Kissing Pact With The Bad Boy

Chapter 7 - The Devil Made Me Do It

You carry storms in your eyes and sometimes I am tempted to walk inside that storm.

~

Chapter 7 - The Devil Made Me Do It

(Skylar)

Sky stomped away from the soccer field, only to be stopped by Holden. "I have been waiting for you for a long time." He said as he grabbed her backpack with a finger and pulled her back and pointed to his watch. She had prayed she wouldn't run into him, but who was she kidding? Her fate obviously hated her. Nothing was going the way she wished for in her life. "Hey... you look like-" he stopped as he scanned her face and sighed. "You are really angry this time. But it is not like he hasn't dated before... and it is not like you haven't looked so brokenly at him when he wasn't looking." Hoden's voice was made of acid. It spilled along her skin and burned her. She closed her eyes with a tired frown. She didn't want to fight with him.

"Can I go now?" She asked as she looked around the empty school yard.

"Get in the car." He ordered as he opened the door for her.

"Ha. Chivalry, but you ain't no gentleman! You are the most insolent being I have ever met!" Sky scoffed. "I would rather walk," Sky said as she slammed the door shut and stomped away. With all the anger left in her, she could probably walk all the way to her home and back to school and then back to her home again. She almost expected him to stop her, but he didn't. Of course, why would he?

He was just doing a favor to Hunter by offering her a ride. If she rejected it, it would mean he was free to spend his evening however he wanted.

Sky walked away from him, stomping her feet, as angry tears blurred her vision and she rubbed them away with the back of her hand with a curse. She didn't want to cry like a baby, not in the middle of the street, but she couldn't stop the tears.

I wish you were here, Ben. I wish mom was here. I wish I hadn't ask you to buy- Sky sniffed as she walked. Her sneakers made a soft thud against the pavement and it was almost comforting.

After a few more blocks of walking, her already tired legs felt like they were made of a hundred pounds of lead. Her legs were on fire.

She was drained and she had no energy left to walk or cry or even think. She sat down by the sidewalk and wiped her tears away with an angry growl. Today wasn't going as she had planned. Not at all.

She started the school with eager anticipation and three days later, here she was, sitting alone on the side of the street, with tear-stained cheeks, feeling absolutely terrible.

She would probably look like an ugly hybrid between a skunk and a raccoon. She opened her backpack and grabbed the bottle of water and washed her face with a frown. She would rather not get caught by anyone with mascara running along her cheeks.

To quote the infamous words of Rachel on F.R.I.E.N.D.S, "It’s like there’s rock bottom, then 50 feet of crap, then me."

That was exactly how Sky felt. Like she was buried in a whole lot of crap.

She tried to dig herself out of the crap, but it was growing. It was a suffocating pile of crappy crappy crap. Today was her personal purgatory!

I wish I had some industrial strength crap digger!

She cursed at herself for being so proud. She should have just accepted the ride from Holden. What did she get by refusing him? A moment of victory and throbbing legs and a pounding headache.

I should think twice before I make overhasty decisions! she thought as she grabbed her phone from her backpack. She opened her phone, ready to call Amber to come and save her from this torture, when she heard a honk. She looked up and, for the first time in her life, she was grateful that Holden was stubborn. Of course, he was here.

"Now, do you want to get in or do you want me to grab you and put you inside the car?" He asked.

"You won't dare?"

"Wanna bet?" He gave her an impudent smile and she gritted her teeth.

"Neanderthal. Presumptuous jerk."

"Yeah, yeah, heard them all. Why don't you try something new? Try a little more with imagination!" He said with a throaty chuckle and Sky almost had this urge to break his nose. See. She was not really a violent person, by any means, but when tempted, she could really, really be an uncontrollable wildbeast. She turned towards Holden and punched him in his shoulder and her rubbed it with a

wince. "Ouch, freckles."

"You ass, obnoxious moron. You supercilious ass with-" Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Okay. Whoa, freckles. What a potty mouth you have. It is so dirty that I want to bite-" Holden whispered, his eyes turning dangerously alluring as he started the car.

Sky looked away.

The engine rumbled ready to fly in the street. The way Holden drove his car with such mastery, the way his hands were resting lazily on the steering, the way his head was just a bit bent to the side... he looked like he was made to drive this car.

He was so gorgeous and no one couldn't stop taking a second look at him. Sky was just another superficial creature, too. She wasn't as strong or as profound as she had thought. Not at all.

You are just like all those girls you have made fun of.

"Do you want me to be more creative or do you want to shut up?" Sky asked as she gave him a look.

"No thanks, freckles. No thanks!" He chuckled as he drove away.

"How long has Hunter been dating Melissa?" She asked in a soft whisper after a few minutes of silence. His body went rigid and the hands on the wheels tightened imperceptibly before they relaxed.

"Two months, I suppose." He grunted with a shrug.

Her heart fell down a deep pit.

"So practically from the beginning of the summer, eh!" Sky bit out with a resentful smile.

It was unpleasant to think of Hunter being with Melissa for two months, but it was more so hurtful to realize he had kept it a secret for almost sixty-seven days. Now that Sky thought about the past few weeks, she could almost feel the difference in his behavior.

The calls that went unattended, the apology texts, the video calls he hadn't attended, they all made sense now. He was busy with Melissa and he had called Sky after he had stopped being busy, mostly late at night. She was sure that every one of her calls he had missed was because he was either kissing Melissa or doing things she would rather not think about.

Sky really wasn't the clingy kind, but somehow the lie, the rejection, and the knowledge it was all for Melissa Paisley, it stung. And it was sad she couldn't even fully blame Hunter. He didn't know Sky had feelings for him. So...

"Don't look so glum, freckles. Nobody has died."

"Somebody should." She said with a vicious glare. Holden looked at her for a quick second, his eyes surprised before he turned away.

He didn't say anything as he stopped the car in front of her driveway. He walked out with her. They both stopped in front of the tree house.

His eyes were nostalgic as he looked up at the tree house. She felt a bitter taste at the bottom of her tongue as she watched him looking at the tree house. She had so many things she wanted to say to him, but she bit her lips to keep those words inside and the unsaid words tasted vile at the tip of her tongue.

"Don't cry for him, freckles. He doesn't deserve it." Holden said softly, so softly, she almost missed it.

"Holden,"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to come up?"

She didn't know why she invited him to the tree house. He hadn't been up there since he was thirteen, but somehow she didn't want to be alone today. Even if it was the company of the devil, she would take it.

He looked shocked for a second. She prayed he wouldn't say no. She couldn't take that no. Not now, when she already felt like she was breaking... She just wanted to sit with someone, anyone. After a few seconds of overwhelming silence, he nodded his head.

"Yes, freckles."

* * *

They sat in silence for a long, long time. She was almost comforted by the silence. Holden stared around, everywhere and anywhere, except at her. It was so awkward, yet so comfortable.

"Do you want to go?" She asked.

"No."

"Holden, you can go if you want to." She said again and he grunted as he looked up at her.

"I know. I will go if I want to, but I don't want to go, okay? Not yet." He snapped and she frowned at him and she stayed quiet.

"Freckles," he called. She ignored him. "Hey, freckles." He grabbed the bag of peanuts she had on the side table and threw one at her.

She glared at him. "Freckles, freckles, freckles..." one, two, three... peanuts, everywhere. Five, six. She gritted her teeth and kept quiet. "You are not talking with me? I am not going to stop throwing the peanuts then," he said with a smirk on his face. "I know you are itching to scream at me. Come on, let it out, freckles. Let it out." he said as he threw another peanut at her.

She grabbed the bag of peanuts from him, but he refused to let go. She pulled with all her strength and he pulled back. And she fell over him as peanuts spilled around them.

Her heart was a wild, thrashing mess as she looked into his dark gray eyes. He went strangely quiet as he looked up at her. Her body was on top of him, and her inexistent boobs were pressed against his hard chest.

She felt heat rushing through her body as she squirmed. She tried to get up, but she fell over him as she slipped on the peanuts.

Oh God, we are touching Holden. We are sitting on top of Holden! Ms. Freak squealed.

Shut up, will ya? Stop fangirling. It is just Holden.

"Um, freckles, do you mind standing up?" He asked in a pained voice. She gazed into his eyes and realized they had turned dark. And alluring. His eyes were mesmerizing. It was like the bottom of the ocean during twilight, dark and beautiful, with millions of secrets hidden under them. She blinked.

"Holden..." she said as she looked at him. "It is not like I want to sit on top of you,"

"Then why are you still on top of me?" He gave her a heated look, that was designated to destroy a person's willpower. It shook hers, too. And her willpower was stronger in any other situation, but right now it was tied to a very flimsy thread and it felt like with just a push, just another touch, it would snap.

"Because, you moron, you spilled the peanuts on the floor and I slipped. It is not my fault."

"Excuses, freckles. I always knew you wanted to have your hands all over me. Sometimes you look at me like I am a pot of honey and you are a hungry bear." His smoky eyes found hers and her breathing hitched.

"You are such a narcissistic jerk. How do you get your T-shirts inside that head of yours?"

"You are so clever, freckles!" He said. "Now that we are done with the chit-chats, can you get off. Or I might do something I will probably regret." He grit the words out as if it pained him to even say them.

"What will you do?" She asked, her eyes wide. She felt disoriented, as if her brain was floating far above in an airless space.

"What did I say about curiosity and the dead cat?" Holden asked as he put his arms around her hips. She bit her lips as she stared at his inviting lips.

She wanted a taste of them. She was burning for the taste of them. But how could she... it was...not a responsible or sound decision.

She knew it. But she felt like she was drunk. Drunk from his eyes, his scent, his body.

His hands found the small patch of naked skin where her T-shirt and jeans met and he drew circles on her skin with his finger. It sent a delicious tingle through her body.

"You should get down now, freckles, if you know what's good for you." His voice was hoarse. It rubbed against her sensitive skin as his fingers trailed up inside her shirt. She shivered.

"Holden..." She breathed his name out. He licked his lips and she wanted to lick his lips, too.

He smelled like warm marshmallow roasting on the campfire. He smelled like the dew drops on the wildflowers. He smelled exquisite, compelling. He smelled like Holden.

"I am warning you, freckles. I am warning you. Get down." His eyes were full of thunder and flashing lightning. It was enticing, seductive, dangerous and her life was so damn safe.

She unconsciously grounded against him and she could feel him harden. s**t. He was aroused and she was, too and it was so wrong... and yet she stayed.

There was nothing adventurous about her life. No danger. Her life was mundane, ordinary. She lived on the safe side, always, always, never daring to cross the lines she had drawn for herself. Yes, she was brave when it came to everything else. But when it came to her heart, her feelings, there was no one as spineless as her.

She had been like this since Ben, since mom, she was afraid to let go, fully. She was afraid to love, freely, fully. There was a cage and she locked her heart in it and it was sad that even though the key was in her hands, she left it locked. She was always afraid of opening that cage, because opening it meant more heartbreak and she wasn't ready.

Holden wasn't safe.

The look in Holden's eyes was anything but safe. He looked unrestrained, feral. Like a wild animal ready to claim his prey, but even when he wanted to lose control, he was giving her options. This was why she could never fully understand Holden. This was why she could never fully hate him.

"You are still not-" he groaned, as his fingers played with her burning skin. His fingers were unbearably soft, unbearably slow. His touch left a wake of fire on her skin. She felt like she was dancing inside the inferno. She bit her lips and her fingers felt his lips for one second before she pulled her hand away.

She wondered why he was looking at her like that, but even as she wondered, she also wondered about how it would feel to press her lips against his. Her wayward thoughts were not helping her.

I don't want to get down, Holden. I want to stay right here as you touch me until I explode! Ms. Freak moaned. See, that was why she called it a freak. This thing didn't have one sensible bone or a brain, for that matter. But she knew she had to. She knew she couldn't get out of the cage, not now, not for Holden. Holden was... Holden and, Sky could not break her bars for him.

No need to break them. Just bend them a little. The freaky voice said. Like she said, she wouldn't be walking in the outside world if she had ever listened to that thing.

"Okay." She said as she finally pulled herself off his body. He stood up, looking both relieved and angry.

"Okay," he said as he looked at her for a second before he turned away from her, his body tensed. "I think I should go."

"Yes."

***

Sky stared at the ceiling. She couldn't sleep at all. Sleep felt like a distant dream from the land of nowhere. Her whole body was begging to sleep, but her head was... her head was filled with Holden and the tree house and the smell of him.

Story of my life by Illenium filled her almost dark room, vibrating along her nerves. Sky smiled as the soulful melody echoed inside her room.

So go, leave me here on my own

Break me down to my bones

I'm better off alone

Outside her window, the sky looked like magic, with millions of starts littering it's darkness with their little diamond kisses. The silver moon was slightly emancipated, but it was heartbreakingly beautiful, too. The sky reminded her of Holden's dark gray eyes, that sometimes turned so dark, they became close to a mesmerizing black.

She wondered why her brain had short-circuited at that particular moment. What was she thinking? Why would she do that? She must have been so tired that she temporarily lost all sense of rationality.

Are you claiming temporary insanity?

"Or, the devil made me do it." She whispered in the dark silence of her room. "Yes. The Devil made me do it."

Conjuring? You have definitely lost it! Ms. Freak tutted.

"And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil." Sky said and chuckled at herself.

She was surely going insane.

___