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The connection was broken, and his hand left mine when Summer ran up, smothering me in a huge hug. I settled into her warmth and breathed in the smell of my one and only friend at that time in my life. Her soft, sweet scent and innocence always tamed the crazy world I lived in and the chaos that surrounded me.
“Omg, you’re here!” she shouted as if she had just won the lottery. Which it looked as if they already had. But her excitement made me feel even better.
That was short-lived when a couple walked in and made me feel like I was nothing more than a glob of poop on the bottom of their shoe that they had just trampled into their glorious home.
“And what do we have here?” the woman asked, as she approached. Notwho, butwhat, that was status in her world. She looked me up and down with disgust, while the man beside her wore the same expression, and I thought it was time to run, but Summer quickly chimed in.
“Thurston, Jacqueline, this is my best friend, Alley,” she announced.
I may not have called my parent’s mom and dad, because they were not even close to earning that position, but it flabbergasted me to know that Summer didn’t either and we had something else in common. Although, I had a feeling that the two people standing in front of me had told her not to do so, and that was simply wrong.
Before her parents could speak, Summer was grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the spiral staircase as she shouted, “We are going to my room to hang out!”
This was met by a response from her mother. “Don’t get anything dirty up there. It is also extremely late, and you don’t need anyone staying over,” she said, in a clipped tone. And that’s when my suspicions of how they felt about me were confirmed. I must have looked awful to them and their disapproval of my existence in their daughter’s life had been well noted.
But then I was pulled from the dreadful thoughts swimming in my head by the sound of that voice that sent chills and comfort to my battered soul.
“Let them be for Christ's sake,” Landon said, his tone irritated and stern, so completely different from minutes before. Then he yelled as we were halfway up the stairs, “Nice to meet you, Alley!” And once again, with my name floating from his lips, his dreamy voice was back.
Two things happened right then.
One, I knew without a doubt that no matter how much Summer’s parents hated me, I would not quit fighting to be part of her life. She was one of the best people I knew.
Two, I also knew that she’d just brought Landon into mine. Someone who had everything, and yet behind his bright, baby blue eyes, there was something that told me that he was lost, sad, and needed comfort too.
It may be forbidden, but his soul spoke to mine, and I would stop at nothing to be part of his world too.
ChapterOne
ALLEY
I was goingto kill him.
Who did he think he was busting in on my conversation with my girls and having a conniption fit? I hadn’t meant to let it slip that someone may have been harassing me, I merely had been trying to make sure Summer knew that some asshole wasn’t allowed to hurt or intimidate her, and they certainly wouldn’t me either.
Insinuating that some prick may have been causing me issues, had everyone in an uproar and worried about me. I didn’t want the attention on me when we were all here to celebrate Summer and Gyth’s engagement. However, the real issue was, while I didn't want anyone focusing on me, there was one person I wanted that from even less than everyone else.
No such luck because he’d overheard my comment when I told Summer I wasn’t going to let someone harass her or me and get away with it. That was when Landon busted in and decided he had some right to manhandle me, when calling me by an endearment that I’d once loved, but now caused nothing but heartache, before throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me off.
And the man had a lot of nerve and some bigcojonesto go spanking me as he had, losing the right to touch me a long time ago. And as I said moments before, he’d also lost the right to call meMi Tesoro.If I was his treasure things wouldn’t have gone down the way they did so many years ago.
“You didn’t just do that!” I screamed.
“I did, and I will do it again, so stop your damn wiggling woman, and be quiet.” His hand slammed down on my denim-covered, left butt cheek with a hearty smack. It didn’t hurt per se, but it left a sting.
Be quiet? Did the dumbass really just say that to me?
“Landon, I am warning you, don’t spank me again, and put me down. Right freaking now!” I was spitting mad and surprised there wasn’t fire shooting from my mouth as I yelled. If there was, it could have burned his ass at least, since my face was planted right behind it. That would’ve been a bonus.
But as anger rolled through me, so did something else... desire. The feel of his hand, the print it had probably left on my backside, was all too familiar, and I was confused. And I couldn’t be confused, couldn’t afford to let my guard down, and I sure as shit couldn’t let Landon worm his way into my heart again.
But had he ever really left it?
I knew the answer, but I pushed it deep down once again. Whoever said the truth would set you free, didn’t know what they were talking about, because the truth had the power to break me to pieces. I still didn’t have myself put back together from the first time that had happened.
Lost in thought, I realized that Landon hadn’t done what I’d asked, he just kept walking with me thrown over his shoulder. I took in our exit from the party, upside down, all the blood rushing to my head, as my vision spun with images of times just like this when he had me in this exact position. A time when I had liked it all too much, the anticipation of what was to come, something I craved. I worked to push those thoughts aside as well and hold on to my temper.
I wasn’t his to protect. In fact, I wasn’t his at all. Yet he was acting like a caveman, hauling me off as if he owned me.
