AllFreeNovel
Share Us
UNDER YOUR SKIN
BY KATE STACY
CHAPTER ONE
LEILA
The ticking of the clock on the wall seems to echo with every passing second as I lay in the darkness of my older brother’s spare bedroom.
Who in the hell has an analog clock in the bedroom, anyway?
If I’m going to be staying here, that damn thing has got to go. There’s no way I’ll ever be able to sleep with that incessant sound.
Unlike the quiet tick, tick filling the room, the rest of the house is silent.
Ryker disappeared into his room hours ago after showing me where I could sleep. The problem is that I can’t sleep. He may have had no trouble crashing after the long drive, but I can’t say the same for myself. The air in here is stifling and my chest feels heavy, like there’s a hundred-pound weight resting on it. I thought putting nearly two thousand miles between me and my life would make me feel better, but it wasn’t enough.
The desperate need to escape is still coursing through me.
Slipping out of bed, I tiptoe quietly across the hardwood floor with only the dim glow from the streetlight outside to guide me. I grab one of my hastily packed bags and rifle through it to find something to wear that isn’t an oversized hoodie and stained sweatpants. With my favorite pair of hip-hugging jeans and flowy top in hand, I sneak across the hall into the bathroom, dress quickly, and do what I can to tame the deep brown waves framing my face.
Out in the hallway, I listen for any sign of movement from Ryker. The house remains silent, so I duck back into the room, toss my dirty clothes on the bed, grab my phone and wallet, and head for the front door. I feel like a teenager all over again, trying to sneak out without being caught. I mean, technically, that is what I’m doing. I doubt Ryker would care if I go out—I’m an adult after all—but I don’t want to deal with the questions he’d probably ask considering I don’t know anyone in this town and it’s nearing midnight.
Sliding my feet into my Converse, I snag the spare key hanging on a hook by the door and slip out into the night. I can’t imagine there’s much to do around here, especially not this late. The streets are quiet in this sleepy little town. With no particular destination in mind, I wander down the sidewalk. There’s a slight chill in the air, but I embrace it, letting it sink into my skin.
Maybe this was all I needed to get out of my head.
A long walk and a little fresh air.
I spent the last two days cooped up in a car, traveling across the country with a brother I barely know. Not that it matters. Despite not having a close relationship, he didn’t hesitate to come running when I called. My life turned to hell and all it took was a phone call for him to come to my rescue.
Ryker has always been there for me, but the fourteen years and almost two thousand miles between us made a close relationship damn near impossible. I was still a child when our dad died, and our mom decided to move back to her hometown in Colorado to be near her family. Ryker chose not to go with us. He was legally an adult and had friends and a life he didn’t want to leave behind. I was mad at him for a long time, but as I grew up, I understood.
I understand now more than ever.
I had a life, too.
The difference is that I was happy to leave it all behind.
There’s nothing left for me in Boulder. Not when my life turned into something resembling a second-rate television drama. If I hadn’t lived it, I’d think it was the workings of some writer’s fucked up imagination.
Dropping out of college because it was making me miserable.
Discovering that my long-time boyfriend was cheating on me for most of our relationship.
Finding my stepfather in my best friend’s bed.
Having my mom call me a lying little bitch when I told her about his betrayal.
That one hurts the most if I’m being honest.
The hatred she spewed. The words that spilled from her lips. They hurt exponentially more than the slap to the face, or the strong hands of my stepfather when he got a hold of me later the same day. I’m used to the pain he enjoys inflicting, but I never expected it from my own mother.
She changed after my dad died, and not in a good way.
It only got worse after she married Michael. She became someone I didn’t recognize, and as the years passed our relationship became strained to the point where I couldn’t stand to be around her. Someone can only be pushed so far before they break. I guess we both reached our limit.
“At least I’ve got Ryker,” I mutter under my breath, turning a corner onto a different street.
