Her antics never stop.

"Hey, who’s holding the gun here? No laughing." I stifled my laugh and waited for her to continue.

"Now a little birdie tells me that you and the dark lord showed up to class this morning and were making cute and cuddly in the back of the class. Tell me my Intel made a mistake. I don't want to have to off any tops, if you know what I mean, but I have to protect my interests. You are one of my best, Don Lake."

To someone who didn't know Willow would think she was just clowning around, but I heard the message loud and clear. She is scared for me and wants me to remember that I'm her best friend and she is here for me if I need help.

I wanted to confide in her but I knew Keiran’s threat wasn't exclusive to my aunt...he would use anyone I loved to get to me. I couldn't let that happen so I only hugged her to me. Willow and I were like sisters where it counted and could feel each other's pain. I let a tear fall as we embraced.

"Lake you can't keep secrets from me, you have to be honest! Tell me what's going on with you," she sobbed and broke down in frustration.

"You first...”

Chapter Four

I finished the game with an over aggressive spike that had some of the other girls raising an eyebrow but ‘so what?’ We won the match. Most of my anger was coming from the fact that Willow wasn't speaking to me. She even chose an opposing team, which was huge for us. We did everything together and now it felt as if there was a wedge driven between us. I couldn't lose my only friend but I also couldn’t believe she was hiding something, but wanted me to bare my demons. I shook my head in frustration. What the hell happened with her this summer?

I now had confirmation that something was wrong. She closed up after I hinted that she was keeping secrets. Willow was an open book—a free spirit. She knew who she was and wasn't afraid to show the world; unlike me, I hid. After showering, I rushed to catch up with Willow who had finished before me and left without saying a word. We had lunch period together this year, but I didn't know if she would show up since we normally avoided that area.

When I rounded a corner, my mouth took a nosedive and I blinked just to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. Willow’s lips were freaking attached to a tall, muscular guy. He had a strong arm wrapped around her waist while a large hand palmed the back of her head as he devoured her lips like a starved man. They were oblivious to my presence and continued to feast on each other, so I stepped back around the corner to give them privacy. When I heard a low masculine groan I peeked around to watch them again. His hand was lowering to grab onto her ass and lift her into his groin. She moaned which seemed to make him hungrier.

Willow had the body of a siren that could bring men to their knees – all voluptuous and womanly, but she always griped that she needed to lose weight. If she saw the lustful stares she often got, especially when she wore her unusual getups, she wouldn’t feel that way. She was a knockout.

“Wait,” Willow softly protested. He only pulled her tighter, unwilling to let her go. She looked so small in his arms. “No!” She tore her mouth away, gasping for breath. “I told you I can’t do this anymore. It was a mistake.” When she pulled away my mouth dropped along with my heart that was now sitting in the pit of my stomach. I pulled my head back around the corner to regain myself and prevent a mental meltdown. It couldn’t be him. She wouldn’t…

“A mistake?” he asked, sounding amused. “What was? When I fucked you or when you fucked me back?”

“Don't, please,” she pleaded, causing me to peek back around the corner.

“Why not? What we shared was real, our whole summer was real.”

“I won’t be your plaything. That's all you want.”

He growled in frustration and took a menacing step forward crowding her against the lockers. “How the fuck would you know what I want? You don't even know me.”

“You’re right.I don't know you,” she spoke firmly. “And I don't trust you.”

“I don't care,” he barked. “I get what I want.” He left the warning hanging as he stalked away.

What a douche.

I wanted to comfort a sobbing Willow even though I felt sick and was angry with her. I couldn’t tell her who to date but then I never thought it would be with the enemy. Regardless, I knew I had to be there for her. We could talk about what I saw later. I stepped forward, ready to console my friend, but was suddenly hauled back by an arm that felt like steel wrapped around my waist. My back impacted the hard chest and I was held arrested, my body molding to the muscular body holding me hostage.

“What are you doing?” Keiran’s harsh voice spoke into my neck. I didn’t see or hear him approach so I assumed he must have come up from the other hallway.

“I was just–” I stopped when I felt his other arm wrap around me. His face was still buried in my neck as he brought me close like a lover would. Despite my shock at how natural it felt to be in his arms, I closed my eyes, relishing the moment and forgetting who we are and what this was.

This wasn't reality; it was a fantasy. It felt too good to be real. All it took was one wrong move and this fantasy would quickly turn into my worst nightmare. His lips brushed my neck and his thumb swept under my shirt to caress my stomach, making butterflies erupt.

“If you try anything, you will be sorry,” he whispered. The malice is his voice was like a bucket of ice water thrown in my face and suddenly the feeling of his hands and lips on me felt like the kiss of death.