Page 95 of This Blood That Binds Us

Her hair whipped around as she made a dash for the trees, and I followed. “Chelsea, wait. He didn’t mean that. He—”

She turned with a slap to my face. “Never speak to me again.”

Her eyes glistened with tears. I knew the pain in my cheek was nothing compared to the pain Aaron had inflicted on her. Chelsea leaned down to remove my shoes and threw them at my feet. I rubbed the warmth in my cheek and watched her disappear. The sting imprinted the truth on my face for the world to see. What we were doing was reckless. Dangerous. It was time to tell the truth.

I turned around, expecting to see Aaron. He was nowhere in sight. The only sounds came from below. The splashing carried into the trees behind me, and carefree laughter fluttered like a songbird.

“Kimberly!” Presley’s voice was easily identifiable. I followed the sound to the cliff’s edge where our group was waiting near the beach area.

I waved back to Presley. My stomach was still in my throat. Would Aaron’s brothers accept the truth? Would they still allow me to hang out with them? Maybe they would leave without a word. Without a trace. Leaving me here. Alone. I pushed the thought out of my head. None of it mattered. I couldn’t think about myself anymore.

As I turned to look for Aaron, his frame towered over me, stopping me. His eyes still looked hazy and lost. “Are you okay?” His hand touched my cheek, and I flinched. The warm amber still wiped from his irises.

“I’m fine,” I said.

“You look...scared...” His voice still sounded far away, despite our proximity. I could smell his cologne and feel his body heat.

“Aaron, there’s something very wrong with you.”I watched Aaron’s footsteps as he moved closer, forcing me back a step. The cliff’s edge loomed in my mind. He closed the distance between us. My feet stuttered backward, and he grabbed my waist, pulling me closer to him.

“W-What are you—?”

He brushed my hair from my shoulder, bringing his lips close to my neck. I stood, frozen. Swallowing a breath.

“You smell so good.”

His words dripped with longing, the sound foreign to my ears, his breath hot on my skin. He twirled his fingers in my hair. Judging by my sweaty back and damp hair, he wasn’t talking about me or the sunscreen I had put on that morning.

Placing both hands on his chest, I tried to force him back. His muscles were stone. Tense and rigid.

“What’s the matter? I thought you’d like me like this?”

His breath was still hot on my neck as I shoved his chest again, this time much harder.

“No. I don’t. You’re being an asshole.”

I fell back. Only, this time, there was no ground left to catch me. I fell into the open air. My only thought was on the rocks below.

Something firm hit me and wrapped me up before I made impact with the water. I flailed around, feeling trapped as I submerged deeper into the spring water. My hand stung, and I pulled it close to my body. With no effort of my own, I found myself pulled out to the surface of the water. Water filled my throat, and I coughed, struggling to swim. Somehow, someone had pulled me up, as if I had a life preserver.

Upon opening my eyes, Aaron was pulling me toward the shallow end of the water. When I got my bearings, I pushed him off to swim by myself. Cheers and applause erupted around us. My stomach dropped as their eyes weighed me down in place.

Aaron didn’t stop walking toward the shore as countless people applauded and patted him on the back. I swam out of the water and walked till the water hit my knees, pulling my hair out of my face and wringing it out. A stabbing pain radiated from my hand. A large cut lined my palm. I closed my hand and wrapped it around my waist. That was the last thing we needed right then.

As I struggled to get my bearings and tried to comprehend what had happened, Aaron’s brothers circled me.

They talked in a flurry around me, their voices running into each other.

“Are you hurt?” Luke’s jaw was set and serious.

“What happened?” Zach said.

“Dude, you scared me!” Presley grabbed my shoulders.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sound of worry in their voice. “Funny to hear you guys being so serious.”

They relaxed with sighs of relief and nervous laughter.

“Well, if you wouldn’t be so dramatic and throw yourself off a cliff, we wouldn’t be in this mess,” Presley said.