I cringe when Everly whispers, “That’s not what I meant.”
“Really?” A thick brow rises, changing his normally docile appearance to one that is strangely menacing. “Cuz that’s the shit that came out of your mouth.”
What the actual fuck?
All the color drains from Everly’s face before it roars back to life again. Bright red stains flag her cheeks. They almost match her auburn-colored hair.
Anxiety eats away at me as I glance at Kingsley, but he’s deep in conversation with the guy on the other side of him. He’s not paying the least bit of attention to our conversation.
I’ll admit to being momentarily thrown off, but I’m not going to allow Duke to scare Everly away. “That’s not what she meant.”
Sparks of resentment fly from him. I don’t understand the intensity of his reaction. Where is this coming from?
In a matter of seconds, Duke, a boy I’ve never conversed with, has blown our lunch to smithereens. The one I’m most sorry for is Everly. She’s visibly squirming on her seat, and it makes me angry that this guy is being such a giant dick for no apparent reason. He doesn’t know her. And she doesn’t need shit from him on her first day of school. He continues to glare like he’s waiting for her to offer up a defense so he can pounce before ripping her to shreds. It’s the most bizarre interaction I’ve ever witnessed. I wish he would back off and leave her alone.
“Then maybe she should keep her big trap shut instead of insulting people who have spent their entire lives in this town.”
In an attempt to defuse the situation, I say, “You’re overreacting.”
“Am I?” His steely gaze never deviates from Everly.
“She didn’t mean the comment like that, all right? Leave her alone.”
His gaze jerks to mine and a sliver of fear scampers down my spine. But I’ll be damned if I allow him to see how much this encounter has shaken me. Twenty minutes ago, I had never spoken to Duke Carmichael. Now, I realize he’s one more person at Hawthorne to be avoided. One glance at Everly’s ashen features tells me that she realizes it, too. I reach out and lay my hand over her fingers, which are twisted together in her lap. When I give them a reassuring squeeze, she glances at me before forcing a smile to her lips. After a few silent moments, her gaze reluctantly slides to Duke who is still focused on her.
Seriously, what’s his problem?
It’s a relief when Austin settles on the bench next to him.
“Everly,” I say, wanting to draw her attention away from the angry blond boy, “this is my brother, Austin.”
It’s almost as if she has to rip her gaze from Duke. Once her focus shifts, she gives my twin a forced smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. All the bubbliness filling them a handful of minutes ago has vanished. Duke has chased it all away and that pisses me off.
“Nice to meet you.” Austin glances at me with a quirk of his brow as if to ask where all the strange suffocating tension is emanating from.
“You, too.” Everly’s narrowed gaze bounces between us before she asks, “Are you twins?”
I smile, wanting to lighten the mood. “Yup.”
The change in topic does exactly what I was hoping it would. Some of her anxiety falls away as Austin peppers her with a few questions, drawing her out of her shell and helping her to relax.
For the rest of lunch, the three of us talk, but it’s almost impossible to ignore the guy sitting across from us. Even though Everly puts on a good show and avoids eye contact, I can tell she’s bothered by the strange confrontation. Her earlier happiness never quite returns.
Chapter Six
It’s not a surprise when Kingsley slips into my bedroom later that night. As conflicted as I am about what my parents have set in motion, it doesn’t stop me from craving what only he can give me.
“Missed you, baby girl,” he growls, hauling me into his arms.
The hard-sinewy strength of his body pressed against mine is all it takes to have me melting. “I missed you, too.”
The confession isn’t a lie. The more time we spend together, the stronger our bond grows. It’s not something I have control over. When his mouth crashes onto mine, it silences the riotous thoughts swirling through my head. All I want is to forget about the future and focus on the boy in my bed. The one who drives me to distraction with his touch.
Without prompting, I open, giving him the access he demands. The way our mouths fuse and tongues tangle is enough to have desire curling in the pit of my belly. A groan works its way from deep in his chest as his hands graze the length of my body. His lips tease a fiery trail to my chin, nipping at the delicate flesh of my throat. My mind clicks off as he forces me to my back, his mouth dancing along my collarbone before hovering over my chest. His tongue darts out to lap at one taut nipple, drawing it between his lips.