Bayward Street (13 page)

“Haven’t seen you around before,” Liam mused as he walked beside me over to the park bench.

“New to the area,” I told him simply, as I sat down and watched the group go back to their business.

He dropped down next to me. “You go to school here?”

A completely unladylike snort left me. “Yeah, unfortunately.”

“Ah, a Diamond Cross Private kid.”

“Geez, is it that obvious?” I groaned.

Liam chuckled lightly. “Nah, but the only other school around here is East Street Public and I ain’t seen you there. Seems to me like you’d fit in with us better than those rich kids uptown, though.”

There was a not so subtle question there. Taking in his clothes, I couldn’t help but think he was right, though. He was dressed in a pair of worn and dirty jean shorts that came to just below his knee, and a casual dark blue T-shirt that wasn’t brand labeled or fancy, but instead had a tear in the bottom and was faded. He still looked good, though, I had to admit that much.

“It’s a long story,” I answered, hoping it would satisfy his curiosity.

He held his hands up. “Hey, I get it. We all have a story to tell. Mine isn’t all unicorns crapping rainbows either, so no worries.”

Looking at him out of the corner of my eye, a smile started to form on my mouth. “Unicorns crapping rainbows?”

He smirked back. “Yeah, isn’t that what people call happiness? Unicorns and rainbows and—

”

“Poop?” I laughed.

Liam shrugged, reaching over behind the bench and grabbing a skateboard. He placed it on the ground and stood from the bench. “Come on, let’s see what else you’ve got.”

Pushing myself up, I held my arms out wide as I skated backward, my eyes watching him the whole time. “You doubting my mad skills?”

He followed me, one foot on his board, the other pushing. His shoes looked like they’d seen one too many days at the skate park, and there were grazes and scabs on his elbows and knees. I guess he wasn’t afraid to get in and take risks.

“Those are big words for a little girl.”

I pulled to a stop suddenly. “I’m sorry, what did you just call me?”

He acted innocent, whistling casually as he drifted by me. “Little girl?” He grinned just before dropping off the side of the bowl and disappearing from sight, only to see him pop up on the other side, flipping his board in the air before making a perfect landing on the flat ground.

A few people around clapped, including the two girls who I noticed admired him quietly from across the park.

“Well…” he called, “…we’re running out of daylight here.” His taunting didn’t faze me. It wasn’t said with malice, it was the kind of smart remarks you’d throw at your friends. And I welcomed it.

I spent an hour or more, trading offhanded comments with the other kids, and even learning some new skills. They welcomed me in, even though I could tell that to start with, they were apprehensive.

It was beginning to get dark, and people began to say their goodbyes.

“Where abouts are you headed?” Liam asked as we rolled away from the park toward the street. The street lights were coming on, and I realized it must be later than I thought.

“Kings Crescent,” I told him, trying my best not to cringe.

He let out a loud whistle before following it with a laugh. “Wow. High-class.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I’m on the way, I’ll walk with you for a bit.” He tucked his board behind his neck and held it with both hands as he walked beside me.

“So if you live on this side of town, how come you don’t go to Diamond Cross?”

“Well for one, Diamond Cross is a private school, and two, I didn’t always live on this side of town,” he explained. “We lived pretty rough until about a year ago. My dad was an asshole who spent all our money on gambling and alcohol. We never had much, barely managed to pay the rent most weeks.”

I nodded, his story was familiar.

“I got sick and tired of his crap, stood up to him one night and he hit me, broke my nose.” He wiggled at his crooked nose, but he had a smile on his face. “My mom had put up with a lot of shit from him, but that was apparently the straw that broke the camel’s back. She had him arrested, and a restraining order put out on him.”

“Wow. That must have taken a lot of courage.” I was in complete awe and admiration.

He shrugged it off, though. “Isn’t that what any parent should do? Protect their child.”

“Not mine.”

He paused for a moment, jogging to catch up to me, as I continued to roll down the street. “That how you ended up here?”

“More like a series of events that brought me here.” I didn’t feel like explaining my story. Even though I knew that out of all the people I’d met in this place, he’d probably understand it the most. I still hated to see that look people gave me when I told them what I’d done.

“Anyway…” Liam continued, obviously aware of my aversion, “…my mom works two jobs, but without my dad’s habits we’re able to afford a nicer place. It was totally worth a broken nose. Plus, I think, it makes me look a little more rugged, and girls love that shit.”

His playful grin was lit up as we passed under a street lamp and laughter flowed freely from the both of us.

“You know, it’s nice to meet someone I feel comfortable around.”

“Oh no, trouble in Diamond Cross?” he mocked.

“That place is a whole other world. It’s all about who’s the most popular, or who wears the most expensive clothes. Even the teachers treat those kids like they’re royalty.” I rolled my eyes.

“So change schools.” Liam pulled to a stop at a street corner. “Wouldn’t it be better to be around people who can empathize with your situation? Not all of us can pay our way through life, some of us have to fight for our future. But you know what? That just makes success all that more gratifying.”

It was true. I wondered how many kids at Diamond Cross were going to go on in life living under their parents, being part of their parents’ businesses, and riding on the backs of their success.

“I wish it were that easy.”

Liam placed his board on the ground. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” He winked. “This is my street. Maybe I’ll see you round soon.”

“I hope so.”

He gave me a wave over his shoulder as he disappeared down the street. It was reasonably dark now, and I knew I needed to get back to the house before they sent out a search party for me. I pushed hard, the muscles in my legs burning as I threw myself forward, navigating the sidewalk in the small amount of light.

I pressed in the code on the gate and forced myself to climb the inclining driveway, sweat drenching the back of my neck as I reached the top and my lungs burning, gasping for air.

The light over the porch was on, but the house was completely quiet as I stepped inside and dropped onto the bottom of the staircase so I could remove my blades.

“Ah, the adopted sibling returns!” Bray’s voice boomed from the landing above me.

“Sorry, I had no idea what the time was,” I apologized.

He leaped down the staircase taking three steps at a time. His hair was wet, and his body slightly flushed telling me he’d probably just had a shower.

“Your parents never tell you to make sure you were home before dark?” he asked, throwing an arm over my shoulder in what had become a standard gesture between us. I cringed at his words, and he stumbled to cover his mistake. “I meant before you left, like when you were a kid and you were out playing with your friends and…” His voice trailed off into an awkward silence. “Okay, I’m just going to stop there.”

“Good idea.”

“Hungry?” he offered, his voice perking a little as he tried to cover from his babbling.

“A little,” I admitted, my stomach suddenly feeling very empty. I guess it was an easy feeling to ignore, being as it was so normal once. “Where’s Flick and Heath?”

“Flick’s on the phone to a friend, and Heath’s doing laps in the pool,” he commented as he began pulling food to make dinner from the freezer.

I frowned. “Didn’t he have swim training after school?”

“Yup,” Bray answered, popping the p on the end of the word.

“And he’s already back in the pool?”

“Heath swims when he’s stressed.”

Stepping over to the window, I could see a body moving through the water, underneath the bright lights that illuminated the area. “Why’s he stressed?”

“Because you weren’t here when we got home.”

My body unconsciously drifted toward the door that led out to the pool area, the sounds of pots and pans banging around in the kitchen behind me disappearing.

The night air seemed cooler all of a sudden, maybe because my body wasn’t so warm anymore now that I’d cooled down from my sprint home. My feet moved lightly along the cobbled surface until I reached the pool’s edge where I sat down and rolled up the bottom of my jeans before dangling my feet into the water.

Heath didn’t stop, I wasn’t even sure if he was aware that I was there.

His body moved through the water like a torpedo, smooth and swift, barely even disrupting the surface. His arms pulled up before diving back beneath the depths like a knife cutting through soft butter. The way he moved in the water was mesmerizing, the way the water rushed over his tanned and sculptured body sent a rush of heat through me.

It wasn’t a wonder why so many girls looked at him the way they did. He was beautiful, dare I say sexy. With his broad shoulders and slim waist, he was more than just a teenage boy. He was a man. There was no doubting it.

His head popped up out of the water as he touched the end of the pool. He used his hand to wipe at his face and brushed the liquid away from his hair causing it to spike up.

“Get in with me.” His voice was deep and echoed in the silence.

I laughed. “In my clothes?” My feet swished through the water, enjoying the weight as it pushed against them.

“Take them off.” It no longer sounded like a request and a blush filled me, starting at my toes and moving up my body.

“Heath…”

“Fable…” he countered, drifting through the water, advancing on me.

“Flick and Bray are just inside.”

Suddenly, he was in front of me, using his body to separate my legs. “Then you better hurry.”

Swallowing tightly, I managed to force myself to stand, checking over my shoulder as I ran the hem of my shirt through my fingers.

I took a deep breath, tugging my tank top over my head and working on the button on my jeans. I knew it wasn’t very attractive as I hopped on one foot, attempting to pull my tight pants over my feet.

I tossed my clothes on the nearest chair and scurried over to the edge of the pool where he waited. His eyes were hooded, and he pushed back from the ledge, allowing me room to slip off the side and into the water.

I clung to the edge as I lowered myself down, realizing I wouldn’t be able to touch the bottom. But when two strong arms snaked around my waist, I instantly relaxed into them and let Heath pull me away. The way his body felt against mine excited me. It was nothing I’d ever felt before, but something that I didn’t want to ever give up.

His breath tickled at my neck. “Where have you been?”

I had to concentrate hard to simply get my mouth to form a word. “Skating.”

“You enjoy doing that?”

I wiggled in his arms, desperate to see his face as I spoke to him. He allowed it, hooking my legs over his hips and placing his hands under my bum.

“I do. I imagine it’s close to how you feel about swimming.” I was breathless and struggling to keep my composure with his face and mouth so close to mine. My legs rubbed against his swimming trunks, they were silky and short, and I had to giggle at the thought of them. “Nice shorts.”

“Says the girl who climbed in here with her underwear on.” He tucked a finger in the leg of my panties, pulling it back and letting it go with a ping. I gasped.

“You told me to.” My defense was weak, and I knew it.

A gorgeous smirk slipped onto his mouth. “And you’d do anything I asked, huh?”

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t stop my body from flushing. “Yeah, keep dreaming, you arrogant ass.”

His soft chuckle warmed me. Heath didn’t allow himself to relax often, but I was seeing it more and more. The more I saw him smile or laugh, the more I craved it and found myself noting down the things that had made him happy so I could possibly use them later. Because serious Heath was hot and mysterious and exciting. But when he smiled, it was like the world lit up.

“Bray said you were stressed because I wasn’t home.”

Heath wandered around as I clung to him, simply easing us through the water and letting it flow around our bodies. “You didn’t have a very good day at school today.”

“Any day that I’m still alive is a good day.” His eyes saddened, and I shook my head, stopping him from talking. “Heath, you need to understand, yeah this is all new and fresh. Things here are different than anything I’ve ever known, but I’m not going to let it get the better of me. Not yet.”

The cool tile at the edge of the pool caused me to gasp as he pressed my back against it. “Anyone ever tell you that it’s okay to admit that you’re not okay?”

I smiled as his face moved closer, my eyes watching his lips with anticipation. “Anyone ever tell you that sometimes you have to let people handle their own problems? You can’t control everything, and if there’s going to be a problem, I’ll deal with it.”

“You always answer a question with a question?” he teased.

“You always so bossy and demanding?”

His mouth covered mine, and his body held me captive against the edge as his fingers slipped up my sides. I squirmed against him as his thumb outlined the underside of my breast, tucking just under my bra. I think he knew he drove me crazy, and he enjoyed it, watching me become breathless with just the simplest movement or touch. It was like a game, and I was a willing player. Enjoying his torment just as much as he did. Maybe more.

I tried not to think about how skilled he was in the art of seduction. I was sure he’d had a lot of practice. Unlike me, a novice whose first kiss with a boy had only been recently.

He pulled back, leaving me huffing and puffing.

“How did you end up on the street?” he asked after allowing me a moment to catch my breath.

I frowned. “You don’t know?”

He used his hand to brush a drop of water from my cheek. “Mom wouldn’t tell us. She said it was your story to tell when you were ready.”

“You’ll look at me differently,” I told him, my body sagging.

“Not likely.”

“It’s not pleasant,” I tried, attempting to deter him.

He shook his head. “I don’t care.”

Blowing out a long breath, I attempted to gather my thoughts as I realized he wouldn’t let this go. Heath already knew where I’d come from and he never once made me feel like that affected the way he thought about me. He treated me with respect and did his best to make sure I wasn’t hurt.

“My father was a bastard, my mother a doormat. He was sadistic. He got off on playing games with me. Locking me in my room for days. Tying me to a pole in the backyard in thunderstorms. Cooking huge meals and not letting me eat. Sometimes I would lie in my room and listen to my mother scream while he beat the shit out of her, for no other reason than he was an asshole.” Heath’s expression never changed, but I noticed the way his fists clenched and his muscles seemed to twitch against me. “He’d never laid a finger on me, though. But every day he got a little closer. When he did come at me for the first time, I stabbed him.”

“Holy shit,” he murmured before sucking in a large breath of air.

“They put me in juvie, and when I got out, the judge decided to release me back into their care. He wanted revenge. It was all over the news, and people were starting to look at him, analyzing our home life.”

“You ran.”

“He would have killed me,” I confirmed softly. “I’m scared he still will.”

The water seemed to still around us. I tried to act like nothing bothered me, like I could deal with anything that was thrown my way, but that wasn’t entirely true.

For a long time after I left home and made my life on the streets, I was scared of every shadow, every small movement. It wasn’t because of the people there, the ones who would kill to steal your clothes, or the men who snatched pretty girls off the sidewalk knowing that no one would miss them. I was scared that he was going to come back for me. That was my biggest fear, the thought that he’d be the one to finally end me.

“He can’t touch you here.”

“If I screw this up, they’ll send me back.”

“You won’t screw this up.”

I snorted. “Heath, I don’t fit in here. Everybody knows it. If I’m backed against a wall, I’ll come out swinging. I’m not afraid to stand up for myself when someone comes at me. But if that happens, it’s not going to bode well in my favor.”

He didn’t seem to have an answer. Either that or he didn’t feel he needed to justify what I’d said.

“Hey, guys. Dinner’s ready,” Bray called from the doorway.

Heath sunk us further into the water, covering my body with his. He turned his head to the side. “Yeah, we’ll be there in a minute,” he called back.

I blushed, the cool water causing me to shiver as my body heated against it.

“I’m going to go have a hot shower before we eat. I can’t exactly sit at the dinner table in my wet underwear.”

Heath walked us further toward the shallow end of the pool, lowering me off his body when he felt like I was capable of standing on my own. I slid down him, feeling every muscle, every ripple of his toned physique. It excited me. He was so strong, and I was so small. I felt safe in his arms.

“Maybe you should teach me how to swim, then you wouldn’t have to spend your whole time carrying me around,” I joked.

He finally cracked a small smirk. “I don’t mind.”

“I’m sure you don’t.” I laughed as I climbed up the stairs and snatched the towel he’d brought out for himself off one of the chairs. I grinned as I wrapped it around me and gathered my clothes off the ground. He just shook his head and laughed as I slipped inside the house, trying not to leaving a trail of puddles as I made my way across the floor and up the stairs. I headed straight for my bathroom, stripping off my wet underwear and turning on the shower as hot as I could handle it, without scolding my entire body. Stepping inside, I let the hot water wash over my body, eradicating the chill that had seemed to bury itself into my skin. Reliving my past wasn’t something I enjoyed, it was part of the reason I always tried to avoid talking about it. The other part was because of the looks I usually got. Anger, pity, disgust.

I didn’t need people to feel sorry for me, or treat me differently just because they knew the life I’d lived. I wasn’t one of those girls who wanted people to say poor her, or oh she’s like that because of how she grew up.

Nobody made my choices for me, I wasn’t defined by my past or how shitty my parents were at raising me. I was stronger for it, I was stronger because of the choices I’d made to make my life better, not because of the choices they’d made to make my life hell.

By the time I climbed out of the shower, my stomach was so twisted I didn’t even want to think of food. I pulled on a T-shirt and some sleep shorts and climbed beneath the covers of my giant sized bed.

I missed Layla, and Kyle, and Lee, and my other friends.

I’d spent so long with them by my side, building myself up and teaching myself to be strong. Coming here and having to deal with a whole new kind of hell was already wearing me down. It was like starting from the bottom again, and it had only been one day.

Tomorrow will be better.

It had to be.