“Hit me with both,” I tell him, keeping my eyes on the crashing water in front as I sink deeper into his hold, needing his touch so much more than I realized.
“Well, apart from the fact I followed you from the party, this is the place where you go when you feel lost and when your world is about to explode around you.”
Warmth swirls through my chest. “I didn’t realize you were paying such close attention,” I tell him, raising my chin and gently brushing a kiss over his jaw. “But I should have known you’d follow me. Your stalking knows no bounds.”
King scoffs. “Of course I followed you. Jacob just put a hit out on you, and even though he’s gone now, no one else knows that. There’s still some dickhead on his way to that party, ready to put a bullet between your eyes, so I wasn’t exactly going to stop you from leaving. Though, I’m pissed you thought it was a good idea just to walk out on your own.”
My eyes widen. “I … I didn’t even consider that. I just wanted out of there. Ember … she was asking me if I’d seen Jacob and I just … I crumbled. I didn’t know how to respond. She left to go find him, but she’s not going to, and I hate that I lied to her, even if it’s for her own good. She thought she was crazy in love with him and now she’s going to be left wondering what she did wrong to make him leave. I’m an awful person, King. How could someone do that to a friend?”
“You’re not awful, Winter. You’re a survivor in a fucked up world and you’ve been facing the impossible every single day. No one blames you, and Ember is sure as fuck not going to hate you. You did the right thing.”
“But—”
“No. What would have happened if she had overheard him making that hit? Or what would have happened a few months down the track if she accidentally found out something she shouldn’t have? He would have killed her without a second thought. You made the right call, and even if you hadn’t, Carver still would have snapped his neck.”
I let out a sigh, knowing he’s right. He wasn’t good for her and it would have ended in tragedy.
I try to hold onto that tiny snippet of closure and let out a deep sigh. “You know,” I say, adjusting myself to better look up into his eyes. “Even though I have you four guys and Ember, I don’t think I’ve ever been so lonely.”
He nods, understanding me completely, where someone else who wasn’t so confident in himself would have been easily offended. “I get it,” he tells me. “You have all these new people around you, most of them knowing you better than you might even know yourself, but not one of them is in your position. We’ve all had eighteen fucking years to adjust to this fucked up lifestyle, but you’ve been thrown straight into the deep end and told to survive while you’re having shots taken at your head. None of us can even pretend to know how that feels.”
“You know, I’ve been through eighteen foster homes, at least thirty different schools, and a million fake friends, and not one person has ever understood me until I met you four assholes, and even with the chips on Grayson and Carver’s shoulders, I still prefer their company to anyone else I’ve ever met.”
“Well,” he laughs, a cocky as fuck grin ripping across his face. “What can I say? We’re pretty fucking awesome.”
“Yeah, and not cocky at all.”
King winks and slips his hand into mine, lacing our fingers. “Are you intent on sitting here all night watching the waves do exactly the same thing over and over again, or do you want to do something with me?” he asks, a wicked sparkle hitting his eyes. “I’ve got an idea.”
Do I sit on the beach and sulk all night or let this deviously delicious man take me on an adventure? Choices, choices. I grin back at him, the excitement bubbling deep inside my chest. “Well, fuck me,” I laugh, letting him pull me up. “How am I supposed to say no to that?”
“You can’t,” he tells me, dragging me along through the sand, back toward the road. “I’m just that fucking irresistible. No wonder your bitch-ass is always throwing yourself at me.”
“Look who’s talking,” I grumble. “Do I need to remind you that you were the fucking weirdo stalker who snuck through my bedroom window in the hopes of getting your dick wet? Actually, I think there’s a special, fucked up place in hell for guys like that.”
“Don’t even start with me,” he says. “Getting my dick wet that night was just an added bonus. I couldn’t help it that you were just that desperate for me.”