Twisted Sins: A Dark High School Romance (Twisted Pine Academy Book 2) Read online

  "Jackson, just tell me. What do you think happened to Jason?"

  He hesitates. "Why do you care?"

  "I want to know. I keep hearing all these stories and I'm starting to freak out."

  "Why?"

  "Because all the stories have something in common. SomeONE in common."

  "Braden."

  "Yeah. And since I'm living with him, I'd really like to know the truth."

  "I don't know the truth. I wasn't there when Andrea died, and I wasn't there when Jason died. I know as much as you do."

  "You know way more than me. You were here when all this happened. People said you were questioned by the police."

  "Not about Jason. I had nothing to do with that. I was at Legion when Jason died."

  "Who paid to have his name on the room? If his parents couldn't afford it, then who paid for it?"

  "My guess is the school."

  "Twisted Pine did it? But it'd be free for them. They just put his name on a plaque and hang it on the door."

  "Exactly. It didn't cost them anything, but by doing it they got away with whatever happened. I'm thinking they paid his parents to keep quiet and threw in naming a room after him as part of the deal."

  "Got away with what? You're saying the school killed Jason?"

  "I don't think the school was directly involved but I think they covered up whatever happened."

  "So you don't believe the heart condition story?"

  "I want to, but I can't. They put everyone through a complete physical before the season starts, including heart tests. If there was something wrong with his heart, they would've known."

  "Do his parents know this?"

  "They only know what Twisted Pine told them, and what the team doctor told them, which is that he had an undiagnosed heart condition. Rumor, I don't want to talk about this. Let's go inside."

  I follow him to the door. "What about Braden? Do you think he was involved?"

  "He had motive but I don't know if he was involved."

  Jackson unlocks the door and we go inside.

  "By motive, you mean Braden wanted Jason's position? To be quarterback?"

  "Wait." Jackson puts his hand up, blocking me from moving, and lifts his head like he's listening for something.

  "What's going on?" I whisper.

  A noise comes from the hall that leads to his bedroom. The sound of footsteps, and then a thud, like something dropped on the wood floor.

  Jackson turns to me, grabbing my shoulders. "Go wait outside. Don't make a sound."

  "What? I'm not leaving you."

  "Rumor, I mean it. Wait outside." He slowly walks over to the end table by the couch.

  I hear the footsteps again. Someone's definitely in the house.

  Jackson opens the narrow drawer of the table. And pulls out a gun.

  Chapter Eight

  "Rumor, get outside!" Jackson says in a hushed voice as he takes small careful steps toward the hallway.

  "Should I call the police?" I whisper.

  He shakes his head no.

  What the hell? Why wouldn't I call the police? There's a burglar in his house!

  I watch as he approaches the hallway, the gun aimed and ready to shoot.

  Jackson has a gun. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Dating someone who has a gun in his house? Someone who people think killed a girl? I don't think he did it but so many people do that it makes me question myself. Am I not seeing him clearly because I have feelings for him? Because I want him to be innocent?

  "Shit," he says with a sigh, lowering the gun as he looks down the hall. "I almost shot you. What the fuck are you doing here?"

  Kristen appears from the hallway wearing black lace panties and a tight black tank top, her long blond hair tied up in a messy bun with wavy strands falling around her face. She looks annoyingly beautiful, like a model who just woke up from bed.

  "I didn't know where else to go," she says, walking up to Jackson.

  She doesn't see me. I'm standing by the door that goes to the patio and they're just off from the living room, by the hallway. I could leave but I'm not going to. I need to know why she's here and why she still has a key to Jackson's house. Is he still with her, despite telling me he's not?

  "You need to leave," Jackson says to her in an angry tone. "I told you not to come over here anymore when I'm not here."

  She looks down. "My mother's in town. She got here a few hours ago."

  He sighs. "Kristen, I'm sorry but you're just going to have to learn to deal with her shit. I can't keep being the person you run to. Did you call your therapist?"

  "She doesn't answer her phone on the weekends." Kristen grabs hold of Jackson’s shirt and steps closer, tilting her face up to him like she wants him to kiss her. "Please, baby, don't turn me away. I need you."

  "Kristen, it's over. We can still be friends but I can't do this anymore. There's someone else. I told you that."

  "She's just a fling. You and I are—"

  "Over," I say in a voice so loud it echos in the high ceilings. I walk over to her. "And I'm not a fling."

  She lets go of Jackson and faces me, her hands on her hips. "What the hell are YOU doing here?"

  "I'm on a date. With Jackson."

  "Kristen, you need to leave," he says.

  "How much did you hear?" she demands.

  "Everything," I say. "Sounds like you have some mom issues."

  "Get out!" she yells. "Now!"

  "She's not leaving," Jackson says. "Go get dressed and go home."

  Kristen looks at Jackson. "But I need you. And I can't go back. Not with HER there."

  "I'm sorry but you can't stay. Is Steven there?"

  "Yes, but—"

  "Your mom's not going to fight with you with Steven there."

  Kristen turns to me. "None of this would be happening if it weren't for you! She only came here because of what you did to me!"

  "Your mom's here because I punched you? So you're mad because she came here to make sure you're okay?"

  "You have NO idea what's she like! She's a monster and I hate her! Now get out!"

  "She's not leaving." Jackson gets between Kristen and me, facing her. "I know you hate your mom but maybe she really did show up because she was worried about you."

  "Are you serious?" Kristen huffs. "After everything I've told you, you're taking her side? Why? Just to get rid of me?"

  "Kristen, I don't want to fight about this. You need to leave. Now."

  "Fine." She narrows her eyes at me, then whips around and storms down the hall.

  "Sorry about this," Jackson says, the gun still in his hand.

  I point to it. "Could you put that away?"

  "Oh. Yeah." He walks back to the living room and puts it in the drawer.

  "Is that the only one?" I ask.

  "No." He walks over to me. "I only have them for protection. After the burglary I didn't feel safe not being able to protect myself."

  "Keeping it in the living room doesn't seem that safe. A burglar could easily find it there."

  "That's not where I usually keep it. I only had it there because—" He shakes his head. "I'll move it tomorrow."

  "Because what? Did something happen? Did someone try to break in?"

  "No. Just forget it. I'll be right back." He heads down the hall. I walk over there to see where he's going. I'm assuming he'll go in his room to talk to Kristen but instead he goes in the hall bathroom.

  I return to the living room and check my phone. There's a message on it from Liv.

  The money better be here tonight or I'm telling Brock the truth, she texts.

  What a little brat. I thought we bonded that night after dinner but I guess not.

  As I put my phone away, Kristen appears again, still in the tank top but now it's paired with a long flowing black skirt and black sandals. A black and white scarf is loosely wrapped around her neck and a row of gold bracelets line her wrist. The outfit would look stupid on me but on her it looks like she stepped out of
a fashion magazine.

  She walks up to me and stops. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer about what you did today."

  "What are you going to do? Sue me? I don't have any money."

  She checks behind her to make sure we're alone. "I don't like you, Rumor, but I don't think you're a bad person, which is why I'm warning you to get out of here, for your own good. You don't belong here. And you definitely don't belong with Jackson. Or with Braden."

  "Braden?" I laugh. "He's my cousin."

  She slowly smiles. "He doesn't see you that way."

  "What are you talking about?"

  She steps closer to me and lowers her voice. "I'm only telling you this once. After that, it's your own fault if something happens."

  "Something happens? Like what?"

  "Bad things happen here. Everything may look all bright and beautiful but behind it is darkness. The only way to survive here is to be part of it. I don't see you willing to do that. You may think you're some badass but you're an angel compared to the rest of us. Hitting me today?" She laughs. "That's nothing compared to what I could do to you. I'm letting you off this time because you're new. Because you don't know. If you're smart, you'll leave before you have to find out."

  "Find out what?"

  "What it takes to be one of us."

  "What's going on here?" Jackson asks, walking up to us.

  "Kristen was threatening me," I say, glaring at her. "Trying to scare me into leaving."

  "Is that true?" he asks Kristen, as if she'd admit to it.

  "It's not what I intended," she says, her eyes on mine. "But if she wants to take it that way..."

  "Let me walk you out." Jackson takes her arm and leads her away. I hear them talking quietly at the door, then hear it open and close, the lock clicking into place.

  Jackson returns to the living room. "What'd she say to you?"

  "That I shouldn't be here. That I don't belong."

  "You don't. And you shouldn't be here." He comes up and puts his arms around me. "But I don't want you to go." He leans down and kisses me.

  "Wait." I push him back. "What do you mean I shouldn't be here? Like at your house, or in La Jolla?"

  "At Twisted Pine. I wish you didn't have to go there but at least it's only for a year."

  "Kristen said bad things happen here. Did she mean at the school?"

  "Bad things happen everywhere. She's just trying to scare you."

  I pull away from him and walk over to the couch. "She said something else."

  "Just ignore her." He comes over beside me. "Most of what she says is just her overreacting or trying to create drama where there shouldn't be any."

  "Like with her mom? Is her mom really as horrible as she makes her sound or is she exaggerating?"

  "I don't know her that well. I know she puts Kristen down, like criticizes her appearance. She'll even do it in front of people."

  "How could she criticize her appearance? Kristen is gorgeous."

  "I don't think her mom is all there mentally. She'll be normal one minute and crazy the next. Like one time we were out at dinner and she went on and on about how beautiful Kristen is, then ten minutes later told her she couldn't eat dinner because she's fat. So yeah, I think she can be emotionally abusive but I'm not sure she even knows she's doing it."

  "Why would Principal Edwards marry a crazy woman?"

  "For money. Her husbands end up rich when they divorce her. And Principal Edwards got a job out of the deal. He was teaching English at a small college when she met him at a charity event. They got married six months later and she got him the job at Twisted Pine."

  "How? She's not in charge of hiring people at the school."

  "No, but she has influence. She donates a lot of money so they listen to her. And Steven had a lot of connections before he met her. Before Kristen's mom, he'd dated another old rich lady and got himself into that world. He made friends with the right people. Those connections, and Kristen's mom, helped get him the job at Twisted Pine."

  "What's the deal you and Kristen have? Why do you let her hide out here?"

  Jackson gets up and walks to the wall of windows. "It's complicated."

  "Jackson, tell me. I don't like you keeping secrets from me, especially when it involves another girl." I pause. "A girl you had sex with."

  He turns back to me. "Kristen has issues at home. Things I can't tell you about. I promised her I wouldn't."

  "So she comes here to get away from her parents? I thought her mom was always traveling."

  "She is, or she stays at one of her other homes."

  "And Principal Edwards is okay with that? Never seeing his wife?"

  "He didn't marry her for love. I don't think any of her husbands did."

  "Wait, so if her mom's always gone, you're saying Kristen doesn't like being home with her stepdad. Principal Edwards."

  Jackson walks over to me. "You hungry? There's takeout menus in the kitchen. Let's order something."

  "In a minute." I look at him. "Is Principal Edwards doing something to Kristen? Is that why she doesn't want to be home with him?"

  "Rumor, I know you don't want me hiding stuff from you but I can't tell you about this. I made a promise to Kristen and I'm keeping it."

  "Are you still going to let her come over here?"

  "I haven't decided. I probably will, but only if I'm here. I don't want her just showing up like she did tonight."

  "But you guys aren't still..." I look away.

  "Having sex? No. And we won't be. That part of our agreement is over."

  "Does Kristen know that? Because finding her here half-dressed in your bedroom makes me think she was hoping something would happen."

  "She can hope all she wants but nothing's going to happen." He pulls me into his arms. "There's someone else I want to find half-dressed in my bedroom." He kisses me, then whispers in my ear. "Or not dressed at all."

  My heart races as a warmth fills me. A desire like I never felt for Axl. Everything is so different with Jackson. He seems older, more mature. More experienced.

  I want to finish talking about Kristen but not now. That one flirty comment he made about finding me naked in his room has me wanting him more than ever. I've been thinking about it since the first time we kissed. Wondering what it'd be like. I've only been with Axl and it was never good, at least for me. I just went along with it for his sake, not mine.

  Jackson kisses my neck, soft light kisses that send tingles down my spine. God, it feels good. I love everything he does to me.

  His hands move slowly up my sides as he lifts my shirt up. He takes it off, tossing it aside, then kisses me. Slow. Not rushed. The way he did when we first kissed. It was a kiss like I'd never had before. The kind of kiss that made my whole body come alive.

  That's how I feel now. Like my body's coming alive with a heat and desire like I've never felt before. It's filling every part of me, making my need for him even stronger. I want him so bad. I've thought about it. Dreamed about it. And now it's finally happening.

  My bra breaks free from a flick of Jackson's finger. He slips the straps down my arms and it falls to the ground. The cool air hits my skin, making my already hard nipples even harder. Jackson's hands go under my thighs and he hoists me up, my legs wrapping around his waist. His lips break from mine and his mouth lowers to my breast, sucking and licking and driving me wild. I tip my head back, then open my eyes and catch a glimpse of the ocean in the distance.

  My mind quickly goes back to that night. The night I saw Jackson in this exact same spot with another girl. Kristen. He was taking her shirt off. Holding her up just like he's doing with me.

  I feel his lips sliding up my neck, back to my mouth, and the memories from that night are erased, at least for now.

  He sets me down on the couch and takes off his shirt. My eyes drink in his body, those abs, his muscular arms. The sun is down, making the room dark except for the moonlight coming in the windows.

  "You want this, right?" he says over m
y mouth as he unbuttons my jeans. "It's not too soon?"

  I shake my head and hear him let out a breath, like he's relieved that was my answer. He slides my jeans down my legs, then slowly makes his way up my body, his hands and mouth leading the way. He stops at my panties and I feel the warmth of his breath on the part of me that wants him more than anything. He tugs at my panties, gently lowering them. I shiver as the warmth of his breath meets the cold air in the spot that's now exposed. The flick of his tongue makes my hips rise from the couch, my head tipping back on the pillow.

  "Oh, God," I whisper. "That feels amazing."

  His hand gets in on the action, his fingers circling before sinking inside me.

  I'm breathing hard, grasping for something to hold onto. It's coming but I don't want it to. Not yet.

  "Jackson." I tug at his hair, trying to pull him away.

  He ignores me, continuing to drive me wild. I'm soaring, higher and higher, unable to stop it.

  My eyes squeeze shut and I reach for him, desperate to grab onto something because the feeling is so damn strong. Why was it never like this with Axl? Why didn't he do this to me? Maybe he couldn't. Maybe he was too inexperienced to know how.

  I feel the warmth of Jackson's body lowering over mine. When I open my eyes I see his face there, his mouth dropping down to my ear. "Last chance. You sure about this?"

  "You really have to ask?" I say in a teasing tone.

  He moves a little and I feel him in the place that's now soaked. Wanting him so bad I can't stand it.

  He nudges in a little and I flinch.

  "Still sensitive?"

  I smile. "A little."

  He pushes in a little more. He feels huge compared to what I'm used to. I've never felt this full. This stretched.

  He's all the way in now and stops to kiss me. The feel of him buried deep inside me has me going again. I didn't think that was possible, and maybe it's not, but I feel like I'm headed that way. The warmth is back. The tingle of pleasure.

  Jackson's hips begin moving in a steady motion that reminds me of waves coming in, slowly pulling back, then forcefully hitting the shore. It's addictive. Consuming. The feel of his body. His scent. The way he moves.