Chapter 24 #2
Yep, it’s official. I hate parties. They have been spoiled for all time for me.
I’m a paranoid, nervous wreck. I watch everyone around me expecting someone to drop a roofie into our drinks or for Marshall to pop out of nowhere and pick a fight.
I can tell I’m irritating the crap out of Jayson by nagging him to death about not drinking tonight.
Luckily, he's only had one beer so far. I need to get a grip, but I feel like walls of writhing, dancing bodies are closing in on me and I can’t breathe.
Curtis’s party is nothing like Fallon’s, but the need to get out of here before I completely lose it and have a full-blown panic attack claws away at me.
“Jayson, do you mind if we left soon?”
“Huh? Hold up, man,” he tells Curtis and looks down at me. “Why do you want to leave? We haven’t been here that long.”
Someone knocks into me from behind, and I hear a girl giggle “sorry” as she stumbles across the kitchen to grab another drink.
“I’m just not in the mood for a party,” I reply.
He stares at me for a minute. “Ryder should be here in a bit, and I’ll take you home once he gets here. I don’t want to spoil Julien’s night by making him leave now.”
“Fine. I’ll be outside.” Anything to get some fresh air.
Elijah is out of town with his parents, so wasn’t at the game and isn’t here now.
I understand that Jayson wants to make sure Ryder is here to drive Julien home, since Julien is already halfway wasted.
I don’t like it, but I understand. I’m just super uncomfortable and would rather be at home, watching a movie.
I guess I’m not as over the events of Fallon’s party as I thought I was.
Someone else bumps into me. Again. For Pete’s sake. Get me the out of this house. I find the nearest door that leads outside and burst through it into the front porch. Humid air fills my lungs, and I take a seat on the bench swing. I push my toe down and start the swing going.
“Hey, kitten. Thought that was you.”
Fallon emerges from the darkness, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He tosses it into a nearby bush and makes his way over to me.
“Hey, Fallon.” Speak of the devil.
He climbs over the porch railing and perches on top of it. “You here alone?”
“No. Jayson and Julien are inside. I just needed a breather.”
He makes a humming noise and stares at me like I'm a puzzle he's trying to solve. Why? I have no clue. I never know what to make of Fallon. I see him all the time at the Fields, and he and Ryder hang out sometimes, or he’ll bring his cars to Ryder’s dad’s shop.
Every time I see him, he usually has a girl hanging off his arm.
I guess I get why. He strikingly handsome.
Dark blond hair and aquamarine blue eyes.
He has an air of recklessness and danger about him that attracts girls to him like moths to a flame.
His family is also filthy rich, which I’m sure doesn’t hurt and works to his advantage.
From what I've been able to piece together from eavesdropping on the twin's conversations, Fallon handled the mess with Marshall after the fight at the party and got the video of it taken down.
I wonder if he is also the reason that Marshall wasn't playing tonight for the Highland High soccer team.
“Fallon, if I asked you a question, would you answer it truthfully?”
He tilts his head and his bright blue eyes flit across my face. “Depends.”
“Did you do anything to Marshall or to those other guys to shut them up and not report Jayson? What's the deal you made with Samantha and Jacinda? I also noticed that Marshall wasn’t playing tonight. Know anything about that?” I might as well get all my questions out all at once for him.
His chuckle is low and deep. “That’s three questions, Elizabeth.”
“Would you mind answering all three then?”
“Why do you want to know?” he says, jumping off the porch railing and taking a seat beside me on the swing.
The smell of tobacco is strong. I scoot over on the bench swing to put more distance between us. Fallon has always been an enigma, but right now I wonder if he is someone I should be wary of.
He leans his head back and rotates it in my direction. “A secret for a secret, kitten.”
“What does that even mean? And stop calling me kitten.”
“I will answer one of your questions for every secret you give me.”
“I don’t understand, Fallon. This isn’t a game. I have no secrets to tell.”
He holds up a finger. “Everyone has secrets.” He holds up another finger.
“And everything is a game. It just depends on how you play it. And tonight, I want to play with you.” He reaches out and twirls a piece of my hair around his finger.
I smack it away and he laughs. “Kitten has some claws, I see.”
“I mean it, Fallon. Stop calling me kitten.”
“Make me, Elizabeth.”
I only wanted some answers to my questions—questions that none of the boys will answer. But something tells me this is not a game I want to play with Fallon.
I stand abruptly, setting the swing back in an arch. “I don’t like playing games, Fallon.”
He’s faster than I give him credit for. His hands snake out and grab me by my waist. “Oh, Elizabeth. How do you know you don't like my games?”
A deep voice booms behind me and makes me jump.
“Get your hands off my girl, Fallon.”
My girl. And it’s not Jayson.
Fallon leans to the side and smiles at Ryder. “Hey, man.”
Ryder steps in front of me, his eyes on Fallon.
Fallon stands up and pats Ryder’s shoulder. “We were just talking. Relax.” His blue eyes find mine. “You want to continue our conversation, kitten, you know where to find me.”
We watch as he walks back around the side of the house into the darkness.
“What was that about?”
I really don’t know, honestly. “Nothing. He was just messing with me. You know how he is,” I reply, hoping Ryder will drop it. However, my curiosity is piqued. As strangely bizarre as I think Fallon is, he intrigues me. Question is, am I willing to play his games? “You hang out with him, right?”
“Yeah.”
Deciding it’s best to drop the subject, I ask him, “You said you had something you wanted to tell me. Oh! Julien has good news, but I won’t spoil it and will let him tell you. Would you mind driving him home so Jayson and I can leave?”
“Yeah, I can do that. Why are you guys leaving? I just got here.”
“I’m not up to partying tonight,” is all I say. Ryder nudges me to sit back down on the porch swing with him.
“I feel there’s more to that than you’re letting on.”
“Too many bad memories,” I reply, knowing he'll understand. Ryder tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, his gaze understanding. “So, what did you want to talk about?” I ask again.
“I broke up with Maria.”
Well, that came out of left field. Maria hasn’t said a word to me about it. Actually, Maria hasn’t responded to any of my texts or calls, and now I know why.
“What happened?”
He exhales and closes his eyes. “Things weren’t going anywhere. I tried, but she’s just not the one for me, and I’m not the person for her. I should’ve broken it off with her a long time ago.”
“I’m so sorry.” Well, mostly. And thinking that makes me feel guilty. I feel like it’s my fault, that I’m to blame for their breakup.
Ryder and I seem to have this push-pull between us, like we’re stuck on opposite ends of a bungee cord and the farther we try to run away, the stronger the snap back is toward each other.
Jayson wants to plan a life, a future with me.
How can I truly commit to that future when part of me is still in love with Ryder?
The way I feel isn't fair to Ryder. It’s not fair to Jayson.
“What are we doing, Ryder?”
“I wish I knew, Elizabeth,” he says with a sigh as we stare at each other.
A door bangs open and the music and noise from inside the house spills out as Jayson and Julien step out onto the porch.
“There you are.” Jayson notices Ryder next to me. “We’ve been waiting on you, man. When’d you get here?”
“Just now. Saw Elizabeth. Heard you had some good news, Jules.
“So, so good news. CU offered me a full ride.”
“Julien, you’re so drunk.” Jayson laughs at him while keeping him from toppling over
“I know. Isn’t it awesome?”
“Whatever you say, brother. You're not going to think it's so awesome in the morning. No more, okay. Mom and Dad will flip their lid if Ryder brings you home like this.”
Ryder takes Julien’s arm. “I’ve got him. He won’t drink anymore tonight. I promise. Congratulations, Jules. You deserve it.”
“Yes, I do!” Julien hiccups and makes a face. “That tastes awful.”
“Let’s see if we can’t get you some coffee. I’m sure Curtis has some somewhere.”
“You ready to go, baby girl?” Jayson asks me.
I nod emphatically. “I’m driving though. Give me your keys.”
I hold my hand out. I give a hug to Julien but when I go to hug Ryder goodbye, he presses his cheek against mine. Those silly little butterflies start flapping their wings in my stomach at Ryder's closeness.
“Good night, Elizabeth.”
“Good night, Ryder.” He helps Julien back inside, and they disappear into the house.
“Where to, princess? Want to grab a late dinner?”
“Chili dogs. My treat.”
We get in his truck and buckle up. “No onions.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m having you for dessert, sweet girl.”
I'm woken up from a deep sleep by a noise. I crack my eyes open and see the bright red numbers of my alarm clock show that it’s three in the morning.
After our late-night hotdog dinner, Jayson and I snuck up into my room to fool around before we both fell into an exhausted sleep.
I hear the noise again. It sounds like crying.
I try to turn over to get out of bed, but Jayson pulls me back to him.
“Go back to sleep, Liz,” he murmurs into his pillow.
“I think Hailey is crying. I’m going to take a quick peek into her room.
Jayson lifts his head up. “I don’t hear anything.”
I cock my head and listen. “I swear I heard crying.”
His hand moves over my stomach.
“I thought you said I had to go back to sleep,” I tease him.
“Not sleepy anymore.”
He rolls over on top of me.