Break My Fall (11 page)

It was all I could say.

I could hardly tell him about the turbulent emotions whizzing through me, all of which concentrated on him.

“Are you sure that’s all it was? Because I’m gonna be honest with you Lee, that was scary.”

Oh great, I freaked him out.

I faked a smile, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just…I really do not like violence. I am sorry. I don’t like knowing she hit you because of me.”

Kyle let out a soft sigh.

“Don’t say sorry. This wasn’t your fault, she doesn’t need much of an excuse to fly off the handle,” he said, “I’m just glad you’ve not been around to witness Rachel’s outbursts. You would have flooded the house with those tears.”

I knew he was trying to crack a joke.

It wasn’t funny.

“You mean she does that a lot to you?” I whispered.

I could hear the disgust dripping from my question.

Kyle shrugged, “She has a bad temper. She lashes out. I don’t like it, but I understand it.”

I stood up.

I could feel my body shaking.

“Why do you let her do that to you?”

Kyle laughed. I could tell it was forced.

“Have you looked at me lately princess? I can take a few bitch slaps here and there.”

How could he make jokes about this?

“It’s not a joke Kyle. She shouldn’t be hitting you. She treats you so badly, I can’t stand it. Rachel needs to see someone. What if she does this to someone other than you? What about when she has children…”

Kyle stopped me before I could finish.

“Back up Lee, just back the fuck up.”

I backed up, all the way to the opposite side of the room.

I could feel the anger vibrating from him.

“Whatever psychobabble analysis you’ve constructed in your head about Rachel you can forget it. You don’t know anything about her. And you definitely don’t know shit about me. So keep your self-help guides and your goddamn opinions to yourself. I’m not interested in hearing anything you have to say right now.”

With that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

I crumpled to the floor, and let the pain flood me.

KYLE

I was a bastard.

I shouldn’t have gone off on Lee earlier.

I was pissed with Rachel for slapping me again, and took my frustration out on Lee.

I cringed, remembering the look of terror in her eyes when I shouted at her.

I shouldn’t have shouted.

It was obvious Lee was nervous.

But what she had said touched on something that Rachel would never have to deal with, and that was entirely my fault.

The girl had every right to hit me.

Christ, I would hit me if I were her.

That didn’t excuse the way I treated Lee though.

She had defended me when Rachel was shooting her mouth off, and had given me one of the best nights of my life last night.

She had tried to comfort me when she thought I was hurt.

She was nothing but good.

I owed her an apology, and I would give her one, just as soon as I could look her in the eye again.

LEE

I wasn’t sure if I should go downstairs.

I didn’t know if Kyle wanted me to come down.

I knew he was still here.

I could hear him rustling around in his room all afternoon.

He had gone downstairs when Cam shouted up that the pizza had arrived.

But he had been so angry earlier that I was still shuffling around my room, debating whether I could face him or not…

“Lee, come on down here girl,” Cam called again.

I was just going to have to face him.

He would have to deal with it.

We all had to live here.

I walked downstairs and poked my head around the living room door.

Cam and Derek were cuddled up on the love chair eating each other’s faces, which left only the couch to sit on.

That option wasn’t looking very good either, not with Kyle sitting on it with Rachel sprawled across his lap.

Dixon and Mo were sitting on the floor near the coffee table, so I focused on them.

“Lee you’re here,” Dixon smiled broadly, “I thought I wasn’t gonna be able to stop myself from eating your slice.”

I took a deep breath and walked in, ignoring the two pairs of eyes boring into me.

“Well I’m here now Dixon so hands off,” I joked, as I sat on the floor alongside him.

I could see Kyle shift on the couch.

He moved slightly further from Rachel, but I didn’t dare look to see her reaction.

I was too busy hoping to hell that she wouldn’t put a beating on me.

I focused on the two boys next to me.

They were very much alike, but that was expected with twins.

Both boys were lanky and thin.

They both had brown hair, but Mo had green eyes and Dixons were brown.

Dixon had his eyebrow pierced, which distinguished them from one another even more.

“You’re looking good Lee. Tell me, you got your eye on any man here in Boulder?”

I heard a choking noise from behind me.

“You okay bro? You need a drink?” Derek asked.

“No I’m good Derek,” Kyle replied.

I blushed, and made some comment to Dixon about focusing on work right now.

Dixon continued to prattle on while I ate my slice of margarita, it felt like I was swallowing glass.

It was obvious which twin was the outgoing one.

“I’m heading out,” I heard Rachel say, and a few seconds later felt a burning pain shoot through my fingers.

I looked down at my hand, to see a shoe pressing into my skin.

“Good night everyone,” Rachel smirked down at me; there was a look of pure malice in her eyes.

I held in the scream that was bubbling in my throat.

I would not give her the satisfaction of knowing she was hurting me.

“Bye now,” Cam said, “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Oh wait never mind,”

She waved enthusiastically at Rachel.

Rachel huffed. “Kyle, walk me out? Now.”

She moved her foot, and I pulled my hand towards me.

Holding it to stomach, I covered it with my other.

“You okay there Lee?” Mo asked.

“Yeah I’m good, just real thirsty. I’ll be right back.”

I got up, and went straight to kitchen sink.

Running the tap, I let the cold water wash over my aching fingers.

Thank god Rachel was skinny; otherwise my fingers could have been a lot sorer.

I reckoned it was just bruising.

They stung but I could move them, I’d had a lot worse.

“I’m sorry about today.”

I turned to see Kyle standing in the doorway.

He was sorry?

He looked guilty.

“Me too, I interfered in your business. I won’t do it again.”

I turned off the tap and wrapped my hand in a tea towel.

“You hurt your hand or something?”

Kyle stepped closer.

He had that worried look on his face.

Before I could move, he took my hand and slowly unwound the towel.

“Holy shit Lee. How’d you do that?”

His thumb softly traced my swollen fingers.

“I caught them in the door.”

He believed me; I was good at covering up.

“Damn Lee, you gotta be more careful. You could have snapped these. It could have been a lot worse.”

I grimaced.

Kyle didn’t realize how much more careful I needed to be.

“Thanks, I’ll be sure to remember that,” I muttered.

I needed to get out of here.

“You know I’m sorry right?”

He was close, too close.

“You already said that,” I replied, taking a step away from him, and closer to the door.

I needed to keep some distance between Kyle and I.

Cam was right; I didn’t want to get in the middle of his drama with Rachel.

She was dangerous, and I wasn’t strong.

He stared at me, his brows furrowed, and I felt naked.

It was disturbing how my body reacted to something as trivial as a look from Kyle.

But I was on fire, burning up.

“We’re all gonna hit a club, you guys in?” I heard Derek call out.

“Yeah, sure,” I replied, relieved to have an escape from Kyle and his penetrating stare.

KYLE

This was all I needed; Lee in a fucking dress, and Dixon chasing after her like some lovesick puppy.

Granted, it was one of those long dresses that girls wore during the summer, but I wanted to strangle Derek for his stupid fucking idea.

I needed to go clubbing, like I needed a hole in the head.

Why was she here?

Lee didn’t do clubbing.

Hell, she didn’t do house parties.

Her being here was messing with my head, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the way she moved her body on the dance floor.

“You have to get a handle on this man.”

I gave Derek my best death glare, “You don’t know what you’re talking about Derek.”

It was his fucking fault.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” he said quietly, “You’re infatuation with little Lee over there.”

He pointed over to where she was being accosted by Dixon.

“Dude, either walk away from her now, or do something about it. Stop sitting on the fence like a fucking girl.”

Deciding on the latter, I stood up and made my way through the crowd until I was behind her.

I glared at Dixon as I tugged Lee’s hips towards me.

She staggered backwards against my chest, and turned her neck.

“Kyle,” she whispered.

Her eyes were wide, her lips tempting.

I leaned down and nipped her neck.

She made to turn towards me but I stilled her.

“What are you doing?” she asked; her voice thick with desire.

The hell if I knew.

I had no idea what I was doing anymore.

Fuck, I thought I was just warning Dixon off, but now I couldn’t move away.

I flattened my right hand against her stomach, and used my left hand to tilt her chin up.

I kissed her, softly at first, but Lee moaned into my mouth and I lost control.

I turned her in my arms, and pulled her roughly against me.

Her hands slipped into my hair.

Fuck, I loved it when she did that, her touch was so gentle.

It was as if she was treasuring me.

LEE

Oh my god Kyle was kissing me again.

I knew I should pull back, but my heart disagreed.

The lights were so dark in the club; I could barely see him.

But I could smell him and, oh god I could feel him.

I wanted him closer; I wanted to climb into him.

I tugged on his hair, and he growled into my mouth, grinding himself against me.

I could feel his erection digging into my belly.

I wanted him so bad.

I needed him to take this further, because I wasn’t sure how to.

I ran my hand down his chest and gripped his belt buckle, hoping he would get the hint.

He did.

He sank his teeth into my lip and tugged.

It should have hurt, but I was too aroused to feel anything but desire.

When he released my lip, he ran his tongue over it, and I sagged against him.

“Do you want me?” I asked, opening my eyes to look up at him.

His eyes were full of lust.

He looked crazed with hungered desire.

“I shouldn’t,” he whispered as he cupped my cheeks with his hands.

“You should,” I countered bravely, taking one of his hands and placing it on my breast.

He shuddered, and closed his eyes.

I could feel his hand trembling as he muttered a string of curse words.

His eyes flashed open suddenly and he jerked his hands away.