Chapter 128: Blackout
**OLIVER WEST**
My lips were still tingling, and when I glanced to the side. Sure enough, Amanda was still standing a few feet away. Her lips were pressed thin, her fists tight at her sides.
The best part? She turned away without a word and disappeared into the trees.
"Yeah, run along," I muttered under my breath, unable to stop myself from smiling widely. My chest felt light, almost giddy, as if I had won some ridiculous prize.
Kieran’s hand slid into mine, tugging me gently as he started to lead me deeper into the woods. I suppose we were partners now, better than me working with Amanda or Kieran doing so.
The noise of the others faded until it was only us, and the crunch of twigs under our feet.
"Why are we going further? There doesn’t seem to be mushrooms here," I said, though I didn’t exactly pull away.
"It’s quieter here." His voice was low, and steady beside me. "And I want you all to myself."
I rolled my eyes, even though my cheeks betrayed me by heating up. We still had to talk, I wasn’t sure how to start without offending Kieran again, but we couldn’t keep avoiding this topic forever, especially if we wanted to grow.
"You still care about your dad, don’t you?"
Kieran’s steps stilled beside me, the sudden shift in the air from comfortable to tensed made my heart shift, especially when his hand which had been holding onto mine suddenly slipped away.
I tilted my head up at him, but his eyes didn’t possess the sharpness and animosity that I expected. Instead, it held... Confusion. Almost as though, he couldn’t quite determine what he felt.
"I don’t know about caring about him," He said, a second ticked past and he added, " But I don’t want him to die either," he murmured, so faint I almost missed it.
I took his hand in mine again, squeezing slowly. Overall, my heart started beating normally again.
To me, this was progress, he could talk about his dad without so much hate burning in his eyes.
"He won’t. You’ll see. There are still too many things between you two that need fixing. He’s not going anywhere yet."
His jaw tensed, but I could tell he wanted to believe me. That flicker of doubt in his gaze made me wish I could do more than offer empty promises.
We fell into a silence that didn’t feel heavy. Then I spotted something in the tree behind Kieran.
"Look, a mushroom!" I pointed excitedly, but as I started to go behind Kieran, suddenly, his grip pulled me closer by the shoulder.
"Wha..." My words cut off in a gasp when his fingers pinched my cheek, tugging hard.
"Don’t think I’ve forgotten it all, you can’t do that again," he said, scowling down at me. "Do you hear me? Never lay these hands that belong to me on anyone else!"
The pressure increased until my face hurt and I had to nod frantically, I thought that was already in the past now. "Ow—okay, okay! Jealous much? You’re the one who ignored me, remember?" I bit out grudgingly.
And suddenly.
SPANK!
A loud wail left my mouth, my butt was stinging. I’d forgotten how much his hands hurt.
"You breached our deal!" I yelped, massaging to soothe the impact.
"So what are you going to do about it?" Kieran taunted.
I scowled at him but his glare only deepened, I caught him readying his palm again and every effort to hold my stand crumbled instantly.
"Fine. I won’t even look at them. My eyes are only for you, satisfied now?" I rolled my eyes, but the truth was, my chest felt warm admitting it out loud.
Yeah, I’ve completely lost it! Telling that to the bastard who just bullied me!
He finally let go, and I rubbed at the sore spot on my facial cheek as well. "But it goes both ways. Don’t let girls like Amanda touch you either—or I’ll really be mad. I may spank you in return!" I tried to sound stern as I pinched Kieran’s cheek in revenge.
Except Kieran didn’t let me get away with even that.
His hand caught mine, firm, and guided it downward. Slowly. Across the hard plane of his chest, tracing over muscle until my palm was pressed against his abs.
My breath hitched, heat rushing to my face. He leaned down, close enough that I felt the brush of his breath.
"You’re always welcome to feel me," he murmured. His eyes glinted with that flare of heat I recognized all too well. "I work out too."
My salivary gland completely stopped working.
My fingers twitched against his skin before I yanked my hand back like I’d been burned.
I gazed at Kieran warily, I didn’t trust him.
We were already isolated and I refused to fall for any trick!!
It was for this reason I opted to pinch his cheek and not spank him, because I wasn’t ready to get down on monkey business.
"Wh-what are you doing, we are here to examine q mushrooms, remember?"
Kieran tilted his head, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Showing you what’s yours. And making sure you remember—this body is all you get to touch. Besides, I already picked out a mushroom for you, wanna see?" His lips curled into a smirk, and before I knew it, he caught my wrist again, dragging it lower.
Too low.
Heat shot through me when his hand guided mine against the waistband of his pants.
My heart lurched into my throat, and I flinched back, gawking at him, how could he be this shameless in such an open space?!!!
"Are you insane? Someone could walk by! Do you want me remembered as the guy who gave a handjob in the woods?"
Kieran chuckled and I glared at him. He knew how fast these talks spread around school.
"In the woods? Then you wouldn’t mind doing it when we get home later, you can make a well-detailed sketch of this particle mushroom, and I could teach you the areas I want to be studied" His voice dipped lower, teasing. "You realize that mine is edible too, right?"
"Go away, you. . .You horny beast!"I shoved at his chest, burning from head to toe.
THERE WAS NO WAY HE COULD KNOW THAT I ALREADY HAD A SKETCH OF THE SAID MUSHROOM
Kieran was still laughing, while I crossed my arms and stalked a few paces ahead, pretending to be done with him. Except I couldn’t hide the grin spreading across my face. He was infuriating!
A faint rustle came from somewhere in the trees. I paused, glancing over my shoulder. "Did you hear that?"
Kieran tilted his head, unconcerned. "Probably just a squirrel."
I nodded, and for the next few minutes, Kieran and I ended up finding different mushroom specimens. We split our tasks, Kieran pointed out differences and similarities while I noted them down and made sketches.
I was still sketching a particular species when I got thirsty, "K, the water and snacks are with Heath on the other side" I yawned tiredly and beamed with joy when Kieran offered to go get them.
And for the next few minutes, it was just me, my pencil, and the mushrooms.
I heard faint movements behind me. I didn’t expect Kieran to be back this soon, I wasn’t even done with my sketch.
"Did you manage to get it?" I asked, not turning, my fingers were making smudge lines on my drawing.
There was no answer.
That was when the hairs at the back of my neck suddenly prickled. I slowly turned, half-expecting him to be there, pranking me with his silence. But I didn’t get the chance.
A sudden, hard shove slammed into my shoulders.
I barely had time to gasp before my foot caught on the earth wrongly. The world tilted. Something sharp and solid cracked against the back of my head, and pain exploded white-hot through my skull.
The last thing I saw was a figure looming above me.
Then blackness.