Chapter Two – Kyle

She isn’t the girl I left here at the beginning of the year.

No. Roxy Hughes has definitely changed. Gone is the sweet, soft-spoken girl I knew, and she’s been replaced with someone completely different. Someone alien.

I didn’t believe what everyone had been telling me until this morning. I didn’t believe my little Roxy could be so careless and devil-may-care, but she is. It’s not hard for me to imagine her getting wasted every weekend and doing God knows what with God knows who.

Shit. What the fuck happened to her? Of all the ways she could have dealt with Cam dying, she’s chosen this? Ruining herself?

I shake my head in my hands, and my eyes fall on the framed image hanging above the fireplace. It’s of me, Cam, and Roxy from a year ago, taken right after our last football game of high school. Cam and I are both grinning from the win, our helmets tucked under our arms, and Roxy’s sandwiched between us both. Her black hair is over one shoulder, and her blue eyes are as bright as the smile gracing her lips.

A heavy sense of loneliness hits me in the gut. I’ve barely been home a day, but I can feel it. I can feel the gaping hole left by Cam’s absence. It’s like Verity Point has lost a part of the town – and it has. It’s lost the life and soul of the party, the joker, the class clown. That was Cam; the guy who could make everyone laugh without even trying. But I’ve lost more than that. I’ve lost my best friend, my partner-in-crime, and my brother.

I should have just chopped off my fucking leg after his dad called that night. It would have been less painful and a fitting description of what it feels like to be home and know he’s not here. Know he won’t ever be here again.

The front door opens, and I still stare at the picture.

“Alright, son?” Dad asks, walking into the front room.

“It isn’t the same, is it?” I don’t turn around. “Without him here. I can feel it.”

He sighs and throws his jacket on the chair before lowering himself next to me. He leans forward, his elbows on his knees, and clasps his hands together. Scamp, our terrier, bounds over to me and wags his tail against my leg. I scratch the top of his head absently.

“Nope. Hasn’t been since the moment he died. It’s too quiet around here. It was bad enough when you left – we only had one half of the dynamic duo we’d all come to secretly love, no matter how many tricks you played on us.”

I smile.

“You leaving for college left a gap here we all noticed… But Cam? Cam’s death has left a damn canyon. There isn’t a person in this town that doesn’t miss him.”

“I don’t need you tell me that, Dad. Everyone loved Cam. He was the golden boy.”

Dad nods. “Roxy’s taken it the hardest.”

“Yeah… I saw her earlier.” I rub my face.

“Sounds fun,” he replies dryly.

“About as fun as finals. She pretty much let me have it at one point. I guess everyone’s been treating her like a princess, right?”

“You guess right.” Dad settles back on the sofa. “No one wanted to tell her no at first, everyone thought her acting out was her way of coping, but it just got worse. By the time Ray and Myra realized how bad she was, it was too late. I spoke to him last week about her, and he’s lost for what to do. She won’t listen to them.”

“You know she won’t. Roxy was the sweetest damn girl ever, but that doesn’t change how headstrong she’s always been. Tell her she’s wrong, and she’ll do all she can to prove she’s right. Tell her no, and sure as hell she’ll go and do it.” I pause. “What about Selena? She must have tried.”

“Every weekend, Ray said. At this point, Selena goes along with her just to make sure she gets home safely. Or so she says. If you believe the rumors, Roxy usually takes a detour on her way home, if you get my meaning.”

My jaw clenches, my teeth grinding together. That riles me and brings out every protective instinct in my body. The thought of Roxy sleeping with random guys on a weekend after getting herself wasted…

“Let me guess, there’s a party tonight?” I look at my dad.

“Even if there wasn’t, I don’t doubt Roxy would find one these days.”

I stand up, pulling my cell from my pocket and scrolling down to Si’s name. My closest friend aside from Cam. I fire off a message to him asking if he knows where Roxy will be tonight, and sigh. Dad’s sympathy-filled eyes meet mine when I look up.

“I know you always promised Cam…” he starts.

“I owe him this much, Dad. I wasn’t here six months ago but I am now, so I can try and sort the shit she’s getting herself in.” My cell buzzes and I glance at the screen. Si’s reply. I scan the message, getting the place of the party.

“Alright. If anyone can knock some sense into her, it’s you.”

“I’ll try, at least.”

And I don’t exactly want to watch her destroy herself, either.

~

Miami’s football program has done Si good. Since I saw him at Christmas, he has to have put on another half a stone of pure muscle. He was easily our top linebacker – hell, he was probably the best guy on our damn team at school.

“Never thought I’d see Selena having a party,” I mutter.

Si snorts as we walk in. “Three guesses who convinced her.”

I don’t need three. I wish I did though. “She’s really that bad?”

“You’ll see for yourself tonight.” Si shoulders his way through a group of girls toward the fridge. He pulls out two beers, hands me one, and leans against the side.

“Great,” I say dryly, leaning next to him. I look out over the large kitchen, my eyes scanning heads for the raven black hair I know so well. “How many fucking people are here?”

“Too many. Thanks in part to-”

“Roxy,” I finish for him.

“Out of town party a month or so ago. Selena told me she hooked up with one the guys there and apparently has herself a small fan club. They’re here tonight.”

“Hence why you’re here.”

“Like I’m gonna leave my cousin with a bunch of guys I don’t know. I’m pissed she went out of Verity to party as it is.” Si swigs from the bottle and eyes me. “You really think I’d be here if it wasn’t for that? Selena is the sensible one out of those two.”

“Mmm.” A flash of black hair catches my eye from the corner of the kitchen. My muscles tense at the way that hair flicks over a shoulder flirtatiously, and the smile on Roxy’s face isn’t one I’ve seen before. It’s almost predatory, focused on some guy in front of her I don’t know. She puts a hand on her hip and runs the fingers of her other hand in small circles over her chest.

Her very on display chest.

I take in her outfit. The red shirt she’s wearing leaves little to the imagination, clinging to her body so tightly the buttons across her breasts are almost popping open and her faded blue jeans, tucked into Uggs, are so tight they’re practically embedded into her skin. She looks comfortable and casual… And sexy. Very fucking sexy.

I shift uncomfortably as the thought crosses my mind. I’ve never thought of Roxy that way before. Sure, I’ve always known she was beautiful, maybe even been attracted to her a few times, but I’ve never devoured her body with my eyes the way I am right now.

Her laugh travels to my ears over the music, and I bring the beer bottle to my mouth to hide the tightening of my jaw.

“Who’s that jerk?” Si nudges me, nodding in the direction of Roxy.

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“You look pissed.”

“I don’t like the way he’s looking at her, that’s all.”

“He looks like he wants to do more than talk to her.”

“Si.”

“Well. He does.” Si laughs. “Want me to take him outside?”

I laugh with him. “Nah. I’ll just keep an eye on him – and her – and make sure he keeps his hands to himself.”

“Tom Parks, twenty-two, lives in Portland. Visiting a sick aunt who lives on the other side of the falls.” Selena stops in front of us and holds out two beers.

“How do you know that?” Si raises an eyebrow at her.

“Roxy may not give a crap about the names of the guys she fucks, but I always find out.” She tilts her glass in Roxy’s direction. “I can’t stop her doing what she wants to, but I can try to keep her safe.”

“He’s a jerk,” I say, looking at her. “Does he know she’s only just eighteen?”

“Of course he does. Everyone here knows Roxy.” A bitter laugh leaves her. “He knows and he doesn’t care. He likes younger girls if you believe what you hear.”

“Shit, Leney. Rumors are crap and you know it,” Si scoffs.

“Hey, every rumor has a bit of truth to it. Where did it come from otherwise?” She jabs his chest.

“She’s got a point,” I acquiesce, watching Roxy lead Tom into the front room. “And he’s got a shock comin’ to him.”

“She’ll kill you, Kyle. She’s real pissed at you still.”

“So she told me this morning.” I pop the cap of the beer and glance at the blonde bombshell. “Do I look like I give a shit if she’s annoyed at me or not?”

Selena smirks. “Not really.”

“There we go then.” I push off from the side, heading toward the front room. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a wayward little ass to keep out of trouble.”

The volume of the music increases as I pass through the people milling around, stopping every now and then to greet and chat to the people I’ve grown up with. One thing is noticeable; Cam’s name is never mentioned. The subject of him isn’t even touched upon, and it annoys me even though I know it’s not because he’s been forgotten. I can still talk about him.

Roxy is easy to find when I step into Selena’s huge front room. She’s in the middle of the room, running her hands through her hair and moving her body in time with the music. And the way she moves it…

My eyes aren’t the only ones on her. Every guy in the room is eating her alive visually. They’re all wishing they were the lucky bastard with his hands on her hips, his front against her back, his smug smirk in her hair.

I just wish I could punch him.

I sit where I am, in the corner of the room, making casual conversation with people I haven’t seen since Christmas. I keep my gaze on and around Roxy, never letting her leave my sight. My fist clenches with every drink she has, and by midnight I’ve lost count.

I’m half pissed at her and half impressed at the amount her little body can hold.

She stumbles a little and waves Tom off from catching her. She passes me, not seeing me, and heads in the direction of the kitchen with him hot on her heels. Fuck this. I get up and follow them, catching sight of Roxy just as she steps outside. Selena catches my eye as I walk past and sighs dejectedly.

Yeah, I’m feeling that myself.

Its cooler outside than it is in Selena’s house, but I don’t notice. I just notice Roxy’s shaking head and Tom getting closer to her than he should be in her state. She holds her hands up, and he grabs them, his fingers visibly flexing around her wrists.

“Get off me,” she tries to shake him off.

“You just need to calm down,” he replies, and she winces.

Hell fucking no.

I storm across the garden and hit him with a glare made from stone. My hands cover his and I unpeel his fingers from her one by one. Roxy lowers her arms.

“Watch who you’re putting your fucking hands on.” My voice is hard. A warning.

Because anyone who hurts Roxy gets hurt back.

I put my arm around her shoulders and tuck her into my side. She looks up at me with one eyebrow raised. “I’ve been looking for you all night.”

“Who the fuck is this?” Tom looks between us.

“I’m her boyfriend,” I reply before Roxy can. She tenses, and I look down at her. “You win. You proved you could pull someone else before me, but I think it’s time we got going.”

I spin us away from Tom before he says another word and lead her round the side of the house, digging my keys from my pocket. Roxy pulls away from me.

“What the hell was that, Kyle?”

“Get in the car.” I unlock it and open the passenger door.

“Fuck no,” she spits. “You’ve been drinking.”

I level my gaze on her. “I had two bottles over three hours ago – I’m as sober as they come. Now get your ass in my fucking car before I put it in there.”

She glares at me, and I pat the door. Slowly, she sits in the seat, and I slam the door on her. I watch her as she rubs her wrists one after the other.

“Did he hurt you?”

“What was all that about?” she repeats her earlier question.

“Did he hurt you?!” I smack the steering wheel and level my gaze on her.

“I’m fine,” she mutters.

“Right. And to answer your question, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“That! In the yard!” She turns in her seat. “My fucking boyfriend?”

I hide the twitch of my lips. “It was all I could come up with.”

“Fuck!” She puts her hand on her forehead. “Why did you do that?”

“Roxy, you’re absolutely wasted. There was no way I was letting you go home with that jerk.”

“I’m old enough to decide that for myself.”

“But not clear headed enough. Besides, you didn’t exactly look like you were welcoming his advances before I turned up.” I shoot her a meaningful look.

She pauses, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth and nibbling on it. “I just needed a few minutes.”

“Mhmm. And if I didn’t come out when I did?”

She says nothing.

“Good job I decided to come over tonight, isn’t it?”

“I told you earlier. I don’t need you.”

I pull into her drive, parking behind her mom’s car, and turn to her. “Obviously, you do.”

“You’re a fucking ass, Kyle.” She shoves the door open and gets out, pushing it hard to close it. I get out and walk to her, holding her arm to stop her, bending my mouth to her ear.

“True, but I’m a fucking ass who probably stopped yours getting raped tonight.”

Roxy freezes. “That wouldn’t have happened.” Uncertainty filters through her words, a tiny waver I know well.

“How do you know?”

Nothing.

“It isn’t worth the risk, is it? Like I said, lucky for you, I was there.”

She lifts her head until her blue eyes collide with mine. “And now you can say you fulfilled your promise to Cam. Now you can leave me to it.”

“So you can do the same thing next weekend?”

“That’s nothing to do with you.”

“Wrong. It’s everything to do with me.”

“How is it?”

“Because I care.”

“Well, don’t.” She snatches her arm from my grip and opens her front door. “Go back to California, Kyle. I don’t want you to care.”

The door shuts behind her, and I stare at it for a second. What the hell happened to her? Everything she’s been tonight – from her actions to her words, even her facial expressions – they really are nothing like the person I remember. It’s as if she’s been taken over by something or someone else.

And I hate it.

I sigh, turning from the house. “Goodnight, Roxy.”