Tear: A Seaside Novel

Chapter Fifteen

My body screamed kiss me! But that would be wrong, and cheating, and it would prove exactly what the papers had written about me.

I told myself to step back but I was caught, hypnotized by his eyes, his mouth, everything about him.

"Nat..." He groaned. He looked so tortured.

I reached up and touched his face. Alec closed his eyes, muttering a curse under his breath.

"We can't."

"Can't?" I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Us, we can never happen, Nat."

I jerked back. "Why?"

"I promised someone a long time ago that I would never get in the way again. He really likes you, Nat. Possibly loves you. I won't do that to him. I can't do that to him, regardless of how I feel about you."

"How do you feel?" I felt my eyes search his face for any hint of information that would give him away.

"Guilty." He growled as his mouth crushed mine. I closed my eyes as his lips worked against mine. Alec was so different. His kiss didn't scare me — it terrified me. It made me feel things a high school girl had no right to feel.

Alec stumbled back, his breathing ragged. "Goodbye, Nat."

Hurt, I watched him leave the janitor's closet. He didn't come back, even though I waited.

After ten minutes the lunch bell rang and I walked to my locker in a daze of confusion.

"Hey." Demetri caught up to me. "You sick again?"

"No, sorry. I'm just tired," I lied, hoping my face didn't say "And I just kissed your brother, because I think I may love him."

The problem was I loved Demetri too. In a totally different but very real way, and I felt so guilty that I had just done something so horrible to him.

"You need coffee." He nodded his head as if he was the all-knowing and all powerful Oz and I the Tin Man who was just given a heart.

"Yes, I do."

"Come on." He held out his hand. I grabbed it. Demetri led me through the crowded halls, the security detail followed close behind.

When we got to the principal's office, it was clear that any woman with a heartbeat would gladly murder me and take my place. For one second I thought the receptionist was going to rip her own shirt off and confess undying love.

I quickly grabbed her family picture and put it face down on the counter while Demetri smooth talked her. Nobody should have to witness this tragedy.

After a few minutes, in which I watched him sign a few autographs for the office staff, he winked at me and we were off.

"Did you just use bribery?"

"No." He laughed. "I smiled."

I chuckled. "What am I going to do with you? So cocky..."

"Anything you want, Nat. I'm yours." He stopped walking and pulled me into his embrace. His lips were on mine before I could protest.

Guiltily, I kissed him harder. I wanted the memory of Alec's lips gone. I was still hurt, and now I was using Demetri to make me feel better. He moaned and wrapped his arms around me, crushing my body against his. Muscles flexed in his jaw as I leaned up and kissed his chin.

"Nat," he ground out tearing himself away from me. "If you keep kissing me back like that, I'm not going to behave."

I bit my lip, then quickly remembered Alec's earlier warning. As if I summoned him up out of nowhere, he walked up behind us, his lips in a grim line.