“Doesn’t matter. It will never happen.”

Wait. What? “You know who he was talking about? Who could Trevor and I have in common?”

“It’s not someone you have in common. It’s someone I have in common.”

“I don’t understand…”

“You don’t need to. I’ll handle it.”

“The hell I don’t. He was going to kidnap me, Keiran or don’t you get that?” My voice level rose with my frustration.

“Leave it alone.”

“No.” I stated, crossing my arms.

“No?” His eyes were nearly black now and that rebellious vein near his temple was throbbing.

“I’m going to find out what you are hiding Keiran. I deserve to know. Your past is the reason why you screwed up mine and I want to know why. I want to know all of it. Not the half-truths you gave me.”

“Do I ask you about your parents, Lake?” he yelled. The vibration of his voice shook me as it thundered through the kitchen.

“It’s your parents?” I asked, surprised. I could see the moment realization dawned on him. He cursed and stormed out of the kitchen. His footsteps pounding the floor until the front door slammed.

I hopped off the counter top and raced to the door. I didn’t know if I wanted to stop him or make sure he was gone. I opened the door just as Dash’s car raced down the street, recklessly. I stared at the receding taillights until they disappeared around the corner.

Way to go, Lake. You pissed him off and still don’t have any answers.

Once his car disappeared, I noticed a dark car with the headlights turned off sitting across the street.  It pulled off in the direction Keiran just went and I frowned. I closed the door against the cold air and made sure to lock it before rushing for my cell phone in jacket. I tried Keiran’s phone multiple times before giving up and heading for my own car.

I didn’t have a clue as to where he might go besides home so I headed over there. I continued to call him and cursed when I realized I didn’t have Keenan’s number so I tried Sheldon’s.

“Hello,” she mumbled sleepy on the third ring.

“Hey, is Keenan with you? It’s important.”

“Sure. Hold on.” I heard shifting and muffled voices before Keenan’s voice came over the line.

“Great. Now she knows about our secret love affair, Lake. Way to go.” I heard a slap ring through the line.

“Keiran took off after we had an argument. I’m heading over to your house. If he isn’t there I need to know where he would go.”

Silence filled the line and I could sense his hesitance. Chances were that Keiran would be home and chances were that he could be in danger.

“Keenan, please.”

He released a loud breath into the phone before answering. “The court. He would go there,” he stated before hanging up.

I came to a stop at one of the town’s forks. The left led to Keiran’s house while the right would take me to the playground. I haven’t stepped foot on that playground in ten years. I’ve seen it riding past and it hasn’t changed much but the memories all began there.

I made my decision and sped the rest of the way there.

Chapter Twenty-Five

I stepped onto the lawn looking around for signs of Dash’s vehicle. I spotted the gleam of the sleek silver car and hurried in that direction. I didn’t see signs of the tailing vehicle as I looked for Keiran. I had a good idea of where he might be.

I heard the sound of the ball hitting the concrete a split second before the swish of the net. I broke through the trees and spotted Keiran moving swiftly across the court. Even from here I could see him covered in sweat and his shirt clinging to his chest and arms.

He played as if in a trance and I realized that this was his way of hiding from the present and the past. He was using basketball as a defense mechanism to escape from himself. But who was the real Keiran?

“Keiran, stop!” He kept playing though I was close and loud enough for him to hear me. His moves were aggressive as if there was an opponent playing against him. He was in danger of injury at any moment if he kept it up.

I ran onto the court and ripped the basketball out of his hands just as he was going for a jump shot.  Desperate hands grabbed me up just before his lips descended on mine. I inhaled his sweaty, masculine scent that intoxicated my senses. The basketball fell listlessly from my hands in favor of his sculpted abdomen that heaved under my touch.

His hands cupped me under my butt, lifting me and I wrapped my legs around his hips and let him carry me…somewhere. His lips never left mine and air became inconsequential to the need to feel him take me.

My back was pressed against a hard surface and only then did he let me stand on my own; but when he started to rip away at my clothing I got an uneasy feeling so I began to push against his shoulders. However, that wasn’t enough when he continued to kiss me passionately. He seized my hands above my head and pressed them into the wall behind me.

“Keiran,” I managed to say around his plunging tongue. “Keiran, wait.” As much as I wanted him, I needed to stop him. He continued to ignore my protests and pressed his body harder against me. “Keiran, stop!” I bit down on his lip before ripping my mouth away.

He shoved away from me and glared at me through narrowed eyes. “Are you fucking telling me no?” I nodded and kept a wary eye on him. He looked as if he would pounce at any moment.

“I can’t let you hide behind sex anymore.”

“Let me?” he scoffed. “You think I need you to let me?”

“It’d be pretty hard to do without my consent, don’t you think?”

“I don’t hide,” he said, ignoring my question. He fixed his clothes and sat down on a nearby bench with his head lowered. “Why did you come here?” he asked but his voice was disinterested.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay. You were pretty mad and driving recklessly.

He shrugged and looked off into the distance. “It wouldn’t be the first time. I can take care of myself.”

“So can I,” I countered.

He turned his head and studied my face. “No, you can’t. You’re too sheltered. You don’t have a clue, girl.”

“And you do?”

“More than you would think. I am the monster you would hide under the covers from as a kid.”

“You were a kid then too.”

“I was never a kid, Lake. I didn’t have a childhood. I didn’t have parents or a family. I was a body used for selfish gains that hurt people.”

“What about your mom?” I asked with a frown.

“She wasn’t much of a mom. I hardly knew her.”

“And now? Who are you now?”

“I’m a hopeless fuck who is obsessed with a girl he still wants to hurt.”  I didn’t react to his confession. In truth, I didn’t know what to say or do. Obsession was a pretty powerful thing. How deep did his run?

A wind broke through the air and I shivered from the cold temperature, which he seemed to notice. “Let’s get you home,” he stated grimly.

* * *

I woke up the next morning to find Keiran gone. His side of the bed was warm which meant he hasn’t been gone long. Resigned to an early start, I let my feet sink into the plush carpet and made my way to the bathroom deciding that a hot soak was needed to relax my tired muscles.

While the tub filled with hot water, I reached for my bath salts and coconut oil and poured it into the rising water. Knowing that it would take a while to fill up the large, garden tub I left the bathroom to call Willow. Whoever woke up first usually called the other. We liked to torture each other that way.

“I’m going to visit grandma today. You up for it?” Willow sometimes came with me to Red Rock to visit my grandma. I figured today she might need an escape after dealing with Dash last night. Speaking of…

“Yes! When are we leaving?” Her voice sounded desperate and I frowned at the phone.

“Are you okay?”

“Tell you all about on the ride. So…the time?”