Page 33 of The Twisted Beats

Hedoeswant to have sex with me. I haven’t even kissed a boy, but I’d do anything with him. Butterflies release in my chest and my skin tingles. He’s naughty and I like it.

Not knowing how to react, I sit and fidget with the bottom of my tank top. “You’re sixteen?”

“Seventeen in a few months.”

“I’ll be fifteen in a couple of months.”

“When’s your birthday?”

“September first.”

He raises his eyebrows and nods. “We’re not that far apart in age.”

“When’s yours?”

“December first. We’re both born on the first. I guess that means we can always be each other’s number one.” He pushes up and rests his elbows on his knees. “But I still can’t take you out until I get the okay.”

My heart shrinks, knowing that will be a while. “You’ll wait for me, won’t you, Callum?”

“Every day until I can make you mine.” The intensity of his words makes me believe him.

“Did you mean what you said earlier about seeing me like a lily, or do you use those lines on every girl?”

“I meant them. I don’t know where they came from, but since I laid eyes on you, I can’t stop thinking things like that. They fall from my lips without giving it a second thought.”

“Those are some pretty adult things to say.”

“My ma says I’m an old soul and some kind of poetic genius like my pops. She says I’ve always said things like that, but I’ve never said them to a girl. Unless I’m singing a song I wrote.”

“When did you start writing?”

“I started writing poetry as soon as I could hold a pen. It was shit at first, but it’s better now.” He lounges back but keeps his gaze on me.

I do the same. “You write your own lyrics?”

“Yeah. I don’t get to use them much since we are under the label, but someday I will when I go solo.”

I think about that for a moment. I work and have tutoring, so I won’t get to go to many of their shows. He may find some other girl while he’s away. I crease my brows together and turn away from him.

His voice breaks into my thoughts. “Did I say something bad?”

“No. I just won’t ever get to see you play in concert. I’ve got school and work. There’s no way my parents will let me go to one of your gigs.”

“Livianna, you need to let loose. And one day, I’m gonna show you the way.”

“I have a good time.” I glare over at him.

“Yeah?” He smirks. “You work as many hours as they’ll let you and tutor on top of that. From what Guns has said, you enjoy listening to him play and practicing your lines. Sometimes you bake with your ma. The kind of fun I’m talking about is a lot different.”

“You mean like an amusement park?”

“No.” He laughs. “But wait. Have you never been to an amusement park?”

“I have for photo shoots or promo videos, but I’ve never run around all day and ridden all the rides.”

His eyes grow big. “Your parents never took you?”

“No. But not because they wouldn’t. Bren’s always doing things around music, and I’ve always been about modeling and acting.”