Chapter Three

Iclimb into the passenger side of the Dodge Charger. The scent of his red leather seats fills my senses. Kyson reaches to the backseat and grabs a plain black fitted cap and sticks it on my head backwards.

"Don't want your hair flying everywhere," he mutters and starts the car. Hard rock filters through the speakers as he backs down the driveway and onto the road. The car shoots forward, and I reach for my seat belt. I don't plan on dying today, and I get the idea he drives this car hard and fast.

He drives us to the boardwalk without making any conversation. The quiet is nice after the day I've had. The car shuts off, and I steal a glance his way. His knuckles are gripping the steering wheel in a way that has me wondering what his problem is. Brows drawn inward, lips tipped down, his gaze meets mine.

"Care if we take a walk first? My ex is here, and I don't want to deal with her basic bitch bullshit right now."

"Sure." I toss his ball cap into the backseat.

"Good." He exits the car and digs a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of the right pocket of his red and white letterman jacket. I fall in step next to him as he lights one up.

I want to comment on how bad cigarettes are, but he'd probably tell me I sound like an after school special, so I refrain. We're semi-getting along right now, and I don't want to ruin the moment. The breeze blowing in off the ocean is chilly, but for late September it's not unusual.

Kyson sucks in a hard drag off his Marlboro and stops to stare out at the ocean.

"When did you and the girlfriend breakup?"

"Last week."

"Is she holding a grudge or something?"

"Something like that. Brit says I'll regret it, but honestly… I wish I'd called it quits sooner."

"That's understandable. I broke up with Matt when I found out that I'd be moving here with Uncle John."

"Sorry about your dad, by the way."

I shrug. I get the sentiment, but I never understood that phrase. Sorry for your loss. Like, what do they have to be sorry for? They don't have anything to apologize for. "All that at school today…the wolf pack crap. What's that all about?"

"It's just bullshit. Survival of the fittest and all that."

"So that's not who you really are. It's a show for everyone else?"

"Stop analyzing me." He tosses the butt of his cigarette into the water.

I rub my hands up and down my arms.

"You're cold. Here." Kyson shrugs his jacket off and puts it over my shoulders.

"Thanks." I push my arms through the heavy sleeves. The scent of his cigarette and his cologne wraps around me, and I breathe him in, hating myself for the butterflies that are fluttering in the pit of my stomach at the intoxicating smell. Why are the jerks and bad boys always so damn irresistible? I can't ascertain what to make of Kyson. One second, he's rude and the next he can be incredibly sweet. I have whiplash and it hasn't been one day.

How will I survive a full school year?

"You like the arcade?"

"Duh. Who doesn't?"

"Most girls," he mutters, slinging an arm along my shoulders and guiding me toward the pier.

"You've been hanging with the wrong ones then."

That earns me a laugh and the first genuine smile I think Kyson has ever given me. Full and big, lips stretched wide.

Amusement twinkles in his eyes, briefly.

His mood goes from zero to sixty within seconds of entering the pizzeria slash arcade. Remy and Gauge are here accompanied by a chick with jet black hair and neon green tips. Her jaw drops when her gaze settles on Kyson's arm around my neck. Not to mention that I'm wearing his jacket. I feel that Kyson just painted a giant bullseye on my forehead. This girl looks ready to tear my head off. If her eyes weren't all squinty and her mouth held tight in a grimace, she might be pretty.

"Let me guess. That's your ex."

"Yup. Pay no mind to Britney. Ignore her. I plan to."

"Don't you want to hang out with your friends?"

"Cousin fucker," Remy says on a cough and Gauge and that emo looking girl bust out laughing.

"What friends?" He shakes his head. "Come on. Let's grab a table."

I clearly missed something, because not even an hour ago, they were part of his wolf pack. It doesn't matter. It's none of my business, and I realize if I ask, he'll only shut me down. "They do grasp the concept that we're not related, right?"

"Told you to ignore them."

"Okay then." I slide into the booth and Kyson sits across from me. I take off his jacket and try to give it back to him.

"Keep it."

"Look, if you're trying to use me to make that girl jealous…"

"I dumped her. And it's not that."

"Then what is this?"

"Can't I be nice to you without you questioning why?"

"No. When have you ever been nice to me except for the past, like, twenty minutes?"

"That's fair. I just." He pauses mid-sentence.

I glance up to see a woman with her notepad out, waiting for us to order.

I want to tell her to go away so Kyson will finish his sentence, but my manners won't allow me to be rude.

"Welcome to Monkey Mike's Pizza Paradise. My name is Jana, and I'll be your server this evening. Do you want the game lover's special?"

"Yeah. Sure," Kyson answers. "Just pepperoni. We'll take Pepsi to drink."

"Coming right up. I'll bring your drinks and your tokens so you can play while you wait."

"I forgot all about this place. Do they still have the stage with the animatronics?"

"Yeah, but most of them don't work, so they rarely turn them on. Why?"

"No reason."

He grins widely at me as he remembers. "That's right…we came here, and you were terrified. Didn't you cry and throw-up on the dancing monkey?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I lie, but the faint blush staining my cheeks gives me away. Those singing animals were scary. I don't care what anyone says. They were the stuff horror movies are made of.

The server brings our drinks and game tokens in two plastic cups. One for Kyson and one for me.

"What do you want to do first?" I take a sip of my soda and slide out of the booth, leaving his jacket in my seat.

I observe him scanning the crowd. Probably looking for his friends and his ex-girlfriend to avoid them. We end up at a claw machine. "Pick something." He flashes me his charming smile, his dimples fully on display.

My heart flutters in my chest, but I ignore the excitement that builds every time he looks at me, like his prey.

"Hmmm." I tap my chin, examining my prospects. "The panda bear with a pumpkin on his head is cute."

"It's as good as yours. I'll have you know around here they call me the claw master."

"And here I thought you were royalty." I grab his mouth and squish his lips. "I'm the king around here," I mock, and he rolls his eyes.

"I sound like a dick, huh?"

"Pretty much."

He grips the joystick and aims for my panda. It's a total miss. The claws don't even touch my bear. Several tokens later, I'm no closer to being the happy owner of a stuffed panda wearing a pumpkin on his head, but we're having fun. I crack jokes about his lack of experience and not being coordinated with his hands and eyes.

"You have no idea what these can do." He wiggles his right fingers and I try not to think about what he's implying.

"Move over and let me show her how a real man operates machinery." Remy shoves Kyson to the side.

"It's fine. I think our pizza is on our table." I grab Kyson's hand before he punches his so-called friend.

"Isn't that sweet? They're holding hands," Gauge starts in.

I go to drop Kyson's hand, but he squeezes mine harder. "Fuck off, Remy."

"Whatever, cousin fucker."

"You do realize that we aren't related. So, your insult is much like you. Insignificant."

"Whatever. This place blows." Remy kicks the claw machine and stomps off.

"You shouldn't have done that," Kyson says, tugging me back to our table.

"What? Stood up for myself?" I ask, scooting back into my seat.

"Challenged him. Dared him. Remy won't stop."

"Won't stop? Won't stop what exactly?"

"Pursuing you to get at me."

"But I'm no one important. You don't care about me. I mean, you don't even like me. You used to call me fat and make farm animal noises at me."

"Do you get why I did those things?"

"Because I needed to lose weight and bugged you or whatever."

"No." he pauses to get a slice of pizza. "You were the only person who never gave me my way and did whatever I said. I despised you for it but was oddly drawn to you for it and didn't understand how to handle my mixed emotions."

I have no idea what to say to him. It's open and honest. Raw even. Something I never expected from Kyson Allen.

"I mean, we were what, twelve back then?" Why am I making excuses for how crappy he was to me?

"I have no right to ask this but promise me you'll stay away from Remy. He'll only use you to hurt me. He's pissed at me for something and will do anything to get back at me."

With a weak smile, I grab a slice of the pizza. I'm not making any promises. The way that dude behaved today wasn't a great first impression, but I like to make my own judgment calls. I can pick my own friends.

"I'll be back. Need to hit the head."

"Sure." The moment he's gone, the girl with dark hair slides into his seat before I can even take a bite. Guess she was waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

"So, you're the new flavor of the week. Don't get too comfortable."

I drop my slice onto a plate as hunger pangs squeeze the muscles of my stomach. "I think there's been a misunderstanding. You're Britney, right?"

Her green eyes brighten glowing like those of a cat in the dark of night. "He mentioned me?"

Oh boy. She still has a thing for him.

"Err… he said he broke up with his girlfriend. Sorry, that's really all he said."

"Take my advice. Don't believe anything that comes out of his mouth. He'll do or say anything to get into your pants and then he'll drop you."

"Sounds like you know from experience."

"I dumped him."

"Then you shouldn't care that he's here with me," I point out.

Britney wraps her neon green painted fingernails that match the tips of her hair around Kyson's glass and slings the contents at me.

"Are you serious right now?" I gape at her, wondering what the heck I ever did to this girl. I've not even known her for five minutes. The liquid seeps into my clothing as I gather the ice cubes from my lap in a losing battle to prevent further damage.

A shadow falls over the table. Kyson drags his bottom lip between his teeth. The act has me going all warm and gooey in the center of my belly, despite being drenched in his drink. I smile big when I realize he's holding my panda bear. "Shouldn't you be sucking Remy's dick out by the dumpsters?"

"Screw you, Kyson."

"You wish." He pulls a clip of money from his back pocket and tosses a wad of bills on the table. Grabbing my nearly full glass, he dumps it straight over Britney's head, then slams the cup down on the table. "Let's go, lil' doll," he says, holding his free hand out to me.

"This isn't over." She seethes at us as I grab his jacket and dash toward the exit as he laughs.

"Dude, what the heck is her problem?" I ask once we are outside.

"She's bitter that I dumped her and jealous that I'm here with you."

"But we're not…" I don't get to finish my sentence. Kyson shoves me against the side of the restaurant and crashes his lips down on mine. Tasting of pure trouble, his tongue dives between the part of my lips.

He pulls back a fraction of an inch. "We're not what." He grins at me, and my belly flutters.

All coherent thought leaves me as his mouth assaults mine.

Delicious and violent, his tongue glides along mine.

Kissing him is wicked and wrong.

I shouldn't allow him to mess with my head like this and yet part of me aches for him to never stop.