"Hy, kid" A voice says behind me and I gasp in surprise at the sound.I turn and see Liam standing at the door.
The truth is I ran away from the party, We walked into to this house and I lost all sense of reality. Between the loud music, cheering and people making in every corner. I was drowning in sensation overload. So I found the first and headed outside. So here I am in Lia's backyard, lounging on his lawn chair. I can't really see anything beyond the green lawn in front of me because its so dark but I can hear the ocean ahead of me I bet the view during the day is incredible.The quiet is calming, compared to the chaos in the house.I meant it when I said I hate parties. I've never had fun with too many people around, let alone drunk people. And the fact that I don't drink makes it worse. I can see, and hear everything in normal volume while other people are drugged out of their minds. And are screamimg at the top of their"Does Presley know that?" I ask and he stands up looking down at me. He sighs putting his hand in his pockets. "I don't think that's any of your business," He says and I sigh. "Oka," I say getting up too. He takes two steps towards me, forcing me to look up at him. For a moment I'm intimidated by his sheer size. I take in a deep breath trying to get as much oxygen as I can get to remain sane. How is it possible for one man to be this tall and this wide? My face is his belly, while my whole body is not even half the size of his. I should take step back. I say in my head but nothing happens. My legs don't move. He looks down at me. I see his eyes drift from my eyes to my lips. I let out the breath I had been holding and let out another one. His cologne hits my nostrils and I close my eyes. I don't know why but I feel like I need to do it. I feel his breath on the skin on my neck and I gasp softly. Why is he doing this to me? And Why am I not moving away? I feel him place a so
I can barely breathe from the overstimulation of my little situation with Liam. Aand now I’m behind the wheel, navigating the dark, winding roads with a car full of giggling friends. Tamrin is in the front seat, slumped against the window, her hair covering her face. Sadie is in the back, sprawled across the seats, murmuringabout how amazing the party was. Presley is the only one who seems somewhat awake, occasionally chiming in with a drowsy laugh. I don't know why she didn't r
An hour later.My phone vibrates next to me waking me u. I look towards the window and see that it's still dark outside. Who could be calling me right now?I lie back down and reach for my phone. I answer without looking at the name. It might be Tamrin."I'm outside your house." Liam says and my eyes shot open at the sound of his voice. "All thoughts of sleep absolutely gone. "We need to talk." He says making me sit up."No we don't." I say and he laughs."Yes we do." He says and then he pauses for a long time. My mind is screaming at me to end the call but once again I can't bring myself to act. I'm stuck and it feels like he's controlling me. "Come to the back, I'm waiting for you in the garden." He says and I groan. He's not listening to me."I can't come out there. It's late." I say but I get out of bed. I put my slippers on and look out of the window."I know it's late but we have t
Liam's lips are inches away from mine, and I'm frozen in place, unsure of what to do. His hand is still on my neck, and I can feel his heartbeat through his fingertips. My mind is racing with thoughts of Presley, Tamrin, and the complicated web I'm about to weave.What would they say to me if they found out what I'm doing right now? I know what Presley would say."Liam, we can't do this," I whisper, but my voice lacks conviction. I want to do this, I know I shouldn't have these feelings but being here with him..."Why not?" he asks softly, his breath warm against my face. "I know you want to." He says and I blink a few times trying to find my words but I can't.Before I can respond, he closes the distance and kisses me. It's gentle at first, his lips barely brushing against mine, but then he deepens the kiss, and I find myself kissing him back. His other hand moves to my waist, pulling me closer. For a moment, everything else fades away&mdas
Monday morning...It was a terrible weekend. I could barely sleep because all I could think about was the kiss.The one that I had with Liam.Every time I closed my eyes I could feel his lips on mine. I could smell his cologne. I could feel his warmth on my skin."Celeste." My principal says as soon as I walk past his office. He signals for me to go to his office. I walk in behind him. "I wanted to talk to you about your progress." He says sitting at his desk, signalling for me to sit down."Okay." I say feeling a little anxious. What is this about?"I see that you've submitted about sixty per cent of the work required to get off probation." He says like it's a bad thing. I look at him confused. What's wrong with that?"Okay." I say again not sure what he expects me to say to that."I'm concerned that you might be pushing yourself too hard and.." He says and I frown. He stops talking because of the
The rest of the morning passes in a haze. I move through my classes like a ghost, barely paying attention to anything but the echoes of my conversation with the principal. His concern was unexpected, and it left me feeling oddly vulnerable. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.When the final bell rings, I hurry to my locker, eager to leave school behind. As I was gather my things, I spot Presley chatting animatedly with a group of girls down the hall. My stomach twists into knots. I just want to get home, finish my assignments, and maybe try to get some sleep.When I get out of the schoolyard the usual chaos is around me but it barely registers."Hey, Celeste!" A voice calls out, pulling me from my thoughts. I turn to see Travis the mystery guy from the darkness approaching, a wide grin on his face. "Need a ride home?" he asks pointing to his car in the parking lot. Liam is leaning on it, hands in his pockets looking at me.&
I fumble in my bag for my headphones, hands trembling as I finally pull them out. It’s not like I can avoid this situation, but I need something—anything—to help me escape from the awkwardness that’s suffocating the car. Slipping the earbuds in, I let the music flood my ears, a barrier between me and the world.The car hums along the road, the city lights flashing by in a blur of neon and streetlamps. I close my eyes, trying to lose myself in the lyrics, to push away the fact that I’m tr
"You're getting wet in this rain, come on" He says pulling me by the arm gently."I'm home," I repeat the sentence but it falls on deaf ears because he gently but firmly guides me into the yard. I feel my legs move. We take the same path I once took to his room at the back of the house a few weeks ago.I swear I'm trying to resist him but for the life of me it feel like he has more power than me."I know you need to get home but I just need a few minutes of your time." He says as he opens the door to the same room I saw him fuck Presley's brain out. I walk in and stare at the same bed he was naked in with her.He looks at me and then motions that I should go in. I take a few steps and walk in. I go all the way to the end of the room and sit on a chair."I really shouldn't be here, alone with you." I say when I finally find my voice."I won't hurt you." He says and I scoff at his statement. He does know who he is right? He forget that h
Nathan is sitting across from me, his brows knitted together in that way they always are when he’s worried about me. His concern feels like a weight pressing against my chest, adding to the suffocating anxiety that’s been building since I found out about Tamrin and Trevor.I’m trying to act normal, like everything is fine, but I can feel my hands trembling in my lap. I don’t think Nathan buys it. He’s been watching me too closely for the past twenty minutes while I pr
I can’t believe how different tonight feels. From the moment I step out of the car, Trevor is standing there, waiting, looking sharp and giving me this heart-melting smile. He opens the car door for me like some scene out of a romance movie, and for a second, I can’t help but wonder if this is the same guy from our first date.“You look stunning,” he says, his voice soft but sincere, and I can feel my cheeks heat up.The restaurant he’s chosen this time is
The second Sadie says his name—Trevor—I feel my stomach drop, like I’ve been yanked into some icy abyss. My blood feels like it’s turned to sludge, my feet rooted to the floor, frozen in place. I know who she’s talking about. I know. And I also know I can’t let her see even a flicker of recognition on my face.I take a deep, quiet breath, trying to calm the panic threatening to bubble over. Sadie is sitting across from me, her face etched with concern, and she k
I wake up with a heaviness in my chest that I can’t shake. Last night, I couldn’t stop replaying Trevor’s smug face and the way Tamrin laughed off his disgusting comment. Every instinct in me is screaming that this guy isn’t just bad news—he’s dangerous.And then there’s Tamrin. How do I even begin to help someone who doesn’t want to see the truth? It’s not like she’d listen to me. Not now. But someone has to know, someone who might have a
I pace back and forth in my room, phone pressed tightly to my ear. The ringing feels endless, but I keep waiting. Sadie always takes forever to answer, but I need her right now. My heart is buzzing, and I’m practically bursting with excitement. Finally, the ringing stops, and her voice comes through, flat and uninterested."Hello?""Sadie!" I say, trying to keep my voice from sounding too desperate. "I have a date. I need your help. Please, can you come over?"There’s a pause, and I can practically hear her rolling her eyes on the other end. "A date, huh?" she says. "And you want my help?""Yes!" I say, ignoring the edge in her tone. "I need your magic touch. You’re the best at this kind of thing, Sadie. Please."Another long pause. Then she sighs. "Fine. I’ll be there in an hour."By the time she arrives, I’m practically vibrating with energy. The second I see her walk through the door, I let out an excited squ
I lean back in my chair, phone still in hand, letting the faint hum of the television fill the silence. Tamrin’s reply is still fresh on the screen, her cheerful acceptance of another date. It didn’t take much to get her to agree—just a few words crafted with care and a touch of desperation.The key to manipulating people like Tamrin is understanding their hunger. She’s starving for attention, validation, anything to make her feel less invisible. I gave her just enough on our first date to plant the seed. Sure, I acted aloof, even dismissive, but I knew that would keep her chasing. And now? Now she’s hooked.I scroll through our conversation from earlier tonight.Trevor: Hey, Tamrin. I’ve been thinking about our date, and I feel terrible about how I acted. I was nervous, and I handled things badly. You didn’t deserve that.I imagine her face when she read it, the little
I’m practically skipping up the steps to Presley’s house, the excitement bubbling in my chest. It’s not like the date with Trevor was amazing—in fact, it was the opposite—but it doesn’t matter. For once, I have something to talk about, something that feels like it belongs to me.I knock on her door, and when she opens it, she’s wearing her usual bored expression. Presley always looks like she has somewhere better to be.“Hey,” I say, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. “You won’t believe what happened last night.”She raises an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe as I flop onto her couch.“Let me guess,” she says, voice dripping with sarcasm. “You found a stray dog and decided to adopt it.”I roll my eyes. “No, Presley. I went on a date.”That gets her attention. She straightens up, her eyes narrowing just slightly. It’s subtle, but I catch it, and it fuels me in a way I didn’t expect.“Oh?” she says, crossing her ar