Fractured Minds (Rebels of Sandland 3)

“I’ve liked you for a long time.”

My heart was about to burst for her. My head was gone. And I didn’t care that her parents were sitting downstairs. Without saying a word, I took the cards out of her hand. She looked scared, like she didn’t want me to read them, but that wasn’t my intention. Maybe another day––when she felt comfortable about it––I’d open them, but for now, I had to get as close to her as I possibly could.

I placed the bundle of envelopes back into the box and moved it onto the floor. Then I shuffled closer to her and held her face in my hands, stroking my thumbs along the softness of her cheeks. If I didn’t know it before, I did now. This girl fucking owned me.

She went to speak, but I put my lips over hers and kissed her. I kissed her to show her that I loved her. I loved everything about her. I always had. The way she treasured every little thing about me. The way she made me feel like I was worth something. The way she only ever saw the good.

I tilted my head and kissed away any doubts she might’ve had in the past. My lips stroked against hers to tell her that she was my everything. I slid my tongue forward to taste her and lose myself in her. The way her tongue teased with mine made the blood rush to my head, and I felt myself stiffen in my jeans. I was so turned on and I wanted her so badly, but I couldn’t do anything about it today. With her parents right below us, I had to rein it in. But it was tough.

I pushed her back, so that she lay on her bed, and I crawled over her, kissing her lips and then moving to her neck. The sounds she made, gasping and moaning, spurred me on, and I couldn’t stop myself from grinding my hips into her, showing her what she did to me.

We lay together, kissing and holding each other. My hands desperately wanted to explore, to touch her in a way she’d never been touched before, and I could tell she felt the same. Her hands threaded through my hair, caressed my cheek and then she moved to snake them around my waist and down to my ass. I smiled as I felt her pulling me towards her, grabbing my ass and lifting her leg so she could feel me where she needed me. My hands drifted down her body, gently lifting the bottom of her T-shirt and touching the velvet softness of her stomach. I was just about to pull the button of her jeans open when there was a knock at the door and we both shot apart.

Effy tried to wipe any evidence of our kiss from her face and started to frantically straighten out her clothing as she stood up from the bed. I sat forward and adjusted myself in my jeans. She took a quick look back at me, making sure I looked decent, before she flung the door open.

“What’s up?” she said, sounding breathless and way too guilty.

“I was just about to start dinner. I wanted to know if Finn was stopping? There’s plenty to go round.” Her mum grinned and glanced over Effy’s shoulder at me. From the sparkle in her eyes, I guessed she knew what we were up to, but if she did, she didn’t say anything.

“Do you want to stay for dinner?” Effy turned and asked me.

“I would normally say yes, and it’s really kind of you to offer, Mrs Spencer,”

“It’s Jen. Mrs Spencer is Effy’s Grandma.” She laughed. “It’s homemade lasagne tonight. What do you say?”

Right on cue, my stomach growled, but I couldn’t stay. We’d made headway, but I felt like I’d taken enough steps forward. Now, I just wanted to go back to Zak’s and think about what came next. To be honest, I wanted to be with Effy, without her parents being there, but some alone time would have to do.

“I can’t. I have to get going.” Effy didn’t look as disappointed as she usually did when I told her I was leaving. I was proud of myself for taking that apprehension away from her.

I stood up to go, now that I’d calmed down and wouldn’t embarrass myself, and Effy’s mum walked ahead and down the stairs.

“Maybe another time then?” She looked back over her shoulder and smiled at us.

“Yeah, definitely.”

I walked down the stairs next to Effy, and when we got to the front door, her mum disappeared off down the hallway. I lifted Effy’s chin with my thumb and forefinger and kissed her again. I didn’t care if her mum and dad came back out and saw us. I wanted them to know I loved her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said with a cocky grin.

“I’ll look forward to it,” she replied, lifting up on her tiptoes to give me one last kiss.

I would say I walked away from Effy’s house and back down the street, but I’d be lying. I fucking floated out of there, riding a bigger high than any art had ever given me. This feeling was better than any drug. Sweeter than any taste I’d ever known. I was high on Effy Spencer.

I felt my phone buzz in my pocket and I smirked to myself. I really hoped it was a cute message, or better yet, a photograph.

But today was not my day. Once again, fate slapped me around the face and reminded me to wake the fuck up. Real life wasn’t all hearts and flowers.

Welcome to level two of the game of consequences.

Your next challenge is to organise an event in Brinton Manor with the rest of your little crew.

Send us a copy of the invite a

nd we’ll send you a reward. Fail, and you’ll never want to show your face in Sandland ever again.

Time is ticking. You have until midnight on Saturday.

This was fucking bullshit. As far as I knew, they might not even have my uncle anymore. He could’ve escaped. He had the luck of the devil in him, so nothing would surprise me there. Not to mention, I was getting really fucked off with them thinking they had me at their beck and call. There was no way I could talk the others into an event in Brinton Manor, they wouldn’t even throw a tennis ball there, let alone a party. What made these soldiers think I held any power over what we did?