DONE WALKING AWAY

She tasted better than I expected.

Sweet and addictive, like something I already knew I'd keep coming back for. I'd kissed plenty of girls and none of it had ever felt like this, not even with Julia.

She whimpered against my mouth. "Klaus."

I pulled back an inch, my thumb brushing slowly along her bottom lip. "You're messing with every rational thought I have, doll." My voice came out rougher than I intended. "And the worst part is I don't even care."

She let out a shaky breath and stepped back, her eyes dropping from mine like she couldn't hold them there and think straight at the same time. "We shouldn't be doing this." Her voice quiet. "Whatever this is, it was just a dare. That's all it was."

I looked at her.

Her face was saying one thing and her mouth was saying something completely different. Lips still slightly parted. Hands not entirely steady at her sides.

"Just a dare," I repeated.

"Yes."

"So you didn't feel anything."

A beat too long before she answered. "No."

I smiled slowly. "You sure about that, doll?"

Her jaw locked. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"That." She gestured somewhat at my face. "That smile. Stop it."

I leaned against a tree and crossed my arms, enjoying this far more than I should have. She was fighting it so hard and it was written all over her, the way she kept glancing at my mouth and then away, the colour in her cheeks, the small crease between her brows like she was genuinely annoyed at herself for feeling what she was feeling.

She was the most transparent person I'd ever met and she had absolutely no idea.

"It was just a dare," she said again, more to herself this time.

"Keep saying it," I said. "Maybe eventually you'll mean it."

"Klaus—"

"You closed your eyes." I pushed off the tree and took one step toward her, just one, and watched her chest rise. "In the kitchen. In the storage room. Every single time I got close to you. And every single time I walked away." I held her gaze. "I'm done walking away."

Something moved through her expression. She wanted this, I could see it fighting its way through every careful responsible wall she'd built, and I felt it the same way I felt everything about her. Too clearly. Too much. Completely against my better judgement.

"You can't do this," she said, her voice losing its steadiness now. "Everyone will know. Molly will be furious. Every girl you've ever looked at will make my life at school unbearable and Molly—" she stopped, swallowed, "Molly won't forgive me. And I promised her, Klaus. I promised her I wouldn't fall for you."

"And have you?" I asked. "Fallen for me?"

Her mouth snapped shut.

I let the silence sit there between us.

"I don't care about the others," I said. "But I won't do anything that makes your life harder. That's the only line I won't cross." I held her gaze. "Everything else is fair game."

"I've seen what you do," she said, something vicious coming into her voice now. "Girl after girl since Julia. Like none of it means anything. Like people are just something to pick up and put down when you're bored." She shook her head. "I can't be that, Klaus. I won't be."

The mention of Julia landed somewhere old and unpleasant but I kept my face expressionless.

"I won't back down," I said. "I know you want this, I can see it even when you're looking everywhere except at me, and I'm not going to force a single thing." I let that settle for a moment. "But I will make you come to me. I'll make you crave the one thing you're fighting so hard against until fighting it starts to feel pointless." A slow smile. "Hope you're ready, doll."

She stared at me for a long moment, conflict moving openly across her face, something she didn't realise she was letting me see.

Then she walked back into the house without another word.

I stood there with my hands in my pockets and the feel of her lips still on mine and laughed to myself, feeling more alive than I had in a long time.

Tonight was the last night I'd ever tried to stay away from her.

🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷

The party was winding down when I walked back inside. Good. I wanted to get Adriana away from every set of eyes that had been on her all night.

I scanned the space and didn't see Molly or Adriana anywhere.

I pushed through what remained of the crowd, frowning, when a hand landed on my shoulder.

"Captain." Tyler and Ryan appeared at my side wearing matching expressions that meant they were about to be annoying.

I looked at Ryan, the one who had invited Adriana here in the first place. "What."

"Easy, captain." Tyler raised both hands. "We just wanted to say, whatever that was in the circle tonight, respect."

"Absolute scenes," Ryan agreed, grinning.

"I need to find my sister."

Ryan's eyes went knowing. "Your sister. Right."

Tyler smirked into his cup. "Sure it's Molly you're looking for?"

"Fuck you both," I said and turned away.

"I'd consider it but you're really not my type," Ryan called after me, laughing.

And I smiled.

Then, "Molly and Adriana left with Sean about ten minutes ago. And that girl—"

I stopped walking.

"Leticia," Tyler supplied.

"Yeah. Leticia." Ryan shrugged. "They seemed fine, man."

Whatever else he said dissolved into noise. I was already moving, my phone out, dialling Molly's number, pushing through the exit before either of them could say another word. I got into my Jeep and pulled out, Molly's line ringing against my ear.

It rang out.

I tried again. Nothing.

I scrolled to Adriana's name and pressed call, the dark road stretching ahead of me, my grip tight on the wheel.

Her line rang once.

Twice.

Someone picked up.

"Doll," I said softly.

A pause.

"Hello, Klaus."

Everything in me went completely still.

That wasn't Adriana's voice.

"Sean," I said.