Page 127 of Web of Lies
The icy rain pours down on me the instant I walk outside. The streetlamps on the sidewalks illuminate the paths I need to take. Chase’s meeting with his coach ended an hour ago, so there’s no need to call him.
Numbness fills the cracks of my broken soul. The icy rain pours from the thundering clouds in sheets, hitting my skin like ice knives. My legs carry me slowly, absorbing the pain, the cold, the emptiness sitting inside of me. Wanting it to bleed through the cracks to take away this inside hurt, crushing my chest.
A blur runs past me, stops, and grabs my arm. Apparently, he has an affinity for yanking me into dark corners, caging his body against mine.
“The fuck are you doing running around here in the cold, Troll?” I stare off, refusing to feel the heat of his body against mine. Nothing—I want to feel nothing but Chase’s embrace against my body. Shivers rack my body, my teeth chattering, as the wind blows through the little alcove, he’s shoved me into.
“Kaycee?”
That does it. That brings my eyes back to his intense stare. He’s never said my name before, not like this. Not with concern inching its way into his tone. He moves his body, obscuring the outside view when several footsteps pound on the pavement outside, saying something about seeing me, and then trot off. Hadley and Trent doing their bullying duties.
“I had a dream once,” I say in a small voice, rasping from the shivers rocking through my body. Carter doesn’t say a thing, just listens, staring at me. “My entire life Parkford was my dream. It held everything I wanted to study. My best friend was going to come with me.” Tension holds my throat and voice hostage, dropping so low, I barely whisper.
Carter moves in closer, running a finger up and down my cheek. “What’s that have to do with anything?” He asks in a low voice, so unlike himself. No growl. No bite to it. Just a genuine question.
“Everything,” I breathe, moving into his touch, a touch I shouldn’t want or crave. But this side of him, his concern, fills my soul to completion.
“That fucking explains why you’re walking out in the freezing ass rain.” Ah—there he is. Anger returns to his voice tenfold. And the fire in his eyes dances their jig. But for once it’s not aimed at me, per se. It’s more aimed at my lack of explanation.
“Today I got a letter. They rescinded my scholarship and their acceptance of me. They—” My chest heaves when more tears pour down my face. I try to turn my head, but his hand forces me to stay put.
“They did?” he curses under his breath. The wheels in my brain finally churning out answers.
“They did it, didn’t they?” My tears dry up, and the confirming nod he gives me. “But how?” My lip wobbles. I can’t help the emotions roaring through me. Someone did this to me on purpose, and he knew it.
“Money talks, sweetheart,” he whispers. His voice returns to the concerned man he was five seconds ago, with regret brimming in his eyes.
My lips pull together at the thought. “Did you know?” I huff out, but he smirks.
“I’m on a need-to-know basis,” he growls at me. “You think I know what he’s up to? No. I only do what I’m told to do.”
“But Piper…you told me her actual name? Why did you?” He rolls his eyes, setting his forehead against mine, reminding me of our deep, core clenching kiss we shared just the other day.
“Freedom, baby,” he whispers, a peck away.
I nod. “They have something on you too, don’t they? They’re keeping you there with something. You don’t want to do any of this, do you?” Carter doesn’t say a word, but his eyes do. Those well-constructed walls of his forming the deep mask he wears shine through, revealing all I need to know.
“Come to the light,” I whisper, running my finger bravely down the side of his face. “Step away from those shadows and help us. Help yourself.” His walls slam back in place before he pushes off me, taking a step back.
It’s then I notice he’s half-dressed, with a pair of red running shorts fitting tight to his toned waist and matching shoes, clinging to everything. And dear God—I mean everything. Carter smuggled a baseball bat beneath his shorts. How does he even fit it in there? It’s enormous! He could poke my eye out and—shit—that would never fit inside of me. I wrinkle my nose at the thought.
The rain falling in sheets soaks every inch of him, glistening against his heaving and very defined muscles. His carved tattooed chest, and I mean, heavily tattooed with artwork adorning every inch of his flesh, is on display, much like Seger’s, but darker and more vivid with details. He runs a hand down his face, brown eyes focusing on me.
“Go to your boyfriends, sweetheart,” he says, nodding towards the opening of the alcove. Irritation sparks on his face at the mention of boyfriends, plural, like some possessive animal has taken his place.
“Don’t forget my offer, Carter. Whenever you want out or want help, I’ll lend a hand.” His eyebrows raise, and he walks away, stopping at the entrance. Looking out into the foggy terrain, his fists clench and unclench at his sides.
“What I fucking said yesterday stands, you fucking temptress. I won’t let it happen again.” I nod because what else can I say? “But don’t for one second think I’ll ever get over that kiss,” he says in a pained voice, refusing to look back at me now.
When I walk past Carter, my pinky lingers on his, sending sparks through my veins, igniting me from the inside. I eye him, searching in his big, brown eyes. And he lets me. Without a word, he drops the iron walls protecting whatever he’s feeling on the inside and allows me to see him—the real him. Again. He doesn’t utter another word, and neither do I, letting the silence linger in the air consuming us. When I’ve seen enough of the pleading for help in his eyes, I walk away. Only glancing over my shoulder one more time and he watches me. He lets me escape unharmed.
Watching that infuriating five-foot-nothing woman walk away from me is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. No - fucking scratch that—pulling away from her is the hardest. Especially when all I want to do is wrap her in my arms, take her back to my space, and fuck her so hard she forgets her pain. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
But I have to. I can’t step in and save Kaycee from the monsters running this school because I’m not a knight in shining armor—far from it. I’m the monster lurking in the shadows. I’m the puppet on a string, dancing to their tune to hurt people—hurt her. Hurt everyone around me, like they want me to. As the icy rain pounds against her thin shirt, I want to. I want to protect her. Hold her. Take her away from this hell this asshole Alpha has created. Alpha. Pfft—what a joke.
I don’t know who this asshole is or what he wants with everyone, but I’m tired of being his fucking puppet. I’m tired of hurting people and luring them away from their safety nets. But how can I? How can I fucking leave or step out of line when he holds my biggest secret? My biggest regret. It was the moment that ruined my life and countless others. The truth is, I fucking can’t. If I leave, then there’s hell to pay. But I’m paying hell right now with these moments. And I’m tired of being in this slice of hell. I’d rather take a bite of the piece of heaven walking away from me, right into the arms of another guy. Or guys. I know what they do. But with her, she’s changed them. And me. Little by little, that fucking bitch has chiseled away the walls surrounding my heart and emotions.
And maybe one day… one day I’ll show her and everyone else who I really am.
