A Touch Of Sin [BxB]

10.

Thomas shoves Jake back. His eyes don't leave mine until he's no longer in the room. A soft hand wraps around my bicep.

"Come on."

I let Alice lead me through the on-lookers. She takes me to the bathroom, guiding me to the sink. I blink down at my hand, at the blood and my split knuckles.

"You and Jake have some history, huh?"

I glance up at her, but she's focused on my hands. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he used to be a bit of a butthead to you, didn't he?"

I let out a snort. "Butthead?"

She blushes. "Yeah."

I laugh and the wince when the cold water runs across my hands. I fall silent as she washes the blood. A bit of her hair falls across her face and instinctively I curl it behind her ear.

"Callum," she murmurs, biting her lip for a moment. "I don't understand you."

I sigh. "It's complicated."

"There's someone else, isn't there?"

I study her for a moment. Does she mean Jake? How would she know? Am I really that obvious?

She see's the answer on my face. She nods. "Does she go to our school?" I let out a breath of relief. "Is it Katryn?"

I shake my head. "It's not Kat."

"I was about to say, I'm very confused as to why you sent your best friend into a room alone with her," she breathes a laugh.

"Alice, you're awesome. You're so beautiful and I really do wish things were different. But they're not. And it's unfair to you. I'm sorry."

She looks up at me, her eyes a little watery. "You're too good to be true, Callum."

I shake my head. "I'm really not."

"Are you dating her?" she asks. "This other girl?"

"No," I don't correct her terminology.

"Then is it so wrong?" she whispers. "For us?"

"It's unfair to you."

"I don't think so."

I begin to protest when she leans up and kisses me. I take a moment to let myself kiss her back. I'm still so confused with everything.

"This won't lead to anything," I whisper. "I'm sorry."

"I don't care."

She slides onto the bench and pulls my shirt so that I'm standing between her knees. She loops her arms around my neck, drawing me close.

"Alice..."

She silences me with another kiss. I cup her face with my hands. Her skin is soft and light. Not hard, like Jake. Her hair is long and in the way. Her kisses are nice and gentle. Not possessive and powerful. I run my hands down her side. There's no hard muscle. She moves my hand up her thigh. It's not firm. It's not what I want.

So desperately I want to enjoy this. I want to feel for her what I feel for him. But my body isn't wired this way, no matter how much I want it to be.

We kiss for a long time. Her hands roam over my chest. They're small and delicate. When I take a step back, I tell myself, that's the last time.

"Thanks for cleaning up my hand," I say to her.

"Anytime," she smiles. "And Cal?"

"Hmm?"