The dirt spun beneath Kylee’s feet, and she swallowed hard to keep from puking. She closed her eyes, but even her head spun.
A dog barked, but it seemed far away, remote. A hand closed on her shoulder, and the world came to a sudden stop. Kylee’s body jerked forward. She lifted her head, still dizzy from the rotating.
“Kylee?” Price squatted in front of her, his brows knitted in concern. One hand held Sisko’s leash, restraining the animal as he whined and bucked against Price’s hold.
She shifted in the dirt, disoriented from the spin cycle. “When did you get home?” she asked, taking in the swollen lip and his puffy, purple left eye.
“Two hours ago. What are you doing in the dirt?” His grip tightened as the dog grunted and tried to back away.
Kylee pushed off the ground, holding one hand out until she regained her balance. “You got home two hours ago?” How had she not noticed the car? “Why are you home early?”
“I’m not.” He cocked his head, peering at her in that way again. “What makes you think it’s early?”
“It was just lunchtime.” She blinked up at the sky, noting how the sun had moved down the horizon.
“You must’ve lost track of time.”
“No. . . .” She pressed a hand to her head. Had she dreamed the whole world-spinning thing? “Maybe I fell asleep. Your eye, Price.”
He grinned, the skin pinching up on his face. “Awesome, huh? Everyone asked about it at school.”
“What did you tell them?”
“My girlfriend’s dad caught me in her room.”
Kylee laughed out loud, stunned and tickled by the response. “Mostly true, right?”
“Yeah. He’s practically your dad.”
And am I practically your girlfriend? She refrained from asking the question. She liked the easiness between them, the familiarity. “I’m so sorry. Does it hurt?” She reached out and touched the puffy skin.
“Pretty much. But it was fun, too. Being threatened, getting my dad involved.”
“I know, right?” Kylee shifted and dropped her eyes. “About last night—what you said—”
“We don’t have to talk about it,” he interrupted. “I said it. You know it, I know it, that’s all that matters.”
She lifted her face. “Okay.”
Price studied her, backing up a bit as Sisko yanked harder. “Has Bill ever hit you?”
Kylee bit her lip. She didn’t want him to see her as a victim, or someone weak who couldn’t defend herself. But she didn’t want to keep things from him anymore, either. “Yes.”
“Salaud.” Price sucked in a breath. “I knew it.”
Darkness lingered on the edge of her vision, sending forth jagged fingers of tingling ice. She shivered and hugged herself. “I don’t want to talk about that.”
Sisko continued to pull Price toward their house, and Kylee followed, trailing behind him.
“Why’s your ring glowing like that?” Price asked, his eyes on her hand. He yanked Sisko to a stop by the mailbox.
She twisted the ring, the electric blue warmth radiating against her skin. “It just does sometimes.”
He took her hand, holding the ring up to the sun. “Weird.”
“I like it,” she said, though she wasn’t sure of that.
“Really?” He dropped her hand, still staring at the ring.
“Yeah.” Kylee shoved her hand in her pocket.
Sisko jerked Price’s arm, and he let the dog go. Kylee watched the animal as he trotted through the yard, sniffing at tree trunks and chasing butterflies, happy to be free.
“How’s your bike?” she asked. “Taken it out yet?”
“Yeah. Half an hour ago.”
“Wow, I . . . must’ve been sleeping.”
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“Definitely out of it. I didn’t see you in your yard, or I would’ve come over.”
She shrugged. “Tell me when you go out again. I want to see you ride.”
“I could take you for a ride, if you want.” His cheeks reddened, and he cleared his throat. “Listen, my dad’s taking Lisa to the movies tonight. I thought maybe you could come over for dinner and we could watch something. A little Tolkien, maybe?”
“Movies on a Wednesday?” she said, arching an eyebrow.
“It’s Friday, Kylee,” he said, cocking his head at her.
That made no sense. “We just went to the beach four days ago.”
“No,” he said very slowly, “it was almost a week ago.”
“But yesterday was Tuesday,” she said, quite certain of it.
“It was Thursday. You didn’t talk to me for two days, remember? You were mad at me.”
She struggled for a moment. That wasn’t possible. But what reason did he have to lie to her? And then what had happened to the other days? She swallowed back her uncertainty. “What’s Tolkien?”
He groaned. “That question does not deserve an answer.”
“Well, if I can’t find anything else to do. . . .”
“That’s the spirit. I’m always here as a last resort.”
“You’re never a last resort.” She hadn’t meant to say the words out loud.
“Then I’ll see you at dinner.” His intense brown eyes bored into hers, no longer asking but demanding.
“Yes,” Kylee answered. There was no other response. She knew she’d be over to his house the moment Mr. Hudson and Lisa backed down the driveway in the fancy black car.
“Good.” Price leaned toward her and brushed his lips against her forehead. They lingered there for a moment, and then he pulled away and opened the mailbox. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
Bill came home an hour later. Kylee crept out of her room and hovered in the hallway, half-fearing, half-hoping he would talk to her. He didn’t so much as glance at her. Just made his way to the fridge, grabbed a beer, and slunk down to the living room. Her mom sat down at the table with a cup of coffee.
Well, it could be worse. They’d be fine without her. She watched the BMW back down the long driveway and reach the road, then disappear from view.
As soon as it was gone, she yanked the window up and hopped outside. Price greeted her at his front door.
“Hi,” he said, and then he squeezed her into a hug as if he’d been looking forward to that moment all day. He pulled back without releasing her and bumped her forehead with his. “You always smell so good.”
“Like dirt and chickens?” she joked.
He pulled her hair out of its ponytail, then pivoted her elbow joint toward him. “It’s not here anymore. Where you cut yourself Tuesday.”
“Sure, it is.” She yanked her arm back, disturbed by the direction the conversation was going. “It’s just scabbed over.” She pressed her other hand over the wound to prevent further inspection.
“Whatever.” Price shrugged it off and led the way to the kitchen. “Dad left me a pizza. You like pizza?”
“I like anything that’s not chicken and potatoes.” She stood behind a chair at the counter-height table and looked around the kitchen. The countertops were some kind of hard stone. One was set out in the middle of the floor and had four burners on top. Dark cherry-colored cabinets lined the walls. “I like your kitchen.”
“It’s fine.” Price set a pizza on the counter and used a rolling knife to slice it up. “I liked our old one more. It was never this clean, though.”
“Oh? Why’s that?” She accepted the plate of pizza he offered her.
“My mom was always cooking.” He headed out of the kitchen, motioning for her to follow. “We spent Saturday morning cleaning before we got to do anything fun.”
Kylee followed him into the living room. A flat-screen TV stuck to the wall, shining an electric blue that reminded her of her ring. Which, come to think of it, was warming her finger. Price sat down on a leather couch, popping it out so his feet were upright.
“Come and sit,” he said, patting the spot beside him.
“This is nice.” Kylee approached with her plate in her hands but couldn’t bring herself to sit down. Somehow she felt like she’d ruin it or something.
He picked up the remote control. “The movie is prepped and ready to go. You ready for this? We can always just watch TV. Lots of dumb shows on.” He looked up at her. “Are you going to sit down?”
“Um, yes.” She plopped on the couch, her body sinking into the cushions. Her skin prickled with unease. She didn’t feel like she belonged in this clean, modern home.
Price studied her. “I’ll put on a TV show.” He clicked the remote, and color picture filled the television, much clearer than what showed up on the small box screen at her house. He settled back and bit into his pizza, the gooey cheese peeling away in melted strings.
Kylee didn’t touch her slice. Price clicked mute on the television and turned to face her. “What’s wrong?”
She forced a smile. “Nothing.”
He sat up straighter, a flicker of doubt creeping into his eyes. “Are you uncomfortable here? Is it me?”
She shook her head. “No! No, it’s not you. I just—I don’t feel like I belong here. Anywhere.”
He brushed her cheek with the back of his finger, leaving a trail of liquid heat from her cheekbone to her lip. “You belong with me.” He turned her to face him and pressed a kiss to her mouth. “You’re here with me.”
She focused on the taste of his lips. “I’m here,” she echoed.
He kissed her again, a gentle touch of his mouth on hers. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the heady feeling his lips created. He pulled her closer, his hands caressing the length of her back. He laid her on the couch, shifting his weight on top of her.
She returned his kisses instinctively, not bothering to think about how well their bodies melded together. She felt more alive than she ever had. Price kissed her jaw, then her neck, and then her collarbone. A low sound hummed in Kylee’s throat, and she clutched his hips, wanting to feel every part of him pressed against her.
She couldn’t think of a single reason why she shouldn’t have him.
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