Torn (All Torn Up Book 1)

Tor ~ age fifteen

Ember ~ age fourteen

Asher ~ age fifteen

Being shy sucks. It took me weeks of smiling at the new girl in our class, Ember, to work up the balls to ask her if I could walk her home after school. She’s shy too, though, and now we’re walking in awkward silence. I want to hold her hand, but I can’t tell if she wants me to. I’ve got my guitar with me, slung over my back in its case since I’m playing in a school project, so I ask her if she wants to stop at the park and listen to me play. I lose myself in the music when I play, and it always calms me down, stripping me of my insecurities. One thing I know I do well is create music and write lyrics.

‘Sure,’ she says. ‘I do some singing. I’m not great, but I love to do it anyway. If it makes your ears hurt, I promise I’ll stop.’

It turns out she does, in fact, have an amazing voice, and my shyness starts to fade as we sit at a picnic table and I play some of her favorite hit songs and she sings along. I try not to stare at her, but it’s hard not to. She’s one of the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen, and the fact that we both have a passion for music is a surprise bonus I wasn’t expecting.

‘I thought I heard you twanging over here, man.’ Asher’s raspy voice breaks into my daydream of asking Ember out to a movie this weekend.

‘Hey,’ I say as he approaches us. ‘Do you know Ember? She just moved here last month. Ember, this is Asher Valentine.’ Asher is way more outgoing than I am, so maybe he can help us break the conversation ice.

‘Actually, we haven’t met yet,’ he says, giving her his full attention. ‘Wow, you’ve got some gorgeous eyes. Shit. There goes my heart.’

‘Nice to meet you,’ she giggles and gives her dazzling smile over to him. ‘Are you guys brothers?’ she asks.

Asher laughs. ‘Nah. Everyone thinks that, but we’re just friends.’

‘You guys look a lot alike. I actually thought you were the same person when I first saw you in the halls. It took me a few days to realize you weren’t.’

‘It’s definitely not on purpose,’ I say. ‘Just a weird coincidence. Ash has a younger brother that looks like him, too. And I guess, a lot like me.’

Asher flashes a grin. ‘God thought I was so perfect he wanted to make some backups of me,’ he winks at Ember. ‘Just in case.’

She giggles again, and I can feel myself slipping into the background. ‘You’re that perfect?’ She asks.

‘Yup.’

Her head tilts and she can’t seem to take her eyes off him, and he’s staring right back at her like I wish I had the courage to before he showed up. Suddenly, it’s like I’m not even here, and my daydreams wither away.

Defeated, I put my guitar back in its case and snap it shut. ‘I should get going.’

‘Oh…’ Ember says, looking from me to Asher, like she’s torn between us.

‘I’m going to hang out here for a while and then go over to the diner for a burger,’ Asher says, still holding her attention. ‘You want to stay and talk for a while? I’ll buy you dinner and walk you home.’

‘I’d love to,’ she turns to me. ‘You don’t mind, do you Toren?’

I shake my head and force a smile. ‘No, not at all.’

But the truth is, I did mind. I minded a lot.

Kenzi

Tor’s texts have me aflutter. That’s the only word I can think of to best describe this new feeling. I think my Gram would be impressed with that word. My insides are shaking, rattling and rolling all about, and I can’t get my heart to settle back down into normal, calm beats. I’ve been lying in bed for an hour since we said good night, but I’m too afluttered to sleep.

I quietly slip into the hallway and pad down to Aunt Katherine’s small kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. It’s odd how at home I only drink coffee, but when I’m here I drink all sorts of assorted teas and don’t go near coffee at all. I’m not sure why this is fascinating to me at one a.m., but it is. With the steaming ceramic cup in my hand, I go back to my room and close the door behind me with a soft click.

Before I made my tea, I spent a half hour re-reading the entire text conversation. Tor’s reactions to my photos and then his detailed description of what he wanted to do to me was definitely a surprising eye-opener.

Tor has an erotic side.

And that just ramped up his yum factor even more.

If his words are true – and I have zero reason to doubt him – he wants to show me that side of him, even though he’s struggling with it because of all the alleged wrong’s involved.

I stare out the window at the moon and its neighboring stars casting a shimmering reflection on the water, contemplating as I sip my tea. Is it really wrong for us to feel this way? If we care about each other, love each other, and want each other…is that wrong? And if it is, then why? Because of our ages? Because he’s my dad’s best friend? Because he’s taken care of me?

Do those things make it wrong…or do they actually make it more right? Why is it acceptable to get involved with a total stranger, who could do any number of things to hurt you or betray you, but not get involved with someone who has cared about you since the day you were born?

Is it all a matter of social perspective?

Is it possible that falling in love doesn’t always start when we think it might, and sometimes, it starts way before we’re ready, and grows slowly over time, allowing two people to truly fall in love with every aspect of each other? Rather than the more typical way of meeting a stranger, being attracted to them first, dating them, having feelings for them, and then hoping they’ll like you too and not rip your heart out?

I wish I had someone to talk to about all these confusing feelings, but I’m not ready to even attempt to go down that road yet.

Grabbing my cell phone, I perch on the edge of my bed and read over the text conversation again, frowning at my own words. My replies to his photo and to his sensual admissions are disappointing. I should have come back with an equally honest admission of what I want and felt. He crept over the wall tonight, took a peek at me, and let me see a peek of him. Maybe it was wrong of me to send him the pictures to lure him out, but I wanted him to see me in a new light. As a new adult. And I was hoping to see more of him.

From the dresser I pull out the decorated box of note paper and the fountain pen that I brought with me with the intention of mailing Chloe and my Grandmother notes while I was here. Instead, I sit on the floor and hand write a note to Tor. He’s the one who introduced me to calligraphy and he’s always loved the handwritten notes I’ve given him. With the evolution of the cell phone, I’ve used that as my main tool of correspondence with him, but for something special like this, I know he’ll appreciate it in my own writing.

Dear Tor,

Tonight your words were what I have been hoping to hear. You took my breath away, and gave it back to me again. I have not been able to fathom never touching again since the first time you kissed me, so don’t be afraid of loving and fucking (your word) me into exhaustion. I want you to show me what that feels like someday. Just thinking about it is making me breathless all over again.

I want you to be my first. I want you to be my last. I want you to be all the in-betweens. I want you. Just you. Only you.

And I want to be all yours, in every way.

I know you’re scared, but I also know how strong you are. We can be scared together, and we can be strong together. Trust that I know what I want. Haven’t I always?

I’m here, waiting, anytime you want to climb over the wall again. And if you have to run back to the other side again, that’s okay. I’ll still be here.

I love you the most,

Kenzi

xo

I take a picture of the note with my phone camera and send it to him. Mailing would be much more authentic, but would take too long. I want him to have this when he wakes up.

Five minutes after I get back into bed, a text comes through my phone and I know it has to be from him.

Tor: Why aren’t you sleeping?

Me: Why aren’t you? 😉

Tor: I’ve been busy treating myself like a playground since you had to tease me with your pictures.

Me: OMG

Tor: Sorry. I have no filter when I’m exhausted and deprived.

Me: I’m not complaining 🙂

Tor: You wrote me a letter. I miss seeing your writing.

Me: I’ll do it more.

Tor: Only you could make the word fucking look beautiful 😉

Me: LOL thanks

Tor: I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say fuck before.

Me: I didn’t say it, I wrote it. And I was quoting you.

Tor: Someday I’m going to get you to say it 🙂

Me: Someday works for me 😉

Tor: Kenz…I’m too tired to fight my feelings tonight.

Me: Good. I’ve declared tonight as being all rules off.

Tor: Oh really?

Me: Yes. Tomorrow we can go back to living in denial.

He’s quiet for a few moments and I wonder if he fell asleep with the phone in his hand.

Tor: Don’t hate me tomorrow when I’m back to normal.

Me: I’ll love you more tomorrow.

Tor: You’re really killing me tonight. It’s not fair.

Me: I like honesty, Tor. If this is the only way you can do that with me, I’ll take it.

Tor: This would be easier if you would just push me away, ya know.

Me: Sorry. No can do. 🙂

Tor: I’m going to type one more thing, then we’re going to bed. I can hear birds chirping.

Me: Ok…

Tor: I’ve always loved how unconditionally you love me

Ah. The power that words can hold is nothing short of amazing. They can hurt you, and they can heal you. Or, they can completely gut you. And sometimes, like now, they can make everything right in your world.

Me: I always will. Now go to sleep.

Tor: You too, Angel. Maybe if we fall asleep at the same time, we’ll see each other in our dreams.

Me: Wow, Tor. I never knew you were a romantic.

Tor: There’s a lot about me you don’t know 😉

After eighteen years, I seriously thought I knew everything about Tor. But cracks spidered through the wall between us and glimpses of him have seeped out through his words. He’s sensual. He’s lonely. He’s possessive. He’s playful. He’s romantic. And he’s afraid of getting hurt.

I pull the thin cover up over me and hug my pillow, eager to fall asleep now with the hope of meeting up with him in our dreams.