Pull

Chapter Eleven

Alyssa

I knocked on the door and cursed myself for being so

nervous. It was Demetri. Annoying, irritating, gorgeous Demetri. I

had wanted him to kiss me, but after the kiss I felt naked. As if he

had pulled down walls I had worked so hard to put up. The part

that scared me the most was that for a moment I forgot all about

Brady, all about everything.

I lost my pain, and it scared me more than I was willing to

admit. I wanted to keep Brady’s memory alive. It was my job, after

all. I wasn’t able to do it in the physical sense, so in the emotional

sense was all I had.

And then Demetri had said something about death and I

freaked. I completely panicked. A vision flashed through my mind

of Demetri and me driving and him dying. I knew he was reckless,

knew he used to have a drug addiction. Chances were higher with

Demetri than any other boy that he would either break my heart or

die from some sort of stupid choice. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to

stay away from him.

I even dug out some of my nicer clothes. I hadn’t really put

an effort into dressing since Brady left, mainly because most of my

clothes held memories of him. It felt like I was cheating when I

wore them without him there. Well, except the sweatshirt.

My mom finally made me wash it after six months.

I sighed and looked down. I was wearing torn jeans, an

oversized black band t-shirt, and flip flops. I knew I looked at least

trendy compared to the oversized sweater and Uggs I’d been

sporting.

I lifted my hand to knock, when the door swung open.

“Right on time.” Demetri opened the screen door and pulled

me into a warm hug. He smelled like spaghetti. I smiled, unable to

help the way he was able to so completely disarm me.

“Punctuality. It’s my thing.” I gulped and walked into the

house. His hands came down on my shoulders.

“Wanna know what my thing is?”

I gulped. “Cooking? Drugs? Music? Fish?”

His hands slid down my arms, sending chills all the way

down to my toes. “Wow. I sound really lame. Is that all you could

come up with?” He chuckled.

Why hadn’t his hands moved? Why was I letting him pull

me back against his firm chest?

“Girls with brown hair,” he murmured into my hair. “Short

ones.”

I didn’t know what to say to that.

“Anyway.” He released me and walked around, leading me

down the hallway. “Here’s the kitchen. Dinner’s almost ready.

Would have been done sooner, but somebody burnt the noodles.”

“You burnt the noodles, I take it?” I grabbed a bar stool and

sat down.

“No. Mr. Concentration over there.” He nodded toward the

couch where a large man was sitting with a grimace on his face.

Holy crap. I’d only seen the guy from far away. Up close he looked

like a hit man, like the type of guy you pay to off drug dealers.

Wait, maybe he was a drug dealer?

I pushed my hair behind my ear and swallowed nervously.

“Bob!” Demetri yelled his name like a curse. “Didn’t think it

would be important to tell me that he’d never cooked noodles

before.”

“How does one burn noodles?” I directed my attention to

Bob, who stood up and made his way over to the kitchen. His face

betrayed his lack of amusement as his eyebrows drew together.

“Hmph.” He grabbed a soda out of the fridge and gave

Demetri another glare before stopping in front of me. “I’m Bob, Mr.

Daniels’ security guard.”

“Oh.” I laughed. “I thought you were a drug dealer or some

sort of crazy parole officer.”

His mouth cracked into a tiny smile before he turned back

around and made some sort of animal sound as he settled on the

couch.

“You’ll have to excuse Bob,” Demetri said, his back to me as

he cooked some sauce on the stove. “Ever since I’ve been clean, I’ve

been driving him crazy. He has to go to the taffy store with me

every day. I think he’s gained ten pounds.”

“Which begs the question.” I turned toward Bob and smiled.

“How much taffy does one have to eat in order to gain ten

pounds?”

“Ooo, a story problem.” Demetri threw his free hand into

the air. “Love those! Here, let me figure it out. Bob how much do

you weigh?”

Silence.

“Bob, stop ignoring me.”

Silence again.

“Bob!” This time Demetri yelled his name so loud, I almost

covered my ears. “I’ll let you watch TV by yourself tonight.”

“Three hundred and five,” came Bob’s swift reply.

Demetri turned toward me and shook his head. “It’s almost

too easy, poor guy.” He wiped his hands on a towel and leaned

forward against the counter, making eye contact with me. My

stomach flipped.

“If Bob tries five pieces of candy a day, and each piece of

candy weighs roughly two ounces and…” His eyes glazed over,

and his head moved, nearly touching my lips. “Are you wearing

makeup?”

“I, ugh.” I ducked behind my hands and covered my face.

“No, no don’t.” Demetri ran around the side of the breakfast

bar and pulled me into a hug. I still tried to cover my face. “Lyss,

let me see you.”

I shook my head. Why had I tried to look good today? I felt

so stupid. Was I really doing my makeup and hair for him now?

“Lyss.” Demetri’s voice rumbled. “Take your hands away

before I kiss you in front of Bob and start taking your clothes off.”

I yelped and pulled my hands away from my face. He

leaned in and kissed me anyway.

“Sorry, couldn’t help it.” He grinned and ran his thumb

down the side of my jaw. “God, you’re beautiful.”

What’s a girl to say to that?

Demetri seemed mesmerized as he tilted his head and

examined my face, turning my chin this way and that, and then he

ran his fingers through my hair. “Does it always feel like this?”

“Like what?” I was breathless.

“Silk.” He exhaled and threaded it between his fingers

before closing his eyes and smelling my hair. “I think you’re trying

to kill me.”

“By washing my hair?” I croaked.

“By being too damn perfect.” With a curse he released me,

and the happy smile plastered itself comfortably back on his face.

Demetri grabbed a few plates.

“Time to eat.”

Abrupt subject change, but okay. I was uncomfortable with

his attention anyway. Nobody had called me pretty since the day

Brady died.

It was getting harder and harder to remember the way his

face looked when he pulled the truck over and kissed me hard on

the mouth.

“You’re perfect, little seal, so perfect.” His tongue trailed down my

neck. Giggling, I pushed him away.

“Brady! We’re going to be late for the game! Come on, we need to

go.”

“Sorry.” He smiled unapologetically. “Okay, fine, I’m not sorry,

but everyone’s going to be late, girl. Look at this weather.”

The rain was coming down in sheets, which was typical for

Seaside. We had been on our way to Lincoln City for the weekend football

game, in which, of course, Brady was starting quarterback.

I clenched his hand and sighed. Life was perfect. I had the perfect

boyfriend. He was getting a full ride to Boise State next fall, where he’d

start as their quarterback. Nobody could understand why he would choose

such a small state school. But I loved Brady for it. He wanted to be close to

family and knew the importance of being part of a football team that was

about the team and the game more than the stars. And Boise State was

that team. I admired him so much.

“I love you.” I had said it without thinking.

Brady put the car into drive, but before he pulled out he turned

toward me. “Good, because we’re getting married.”

“Um, I’m sixteen,” I pointed out laughing.

He grinned then reached over for another kiss. “I’ll wait.”

I bit my lip and looked away, totally fighting the urge to clap my

hands and shout from the window that I loved the most amazing guy in

the world.

“We should go.” He winked and pulled out into traffic.

Then everything went black.

“Lyss? Are you okay?”

I shook my head. I hated it when I daydreamed like that.

Well, technically it wasn’t a daydream, it was a nightmare. But still.

I tried to smile even though my throat felt like it was closing up.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” My lower lip quivered.

A hot plate of food sat in front of me. Demetri was to my

left. “You know what?” He pushed his food away. “I’m not that

hungry yet, why don’t we take a walk on the beach?”

I nodded. I don’t know how he knew it, but I needed to get

out of that house. I needed to breathe in more air. I needed to feel

the salty wind against my face.

Demetri gripped my hand and pulled me through the house.

Our entire walk to the beach was silent.

Once we reached the water, Demetri spoke. “Want to talk

about it?”

I shook my head.

“That bad?” He put his arm around me. I tucked my head

into his shoulder and nodded. I couldn’t trust myself to speak.

“I wish I could do more than say I’m sorry, Lyss. But know

that I am. I don’t know what just happened back there, but you

looked like you saw a ghost. If I was smart like Dr. Murray, I’d say

you need to bleed your feelings all over the place, but shit…” His

arm tightened. “I’m not a doctor, and I know that it hurts like hell

when you’re going through something that no one else

understands.”

I snorted, typical response. “Really, Demetri?” I pulled away

from him and stared hard. He had the world at his feet! He was

beautiful, gorgeous — everything a girl could want. He had money,

he had fame, he had it all. I didn’t, and he was going to sit here and

tell me that he knew?

“You know nothing.” I bit off. “You’re just some spoiled

rock star who can’t handle the pressure of life. You escape through

alcohol and drugs and if what everyone says is true, you tried to

kill yourself. Yeah, you’re right. You know exactly what it’s like to

feel loss.”

Demetri took a step back, hurt etched across his face. “So

that’s it? You’re going to put me in that category? Write me off like

everyone else in town?”

I sighed. “Look, Demetri, I’m not trying to say your pain

isn’t real, but it’s self-inflicted. All of it.”

Demetri’s eyes closed. He ran his hands through his hair and

cursed. I hated hurting him, but maybe it was better this way. We

were from different worlds. He didn’t know pain like I knew pain.

There was no way.

“Fine.” His voice was hollow. “Let’s just go eat.” He

motioned for me to follow him back to the house and started

walking in that direction, but I backed up and shook my head.

“Lyss?”

It would be too easy, so easy to walk into his arms and cry.

To let him kiss my tears away and promise to be the one solid thing

in my life.

But I knew the ending to that tale.

The guy didn’t end up riding in on a white horse. No, he left

the world in a dark hole — never to rescue the fair damsel again. I

wouldn’t allow myself to get close enough to feel that kind of pain

again. My heart was already in pieces, and if Demetri put them

back together again, I would always be fearful of it shattering into a

million jagged pieces.

“Lyss, come on. I promise we won’t even talk. Let’s just go

eat.” His eyes pleaded with mine. I shook my head again.

“It’s better this way.” I bit my lip. “You’ll see.”

“Will I?” He shoved his hands in his pocket. “Think

whatever you want of me, Lyss. But know, when I said I was your

friend, I meant it. If you ever need me… for anything, you know

where I am.”

I almost ran to him, but I told my feet to stay planted.

He walked a few steps then stopped and turned. “I won’t

stop trying.”

“You should.”

He shrugged and offered a small smile. “What can I say? I’m

a glutton for punishment, and you’re the first real friend I’ve ever

had.”

My heart was beating out of my chest. Why was he being so

nice? And why, after hanging out one time, was he suddenly

offering his shoulder for me to sob on? I didn’t need him — not

now, not ever. Sharing hurt too bad, and I would rather die and

join Brady in the cold hard ground than open up to someone who

had the potential to hurt me as much as Demetri did.

He pressed his lips together and sighed. “Look. I can tell you

I’ve changed. I can spout crazy nonsense about how I feel different

about you than I have any other girl. Hell, I’ve given that speech

more times than I’m proud of. But I’m being honest here. I don’t

know what type of crap you’ve got going on, and maybe you’re

right, maybe I won’t understand. But take it from someone who

knows. That shit will destroy you.” He swallowed and looked at

the crashing waves before nodding his head. “I’m not going to

push you. I’m not going to beg. Just know that I’ve changed. I’m

not the man I used to be, I never want to be that guy again. I like

you. I want to kiss you. Hell, I want to watch you eat spaghetti.

Does that make me crazy? Probably. When you’re ready, if you

ever are… you know where to find me. Night, Lyss.”

With that he walked off.

And I realized in that moment I was wrong about so many

things. Because as the waves crashed against the sand, as I dug my

nails into my hands, one truth kept screaming at me from

somewhere I thought long dead.

He already had a piece of my heart.

And I was powerless to stop him.