The Beats in Rift Read Free Page B

quickly reply before Justin can, feeling my body heat with anticipation. Her eyes narrow on me.
    “Not you, Rift. You have a girlfriend, that wouldn’t be fair to her. I meant Justin.” The heat in my body fizzles and is replaced with ice shards. Justin’s eyebrows are in his hairline.
    “Beats, your first kiss is meant to be special,”
    Her laughter startles him. “Well Jared’s didn’t sound special, and you are special to me, so just teach me. I don’t want to suck or crumble into a nervous heap if he tries to kiss me.”
    She pleads in her cute voice that has gotten her what she wants from us since the day we met her. He looks up at me then back to her.
    “Okay, fine. Of course I will.”
    She beams at him, turning her body towards him.
    “Now?” he stutters.
    She laughs again, shaking her head in confusion. “Why not?”
    I clench my fists so hard my knuckles turn white.
    Justin shrugs. “Okay, just relax and copy what I do.”
    He moves towards her, putting his hands on her hips and leaning forward. His lips brush hers, he adds more pressure before pulling back slightly. I can’t believe I’m watching myself kiss her, only it’s not me. It’s my mirror image, my freaking brother kissing the girl I love!
    “Open your mouth,” he whispers.
    Dipping his tongue, hers swipes out to meet his. Her hands press against his shoulders as she turns her head for better access. They look awkward.
    “Enough!” I shout, making them both jump apart.
    Striding towards her, my hand grasping the nape of her neck, I pull her to her feet. Bringing my other hand to clasp her cheek, I crush my lips down onto her soft, warm mouth. I caress her lips, coaxing them to part with a flick of my tongue. She opens willingly, her tongue meeting my own with hunger. My skin heats as her hands slide up my back, igniting my lust further. When she moans into my mouth I want to write a song about the sound of that moan. Pulling away reluctantly, we’re both left panting.
    “You don’t need to be nervous, Beats. You’re an amazing kisser, but these lips are meant for me, not Drake.”
    Her violet eyes are glazed, her chest still rising and falling with each needy gulp for air. She stares at me for what feels like hours before Justin breaks the spell.
    “I guess your plans for the dance have changed.” He chuckles.
    “What about Jess?” she asks in a whisper.
    “She’s not you. I’ve waited long enough for you to be ready to date, there’s no way in hell I’m letting it be with someone who isn’t me.”
    “Okay,” she murmurs. Just like that!
    “I’m going to go order pizza,” Justin informs us, leaving us alone. I haven’t taken my eyes from hers.
    “You okay with this, Beats?”
    She bites her lip. Her teeth push down into it making me groan a little; I brush my thumb over the plump red lip, releasing it from her attack.
    “Kiss me again,” she breathes. So I do, and I don’t stop from that day on.

 
     
    “YOU’RE SIXTEEN NOW so I thought you might like that.” I look back down at the present my Mom deemed appropriate for my sixteenth birthday.
    She walks into the kitchen, leaving her slimy boyfriend to slide up next to me. His heated morning breath stains my cheek with a hot mist as he whispers into my ear. “You can model them for me any time.”
    Swallowing the vomit trying to force its way up from his disgusting suggestion, I shift in my seat to move away from him. I’m surprised he’s here. When I woke up last night he wasn’t the one occupying my Mom’s bed. I’d needed the bathroom, and tip toeing quietly across the landing I’d knocked straight into the hard chest of Jared and Justin’s Dad. Air left my lungs as shock settled in my stomach. Why would he be here with my Mom? He hated me because to him, I was lower class, my Mom was someone he spoke about in harsh whispers, yet he was in her room with her doing God knows what. Before I could speak he’d pinned me against the wall. “If you