11. Kayden
KAYDEN
The smell of pines and smoke hits me as soon as I park the car on the side of the street, transporting me back to high school. Before Madelyn, before everything. Life as it used to be.
The town is still half-dead, with one-story houses with monotone designs decorating the whole block.
I stand on the pavement and stare to my right, zooming in on the sight in front of me.
The house where I used to live. Or, well, what’s left of it.
It’s renovated now. Charcoal paint is across the outer walls, with a small change to the tiles of the roof. Maroon, in contrast to the previous gray. It makes sense. Less than half of the house had been left intact after the fire that changed it all. The other half was destroyed, turned into ashes.
And then we ran. My father and I, leaving everything behind.
“Where is the store?” Madelyn steps out of the car, too. Her voice pulls me back to reality, to where I am now.
Not letting me drag myself into the past. Dead memories that should stay that way.
She spins around, scanning the neighborhood ahead of us. All houses and no stores.
“It’s not far,” I say. “A few blocks away.”
She folds her arms over her chest. “Then why did we park here?”
“The streets are empty, and it’s on the way.” I don’t mention a word about wanting to see my former home. Tracing back my steps. “A little walking never hurts. In fact, it’s healthy for you, Little Demon.”
“That’s such a P.E teacher thing to say.”
I shrug. “I am a P.E teacher.”
Madelyn rolls her eyes. “And yet, you drive to school every day. I think you should practice what you preach.”
A cackle escapes my lips.
Okay, she has a point.
God, she has no idea how attractive she is when she does these things. Pretends to be bothered.
The skips my heart makes in my chest make me unrecognizable. I didn’t use to be this cringey motherfucker, captivated by a woman’s little actions. I never let myself be fooled by anyone.
This time, I welcome the distraction. I’m so tense, I’m afraid I may pop a muscle—or an eye. I need to loosen up a bit.
“Start walking, Madelyn.”
“Fine.” She scoffs before she trails behind me. “You too, Coach.”
I lead her as we make our way through the first block of the neighborhood.
“Not gonna lie, don’t hate that nickname coming out of your lips,” I tease her. “Now try, Daddy.”
Her face twists in disgust, and she makes a gagging sound.
Another cackle leaves my throat. I can’t help it.
Madelyn catches up with me now, walking side by side. “Are you trying to make me puke?”
“Puke? Nah, I’d much rather you have your mouth stuffed with something else.”
She frowns, and her eyes lower to my cock. I just know it.
An electric jolt is sent right through it as if it felt her gaze.
I’ll never forget my little demon’s mouth choking on it. An image I’ve replayed thousands of times in my head.
“Shut up.” Madelyn presses her arms even tighter against her chest. Accentuating her perky breasts that suit her curves so well. “Keep the dirty jokes coming, and I’m leaving.”
Dear God, even right now, in that long black dress and cute white cardigan, she’s delectable.
“Be my guest. You’re the one complaining about walking, not me.”
Her mouth opens and closes.
“Besides, it isn’t a joke if I’m not joking.” I smirk.
She sticks her tongue out in disgust.
I have to stop this. I can’t keep trying to banter and flirt with her. I need to ignore the sexual tension between us. I’m crossing a line.
A line Madelyn makes impossible not to cross.
Fuck.
If only I hadn’t gotten that stupid letter today, I could go on with my original plan of tormenting her and making her pay. Instead, this urge inside is telling me I need to get to the bottom of this and protect her. Causing me to shift my original plans.
We keep moving forward, passing a house I used to spend more than half of my time at. My former best friend’s.
I stop, pretending to catch some air.
I want to, but I can’t simply show up there. Even if he still lives in that house, which I’m not sure he does, what would I tell Maddy? I can’t tell her that the Halloween prop store is an excuse to visit my old town in search for answers. I resume walking, and Maddy follows without a word.
“This store better be worth it. My feet are killing me,” she says after two blocks. “I don’t know why we can’t just order stuff online, like normal people do. We should have done that.”
“This? This is nothing, Little Demon. You’re out of shape.” She isn’t. She’s all curves and temptation, and I alternate between staring at her and looking for the place I’m here to see. “I could easily book you a one-on-one session with your older brother at the school gym, if you want.”
I wiggle my eyebrows at her.
Fuck, here I go again.
She sends me a death stare, her brown irises full. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”
I don’t know why I do this. Teasing her is so fun, always has been.
This is what got me into all the messes. Started from my stupid impulse of wanting to ruin her in high school, then tame her in college, where, for a moment, I thought she might accept me and my twisted mind, until fate proved us wrong.
I’d treat her better if I could. If I were different. But I’m not. I’m a fuck up. I don’t know how to be normal.
I can’t change the past. I can’t change now. Our dynamic is this way.
And I know deep down there’s something inside her that enjoys it as much as I do.
A tension that draws us together.
I just hope that tension doesn’t snap, because things could turn dangerous.
It would be hard to stop. I’m not sure I’d want to stop. It was hard enough in the past.
Silence spreads between us as we continue our way to the store, and it brings my mind to the reason why I drove hours to this fucking town I swore to never come back to.
The letter I got at work today. There it was, resting on my desk.
My stomach churns as I think about it, that stupid sheet of paper that’s folded into little pieces in my pocket right now. A fucking threat. The words are engraved in my brain.
I know your secret, asshat.
And I don’t mean the fact that you lust after your stepsister. That’s pretty fucked up. But it’s not that.
I know the truth.
What you did with your own hands.
And she’ll know, too. Along with everyone else.
Unless you keep your distance from her.
You won’t go to the police. I know that.
Otherwise, they’ll investigate you and find out.
You’re smarter than that, Kayden.
Take the easy way out and fuck off.
Keep your hands off my girl.
P.S. Thanks for the diary, I’ll make sure to use it well.
So, the fucker not only took Madelyn’s diary from me, but he also knows about my past.
My sister got herself a secret admirer while I was away, and the fact that I didn’t notice before is driving me nuts.
How did I miss this?
And he knows about my past. What the fuck?
The only thought that crossed my mind is that it must be someone from back then, trying to get revenge on me for what I did.
My former best friend could help—if only I could find his current residence.
This is why this fucker is so fixated on Maddy and mentions my mistakes.
He wants her because I want her, and he’s put a target on my back.
Which means, my little demon’s got a target on hers as long as I keep making advances on her.
I’m not scared, though. He has no idea who he’s dealing with. I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty.
He should know that.
If he does anything to Madelyn, he’s a dead man. Why is he even talking about her like he owns her?
Get in line, fuckass. I was there first.
I’ll make sure to protect her and not let an anonymous motherfucker get between us. Or to her.
I have to watch her extra carefully now.
Why did he have to involve my little demon in this? I’ve never been very good at sharing what’s mine. I don’t plan on starting now.
There has to be some clue in this town as to who this guy is. How he found out about what he claims to know. My dirty little secret. The scars I’m not proud of.
“Are we there yet?” Madelyn snaps me out of my thoughts. “You didn’t tell me we’re going for a marathon. I wouldn’t have brought heels otherwise.”
“I don’t mind carrying you, if you want,” I suggest. “We’re almost there.”
She locks eyes with me. “Over my dead body.”
“Can’t blame me for trying to be nice.”
“What’s up with you today?” she asks. “You’re acting weird.”
I snort. “I’m not.”
I wish I knew, too. Maybe it’s the fact that someone threatened to take away what’s mine. What I had to give up once already. Or maybe it’s the fact that we haven’t spent this much time alone together in forever.
The options are endless. Either way, my heart’s beating furiously against my chest.
“We’re here.” I stop after one more block.
Madelyn stares at the laundromat shop in front of us with a sign that says ‘closed.’ Right next to a local market and a diner.
“I doubt we’ll find what we need in a laundromat.” She presses her arms to her chest again. “Or at a market. We have those back at home, too.”
“I swear the Halloween props shop was here. Guess it closed down,” I lie. There was never a Halloween prop shop. My idea has always been to order things online. “I haven’t been here in years. It makes sense. So, there’s that.”
My little demon sighs. “Way too long a shot for a shop to remain open these many years, in this economy.”
“I had faith.”
“Okay, let’s hit the road then.”
“We’re in town, we may as well enjoy the break from all the work stress,” I say. “I promised you dinner, and I’ll get you that.”
She hesitates. She doesn’t want to comply. I can see it in the way her eyes harden. Her mouth purses. Her arms keep their position around her chest. Stubborn woman.
Just the way I like it.
“And we can sit and order some props and shit online, like normal people do.”
At that, she laughs. “Fine.”
“There’s a diner right here, let’s go in.”
I don’t know if Mike still lives in the house that we passed, but there’s no way his family doesn’t run this place anymore. It’s been passed on for generations, close to fifty years. Just the place I was looking for.
***
“No fucking way, dude.” It doesn’t even take a minute after I walk into the small, renovated diner with Madelyn to get noticed. Mike Kim’s eyes are bulging, and his mouth hangs open. “Kayden A’gosto?”
Mike rushes to me, ready to bump fists. He’s wearing a white apron and has the same black hair, down to his shoulders, now tied up in a ponytail.
“Hey.”
“It’s been fucking forever. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” He pauses, his lips stretch, his eyes harden. “Especially after…everything.”
“Y-yeah.”
A smile softens his face. “How have you been? What brings you back here?”
I don’t know how to react to all the questions. Many things happened in the past, but they’re not the reason I’m here. I can’t exactly tell him why I am, though.
Good thing I’m relatively good at lying, and I think fast.
“Man, a lot.” I push my hands into my pockets. “Mostly just got in my feels. Wanted to check how everything was back here after forever.”
“Your girlfriend?”
Maddy startles at the question. Her cheeks redden.
I consider it for a moment. He has no idea I have a stepsister. I could lie.
I’d like that. To pretend, for once.
In fact, it might come in handy.
“Yes.”
Maddy’s mouth opens to complain, and I press my arm against her shoulder, ducking my head to reach her ear.
“Go along with it,” I whisper.
She quiets.
Mike nods. “Cool. Glad to see you moved on.”
I don’t say anything. Of course, I moved on. It’s been over ten years. I want to ask how his sister, Laurie, is.
But I don’t. It’s better to leave the past in the past. If I moved on, I’m sure she has.
There’s no need to satisfy that curiosity. Maddy may start asking questions, too.
“Anyway, sit wherever you’d like, and I’ll be with you in a moment to take your order.”
“Thanks, Mike. Actually—” I put my arm around his shoulder before turning to Madelyn. “Pick a seat and take a look at the menu, baby. You can order anything you want. I’ll be there in a minute.”
My little demon doesn’t fight me or refuse. Reluctantly, she goes ahead and sits somewhere near a window.
I shift my focus to Mike. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Mike’s eyebrows shoot up. “Okay.”
“It’s going to sound weird. And I’m totally popping up out of nowhere, but…Has anyone been asking about me?”
“About you?” He purses his lips. “I don’t think so. Heck, man. If it weren’t for your face looking the same, I wouldn’t even have recognized you. You got bigger. And more stylish. I haven’t thought about you in a long time. It’s been what, nine years?”
“Ten,” I correct him, keeping my voice low. “So, no one?”
“No.” He reassures me. “People used to ask about you back then. Especially after what happened. And how you left. But not now.”
It doesn’t make any sense.
Someone has to have said something. There’s no other way. How else could this anonymous person know about my past?
For a moment, it crosses my mind. Mike himself could be behind this. What happened affected his family, too.
Except the weirdo knows Maddy is my stepsister, and Mike asked if she was my girlfriend.
It’s not him.
Besides, we used to be friends. There’s no bad blood between us.
I thank Mike for his kindness and decide to leave a big tip when we leave.
This road trip may have been a failure. But there’s one thing I’m sure about.
I’m not backing down until I know who this fucker is and what the fuck does he want.
He’s not getting Maddy.
He’ll have to kill me to get a chance.