Insatiable (The Edge of Darkness, #1)(3)

Fuck.

Once she’s done, she places what’s left of the cigarette back in my mouth. Her fingertips graze my lips and send a spark to my chest, and I’m not sure what that means. I toss the finished bud aside.

“My name is Stacey.” Her voice is soft, quiet and calming. Colour me even more fucking intrigued. “I joined Luciella’s dance class a few months ago.”

I wouldn’t mind watching her body move, to see her in her element. I bet she moves beautifully too.

Stop.

I light another smoke since she finished mine, eyeing her every few seconds as we sit in silence.

Stacey.

A name for the mystery girl.

“What age are you?” I ask.

She smiles at me, and shit, I’ve never liked someone’s smile before. I find myself faintly smiling back at her.

“I just turned fifteen. Same as you.”

Same as you.

The three words have me wanting to know more about her.

Her grin grows when I hum, a dimple denting deep in her cheek, and she looks away and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

Butterflies, I think.

I wonder if she feels them too?

I must be ill. I’ll need to ask Mum what the fuck is wrong with me.

“You sound American and Scottish,” she says. “So does Luciella.”

We spend a lot of time in America visiting our father. It was only natural we picked up the accent over the years. Mine is a lot stronger and deeper.

Hearing people yelling for Stacey, I sigh, knowing our meeting is about to be cut short.

As much as I’d love to sit here and stare at her like a creep, I need to leave before she thinks I’m a weirdo trying to chase some girl I don’t even know.

“Giving you a heads-up,” I begin, flicking the cigarette into the grass as soon as I see my sister’s blonde head. I narrow my eyes. Even though I don’t want to say the next words that leave my mouth, my impulsiveness wins. “Just because you’re my sister’s friend doesn’t mean you can speak to me. Stay the fuck out of my way. ”

As I turn to leave, she lets out a mocking laugh.

“Funny,” she snaps back, and I halt in my tracks, brows knitting together as I glance over my shoulder at her.

She pops out her hip and crosses her arms. “And cute. I was just about to say the same thing to you. So why don’t you stay the fuck out of my way, Kade?”

I like the way my name sounds on her tongue.

I smirk, loving this side of her. “Or else what?”

Ah, fuck. Freckles is even prettier when she’s mad.

The butterflies are going fucking wild, and I have no idea how to repress the feeling.

She barges into me with her shoulder, and I can’t stop the grin pulling at my lips as she marches away with my sister.

Her scent lingers, her dark hair bouncing down her back, but she keeps facing forward, refusing to give me that one last look at her I’m desperate for – until she’s about to vanish down the pathway among the trees, when she turns and gives me the middle finger.

Fucking hell. Why am I smiling?





1




STACEY

SIX YEARS LATER

Ipull the duvet away, slowly and quietly, and slide my legs out of the bed first. He stirs and reaches across the mattress, but I’m out and on my feet before he can touch me.

My dress and underwear are scattered across the floor, my heels probably on his stairs or in the living room. A Tinder date that began in the pub, something to keep me busy. After a few drinks and endless flirting, he invited me back here.

Is it bad that I can’t quite remember his name? He’s either Bryan or Byron. They do sound the same. I’ll need to check his profile before I delete the app.

I notice a few missed calls on my phone from my best friend Lu, one from my other best friend Tylar and several messages from my stepbrother, demanding to know my whereabouts.

I groan, rubbing my temples to try to ease my headache, then open Luciella’s contact and type out a message.

Me: Can you pick me up? I’m at Branchton. There’s a row of houses across from a church. Do you know the place?

I tiptoe down the steps with my heels and jacket to hand until I reach the bottom, sitting on the bottom step.

My phone vibrates.

Lu: On my way. Be there in five.

Thank God.

I know my friends are going to want the details. I can already hear the high-pitched squeals they’ll make when they hear I finally had sex after months of not being the slightest bit interested.

The last person I slept with told me that as much as I’m a lovely girl, he couldn’t meet up again. Weirdly enough, he went missing a few days later, and still is.

Being called a lovely girl at the age of twenty-one annoyed the hell out of me.

There’s a car horn sounding outside, and I sigh in relief.

Luciella’s stepfather bought her the car for getting into university. Ty is planning on taking over her family’s dance studio.

I’m still trying to find myself, and I’m okay with that. I’m in no rush to sort my shit out. I’m a dancer and an aerialist, an instructor three nights a week for kids’ and adults’ classes, and we train for shows and competitions.

My mum died when I was thirteen, and when my dad fell in love with Nora Fields, he moved us to this town to live with her and her two boys, Kyle and Chris.