength of the porch, checking my watch for the hundredth time.
She's not here like she said she’d be. Which means she's still pissed at me. Can't blame her—I was an asshole to her on purpose yesterday. But fuck, man, I got tired of her looking at me with those guarded, terrified eyes like she expected horns to sprout from my temples and impale her or some shit.
Yeah, I had a nasty reputation once, but things have changed. Ley’s different. She's all I'm about. All that's on my mind. If not for her, I wouldn't have even bothered to return to Denver. Like I’ve done over the past five years even when I got short breaks, a chance to visit loved ones, I would’ve stayed away. Start over somewhere else, with no one but Grunt and Kendra knowing where. Ain't shit here for me.
Except for Ley.
She's mine. And the sooner she understands that, the better.
I dig my phone from my back pocket.
Me:YO
Less than a minute later, the checkmark shows that she's read my message, yet she doesn't reply.
Me:DON'T IGNORE ME
Leyana:What do you want?
Me:YOU SAID YOU WERE COMING TODAY TO SET THINGS UP. BEEN HERE WAITING.WHERE YOU AT?
Leyana:Leaving North. Heading home.
Me:HOME BETTER BE OPAL MEADOWS