Torn (Torn Series) Page 0,44

morning, she was gone and I didn’t see her for almost six months. I stayed with Amber most of the time while she was gone. When she came back, she seemed better and I hoped that things would change. Since it was summer, she even asked me to come along with her on her next trip. I spent the next three months with her partying and getting stoned before we ended up at my aunts. We stayed there for over a month before she disappeared again. My aunt helped me get home, and from then on out, I saw her maybe once or twice a year and she has only beat me a few times since then. I pretty much moved in with Amber and her parents, and then I came here to escape her. I never want to see her again, and I’m afraid of what she’d do to me if I did.”

He pulled me into his arms as my body shook with sobs.

“Baby, I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that. If I had known you then, I would have protected you. You’re far too precious for that.”

I buried my face in his shirt as he spoke.

“Look at me.”

I shook my head no, but he pulled away and cupped my face in his hands, pulling me up so that I was looking at him. His eyes were a mixture of emotions. Anger, worry, sorrow, and last but not least, pity.

“I don’t want your pity Drake.”

He pulled my face to his and kissed me gently, taking me by surprise.

“It’s not pity I’m feeling, it’s blinding rage. I’d like to kill your mother for what she did to you. Thank you for telling me, I’m glad you know you can trust me.”

I gave a weak smile as he pulled me back to him and kissed me again. Instead of pulling away like before, he deepened the kiss. I felt my body come alive as his tongue slid into my mouth to gently caress my own. Something hard flicked against my teeth and I pulled back.

“Do you have your tongue pierced too?”

He grinned as he stuck his tongue out at me and I noticed a silver barbell.

“Jesus Drake, what don’t you have pierced?”

His grin faded and his eyes turned dark with lust.

“Why don’t I show you what else I have pierced?”

My eyes widened, “Um, no thanks, I’ll take your word for it.”

He laughed as he leaned in and kissed me again before pulling back and relaxing into the couch.

“What are we doing Chloe?”

“I don’t know, I was hoping you could tell me.”

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, “I don’t know either. We’re friends right?”

I nodded. “Yeah we’re friends who apparently kiss each other.”

“I don’t even know how to say this, so I’m just going to get it all out there. I like you Chloe and I’m attracted to you obviously, but I also consider you a friend. I really don’t want to screw that up, and if we take this any further, that’s exactly what’s going to happen. I don’t do relationships, but with you, sometimes I want to. Also, deny it all you want, but Logan has feelings for you. If something is going on between the two of you, I don’t want in the middle of it.”

I nodded as I let his words sink in, “I don’t want to ruin our friendship either, but I do have feelings for you and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that. Is it worth ruining our friendship to take a chance on something that might not work out? And you’re right about Logan having feelings for me, he told me everything the other night. I don’t know what I want from him, and my head is completely screwed up between the two of you.”

I studied the swirling patterns on the couch as I waited for him to speak. The silence in the room was deafening.

“You should be with Logan. He loves you and he would take care of you. I’m not a good person and I don’t pretend to be. I want you, but I can’t have you,” he said softly.

I nodded as tears welled up in my eyes again, “What if I don’t want him, what if I want you?”

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead, “You can’t have me, not like that anyway.”

I nodded as I stood, “You’re right. We’re great as friends, but anything else would be