Chapter 12
SENIOR PROM
brIE
Dev let out a loud, piercing whistle when I stepped out of Gia’s car. She’d insisted on driving me to his house even though it was only a few blocks away.
Gia winked at me over the dented roof of her beat-up sedan. “I hope you’re ready for everyone to stare at you at Senior Prom. You look great.” She tilted her head at the front window. “They all seem to think so, too.”
All of Dev’s younger siblings had their noses to the glass, watching. I gave them a finger-wave.
Dev, clad in formal attire that was a little too baggy on him, grinned at me. He had a fantastic smile. Lips that formed the perfect crescent moon shape, gleaming white teeth, and dimples that gave him a boyish charm.
“Brie, you look fantastic. So hot.”
I couldn’t hide my smile. Dev always knew what to say, even if I was wearing Gia’s old dress. I was taller and naturally curvier than Gia had been at my age. Garments that draped modestly over her chest or ass hugged mine, making me feel exposed and self-conscious.
“Thanks,” I said. “You look really good, too.”
“Mind if I take some pictures?” Gia asked.
I rolled my eyes, but secretly loved it. I wondered if this is what Mom would have been like at big moments like these.
“You know Dev and I are just going as friends, right?” I told her.
Dev was wickedly handsome. He’d grown from a wide-eyed grinning boy to someone whose picture would look right at home on a teenage girl’s wall next to posters of boy bands.
“Yeah,” Dev said with his usual easygoing smile, “we’re just friends.”
“Even better,” Gia said coolly, “I just want to memorialize this. You’ll be happy to have it when you’re older.”
Despite the lack of butterflies in my stomach, I was having probably the most fun I ever had.
Dev and I danced with our loose group of friends.
Four girls and three boys. They were misfits like Dev and me, but we rarely hung out with them on the weekends.
We mostly found ourselves at the same table during lunch.
Still, we all agreed there was safety in numbers, and the seven of us decided to stick together.
Our odd number wasn’t a problem until the rap song we were dancing to faded into something slow and soft, the opening notes to my newest favorite song.
I knew Dev had a thing for one of the girls, so I didn’t begrudge him when they coupled up.
But when I looked, the others were already paired up, too.
Disappointment sank low in my belly. I really liked this song.
I turned to exit the dance floor, but stopped short. My breath caught as Sawyer stood before me. His tux fit him like a glove, eyes intense as they scanned my face, then my body. It felt like a caress, and I shivered.
He held his hand out to me, and I lifted my eyes to his.
My last real interaction with him had been months ago, on that stormy night. Since then, he’d given me a wide berth in the hallways.
The first month, I feared he had something horrible planned for me.
But as days wore on, I grew comfortable.
Even his goons left me alone. I’d stopped searching for them when turning a corner or entering the cafeteria.
And before long, I’d even caught myself letting my eyes wander to Sawyer in class, curious about him.
Sometimes I caught his eyes wandering back. More often, they were already on me, causing my stomach to do those flips I was getting so used to.
The aversion I’d felt about Sawyer being my first crush dissolved. It didn’t matter if I was averse to it, it was happening.
It had happened.
Still, I didn’t take his hand when he offered it now.
He must have sensed my hesitation, because Sawyer’s deep voice, low enough for just me to hear, said, “Will you dance with me, Brie?”
This was different from the lingering glances at school. There were people around, they’d see everything. Alarm bells sounded in the back of my mind, but they were faint compared to the colorful confetti scattering in my chest.
With bated breath, I slipped my hand in his. My heart pounded as he drew me closer, his gaze on me the whole time.
I didn’t think this was what Gia meant when she said everyone would be staring at me, but she was right all the same. I felt everyone’s eyes as Sawyer guided my hands up to his neck before placing his own on my hips, a foot of space between our bodies.
Whispers had me wishing I could hide. I shifted closer to Sawyer. I felt him let out a shuddering breath as he drew me into his body.
Again, I was reminded of that night in the rain. His hand around mine, larger than mine, protective.
Now it was his larger body shielding me from the rest of the dancers.
With my cheek pressed to his chest, the sound of his heartbeat drowned out the whispers, or maybe they’d stopped. I relaxed into him more. Beneath the expensive cologne, chlorine still clung to him along with that particular shade of boy I knew was Sawyer’s unique scent.
The letterman jacket beneath my bed still smelled of him. The most illicit thing I ever did was bury my face in it every so often, thinking about Sawyer at night. My dirtiest guilty pleasure.
Without meaning to, I sunk further into his embrace and inhaled deeply.
Sawyer’s hands clenched around my hips, pulling me more firmly into him. He felt so good, so solid.
“You’re so pretty.” I felt more than heard the murmured words against my temple.
I swallowed a lump in my throat. I couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t believe those words were meant for me. From him.
Without even realizing I was doing it, my hands ran up his neck. My fingertips played with his soft hair, and he shivered against me.
I did that.
Pulling back, I looked into his eyes. They were dark, but not in the way I’d seen in the past. Not mean. There was something like supplication there. And desire.
For the first time, I felt wanted. And I was eager to give it to him, whatever it was.
I ran my fingernails lightly over the back of his neck. A rumble vibrated through his chest as he let out what sounded like a groan. Everything inside me tightened.
My breath caught when his hands started to move, too, gently caressing up and down my bare back, leaving a trail of fire in his wake.
In a shaky whisper, I said, “That feels good,” and pressed closer, wanting more.
Suddenly, Sawyer’s body went stiff. His hands jerked to my hips, and he shoved me back.
I looked up at him, dazed. What just happened?
The whispers were audible again, even louder than before.
Sawyer reached up to remove my hands from his neck. I hadn’t realized I was still clinging to him.
Embarrassment and hurt lanced through me as he dropped my hands, and I rubbed them on the thighs of my dress.
I glanced around.
Oh god.
Everyone was looking at us. The entire gym. Some looked over slyly while others shamelessly stared with upturned lips and sparkling eyes, looking at me in that cruel way teenagers had that was both pitying and hungry for drama.
Sawyer noticed at the same time I did. His eyes widened, a flush blooming on his cheeks, before he looked back at me. He raked his gaze over me as I wore what I’m sure was a horrified expression.
A flash of anguish crossed his face and he stepped toward me, reaching for me like he might pull me to him, shield me with his body again.
And I wanted him to, I wanted him to so bad. Anything to hide from the stares.
“No way, Sawyer.” Rich’s voice, loud and disbelieving rang through the crowd. “You don’t seriously have the hots for Brie Queso.”
A few people snickered as I shut my eyes against that stupid nickname.
Sawyer’s face turned tomato-red. He glanced at me one more time before the look in his eyes hardened, all worry wiped clean.
I knew that look. Even before he said it, I knew what was coming.
“I thought I’d give her a taste of the good life,” Sawyer said. “It’s all downhill from here for trash like her.”
I turned to get out of there. Someone flinched like literal garbage was coming their way. I looked up to find Rich pretending to recoil away from me.
“Don’t try to hang on to me next, I’ve got a date,” he half-shouted.
People around him roared with laughter, and my humiliation was complete. I had never been so low in my life.
Every step I took off the dance floor, another comment like that followed.
My eyes stung.
How could I have been so stupid?
I hadn’t just become more comfortable at school since that night in the rain. I’d grown complacent. How could I have let my guard down after so little time?
My entire life, Sawyer was cruel to me. I knew what kind of person he was, the kind who thought he could do whatever he wanted, take whatever he wanted. Three months of basic human decency, and he had me for free.
I was in the hall before I realized Dev had followed me out.
By Monday morning, the entire town had heard what happened, and they were talking. Whispers about how I’d tried to cling onto Sawyer Strong, the Prince of Blue Ridge, but he wouldn’t have me. Exaggerated rumors of me throwing myself at him, begging for his attention.
Pitying looks from some, pious looks from others.
One more week.