Chapter 27
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN
ISLA
An hour later, we were walking into Central Park.
I loved it there. It was one of my favorite spots to just chill and hang out with him.
Sometimes I’d take the subway and do schoolwork all day.
I’d buy a hot dog and a coffee, and I was set for hours.
Julius wasn’t a fan of my riding the subway by myself when he wasn’t around, so Kraven would accompany me when he wasn’t busy.
I’d do school and then tutor him. To keep him focused was a challenge, but he was definitely smart. He knew a lot more than he gave himself credit for. Julius claimed I was being a good example to him and appreciated the help in getting his grades up.
Before we left the house, Julius and I packed some lunch, and while feeding the ducks our leftovers, I celebrated, “Oh my God! Do you see that baby duckling? He’s so cute. You know what? We should get ducks.”
He laughed, sitting on the edge of the pond, and I followed suit.
“And where are we going to put these ducks?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but they would be loved.”
He chuckled.
“Maybe we can start with a cat.”
“A cat, yeah?”
“Yeah, a black one, I can name him Salem.”
“You’re a cat person?”
I motioned to myself. “I think this speaks for itself. Besides, they’re easier to take care of than a dog. More independent too.”
“You ever owned a dog?”
I shook my head. “You?”
“Once.”
“Aw, when?”
“I was seven. It lasted about a month. Dad won him in a poker game, and then Mom traded him for drugs.”
I grimaced, hating that sad story. “I’m so sorry I asked.”
“It’s alright.”
“Is it? You never talk about them unless it’s little remarks like that.”
He shrugged. “I don’t have much to say about them.”
“How old were you whe—”
“Twelve.”
I exhaled. “When I was twelve, I was living in a group home with the most disgusting food out of all of the ones I stayed in. It was so bad that I slept on an empty stomach most nights. They actually had to move me to another facility because I got really thin.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “They definitely don’t spend money on the food. Fosters don’t care for the older kids too much.”
“Yeah, they didn’t care much for me when I was a baby either. I guess you could say I got lost in the system.”
His eyebrows lowered, paying close attention to me.
“I never met my parents.”
He frowned. “You never looked for them?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“For what reason?”
“Curiosity.”
I smiled through the pain. “It killed the cat, remember?”
The expression on his face softened. “You’re the strongest girl I’ve ever met, you know that?”
“I’m not that strong. I ran away most of the time.”
“Saved your life though.”
“Yeah, it did.”
After pausing for a moment, he asked, “How many times have you run?”
“More times than I care to count…”
He hid back a sad smile, knocking his shoulder into me. “I’m not much of a flighter, I'm more of a fighter myself.”
“Oh!” I joked, “So that’s just a Knightly trait?”
In a neutral expression, he reminisced, “My mom used to say we were nothing like our father, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Fair.”
Trying to lighten the mood, he asked, “How’s school going?”
“Good.”
“Your classes?”
“Good.”
“You’re taking college credits in high school. That’s more than good. That’s amazing. By the time you graduate, you’ll have enough credits to be considered almost a sophomore at any university. That’s a hell of an accomplishment.”
“School was my only way out, you know?”
“I do.”
“What about you?”
“What about me? I’m an open book.”
“Far from it,” I snarked. “What do you want for your future?”
“I wish I knew.”
“Well, I’ll tell you right now, you’re the smartest person I’ve ever known.”
In an inquisitive stare, he asked, “What else do you know about me?”
“Now you’re trying to find out all my secrets?”
“As a matter of fact, I am.” He gripped my thigh.
“Don’t you dare! We’re done with that game, and we’ve moved on to a new one.”
“And who won that round?”
“You just want to hear me say it.”
“Yet I’m still waiting.”
“You won.” I smirked.
“I’m glad you’re aware of that.”
“I know what you’re doing. You’re sidestepping my awesome game of let’s talk about your future.”
He winked, teasing, “Is that what I’m doing?”
“Stop answering a question with a question, and I’ll answer one of yours first.”
“Okay, but only because you’re asking so nicely.” He thought about it for a second. “Why don’t you have any girlfriends?”
“Your first question is why I’m not into chicks?”
He laughed, big and throaty.
The fresh air was hitting my senses in the best possible way. It was such a perfect day for this. When you sit outside and feel the breeze on your face and the sun hitting you in all the right places. The view was breathtaking, with the sky’s colors matching the water.
Looking out at the ducks, I responded, “It’s hard to make any friends when you’re constantly being moved around all the time.
It’s why I do an online school. It was too hard to catch up to schoolwork when I was being transferred from school to school, depending on what district I was currently held hostage in. ”
“It was always bad?”
“It was never good. Silence became my only safe haven.”
He rubbed his facial hair on my neck, making me forget. Which was exactly what he was trying to do.
Unable to resist, I spoke the truth, “It was until you.”
“Until me, huh?” I felt him smile against my cheek before he steered the conversation. “I think it’s time to go swimming.”
“Julius! Don’t you dare!” I tightened my arms around his. “If I go in, you’re coming with me!”
“You do realize I’m a hell of a lot bigger than you, don’t you?”
“And you realize I could—”
“You could what, Isla?” He knew he had the upper hand. With ease, he shifted my body, and my legs naturally wrapped around his waist. “Now tell me what you can do?”
I opened my mouth, but his cell phone rang, ruining the moment. He slowly set me back down on the edge before answering his call. I took the opportunity to compose myself as he stepped away. I was giddy with excitement.
Once he was finished with the call, he said one word, and one word only.
In a deep, throaty tone, he warned, “Run.”
I didn’t have to be told twice. I turned and hauled ass.
This was our game—I ran, and he chased. He called me Little Red Riding Hood because of my hair color, and he was the Big Bad Wolf. The next thing I knew, he tackled me onto the grass. I shrieked, laughing at the same time.
I had no choice but to surrender, shouting, “Mercy! Mercy! You win!”
“Good girl,” he growled in my ear.
We were behind a rock where no one could see us. It wasn’t just my heart pounding; his was, too. I felt it against my chest, and it had nothing to do with us running. Our hearts felt in sync. It was the first time in my life that I finally understood what all these love songs were talking about.
From the way he was looking at me.
To the way he was taking every last emotion out of me like they belonged to him.
We were two crazy kids experiencing love for the first time together, but it wasn’t just teenage infatuation. It was something deeper. We were family, and regardless of what the future held, we’d always be in each other’s lives. There was loyalty, devotion, and trust.
Our eyes locked, fused as one. I struggled to find my breath, feeling his heated skin on mine.
This reminded me of the first time he kissed me.
Despite the awareness in his stare, I looked away. I had to. Avoiding the look in his eyes.
“Come back,” he uttered. “I wasn’t done with you.”
I basked in his embrace, hoping this was only the beginning. His intoxicating scent lured me in.
“You’re horrible.”
“And you’re beautiful.”
“That line works on all the girls?”
“Not sure, you’re the first girl I’ve said it to.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Wanna bet?”
My chest was rising and falling, and I loved every second of it.
JULIUS
Her gaze widened, making her stunning green eyes shine bright as they tore into mine. I reached for the side of her face with my knuckles, caressing her cheek.
“Why would you think otherwise?”
“Have you taken a good look at yourself in the mirror lately?”
“Have you?”
She rubbed her nose against mine.
“You think I don’t want to be with you, Isla?” With my thumb, I rubbed her bottom lip for a few seconds, and she stirred beneath my touch. “How about this?” I whispered. “I’ll tell you after I kiss you.”
And damn did I devour her.
Her scent.
Her taste.
Fucking addicting.
So soft.
So warm.
“Julius…” she softly moaned.
My heart sped up, hearing my name roll off her tongue. I’d never pressure her into anything she wasn’t ready for, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t drive her insane with need.
I might have been falling in love with her, but I wasn’t a saint.
“What, baby?”
I slowly kissed down her neck to her collarbone. She was coming undone beneath me, making me burn with desire. I wanted to capture this moment and hold on to it for as long as I could. I wanted to remember her just like this.
For me.
Mine.