Kissing Pact With The Bad Boy

Chapter 8 - The Devil's Proposition

The way you play your game to your rules, without thinking about consequences. It is both stupid and sensible.

~

Chapter 8 - The Devil's Proposition

(Skylar)

The Saturday and Sunday passed without any more disaster. Amber and Sky went out and Sky almost blurted out the tree house incident to her best friend, but then stopped herself. She knew Amber wouldn't let her live that one down, if she told her about it.

And it was already another monday. Five days since she had talked with Hunter. Of course, he had sent her some vague texts, but she didn't answer.

She rubbed her eyes as her alarm started.

Ugh. I hate mornings. I hate how early they come and how gloriously bright they look!

Sky rubbed her eyes as the golden sun peaked through the gap in the curtains, and when Shawn Mendes screamed—usually he would be singing.

On early mornings, it was a scream. Sometimes Sky had to remind herself she loved Shawn Mendes. The disadvantage of making him her alarm.

She groaned and grunted as she stood up and yawned. Sky had always been a night person. If they had schools during the night, she would be the first to enroll.

Sky walked inside the bathroom and stood under the blissfully warm shower and let it do its magic on her creaky joints and bones. Finally, she felt much better than a half dead zombie. She walked out, grabbed a T-shirt—not trying with girlie, cute tops—and pants and after running a comb through her hair and smacking her lips after putting on pink lip gloss, and she was done.

She walked to the dining room to see her dad was already up. He was sitting at the table, reading a newspaper, with a red mug in his hand that said 'World's Silliest Dad.' It was Sky's gift to him for father's day four years ago and since then he had refused to drink coffee from anything else other than on this particular mug ,every damn day. Of course, Sky loved how loyal he was to the mug, but the mug had lost its luster and half of its handle since then and Sky had tried sneaking it off, once or twice when he wasn't looking, but he always noticed. He threatened Sky with the wi-fi and so Sky had to relent and give the mug back to him.

"Good morning, daddy bear." She said and he peaked up from inside the newspaper and smiled at her.

"Good morning, daughter bear. Your pancakes are on the table. Sit like a normal human being for once and eat your food. And I don't hear Holden's horn yet! He's always punctual." Her dad said and that was when Sky looked up at the clock ticking away above her dad's head to see that it was way past Holden's usual pick-up time.

Is he not coming? She wondered, and then decided to cut off her overthinking brain. If he was not coming, he was not coming.

"I should learn to drive a car, dad. What do you think?" Sky asked as she grabbed a plate from the kitchen counter.

"Maybe. Do you think you can drive a car?" Her dad gave her a speculative look as he folded the newspaper and placed it down on the table.

"Why not? I am seventeen and Holden drives a car. It looks easy enough." Sky commented as she stacked the super spongy pancakes and poured enough syrup to drown the pancakes and cut them and took her first bite. She closed her eyes and groaned. "Dad, you should open a diner or something." She said as the sweet, sweet taste of the pancake and syrupy goodness assaulted her senses.

"Yes. Why don't you ask Holden to teach you?" Her dad said as he gave her a look.

Her dad was clueless about the world around him sometimes. Sky did pity her dad, but what should she do? The man lived his life neutering poor dogs and cats and that was totally unforgivable. Yes, he also took care of said dogs and cats and other animals, but still... If you hadn't already guessed, her dad was a veterinarian and he owned the only vet clinic in town. He was super popular around this part of the town. Doctor Mitchell get more female clients than the OB/GYN opposite to him.

Actually, the vet clinic was the reason why Sky and her dad had moved to the Green Mountain State, Vermont, with its picturesque views. Dad's mentor from his college days had retired, just as their family fell apart and the man was selling the clinic and dad had decided to move on from San Francisco and their old life, which had become suffocating for him.

After all, he had nothing in San Francisco, not anymore, after the divorce. But dad had given Sky the option to choose him or her mother.

Sky chose mother. Mother chose to get out of the country for work. Sky was crushed. Sky tried to move on, but she still couldn't. Mother found a replacement family. Yeah. That was the story of Sky's pathetic life, at least the cliff-notes version.

"Dad... Holden and me, not anywhere near the vicinity of that kind of mature relationship. I will either drive him to his grave or he will accelerate my death." Sky said, rolling her eyes as she pushed the fork deep in the pancake.

"Haha, girl, you killed it." Her dad said, but from the look in his face, Sky was absolutely sure she didn't. Her dad was just jealous that he had no fun bones in his body. "And why not? He is still driving you to school."

"Because Hunter asked him, dad. Dad, daddy, wake up from your hibernation. Winter is over. It has been five years since Holden and I stopped being friends. Five years." Sky huffed and her dad rolled his eyes at her theatrics.

"I don't know, Sky. I mean, I wouldn't drive a girl around every morning just because my twin brother asked me. Not even nicely, until I get something from it." Her dad said and then his eyes widened as he gave her a scared look. "He isn't getting anything from you, is he?"

"Dad... come on! No, no, don't lose it. Get a grip." Sky winced as her flustered dad looked frantically around him.

"Being a dad to a teenage daughter... not easy, let me tell you. You will only understand when you become a dad."

"I am sorry dad, it probably means I will never understand your plight. I pity you, but that is the only thing I can do right now for you and maybe, I can buy you a new mug? For all your trouble?" Sky said as she finished her plate and stood up. She washed her plate, dried and put it on the rack. She grabbed her backpack from the table when she heard the familiar honk.

"Don't you dare touch my mug." He grabbed the chipped mug as if it was the most precious jewel.

"Okay, I promise. For today. Bye, dad."

"And Sky, ask Holden."

"Nope, not doing it." Sky said as she walked out.

Holden, who was leaning against the car, with a tired frown, stepped away as soon as he saw her and got in. There were no comments, no smirks. Nada. It was as if he had been suddenly replaced by a clone. A pacifist clone.

It had been two days since the tree house... and she was nervous, but she calmed down when she realized he wasn't going to say anything.

Sky studiously made herself not think about Holden or Holden in her tree house or Holden and his gray eyes staring deep into her green ones or...

We get it. Ms. Freak said with a roll of her eyes.

Hunter, who was looking out the window, waved at her and smiled, like yesterday and the day before hadn't happened.

Oh, it happened, alright and the jerk was still kissing Melissa, the mean witch. There was no absolution for that sin. Not in Sky's book of bad friendship.

"Good morning, Sky," Hunter said with a smile and Sky wanted to punch it right off his ridiculously pretty face. "I know I am an absolute moron. Will you please, please forgive me? I don't want to be like this. I feel terrible for-"

"Oh I’m sorry. Did my back hurt your knife?" Sky gave Hunter a death glare and Hunter looked at her with a pout.

Holden chuckled and then hid it with a cough. Sky gave him a look and he quickly looked away from her.

"Good one, Sky, but you are going to forgive me. You have to. I am your best friend." Hunter sounded obnoxious.

Holden scoffed. Sky wondered why he was utterly quiet today. Too calm. Like the kind of calm before a storm? She shuddered at the thought of that. She didn't want to be stuck next to him when the storm came. Nuh-uh.

"What? We are not picking up Princess Peabrain?"

Holden smirked. Hunter sighed.

"Wow, your generosity, Hunter!" She said. "My horns feel too out of place."

"Freckles." Holden laughed, as if he couldn't stand to be quiet.

"Finally," Sky said as she looked up at him.

"What?" Hunter looked confused, but he deserved to be confused.

"Nothing you dumbhead need to worry about," Sky hissed.

"Sky..." Hunter whined.

"Hunter," Sky frowned.

"Shut up, you two or I am pushing you out of my car." Holden grunted.

***

Sky was standing in her locker, taking out her books, when she saw Hunter and Melissa leaning against the wall and talking. Melissa's hands were around Hunter's neck and Melissa's smile was all flirty and girly and cute, and Sky was surprised how Melissa could shapeshift like a pro. Like Mystique. Only that Mystique was badass and Melissa was just an ass.

Sky scowled before she looked away. Looking at them made her puke instinct stronger. It also hurt her eyes and sometimes, her heart. She slammed her locker shut with a vicious scowl on her face.

"You know, I could steal her away. It will be so damn easy, but I do need a proper incentive. What will you pay me for my troubles, freckles?" Holden's voice was a deep, dark melody, tempting her to the bottom of hell, tempting her to take whatever he offered, but she wouldn't. She wasn't stupid enough to take the deal from Satan, now was she?

"What? Nothing? No retort? You usually have so much to say, freckles. Did cat get your tongue?" He taunted, his voice getting closer and closer, and Sky jerked away from him and told herself to calm the hell down. If she let him goad her, she would either kick him in his crotch or kiss him in his lips.

Whenever this guy was near her, he made her do stupid, impulsive things. She had promised herself that she wouldn't let him taunt her into doing things she wouldn't do otherwise, but it was hard. It was always hard when it came to Holden and his irresistible smirk and his infuriating eyes.

He is not the angel I like. He is the fallen twin of the guy I like. Sky chanted inside as she took in a deep breath. Yesterday, she was almost this close to burning herself in his hell, and she didn't want history to repeat itself. Not anymore. She would stay a safe distance away from Holden, until her body and mind got some of their lost braincells back. Till then... it was a big no-no to Holden and his temptation.

She could feel his hot breath in her cheeks and she pressed her face against the locker, refusing to turn and look at him. No, not yet. Not before her damn heart calmed down.

When her heart had finally stopped being so jumpy, Sky turned towards him with a frown on her lips. He was too close for her comfort, and she could almost feel his warmth radiating off of him like warm golden rays. His stormy gray eyes, dark and dangerous, scanned her from head to toe and she felt every single look, as if it was physical.

The memory of his skin on hers, it was like a mark and she remembered yesterday, once again. How painfully aware she was of him, how his fingers made her feel, how wanton she felt... and even as she remembered all of that, she also remembered this was Holden.

She wished her body would stop sending these weird, ridiculous, mixed signals when he was near her. She didn't have feelings for him, at least not real ones. She has feelings for his brother. And since they almost shared the same face, she supposed, it was a little bit confusing for her body and her brain. That must be it.

Why then would she feel all these weird tingles that would make her feel hot and bothered, and the rush of mixed electric impulses that made her want to throw up all over him or throw herself at him?

Yeah, right, because he looks like Hunter. Your excuses are rather flat, just like your boobs. Freak said with a haughty sniff. Nobody should be tortured by an inner voice that mocked them to death. Having a bully on the outside, you could deal with. A bully on the inside, no, that was just too hard.

I don't like him. Sky chanted inside her head, trying to get the idea to stick. It never properly stuck though. I wish I could punch him on his pretty little lips-

Stop. Rewind. Pretty little lips? What the hell am I even thinking?

"Do you mind?" She waved at him. It was his fault that her body always went to hyper-alert when he was near. "Personal space, Holden. How many times do I have to remind you?" She said, with a frown in his direction.

"What happened to that personal space when you decided to crawl all over me yesterday, freckles? I had to push you away." Holden gave her a lopsided smirk, that was his trademark. He had mastered the art of smirking. His devil-may-care smirk was one that could disarm your defenses and make you feel weak and vulnerable. A smile that was meant to break hearts, and break hearts, he did.

Sky, though, was much more resistant to that strain of smile. Okay. A little bit. She had been vaccinated for that particular strain of smirk since she was Eight when he first smirked at her and told her he would be her friend, and still sometimes... it made her feel like she was standing at the edge of a tall cliff, waiting to fall. Hoping to never fall. It was madness. Being closer to Holden and his twisted brain was madness.

"So tell me, freckles, what are you willing to do for true love?" Holden's voice was full of derision and mockery. The way his eyes narrowed, the way his lips tilted on the right side, beckoning the dimples to come and greet, the way his eyes looked a little bit peeved and a little bit enthralled... God, he knew how to make a girl feel like she was burning, both from desire and embarrassment. Not that she felt anything close to desire. No way.

"Nothing. I don't make deals with the devil. I want my soul untouched by your filthiness." Sky retorted as she took a step back from him. He was still too close and she wanted to make a run, but if she ran, she knew he would chase. He would smell her fear, and he would chase her until she couldn't run anymore. Because he always loved his games and he loved playing them according to his own wacky rules.

Holden was trouble, in big, bold letters and there was no escaping him.

He took a step closer and placed his hand on either side of her head, staring deep into her eyes, his eyes full of contempt. The look almost, almost cut Sky on some deep level, but she refused to let it bother her. "Freckles, you pretend you are this saintly creature... but I know you." He whispered, his voice dark and menacing and she licked her lips. His eyes, for a moment, flickered down to her pink-painted lips and her pulse skyrocketed.

He touched her nose with the tip of his finger.

"Get your finger away," she hissed through gritted teeth and he gave her a cool smile as he took his finger away. He couldn't insult me in one sentence and arouse me in the next. That just shouldn't be the case.

"Yesterday, you didn't say no, freckles. And looking from your perpetually single status, no one is burning to touch you." The jerk said with a conceited smile. Sky cringed and, for a second, she saw the look. The guilt. But it was soon replaced with mockery and ridicule.

"I can say the same about you," Sky said and she was almost pleased her voice wasn't breaking into a million tiny mirrors.

"Freckles, my single status is of my own accord. Judging by the way you eat my brother with your eyes, yours is not. Woman, he has a girlfriend, get a grip. Even though, my brother is oblivious to your deep sighs and wistful eyes, someone might notice it."

"Is there any point to this conversation, jerk?"

"Just offering some much needed advice."

"Satan reading holy words, eh?" Sky snapped and he gave her a smile. It wasn't sarcastic. This one was real and it stole her breath away. Let her stress this point: He looks like Hunter.

But Hunter doesn't have gray eyes, which makes you feel like you are lost in the vast expanse of the universe. Ms. Freak was honest to a fault.

"Do you think my brother is suddenly going to realize how madly and deeply he is in love with you, and dump that creature he is currently kissing, so that he can be with you? In your dreams, freckles, only in your pathetic dreams. Why don't you pour ice-cold water on yourself and wake up and look around?" His voice was like a sharp stabbing knife in her heart. He looked so damn angry.

She winced and silently prayed that she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry and breakdown. Not in this lifetime or the other.

She looked behind Holden's shoulder, the guy was a freaking giant, and sure enough, Hunter was kissing Melissa. Sky's heart felt like a bug that was flattened against the floor with a big, dirty boot. She was tired of fighting this feeling, she was tired of feeling so bad all the time. Liking someone isn't supposed to make you feel like you are dying from asphyxiation.

It was her fault to like someone she had been friends with for so long. It was just plain stupid.

"Nobody will want to kiss me. I get it. Can we move on, now?"

"No. Some stupid bastard will want to kiss that pretty lips of yours," he stopped as he sighed. "But that stupid bastard is not going to be my brother."

His eyes were dark, intense and when she looked up, he blinked and looked away.

What just happened and why am I feeling so hot all over?

___