We come to a stop and watch them openly. She nods a few times, and he smiles down at her with what could only be described as love. I recognize it because I’ve looked at Becky that way before.
“Interesting,” Cole mumbles next to me, seeing the look on Seth’s face.
They’re unfaithful. Just as Becky was to David. No wonder Demi allowed me to touch her so easily and begged me to prove she was better than her sister.
They’re exactly the fucking same.
It pisses me off. Not sure why. I’ve known that Demi is with Seth. Every time I touched her, every dream I’ve had of her, I’ve known she’s taken. But when has that ever stopped me before? Why would it now?
She leans up on her tiptoes and gives him a soft kiss on the cheek, then turns and walks off. He pulls his ringing cell out of his pocket and puts it to his ear. “Hey, babe.” He greets who I can only guess is Demi. Or hell, maybe he’s got more on the side. “Yeah, I’ll come over after you’re done with class.” He smiles to himself. “Wear the black one,” he says and then turns and walks off.
We stay standing, my mind wondering whatblack onehe’s referring to. And wishing I could see it as well.
DEMI
Sophomore year
I take Eli’s hand, and he helps me sit down beside him on the cliff. My legs dangle off the ledge, and I take another drink. My body shakes, and my breathing is labored. Why do girls do things they don’t like to impress a boy? I’m not sure anyone will ever be able to answer that question.
“Hey.” I jump when Eli places his arm around me and pulls to his side. “I got you.”
I look over at his brown eyes and soft smile playing on his pretty face. “Why are we here?” I ask.
The smile drops off his face, and he looks out over the dark ocean. The moonlight shines down on it, making it look beautiful but deadly. “I come here a lot with Cole and Deke.” He swallows. “After Betty died, there were times he wouldn’t answer our phone calls or texts. He’d miss school and swim practice. We always worried about him.” He sighs. “But one day, Deke convinced me to skip school and go look for him. We found him here, sitting at his mother’s grave.”
My chest tightens for Cole and the loss of his mother, and tears sting my eyes. I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose a parent. Even if I don’t like mine most of the time, I’d hate to have to live without them.
“We sat here with him in silence until the sun went down. And then without saying a word, he turned and walked down to the Lowes estate.”
“Why?” I ask curiously.
“That’s where Lilly was. Celeste always watches her for him.”
I don’t like her. There’s just something about Celeste and Bruce Lowes that I don’t trust.
“Deke turned and left as well, but I walked over here and sat down.” He smiles, looking out over the calm water. “And that’s when I heard them.”
“Heard what?” I whisper.
He turns to look at me, his left hand coming up to cup my face. “Just listen.”
I stop breathing. My heart pounds wildly at his warm hand on my cheek. I feel a blush creep up my face, and I’m thankful it’s not daytime. “Kiss me,” I say without thought.
His eyes drop to my lips, and he licks his. “Demi, I can’t …”
“Please,” I beg him.
He sighs heavily. “Listen to me, Demi.” His other hand comes up to hold my face as well.
The world starts to spin.
“You’re too good to be someone’s secret. And we both know that’s exactly what you would have to be if we got together.”
I know he’s right. He’s the oldest of the GWS. He’ll be turning eighteen this coming summer, and I’ll still be sixteen. “I don’t care,” I whisper. My mouth going dry suddenly.
He frowns. “You deserve to be someone’s fucking world, Demi Holt. Don’t ever think anything less of yourself.”
“I wanna be your world,” I say, feeling dizzy. I blink a few times, but it doesn’t stop. I fall backward, and he catches me.
