Free Hearts Attached by Scarlet Wolfe

he’d have to do something way worse to be in trouble.
    He’s an honor student, excellent at sports, and never causes trouble. He’s too important of an asset to our athletic department.
    “Will you please stay with me? Your mom will be working, right?”
    “Yes, but I don’t know, Luke.”
    “I’ll try to behave,” he says with that adorable smile. “I want to sleep next to you.”
    My heart is ready to experience everything with him, but in my mind I’m scared of the unknown. I would have never moved this fast with any other guy, and I don’t believe Luke would have with any other girl, but we’re comfortable with each other already.
    Luke knows me well enough to have the courage to ask for what he wants. He’d never force me to do anything, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t going to see how far I’ll go willingly.
    We can’t keep our hands off each other when we’re alone, so I’m not sending the message of resistance. The thought has me chuckling.
    Luke
    Kenzie appears to be laughing at me.
    “What are you finding funny?”
    “The fact we can’t keep our hands off each other now, yet we managed to for years.”
    I smile at her bashfully, which is even funnier after everything we’ve done. “I think you’re mistaken. Over the years, I had a lot of trouble keeping my hands and mouth off of you.”
    ***
    A ge 12:
    “Kenzie, what’s wrong?” I ask as I climb into the treehouse.
    “My dad ... he’s so mean.” Kenzie sniffles and wipes her eyes with her shirt sleeve. She’s lying on the carpeted floor, so I lie next to her on my side.
    “Liv is at the store with Mom. I’ll send her over when she gets home.”
    “Everything is wrong. I’ve come to the conclusion that you are the only male on the planet who likes me.”
    “That’s not true.” I drape my arm over her waist and pull her closer. I hate when Kenzie is sad, and I hate when her dad is an asshole and hits her. 
    “Instead of me, Jordan asked Missy to go to the spring dance with him. Dad punished me when I got home. If you weren’t so dang nice, I’d probably hate males altogether.”
    “Go to the dance with me,” I say.
    “You don’t have to do that. I know you wanted to ask Carmon.”
    “Maybe I don’t.”
    “You said you were going to ask her.”
    “That was when I thought Jordan would ask you. I’d go with you before her.”
    “I can go alone.” Kenzie’s eyes stare back at me and look like a stained glass portrait of the sky from the tears over them.
    “I don’t have the nerve to ask her. You’ll probably have to hold my hand and yank me through the door. You know how nervous I get.”
    “You’re the most popular guy in our class. Any girl would go with you, so you’re just saying all this to make me feel—”
    I press my lips to Kenzie’s and hold them there. I don’t know why, but I want to. She pulls away and rolls onto her back.
    “Why did you kiss me?” She sounds anxious as she covers her face with her arm.
    “Um, I don’t know. To shut you up.” I say this more like I’m asking, unsure of my answer.
    Her head jerks my way. “To shut me up? God, you are the most confusing boy ever,” she says angrily. I grab her face and kiss her again, but she jumps up and stomps to the door of the treehouse.
    I’m such an idiot. What is wrong with me? To shut you up ... that’s the best I could do? Now, I’m the third asshole to hurt her today. We both need to forget that ever happened.
    ***
    K enzie went home with Shelby after school, so Dalton is over playing some basketball before he hangs out with Liv. I make a three pointer before he rebounds the ball.
    “It looks like things are pretty cool between you and McKenzie.” He dribbles and shoots.
    “Yeah, it’s awesome. I wish we’d gotten together a long time ago.”
    “It appears you’re making up for lost time.” He chuckles. “You two can’t keep your hands off each other at school, so I can only imagine what it’s like when you’re