Page 121 of Ruptured

“Did you sleep with Kaia, Fia?”

“No!” she said wildly. “No, I swear. God, I swear. I’d never cross you.”

“Hurting my daughter crosses me,” Mrs. Caldwell said evenly, a message Kaia got loud and clear, even if she wasn’t addressing him.

Fia began to shake. “I didn’t…I swear. Diesel…we thought it would be a good laugh. Kaia…Kaia…he’s…Diesel said he’s…he’s…an emo. Too sentimental for Rebel.”

“He’s perfect for Rebel,” Mrs. Caldwell replied. “Interfere again at your own risk.”

Covering her face, Fia sobbed so fiercely Kaia almost felt sorry for her. But if Mrs. Caldwell hadn’t come in, Fia and Diesel would’ve fucked up whatever he had with Rebel.

“What the fuck’s going on?” CJ walked back into the room, halted and took in the scene, then scowled at Diesel. “Asshole.” He placed a hand on Fia’s shoulder and steered her toward the door. “I’ll walk her out, Mom.”

Mrs. Caldwell went to Rebel and kissed her cheek. “I’ll call the nurse for a pain med, love.” Once she straightened and summoned the nurse, she crooked her finger at Diesel. “I need to talk to you.” She nodded to Kaia. “You as well.”

Kaia walked to Rebel and kissed her cheek. “I’ll call you later.”

She nodded. “Okay,” she said hoarsely, believing Fia’s words .

Out in the hallway, Mrs. Caldwell leaned against the wall and groaned.

“Aunt Meggie, are you okay?”

“I’m in pain. Let me speak so I can get back to bed.” She curled her lip at Kaia and he shrank bank.“I already know the truth, ” she spat. “When Bishop heard you were here, he told me you slept with Fia. He showed me a video.”

Embarrassment sweeping through him, Kaia turned to Diesel. “You said it would be a secret.”

“And you’re the idiot who believed him, so the fault is with you,” Mrs. Caldwell said. “Sleep with whoever you choose, butdon’t lead my daughter on. She’s young and notready for that type of entanglementorsuch a betrayal. Donotlead her on. Tell her you can only be friends with her. When she’s older, then, perhaps, you can date.”

Rebel wanted exclusivity. She wanted to experience normal teenage life. If Kaia followed her mother’s orders, she’d turn away from him. “Give me a chance to make up what I did. Please?” he begged.

Ignoring him, Mrs. Caldwell thumped Diesel’s shoulder and wagged her finger at him. “Stop with your games. I expect better from you.” With one last look at both of them, she turned and dragged herself into the room.

Kaia and Diesel studied each other. From the moment they met when Diesel came to football practice one evening, he and Kaia had been friendly. Now, that had changed. It was obvious Diesel disliked him.

CJ walked through the double doors, minus Fia, and headed to where Kaia and Diesel stood at the end of the hallway, near the nurse’s station.

“You’re getting your life on track, Diesel,” CJ said. “Stop fucking with Rebel.”

“I brought Fia to Kaia as a test, CJ,” Diesel said. “I wanted to see if he could be faithful. He failed.”

“I’m sorry, CJ,” Kaia said. “It won’t happen again.”

“You’re a lying motherfucker,” CJ told Diesel, ignoring Kaia’s heartfelt apology. “You must think I’m a fucking idiot. You brought Fia to Kaia to do exactly what the fuck you did. Tell Rebel. If you’re too fucking selfish to realize she’s been through enough these past few days, I’m not. Stop fucking with her or I’m telling Dad.”

“She isn’t old enough to date,” Diesel said.

“That’s not up to you,” CJ retorted, gave him one last look, then disappeared inside his mother and sister’s room.

“If you’re really about to move in with some woman, can’t you give me a chance to date Rebel?” Kaia asked cautiously.

Diesel shrugged. “You aren’t good enough for her.”

“Who is then?”

Diesel glanced away. “I already know that you only had football going for you. You got into Ridge Moore because of it. You were just lucky that you were injured in your last year. Otherwise, Ridge Moore’s financial aid would’ve been gone just like your college scholarships were. You’re destined to be stuck in a dead-end life with a dead-end wife. I promise you you’ll never get Rebel.”

Kaia knew what he was. He’d only had football, family, and poetry. Football had been his way up. But Rebel really liked him. There was no artifice about her. He wasn’t a hotshot jock anymore. She wasn’t after him for sex, although she’d agreed to it, whether or not she knew it. She didn’t pretend she wasn’t hungry and she wasn’t afraid to tell him what she expected.