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“This is Austin.” He gestures to me without looking my way. “She needs stitches.” My eyes widen. That’s why we’re here? Stitches? Her eyes widen as well. “Oh, my, what happened?” she asks, concern in her words. “He took a knife to my forearm,” I say, lifting my chin.
She tells the truth🤷
“I don’t know who them are. I just moved here and …” “Oh.” She nods in understanding, tossing the washcloth into a dirty clothes hamper in the corner. “The GWS, Great White Sharks is what everyone calls them. Cole, Deke, Shane, Bennett, and Kellan are all on the school swim team. They are sharks in and out of the water. Cole is their captain. All of them already have scholarships for college next fall.”
Great White Sharks
“We’ve been thinking …” Cole says, rubbing his chin. “We want you to be part of our group.” Deke finishes his sentence. I look among the five of them and start laughing nervously. “You’re joking, right?” “Not one bit,” Deke says, shaking his head. “No thanks,” I say and turn to the door. I twist the handle and start to pull it open, but a hand slaps on the door over my head, holding it shut. I jump back to look at Cole. He leans against it casually, getting comfortable and blocking my only exit. “It wasn’t an offer, Austin.”
...
“Girl, you’ve got it bad.” Becky laughs. I whip around to look at her. But even I can’t deny it. “I’m treading water,” I admit. Guys like Cole Reynolds are why smart girls turn stupid. It’s embarrassing on so many levels but understandable. I mean, I fucking hate the guy, and I still want him to take me to his room. That alone tells me how unbelievably stupid I am. She takes a step toward me, closing the small space, and whispers, “These waters are infested with sharks. And you are bleeding.” She looks over my shoulder at Cole, then back at me. “But there are worse ways to die.”
True
“I told you, sweetheart. I like destroying pretty, innocent things.” Her eyes look up into mine. She searches as if she’s trying to decipher my words, but they were honest. There was no hidden meaning. “Why?” she asks again, and her voice wavers. That fear creeping back into her features. “Because perfect things don’t belong in a fucked-up world.” It’s that simple. She swallows. “I’m not perfect.” I lean in, my lips almost touching hers, and her breath hitches. “You are to me.” I’ve never said anything more true to a woman. She is just like me. The fight. The anger. The hate. I see the way she
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💜
“I wanna watch tears roll down your beautiful face because I think you’re gorgeous when you cry. I wanna see blood on your flawless skin because you look like a priceless work of art. And I wanna look down at you while you’re on your knees because you want to please me.” My thumb runs over her trembling bottom lip. “I wanna make you a beautiful, broken doll, Austin.” Her eyes widen at my confession. “All mine to play with.” I look at her parted lips while licking my own. “All mine to fuck.” She moans. “All mine to destroy.”
Damn, Cole🥵
“Are you saying I should be afraid?” He leans his head down and whispers into my ear, his hand still splayed across my back, holding me in place. “You should be terrified, sweetheart.” My breath hitches. “Because I’m gonna get what I want.” “Which is?” I can’t help but ask. “Everything you have to give.”
I'm in if she's not😏
He runs his thumb through my tears. “Beautiful,” he whispers. “Please stop.” I hate that I’m begging, but I’ve got nothing left. I’m treading water, but the water’s too deep, and he’s circling me. He smells the blood and is just waiting to strike. Waiting to pull me under into the darkness where he’ll eat me alive. He’s a shark, after all.
..
“Even the devil catches feelings, or he wouldn’t go into rages. Even he knows how to love.” “Stop! I don’t love her.” What the fuck? Has Deke warped her mind? “Maybe not love. But I see the way you kiss her in class and in the halls. How you touch her, not caring who is watching. And the look in your eyes when she isn’t around and she consumes your thoughts. It’s written all over your face. Like right now.” “And?” I ask, wondering what she sees. If she can read me that well. “And you’ve always been the kind of guy who would burn this town down if given a reason.” She sits back in her seat,
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Love Becky!
“I want you, Austin. That is not a lie.” “You want to break me—” “Not anymore,” he interrupts me. “I did want that, yes. But it’s no longer enough.” “What does that mean?” I whisper. He pushes his body into me. He tilts my head back, and he lowers his lips to mine. A simple kiss that takes my breath away. This man has taken so much from me already. I’m not sure I have anything else to give. “I want you to want me. I want you to need me.” His eyes search mine. “Because that’s how I feel about you. I’m not the same since I met you. You have bled for me, but I’m starving for you. People say when
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🥺
“You dared me to show you a side of me that no one sees. And I have, Austin. Now I’m daring you to give me a chance to be more than the guy who hurt you.” I give her a soft smile. “Move in with me and let me show you that I can be what you need.”
💜💜
I open my eyes to see Cole standing in my room. Those blue eyes running up and down my dress. Like before, they are still clouded, but I know what’s inside him. His heart. His soul. Cole and I may not have a traditional relationship, but I wouldn’t trade him for anything. He’s mine. And I’m his. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been sure of in my life.
💜
