Kye made it forty-five minutes later, his car revving loud as he pulled into a parking spot. He didn’t see me at first, but he still got out and walked to the front of his car. He leaned back on his hood and pulled out his phone, calling me.

“I’m here,” he said, still annoyed.

“I see that.”

He looked around but still didn’t see me. He looked good, even from this distance. His hat was turned backwards, his glasses hiding any hint of his blue eyes, and I still couldn’t get over how hot I found him.

High school me would be laughing at myself that Kye Baker was the one making me lose my damn mind.

“So you called me out here to stalk me?” he asked. Finally, he broke into a small smile.

“Yeah, it’s so much easier when the person you’re stalking comes to you. It really beats having to track you down.”

“Good choice. You couldn’t keep up with me even if you tried to stalk me.”

“Is that a challenge to try to stalk you? How do you know I couldn’t keep up?”

“Because you watch me shift my car like it’s another wonder of the world to you. I really doubt you could.”

“I guess we will never know,” I said, not able to stop the smile that had come over me.

He laughed, the deep sound reverberating through the phone, and I could see him sit back against the hood. “You think I can’t get you set up in a car to race me to test that?”

“Like I said, I guess we will never know.” I didn’t hide my laugh, my entire life feeling so much lighter now.

He laughed again and looked around. “Are you coming out of hiding so we can go? I don’t know if I feel like playing a game of hide-and-seek.”

“Really? I would have thought you would like that type of thing.”

“You think I like children’s games?”

“No. You just seem so feral. I would have guessed the hunting someone down was some sort of fantasy or something.”

Without missing a beat, his eyes flashed to mine, and I gasped that he found me so easily. “Interesting that you know about those types of fantasies. I wouldn’t think a girl like you even knew that was a thing. Projecting your own fantasies onto me, maybe?” he asked.

I stepped out from behind the tree, in full view of him now. “Not projecting, just making educated guesses.”

“Educated guesses based on what?” he asked, pushing off the car and facing me. There was easily a hundred feet between us, maybe more, but it felt like too much now.

The thought of Kye stalking over here to kiss me was all-consuming. The heat moved down my spine until my thighs clenched.

Somehow I had spent the day around Dean and the guys, but Kye was the one making me hot and bothered.

And I wasn’t even near him yet.

“Guesses based on you being one step away from a wild animal.”

“Is this because of the fight the other day?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“And that’s why we haven’t talked at all? Because you think I’m wild.”

“Yes.”

“And you’re scared of me?”

“A little.”

“But you called me for a ride?”

“I didn’t know of anyone else who would come out here to get me. Besides my dad, at least, but I wasn’t about to tell him about this.”

“So once again, you’re scared of me, but you need my help. Seems like we’ve been here before.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“For what?”

“Being scared of you, but still asking for your help. Repeatedly, apparently.”

I could see him grin from here, and I struggled not to smile back.

“Can’t blame a girl for being smart. Get in the car, Daze.”

“Are you sure?”

“Get your ass over here and get in the damn car, Daisy,” he said, but it wasn’t as angry as I would have expected. If anything, it was full of humor.

Maybe Kye could be vicious, and a little scary, but he came out here to get me. To make sure I was safe and got home tonight.

And as scary as he could be, I knew right then he wasn’t going to hurt me.

TWELVEKYE

It wasn’t until she was safely in my passenger seat that I felt like I could take my first full breath of the day.

When she told me she was spending the day out with Dean, something had settled in my gut that made me want to puke.

I didn’t like it.

There was no way a guy like him wanted to hang out with his ex, the girl he thought was currently dating me, unless he had a plan.

I thought he might hurt her feelings. I didn’t think he would actually put her in physical danger.

If she was scared of deep water and panicked too much, she could have drowned.