Chapter 44

Shay-Lee

The party was at full blast when I pulled out my phone to check the time and see if Camilo had texted me back. We'd planned on meeting here, with him coming straight from the club, but so far, he was running late. Since his shifts often dragged on longer, I wasn't worried. He'd probably be here soon, so I pocketed my phone and grabbed a drink from the table.

Looking around, everyone seemed to be having fun. How weird was it that in two weeks, all of this would be over. Beverly Bay High had been a part of me for four long years, and soon, it would be just another passing phase. Going to BH had always been a wild ride, but nothing had prepared me for my senior year. So much shit had happened in the last few months, and all thanks to those four new kids who came out of nowhere, with my bad boy in the center.

Chuckling, I brought the cup to my lips and finished my beer in one go while thinking back to the first party of the year, where Camilo and I fought after he slept with Chloe and her friend.

Sounds of laughter caught my attention, and I checked to see where it was coming from. On the other side of the pool, gathered around the decking, were Andrei, Miles, Jessie, and Levi. They all seemed deep into a conversation that got them all laughing, and looking at them made me ache for Camilo. He shouldn't have had to lose his family over me, and that was why I'd insisted on coming to this party tonight. Knowing they'd be here, because that group never seemed to skip a party, I hoped it would give Camilo a chance to talk with Andrei. They were still not speaking, but they'd get over it. I had no doubt. Even if he said otherwise, I knew Camilo loved Andrei and saw him as a brother.

I smiled when Jessie stumbled back and spilled his drink all over himself as the others laughed at him. They were definitely the good guys, and I was ashamed of the shit I'd caused them.

A sudden pause of voices followed by whispering snapped me away from their group, and my heart stopped in my chest when I turned to look at what had grabbed everyone's attention.

There, in the middle of the crowd, stood another mistake of my past, looking back at me with those lovestruck eyes that often made me wonder what the fuck he saw in me.

He looked good. In fact, Jordan looked even better than I remembered with his broad shoulders, nice muscles, and a face that should be put up on billboards. The only thing that was out of place was the crutch he used to help him walk.

He's walking.

Swallowing hard, I shook my head to make sure I wasn't imagining things, and I wasn't. Jordan was actually here, standing, breathing, and walking.

And while our teammates were already onto him, greeting him back, I remained frozen in place, watching him engage in the conversation until his eyes shot to mine again. The second our stare locked and I saw he still looked at me the same way he had months ago, I realized this was bad.

This is really fucking bad.

Without lingering a moment, I turned around and walked back inside the house in search of something much stronger than beer. Grabbing a bottle of bourbon, I took it with me and sneaked into a room on the second floor, closing the door behind me. After sitting on the bed, I broke the seal, twisted the cap, and brought the tip to my lips. Swinging my head back, I downed three long chugs that burned down my throat before stopping to take a breath and doing it again. Cleaning my mouth with the back of my hand, I squeezed my eyes shut as my brain grew fuzzy and my cheeks flamed hot. I was ready to down the bottle when the door to the room opened and then closed.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw Jordan standing in the doorway.

"Why are you here?" I asked, my voice still hoarse from the burning of the bourbon.

"And here I thought you'd be happy to see me," Jordan answered, a faint smile on his full lips.

"Why are you here?" I asked again, quickly rising to my wobbly legs.

Jordan stopped himself from taking another step and leaned his weight against the crutch. "I wanted to graduate with the rest of you."

"Is that really the reason?"

He chuckled, his gorgeous eyes gleaming with adoration I hated. "Of course not. I missed you, Shay-Lee."

Always so sweet. So forgiving.

Biting my lip, I shook my head. "You need to forget me and move on."

"Forget you?" His eyebrows rose, and he looked amused. "You know that's impossible."

Jordan limped toward me, still wearing a knee immobilizer on his left leg.

So he isn't fully healed yet.

I needed to keep a good distance between us, so I walked backward until I hit the wall behind me.

"Jordan." He was too close as he placed his hand on my waist. With only a few inches between us, I noticed the long scar that stretched along the left side of his face, going from his jaw and all the way up to his brow.

"I missed you so much, baby," he whispered, tilting even closer so each of his breaths danced over my skin. "So much it drove me insane."

He gripped my waist a bit harder, and I had to put my hand on his chest, only to keep some safe distance between us.

"Didn't you miss me, too?" He placed his hand on my arm and slowly slid it up until he reached my fingers, covering my hand with his. He pressed my palm harder against his chest, right where his heart was. His body was hot, and I felt his pulse beating fast underneath my touch.

Looking down, I shook my head. "Jordan, I can't—"

"Of course you can, baby." He smiled, then touched my jaw, softly caressing my skin.

It felt wrong, the same as hearing him call me baby, but I didn't have it in me to push him away. My body was awash with so much guilt that it kept me frozen as he slowly got closer and closer until his lips brushed against my cheek.

"I feel like I'm dreaming," he whispered, kissing the side of my lips. "Four months I couldn't stop thinking about you, and now, you're finally here, right in front of me." His voice was so warm, his words so kind.

It made me feel sick to my stomach.

What did I do to him that he still couldn't see how poisonous I was? To understand that it was because of me that he needed those crutches?

He was about to kiss me again, for real this time, so I turned my head away.

"We can't."

"Sure we can." He held my jaw harder and turned me to face him.

"You don't understand."

"What's there to understand?" He kept me close, his lips an inch from mine.

"I'm with someone." I said the words in one breath, half-guilty, half-afraid of his reaction.

Jordan's body tensed, and his expression hardened, but before he said anything, the door to the room opened.

"Can't you see we're busy?" Keeping his eyes on me, he yelled at whoever walked in. Thankfully, his body was shielding me from the door. The last thing I needed was some stranger to find me almost kissing a guy at a party.

The door closed, and I assumed the person had walked out, but then we heard loud footsteps.

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Jordan snapped, turning around to face Camilo.

Oh, shit.

With wide eyes, I pushed Jordan aside, only to face my man's murderous stare.

Ever fuck somebody else, and I'll kill you both.

Camilo hadn't been joking when he'd said those words.

"It's not what you think," I said quickly, moving away from Jordan.

"It'd better not be," Camilo hissed, charging forward and stopping when I didn't let him through.

"What the hell happened to you?" I asked, completely forgetting Jordan as soon as I saw the bruises on his face. Suddenly, I couldn't care less about Jordan, and all I wanted was to know how he ended up with a black eye and busted lip. But Camilo didn't seem to care as he kept his dark eyes pinned on Jordan like a hound with a target.

Jordan probably got the wrong idea because instead of staying back as he should have, he grabbed my arm and tried to pull me away from Camilo.

"Shay-Lee, stand behind me," he told me while keeping his eyes on the so-called threat.

"What the fuck did you say to him?" Camilo growled.

"I told him to stay the hell away from you," Jordan spat.

Yanking me away from Jordan's reach, Camilo was a second away from punching him when I grabbed his arm and brought him close to me.

"Nothing happened," I whispered while caressing his cheeks. "I swear to God, nothing happened."

Camilo's whole body was shaking with rage, and I knew he was fighting his demons to keep his composure with the way his eyes kept jumping back to Jordan. Knowing I was the one who brought him to this point broke me. But I didn't have time for self-pity, so I pushed aside my guilt and focused on him. "Camilo, I swear nothing happened."

After what felt like forever, he finally closed his eyes and leaned into me, pressing his forehead to mine while taking a deep breath.

Good. Just keep on breathing.

"Him?" Jordan hissed, the word sounding like a swear word that quickly burst our bubble.

"Is this a fucking joke?" Jordan sounded so hurt that it sent me back to the day I left him at the hospital.

In no way was this how I wanted him to find out about Camilo and me, but I'd never expected to see him again.

"Jordan—"

"Have you lost your freaking mind?" he cut into my words.

Making sure Camilo stayed behind me, I stepped toward Jordan.

"You said you don't do relationships." His whole face twisted with each word he'd said. "Or was it just me you couldn't be with?"

Shaking my head, I swallowed hard and looked down at the floor. "I didn't plan for this to happen—"

"Why him? Out of all the people in the world, why him? He's sick in the head, Shay-Lee." Taking a deep breath, he paused for a second. "Is that what you think you deserve? Someone who hates you?"

I glanced away from Jordan's furious face and up at Camilo, who'd said nothing while keeping his eyes pinned to the ground. I knew I'd fucked up. I'd fucked up big-time, but there was no questioning my love for Camilo.

"When did this start? Did you fuck us at the same time? Is that why you got rid of me? So you'd have more time for that monster?"

So much hate oozed from his mouth, hate that was the direct result of my crimes. I should've never involved him. I should've kept his pure heart out of harm's way.

"Of course not. Jordan, listen to me—" Before I could finish my words, he started to walk away, bumping my shoulder on his way out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

Knowing how badly I'd hurt him, I wanted to follow him only so I could explain and let him know that things between Camilo and me hadn't started until after he was in New York. I reached to open the door when Camilo slammed it shut and pushed me face-first against it.

"You have two options," he whispered in my ear, voice low. "Either I fuck you right now against this door." He bucked his hips forward, rubbing his erection against my ass. "Or I go out there and beat the shit out of him, and I won't stop with one broken leg."

"Camilo—"

He shut me up by bucking against me harder.

"What choice is it, then?"

The choice was easy.

I quickly unzipped myself, then pushed my pants and underwear down to my mid-thighs.

"There isn't even a choice," I said, sticking my bare ass out while looking at him over my shoulder.

My willingness didn't seem to console Camilo as he flicked the lock and pushed my head against the hardwood. Once I stepped out of my clothes, he kicked my legs wider apart.

I bit my lip, arched my back, and waited with bated breath for what he planned to do next.

"Spread that ass for me," he ordered, and I did.

I spread myself wide for him. A moment later, he shoved two fingers into my mouth, making me gag. He pressed hard on my tongue and pushed them in, collecting as much saliva as he could before taking them out and using the same fingers to push inside my hole.

"Shit," I hissed at the sharp yet wanted intrusion. I groaned with pleasure as he thrust his fingers in and out of me, nearly reaching my prostate with each push.

"Always so wet and ready for a fuck," he rasped in my ear, pulling his fingers out and spitting into his hand, then adding a third finger to stretch me wider. "What a dirty little slut."

"Fuck yeah, I'm your slut," I moaned and was quickly pulled back against him, only so he could take my mouth in a heated kiss. Not taking his fingers out, he assaulted my mouth with his tongue, pushing it in and sucking on mine. He had a slit on his lips, so I darted my tongue to lick the fresh wound, groaning at the metallic taste of his blood. Camilo held my jaw and angled my face to have better access and kissed me until I grew weak in the knees. Heat rose in the pit of my stomach, and my body ached to have more of him. So much more.

As if sensing my need, Camilo pulled his fingers out. Spreading my cheeks, he spat directly on my hungry hole a second before he rubbed his bare tip against it.

"Fuck yes," he growled as he pushed in at once, shoving his dick until his balls smacked against my ass.

Unable to control myself, I cried out loud, and in response, Camilo covered my mouth with his palm.

"You want people to hear you so desperately, don't you?" he rasped after shoving my head against the door again.

Sounds of laughter came from outside, and the idea that the only partition between them and us was a mere door made my cock jerk up and my ass clench around him.

A wild laugh escaped Camilo as he held his hand harder around my mouth, followed by another thrust of his hips. "You're such a pervert. But if you want to get caught taking my cock like a two-dollar slut, that can be arranged."

He moved his free hand to the door handle, and I panicked. I wanted to protest, to scream no, but his hand kept my mouth from making a sound, so I desperately shook my head. Knowing he was bluffing didn't stop my body from reacting the way it did, as waves of arousal kept taking over, causing my cock to leak with precum.

"Fuck, you're squeezing me so hard," he hissed between pants. "My dirty little skank just loves the idea of getting caught."

He was being so mean tonight, and that made me fucking wet. With each of his slurs, my cock grew harder until it throbbed and pulsed between my thighs. Grabbing myself, I began stroking my aching dick in the same rhythm he was fucking into me.

With his hand still blocking my mouth, I breathed through my nose while tears of pleasure wetted my eyes. My cheeks burned as they rolled down my face, turning me into a hot mess. Suddenly, the room began to spin, and I would have flopped to the floor if not for Camilo grabbing me.

Placing his hand on my stomach, he waited as I took a moment to catch my breath.

"S-shit, I think it's the booze," I said, still feeling a bit dizzy but not nearly enough for it to stop me. "You don't need to stop." But Camilo had already pulled me up, turned my body around, and lifted me in his arms.

"Who said I'm about to?" With his hands hooked underneath my knees, he shoved my back against the door as he plunged back inside so quickly that I lost all the air in my lungs with a long gasp.

"Fuck!" I cried, sending my head back and wrapping my arms around his broad shoulders.

So far, we'd never done it in this position, and I wondered why because it felt un-fucking-real. Holding me up in the air, with my legs wrapped around his waist, Camilo fucked into me so deep it felt as if he'd split me in half. There was nothing I could do other than cry out my lungs, not giving a shit if I'd be heard, as he worked my ass open while filling me to the brim.

My muscles burned, my body ached, and my head pounded. My need to come was unbearable, and I'd lose my mind if it didn't happen soon.

Leaning into me, he took over my mouth and rolled our tongues together.

"Who do you belong to?" he asked after breaking the kiss.

"You," I cried.

"And who owns you?"

Fuck, I was losing my mind.

"Who owns you?" he repeated, tightening his grip around me so it was painful.

"You. Only you. Always you."

Biting his lip and closing his eyes, Camilo's body tensed, and his cock throbbed a second before he shot his load inside my abused hole. His dick pulsed, pumping me full with his hot release until he pulled out and let me down. It was hard to stand, and as I tried to get a grip on what was happening, he had already dropped to his knees before me and taken my painfully hard cock into his mouth. I cried, my eyes rolling into the back of my head as he sucked me whole. Every nerve in my body felt raw and exposed. My orgasm was almost too much to bear as I exploded down his throat and watched with amazement as he drank it all, not letting a drop go to waste. And when I thought it was over, he proved me wrong once again as he rose to his feet and kissed me.

"See how good I make you taste?" he said as I tasted myself on his lips and held me closer.

Moaning, I hummed a low yes.

"So be a good kitten, and remember that. Because next time you're about to go out running after some nobody, I won't be this kind."

Leaning into him, I moved my hands over his head, tangling my fingers through his short hair while nodding.

"I won't."

"Good."

He removed his hands from me and took a step back as I looked around the room.

"I need to find a shower," I said while picking my clothes up from the floor.

"What for?" Camilo asked, tucking himself back in his pants.

I snorted. "Do you know how uncomfortable it is to walk around with my ass full of cum?"

Grabbing my waist, he pulled me close and slapped my ass. "Ain't that the point of me coming inside?"

I shoved him away. "Fuck off."

He laughed. "Seriously. What other reason is there, then? It's not like I can get you pregnant." Scratching his jaw, he paused. "I mean, the least I can do is try, right?"

Putting my pants back on, I tried to ignore that last comment because it made me feel hot and disturbed at the same time. "You're an asshole," I said and zipped myself up. "An absolute asshole."

Glancing back at him, my eyes once again pinned on his bruises. "Are you going to tell me what happened to your face?"

Shrugging, he threw his arm around my shoulder. "Nothing important."

"Camilo."

"What?"

"Who did you fight with?"

"Doesn't matter."

Annoyed with his answer, I pushed away from him and moved toward the door. "If you don't want to tell, fine, but then don't be surprised when you find me talking with other guys."

Shit, I shouldn't have said that, and I regretted my words as soon as I'd uttered them. It had just been a reaction to him keeping secrets from me.

"What did you say?" He grabbed my arm and stepped close until we stood face-to-face. He looked furious, even more so than when he walked into the room to find me with Jordan.

Feeling ashamed for going this low, I averted my gaze to the floor.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"But you did anyway." Dropping my arm, he turned around and began walking away when I snapped.

"I said I'm sorry."

"Fuck off," he grunted, then pulled his smokes from his pocket.

I hated it when he dismissed me so casually.

Pressing my lips together, I clenched my fists and took three steps toward him.

"You know what? Fuck you, Camilo," I spat out while pushing him.

He didn't lose his balance while I nearly fell. I would've if he hadn't caught me in time. Angry that I was a complete idiot compared to him, I shoved his chest.

"All this time, you're being this jealous prick over nothing while you still work at the club. God only knows what you do there, and when I ask you a simple question like why your face is fucked-up, you ignore me. So fuck you, and fuck your double standards."

"You're a clown," he snorted, and that was it.

Lifting my hand in the air, I was about to slap him when he grabbed my wrist and stopped me, then walked me three steps back.

"Calm the fuck down," he warned, his jaw tensed.

"Why? Don't like it when I speak back?" I huffed. "At least Jordan did whatever I asked of him."

His eyes widened, and the vein in the side of his neck appeared. The rage steaming in his eyes matched my own; the only difference was that he had every right to be angry at me while I didn't. Not really. I wanted him to tell me what had happened to him, and when he didn't, I felt it was unfair and reacted like an entitled asshole.

"Your dad visited me," he said, his voice cold. "That's what happened."

Releasing my wrist, he went back to where he dropped his smokes and picked them up.

"M-My dad visited you?" I tried reaching for him, but now it was his turn to push me away.

"While you were here partying with Jordan, I got my ass kicked by your dad, and why? Because of you, you ungrateful little shit." He lit the cigarette between his lips and took the first hit. Blowing the smoke out, he ground his jaw. "I think about you every second throughout the day. Every fucking second, Shay-Lee. You don't leave my mind even for a moment." He let out a broken laugh, pressing the base of his palm against his forehead. "I swear to God you broke me. You fucking broke me because you're all I can think about, and then you tell me crap like you just did." He turned to face me, and our eyes met, his disappointment filling me with shame. "How the fuck can you say something like that? Don't you get it hurts?" He pointed at his heart, causing my own to break a bit more.

"I-I'm sorry," I said hoarsely because my throat was sore with the tears I tried to hold back. "I didn't mean to." Sounding like the spoiled brat I was didn't stop the tears from rolling down my face. Maybe it was the booze that still affected me or my fear of losing his affection, but I couldn't stop myself from wiping my face and sniffing my nose like some toddler.

No matter how much I tried to change and be better, I still remained a piece of shit who said things to hurt and spite.

Hurt who? The man I loved? The man I'd give my fucking life for? Like a complete moron, I tried to sabotage the one good thing in my life.

"I'm sorry, Camilo—" My voice broke.

Letting out a deep groan, he crossed the room and hugged me. He was still angry. I felt it thrum through his body, but he held me nonetheless.

"Just… go easy on me, will you?" he asked, kissing the top of my head, then taking another blow from his smoke.

With my face shoved in his chest, I nodded, smearing my snot all over his shirt.

It took me about fifteen more minutes to calm down, and then we snuck out of the room, hoping nobody noticed us. Tired of everything that went on tonight, we decided to skip the rest of the party and go back to our home. Tonight played out completely differently from what I'd first planned, but I was sure there would be more opportunities for Camilo and Andrei to speak.

"What did my father tell you?" I asked Camilo once we were safely inside our apartment.

Rubbing my arms, he gave me a soft smile that showed how tired he was. "How about we take a shower and then talk?"

Closing my eyes, I leaned into him and nodded.

Showering together had become a habit over the past few weeks—the best type of habit. We often joked under the running water, kissed, fucked, and sometimes just kept quiet and washed each other. I'd never allowed anyone to take care of me, not until Camilo. With him? I was willing to let him lead the way until the day we die.

"I'm going to bring us clean towels," he said, then quickly left and returned with a new, fluffy set.

He started drying me off, like he often did, when the sound of his phone ringing came from the other room.

"Who's calling you now?" I asked since it was around 1:00 a.m.

"Who cares." He was about to dry my hair when his phone rang again. "Oh, for fuck's sake," he grunted under his breath, put down the towel, and left the steamy bathroom.

Following him out, I watched as he picked up the phone, already keen for him to end the call just so we could jump into the bed.

If only I knew that this call was about to change everything.