The Fragile Fall

by Love, Kristy

  I picked Paranormal Activity and put it in, then turned off the lights and sat on the couch with the popcorn between us. “It’s an unspoken rule that you have to watch scary movies in the dark. It heightens the suspense. ”

  “Works for me.”

  Picking a scary movie wasn’t a good idea. I was a complete chicken shit and I was freaking out. He was munching on the popcorn, seemingly unaffected. When I jumped and screamed, he moved the popcorn and patted the seat next to him. “Come sit next to me.” I scooted to his side, not giving him time to change his mind or time to remind myself why it was such a bad idea to be so close to him. He wrapped his arm around me and rested his cheek on my head. “I’ve got you. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He kissed the top of my head.

  Holy. Fucking. Shit.

  He stiffened and moved away from me a little. “I’m sorry,” he stammered. “I, uh, I shouldn’t have done that. I got caught up in the moment, I guess.”

  “No, it’s okay.” I moved closer to his side and wrapped my arm around his waist. “You’re making me feel safe.”

  He relaxed and put his cheek back on my head.

  I freaked out even more, though this time it was over Will. Being this close and smelling him, feeling his arm wrapped around me and his muscles through his shirt did things to me that were completely unacceptable. I liked how warm he felt against me and the tingles he sent all over my body as his thumb rubbed circles on my arm. I loved how I perfectly fit against him.

  I stayed snuggled up to him through the rest of the movie, learning the rhythm of Will’s heart. When the movie was over, he adjusted on the couch a little. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good. I didn’t think you’d get so scared.” He chuckled.

  “Yeah, I’m a complete baby. I should have remembered that when I picked it.” Though I was glad I hadn’t. Spending the time wrapped up with Will was more than worth it.

  “It all worked out in the end.” His lips curved in a lopsided grin. I was far too comfortable being this close to him, so I sat up and stretched. Will pulled his phone out and checked the time. “I guess I need to head back. It’s almost midnight.” He stood and stretched, causing his shirt to ride up and his abs to be revealed. I looked away, needing to get control of myself.

  “Yeah, I guess that’s a good idea.” The last thing I wanted was for Will to leave. I was completely freaked out over the movie, but I knew Jax would flip out if he knew Will and I had watched a movie alone and I didn’t want to ruin a perfectly good evening by having it end in a ridiculous fight.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I hated when he left. I felt like a part of me went with him.

  I felt alone.

  Courtney was helping me get ready for homecoming. It felt like I was back in high school as we danced around my room and she fixed my hair.

  “So you’re going to a high school dance with a nice hunk of jail bait,” Courtney said as she twisted my hair and put a pin in to hold it in place.

  “He’s not jail bait, Court. We’re just friends.”

  She sprayed more hair spray. “I’ve seen the way you two are around each other. You have some kind of weird telepathy or something. You always seem to know where each other is, even if you aren’t in the same room, and you look at him like he’s the only person you see.”

  “He’s a good friend. I like hanging out with him.”

  Courtney put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “I know Jax is giving you a hard time, but you need to ignore him.”

  “He’s a friend, Court. I’m not stirring up shit with Jax.”

  “You need to stop letting your brother determine life.” She put a final twist in my hair and sprayed a cloud of hair spray around me, causing me to cough from the fumes. “All done. Now, I’ll do your makeup and then you can look.” She smiled at me.

  I wanted to stop caring about what Jax said. He certainly didn’t let me weigh in on his life the way I let him weigh in on mine. Being close to Will last night, feeling his arms around me and the way he offered me comfort when I was scared, made me realize that we couldn’t go back to being strictly friends. I wanted … needed to act on the feelings that were boiling over inside me.

  “Do you think it’d be weird?”

  “Would what be weird?” She brushed powder over my cheeks.

  “If something were to happen between Will and me? I know he’s still seventeen, but it doesn’t feel like that when he’s around, and I’m only two years older. I know he’s my little brother’s best friend, but it’s kind of hard to deny how I feel about him.” I chewed my lip, wondering what she would say.

  “Oh, honey, there’s nothing wrong with it. Lots of college students date high school seniors. It’s not a big deal. Close your eyes.” She brushed eye shadow over my lids. “I’m only teasing about the jail bait thing. It doesn’t bug me at all. Some of the other girls are a bit weirded out by it all, but they’d get over it. And Jax would eventually get used to the idea. You’d just have to show him that he wouldn’t be losing his sister or his best friend. After he realized that, I think he’d get over it. Open and look up.” She brushed mascara on my eyelashes.

  “You’ve seen how much Jax and I fight over Will. It’s ridiculous. I don’t know how to convince him that Will and I would still be there for him if he’s so vehemently against the idea.”

  She gave me a stern look. “As I said, you need to stop letting your brother dictate what you do. Plus, Will blossoms around you, Ry. He came over that first day and was all shy and awkward, shuffling around, but by the end of the night, he was laughing and joking around like he had been around us forever. His eyes rarely left you all night. It was so sweet and awkward.”

  She spread lip gloss over my lips and I smacked my lips together. “If Jax got in your way, I’d kick his ass. You deserve someone sweet like Will. You deserve someone who looks at you like you hung the moon. Jax needs to stop thinking this is all about him. Now turn around and look how beautiful you are,” Courtney said, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked up and smiled as tears welled in my eyes at how awesome of a friend she was. “Now, don’t go crying and ruining all my hard work.” She turned me around and I gasped. My makeup was subtle, yet still sexy and beautiful. She’d used soft pinks and browns to highlight my features. My hair was twisted and braided up off my shoulders. I looked like I was going to a wedding, not a high school dance.

  “Oh, Court, I love it. Thank you so much.” I turned and threw my arms around her.

  “No problem. You know I love you.” She gripped my shoulders and pushed me away. “Now, I have a date and you need to get moving.”

  “Have fun and enjoy tonight.”

  “No problem. Just remember who your number one bitch is.” She winked and left the room.

  I looked in the mirror again and studied myself. Courtney was a genius. I walked over to my closet and grabbed my dress, then shrugged out of my robe and pulled my dress off the hanger. My phone buzzed with a new text message just as I was about to slip my dress on.

  Will: Is clothing mandatory? I rock a mean pair of underwear.

  Ryanne: I have no doubt you can rock the hell out of underwear. Clothes are required, though.

  Will: I guess I’m stuck in this stupid, uncomfortable suit.

  I laughed. Sometimes, he said the funniest things. I slipped my dress on and looked in the full length mirror. The dress was turquoise and strapless with sequins embellishing the top, flaring slightly at my hips and landing mid-thigh. I loved the way I felt in it.

  Will: I’m on my way over.

  Ryanne: Almost ready now.

  I put on my silver heels and went downstairs. I heard a knock at the door and smiled as I opened it, my breath catching in my throat at the sight of Will. He had on a black suit with a white shirt and the tie I bought him. His suit jacket was unbuttoned, which allowed me to see the way his shirt hugged his defined chest.

  “You look beautiful, Ryanne
.” He gently took my hand and slipped the corsage on my wrist.

  “Thanks.” I moved my corsage a little, uncomfortable with the compliment. “You look really nice, Will.”

  He smirked. “Thanks.” I pinned the boutonniere on his jacket. “Ready?”

  “Yeah.”

  Shutting the door and making sure it was locked, I tried to keep my eyes off Will. Seeing him dressed up made my heart twist in my chest and I was uncomfortable. I felt ripped in two. Part of me wanting to throw caution to the wind and make a move, the other part of me wanted to keep the peace with Jax.

  When I turned around, Will offered me his arm. I raised my eyes to meet his and my breath hitched. His eyes were full of adoration and an emotion that looked a lot like love. He opened my door and I slipped inside. He walked around the car and climbed into the driver’s seat. When he turned and smiled at me, I wanted to throw my arms around him and kiss him. I wondered how he would feel about that.

  “Are you ready for a night of high school fun?” he asked as he backed out of the driveway.

  “You better believe it. You have no idea how much fun high school dances can be,” I teased.

  “Hopefully this one lives up to your high expectations,” he said, his voice timid.

  My heart swelled. In the past, guys who were insecure annoyed me, but with Will I found it endearing. “I don’t have high expectations. It’ll be nice to hang out with you tonight.”

  With the flood of emotions swirling around inside me, I decided to stop worrying and let go. This was our night and I was going to follow my heart, so I grabbed Will’s hand and held it. It felt good in mine, like it belonged there. That was how I always felt around Will, like I belonged.

  We made small talk as he drove us to the dance, and the closer we got to the school, the more anxious I got. I couldn’t wait to dance with him.

  Entering the gym, I felt like I had stepped back in time. It was decorated with streamers and balloons, the lights were dimmed, and there was a Homecoming banner along the far wall. Music blasted from speakers, as the DJ played popular dance songs. As soon as we got inside, Will asked if I wanted to dance. I was amazed. I told Will I would love to dance and we made our way to the dance floor.

  Will was probably the clumsiest dancer I had ever seen. He kept stepping on my toes and tripping over my feet. His face was a deep shade of red as he continually apologized for stumbling all over the place. I fought back laughter, not wanting to make his embarrassment worse than it already was. Yet again, I was amazed that his awkwardness wasn’t a turn off. Instead, my heart warmed toward him and I liked him even more.

  To help him feel more at ease, I took the lead and tried to help him. After a few songs, he was dancing more smoothly and stumbling less. He still wasn’t the best dancer, but he was no longer trying to break my toes. As we danced, he brushed his fingers over my arms and rested a hand against my hip. Even though the music stayed up-tempo, he kept moving closer to me until I was pressed against him.

  It was intoxicating.

  I leaned my face into his hand and closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of his skin on mine and the way it sent chills racing through my body, even in the hot and sweaty gym. We’d danced for at least an hour before I told him I needed to take a break. He led me to a table and pulled a chair out for me.

  “Want a drink?” he asked.

  “Sure.”

  I watched as he made his way to the punch bowl. Someone stopped him and they chatted, but he kept stealing glances back at me and smiling.

  “Hey, Ry,” Jax said, pulling my focus away from Will. He sat at the table across from me and Lindsey sat next to him. “How are you enjoying your trip down memory lane?” I could tell by the tone of his voice that he wasn’t happy, but I refused to let him ruin what had turned into an amazing night.

  “It has been absolutely wonderful. How has your evening been going?”

  “Wonderfully.” He sat back in his chair and threw his arm on the back of Lindsey’s chair.

  “He’s been pouting all night,” Lindsey said, rolling her eyes.

  “Oh, really?” I stole a glance at my brother.

  “Yeah, he’s been watching you and Will. I keep telling him to get over it, but he won’t listen to me.”

  “For once, I agree with your girlfriend, Jax. You should probably enjoy your night instead of worrying about me.”

  He tilted his chin up and his eyes slid over my shoulder as Will set down two cups of punch, then sat next to me. We sat in awkward silence for several, long minutes as Jax studied both Will and I. When he was satisfied that we were behaving, he and Lindsey went onto the dance floor.

  “I thought Jax was going to jump over the table and kill me,” Will said, laughing uncomfortably.

  “Yeah, I was a little worried.” I worried that Will and I being together would cause too much tension with Jax. All of my earlier bravery was gone.

  “Are you having a good time?”

  “I am.” I smiled at him and sipped my punch. “I just need a break for a little bit. Then I thought we could go back out and dance. Is that okay with you?”

  “Totally fine.” He moved his chair closer to mine, until our legs were pressed against each other and he draped his arm over the chair behind me. He leaned closer to me, until I could feel his breath against my ear. “There, that’s better. Now we don’t have to yell over the music. So I realized something this week.”

  His voice in my ear caused me to shudder. It sounded so unbelievably sexy so close to me, the way he was whispering. “What’s that?”

  “I don’t even know what you’re studying in college.”

  “I’m still trying to figure it out …” I hadn’t told anyone because I was worried what they’d say. It felt safe to tell Will, though. “I kind of want to be a social worker, though.”

  “I think that would be perfect for you.”

  “Yeah? I’m not sure about all the stuff that comes along with it though.”

  “You can do it. You’re smart and you have a big heart.”

  “Thank you.” He smiled at me and the butterflies erupted and fluttered. “Do you have plans for college?”

  “Not really sure yet. I’ve applied to some places.”

  “Like where?”

  “Penn State, some colleges on the west coast.”

  “Any idea what you’d like to do?”

  “I’d really like to teach high school.”

  “I didn’t know that interested you.” He moved a little bit, pressing closer to me.

  He shrugged. “I’d like to help kids and educate them. Teachers don’t just impart knowledge, they become mentors. I’d like to help someone see their potential someday.”

  “Any specific subject?”

  “I think English, but I’m not sure. Maybe history or computers.” He shrugged. “I figure I have time to figure that out.”

  “I think teaching would be a perfect fit for you.”

  “You think so?”

  “Of course. You have a lot to offer. I think you would be an excellent teacher.”

  “Thanks.” He bumped into my shoulder. I turned my head to say something to him and realized just how close his face was to mine, so close that our lips were almost touching. His eyes dropped to my lips before coming back up to meet my eyes and a slow, sexy smile spread over his own lips. God, I wanted to kiss him so badly.

  “Want to go back and dance?” I asked. I needed to put some space between the two of us, though I wasn’t sure how dancing would accomplish that.

  “Sure.” We both stood and turned toward the dance floor. He put his hand gently on the small of my back and my knees went weak.

  I had no idea how I would survive the night.

  Will

  I LED RY TOWARD THE DANCE FLOOR, keeping my hand pressed lightly to her back. I wanted to keep touching her. It felt right to touch her. It calmed me. I was overwhelmed by the amount of people at the dance, constantly bumping into someone or being brushed up again
st. At least when I was close to Ryanne, I couldn’t tell if it was panic from the amount of people or the rush of being with her.

  When we reached the dance floor, she turned and I pulled her into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I put my hands on her hips, suddenly feeling unsure. Even though I was a dancing disaster earlier, we’d both laughed at how clumsy I was and kept going, but now my anxiety was rising rapidly. The song was slow, so we swayed to the music, making it difficult to hide my struggle. I lowered my head and closed my eyes, hoping to combat the crushing panic.

  “Will?” I raised my eyes until I met hers. Her eyes were full of concern and I hated that I was upsetting her when she should be having fun. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “I’m glad we’re dancing to this song. It’s one of my favorites.” She smiled and moved closer to me.

  I moved my hands from her hips to her back so I could hold her closer, hoping to curb my panic. “I don’t know it.”

  She laughed. “I wouldn’t expect you to. It’s Demi Lovato’s Lightweight.”

  “It’s a nice song.”

  She playfully shoved my shoulder. “Don’t bullshit me. This is totally not your type of song.”

  “It isn’t, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it.”

  She laughed and I swore my heart stopped. Her head was thrown slightly back and a light caught her hair, causing it to look like a halo. I pulled her closer and I felt her laughter move through her body. A lock of her hair had escaped one of the intricate braids, so I brushed it off her face and tucked it behind her ear, keeping my hand on the side of her face. She leaned her head into my hand and smiled, her eyes saying things that I couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

  I wanted this moment to continue forever.

  Her tongue swept her lips, wetting them, and I swallowed hard. I moved my hand down until my thumb brushed over her lips; they felt incredibly soft and I wondered how they would feel pressed against mine.

  It felt like every moment for the last several months had led up to this one. She was in my arms and looking at me like she wanted me as much as I wanted her. Could it be true? Maybe she was swept up in the moment. Taking the next step seemed logical at this point, but I was still so full of doubt… I wasn’t sure if my already broken heart would survive the damage Ryanne would cause if she rejected me.