Page 194 of Nobody's Girl

His eyes beg me, but something in me feels it’s wrong. Eden needn’t see us together like that to know my heart is Kyle’s.

“Come to my house later, Kyle. It’s not right to kiss you here in this parking lot where everyone can see our business. You’ve never asked me to do this before. You need to trust me.” My heart beats hard against his chest.

His mouth moves closer to mine even though I’ve told him no. “Don’t be mad at me, Ally,” he says just before his lips land on mine.

A hand grips my shoulder and I’m yanked away from Kyle. Carrying me away by my waist, Eden places me in the car without opening the door.

“Eden!” I yell as he buckles my seatbelt. I see Kyle moving up fast behind him. “Kyle! No!”

My eyes must be deceiving me because Eden’s feet don’t seem to move, or they move so fast I can’t see them.

He has Kyle pinned to the side of his truck, his hands on Kyle’s shoulders as he says, “This stops now. She said no and she will not be disrespected. Talk to her father if you wish to see her. Although I doubt he’ll allow that once I let him in on how your influence has affected her. If you care for her at all, you’ll leave her alone. She’s far too special for what you have in mind for her. By the way, how is it you think so little of her that you’d take her to your bed with no vow between you?”

Kyle struggles to move, but can’t seem to. “You’re ancient, dude. Our personal relationship is none of your business. She’ll be of legal age to consent to a physical relationship in mere weeks, and you can bet she’ll consent to whatever I ask her to. She loves me, dude. Get over it.”

I can’t take this anymore. “Eden, let him go! I’ll talk to him later.”

Eden looks back at me, his jaw clenched. “As you wish, Alyssa.”

He does like I’ve asked and my heart throbs in my chest as Kyle looks like a fallen man. Finding himself unable to get out of Eden’s hold must have made him feel weak. I’ll have to let Eden know he can never handle Kyle like that again.

I offer a small smile to Kyle, who looks back at me with a dejected expression on his poor face.

“Please let me in when I come over, Ally. We have to fix this. I’ve been over every day and your father won’t let me in. I’ve called and left messages and texts. They’re stopping you from seeing or even talking to me.”

Eden slides into his seat and starts the car, peeling away.

I call out to Kyle, “I didn’t know, Kyle. Come tonight.”

As I turn back around, I find tears falling like rain down my cheeks.

“Eden, why would my parents do that? Kyle’s not what you think. He’s a good guy. The cussing is just words. Everyone uses them. He’s never done anything to me I haven’t allowed.”

Eden hands me a handkerchief. “He kissed you when you told him not to. How many other things has he done with no one to witness?”

“Is it you behind my parent’s actions? Do you have some hold over them? They’re aliens to me since your arrival,” I say as the tears dry up and an anger the likes of which I’ve never felt before wells up inside me. “I find it odd that you came here with at least two gifts for me. You had no idea about me, having never met me. Are you someone who’s stalked me online or something? There’s a chance you’re blackmailing my parents to get to me. Is that what’s happening here?”

Eden reaches for my hand and I draw it back. “Alyssa, princess, don’t think like that about me. I’m no crazy stalker. I have no hold over your parents. I’ve come to care for you since we’ve met. It is true that I would like to have something more than a friendship with you. That boy is not right for you. You’re making a mistake in thinking he is. Your life with him would be a string of trailer parks and hardships.”

“You’re a snob, Eden. A heartless snob. I’m afraid I can no longer be your friend. Once we get home, I want you to leave me alone. I want nothing else to do with you during your stay or ever again. Whatever is going on is stopping now. I’ll have no more of it, or you,” I say, clenching my fists so hard my fingernails dig into my palms.

Pulling to the side of the road, Eden takes me by the shoulder, making me turn towards him, but I look away. “Alyssa, please listen to me,” he begs, but I won’t look at him. He takes my chin and pulls my sunglasses off. “Look at me, Alyssa.” I meet his eyes and make sure he sees the anger in them. “Good. I can’t stand the thought of not being in your life. Please reconsider.”

“Fuck you!”

He flinches and I’m glad to see it. “Alyssa, please. You’re too good for this behavior. I’ll do anything you want if you don’t shut me out. Life is not worth living without you in it. Can you understand me? Would you not miss me at all?”

“Eden, I’ve never felt better or worse since I’ve met you. You’ve made me happy, and when you kissed me I honestly had to question if Kyle was the one for me. That kiss felt like we were one and the same. A sense of being whole enveloped me. But this side of you is too much to take. Judging others is not something I do or allow in my life. You speak of Kyle as if he were a piece of trash to be tossed away with no remorse. That boy, as you continue to call the love of my life, is a fine man and he will make something of his life. Truth be told, I’d live wherever he wanted. I love him that much.”

The hold he has on my chin softens and his knuckles graze my cheek. “That kiss made me feel that way too, Alyssa? I suppose the way I’m beginning to feel about you has me being something I’m not. Perhaps jealousy is why I’ve said the awful things about that boy—sorry—about Kyle. I’m no snob, and I don’t really think he’ll live in trailer parks.”

“So you felt it too?” I ask as I pull his sunglasses away from his face so I can see his eyes. He nods and I confess, “I’ve never felt that with Kyle.”

Intensity covers his face. “So we should try it again and see what we feel, shouldn’t we?”

“It isn’t right, Eden. I’m still with him. I would never want him to do this to me.” My heart aches with the struggle I’m having.

“You owe it to yourself to be sure, Alyssa. If he’s not the right one for you, it would be a sinful existence to go on with your plans when you can have a better life with someone else. A better connection with someone else might be possible.”