Chapter Four: Bur Under Saddle

Arson

We sit side by side in the human anatomy class. I spend the entire duration watching her take notes.

There are so many questions running through my head that want to ask her. The most important is why she left us. 

I remember the first time I met her in seventh grade. I had this nerdy kid shoved up against the lockers by the front of his shirt for bumping into me and sending my autobody magazines go flying. He didn't even apologize to me. 

Carley in her little pink dress with worn cowboy boots on her feet, her white-blonde hair curled in a ponytail, shoved me off the kids and onto my rear. She caught me by surprise that time too. She stood above me giving me the lecture of a lifetime about bullying people and how just because I'm stronger than weaker kids didn't mean I had to be a thug. 

It made me so furious that when I stood up, I yanked her ponytail hard enough to send her falling to the floor. She just look up at me with a sneer on her face. 

Next thing I knew I was being chased by four other boys, who were watching everything. I tried to get away from them but they caught me by surprise after school. They beat me bloody for bullying Carley.

From that day on Lachlan, Carson, Jase, and I became best friends. Ransom, well let's just face it, he was more obsessed with Carley and never did care too much about the rest of us. Freaking psychopath. 

We used to follow Carley around to make sure the masses knew she was well protected. What we didn't understand, until sophomore year when Carley disappeared, was that it wasn't the other boys we needed to worry about. It was the girls and their cruelty. 

We overheard some disturbing things about Julia and her flunkies when Carley disappeared. Julia and her crew had to be the reason behind Carley's random bruises and black eyes she wouldn't tell us about it. We begged her all the time to let us know who was hurting her, but she wouldn't give us names. Snitches get stitches. So we had no proof. We couldn't go after her. 

But I have a feeling that Julia and her flunkies might just get her just desserts if they attempt to try to bully her as they did in high school. Carley isn't going to put with them and neither are we. One wrong move and they will disappear. 

I'm caught up in these thoughts when I feel a pen being jabbed into my ribs. 

"Earth to Air. Are you in my next class or not?" Carley is standing beside me with books in one arm and her other hand on her cocked hip. 

I want to place my hands on those curvy plush hips of hers. Carley isn't tiny, but she is short and curvy. The opposite of her tall lean twin brother. 

I could get lost worshipping those luscious curves of hers. 

"No. I don't have any more classes today. Jase has the next one with you. He is probably waiting for you just outside that classroom door. You don't need that cowboy," I growl that last sentence under my breath. 

She notices the severe frown on my face. "Who put a bur under your saddle?" She snarks at me. I'm so damaged that I've missed that snarky mouth of hers. 

I grunt at her, "You." I stand up on the opposite side of her. 

I am out with her on my heels as I shove past people to escape. But she not letting me get away. 

"Me? Why? Is it because I'm back to ruin your life? Or is it because I ruined your sex life?" She snaps at me. 

'Oh, this girl has developed a set of steel ovaries. I love it. Give me that fire, baby girl.'

I stop, whirling around to face her. I shove her against the nearest wall. I use my body to cage her in.

"You ruined us, babe. Now here you are with this new bold flame inside of you. I'm not mad you're back in the bay. I'm not mad you are at his university. I'm furious because you disappeared in the first place. You made us worry about you. You made us pine for you," I snarl with disgust at myself more than anything. 

'I'm so weak when it comes to this woman.'

"Ran was sent to juvie for attempted manslaughter the night you disappeared.

Lachlan went inside himself expecting all of us to abandon him as his mother did. Just as you and your mother did. Like Ran did.

Weston went to stealing cars and developed a death wish. He would crash stolen cars in races just so he could feel something.

Jase is a powder keg waiting to explode. He is going to get himself killed one of these days," I inform her just so she has an idea how much she shredded our souls. 

 I stroke her cheek before wrapping my tattooed fingers around her throat, the ones that spell out C.H.A.O.S. on the knuckles. "So, no, baby. I'm not angry you're back at all." 

I give her throat a little squeeze that makes her let out an involuntary guttural moan. I smirk in satisfaction. Her exquisite damage is showing. 

Just when I'm about to kiss her, we are interrupted by that Native American cowboy again. 

"Carley, you alright?" He asks with equal parts of suspicion and concern. 

I inwardly groan, 'Not this guy again.' He is fast becoming a thorn in my side. 

I release Carley, stepping back from her to give her some breathing room. I can discreetly adjust my pants as well. 

She turns her head to look at him again. "Storm?" She asks in a daze then clears her throat, coming out of the lust haze we were in. "Oh yeah. I'm fine," Carley says in a husky voice. 

'Good to know she was just as turned on as I was.'

Her eyes travel back to me and down to the bulge in my jeans. Her cheeks tint pink when I give her a wink. 

"Are you sure?" Storm asks her glaring daggers at me, but I just him a purely satisfying smirk. 

Carley's attention turns back on him and clears her throat again. "Of course I'm fine. Air is the last person in the world who would physically hurt me."

'WTF.'