She slammed the door with a loud bang before retreating to the wall. How could they do that to her? She really thought they were fighting, and her kind and caring heart didn’t like the violence. But no, they were just doing it to humiliate her. Anger fumed inside Taylor’s body. She let out a breath before sliding down the wall, and hugging her knees against her body. She dropped her head down to her knees and cried. Not because she was mad, but because she was sad. She missed her mom, her dog, her room, everything. She missed her friends, like Dylan and Molly. She wished she could go back, be held in her mother’s arms. But no, she was still there in the stupid mansion with a stupid boy who played stupid pranks on her. The door opened and soon Leo was in front of her. 

“Look, I don’t wanna hear you laugh in my face, or anything. I’ve had enough humiliation, and I just wanna sleep. I’m really tired from playing outside with your sister and I’d just appreciate if-“Before she could finish, she felt lips press against her. Soft, hot, and delicious lips. She finally realized who she was kissing, Leo. He grabbed her arms and pulled her off the ground. He pressed her into the wall, moving himself even closer. One of his arms was wrapped around her waist, pressing her closer to his chest, and one was on her hip. He kissed with so much passion. She kissed back just as eagerly. Their lips were moving in perfect sync. Her hands traveled up his hard chest to the back of his neck. Her fingers curled around his hair, stifling a moan from him. He pushed against her lips harder. This was her first kiss, and she’d loved it. He pulled away, the warmth that was once present, was gone instantly.

“You’re tired. You should get some rest,” He smiled down at her, laying her on his bed. Leo walked out of the room, but she grabbed his arm. “Can you stay here? Please?” She begged. He nodded, and slipped under the covers. He grabbed her waist and pulled her close. She nestled into his chest, breathing in his scent. It smelled like evergreens and cologne. She loved it. Her eyes began to grow heavy, and soon, she fell asleep to the sound of the Leo’s heart.

Chapter 9

The sun streamed into the room, awakening a slumbering Taylor. She stretched out her arms, yawning. Glancing over to the left side of the bed, she found it empty. Shrugging, she remembered the events of last night. Taylor had kissed Leo. It was a shocking thought, yet quite appealing. Taylor couldn’t understand why she felt this way with Leo, hating him, yet craving him more and more. 

Brushing her thoughts off, she hurriedly brushed her teeth and took a shower. Pulling on a pair of dark wash ripped skinny jeans and an off-shoulder top; she took one look at the mirror before running downstairs. For once, she wanted to see Leo. She bumped into a large figure. ‘Oof, careful there Taylor, are you looking for someone?’ Taylor turned to see the brick wall she’d bumped into, it was Mr. Knight. “Uh, yeah, Leo,” Taylor looked down shyly before looking back up to see Mr. Knight chuckling, “He’s out back in the pool house, you can go see him. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some ‘important’ work to do,” He made quote gestures into the air around the word important before turning to wink at her. Taylor giggled at his little joke. “Thanks Mr. Knight,” “You’re welcome Taylor. If you need me, me and my wife will be in my room,” He said before walking off. ‘So that’s how a dad must feel like. That was sweet.’ Taylor felt tingly all over, she wondered if her dad would’ve been just as nice as Leo’s dad. 

She reminded herself to find Leo, running out the door to the pool house. Stepping towards the door, she knocked lightly. The door creaked open. Taylor stepped into the room, only to find Leo on top of a blonde girl. Leo was running his hands up and down her sides, and kissing her furiously, tongue and all. ‘How could I not expect this, she’s much more beautiful than me!’ Taylor thought eyeing the girl. Her blonde hair was beautiful, and her body looked like that of a model’s. Large breasts, and a curvy figure. No wonder Leo liked her way more. They were full-out kissing, and all Taylor could do was watch, completely horrified. Before she could stop, a small gasp slipped out of her mouth. Leo looked up, his eyes blazing gold when he saw her. She turned and ran out of the room, not caring if Leo was following her. Taylor ran right through the patio door, only to run into a hard chest. She looked up at the stranger. It was a guy, around 19 or 20, with shaggy sand colored hair and bright blue eyes. He looked beautiful. He smiled, his dimples shot through, making him all the more cuter. 

“Sorry, I didn’t see you there, I’m Zane,” She smiled back, 

“I’m Taylor, and it’s my fault, sorry,” 

“You shouldn’t be apologizing; it’s not every day that you get to run into a beautiful girl,” Taylor blushed furiously, looking down at her shoes. 

“Not trying to be rude or anything, but who are you?” Taylor asked, curious as to why a hot stranger was in her home.

“Oh, I’m a family friend of Leo’s, may I ask who you are?” 

“I’m Taylor, I’m...also a family friend of theirs,” Taylor left out the part about being Leo’s fiancé. She didn’t want anything to do with that freak. ‘The day they got married would be the day hell freezes over,’ she thought. 

“Well, you hungry? I’m making my famous, ‘Cereal de Taylor’ she said with a horrible French accent. They both laughed.

“Well that sounds quite enticing; I would gladly like to try it!” He beamed at her, trying to sound French as well. Taylor made them cereal and they ate, making small talk and laughing at jokes. 

“Oh, I gotta leave soon, it was nice meeting you Taylor. I hope I’ll get to see you again soon,” He smiled at her, making her knees weak. 

“Yeah sure! I hope you can come back over again!” Zane and Taylor exchanged numbers before Zane headed out the door. Taylor sighed. She washed the dishes and ran back up to her room. ‘I better get started unpacking some more,’ Taylor glanced at her suitcases, still piled up in the corner. Opening the big blue suitcase, she noticed some envelopes out of the corner of her eye. They were enticing, pulling her in like a drug. She wanted to know what they said inside them. Their cryptic words seemed to lunge at her, making her heart rate faster, her oxygen-filled lungs feeling depleted. Turning her head, she went over to the large bay window. She sat on the plush white window seat and stared out. The wind was blowing the leaves around, causing a stir in the leaves. The trees loomed over, providing shade to the small road. Squirrels were running around, grabbing any food they could find. A school bus passed by the home, filled with laughing, talking teens. A pang of envy hit Taylor. School. She needed to finish high school if she wanted to get into college. Her eyes drifted to the shiny envelope on the suitcase. ‘Just one peek couldn’t hurt, right?’ Before her mind could answer, her body raced over to her luggage and grabbed the envelope greedily. She carefully ripped the edge, and pulled out a thick cardstock letter with gold engraving on the outside. 

“Congratulations, you have been accepted into our school...” Taylor couldn’t believe it. She’d been accepted into a top school right here in Colorado. She’d always wanted to be a forensic pathologist. It was a strange career, yet, for Taylor, oddly fascinating. The thought of dissecting dead bodies to find the answer to their death was mystifying. She wanted to be the voice of the dead, helping unveil the murderers who stole their innocent lives. The school she’d applied to would be perfect for making her dream come true. Just then, a plan popped into her head. She ran towards her in-laws’ room.

She gasped at the beautiful room in front of her. The high arched ceilings held intricate designs that patterned the sunk-in ceiling. Underneath lay a four-poster king bed with warm velvet red sheets and massive pillows. Off to the side were matching muted red curtains that swayed with the wind coming from outside. She spotted an office off to the right with see through French doors. There sat Mr. and Mrs. Knight. Mr. Knight was typing away on the computer while Mrs. Knight was marking some papers with a pen. Taylor walked into the study slowly. 

“Um, may I speak with you for a second?” Taylor asked, trying to sound as polite and formal as possible.

“Of course, hun, no need for formalities, just come and take a seat,” Mrs. Knight ushered her over to a lounge chair sitting in the corner. She took the seat quietly.

“Now, what would you like to tell us?” Mr. Knight asked her.

“Well, since I’m a senior now, I would like to finish my studies at Leo’s high school, and would like to pursue my college dream at a college in Colorado. It’s only an hour drive from here, and it’s an amazing school that I’ve been dreaming of-“

“Of course Taylor! By all means! We wouldn’t want to be holding you down from finishing your school years and pursuing you’re dream career. But just to be on the safe side, I will be sending Leo with you to the college. Now, I assume you’ll be needing supplies, so take these keys and my credit card, and go buy whatever you need. The town is not far from here, just keep driving straight,” Mrs. Knight replied.

Taylor quickly thanked them and ran off towards her room. Grabbing a jacket and her purse, she headed towards the garage. Inside the garage was like being in a car showroom. 5 cars lined the garage. She gawked at them all; a red Ferrari, a silver/grey Lamborghini, a sleek black Mercedes, a large blue hummer, and a small yellow corvette. Taylor clicked the unlock button on the keys, anticipating which gorgeous car she would get to drive. The Lamborghini lit up the room with its flashing headlights. Taylor took a moment to inspect the car. The design was sleek and sporty. It was a mixture of silver on the hood and sides of the cars, with some grey tinted into them at the corners. The tires were silver, with a custom logo in the center, “LK” that was grey in contrast. Taylor squeeled, “Oh my god! This SO beats my beat up dodge!” She ran to the car, jumping into the seats and backing out the driveway. 

Her bubbly excitement decreased as she began driving down the narrow road, the trees looming overhead. How strange was her life. She never imagined driving a car like a Cadillac, much less a Lamborghini, but here she was, driving around like nobody’s business. But it felt wrong. ‘I was a simple girl, always having simple things in my simple life, but now, it was strange, dangerous, exciting, even a little bit annoying, but hey, that was life.’ Taylor told herself mentally, as she drove towards the approaching town. The town was quite small compared to the suburbs she lived in. She drove up the street when she finally found a convenience store. Locking the car, she headed inside the store. 

Stepping into the store, she was hit with the wave of smell: woodsy with a bit of perfume. The bell rung overhead as she opened the door wider, signaling that someone was there. The young cashier didn’t even look up at her; he was too busy looking at the magazine in front of him. She grabbed a basket and began putting necessary supplies in. That’s when she saw the beautiful necklace. It was a small heart, turned lopsided to the left, with small ballet shoes inside of it that sparkled with pink gems. She knew just who to buy this for. 

Taylor headed over to the cashier, putting her items up on the counter. The young boy finally looked up, when his eyes went wide. He immediately began to check out the items, not hesitating to do the same to Taylor. She shrugged it off. He was just a boy. He looked around 16, with light brown hair and blue eyes. His face was quite cute. He probably was one of the popular guys at school. He continued to eye her up and down, when suddenly, he stopped looking at her, and instead looked at something behind her. Before she could turn to look, an arm snaked up her waist, pulling her closer to the figure behind her. Their warm breath tickled her neck, making her shiver. She instantly knew who he was...

“Leo, let go of me, now!” Taylor said through clenched teeth. He snickered, the vibration of his laugh transferring into her body as she lay against him. Her knuckles turned white as she tightened them at her sides. Leo ignored the hateful glare she was giving him. He seemed to be focused on the young boy at the counter. The boy looked frightened. Taylor gave him a reassuring smile, one that she hoped Leo would notice. He did. She gave him the credit card as he scanned it with shaky fingers. Taylor felt bad for the boy. His blue eyes looked soft compared to the steely gold eyes that Leo’s were. ‘Wait, gold eyes? Oh, right, I guess all those werewolf/vampire stories about their eyes changing color with their emotions made sense now,’ Taylor thought silently. She grabbed her things and trudged out towards the car, giving one last smile to the poor cashier. He seemed to relax a bit. Taylor beamed inwardly. This was why she was always nice, the rewards felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket of happiness. Her happy mood quickly turned to bitter when Leo pulled on her arm, whipping her around to face him.

“What, the HELL was that for?” He said clenching his teeth, just like Taylor had before. 

“Well, you know, I bought a few things, notebooks, pencils, tampons...shall I go on?” She snickered at him. Knowing that she was making his insides burn with rage seemed to amuse her.

“No, I meant the little show you put on back there with that stupid kid!” His voice steely; practically cutting through the air.

“Well if SOMEONE didn’t scare the living hell out of the guy, maybe I wouldn’t have given him the reassuring smile, unless you wanted him to die of fright just so you could be thrown in jail!” She screeched.

“Yeah right,” he spat, “I’m sure the batting eyelashes and flipping hair was also for reassurance,”

‘No fucking way! He seriously said that, to HER! Of all people!’ she thought baffled and angry. “Listen, hotshot, I would never flirt with a guy much less batt my eyelashes or flip my hair for one, especially when they looked two years younger!” She yelled at him, then huffed away from the shocked looking Leo.

Reaching the car, she put the stuff in the trunk and proceeded to get into the driver’s seat when a hand blocked her way. Leo’s other hand leaned on the car as well, trapping her against it. 

“The least you could do is offer me a ride from saving you from the molesting child back there,” Leo’s soft voice sent chills up her spine.

“No, now go find your own car and leave me alone,” She huffed, backing away from his face as far as possible. He chuckled.

“Well, considering you’re taking my car, I’ve got no choice but to follow you’re commands. He pushed off the car, and sat into the driver’s seat. Taylor looked baffled before remembering. The “LK” on the car tires stood for Leo Knight! How could she not think that?!? She sighed, then walked over to the passenger seat before heading to the house. 

The drive was awkward. Taylor turned the radio on, but nothing interested Leo, so he switched it back off. She stared off out the windows, looking at the beautiful mountain scenery. The tranquility of it all seemed so beautiful, so breathtaking, she could live here forever. The car finally reached the house. She jumped out and ran towards her room. Before she could get in, Leo was in front of her. 

“How the, what the...” She said through large breaths. ‘It’s been a while since I’ve worked out! Mental note, go to the gym soon!’ Taylor reminded herself.

“Did you forget, werewolf?” He motioned up and down his body. 

“I wish I had that...” she muttered. 

“You will, once you turn 18.” He replied with a smirk.

“Ugh, whatever. Can you move, I’d like to get to my room, please?”

Leo leaned into her, making her step back. She kept stepping back until her back felt the wall behind her. She couldn’t move any more. Leo trapped her with both his arms on the wall, herself in the middle. His face came just inches from hers. She resisted the urge to kiss Leo’s soft, pink lips. Trying to keep her eyes locked with his, she whispered,

“W-what, d-do you want?” 

“I want, you to get the bags out of my car. I’m not doing it.” Leo pulled back and crossed his arms over his chest, looking quite amused at the flushed face Taylor had on. 

“Oh right, the bags, sorry,” she mumbled before running down the stairs to grab them.

*********

Taylor was in her room when she felt a knock at the door. She opened it to find Leo standing there, looking completely awkward. She raised an eyebrow. He sighed,

“Look, I wanna talk about our...kiss.”

Taylor tensed up.

“Look, I didn’t mean, I mean, I didn’t want, uh, I...”Taylor held up a hand, silencing Leo.

“Look, I get it, you didn’t do it on purpose. You never meant to, it’s fine. I’m over it, so you don’t need to worry about it. Go back with your girlfriend, it’s fine,” Taylor finished, turning back to the room when Leo turned her around.

“Well you’re right, I didn’t mean it. So just leave me alone and don’t act like we’re in love or anything. Go find your own damn guy to love, just remember it’s not me!” He stormed off. Taylor watched him, wide-eyed, before collapsing onto the ground, silent tears washing down her cheeks.