5 - Who is Kevin?

“Was he getting handsy with you, or was it just me seeing things?” Tyler asked as we walked back towards the house.

My face warmed, embarrassed by not only what happened, but by the way I reacted. “I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe…”

“Want me to kick his butt?”

I laughed and gave him a pointed look. “You’re going to beat up the guy who’s teaching us how to beat up people?”

“I’m not afraid to fight dirty,” Tyler said, then turned serious. “No really. Want me to step in? I’ll tell him to back off.”

“I… No. It’s fine. It’s just… there is something about him…” It was the way my body reacted to him. It was so visceral, raw, and primal. No other man I met made my body react like that, no matter how good looking or in love I thought I was, and that scared me. “So much has changed in so little time,” I said, not yet ready to admit the truth. “I’m feeling overwhelmed.”

Tyler nodded, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Yeah, there is,” I said with a small smile. “Go talk to Kelly.”

My big goofball of a brother got a bashful look on his face. “Kelly?”

I couldn’t help it as my smile grew. “Yeah, Kelly. I saw you guys passing glances at each other, giggling like middle school crushes. Honestly, it’s so sweet I’m going to get cavities.”

“Wait, you guys? As in her, too?” Tyler said with a hopeful look.

“Yeah,” I said with another laugh. “She’s totally into you.”

Tyler seemed to stand taller as he got this cheshire cat smirk on his face. “Well then, I guess I can go talk to her. You know, since you asked me to.”

“Yeah, you should go only because I asked,” I replied, rolling my eyes.

He started to walk back to where we’d been training, but stopped to turn back to me. “Seriously though, you need anything-”

“I’ll let you know,” I told him, then waved him off. “Go on. Talk to her. I’ll see you later.” At least one of us should be happy and have fun. I’d been dragging him down ever since we got here, and that wasn’t fair of me.

I watched him leave before returning to the house. On my way to my room, I saw the kitchen and stopped. I hadn’t eaten much at breakfast, too nervous about the training, so I went inside to grab something to snack on.

Grabbing an apple, I sat down on one of the kitchen stools. I took a bite while I doom scrolled on my phone, trying not to think about anything. I wasn’t sure how long I was sitting there when Liam walked in. Like clockwork, my body started acting weird.

Liam glanced over at me on his way to the fridge. “You need to shower,” he said bluntly.

My jaw dropped, shocked by the audacity. Did he just say I smelled? “You need to stop being so rude,” I snapped back.

Grabbing a water bottle, Liam turned to me. “I’m not being rude. I’m stating a fact,” he said and took a drink from the bottle.

My pulse went erratic and my stomach tightened as I watched him. I tried to swallow though my mouth was dry. Forcing my eyes down to my phone, I said, “Yeah, well, you don’t smell like a bed of roses either.”

“I wasn’t saying you stink,” he said, still with that blunt, matter-of-fact tone.

“Could’ve fooled me.” I stared at the screen as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. ‘Kevin. Think of Kevin,’ I yet again reminded myself. ‘Kevin. Kevin. Kevin.’

“You need a shower because your scent is distracting,” Liam replied, then added, “And who the fuck is Kevin?”

My head shot up at the mention of my ex. “What did you say?” I jumped a little, surprised to see he was standing next to me.

Liam moved so he could set both his hands on the counter, trapping me between him and it. “You heard me. Who the fuck is Kevin and why do you keep saying his name over and over in your head?” He stared down at me, eyes sparkling with anger and something else I couldn’t name.

My heart raced and I couldn’t seem to catch my breath. “H-how do you know what I’m thinking?”

Liam leaned in closer and I leaned back until I hit the edge of the counter. When his face was only a few inches from mine, he demanded, “Answer my question first. Who the fuck is Kevin?”

I don’t know why, but words just started spilling out of me. “My ex-boyfriend. He cheated on me with my best friend right before I shifted the first time. I’ve been reminding myself of him when…” I trailed off, getting control over my mouth. No way was I going to mention the way my body was reacting to Liam’s mere presence. I’d had enough humiliation to last a lifetime.

“When?” he repeated. That wolfish grin spread across his lips and I felt he knew exactly what I was going to say. Liam moved in closer, standing between my legs, and took my chin in his hand, tilting my head to look up at him, and I felt powerless to stop him. “Well, you can forget about that piece of shit now.”

“I-I don’t…” I said, feeling light-headed this close to him. It was like I couldn’t get enough air. I didn’t understand any of this.

“You can forget that little shit for the same reason that I can hear what you were thinking,” he said, his face lowering towards mine.

“Why?” I breathed, though I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer.

“Because you’re mine,” Liam said, his tone matter of fact and almost possessive, before he pressed his lips against mine.

I gasped, startled by the kiss and his words. Liam used my surprise to deepen the kiss. I’ve kissed my fair share of men before, but no one had ever kissed me like this. My head was light from the smell of his cologne and my heart pounded in my chest so hard it almost hurt. I couldn’t seem to catch my breath. I thought what I felt before was intense, but this was way beyond even that.

What was this? What was happening to me and what did he mean I was his? Fear sliced into me. It was too much. This was… it was crazy. I pulled away, shoving him back as I yelled, “Stop!” He took a couple of steps back with a look of surprise on his face. I hopped off the stool and started for the door.

“Emma,” he said, his voice gruff, and he reached for me.

I dodged his grasp, afraid of what would happen if he touched me again. “Leave me alone!” I ran out of the kitchen as if my life depended on it, and honestly, at this point, I wasn’t sure that it didn’t.