The Truth About My Scratches (The Carolina Killer Files #3) Page 4

He gave me a confused look. “Well, you may want to tell him that.”

  “We’re not dating,” I insisted.

  “Jaicey, if you are, it’s fine. If not, that’s okay too. Let your guard down, sweetheart. There’s no need to get upset. We’re happy for you. We want you to have friends and hang out. He seems like a good kid. It may be good for you to start dating again, whenever you feel like you’re ready.”

  “We aren’t dating,” I added again.

  Dad nodded slowly. “I see. Well, I hope you don’t mind but your mom invited him over just as soon as you woke up. Dating or not, he was kind enough to bring you home safely after you passed out. I’d think you’d want to at least say thank you. We didn’t raise you not to have manners.” He stood up and left the room before I could protest.

  I didn’t want to call Brayden. I didn’t want to him to meet my family or be inside my house. This place was my safe zone. He shouldn’t be here. I didn’t want anything to do with him. What business did he have telling my parents we were dating…or even implying it? We weren’t dating.

  I grabbed my phone, ready to give him a piece of my mind, and dialed. He picked up on the second ring.

  “How are you?” he answered, not bothering with a greeting.

  “Just who the hell do you think you are?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “What did you tell my parents? Why do they think that we’re dating? Huh? Are you insane? We are not dating, Brayden. I don’t even know if we’re friends. What could you possibly have been thinking? You had no right! No right! I can’t believe you would do something so stupid.”

  There was silence on the other end of the line.

  “You know, I’ve tried to be nice to you because you’re the new kid and I guess I feel sorry for you, but you’re really making it hard for me. I told you I didn’t want to drive. I told you I don’t want to be your friend. You either don’t listen or don’t care, but I am done, okay? I’m done with this little game that you’re playing. Stay away from me. Stay away from my family. Leave me alone.” I hung up, my heart pounding. I stared at my phone for five minutes, waiting for him to call back, even hoping a bit that he would. He never did.

  ***

  That evening at just past five, a knock sounded on my door. “Come in,” I called from my bed. My door slipped open slowly, almost cautiously, and I saw my mom’s head peek around the corner, a giant smile lighting up her face.

  “Jaicey,” she announced, “you have a visitor.”

  “I, what? Who?” I slammed my book shut and eyed the door suspiciously. She stepped back and allowed Brayden to walk in. Was he serious? What was with this kid?

  She smiled at me. “Dinner will be ready soon, you two.” She shut the door behind her as she left without a second glance. She’d never left me in my room with a boy before. I guess she knew there was no chance of me acting like a regular girl anymore.

  I stayed frozen on my bed while he lingered by my door. “What the hell are you doing here?” I asked, sounding braver than I felt.

  “I came to see you,” he said simply, running his hands along the top of my dresser as if he were doing a white glove test.

  “Why? Why would you do that? Why would you come here? I told you to stay away from me, Brayden. You can’t just come showing up at my house, with my parents.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t want you to!”

  “Yes. Yes, you do,” he said, walking toward me.

  “I don’t. I promise you I don’t. I want you to turn around and leave and leave me alone,” I said firmly.

  “Not unless you tell me why.”

  “I don’t have to tell you why. I don’t have to tell you anything. I don’t even know you. Just leave.” I stood up.

  He took another step toward me, coming dangerously close. “Why? Jaicey, just tell me why. Tell me why you hate me so much and I’ll leave. Not until then.”

  “Hate you?” I stopped, staring at him strangely. “I don’t hate you. You brought me home and I’m grateful for that, okay? I don’t hate you.”

  “But you don’t like me?” he asked.

  “But I don’t like you,” I confirmed. “You had no right to make my parents think that we were dating. You had no right to force me to drive your car. You had no right to come here tonight. It’s just all too much and I don’t need it in my life right now.”

  He reached for my hand, stopping my flinch before it could happen. “I’m sorry, okay? Jaicey, I’m sorry I told them that we were dating. I had no idea it would upset you so much. I was bringing you home passed out and they’d never met me. I thought fast and talked quicker, okay? You had a freaking breakdown right in front of me. Christ, Jaicey, I was so terrified, out of my mind. I’m sorry that I didn’t say whatever you had planned for me to say. I was just trying to do the right thing. No matter how you feel about me, I do like you, okay? Don’t ask me why because I couldn’t tell you. I couldn’t give you a single reason, honestly. You’re stubborn as hell and rude and cold, but I like you. Everything about you. And I’d like to date you. So, what I told your parents wasn’t a total lie. I would love to date you, Jaicey.”

  “I don’t—” I started to say, but he cut me off.

  “I know. You don’t date. You don’t go to prom. You don’t have friends. You don’t drive. You don’t talk. You don’t like school. You don’t leave your house. You don’t tell anyone anything about you. I get it!” He slammed his hand down on my computer desk. “I get it and I don’t care. I like you and I think that you like me too. You’re just scared to admit it. I don’t know why and if you aren’t ready to tell me why I guess that’s okay, but I like you. I like you, I like you, I like you.” He inched his face closer to mine, his eyes locked firmly on my lips. I was speechless.

  “Brayden, please.” I tried to pull away but I couldn’t. His hands burned into mine and my stomach danced with butterflies.

  “If you can look me in the eyes and tell me that you truly don’t like me, not even a little bit, then I’ll leave. You won’t hear from me anymore. I won’t bother you. I’m not a stalker. I’m just a guy. I’m a guy who likes a girl who won’t give me the time of day.” He laughed softly. “I see the way you look at me though, Jaicey. You don’t look at me like a girl who doesn’t like me, so tell me. Tell me you don’t like me and I’ll leave.”

  I was silent, not taking my eyes off of his.

  “Or I could stay.” He was less than an inch from my face now, the scent of his cologne burning my nose again. For the first time I noticed the stubble around his chin.

  “I don’t…Brayden, I don’t like you.” I coaxed the words off of my tongue in succession. “I don’t like you,” I whispered, blinking heavily.

  “Yes. You do.” He touched my chin, his lips parting. I couldn’t move. I watched his mouth grow closer to mine. My eyes shut instinctively. His warm breath hit my lips, and then his lips were on mine and we were kissing. His lips fit mine in all the right places and his tongue entered my mouth with passion. I kissed him back, though my heart pounded in fear. His hand caressed my cheek and I prayed he wouldn’t feel the stray tear that escaped. And then, as quickly as it had begun, it was over. Just like that. He pulled back, his lips flaming red.

  We were both silent, staring at each other, his hands still cradling my face. Nothing in my life had ever felt more right. I leaned in again, yearning for his lips. He pulled back—not far, just a few inches. I could almost taste him. My eyes begged for him to come back.

  “You don’t like me?” he whispered, his breath quick.

  I shook my head, grasping at his face and pulling him to me. His mouth was back on mine and we were running our fingers through each other’s hair. His stubble burned my cheeks, but I couldn’t seem to care. In that moment, everything felt better. Everything felt good.

  He pulled back again, a smile spread wide across his face. “Something you’d like to say to me, Miss Thomas?”

  I shook my head, leaning in
for his kiss again.

  “Ah, ah, ah. I made you a promise.” He held his finger onto my lips. “I said that if you told me you didn’t like me, I’d leave. I’m nothing if not a man of my word. You’ve told me, twice now. So, I’ll just be going.” He stepped back, the look in his eyes daring me to speak up.

  I watched him walk toward my door, the words hanging in my throat. His hand grasped the door handle firmly. He glanced my way one more time.

  “Okay,” I admitted.

  “Okay?” He dropped the door handle.

  “Okay. You’re right.”

  “I’m right?”

  I nodded.

  “What am I right about? You’ll have to be more specific. I’m not positive I know what you mean.” He smiled, but he was turning back to me.

  “Brayden…”

  He shook his head. “No. You have to say it.”

  My lips still burned from his kiss. My head swam with emotions I wasn’t supposed to feel anymore. “I do.”

  “You do what, Jaicey? Three little words.”

  “I…like…you.” I strained to say the words I’d never said before. Words I shouldn’t say.

  He placed his hand on the door once more, smiling from ear to ear. “Good.”

  “Good? Where are you going?”

  He pulled the door open firmly, smiling. He tilted his head toward the hallway. “To dinner. Come on.”

  ***

  My parents adored Brayden. Even my mother laughed more than she had in the past year. Everything was almost perfect and I had to admit, it almost felt good. Brayden’s charms, it turned out, worked not only on me, but on my parents as well. He knew all of the right things to do: compliment my mom, joke with my dad. I could see it in their eyes, how happy he was making them. I had to wonder if my eyes would someday look like that.

  “So, Brayden, you haven’t told us where you’re from. Jaicey says you are new to school this year,” my mom coaxed.

  “Well, all over really. My dad moved my family around a lot when I was growing up. I was born in Indiana. I lived in Kansas and Michigan briefly, but I’ve spent most of my life here.”

  “Here?” I was confused.

  “Well, yeah. I grew up in here in Lambert. I’ve been enrolled in private school my whole life though, until this year. My dad finally let me start attending public school this year.”

  “Private school, hmm? You must be very smart.” My mom smiled.

  “Thank you. My dad sure thinks so. He thinks very highly of education. He was always worried I wouldn’t get the best education unless I went to an elite school. Lambert High sure proves him wrong though. Half of my classes here are tougher than they were at Beattyville.”

  “So, your family lives around here then? We may know them…what are their names?”

  “It’s just me and my dad. You wouldn’t know him. He works for the state, so he travels a lot. Hardly gets around this town. He only moved here because of my mom. She grew up in Lambert. When she died he couldn’t bring himself to move us away.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear about your loss.”

  “Thank you,” Brayden said stiffly.

  “So are you guys going to be going to prom together?” she asked, changing the subject shamelessly.

  “Mom,” I blurted out, slamming my fork into my plate as my face grew red.

  “What?” she asked innocently. “I just wondered. Why, it’s only weeks away and it’s your last prom. Surely you’ll both want to go, right?”

  I covered my face with my hands, shaking my head.

  “Actually, I may be out of town that weekend. I’m trying really hard to work around it, but it may not be possible. Jaicey has been really understanding about it. I was so worried she’d be furious,” I heard Brayden answer.

  “Of course,” my dad said, speaking up. “That’s our Jaicey. Are you going to see family?”

  “Yes, my grandmother. We don’t get to see her too often with my dad’s work the way it is, so it’s hard to reschedule when we do get the chance.”

  I felt relief flood through me. I smiled at him enthusiastically. “I told you of course I understand. I wouldn’t want you to miss seeing your family, Brayden. It will be fine, Mom.” I put emphasis on the last sentence.

  She nodded sincerely. “You’re right. Forgive me, Brayden, if that came out a little too pushy. It was just an honest question. I hope you’ll enjoy seeing your family.”

  ***

  After dinner I walked Brayden outside.

  “It was nice to meet you, Brayden, officially that is. Are you sure you won’t stay and have some dessert?”

  He shook his head. “It was great to meet you both too, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas. I’m sorry though, I can’t stay. Dad wants me home. He doesn’t like for me to stay out to late on a school night.”

  My parents beamed at him. He was saying all the right things. “Well, don’t be a stranger,” my dad called.

  “Yes, you feel free to stop by any time.” My mom waved as we shut the door.

  I sighed once they were out of earshot. “Sorry about them.”

  “Don’t be.” Brayden laughed. “They’re really sweet.”

  “They’re annoying.” I rolled my eyes. “So annoying. All the time.”

  “They love you.”

  I smiled. “Yeah, they do. Though I think after tonight they may love you a little bit more than me.”

  He shook his head. “You really think that went well? You think they liked me?”

  “Of course. They, like, loved you.”

  “I hope so. I’ve never been very good with parents.”

  “Are you kidding me? You blew them away.”

  He smiled. “You blow me away.”

  “Brayden.” I slapped his chest playfully.

  “I’m serious.” He held out his hand. I took it as he began walking toward his car. He stopped as we got near it and kissed my cheek. “So does this mean we’re officially dating?”

  I paused. “I don’t know.”

  “What?” He looked shocked.

  “I don’t really date. You know that.”

  “Until now.” He kissed my cheek again.

  “I’ve said that I like you. Can’t you just let that be enough for now?”

  He shook his head. “It’ll never be enough. Having all of you forever would never be enough.”

  I looked at him, my eyebrow cocked.

  He smiled, his cheeks flushing. “Okay, maybe that was a little too cheesy?”

  I let out a loud laugh.

  “Seriously though, Jaicey. I told you I’d wait and I meant it. Just…be kind, okay? Don’t keep me waiting forever.” With that, he wrapped his arms around my waist. He kissed my forehead, my nose, and finally my mouth. He kissed me gently, making my world spin. His kiss was perfect; it fit me perfectly, making me feel safe. My insides warmed at his touch. We pulled away slowly. He brushed his thumb across my cheek.

  When I opened my eyes he was staring at me, a strange look on his face. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  He smiled. “You didn’t flinch.”

  ***

  The next week at school, as I walked out of my last class and into the parking lot, I was instantly met by Derek and his group of friends.

  “Hey, Derek, how are you?” I smiled, trying to brush past him casually.

  He held his arms out to stop me, refusing to move. “So, rumor has it you’re dating the new kid.”

  I thought for a moment, smiling. “And if I am?”

  Derek looked hurt. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “I guess I am. We haven’t really said anything officially, Derek. I don’t owe you any sort of explanation.”

  “Jaicey, how can you say that?”

  “What do you want, Derek? I’m just trying to get home.”

  He turned around to face his friends. “I’ll catch up with you guys later, okay?” They nodded, mumbling their goodbyes and walking away. Then he turned back to me. “Just tell me this…are you go
ing to prom with him?”

  “No. I don’t think so. He has something going on that weekend.” I shrugged.

  “I thought you had plans. I thought you didn’t want to go.”

  “What? I mean, I don’t want to go. I do have plans. He does too. We aren’t going.”

  “But you’d go with him, wouldn’t you? If he asked you,” he asked, his eyes serious.

  “Derek, please don’t do this. I’m not your charity case, okay? It was sweet of you to ask me, honestly, but there are tons of girls who’d love to go with you. I’m sure Mallory told you to ask me, but honestly, it’s fine. It’s totally fine.”

  Derek’s jaw grew tight. “Stop it! Okay? Stop. And don’t even suggest that I’d go with anyone else. I don’t want to go with anyone else. I want to go with you.”

  “Derek,” I said, unsure of what else could be done.

  “I don’t trust him, Jaicey. I don’t like him. No one knows anything about him. He’s just weird. You’re not like him. You’re one of us.”

  “No one knows anything about him because no one will give him a chance! That’s how this school is. You and all of your friends sit around making assumptions and judging people who are the least bit different from you. Well, guess what, Derek? I’m not anything like you. I’m different than all of you and I’m okay with that. Brayden has made me okay with that. So, yes, if I go to prom it’d be with him, not you. You, who has never made any effort to talk to me until this year. You, who has treated me like crap every day of my life just because I’m not popular and not pretty. You have no right to talk to me about my life. You know nothing about me.” I spat my words at him like venom, years of hate foaming out of me.

  “Jaicey, what the hell are you talking about? I’ve never once been rude to you. I’ve never been mean to you. I’ve done everything I know to do to help you. They said you needed space, so that’s what I gave you. If I’d known for a second that this would be the outcome, I would’ve been with you every day. Every single day. I would’ve never left you alone. I’ll never forgive myself for what happened. I’ll never forgive myself for not being there. Just please don’t shut me out. Don’t do this to me. I love you, Jaicey. I love you and I miss you so much.” Tears were filling his eyes.