Jolted (Conflicted Encounters #1) (11 page)

"So, who's the chick you came with?" she asked as she moved to stand between my legs.

"Friend," I told her, remembering Kallie was here somewhere.

"She seems to be making friends well," she said.
 

I followed her line of sight and saw Kallie leaning up against a truck on the other side of the bonfire. A guy was leaning in close as he talked to her. He leaned in close to whisper in her ear and she laughed. I looked around and eventually found Scarlett sitting in the back of a truck with Logan.
 

I clenched my fists. We left her all alone and she was with some strange guy now. All I could see was red when I saw his hand reach up to touch her hip and he moved closer to her. She tilted her head up to look at him and I thought, for a second, they would kiss. I pushed Crystal away from me and stalked over the two.

When I got closer, I saw it was Caleb that had her pinned up against the truck. I put my hand on his shoulder just as he started to lean into her again. He turned back, and the anger on his face turned into confusion when he saw it was me interrupting him.

"Fire needs more wood," I growled, glaring at him. I saw understanding flash across his face.

"I'll take care of it," he said, low and with double meaning. He clenched his jaw and walked away, bumping his shoulder into me as he passed.
 

Kallie

Ryder and I watched as Caleb walked away. He finally turned back to look at me.
 

"What was that?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest.
 

"What? Nothing."

"No, it wasn't nothing. You scared him off," I yelled at him. "Why? He was nice."

"You don't even know him," he growled, glaring down at me.

"I don't know anyone here," I snapped. "I have to start somewhere."

"I'm just trying to look out for you," he said, sounding exhausted.

"Why? You don't owe me anything. You don't even know me," I said, throwing my hands up in the air. "I don't need anyone to look out for me."

"Where the fuck is Scarlett?" He changed the subject and looked around the party.
 

"Stop it," I said, smacking his chest. His hand grabbed mine and held it tightly. "I don't need a babysitter." I pulled my arm free and pushed past him.

I walked around the roaring fire and toward the house. I just wanted to find a dark corner to hide in. I was finally starting to loosen up and forget who I was, then Ryder comes in and ruins it for me. I leaned against the house and watched the party. I have never been to a party like this before, and the people-watching was fascinating.
 

I was watching Ryder while he danced with some girl earlier when Caleb came to keep me company. His brown hair and eyes looked comforting and honest. He gave me another beer and we talked for a while. He was cute and I knew he was checking me out when we first got here. It made me nervous because I wasn't sure how to act, yet I was excited at the same time.
 

I was never flirted with. With Carter, I was just his and everyone knew. He asked me to be his girlfriend in high school and that was that. There was no flirting or trying to figure out what the other was thinking. It just happened, and now it was gone. I didn't know how to be without being with him.

Caleb and I talked about music and TV for a little bit before Scarlett and Logan disappeared. I didn't even realize he was leaning into me until Ryder came and interrupted. It was then that I realized that I had forgotten who I was for the moment. I was briefly a normal young adult at a party. I was one step closer to being a new person.

"I'm sorry," I heard from behind me.
 

"Forget it," I snipped, although I was shocked to hear an apology.

"No, really. I didn't mean to piss you off," he said, coming closer.

"You know what? You can't just sleep with me and expect that you can never talk to me again, but never let anyone else near me either," I said and turned around to glare at him.

"What?" he asked, putting his hands up in surrender.

"You heard me. I'm not yours to get possessive over," I said. "If I want to go out and do something stupid, I will. It's no one's business but mine. You have no right to me."

"Is that what you think?" he asked, coming closer.

"Yes. I'm a grown woman," I said, putting my hands on my hips. "I can make my own decisions."

"You think we slept together?" He was close enough that I could see his eyebrows raised and his eyes filled with amusement.

"Yes. No. What?" I stuttered.

"You think that I took you home from the bar, slept with you, and then left?" he asked, lowering his voice.

"I shouldn't?"
 

"No."

My face burned red from embarrassment and then anger. "What? Like that's something you would never do," I threw back at him sarcastically.
 

"Oh no, I would. I just didn't. Not with you. I took you back to my place because I didn't know where you lived or anything," he told me, leaning down to my face.

"But I was in your clothes," I whispered.

"You stripped. I gave you the shirt," he said smirking. "And if I did have you," he said as he moved close to my ear, "you wouldn't forget it."

My stomach dropped and my breath caught in my throat. I looked into his eyes and saw the challenge in them. My heart raced as he overwhelmed my senses. All I could see was him. His smell was all around me and the party faded away in the background.
 
His hands grabbed my hips and he pulled me roughly into him. My body was flush with his and I couldn't breath.

His breath tickled as he whispered in my ear, "Trust me, if I ever touched you, you would never forget how good it felt." His hands moved to my lower back, holding me closer. I tipped my head up to look at him. "If I had ever kissed you, you would never forget how good it tasted," he growled.

I shivered at his words. His face came closer to mine, and I was nervous that he could feel my heart pounding in my chest. My entire body tingled with excitement and need for him, feelings I was unfamiliar with. I moved my hands up his chest, feeling the muscles and heat under his skin. I suddenly felt like I wasn't close enough to him. All my words were caught in my throat.

"There you are."
 

Ryder pulled away from me quickly, leaving me feeling cold. I almost whined with the loss and my body was on edge. Logan was smiling at us. Scarlett stumbled over and leaned against him. I pushed myself off the truck and held on to the side for balance.

"I can take you guys home," Logan told us.

"Sure, I'll get my truck tomorrow," Ryder agreed quickly. "Ready?" he asked, looking in my direction, but not at me.

"Yep."

I followed them and weaved my way through the few partiers still left. Logan pretty much carried Scarlett to his SUV. I climbed in the back with her and we rode back to the apartment in silence. I kept thinking about Ryder's words and how they sounded in my ears. His voice sent shivers through me. I practically ran up the stairs when we got back and laid on the couch. I couldn't stand it if he said another word to me.

I don't remember falling asleep. Light filtered in and burned my retinas. My head might have just split in half and I was probably leaking brain matter all over the place. My throat was on fire and my feet felt broken. Everything hurt. I felt terrible.
 

I laid there for what felt like forever, trying to avoid opening my eyes. I knew the light and any movement would be the death of me. After hearing coffee and whispers, I gave in. I couldn't expect them to tiptoe around me all day. I grunted and roughly took a stool at the bar. I folded my arms in front of me and laid my head down on them. I moaned loudly as a greeting, which was very lady-like. A cup of coffee appeared in front on me.

"Does it always feel like this?" I mumbled into the counter.

"Not always," Scarlett laughed. I was pretty sure I was walking better than her when we left, yet she sounded fine.

"I never want to drink again," I whined.

"That's what they all say," she teased.
 

"This is awful. I'm dying," I said dramatically.

"Here, it helps," I heard Ryder say. I looked up at him and he pointed to the coffee.
 

I grunted again and took the coffee. I sipped on it and prayed for my head to feel better. Scarlett and Ryder drank their coffee in silence. I finished my cup and Scarlett gave me a refill without needing to ask. I slowly felt life seeping back into me.
 

"Well, I'm off to Mom's for lunch. You coming, Ry?" Scarlett finally said, breaking the quiet.

"And like every Sunday, no, I'm not going," he told her in a bored tone.

"Thought I would give it a shot. I'll be back later then. Be good kids," she said, grabbing her bag and keys.
 

I realized I was alone. With Ryder. I had no idea what to do or say. I instantly remembered the night before. The words he said to me and the way they had made me feel. My face grew hot and I hoped he couldn't tell what I was thinking.
 

All this time, I thought he had seen all of me. I thought he had a part of me that only one other ever had before. Now that I knew that nothing happened that night, I felt like I had something to hide, to keep tucked away from him.
 

"You never really drank much before, have you?" Ryder asked. I looked up and his eyes seemed to burn right through me.
 

"Never," I told him.

"Never? Really?" he asked, clearly shocked that someone in their early twenties never drank.

"Not like last night. I had wine at dinner sometmes," I admitted.

"Wow. So what else have you never done?" he asked.
 

I laughed. "A lot of things. You know, we never discussed what I would be paying for my stay," I said, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, I have no idea," he said, taking the hint.

"Well, how long will I be here? You have a better idea of how long my car will take?"

"I don't know yet. I'm having a hard time finding parts. Your car is like a fucking unicorn," he said, turning his back to me.

"Okay," I sighed. I lugged myself over the counter and turned on my phone. I ignored all the voicemails, missed calls, and texts popping up.

"You really have no way home? Why not junk it and get something else?" he asked, leaning his elbows on the counter to look at me.

"No," I answered, too quickly. "I love that car. I can't get rid of it."
 

"Why not go home then?"
 

"Do you want me to leave? I can," I said, standing up.

He grabbed my hand to stop me. "I'm not saying that. I'm just trying to figure you out."

"Yeah, me too," I added quietly. "I just can't go home yet. I can go elsewhere if you would like me to. Just not there." I begged he wouldn't make me leave.

"No need, Princess," he rushed. "Are you in danger? Are you hiding from someone? Do you need help?"

"No," I said, waving my arms and shaking my head. "It's nothing like that."

He nodded. I wasn't sure if he believed me, but I had nothing else to offer to make him see the truth. I didn't want him, or anyone, to know why I ran away. I didn't want anyone to know the broken and empty Kallie inside the shell they saw.
 

I pulled up my bank account on my phone to check my balance. I knew I would need to set some aside for the repair bill. I double-checked the number. I wanted to offer them something for taking me in.

"That's not right," I said to myself.

"What's wrong?" Ryder asked, worry lines forming on his forehead.

"Oh, nothing," I said casually. "My deposit must not have made it to my bank for some reason."
 

My father made a weekly deposit every Friday, without fail. I used the money to pay my bills and food while I was in school. In return, since I was fifteen, I worked every summer and every break or long weekend I had in the jewelry store my father owned. My dad saw it as an investment. He would pay for my education and the expenses of going to college out of state, and one day, I would take over the jewelry business.
 

"What? Mommy and Daddy didn't give you your allowance?" Ryder snipped with attitude.

"That's none of your business," I said, pushing away from the counter. "I worked for that money for your information."

I stalked to the living room and sat on the couch, where I began going through the messages I missed. I was used to being seen as the rich and privileged girl. Most thought I was a spoiled little brat that had everything handed to her. Most of the time I was surrounded by people just like that, so I fit in. Something bothered me about Ryder thinking I had everything so easy.

In all honesty, I did. I worked in the store, but I didn't work nearly enough hours to earn the amount they gave me for my apartment and everything else that I wanted. However, I did know that my parents forever owned me. They paid my way to taking over the family business. I would go to the school they chose, earn my degree, and be molded into the new president of Adam's Jewelers.
 

I looked over to find Ryder watching me debate over calling my parents. As if on cue, the phone rang in my hands.
 

"Hello, Mother," I answered, trying to sound like I wasn't in turmoil and suffering another hangover.

"Kallie. Would you like to tell me when you plan on coming home?" she clipped.

"I don't really have that scheduled yet," I told her as I retreated to the living room.

"You have responsibilities here, Kallie. You can't just go and hide somewhere," she told me.

"I know that, Mother. That's not what I'm doing," I said.

"That is exactly what you are doing. I know you are hurt, but that doesn't mean life doesn't go on," she said sternly.

"I just need time," I whispered.
 

"And we gave you time. I called your admissions advisor to make the tuition payment for the year and I was informed you have yet to enroll in any classes. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was?" she said, raising her voice, which was never a good sign.