Here Comes the Light (Cambrooke #1) (10 page)

“I don’t like this.” I cross my arms again.

“Don’t you want to talk to Hudson? I know he wants to talk to you.” He says. Yes, I want to talk to Hudson that is the only reason I followed Ethan out here in the first place. I reluctantly lower myself beside him.

“What happened with you and Jess,
she is pretty ticked at you.” he asks like we are old friends or something.

“I just didn’t do what she wanted.” I reply with irritation in my voice glancing over my shoulder hoping Hudson gets back out here soon.

“Yeah, she doesn’t like it when people don’t do what she wants.” He laughs and lounges, now laying on his back he rests his hands behind his head.  “The stars look awesome tonight, if you lay like this you can see them much better.” Something about his voice doesn’t sit right with me.

I tilt my he
ad back, but refuse to lie beside him. “I can see them just fine like this.” I say. He is silent for a little bit before he leans up on his side facing me.

“You getting cold?” I look down at my
bare arms. I probably should have worn a jacket.  “You can lean up against me.”

Okay this just got all kinds of weird. I look behind me again. “Where is Hudson?” I ask. He sits up and pulls his knees to his chest.

“I have a confession to make, Hudson is not here.”

My heart drums in my
chest. “Did Jess put you up to this?” I ask as I lean away from him.

“Jess doesn’t know. I
wanted to talk to you.” He slides closer to me.

“About what?”
I snap.

“Well,” he sighs and looks out at the lake,
“I have always wanted you.” He says seriously as he turns and looks at me like he wants to devour me. “I really don’t care about Jess.” His body slides a little closer.

“Really?”
I try to sound calm.

“Miley, are you scared of me?” he reaches for me and I quickly stand up backing away from him. “Miley,” he stands beside me. “I am not going to hurt you.” I start to b
ack up some more as he advances; he grabs my arm so I can’t move away. “You have always been unattainable.” He shakes his head the crazy look in his eyes scares me now. “Since you and Hudson broke up, I just wanted to tell you how I feel. I try to swallow the lump now forming in my dry throat but I can’t. I try to pull my arm out of his grip, but it is too tight. He reaches up his breathing is heavy and he runs his rough fingers over my cheek. I move my face away from his hand and look up towards the carnival. It is too far for me to run; I am never going to be able to outrun him.

“I should get back.” I say softly hoping he will take no for an answer. I don’t trust Ethan, I never have.

“Please stay here with me.” he says pulling on my wrist bringing me closer to him. “How well do you know Declan anyway? You and I have been friends all high school.” I don’t know if what we are I would call friends. He is dating my best friend and I am dating his. I tolerate him because of this.

“What about Jess?” I say through my rapid breaths.

“What about her?” He moves so his body is right up against mine now. “I will dump her for you. She is not that great of a girlfriend anyway.”

My arm begins to burn as he squeezes tighter.
“You’re hurting me.” I say as I pull my arm free. I look back up at the carnival; all those people not one of them can see or hear what is going on down here. There is no way I can run away; he would catch me being a football star, pretty easily.  I look behind me at the woods. If I lead him there I could possibly outsmart him.

“Miley,” his voice is soft and remorseful, “quit playing hard to get.” With that he grabs my waist with both hands his fingers dig into my sides. I try to keep myself from screaming, no one would hear anyway. He stares at me intently his chest rapidly moving up and down. His lips smash against mine and I pull my face away. He groans. “Miley you are such a tease.” His hand
slides up the back of my shirt as I fight him to get away. His mouth is now on my neck then his tongue slips out of his mouth onto me. My skin crawls as his mouth finds my ear. “You know how lucky you are?  I am the guy all the girls want, and I chose you.”

“Ethan you are hurting me.”
I whine as I try to push him away. He grabs a handful of my hair and yanks my head back. “If you can have any girl you want, why me?” I barely can get the words out. His hand still on the back of my head he smashes his lips onto mine again forcing his tongue into my mouth he taste like beer.

“Miley, you drive me crazy.” He growls. I fight back a scream knowing it is probably useless. His body slams mine against a hard scratchy tree. “Tell me you want me.”

“Yes Ethan, you are right. I want you, I always have.”   The steadiness in my voice surprises me and I kiss him back when he kisses me this time. My kiss makes him loosen up he puts enough distance between us to reach down and mess with his belt. This gives me the opportunity to run for it. I slip underneath his arm and run as fast as I can straight for the woods. He curses at me and I hear him running behind me. I just have to get somewhere I can hide from him. Branches, weeds and twigs hit my head, arms and legs stinging me as I run, but I keep on going.  Every step I take pain shoots up my legs and every breath burns. The rushing sound of the leaves crumpling and twigs cracking is getting closer and I don’t know how much longer I can run. I hear one final crash and my ankle is caught sending my down as well. I land face first in the dirt the wind nearly knocked out of me. I feel his weight on my back I begin to cry.

“Now
, where were we?”  He says as he leans down and kisses the back of my neck. I hold my breath and close my eyes pretending to be somewhere else when I feel his weight suddenly leave my back. A large cracking sound follows.

“Don’t ever go near her again.” I hear
Declan’s voice. How did he find me? How did he find us? I roll my aching body over and Ethan holds his head as he sits against a tree.

“Are you crazy? You could have killed me.” Ethan barks at Declan who is st
anding there with a large stick in his hand.

“Better you than her.” he points to me.  Ethan looks at Declan again and all the color drains from his face. He holds up his hands in surrender.

“Look I don’t want a fight.” He says quickly.

Declan leans down and helps me up. “Let’s go, Mi.” he whispers as his arm wraps around me. I hobble out of the woods but I am getting weaker and I think I sprained an ankle. He tries to help
as I struggle until he finally stops and scoops me up in his arms. I wrap my hands around his neck like it is the most natural thing for me to do and I bury my face in that awesome smelling chest for the second time tonight. The steady beat of his heart soothes me as I ride in his arms to his truck.

Chapter 7

“W
hat happened to you?” Hudson’s eyes widen when I open my front door. I guess I look as bad as I feel this morning. I tried to ignore the persistent doorbell this morning, but he wouldn’t stop.

“I was attacked.” I snap. “What do you want? I’m tired.”

“Who attacked you?” his jaw ticks as he says this.

“It doesn’t matter.” I deadpan.

His fist clench at his sides and his chest inflates. “I will kill whoever did this to you.”

“No, you won’t.” I say bluntly.

“Yes, I will.” He grabs my arms and looks into my eyes. “Did Declan do this to you?” he says with all seriousness.

I pull away from
him and scrunch my face. “No, Declan saved me.” I make eye contact with him wanting him to hear me loud and clear. “It was your best buddy, Ethan.”

“What?” he scratches the back of his head in disbelief, “Ethan would never do this to a
girl.”

“Well he did.”
I cross my arms across my chest slightly hurt that he thinks I am lying.

“Are you sure? Maybe it was just someone who looks like him.”

I scowl. “I am sure.” My traitorous voice cracks. “He led me away from the carnival. He told me you wanted to talk to me.”

He looks at me a little confused. “But if I
wanted to talk to you I would’ve come to you myself.”

I nod my head as the stupid tears fight to fall from my eyes. He didn’t want to talk to me. “I know.” The tears finally break free. I bury my face in my hands and feel his arms wrap around me.
He smells like strong cologne, different than Declan, but awesome as well.

“I am sorry this happened to you.” His voice is clipped. “Ethan will pay.”

“Don’t do anything stupid.” I whisper to him as I look up at his face. His jaw is tense.

A throat clears sending both of our attention to the door we left opened. Declan
stands in the door frame. I pull away from Hudson. I don’t know why I do this, it isn’t like Declan and I are dating. “Hey Declan.” I say as I wipe the tears off my cheek with the hem of my shirtsleeve.

“Hey.”
Declan’s eyes dart from me to Hudson. “I just wanted to see how you were feeling this morning.” He speaks slowly and looks at me again. “I can come back later.”

“I was leaving.” Hudson says walking away from me. My heart aches a little when he walks away. I thought we might be getting back together again
. “See you later Miley.” He waves to me before he walks out the door.

“Thought he wasn’t talking to you?” Declan says pointing towards the door.
I shrug, a little disappointed in Declan’s disruption. “How are you this morning?”

“A little sore.”
I say as I make my way to the couch.

“Understandable.” He replies.

“Hey, how did you sleep last night?” I ask him remembering every time I woke I noticed him in my beanbag chair on the floor. This did surprise me out of my dad, letting a boy stay in my room.

“I don’t know the same as normal?” his eyes narrow and he looks at me like I am a little crazy.

“Well I just thought my bean bag chair isn’t that comfortable to sleep in.”

“Yeah, probably wouldn’t be.” He speaks slowly. “What’s your point?”

I hold my hands out palm up. “That’s where you slept last night.”

Again he looks at me like I am insane. “No I didn’t.” he speaks slowly.

“But I saw you.” I insist.

“I don’t know who you saw, but it wasn’t me.”

“Yeah right.” I laugh he has to be just trying to freak me out or something.

“Miley, I brought you home and your dad put you to bed. This is the first I have been here since.” Okay now I am officially freaked out.

The silence is loud.
I keep my bedroom door wide open all evening as I try concentrate on studying American History. My conversation with Declan earlier creeps me out. I don’t know why I think an open door will stop some crazy lunatic lurking in my room from killing me when I am home alone.

I am pages deep in the civil war when the doorbell rings. I think my heart stops as I fly off my bed. I feel like one of those stupid girls in a horror movie when I creep down the stairs to see who it is my heart thuds inside my chest and I imagine an audience watching and yelling at me not to open the door
because the axe murderer stands behind it. I hold my breath and fling the door open.

Relief washes over me when I see Hudson. He has a few bruises on his face and he is bleeding a little, but at least he isn’t a crazed murderer. “Hudson.” I gush wrapping my arms around his neck. “I told you not to do anything.”

His arms enclose around my waist and he buries his face in my neck. “I couldn’t take it Miley. I couldn’t let someone hurt you. I was going to try to stay calm, really I was.”

“Let me get something for your face.” I say as I pull away and look at the blood dripping from his lip.

When I get back from the kitchen he is already sitting on the couch.  I dab his lip with the wet paper towel in my hand and give him a bag of frozen peas that he places over his eye. “He told me you wanted it, you came after him.” He shakes his head. “I had to teach him a lesson.” He purses his lips.  “I don’t care who he is, he can’t mess with my girl.” I drop my hand from his face when he says this.

“But I’m not your girl.” I speak softly.

His eyes meet mine as he pulls the bag of peas away from the black and blue one. “I can’t get used to you not being my girl.” My heart races as our eyes stayed locked on each other’s. He leans his face forward and grazes his lips over mine. I have missed this, his kisses. He kisses me so sweetly, before I know it I am completely underneath him on the couch. His hands find the bottom of my shirt and travel up my side.

“Hudson, stop.” I gasp as I push on his chest. He stops but doesn’t move off of me.

“But, Miley.” He whispers. “I love you so much.” His words are soft and sincere they penetrate my heart.

“If you love me you will stop.” My voice cracks when I say this. He sits up and lets out an exaggerated sigh.

I tilt my head at him and my eyes fill with tears. “I am sorry, I just can’t.”

He shrugs and cups his hands together in between his knees. “I don’t understand
, it’s not like you’re a virgin anymore.”

I hug my middle. “I shouldn’t have done it, I wasn’t’ ready.” I bite my bottom lip.  “Besides…” I look around the room. “We are
in the middle of my living room; my dad could get home any minute.”

He smirks and reaches “we could move this to your bedroom if you want.” He says all huskily as he pulls me on to his lap. “You and I both know your dad isn’t coming home anytime soon.”

“No.” I say with a smile. “It is not happening tonight.”

“I tried.” He smirks at me again.

“We need to talk about us.” I say leaning my forehead against his and resting my hands on his chest.

“I know.” His voice is soft and low as his eyes stay on mine.
“So, what do you think…should we give it another try?”

“I don’t know, I love you, but I am so tired of the constant fighting.” my voice is barely above a whisper as I blink slowly at him.

“When I saw you this morning,” he pauses and reaches up to play with a strand of my hair. “When I saw you this morning, all I wanted to do is fight for you.” He keeps his deep brown eyes on mine. “Ethan is my best friend.” He takes in a deep breath, “That is how I know it is real.”

I have spent the last few weeks wanting this so bad it hurt
s. This is absolutely the sweetest thing he has ever spoken to me. For some reason through all the sweetness all I can think of now is all the drama we always have. His arms tighten around me and I didn’t think it was possible for him to pull me closer, but he does.  I want to cry, if only things were always like this with us. If only he could always be this sweet. “I probably would have killed him if Coby and a couple other guys wouldn’t have pulled me off of him.” He says.

“Miley, I forgive you.” Jess says to me with a plastic smile as she gives me a light hug. She forgives me, for what?
Her boyfriend attacking me.  “I talked to Hudson. I wanted to tell you I dumped Ethan.” She takes my hand and tilts her head at me giving me a sympathetic smile. “Besides, I am soooo over high school guys.”

“Really?”
I say, knowing this is going somewhere, just don’t know where.

“Oh, yeah.”
Jess says with dramatics as she wraps her arm in mine. “This weekend You, Nova and I need to take a road trip to Indian Acres Campus since we are all single now.”

“Well, I
think Hudson and I may be getting back together.”

Jess throws her head back. “Oh Miley, wait until
next week, live a little this weekend.”

Chapter 8

I
look at my old table my friends that are willing to have me back, no Ethan of course.  A few tables behind them Declan waves at me. I smile at him. I don’t want to hurt his feelings, but I need to sit with my friends again. I make my way toward Jess, Nova, Hudson and Coby. I glance back at Declan as I lower myself down beside Hudson. I glance up at Declan; there is a faint disappointment in his eyes.

I shrug and mouth ‘I’m sorry’ to him. He smiles at me and shrugs his shoulders back at me like it isn’t a big deal. I don’t know why I feel like I need to be sitting with Declan and not Hudson.

“I’m so glad you are back.” Jess gushes, tilts her head and reaches across the table to me.

“Yeah.”
I speak softly. I pull my salad out of my blue lunch tote. I have been lax in watching what I eat and have put myself back in my size fours. Looking at Jess’s tiny frame makes me feel that much bigger.

“So you want to do something after school?” Hudson turns towards me and places his hand on my back.

“I have plans with Declan.” I speak before thinking. With that the whole table looks at me like I have lost my mind then their gaze goes towards Hudson just waiting for his reaction. “I am sure he will understand if I cancel to do something with you.” I add with half a smile and everyone goes back about what they are doing.

I look down at my salad and push it around with my plastic fork. I don’t even have an appetite now. This doesn’
t feel real, it feels forced. Like when I am here I just have to be a clone of them, I am not able to be myself. I don’t remember being this uncomfortable here before. These are my friends, have been all through high school, if I don’t belong here where do I belong?

Coby
says something to Hudson I guess it was supposed to be funny, but I didn’t hear so I don’t know. Everyone around me laughs. I just stare over at Declan’s table. Why was I more comfortable over there than I am here?

“Miley.”Jess’s annoying voice rings through my thoughts.

“Huh?” I look at her.

“Y
ou are a space cadet today.” Jess lets out her fake giggle. Everyone else gives their forced laughs. Hudson leans over and gives me a quick peck on the cheek before he leaves the cafeteria to go outside to toss a football with Coby.

“So
Miley,”Jess leans forward in a hush, “I have Friday night all figured out, you know my step sister, Leah, she goes to Indian Acres University she said just come to her and she will lead us to the party.” Jess smiles wide. Nova listens smiling as well her brunette head bobs. I am glad she is excited about it, because my stomach turns at the thought.

“A college party?”
I gasp, “I just don’t know Jess.” I sigh as I pick at my barely touched salad. I think this has been the longest lunch hour ever.

Jess rolls her eyes, “Oh Miley you are always so…”

“Careful.” I finish her sentence.

“The word I was looking for was boring.” She smirks as her boney shoulders rise and fall she waves a hand in front of her, “but careful will do.”

“We are going to have so much fun.” Nova practically bounces in her seat.

“Miley, just relax. It is going to be a good time, a great experience for us.” Jess says confidently.  Knots form in my stomach as I contemplate the idea of possibly skipping out on them this weekend
. If I do I lose my friends again and I just got them back.