Chapter Nineteen
Naomi
Like he promised, Kolter came over for dinner. Well, it was more like lunch honestly, and that turned into dinner. We spent the whole day together. We watched movies with Mom; made meals. Mom and I even swindled him into a game of UNO, which he lost pathetically.
On the couch, I snuggled beneath a blanket, and Kolter’s hand found its way beneath.
He held my thigh the entire time, slowly teasing the apex of my legs.
If Mom hadn’t been there, I’d have jumped straight into his lap and…
well, let’s be honest, he would have talked me through it, but I wouldn’t have minded.
I swear, losing your virginity is something else.
It’s like once you finally experience what you’ve been missing all this time, suddenly you’re addicted.
Maybe that’s just me, though, and it probably has everything to do with who I lost it to.
After Kolter left, Mom was on cloud nine.
She smiled and sang while she did the dishes, talking about how good it felt to have her lost son back.
I smiled too, agreeing, even if her calling Kolter her son had me feeling more than a little…
ashamed? No, that’s not right. I definitely have minimal shame for what Kolter and I share.
Whatever it is, it’s… different for sure.
I mean, it’s not every day you start dating your adopted brother after he kills the man who was going to take your virginity and takes it himself.
God. I should be much more disturbed by that sentence than I actually am.
Now I’m back in class, doing my best to focus on the professor’s lecture.
Then my phone buzzes.
Kolter: Hey, Peaches. What are you doing tonight?
A smile touches my face, and I sense Cassi’s eyes on me before she attempts to read the screen. I quickly tilt the phone away from her and tap out my reply.
Me: Just going to work on a paper. What’s up?
Kolter: Work on it later. I’m taking you out. Be ready by seven.
Excitement fills me, and I have a hard time not bouncing in my seat as I text him back.
Arianna and Cassi both notice my uptick in mood, and I can feel them staring at me like they’re waiting for me to elaborate.
It’s too soon, though, right? I mean, they both have a lot on their plate, and…
I don’t want them to judge me. Especially Cassi.
She’d have every right to, considering how I treated her, and that guilt is still eating away at me.
When the professor signals that class is over, everyone begins packing up, and I do the same—until I realize that Cassi and Arianna haven’t moved. I lift my gaze from the desk to find them staring at me like they’re waiting for something.
“What?” I ask.
Arianna smiles. “Oh, she’s gonna play it like that, Cass.”
“Like what?” I question.
“Like you didn’t just spend the last few minutes giggling and squirming in your seat as you texted—” Cassi pauses, leaning over to look at my phone.
I quickly lock the screen, and she lifts an eyebrow as if to make her point.
“It’s nothing,” I say, but I can feel a deep flush settling into my cheeks.
“Bull-fucking-shit,” Cassi retorts. “Come on, out with it.”
I shake my head and stand, hoping I can just run away and they’ll drop it. But who do I think I’m talking about here? My best friends chase after me, hot on my heels as they begin throwing out questions.
“Is it someone we know?”
“Is it someone we don’t know?”
“Is it your mystery hookup from the club?”
“Just tell us something!”
“Yeah, you’ve been so distant for weeks now.”
“Okay!” I snap, turning sharply on my heel to face them.
We’re in the middle of the quad, other students rushing past us like a river around a boulder.
“I’m… seeing someone. It’s new, and I’m not sure what will come of it, if anything, and I’m slightly nervous about being judged because you guys would have every right to, especially you,” I say to Cassi.
“Why? You don’t have a sister, so you can’t steal her boyfriend,” Cassi teases.
I rake my fingers through my hair. “It’s complicated, and I… when I feel like I can tell you guys, I will. Is that okay?”
They both look at one another before Arianna gives me a soft nod.
“Of course it is, but, out of anyone, who are we to judge? I’m literally dating and living with my ex-stepdad.”
“And I’m with my sister’s ex-boyfriend,” Cassi says.
I smile softly and nod, grateful for their acceptance. I want to tell them, I really do. Honestly, it would feel good for someone to know. To have someone tell me to keep my feet on the ground so I don’t do something stupid like fall deeply and irrevocably in love with a dangerous forbidden man.
Too late for that, though.
Seven feels like it takes forever to get here.
I swear I’ve been staring at my phone for the last two hours, ready embarrassingly early.
Mom asked me what I was doing getting all dressed up, so I admitted I had a date.
When she tried to pry, I told her it was just some guy at school.
I mean, what else was I supposed to tell her?
Yeah, your adopted son is taking me out.
Don’t worry, family looks out for each other, I’ll be safe. Yeah, absolutely not.
I told Kolter to text me when he was close so I could meet him on the corner, and as soon as my phone vibrates with that message, I’m flying out the door.
“Bye, Mom! Don’t wait up!” I call out.
“He’s not even gonna pick you up at the door? What a fucking schmuck,” she calls as I shut the door behind me.
If she only knew.
I jog down the road until I reach the corner. And there’s Kolter’s bike pulled over to the side, the kickstand holding it up as he leans against it.
When he sees me, he pushes away from it and stalks towards me. Butterflies erupt inside me, so I pick up my pace.
When he holds his arms out, I leap into them without an ounce of hesitation; he catches me easily, pressing my body to his and cupping my butt.
I smile into his shoulder. “You copping a feel?”
“Fuck yes,” he says like it’s basic logic before pulling back so he can shoot me a grin.
He moves one hand to the back of my neck then and pulls me down for a kiss. It only lasts a few seconds, but it feels endless, the world around us fading away until it’s just me and him under the evening sun.
He pulls back then presses another quick peck to my lips, like he couldn’t help but steal one more taste before setting me down.
“Hope you’re hungry, Peaches,” he says, grabbing his helmet then strapping it onto my head.
“Is that a euphemism?” I tease.
His mouth lifts into a smile as he swats at my jeans. “Cute. Get on.”
Kolter swings his leg over the saddle, and I slide behind him before he fires the bike up. Once my arms are wrapped around his waist, we take off down the road, and I rest the side of my head against his back, enjoying the warmth of him as the night air nips at me.
I don’t even realize we’ve stopped until Kolter’s hand taps my own, signaling that I should release him.
I quickly slide off the bike and look around. We’re in the parking lot of an apartment complex. Couldn’t tell you where, but the area looks nice.
Kolter helps me take the helmet off before slinging his arm round my shoulders and leading me to the front door. The man working the desk smiles and nods in greeting as we move towards the elevator. Kolter presses the number ten, and we arrive at our destination in a handful of heartbeats.
“So, I thought you were taking me out?” I ask as he leads us down the hall.
“You’re not in your house, right? You’re out,” he tosses back.
I roll my eyes at him. “I was promised food.”
He shakes his head as we stop in front of a door; he fishes out his keys and unlocks it. “I promised no such thing. I said ‘hope you’re hungry.’”
“A meal was implied,” I scoff.
Kolter shrugs as he opens the door and holds it for me. “Your assumption from my conversation opener wasn’t a confirmation of services or the receiving of goods.”
I take a step into the apartment before narrowing my eyes at him.
His stoic gaze is gone, replaced by a smart-alec smirk that lights up his stupid gorgeous face before he gives me a quick wink.
Truthfully, I couldn’t care less about food—I was just trying to give him a hard time; trying to be funny, I guess.
He always thinks he has a leg up on me, though.
I continue into the apartment and hear the door shut behind me before Kolter follows me.
It’s a clean place—nice floors, crisp walls and furniture that looks like it’s never even been touched, let alone used.
It’s not the type of place that screams someone lives here; more like a hideout of some sort, a getaway.
But maybe it is. I haven’t really asked him what his living arrangements are—maybe he spends most of his time at the clubhouse.
I don’t even know this is actually his place. Maybe it belongs to a friend.
“It’s my place,” Kolter says, as if he can read my thoughts.
I glance at him over my shoulder, and he raises an eyebrow.
“What? You act like I can’t see every thought running through your head at all times.”
I laugh. “Quite the superpower. Does it work on everyone?”
He doesn’t laugh, though. He just closes the distance between us and rests his hands on my hips. “Only you.”
Something in his voice kills my banter immediately, as well as any reasonable or witty response. I try to swallow, to clear the lump that’s formed in my throat, and stare up at him.
“That’s a pretty useless superpower. Only works on one person.”
“Works on the only person who matters.”
I smile softly and shake my head, giving him a light shove. “Please—there are plenty of people who matter.”
Kolter slides a hand behind my neck, holding my gaze steady as he looks down at me. “Not to me.”
“Kolt,” I whisper roughly. “You’re getting pretty intense for a first date.”