Chapter 14
fourteen
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO
“Oh, no you don’t,” I growl. Michelle’s face twists with fury as I grab her arm, pulling her away from the refreshment table. “What the hell was that about?”
“She called me a cunt!” she shrieks, loud enough that several couples dancing nearby turn their heads in alarm.
“Jesus. Keep your fucking voice down,” I hiss, dragging her further away, into a quieter corner. “I don’t care what she called you. You don’t put your hands on her. Ever.”
Her eyes narrow into slits. “You’re defending that… that freak?”
My voice drops dangerously low. “Don’t call her that.”
“Why not? It’s what she is. Always has been.
” She crosses her arms over her chest, pushing her tits up.
Amazingly, it does nothing for me. Nothing about Michelle has done anything for me for a while now.
“Everyone can see it. The way she stares at you when you’re not looking. Just like you do to her.”
My heart stutters in my chest. “I don’t—”
“Don’t even try to deny it,” Michelle squawks, cutting me off. “It’s pathetic.”
I go still. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh, please,” she scoffs. “I’m not stupid, Rowan. I’ve seen how you look at her. How you always find a reason to be wherever she is every chance you get.”
“You’re imagining things,” I mutter, but the words sound hollow even to my own ears.
Her lips curl into a cruel smile. “Am I though? Then why did you just choose her over me? Your girlfriend.”
The word ‘girlfriend’ makes me wince. Michelle and I have been hooking up for a few months, but I’ve never called her my girlfriend.
Not once. Everyone just assumed since I wasn’t hooking up with anyone else we were exclusive, and I’m an idiot for not putting a stop to those rumors the second they started.
“This isn’t about choosing her over you,” I lie. “She’s my best friend’s sister. I’m practically obligated to protect her.”
“Bullshit,” she snarls, jabbing one of her blood red pointy claws into my chest. “Don’t even think for one second I’m going to settle for being second choice. There are plenty of other guys who are tripping over themselves to go out with me.”
Relief floods my veins as the next word falls from my mouth. “Good.”
Michelle’s face falls instantly, her expression shifting from anger to disbelief. “Excuse me?”
“I said good. We’re done.”
“You’re breaking up with me? At prom!?” she screeches.
“You basically just threatened to break up with me,” I point out. “Like you said. There’s plenty of other guys who want you. I’m just giving you the out you’re obviously asking for.”
Her mouth opens and closes like a fish gasping for air. “You know what? Fuck you, Rowan. You’re going to regret this.”
As she storms off toward her friends, I don’t waste another second. I need to find Lizzy.
Feet carrying me down the hallway, I head in the direction I saw her run. There’s only one place she’d go. I know her well enough to know she needs space to calm down.
Just as I reach the bathroom door, it swings open, and Lizzy comes barreling out, her small frame colliding with mine.
“Whoa.” Catching her by the shoulders to steady her, I look down to see her startled face. “Iz? You okay?”
Green eyes flash with fury as she tries to push me away. “Get off me, Rowan!” Planting her palms against my chest, she tries shoving me away. But I’m not going anywhere.
“Lizzy, just… Wait—”
“What the hell do you see in her?” she explodes, voice echoing in the empty hall. “Michelle is a fucking cunt! She treats everyone like garbage, especially me! How could you be with someone so vile?”
The raw pain in her voice makes my chest ache, and I loosen my grip. “I broke up with her,” I say quietly.
She stops struggling, eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Seriously?”
“Just now.” I jerk my chin toward the gym. “We’re done.” I let my hands drop from her shoulders. “I ended it.”
Clearly caught off guard, she blinks and shakes her head. “Why?”
That’s a loaded question if I’ve ever heard one. Because Michelle is a horrible person? Because she was about to hit you? Because I’ve been with her for all the wrong reasons?
“She was going to put her hands on you,” I say finally. “No one touches you like that. Not if I have anything to say about it.”
Lizzy’s expression shifts quickly from one of confusion to disbelief. “You didn’t have to do that,” she says, her voice softer now. “Not for me.”
“I didn’t do it for you.” Feeling like a total douchebag, I grip the back of my neck. “It was time. I should’ve dropped her weeks ago.”
The muffled thump of music coming from the gym is the only sound swirling around us as we stand in the dimly lit hallway. She looks so beautiful with her cheeks flushed, eyes bright with emotion.
“Well...” she finally says, crossing her arms over her chest. The action pushes her breasts up, and this time, my dick wants to come out to play. “Thanks. I guess.”
I chuckle. “You’re welcome. I guess.”
The corner of her mouth twitches upward, and for a second, I catch a glimpse of the old Lizzy—my best friend, my first kiss—before her face closes off completely.
“Don’t think for a second what you did changes anything between us.” My heart sinks as I watch her flip her hair away from her face in annoyance. “I should get back to my friends,” she quips, taking a step back. “They’re probably wondering where I am.”
Suddenly, I don’t want her to leave. “Wait,” I reach out and grab her wrist. She stares down at my hand as if it’s some kind of foreign object before her eyes trail back up to meet mine.
Heart hammering against my ribs, I take in the sight of her. Full lips, parted slightly in confusion. Black dress hugging every curve. The defiant tilt of her chin.
Lizzy has always been beautiful, but tonight she’s breathtaking—a force of nature wrapped in silk and fury. To me, she’s always been full of sunshine, but right now, in this moment, she’s pure spitfire. And I’m more than willing to risk getting burned.
“What?” Her voice is barely above a whisper. “What the fuck do you want from me, Rowan?”
The fact that she’s still refusing to call me Ro bites, but I can’t take it anymore—months of living under the same roof, watching her, wanting her, keeping my distance because of a stupid promise I made to Logan.
All the nights I’ve lain awake thinking about her, about us, about what could be if I just had the courage to break my word.
The thought makes me snap. Tightening my grip on her wrist, I yank her against me, closing the distance between us as I back her up against the lockers. Her eyes widen in surprise as my body presses against hers, pinning her in place.
“Rowan, what are you—”
Desperate and hungry, I slam my lips down on hers, silencing her with my mouth. Her body immediately tenses up, her hands pushing at my chest as she tries shoving me away. But I refuse to let go. I can’t. Not when I’ve wanted this—wanted her—for so long.
Just when I think she might knee me in the balls, she softens. Her resistance melts away like ice under a flame as her lips part under mine. A small, desperate sound escapes her throat as her hands slide up my chest to wrap around my neck.
Drowning in the taste of her, I deepen the kiss. Her tongue tastes sweet like the punch she’s been drinking, with an edge of something darker. My hands slide to her waist, drawing her closer as her fingers tangle in the hair at the nape of my neck.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think it could be this good. Nothing like our innocent first kiss. Better than anything I’ve ever experienced with anyone else. Lizzy is kissing me back like she’s been waiting for this moment just as long as I have.
When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing hard. Lips swollen and wet, her eyes are dazed, and I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my life.
“Why did you do that?” she pants, her voice trembling slightly.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first moment I saw you the day I came back,” I admit, pressing my forehead against hers.
Her fingers tighten their grip in my hair. “Logan will kill you if he finds out.”
“I know,” I say, running my thumb across her bottom lip. “But…”
With a frustrated sigh, Lizzy drops her hands and shakes her head. “This was a mistake. We can’t do this. The last thing I want is to get caught up in you again. You and Logan are leaving after graduation and I just… I just... can’t.”
And with those parting words, she turns on her heel and hurries down the hall, back to the dance.
Deep down, I know she’s right.
Forcing myself not to chase after her, I let her go.