Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls #1)(56)

And you know that's how I feel, don't you? I love you."

I love you. Those three little words played like a slow song in her head. He moved in again for another kiss. She wanted to be loved so badly. And it did feel good, Kylie admitted to herself. It helped her forget.

She let herself become lost in his kisses again. Lost in how his hands moved over her naked skin over her back up to the bra latch. Unlike before, he had her bra unclasped in seconds.

Probably because he'd had practice. Okay, that thought put an end to the warm emotions swirling inside her. Or was it the cold that suddenly invaded the room? Oh, gawd, Soldier Dude was back.

Here.

Now.

Watching her make out with Trey.

"Okay, sorry. I can't do this." She pul ed away and stood beside the bed, not looking anywhere but at Trey. Go away, she told the coldness, and squeezed her eyes closed.

When she opened her eyes, she felt the chil fade. She focused again on Trey, stretched out on the bed frowning at the ceiling.

"Not again," Trey muttered, and he sounded angry. He always got a little mad when she first stopped him. One time, he even dropped her off at her house without speaking to her.

Without wanting to, she found herself comparing him to Derek. Not just his body, in that Derek won hands down, but his attitude. For some reason, she didn't think Derek would pressure her so hard to give it up.

And then pout like a spoiled brat when she refused.

A tiny ribbon of anger swirled around her other emotions, overpowering passion and hunger and even her fear. "Who do you think you are, Trey?

You can't just come into camp and expect me to have sex with you, especial y after everything that's happened."

He sat up and brushed a hand over his face. "I didn't come here expecting to have sex." He let go of a deep gush of air. "I came to talk. Fine ...

yeah, I want sex, too. And I don't understand why you keep-"

"You want it enough that you'd break up with me and find someone who would give it to you?" Why she'd asked that she didn't know, because it had already happened.

He frowned.

"Did you sleep with her?" Kylie asked. In her heart she already knew the answer, but for some reason she needed it confirmed. He didn't say a word. He didn't have to. The confirmation was al over his face.

"Did you tel her you loved her, too?" The thought stung like a paper cut right across the heart. Even more guilt fil ed his eyes, and then he shook his head and fel face-first into denial. "No, I didn't sleep with her. And why would I tel her I love her, when I love you?"

Kylie didn't have Del a's super lie-detecting skil , but she knew he'd just lied to her. Knew it with certainty and she wanted to throw something at him. "Don't lie, Derek."

"Derek?" He sat up in bed. "Who the hel is Derek?"

"Trey," she snapped.

"Who's Derek?" Trey asked again.

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. We ... you and I aren't together anymore."

"So you're together with him?"

She shook her head. Then, realizing what a mistake this had been, she faced the fact that this was partly her fault. "I'm sorry. I should have just told you no when you asked if I would see you. I can't see you now or next week."

He looked so hurt. Just as she'd known he'd been lying about sleeping with that girl, Kylie knew the hurt on his face was real. Trey did care about her. He'd just cared about having sex more.

"Are you seeing someone else? Is that who Derek is?" He jumped off the bed and stopped right in front of her. "I know I screwed up, Kylie. But ...

please, give me another chance. I real y miss you." He reached out to touch her.

She pushed his hand back. "I believe you miss me, Trey. I do. But I can't do this now."

"We don't have to have sex. We can just talk, okay? I'l wait until you're ready, I swear. Let me take you out for a pizza or something. I drove my dad's truck and-"

"I already ate dinner. Where did you park the truck?"

"At the front gate, but please..."

"I can't," she said.

"Don't tel me you don't care about me anymore. We dated for almost a year."

"I don't know what I feel." She reached back under her shirt and rehooked her bra. "I'm confused about everything right now ... except that I know you hurt me, Trey. When school starts up, maybe we can ... talk. But right now I have to get you out of this camp before something bad happens."

"Like what?" he asked. Something close to disgust crossed his face. "Is it true what they say about this place?"

"What who says?" she asked.

"My cousin and the other campers from last year. They say that al the kids who attend here are juvenile delinquents who were into real y weird crap. Real freaks."

Only a few days ago, she would have total y agreed with him, but now ... "Don't believe everything you hear." She reached down and found her phone on the bed. "Just trust me on this, okay? You've got to go." She gave him a nudge toward the door. She took him through the woods, staying a few feet from the trail back to the dining hal . Once there, she peered around a tree to make sure the coast was clear. The muscles in her gut relaxed a little when no one was hanging outside. She hurried Trey past the entrance and breathed a sigh of relief when they moved behind the gate to his truck.