Untouchable: (Unstoppable - Book 1)

Danielle Hill
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Untouchable

Danielle Hill
 Copyright © 2020 Danielle Hill

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, copied, resold or distributed in any form, or by
any electronic or mechanical means, without permission in writing from the author, except
for brief quotations within a review.

This book is a work of fiction.

Names, characters, businesses, organisations, places, events and incidents are either the
product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to
actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
 For Mark, Mia & Max.

You three make me proud every single day.

 Contents

Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Thirty-Two
Thirty-Three
Thirty-Four
Thirty-Five
Thirty-Six
Thirty-Seven
Thirty-Eight
Thirty-Nine
Forty
Forty-One
Forty-Two
Forty-Three
Epilogue
About The Author
Also By DANIELLE HILL
Acknowledgements
 One

Riley

Thirteen years old

“Hey kid, you hear me? Hey, hey.”

Two light taps to the side of my face punctuated the last two
words, and I swivelled to face the owner of the voice, blinking the
daze from my eyes as I cleared my throat.
His hairy midriff folded over the top of his pants, the bulbous flesh
jiggling as he jammed a meaty hand into the back pocket of his
faded jeans. When it emerged with a few crumpled bills, he shoved
them at me, smirking around the cig hanging from his lips. What the
heck did she see in them?
“Go on then, piss off.” His brows raised expectantly, and I glanced
down at the princely sum of... eleven dollars residing in my palm.
Ah, that’s right, I was being paid to make myself scarce. Again.
Wow. How much time did he think this would buy him? Sucked to
be Mom if this was enough. Even if I'd considered injecting my
thoughts into the not-so riveting conversation Mom's latest fling and
I were having, the flimsy door to our single-wide trailer was already
hitting him on the proverbial ass as he slammed it closed behind
him. Shrugging, I walked to where my bike leaned against the lidless
trash can that stank like all hell and hopped on. I was quick for a
girl, as Leon would begrudgingly admit, but apparently not as quick
as some fat dude who wanted to get laid. The trailer was rocking
before I got both feet on the pedals, Mom’s girlish squeals ringing
out through the shaded windows.
 I gagged as I pushed myself into motion.
You'd think I'd be used to it. He was boyfriend number who-the-
hell-was-counting or could-even-keep-up-if-they-were. Come to
realize, though, sharing a one bed trailer with a mother who viewed
casual sex as a fun pastime wasn't something you ever really got
used to.
To her credit, she always made sure I wasn’t in there while she
was doing… whatever she did, hence the paid absence. My mom
was painfully honest with me in every regard, some people—every
person on the face of the Earth—might say too honest. She’d been
like that since I hit eleven and she sat me down for the talk. But
seriously, I did not need to know when my mother was having sex.
Ever. Not even if it was her choice, and she was, and I quote, super
comfortable with her sexuality.
She’d have to be, since she worked in a strip club; kinda came
with the job description.
Physically, it was hard to separate us. I got her eye and hair color,
body frame and size. I did not inherit her propensity to dance semi-
naked around a pole or engage in casual sex like she was taking part
in a Spring Break sex contest.

“So… just do it, Ri.”

“Nuh-uh.”
“Why, just because it looks weird?”
I winced. He’d taken offense to that, even looked a little hurt.
Note to self: do not insult a boy’s… thing. Looking into Leon's pretty
face, I wondered why he wanted me to touch it, so I asked him.
“You shitting me?”
Shrugging, I glanced away. His fingers caught my cheek and
tugged my face back. Big wide eyes stared intently into mine. I held
his gaze, unblinking.
A crease emerged on his brow and his eyes narrowed as he tilted
his head in question. “You're fourteen tomorrow, right?”
 I nodded, my gaze steady, face impassive.
“This is what girls do when they're fourteen. Especially the pretty
ones. And you're the prettiest I know.”
I sucked in a breath. My eyes dropped to the thing in question
between us as my teeth caught my bottom lip, gnawing with
uncertainty. I wasn't stupid. I knew more about sex than most kids
my age, more than I ever wanted to, courtesy of the oversharing
and brutal honesty supplied by my mother. What I didn't get was
how Leon had gone from appearing to hate me and everything I
stood for, constantly tripping me or sticking twigs in my bike spokes,
to now wanting my hand on his fairly inconsequential and slightly
floppy penis. Mom said you could lead a man anywhere by his penis.
I just thought it was the men she knew. The kind who frequented
strip clubs.
“And that's why? You think I'm pretty?” I asked, peering up at him
through my lashes. “That's all it takes?”
He laughed, a deep, throaty laugh. It still surprised me. Although
we were both in the same grade, I’d skipped kindergarten and went
straight to first grade, which made Leon almost an entire year older
than me, placing him at that awkward stage on the cusp between
manhood and boyhood. His voice was toying with the idea of fully
breaking, so sometimes he sounded like a full-grown man, yet his
pretty face, with those sky-blue eyes and smooth jaw, was still so
boyish. It often caught me off guard.
The advice he gave me on the day I touched a penis for the first
time should go down in history as the worst piece of advice ever
given to anyone. Ever.
He smirked, reaching to take my hand. I watched, unresisting, as
he brought my palm to his body and pressed it into the soft flesh.
Opening my fingers, I cautiously trailed them down the length of
him, cutting my eyes to his face when he groaned out loud. I
watched his head fall back and his eyes roll into his head before
squeezing shut. His mouth opened on an extended moan.
“You use that pretty face and body on them, I'm betting you'll get
any man to give you any damn thing you want for the rest of your
life, Ri. Just like that, just keep rubbing like that...”
 I did as he asked, fisted hand moving up and down methodically,
but I couldn’t stop my mind from sliding off somewhere else.
 Two

Riley

Three years later

“He thinks it's time we moved on from groping. He's running out
of patience,” I muttered, my voice low, as I swiped an apple from
the basket.
“Wow. You're like, still sixteen years old for a couple more weeks.
Pretty sure it should be acceptable to hang onto your virtue a bit
longer.”
I nodded, lifting my almost empty tray with one hand and pushing
the phone that seemed to relentlessly demand my v-card into my
pocket with the other. “You'd be surprised.”
Liss, also known as Alissa Bedford and my best friend since the
day after I moved to the town of Claremont, sat down at our usual
table. Taking the seat beside her, I dropped my tray onto the already
soiled surface, plucked a crumpled, dirty napkin from the table with
my fingertips, and flicked it to the other side.
“Gross.” Liss' nose wrinkled in distaste. “So…” She turned to me,
head dipping for me to continue the conversation.
“Not much else to say.” I shrugged, biting into the crisp apple.
Her head cocked and her face turned serious. “Do you want to?”
Swallowing, I twisted to look at her. “Does it matter?”
“Yeah, it matters. Or it should,” she said on a sigh, as she placed
her soda back on the tray.
Swinging my gaze around the room, I pressed my lips together.
“I'm not sure. I mean, I was the idiot who got myself into this mess.
He's older, and he wants to.”
Rolling her pale blue eyes, she lowered her voice. “It's not like
he's saving himself for you, now is it?”
I couldn't complain, even if I wanted to, which I didn't. Leon and I
weren't exactly exclusive. One day I'd touched his dick, and I'd been
doing it semi-regularly ever since. We made out sometimes. He put
his hands under my shirt. I liked it well enough, but I didn’t want
any more than that, and I wasn't ready to go further with him. I was
almost seventeen with a thirty-two-year-old mother. Do the math. It
wasn't an example I intended to follow. He promised he'd be careful,
but nothing was one hundred percent. What would either of us do
with a baby, not that I figured he'd have to worry about it. My dad,
whoever that guy was, hadn't. And what if I started using sex the
way my mom did? What if it became something I did to feel
something?
My eyes shifted to the doors in time to catch him entering the
cafeteria like it was a royal court. My insides liquefied, breath
catching in my lungs. It didn’t escape me that my body never
reacted this way to Leon.
I tracked his movements involuntarily, drinking him in with my
eyes as he sauntered through the room. Seventeen, crazy big for a
senior in high school, and so insanely gorgeous it hurt to look at
him. Black hair, dark-brown eyes and olive skin tone, combined with
his cut jawline, already impressive height and rapidly developing
muscles. He was the guy every girl wanted, and every other guy
wanted to be. Royal Court was right.
Maddox Renner was King in this kingdom.
And I was, what? Not Queen, not princess, not even a fully
acknowledged member of his court. We just lived in the same trailer
park and I had somehow become the unlucky recipient of his
asshole tendencies.
There was no official Queen, not that he'd claim anyway, but tell
that to Raya Mitchell. Not that she needed an excuse to rip the hair
extensions from your head. Ahh. Speak of the devil, and Satan's
sister shall appear. But then, she never was far behind her king.
“Skank alert,” Liss said.
 Nodding, I inhaled harshly, averting my eyes slightly too late to
avoid seeing Raya plant her bodacious butt down on his left thigh,
and definitely not before I saw him squeeze it with his big palm.
Throwing up a little in my mouth, I raised my gaze to find his eyes
fixed on me—knowing they would be—and a half smirk twisting
those lips in challenge: Go on, act like I don’t affect you.
My stomach flipped as my fingers curled into my palms. You are
above this, Riley. Do not react.
I might have been able to convince myself if I didn’t hear mocking
laughter in my head. Seems I was playing fast and loose with the
truth this lunchtime. Yeah well, I could lie to myself with the best of
them, I’d been doing it long enough.
Schooling my features, I swung back to Liss, eyes hard. “I'm
done,” I bit out, rising with my tray and half eaten apple.
Only, I wasn't. And it was a huge problem. I allowed myself to get
sucked in more and more every single time I saw him with Raya—or
any of the other girls he hooked up with. I knew I shouldn't let him,
but he taunted me. And for some insane reason, I played along. I
hated him for it. I hated myself more.
Let him screw every single girl in school.
I would die before telling him I wished they were me.
 Three

Riley

“Where you running off to, Riley?”

The smug in his voice was damn near suffocating, unquestionably
nauseating. Pushing off the soles of my sneakers, I injected a little
more pace into my stride. He easily caught up, taking a loose hold of
my arm.
Knowing I couldn't very well drag him along with me, I huffed to a
stop, kept my eyes down, and pretended to ignore his presence,
while simultaneously taking in everything about him.
I was talented like that.
The way his jeans molded to his ass, the warm breath ghosting
from his lips, the feel of his hand clamped around my bicep. Then
there was the heady charge of electricity that always surged
between us, making me sway. I liked to think we both felt it. But
then, I also liked to think my mom stayed home baking cookies
while I was at school instead of eating dick, so...
“What is it, Ri?”
I shook my head, refusing to look up. “Absolutely nothing.”
“Nothing, huh?” He chuckled. Because he was an ass like that.
“That's what I said, isn't it?” My blood boiled over because he
knew what; we’d been playing this game long enough. I would
never say it. We fully ignored it. There was an unspoken rule. We
riled each other like crazy, but we never ever acknowledged the fact
that there might be an underlying reason behind it. A reason like we
were so hot for each other, we might spontaneously combust if we
got too close.
“Look at me.” His voice when he commanded me like that—deep,
low, full of authority. Why did it affect me so much? Why did I
respond to him in a way I couldn’t to anyone else? There was
something wrong with me. I blamed my mom, Betty Cocker.
“Why?” I spat. “Do you have more Slutty Shelleys attached to your
body that you'd like for me to see? Do they come equipped with
their own Velcro strips, or do you provide them?”
Goddammit, Riley!
I shouldn’t have done that. Shit! Letting him suspect his antics
bothered me was one thing. Confirming it was like loading the gun
before handing it to your assassin. I might as well beg him to put
the bullet through my skull and get it over with. Fuck.
His fingers tipped my chin, forcing my head up until I caught a
glimpse of my reflection in his amused eyes. My eyes were flashing,
jaw set tight; my irritation was clear for anyone in a ten foot radius
to see. Damn, I was pissed, bitter even. Neither of which I should
be. I purposefully blanked my features as his narrowed gaze
continued to roam over my face, determined to deny him any more
of a reaction. But I’d never held up well under scrutiny.
“What?” I demanded on an exasperated breath, thoroughly
agitated. Three long seconds my resolve lasted, my neutral facade
dropping faster than Raya Mitchell’s panties on any given day of any
given week—since forever.
He smiled, stepping closer and stroking the backs of his knuckles
over my skin. “All you have to do is ask.”
Slapping his hand away, I took a step back and clenched my fists.
“You know where you can shove it.”
His lips quirked. “You know where you want me to shove it.”
I scoffed, trying for disgusted and failing. But I was no quitter.
“Hard pass.”
His finger trailed over my cheek, dipping to my throat and clavicle,
down to the swell of my breast, stopping just short of touching a
straining nipple. My breaths heaved; my heart raced. His eyes
followed the movement. My traitorous body ached for him to keep
going.
“I'll let you,” he said, voice husky. “For now.”
Then he turned to leave. Leaving me at a massive disadvantage; a
quivering mess, like always. My heart stuttered, torn between
wanting to let him go or drag him back. I both hated and loved our
interactions. And so, I played the game.
“We're official. I have an official boyfriend now,” I shouted to his
retreating back. Lied might be more apt. But it could be true.
Probably. Maybe.
His expansive shoulders tensed for a fraction of a second, his
stride shifting almost imperceptibly. If I hadn't been banking on a
reaction like the deviant I was, I'd have missed it. He kept walking,
and my panic rose.
Jesus, what is wrong with me?
“I'm going to have sex with him. Tonight.”
Shut up, Riley!
His sneakers squeaked on the surface of the linoleum as he
pivoted back to me, his face a careful mask but for the muscle
pulsing in his cheek as he strode in my direction. My heart bounced
against my ribs so hard, I thought I'd go into cardiac arrest. I
retreated, my feet moving instinctively until I felt the lockers at my
back. He kept coming.
The muscles in his arms rippled as he caged me in, crowding me,
hard face looming inches from mine.
“Leon, huh? You're gonna give it up to Leon after all this time?” he
asked, his breath fanning my face. The soft dubiousness of his tone
contrasted with the harsh set of his jaw and the clenched fists
planted either side of my head. I affected him, too. A fact that gave
me way too much pleasure.
I swallowed roughly, trying desperately to hold his intense gaze
without shrinking. “What does it matter to you, anyway?” I asked,
fighting to get the upper hand. “How many times have you screwed
Raya?”
His face remained stoic. “Too many to count.”
 Damn, that hurt. I had to forcibly stop myself from flinching. It
shouldn't have had any effect, especially since my sort-of boyfriend,
who, incidentally, was not the guy sending my pulse into overdrive
right now, slept with other girls on the regular, and that knowledge
barely registered a response on my emotional radar.
But then, Leon wasn't Reno. Never had been.
No, Leon Bradshaw was just Maddox “Reno” Renner's best friend.
It was some weird, convoluted web that none of us dared untangle.
Not that we’d even know where to begin.
Leon I should want to sleep with, but didn't. Reno? God, I melted
for him. Wafer thin chocolate under hot caramel. But I really, really
shouldn't.
Reno glanced away for a beat, then back with that smirk that
made me nervous. Like he knew something I didn’t. Which meant I
was probably about to find out. His fingers caught a few strands of
my hair, twisting them almost absently as he stared down at me, his
dark eyes unwavering.
“You didn't ask why Leon wasn't at lunch.”
I shrugged, not liking where this was going, but adopting my best
can you see the number of fucks I give stance.
“Your official boyfriend was banging Ashley in the guy's locker
room,” he murmured. “Might need to give him a few hours before
he’s good to go again.”
“I hate you,” I spat, and God, did I mean it. Yet my body leaned
in. Can anyone say betrayal?
His smirk shifted into a cocky grin. “You only wish you did.”
My jaw locked. I only wished he wasn't right.
 Four

Riley

“Hey, sweets. Good day?”

Mom’s tiny form sprawled lengthways on the built-in sofa that
doubled as her bed, making it impossible to tell if she'd ventured out
of it today. I could only hope it hadn't doubled as her entertainment
center this afternoon, but casting a glance to the small kitchenette
area, I saw no cookies.
She wasn't a total asshole. She was... misguided, let's say. She
wasn't conventional, that was for damn sure, but then, she had
become a single mom before she reached adulthood, and as far as I
could tell, she just stopped there. She’d fed and clothed me,
sometimes barely, patched up bumps and scrapes, and I'd always
had a roof of sorts over my head. Mostly, she provided the basics,
kept me alive, but let's be honest, it was the blind leading the blind.
Maybe she shouldn't have needed someone to tell her it wasn't
the norm to be so open about sex with your kid, or ask them to
vacate their home for extended periods of time to facilitate sex, but
at this point she was more like the outrageous friend you had to
explain to everyone than a mother. All I knew was I had a mom who
dubbed herself a sex addict by choice, as if it was something to be
proud of, like some display of female empowerment or healthy
expression of her sexuality. Apparently, there was no shame in
exploring our natural desires.
Standing here as the product of her explorations, I didn't share
her views. I mean, I was happy to be alive obviously, but the
circumstances of my conception were basically an advertisement for
what not to do.
I knew she loved me. She’d always done her best.
“Sure,” I muttered.
“Great, hon.”
She swiftly returned her attention to the screen, blonde hair piled
on her head in a messy bun, and her face a picture of giddy
anticipation, fully absorbed in whatever drama was about to go
down on the reality T.V. show she'd been watching before I arrived
home. Real housewives of who-gave-a-crap where. Not sure the
location mattered—different place, same garbage—they all morphed
into the same person to me.
Pushing into the tiny bedroom, I slung my bag down to the floor
and slumped back onto the lumpy twin bed, falling flat on my back
with my legs flopping off the edge. The buzz of my cell sent
vibrations along my hip bone. I groaned for two reasons. One, I
knew it would be Leon, and I really wasn't up for explaining why I
wasn't ready to have sex with him for the hundredth time, and two,
the tingle running up my thigh made me think of Reno, which made
me imagine what it would be like to sleep with him. If I could kick
my ass, I would do it. For a second, I contemplated slapping myself
in the face.
“Arghh!” I opted for slapping an arm across my face instead. I
shook my head hard in an attempt to expel both the thoughts
circling my brain and the inappropriate and unwanted desire that
prompted them.
Why? Why did I have to want him so badly?
The buzzing stopped, and I let both arms drop out beside me,
crucifix style. Someone should crucify me. I deserved it. Label or
not, I had been sort of involved with Leon for the past few years,
and yet I fantasized about slapping away the harem of barbies that
clung to Reno like cleaner fish on a whale, and slotting myself right
in their place. A frustrated moan tore from me.
There was something wrong with my wiring. That had to be it.
Leon was a decent guy who didn't live to provoke me, which was
more than I could say for Reno. If I ever asked, Leon would agree to
be exclusive. I just didn't feel right restricting him like that when I
couldn't stop pining after someone else. God, a few short hours ago
I’d used him to get a reaction out of his best friend, and not for the
first time.
My attraction to Reno was hideously inappropriate. I fought it
constantly, but I felt sure Leon knew deep down that he wasn't the
guy I wanted. He was just the guy I let myself have. I let him in
because I knew he couldn't truly touch me. He was a buffer. Leon
probably wanted to seal the deal with me because Reno hadn't and
he wanted something, or in this case someone, Reno didn’t have
first.
Leon was one of the most popular guys in school, but he was
second best to Reno. They might be tight like brothers, but Reno
held the spotlight and Leon stood next to him, always had.
I wished I felt something real for Leon, and a whole lot of nothing
for his stupid friend, but for as long as I could remember, Reno
stirred something in me I couldn't seem to shake or disguise very
well. I flat out refused to admit the extent of his hold on me,
though. Not even to myself. A river in Egypt and all that. I couldn't
afford to go there.
I rolled sideways and curled into the fetal position as I
contemplated what to do. I couldn't sleep with a guy just because I
felt bad for him, gift him the win he so badly wanted. I couldn’t do it
just to get at someone else. Could I? Could I really take it that far?
If I did, maybe Leon and I would both get over our Reno hang-
ups. I was never going there with Reno, not ever, no matter how
much that particular itch needed scratching. I already knew the
ending to that story and happily ever after wasn't it. If I let myself
go there, even once, there'd be no coming back. I'd become another
in his vast collection of human sex toys, and I'd despise myself for it.
I already flirted way too close to the line when it came to him. He
wasn't into monogamy; he had it way too good to tie himself down.
He'd never promise me anything, and I wanted someone to want me
for more than sex. I'd sworn my entire life, I'd never let my self-
respect become a casualty of my hormones. So, why not just do it
with Leon? Get it over with?
 Something inside of me recoiled at the thought.
My cell phone buzzed again.
“Hey.”
“Babe, where you at?”
“Home. Where am I supposed to be?”
“On the end of my dick!” Leon guffawed. I rolled my eyes. “J. K.
But we're hooking up tonight, right?”
I rolled to my back and stared at the faded brown circles on the
ceiling.
“Ri?”
“Huh? Oh, uh, I just... hey, Leon?”
“Yeah?”
I palmed my forehead, hating what I was about to do. “Hey, Leon,
did you have sex with Ashley in the locker room at lunch?”
“I, uh... it was… we... what?”
His garbled response made it even harder. I was placing blame
unfairly. I'd never asked him not to be with other girls, and I
continuously played a game of fire with the guy he'd called brother
since kindergarten. I was dangerously close to getting burned. This
whole charade had to end.
“Look, Leon, I don't think this thing between us, should, uh,
continue,” I said, my voice weak.
“What?” he clipped. “Are you fucking with me?”
“No, I'm not. I'm just... I don't think we're, well, I don't think this
is going where either of us, uh, wants it to, uh, go.” Lame. Lame,
lame, lame. I should have practiced something.
“Right. So where do you want it to go?” He sounded hurt, and
that hurt me. We'd been friends since I moved here over eight years
ago. He had been the first person to talk to me. Granted, he’d pulled
my pigtails at recess and caught farts in his hand before covering my
face with it, from the ages of eight through to eleven, but I’d
eventually figured out why. Boys!
God, I should never have touched his dick. Touching dicks ruins
everything. What was I thinking?
“Uh... not where... you, um, want it to go?” I cringed at my own
words.
 He was silent for a beat. “Is this because I've been pushing for
sex?”
I sighed. “Yes, and no.” Before he could interrupt, I hurried on,
trying to explain without coming right out and confessing that it
wasn't him I wanted. “It just made me realize that I'm not ready for
any of this. Not sex, not a relationship, not... yet.” The lie tasted
bitter, but it wasn't like I would ever act on my unwanted feelings for
Reno.
“We don't have to have sex. We can just keep things the way they
are, I'm good with tha—”
“No, Leon. I don't want to be doing anything with you, not if
you're... doing stuff with other people.”
“I won't then. I won't touch anyone else.”
Jeez, this snowballed faster than I'd anticipated. Knocking the heel
of my hand against my head, I glanced around the room for
inspiration. Anything. Anything except I want to do your friend, not
you, and I feel terrible about that and don’t want to keep stringing
you along. “Uh, that's really not fair to you, Le.”
“Look, I want you, Riley.”
“I, uh…”
“I'll wait. I wouldn't have touched anyone else if I knew it would
piss you off.”
“I'm not! I'm not pissed off, Leon. I just…” my voice trailed off,
mainly because I didn’t know what the hell to say. I'd never doubted
he liked me; I just didn't think there was anything real there. I
certainly didn't expect this much resistance. I didn’t want to hurt
him.
“Please, Ri. Just give me a chance. Give us a chance.”
The plea in his voice struck me directly in the chest. What the hell
have I done?
My mouth opened but struggled to form words. “I... I... can’t—”
He cussed down the line, anger and frustration bleeding into his
tone.
“Leon?”
“You think I don't know what this is?” There was an edge to his
voice I'd never heard from him before. My pulse sped up. Games of
the heart were no fun.
“What, what is?” I mumbled.
He went quiet. The silence stretched until it became
uncomfortable. Just as I was about to speak up, he did, his voice
low and angry. “He doesn't want you. He messes with you because
he can. Because you wind up like a goddamn toy.” He practically
spat the words down the line, and I felt the threads of our friendship
strain.
“Leon—”
“No. I get it. You think I don't see the way you look at him,
fucking drooling? You leave a puddle every time you're in the same
room, and not just from your mouth.” Uh, gross. “You see the girls
he fucks? Who throw themselves at him? And what, you think if you
dump me, he'll trade all that for you?”
His mocking laughter hit my ears, and a flare of anger dampened
my guilt.
So, I'd hurt him, and he was hitting back. I accepted my part, but
I wasn’t about to just sit back and take it.
“Wow. Guess you see a lot standing in his shadow, huh?”
“You bitch!”
“Yeah, well, you're being an asshole!”
“Yeah, well, you're a whore!”
“I'm a virgin!” I screamed.
“You're fucking frigid!” he shouted.
“Make up your mind, you fucking idiot!” My breath huffed and my
fingers flexed. If he were here, I'd be throwing fists right about now.
“You know what? Go fuck yourself, Ri!”
“Well, I definitely won't be fucking you!”
The line went silent.
I exhaled heavily. Great! Just great. Well, you handled that like a
pro, Riley. Goddamn.
I flopped back on the bed, springs poking me in various places,
thinking about how this was all Reno's fault.
 Five

Reno

“The fuck's your problem?” Leon stalked past me in the guy’s

locker room, deliberately body checking me on his way.
Throwing his gym bag down with more force than necessary, he
glanced up, eyes hard, and bit out, “Fuck all, bro.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, seems like it.”
He stood up, striding right up to me, and snarled, “I don't give a
shit what it seems like.”
“Back up,” I warned, my tone low and uncompromising. “What
crawled up your ass?”
He reclaimed the space between us, his head raised to stare right
into my eyes. “You.”
Yeah, this shit wasn't happening. If I’d done something to piss him
off, he could quit talking in fucking riddles and spit it out. I rose to
my full height, three inches over his, and puffed out my chest. “The
fuck are you talking about? And… watch what you say next.”
He stood immobile for a few seconds, before blowing out a breath
and shaking his head. “You know what? She's not even worth it.”
Dropping his head, he pivoted and grabbed his bag, throwing it over
his shoulder before brushing past me.
“Hey! Whoa!” I grabbed his shoulder, spinning him back. “The fuck
you going? You pull this shit then storm out like some chick with
PMS? Hell, no. Sit the fuck down. Explain yourself!”
“Fuck you!” He shrugged my hand off.
 “Le!” I roared, my voice conveying pretty convincingly that I
wasn't messing around anymore. If he wanted to act like a dick, he’d
better explain why and it better be fucking good.
His shoulders sagged, and he turned around, eyes scanning the
room. Two guys stood by, watching the show. I raised a brow, and
they disappeared.
Leon sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Riley. She...
ended... whatever the hell we had going on.”
Fuck.
I inhaled long and slow. Stale air invaded my nostrils as I dropped
my thumbs onto my hips and nodded distractedly.
Leon knocked his head against the wall, followed by a clenched
fist, then he slumped to the bench. “Apparently there wasn't much
to end, anyway.”
I stood back and watched my oldest friend grapple with emotions
only Riley Mason could provoke. I'd been batting off the fuckers for
as long as I could remember. She was the hottest chick in school,
bar none. Feisty, smart mouthed, gave zero fucks... so, a walking
wet dream. I'd been hard for her for at least the last four years.
She'd been eye fucking me almost as long. I'd have to pull out her
voice box and squeeze the words out myself if I wanted to hear her
say it, though.
She'd pegged me as a man-whore early on and refused to re-
categorize me. On the basis I’d plowed my way through most of the
cheer squad multiple times, can't say I blamed her. What I could say,
though, was her pairing off with Leon, no matter how casual they'd
been, had provided a mental barrier I'd needed to keep my mind off
her. And my hands. Mostly.
Coincidentally, it had kept every other guy at bay. Something I
appreciated, for reasons I wasn't willing to analyze. The simple fact
was that the thought of anyone touching her didn't sit well with me.
Leon, I'd learned to deal with because whatever they did together—
and I knew they’d never fucked—didn't stop Ri looking at me like
she wanted to screw me on the nearest available surface. Call me a
warped son of a bitch, but I craved that look in her eyes. I wanted
her burning for me, even if I had no intention of dousing the flames.
The situation was fucked-up, twisted, whatever. It was what it was. I
wasn't about to analyze that shit either.
I was already picturing her hips swaying as she strutted around
school. Fuck, she was too tempting. And every other asshole around
here agreed. The girl was prime real estate, and she'd just gone on
the open market.
Nope, not going there. I wanted her too damn much. Too much to
pretend it would be a casual hook up. I had no intention of going
anywhere near where that would lead.
But I sure as shit didn't want any other fucker having her.
Head buzzing with all the ass backward ideas that unwelcome
realization conjured, I tightened my jaw and attempted to pull my
shit together before glancing back down to where Le's dejected form
sat slumped over. Moving closer, I clapped my hand around his
shoulder briefly then strode away.
I spent the next hour busting my ass and burning off a shit ton of
excess tension. Showering and towelling off quickly, I scrubbed the
coarse fabric against my skin then dragged it over my hair. My gaze
finally settled on Leon's bent head. “You good, man?”
His brows hitched, like he was anything fucking but. “Guess so.”
I observed him a beat longer. “Catch up with you outside, yeah?”
Jerking his head in acknowledgement, he stood, pulling the sides
of his bag open and stuffing his crap inside.
Hauling mine from the bench, I exited through the doors and
down the hall. And the person who'd occupied my thoughts for the
past sixty minutes appeared in front of me, seemingly out of fucking
thin air. Because why the fuck wouldn't she?
My eyes followed Riley's lycra-clad ass like a horny heat-seeking
missile, and my groin stiffened to the point of painful. It wasn’t the
first time my dick had reacted to her body, far from it. But it might
have been the first time I'd looked at her and known nothing stood
between us. My feet drew to a stop and my chest expanded as
saliva pooled in my mouth. I flattened a hand over my still damp hair
as every muscle tensed.
Do not fucking go there.
 As if she heard me, Riley flicked her head back and peered over
her shoulder. Bright green eyes found mine and bulged instantly. She
stumbled once, righting herself as my gaze latched onto hers,
holding her captive. Her forehead scrunched and her slim shoulders
shuddered with her indrawn breath. Pink spots bloomed on her
cheeks.
Visibly straining with the effort, she finally tugged her gaze from
mine—a fraction of a second too late. I’d already clocked the desire
raging in her eyes. And even if I hadn’t, I’d seen it there a thousand
times before. She couldn’t hide then, and she damn sure couldn’t
hide it from me now. Not even when her lids swooped down and she
swung her head away, scampering out of sight like she knew what
would happen if I caught up to her.
Fuck, I was imagining it right now. Picturing all the ways I could
make her scream my name.
My teeth ground together, and I hung my head, reaching down to
tug at the denim stretching taut over my crotch.
I wanted her. Badly. In a way I hadn't been able to before.
And every reason I'd ever had to stay the hell away just ceased to
fucking matter.
I needed to talk to Leon. Soon. I wouldn't go near her until I'd
given him a chance to get used to the idea.
But after that, all bets were off.
It was past time.

“What's up?” Leon stood outside the local burger joint with his
hands stuffed in his pockets.
Face grim, I strolled up to him, wiping my oil stained hands on a
rag. “We need to talk.”
His head tipped to the side, a sandy brow lifting halfway in
question, but a flash of accusation lit in his eyes, making me think
he knew exactly what this was about.
 “Right,” he muttered, drawing the word out.
Planting my thumbs on my hips, I widened my stance and met his
heavy stare head on. “I'm not gonna fuck around here, man. I think
you know what I'm gonna say. I want to talk about Riley—”
“You've got to be fucking kidding me,” he cut in, nostrils flaring
with a snort of air.
“You knew this was coming, Le.”
His head snapped back, thick brows scaling his forehead. “Oh, I
did? I've been fucking warming her up for you? That’s what I've
been doing?”
My fingers twitched and blood rushed to my head. I had no plans
for this discussion to turn physical, but he needed to not fucking say
shit like that again. I aimed a finger directly between his eyes.
“Don't talk about her like that.”
“Ha! This is fucking unbelievable.” He paced away a few strides,
his palm clasping the back of his head. Pivoting back sharply, he
speared me with a derisive glare. “You’ve wanted her all this time?”
“Doesn't matter. Things are different now.”
His eyes narrowed. “Did you make a play for her? That why she
ended it with me?”
My brows pulled together, teeth catching the inside of my cheek
and clamping down. My eyes drilled into his. “You think I'd do that?”
“What the fuck do you expect me to think? She cut me loose two
days ago and now you're standing here telling me you want to start
something with her. That is what you're doing, right? That's what
this is? Sorry Riley fucked you over, Le, but don't worry, I'm gonna
fuck her real goo—”
My hand shot out and wrapped around his throat without
instruction. I didn’t stop to consider why the fuck his words had me
so bent out of shape. Bringing my face in line with his until we were
nose to nose, I growled, “I'm not gonna say it again. Watch your
fucking mouth.”
An acrid smirk contorted Leon’s lips, and his fisted hands pushed
into my chest, forcing me back. Eager murmurs came from behind.
I’d seen a handful of Claremont students milling around earlier. They
edged closer now. Fucking great. We had an audience.
 Releasing my hold on his neck, I took a measured step back and
lowered my voice. “Look, I get you don't like it. I'm not saying I'm
gonna do anything right now, but I wanted to give you a heads up.
Thought it was only fair.”
He raised the back of his palm to rub at the spot on his neck,
betrayal emanating from his slitted eyes. “You're fucking crazy if you
think I'm gonna be okay with this.”
“That's how it's going to be?”
His big shoulders hiked, lips fitting together in a blunt line. “Don't
see how it can be any different. You know how I feel about her.”
I breathed in through my nose, glancing away for a beat, before
meeting his eyes. “What about how she feels?”
He lurched forward. “What the fuck do you know about how my
girlfriend feels?”
A harsh laugh broke through my lips. “She was never your
girlfriend, and you goddamn know it. I've held off, but we both know
what she wants. Who she wants. Don’t fucking stand there and act
like you haven’t know it all along.”
“You fucking asshole.”
One of my eyebrows hooked up. “You think I'm wrong?”
“I think you're supposed to be my best fucking friend,” he snarled.
“You gonna choose pussy over that?”
I bristled, his words striking a nerve in a way I didn’t fully
comprehend. “She's not just any pussy, Le. I wouldn’t be standing
here if she were.”
He snorted. “Don't dress it up like you want more than what's
inside those panties, dickhead.”
“Don't fucking tell me what I want.” I met his glare with one of my
own.
His forehead creased, face incredulous. “You’re… are you saying
you fucking like her?”
I held onto his stare but didn't answer. I didn't know what I
wanted from Riley, but I wanted... something. And Leon would have
to get on board. She didn’t want him; never fucking had.
“So, you're choosing her over fifteen years of friendship?”
“It doesn't have to be one or the other.”
 He scoffed, pushing away. “Yeah, it does.” Face twisted in
contempt, he glanced away briefly, before coming back with a
glower. “She worth it?”
I looked him dead in the eyes. “Don't fucking push this, Le... you
won't like the answer.”
“Nice. You know what? You're a damn prick. And you can spew
whatever BS you want… you and I know you just want a taste of
what I've already had.”
My vision turned red. “One more fucking word...”
“Yeah? Here's two... Fuck. You.” He spat the words as he shoved
me.
My eyebrows pinched. “Don’t fucking do it, Le.”
Ire burned in his eyes as he pulled his arm back.
Goddamn. I blew out a resigned breath, squared my shoulders,
and waited for it.
His fist shot forward.
 Six

Riley

“Did you hear Reno beat the shit out of Leon last night?”
My head whipped round to Liss, mouth agape. “What! Why?”
She shrugged, picking at her sandwich. “Not sure, babe.
Happened outside of Beats’. There’s a video circulating.”
Beats' Burgers, owned by the most miserable old crank in
Claremont, Mr. Beatty. Best shakes in town, though. Not that I got to
taste them anymore. Beatty had barred school kids... because of all
the fights. Thing was, though, it sat on the corner opposite Brett
Renner's auto repair shop, not a smart choice of location for Ren to
throw down. Especially with Leon. Must have been something big.
The thought unsettled me.
I frowned, shifting my gaze around the room. Neither Reno nor
Leon were anywhere in sight. I'd barely seen Leon in the days since
our little... misunderstanding. He was avoiding me, and not even
trying to be subtle about it.
“Beat the shit out of him? For real?”
She nodded, then held up a finger while she swallowed her
mouthful. “Leon swung first, I heard. Haven’t seen the recording,
though. No doubt it’s been blown out of proportion. I overheard
Jessa McNeill say they only threw a few punches.”
“Why? They're like brothers; why would they fight?”
Liss arched a brow, chewing around a mouthful of bread. Her
curious eyes studied me, and I shrank back in my seat. “There's
usually only one thing that comes between two guys, babe. A girl.”
 A girl? The fries I'd already eaten settled into my stomach like
lead, churning. Reno had sex with girls, used them, discarded them,
rinse, repeat. He didn't fight over them. He didn't sacrifice lifelong
friendships for them.
My breath hitched painfully, my hand going to my throat on
instinct. Wide-eyed, I surveyed the room again, looking for any signs
that someone had tamed Mr. Untouchable, that some girl had
touched his black heart. The possibility pierced my regular colored
heart and I grappled with my emotions, trying to keep them from
spilling over. I didn't question what I felt for Reno, didn't poke at it
too hard. There was... something there. Some dangerous urge I
didn't want to think about, desires I needed to keep a lid on. I didn't
name it.
Everything around me looked the same. Nobody stood on a table-
top broadcasting their conquest through a megaphone, and believe
me, if they'd nailed Reno's balls to a chair, they would be.
“This happened last night, Liss?”
“What I heard.”
“And you heard nothing else? No specifics about why?”
She shook her head slowly, the tips of her blonde pony sweeping
her shoulders as she eyed me thoughtfully. “Nope.”
I nodded, getting to my feet. “Okay. I gotta go.”
“What? Where?” She uncrossed her legs, collecting her trash and
dumping it on the tray with my uneaten fries.
I was already halfway to the doors by the time she stood, arms
out, palms up, her face morphed in confusion.
“I'll meet you in fifth period,” I called.
“Wait! Riley! What are you—”
I knew where he'd be, and so help me God, if he had a girl on his
lap, I'd slap him six ways from Sunday.
“What the hell is going on?” I yelled, breaths panting. Man, it was
a damn hike up here.
On the top level of the old auditorium, Reno sat with his knees
braced, one hand dangling between them and the other holding a
cig to his lips. He looked up, blowing a thin cloud of smoke before
throwing me a smirk.
 “Riley.” His eyes raked over me, his standard greeting. “You look
pissed. Suits you.”
Dumping my bag by his feet, I plucked the cigarette from his
fingers and launched it behind him.
He raised a brow.
“You hit Leon?”
I scowled at him, crossing my arms over my chest to stop them
trembling. He was so damn cocky, so cool and confident. I was
teetering between mad as hell and majorly turned on. And I hated
that he could do that to me without even trying. More than that, I
hated that he knew he could do that to me.
Leaning back on his elbows, legs stretched out in front of him, his
eyes traveled my body again, lingering long enough to make sure he
left goose bumps—demonstrating exactly what he was capable of
doing to me. He removed another cigarette from the pack and took
his time lighting it, before blowing another cloud my way. Yeah, I
was definitely mad as hell.
“Here to defend your boyfriend, Riley?”
I stopped, frowning. “What? No, I want to know what went down?
Why'd you guys fight? It's not like you.” I lowered my head and
looked down at the ground, exhaling slowly in a bid to calm my
raging thoughts and roiling stomach. “No girl is worth your
friendship, Reno.”
He was silent while another plume of grey smoke floated by. “You
don't think so?”
I lifted my head. “No.”
A muscle pulsed in his jaw as he dropped the cigarette, crushing it
slowly with the heel of his sneaker. Something unreadable flashed in
his expression when our eyes met, and my heart faltered. His eyes
shuttered just as quickly though, erasing whatever it was I thought
I'd seen.
“One might be.”
My lungs seized in my chest at his words, my whole body freezing
as tears formed behind my lids. I looked away, blinking quickly.
Rolling my lips together, I turned back, feigning mild interest.
“Interesting. Who is she?”
 I needed to know. I wanted to see her, know her name, her hair
colour, hear her voice. The girl who mattered to Reno. I wanted to
know what she had that I didn't.
What I should have wanted to know, was why the hell I cared
enough that it felt like my heart was breaking open in the old
auditorium in front of a guy who'd sooner toss it on the ground and
snuff it out like a used cigarette before accepting any part of it. I
shouldn't be feeling anything for him. I could never let him near me.
He smiled softly. “Nobody you know, Ri.”
I sucked in a breath. “So, a college girl? You guys fighting over an
older woman, huh? That's pretty cliché.” The joke sounded feeble
even to my ears. There was no lightening this situation, not for me,
anyway.
He stood, rising to his full height and towering over me. His size
should have been imposing, but it wasn't. He made me feel small in
the best way, like he could pick me up, wrap me in those sturdy
arms and keep me safe forever. Not that he would, and not that I'd
let him. The line between us was laced with pheromones and
arsenic. We skirted it, but neither of us was that crazy.
He reached out and tucked a hair behind my ear, his fingertips
lingering on my bare skin. The surprisingly tender gesture caught
me off guard, and I felt my head lean into his touch, my eyes drift
closed. I snapped them right back open.
No! God, no.
These weren't feelings. It was lust. Pure, unfiltered, primal lust.
Chemical, physical. It wouldn’t be smart to go confusing myself. I
didn't care for him, and he barely tolerated me. He knew he could
twist me up in knots and I sort of enjoyed being twisted. But that
was where it began and ended. It wasn't deep or meaningful. It was
a game. One I wasn't sure I wanted to play anymore. I was losing
whatever grip I might have had on this situation, and that was way
more dangerous than I had prepared myself for. Forcing myself to
take a step back, Reno’s hand fell to his side and his darkened eyes
flitted away.
“She's not older,” he murmured, then brushed past me and left me
standing staring after him until he was long gone.
 Glancing down, my gaze landed on the almost full packet of
cigarettes that sat discarded on the stone ledge.
All of this had to end. Yesterday.
 Seven

Riley

“This is the worst idea, Liss.”

“Oh, quit bitching.” She gave my hand a tug. I shook my head,
refusing to budge. Another tug.
“Fine. But he's still pissed as hell with me.” Striding past her, I
pushed through the tree line, heading for the now dead cornfield
that served as the stomping ground for pretty much every teen in
Claremont.
“So? Does that mean you have to sacrifice your social life? And
still?” She paused, hands on her hips. “God, that guy! I mean, you
ended things two weeks ago, and it's not like you were a married
couple. You jerked him off behind a dumpster while he fondled your
boob once a month. Get the fuck over it, dude. Move on with your
life!”
I pulled up short, affronted. “Hey! That's... that's…” pretty
accurate but come on. “Not exactly true.”
“Yeah, yeah. Move your ass. It's your birthday weekend, and I'm
done with your pity party. So quit sulking, start walking.”
She criss-crossed her fingers in front of my face in the universal
sign of walking. I resisted the urge to bite them.
“Whatever. But when it all goes to shit, don't say I didn't warn
you. The guy has either outright ignored me or thrown sly digs at
me for the past week. Ever since this mysterious fight that nobody
can explain to me.” Seriously, no one. Not Mack, Danny, or Jase. And
I’d asked.
 Rolling her eyes, she grabbed my hand and pulled me behind her,
slim arm straining with the effort and my petulant resistance. Trailing
her with lackluster steps, I deliberately dug the unfamiliar heels
she'd forced on me into the mud. I wouldn’t make this easy for her.
Who even wore heels to a muddy field? People who would turn
seventeen in two days... was the gist of how that conversation went
down.
The bonfire came into view despite my attempt to walk slowly
enough to go backward. And with it, Reno and Leon.
Urgh... and Raya, who glowered as we approached.
“Raya looks happy to see us, as always,” Lis quipped.
I fought the urge to tuck tail and run.
Please God, don't let them be fighting over Raya Mitchell. They'd
sorta patched things up, but there was still this weird tension
between them. Like if I caught Le looking at Reno while he wasn’t
watching, he’d be glaring daggers at his face. But, like I said, if
anyone knew what caused the rift, they weren't talking.
Tugging the hem of the semi-indecent dress Lis had thrust on me
—thank god for the still mild late October weather—I pasted a scowl
on my face and trudged toward the flames. Might as well get this
over with.
“Well, if it isn't little Miss Tease.” Slurring. Great, a drunk Leon.
Even more fun.
“Suck it.” I flipped him off.
His eyes made a slow track over my body as he moved around
me, leering in a way that wasn't like him. “Couldn't get you to.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but a hard voice beat me to it.
“Le.”
My eyes shifted to Reno. The subtle warning in his voice infuriated
me more than Leon's insults. “And you.” I jabbed a finger in his
direction. “Stay out of it.” His soft chuckle sent a shroud of red mist
over me. “I mean it. Let him get it all out, then we can move the hell
on.”
Leon scoffed. “Move on? You really fucking think a lot of yourself!”
I turned back to him with a sigh. “Fine, you're good or over it,
whatever. Can you stop being a dick now, go back to being friends?”
 He took two steps toward me, stumbling a little, his eyes
bloodshot and narrowed. “Yeah, we ain’t fucking friends, Riley. I'll do
and say whatever the fuck I want.” His face twisted in confusion,
before splitting with laughter.
I glanced sideways to Liss with a wtf look. She shrugged, raising
her brows.
“Fucking friends! Fucking friends. Get it?” Leon’s laughter subsided
and all traces of humor vanished from his face as he pinned me with
a bitter glare. “Well, that's a fucking joke, isn't it? You wouldn't fuck
me if I paid you, would you, friend?”
Liss stepped in front of me. “Seriously, dude? You need to back
the fuck off.”
Wrapping my fingers around her forearm, I gently tugged. “Liss,
leave it, it's fine—”
A deeper voice drifted over my head. “Yeah... it ain't fine.”
I dropped my head, shoulders drooping. Shit. This was turning
into a shit-show of epic proportions. The fabric of Reno's shirt
brushed my arm as he moved past me, stopping in front of a barely
standing Leon.
“Reno, I told you, don't get involved.” He ignored me. Like I knew
he would. Damn. “He's just drunk. He's talking out of his ass.”
“He is an ass,” Liss interjected, and I threw her a look that said
seriously, wanna help me out here? She just raised her brows.
“Walk it off, Le. I’m not asking.”
Leon rose as high as he could on legs that could barely hold his
weight and snarled up at Reno. What the...? They didn't do this.
Leon was a good little sidekick; he didn't rise up.
“Uh, Le,” I started.
“You want to go there again, man?”
I almost gasped when Leon shoved his chest into Reno's. Reno
rocked back on his heels, his jaw clenching.
“What? You wanna throw down again, Ren?”
“Christ! Leon, stop,” I said, my eyes bouncing between them.
Reno's eyes darkened, his stance widening as he stared Leon
down. This was crazy. “Throw down? I put you on your ass like a
bitch. Walk. Away,” he warned, voice eerily calm. “Now.”
 Leon held his nerve a while longer, before fixing his eyes on me.
Every bit of frustration and rage he couldn't take out on Reno, he
aimed directly at me instead. “You fucking happy? This what you
wanted?”
“Are you whacked? What the hell are you talking about?” I asked,
stunned. I'd never want this; we'd been a dysfunctional little group
for as long as I'd lived here, all of us in the same trailer park. The
last thing I wanted was any friction or rifts.
“Shut the fuck up, Leon!” Reno's voice rose. That wasn't the norm.
He didn’t have to raise his voice usually.
Pushing past Reno, Leon took a stride toward me.
“Congratulations. He wants to fuck you, too—”
And then he hit the deck like a sack of potatoes—courtesy of
Reno's fist.
My shocked gaze jolted to Reno's, who scowled first at me then
down at the best friend he'd just laid out in the mud. “Someone get
him home.”
Liss put an arm around my shoulder, and I glanced around, eyes
wide with disbelief. Reno walked back to the fire and threw back a
mouthful of whatever cheap booze was on offer. Raya stood with her
eyes fixed on my face, white-hot fury dancing in them.
Just add it to the list, bitch.
I blew her a kiss before flipping her off and making my way to the
alcohol with the grace of a baby giraffe and giving the minimum
amount of fucks about that. I needed a longer hemline, less heels,
and a boatload of cheap beer. Fucking now!
Before I could get my hands on the beer, though, I found myself
inconveniently forced to detour and snatch a handful of Liss' shirt to
halt her beeline for Raya.
“Leave it,” I warned, flashing her a stern look.
“What? I was just gonna explain that she needs to keep her dirty,
probably STD ridden eyes off my girl.”
“And I love you for it. But let's just leave it for now. I've had all
the drama I can take for one night.” She huffed like I'd spoiled her
fun, bloodthirsty little animal. “Liss.”
“Fine. I need a drink.”
 Puffing my cheeks in a relieved sigh, I motioned to the drinks with
an exaggerated flourish and waited for her to shift her ass.
I tried to sip my drink and act like nothing had happened, I really
did, but the more I sipped, the more I thought about it. And the less
sense it made.
Reno wanted me to think he wanted to fuck me. He did it to fuck
with me. It was a control thing. I knew it; he knew it. He knew I
knew it. I knew, he knew, I knew, he knew—wait, I couldn't figure
out how far I'd gone with this. Screw it. Basically, we both knew he
didn't want to go there. Didn't we? I mean, he revelled in assuming
he could get me to drop my panties in a heartbeat, but we didn’t
even like each other. Sort of. Maybe. God! I didn’t know what to
think anymore. But then why did Leon say he did? Aaaaaand, now I
was reading way too much into things. And Liss was staring at me as
if I was an ignorant asshole.
“Yes!” I blurted.
She scoffed. “Weren't fricking listening, were you?”
I scrunched my nose. “Was the answer no, then?”
“Oh, stuff it!”
I snorted. “You stuff it.”
We both grinned. “Okay.” I stood, giving an exaggerated yawn as I
stretched my arms above my head. “I'm done.”
“No way, pussy! You're seventeen tomorrow! You can't leave yet.”
“Tomorrow?”
“It's after midnight.” She shrugged… always with the shrug.
She didn't have a care in the world. She lived in a house with an
actual roof. It wasn't a McMansion or anything, but her mom had a
bed that didn't fold into a couch, and they had a kitchen big enough
that the word didn’t require an ette on the end. And I knew for a
fact her mom didn't engage her, willingly or otherwise, in late night
chats about her latest sexual conquest.
Dropping onto my ass, I looked around. “Party's over. Everyone's
leaving.”
I couldn't see Reno. In fact, I hadn't seen him for the last three
hours. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was avoiding me. But he'd
have to give a shit to bother.
 “Arrrgghh!” I growled, falling onto my back. Seriously pissed that
my thoughts had gone back there again.
Liss plonked herself down beside me. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“Cool.” She was a goddamn master.
Swivelling to face her, I took in her profile. Cute nose, full mouth.
The whole blonde hair, blue-eyed thing. Liss was undeniably hot.
Maybe I could switch teams, maybe that would be easier. Yeah, I
could play for every team. I'd still want Reno. “Grr.”
“You sound like an angry little kitten,” she singsonged.
“Wanna feel my claws?”
She smirked, still staring up. “Nope. I know someone who does,
though.”
I lifted onto my elbows to scowl at her. “If you dare say Leon, I
swear I'll maim you.”
She closed her eyes and swayed her head in a weird clumsy
motion. “Nuh-uh-uuuh. Rhymes with,” she stopped, her eyes
opening and her brows drawing down a little, “... meno.”
I frowned. “You're loaded, and you need to switch to water. Better
yet,” I hopped up, rubbing my hands together to shake off the dirt,
“stop drinking. Up. Everyone's heading out.”
“We're still here,” she murmured, lowering her lids again.
“Fine... everyone but us is leaving.”
“Don't care.”
Really with this? I parked my hands on my hips and tapped my
foot. Seemed a parent-y thing to do, I wouldn't know, my perma-
fifteen-year-old would-be caregiver wasn't big on discipline. I
supposed I had to be grateful for that. “Get up!”
“Nope.”
“Liss!” I moaned, drawing out her name on a pitiful whine and
reaching down to grab her arm. A few groups of stragglers giggled
and shouted about fifty yards away, but other than that we were
alone. “Come the fuck on, bee-yatch!”
Rustling behind me had me spinning round. “Shit! You scared the
crap out of me, Mack!”
 He grinned, hands up. Huge, black, and super easy on the eyes.
Mackenzie Briggs, a senior like us, and a big softie. He was one of
the certified good guys. No question his momma raised him right.
Along with Jason Connolly and Daniel Greene, he was one of Ren
and Le’s closest friends. “She staying?” He dipped his head with a
grin.
I pursed my lips. “Looks like. Hey, can you sit with her a sec? I
need to pee.”
He hit the deck. “Sure, I got her.”
“Bushes, bushes, everywhere,” I hummed while I skipped into the
thick, avoiding the pathway through the trees that led to a clearing
up ahead. Which was where Mack had come from, and probably
meant Reno was there. But I didn’t need to think about that right
now. I was just the right side of tipsy, the best frame of mind to be
in. Nicely buzzed. Not quite coherent enough to think about the shit
you couldn’t control but still with it enough to enjoy the mental
break. Squatting beside a bush, I quickly peed and righted myself
before turning and stumbling around for a bit, quickly realizing I had
no idea which way was out. Great.
A hand came from behind and covered my mouth, smothering my
scream.
 Eight

Riley

“Just me, Ri.”

The elbow I'd poised, ready to slam into my attacker's ribs, froze,
along with the rest of me, at the sound of his hushed words.
“You know, the bottom of your ass has been hanging out of your
dress all night?” He murmured low into my ear, his voice gruff
enough to grind over every nerve ending in my body. His warm
breath floated over my neck and elicited a tingle that danced all the
way along my spine.
Gulping, I dragged air in through my nose, his hand still covering
my mouth. Mention of my ass drew my attention to the fact that, in
this position, mine pressed right into him. And just above that,
something of his pressed right into me. My eyes slammed shut.
Shit, this wasn't good.
Without warning, his free hand snaked around my midriff, his
hand splaying across the flat surface. My heart stopped dead in my
chest and my eyes swept downward as his fingers crept lower, inch
by inch, until they reached the hem of my dress. He kept them
there, playing with the material, tracing a finger underneath...
driving me insane. Neither of us spoke, our breaths the only audible
noise. Releasing my mouth, he trailed his other hand down the
column of my neck, moving down until his entire palm skimmed my
breast. My breath hitched and my heart took off like a skyrocket. I
opened my mouth to say something when I felt his lips at my ear.
“Don't.”
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