Page 7 of Cinder & Secrets (Ink & Ashes #2)

“Not a fan of school?” Again, something I already know the answer to, just trying to save face and not tip my sister off.

It’s over. What purpose would it serve for Lyric to learn the truth now, other than to hurt her?

“She likes the extracurriculars more than the classroom.” It’s my sister who answers as she gently elbows her friend.

“Oh yeah?”

“And the extracurriculars like her.”

I bet they do ... I think but don’t say, fighting the irrational jealousy that bubbles inside my stomach like hot tar.

“When do you go back again?” I ask in general, not directly asking either of them specifically.

“Second week of August,” Charlotte answers as she stands. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to run to the restroom really quickly before dinner starts.”

I watch her until it’s no longer safe to do so. The sight of her lean, long legs in that skirt is enough to damn near do me in. I glance back at my sister to find her watching me.

“She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?” She reads me like a fucking large print book whose letters you can see from a mile away.

“She’s attractive. Young. But attractive.”

“I feel so bad for her.”

“Why?” I lean back in my seat, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

“She was talking to this guy last year, like most of the year, and he recently ghosted her. Like can you imagine? What kind of guy would ghost someone like Charlotte? I can’t wrap my head around it.”

My stomach feels heavy, like I just swallowed gallons of tiny rocks that keep sinking deeper into my gut.

“That’s shitty,” I force out, trying so fucking hard to seem uninterested that the effort is borderline painful.

“That’s one word for it. Anyway, I think being here has helped take her mind off it.

I feel a little guilty that Kai is coming tonight.

I mean, I’m ecstatic, but at the same time, I’m afraid Char will feel like a third wheel.

Do you think maybe you could hang out for a bit this evening?

Make it feel less couple-y and more of like a group. ”

“I don’t know, Ly. I have to be up early for work tomorrow.”

“Just hang out for a couple of hours after dinner. You don’t have to stay super late. Please.” She pouts out her lower lip.

On one hand, the last thing I want to do is hang around longer than I have to.

I’ve tempted fate enough where Charlotte O’Malley is concerned.

But at the same time, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious how much further I can test it before the very precarious tight rope we’ve been walking for months snaps and we both go plummeting to the rocky path below.

“Two hours. That’s the best I can do.”

“Thank you!” She claps her hands together, a wide smile tugging at her mouth when the doorbell rings.

“I wonder who that could be,” I deadpan.

“Hush,” she scolds, quickly jumping up from her seat. “I got it,” she announces, though Dalton is already heading in that direction.

I wait for a few beats, trying to talk myself out of what I’m about to do, but like I have no self-control at all, I stand, quickly crossing the room before slipping down the hallway in search of Charlotte.

It might be the only chance I have to speak to her privately, so it’s best I take the opportunity now while my sister is distracted.

I reach the bathroom just as the door swings open and Charlotte steps out, damn near running right into me. Taking her by the shoulders, I gently guide her back into the bathroom before kicking the door closed behind me.

“What are you doing?” She hisses, a light blush kissing her cheeks.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were here, Red?” I ask, careful to keep my voice low.

“When would I have? You haven’t talked to me in weeks.”

“You still could have texted me. A little heads-up would have been nice.” I’m being an asshole, I know. It’s the only way I know to keep her at arm’s length when all I want to do is pull her closer.

“I didn’t realize I could text you. Given that you haven’t answered any of the texts I’ve sent you, I assumed you had blocked me or something.”

“Blocked you? What am I, fifteen?”

“You tell me.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest defensively. “Your behavior would argue that you’re younger than you are.” She moves to step past me, but I cut off her only path of escape.

“I’ve been childish.” I can admit that much.

“If you didn’t want to be my friend anymore, all you had to do was say so.”

“I don’t want to be your friend.” I run a frustrated hand through my hair. “I want to be a fuck lot more than just your friend. That’s the problem.”

Her lips part, but no words immediately come out.

“Why is that a problem?” she finally asks.

“You know why.”

“Do I?”

“You’re too young for me. And you’re my sister’s best friend.”

“One, you’re only twenty-four. Don’t blame my age when we both know five years is nothing. Two, it’s not like I asked for your hand in marriage. And three, me being your sister’s best friend didn’t stop you from texting me for months . I don’t understand why all of a sudden it’s an issue.”

“If you don’t understand, then you haven’t been paying attention,” I bite.

She smells like she did that night—lavender and vanilla—and I find myself taking a deep inhale, letting her scent overtake my senses.

Fuck, how often have I closed my eyes and thought about that smell.

Our bodies pressed together. The heavy beat of the music vibrating the floor beneath our feet.

Her hips grinding into mine in a way that nearly had me coming the fuck undone right there in a room full of people.

Dropping her off at her dorm room without so much as kissing her was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

But now that I’ve spent months getting to know her, I don’t know if I have the strength to resist her a second time.

If she touches me, if she comes any closer, I can’t be held responsible for what I do next.

“Do you want me?” she asks unapologetically, and fuck me, so damn beautiful.

I bark out a laugh like it’s the most ridiculous question I’ve ever been asked, even if the answer is a resounding yes.

“You do. That’s why you flaked?” It’s a question, though it shouldn’t be given that the answer is staring right back at me in those bright green eyes of hers.

“You think a few months texting each other makes you some expert on my life? Besides, the why is irrelevant and doesn’t change the fact that this wouldn’t work.

You’re in school in Virginia. My life is here in North Carolina.

Your only concerns are passing classes and finding the perfect outfit for the next party.

Meanwhile, I’m out here living in the real world.

We aren’t in the same place, no matter how much I wish we were. ”

“You think a few months texting each other makes you some expert on my life?” She throws my words back at me. “Classes and outfits, really? You make me out to be some ditzy co-ed who only cares about getting drunk and hooking up with frat guys.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?” Her green eyes narrow.

“I just...” I try and fail to give her some kind of explanation that makes even a lick of sense.

“Why are you even in here? Why not just continue ignoring me? You’ve gotten really good at it.” She tries to step past me. I cut off her path.

“I’m sorry.”

“Well, at least you’re sorry.” Disdain drips from her voice.

“What can I do?”

“Nothing. You’ve made your position on the matter very clear.”

“Lyric can’t know.”

“If I haven’t told her yet, I think it’s a pretty safe bet that I’m not going to. Don’t worry. Your image of the perfect brother will remain intact.”

“That’s not what I care about.”

“Isn’t it? Isn’t that exactly why you’re standing here?

” She steps closer, getting right in my face.

“I won’t do this with you. Either you’re in or you’re out.

Either we’re friends or we’re not. And before you spew some bullshit about why this would never work, consider for a moment what I actually want from you.

I don’t want to marry you. Hell, I don’t even want to date you.

” She shakes her head softly. “All I want, all I’ve ever wanted, is to fuck you. ”

I don’t know what happens. One second, we’re standing toe-to-toe, the next, I have her completely spun around and pinned to the bathroom door, my mouth closing down on hers.

She opens for me instantly and I groan into the kiss, sliding my tongue across hers. I’m rock-hard in an instant, every pore in my body begging me to strip her bare and fuck her right here and now, the way I’ve thought about doing more times than would ever be considered healthy.

I’m a man obsessed.

I’ve been obsessed since the first moment I saw her.

Every minute since then has been a struggle.

Every second, a battle.

My head and my body at war with one another.

I should stop kissing her, but I can’t. She tastes too good. Feels too perfect against me. And when she lets out a little whimper into my mouth, I unravel.

Grabbing her leg, I hitch it up over my hip, pressing my arousal against her.

Her hands find the back of my hair and she pulls hard, riding my swollen cock through my jeans in a way that has me damn near emptying my load into my boxers.

I reach between us, stroking her center through the thin material of her panties. She groans again, this time the sound vibrating through her into me.

Sliding the material to the side, I trace my finger down her seam, salivating over how soft and bare she is. Greedily, I slip a finger inside, swallowing the gurgle of pleasure that spills past her lips.

I’m ready to fuck her right now, to give her exactly what she wants, the feel of her warm and wet around my finger my breaking point.

“Wait. Wait.” Charlotte breaks the kiss, grabbing my wrist to still my hand. “Not here.” She lowers her leg, forcing my fingers to retreat.

I drop my forehead against hers. My breath comes in short spurts like I’ve just finished an intense run.

“I’m sorry.” I start to pull away, but she’s quick to stop me, tangling her arms around my neck.

“I’m not. I want this. Just not here, in your parents’ bathroom, with your whole family just down the hall.”

“You’re right. Fuck.” I manage to break free from her grip, needing to put as much space between us as possible so that I can form a coherent thought. “You go out first. Make it look like I was just waiting for you to finish.”

“Okay.” She nods. Without another word, she turns and quickly slips into the hallway. I wait until the door closes behind her before locking myself inside.

I move toward the sink, catching sight of my flushed skin and sweat-lined forehead in the mirror.

“What the fuck, River?” I whisper-hiss at my reflection.

What the fuck indeed.

I want to regret what just happened.

I don’t.

If anything, I’m counting down the seconds until I can feel her against me again. Only this time, I won’t be stopping until I’m buried so far inside of her that she doesn’t know where she ends and I begin.

I’ve known for months that Charlotte O’Malley has the ability to bring me to my knees.

It’s one of the reasons I tried putting distance between us.

Because I knew that if I didn’t, I was going to be in big fucking trouble.

And right here, despite everything I’ve done to try to stop it, she proved just how much power she actually holds over me.

I don’t stand a chance.

I don’t think I ever did.