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CHAPTERSIX
KYLER
It was12:28 a.m. when Ian pulled his truck into my driveway, and my heart dropped to the floor at the knowledge that the evening was over. I had no idea how he’d done it, but he’d managed to turn tonight from a horror show into one of the best nights of my life. And his smile when I’d agreed to be his girlfriend…it could have lit up a football stadium.
He took the key out of the ignition, got out, and walked around to my side, opening my door for me. As I hopped down from the seat, my ankle wobbled on the wedge heel, and Ian caught me by my waist, trying to steady me.
My whole body stiffened as the alarm bells in my head started going off, and no matter how much I tried to silence them, they kept blaring so loudly that I couldn’t think straight.
Would this ever stop? Would I ever be able to let him touch me without my brain firing off warning signals like a smoke alarm when something was burning in the oven? Would I ever be able to trust him – or myself – enough to let my guard down?
Or would he end up deciding that being with me was too much work and run screaming in the other direction before I got to that point?
“Ky?” he asked quietly. “You okay?”
I shook my head, trying to get the unwelcome thoughts and feelings out of my head, then looked at him.
“Yeah. I’m fine,” I said quickly.
“You sure? It’s okay if you’re not. Or if you’ve changed your mind,” he said softly. “You can tell me.”
Maybe I should have just told him this wasn’t a good idea. Taken it all back and told him I couldn’t date him. But I couldn’t do it. He was the first guy that I’d felt safe with in the two years since my assault, and I couldn’t ignore that.
Unfortunately, while my heart knew that, it seemed like my brain hadn’t gotten the memo yet. And I wasn’t sure it ever would.
“I’m not changing my mind,” I murmured. “But I just…it’s complicated.”
Instead of saying anything, he just put a hand under my chin and brushed his lips against mine in a feather-light kiss that I felt all the way down to my toes. It wasn’t like I had much experience in the kissing department, but even I could tell that he was an amazing kisser.
Gently tugging my bottom lip into his mouth, he sucked on it softly for a second before releasing it and tracing the curve of it with his tongue. Tentatively, I opened for him, letting my tongue slip out to meet his, and the quiet moan that rose in his throat as he wrapped his arms around me made me melt.
Was this for real? Washefor real?
Or was this some sick and twisted game he was playing with his teammates?
I didn’t want to let myself think that. It didn’t seem like he was playing games. I mean, he’d stood up for me tonight. And he’d actually gotten meawayfrom the dance when Max started in on me. Not to mention all the times he’d stood up for me before we even started getting to know each other.
The only thing I knew for sure was that Ian Thomason was turning my world upside-down, and I wasn’t entirely sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing yet.
“I can handle complicated,” he whispered against my lips, then pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes. “And I mean it. You’re in the driver’s seat. I’m just happy to be along for the ride.”
I cracked a small smile, but before I could say or do anything else, my mother’s voice shattered the peaceful bubble we’d been wrapped up in.
“Kyler! Get your ass into this housenow! It’s past twelve-thirty! The night’s over!” she snarled from the doorstep.
Why? Why couldn’t she let me have thisonenight without being an overbearing witch? A lump rose in my throat, but I forced myself to swallow it down and took a shaky breath. Crying would just make it worse.
“It’s okay, baby,” Ian said quietly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Cupping the back of my head in his hand, he pressed a kiss to my forehead, then walked back around the front of the truck and got into the driver’s seat. As the engine rumbled to life, I took tentative steps toward the doorway, where my mother was standing with a scowl on her face.
“Are you too stupid to tell time?” she growled as she slammed the door behind me. “Or did youdeliberatelydisobey my instructions?”
Why did she have to ruin every good thing in my life?
“We were home on time, Mom,” I said, sniffling quietly. “Ian was just kissing me goodnight.”
“You were supposed to bein this doorby twelve-thirty!” she yelled. “Look at the fucking clock, Kyler! What does it say?!”
