Credence

by Penelope Douglas

shouldn’t feel . . . nervous around Jake Van der Berg. I’m desperate for attention and confused. It feels good.

Hurl, get this girl back to mirai and some therapy

Something I can’t give myself.

Girl sex toys exist like you dont need these losers

The water shimmers across his dark eyes as they meet mine, and he steps forward, dropping into the water and sinking waist-deep, dressed only in his jeans.

Swimming in jeans…okay this has to be someone's kink becauss that does not make logical sense to wear WHEN YOU ARE SWIMMING

Everyone has thoughts. Everyone touches themselves. A therapist would say I’m seeking an outlet to cope with my troubles. That’s what this is, and better this than drugs or alcohol.

BUT PLEASE ACTUALLY GO AND SEE A THERAPIST NOW

Two things I typically hate, but maybe Jake isn’t right this time. Maybe a nice, nonfamilial distraction away from the peak is exactly what I need, after all. Pretty sure the three best-looking guys in town live under my roof, but we’re going to Gent, is it? Whole new babe pool, as Noah would say.

Gross, also i see you what you are doing author, trying to edge your readers but not go over the line YET until tiernan is 18 then it's legal to go wild but morally, so icky!!!

“Keep your butt under our tent, that’s what.”

Cuck you (meant to be fuck you but im not changing it now)

I look over my shoulder at Kaleb again, his jeans now mostly dry and a black T-shirt on.

Gross

Ratt’s “Nobody Rides for Free”

??

he deserves a family. I guess I don’t like seeing him alone in everything.

Nah fuck him, fuck them all

“If you bare it, they will come,” he chants. “And by come, I mean—” I swat at him. Gross.

HURL

Someone should be watching Noah.

Nah he sucks

He revs his engine, popping up on the rear wheel, and races over the finish line, just moments ahead of everyone else as he lands on both wheels again.

Is men riding/racing motorbikes a kink? I know thats a stupid question…maybe im missing out of something here because i dont get the whole hot biker thing not that anyone cares, tmi alert but im back into werewolves right now so this is meh to me

He meets my eyes but doesn’t look to see what I have. “No, thank you.” I

Not that jake deserves it but in a purely innocent way, i would have held out a nacho for him to eat. I do the same thing with my mom when i know she is hungry but isnt prioritizing taking the time to actually sit down and eat because she is in a rush to finish errands and get to certain places on time. I think its a nice gesture but obviously dont force it down their throat

He swipes up some cheese, dabs it on my nose, and then dives in, sucking it off as I growl.

Hurl

Noah scoffs, shaking his head. “Were you even watching?” he says. “I won! I beat them all. I’m good, and I love it.” “Motocross racing—” “Isn’t a career,” Noah finishes snidely, sounding like he’s had this conversation a hundred times already. “And keeping us chained up on the peak isn’t a life. You should deal with that.”

But its might my dream, havent you ever had a dream~

“Pull your shirt down,” he grumbles.

Fuck you UNCLE PEDO

it’s that our parents don’t always know what’s best.

Facts

But she just grabs my hand anyway and drags me over to the bonfire. I stumble to keep up, trying to pull out of her hand.

Gross

“It’s okay.” She smirks down at me. “I know you’re straight.”

……?

She moves, swaying her hips and grinding on me a little, and my heart is pounding out of

Tiernan is a MINOR

“Yeah, how do you know?” “You’re saying there’s a chance you’re not?” she asks, teasing me. I roll my eyes. “You shouldn’t be,” she says. “I’m a lot safer than a guy. At least I can’t get you pregnant.”

We didnt need this, totally unnecessary

A little girl-on-girl action, which he’ll certainly notice, because she’s trying it with someone who lives in his house.

HURL

I shake my head clear. I’m not letting Kaleb pop my cherry in a threesome. I’m not letting Kaleb do anything ever again, in fact.

…?!

Kaleb. He stands in the distance, beyond the crowd—alone—and leaning against a tree trunk.

LIKE FUCKING MICHAEL MYERS

The promise of something about to happen.

YEAH A CRIME WILL OCCUR AGAIN SO LEAVE NOW

Do you really want to piss me off? “I dare you,” she threatens. “I’m not sure I’ll have to do anything.”

HURL

He came after me once already, after all.

Assault

“Everything with a dick is watching you two,” Jake growls, looking down at me.

HURLING

I glare up at him, working my arm free. “Would you have stopped us if I were dancing with a guy?” “If you had been dancing with a man like that in public, I would’ve taken you over my knee.”

HURL FUCK OFF

That’s the second time I’ve gotten yelled at for drawing attention I didn’t ask for. This possessive obsession with protecting my innocence is ridiculous. Just because they’re “experienced” doesn’t mean they’re any more mature or wise. I would even debate they’re less so. That’s been pretty clear since I arrived.

They are all assholes so why stay?!

Dancing with someone makes me look like a slut, but they can serial screw every night and not see the irony there.

Doubling fucking standard and you dont wanna be with mirai?! tiernan please get help

“Take me over your knee . . .” I repeat, looking at Jake’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “I’ve never been spanked in my life.” He looks up, meeting my gaze. “If you want to be, keep it up.”

FUCK YOU

“It’s called correction,” he retorts, staring back at the road. “And I’ll do it because I care about you.”

Its called abuse and fucking criminal you asshole

“You can’t stop me from being with someone or having sex if I want to,” I inform him. “It’s called a double standard, Jake. You guys get to be with women. Why can’t I enjoy someone’s company?” “We can be with women because no one has laid claim to us.” “No one has laid claim to me.” “You’re a young woman in my house,” he fires back. “We claim you until you’re old enough.” “On my birthday?”

WTF IS WRONG WITH THESE FUCKERS

“Your logic is flawed, you know?” I tell him, staring at him through the mirror. “If a woman claims you, then she’ll also do for you what other women do. But if you all are claiming me, you’re not doing for me what other men would do.”

Why so sexual?! this is not the swerve you think it is tiernan, you should have control over your own body PERIOD. does not matter if you are boy, girl or whatever else, even under the authority of stupid ass pedo jake, if you feel ready or not ready for sex then thats your choice, not anyone elses and fuck them all for treating you like a fucking object and not a person

“Ah!” A whimper rings through my ears, and I shoot up in bed, popping my eyes open.

This sound on the audiobook scared me lmao

The odor clogs my nostrils and fills my throat. I don’t remember what the dream was about, but I couldn’t breathe. I still can’t. I gasp.

THERAPY

I’m here. I’m in Colorado, with them and the wind and the warm fire and the new smells.

AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM

I drop my hand, listening to their panting and moaning. Tears well again, but I let them fall without another sob. I wish he was alone. He’d probably let me crawl into bed with him tonight, if I wanted. Like a big brother keeping the wolves at bay, because I had a scary dream. I wouldn’t try, even if he were alone, but . . . It’s a nice little fantasy. Warm. Safe. Comfort. Noah’s like that.

Bruh they are getting it on and you over here waking up after a nightmare and hurling in a trash can. the little moment tiernan wants would be innocent enough IF it was in a different book and these guys werent pedos

I stand up and lean my forehead into the wall, listening to the boys make love to girls and the ache filling me up, because I’m alone in here, forgotten and . . . jealous. Why am I jealous?

Not making love lmao can't take that seriously

Or my body wants to respond in ways it shouldn’t.

Another thought occurred to me just now, would not be surprising but is it peoples' kink to have a virgin partner that they could "defile" and thats why author is writing tiernan this way…imo that feels like infantilization and gross

They’ll drive me insane. Someone will end up dead.

And we know already who did the killing

His finger is threaded through the ring of his car keys as he flips them and catches them in his fist with a beer bottle sitting nearby, and I take in his jeans, minus the shirt.

Jake and those other losers always with no shirt

He hasn’t gone off on me. Why? I’m down here half-dressed in my panties. Why isn’t he barking at me to get some clothes on? Or go to bed?

Cause he is a pervert

Or maybe I like to be looked at.

Hurling

Kind of like what someone touching me would feel like.

Hurling

My light pink silk panties hug my ass, the bikini straps sitting just below my hips and leaving two inches of skin between them and my gray cami exposed. I reach up, putting the spices away as the muscles in my legs and ass flex, wanting him to see it.

HURLING PROFUSELY

His chest covers my back, and I smell him like I did today when we fished, warm skin touching mine and tingles spreading down my arms and thighs, only now, I don’t think I’ll run away. I want to feel this.

No! Bad! Pedo!

“We’re not . . . good influences on a girl.”

DAMN RIGHT