***
I felt Axel's body stiffen next to me, and Austin's look towards me was making me grow uncomfortable. At this point, Aidan was watching this all, too.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Axel flared his nostrils.
"Why don't you ask Kameron," Austin raised his eyebrows, and I saw the three identical boys' eyes all land on me at once. I pulled away from Axel and cleared my throat, the intensity of their eyes all stabbing into me and making this all unnecessarily nerve wracking.
"What is he talking about?" Axel lowered his eyes at me.
"I-I don't..." I furrowed my eyebrows anxiously, looking at Austin with betrayal, "I told you I'd tell him, when I tell him. Why would you--"
"Because I don't feel like watching my brother get hurt by you, Kameron. If you've done something that you told him you wouldn't do, you should just come clean."
"That's not for you to decide!" I frowned.
"Are you for real?--" Austin was cut off by Axel.
"Can you just tell me what the fuck he's talking about. Please?" Axel looked at me and though he was clearly angry, his eyes were pleading. I felt guilt stir around in my throat.
"I was going to tell you, Axel. I was going to tell you yesterday when we FaceTimed, and-- but I mean, then--" I looked at his brothers then back at him, "I mean-- we didn't really get to talking about it--"
"Kameron," He closed his eyes and I could feel the annoyance ooze out of him. I hated annoying him. Well, I liked it sometimes. But not now. Not like this.
I let out a shaky breath, "Do I have to say this in front of all of you?" I eyed all three of them and when none of them seemed too eager to say anything, I guess I was gonna just have to keep talking.
"On the date with Dylan," I began and I swear I saw Axel's muscles tighten when I said that. And I think he already knew what I was going to say. "I mean, you can guess what ended up going down, do I really have to--"
"Say it, Kameron." Axel clenched his jaw.
I knitted my eyebrows together nervously, adjusting myself on the couch. I cleared my throat, "He... kind of, came onto me. Not forcefully though, not really. I could've stopped him--and I did, eventually. But we just kissed. He tried to do more but I didn't let him. Austin ended up being there and thankfully got Dylan to leave. It wasn't like--"
"So you did kiss him."
I couldn't get myself to look at Axel.
"Yes, but--"
"So you lied."
"I didn't-- I mean, I just didn't want you to be angry at me. Or him! I just--"
"You seriously care about protecting this guy? Why do you care if I'm angry at him. Why do you care if he dies. I told you not to care. I asked you not to." He spoke with his teeth clamped together.
"Stop it! I don't care! I just know how you can be, and I'm not particularly interested in being the reason that you end up beating this guy up! It seriously meant nothing at all. I didn't even want to!"
"You didn't want to? So you're saying he forced you?"
"He..." I trailed off. "He didn't force me. But he didn't exactly... listen when I told him to stop. And he tried to eventually force me but I got myself out of it. It turned out fine."
The four of us were all silent.
I stood up from the couch, "I didn't want to tell you because honestly, I still felt weird about the whole thing." I remembered the way that Dylan was touching me, and kissing me almost painfully.
YOU ARE READING
CONSUME
RomansaKameron Springfield is determined to get through her senior year of high school successfully, and drama-free. Well, maybe it doesn't help that her next-door neighbor of 10 years was also her life-long nemesis. And sure, maybe one accidental, drunken...