He nodded and put his cup down. Instead of using his own fork, he used mine and ate a portion of the cake. I watched as his throat moved. Even the way he swallowed was sexy.
“You can’t put all the blame on me. You haven’t said more than a few sentences to me. We’re both guilty of being embarrassed with one another.”
“Embarrassed?”
He hung both his arms over the back of the couch and his hand brushed my shoulder. I almost lost focus when he touched me. “About what happened at my house.”
“I’m not embarrassed I kissed you, even though it wasn’t all that romantic with bats flying around us.”
He coughed, choking on the cake he’d just taken another bite of.
My face warmed. I covered my reaction by drinking my tea.
“I’m not talking about that. It’s what happened later with Pete. The reason I did what I did was because I didn’t want you to leave. He was upset and wasn’t thinking correctly. What if he freaked out while you were in the car with him and he lost control and had an accident?”
“You have a point about Pete’s unsteady emotional state, but you added to it by acting as if I was your possession or something. What you did was wrong, and it pissed me off. I had to be with Pete because he doesn’t really have anyone else to turn to for support. He always comes first.”
Dylan’s dimples disappeared, and his eyes dulled. I had crushed his hopes. “He’s a lucky guy to have someone like you in his corner.”
Guilt started to creep in. “I don’t mean to hurt your feelings. We’ve been best buds forever. You can’t expect me to drop him for you.”
“Wow. You say it like it is. That’s why I like you so much.”
I finished off my tea. It burned the roof of my mouth. “Dylan, I’m—”
“Let me explain something before you think I’m going to ask you on a date or to be my girlfriend.” He placed his hand on top of mine. This time I let him. “I know you and Preiss have something special. Actually, I think you’ve been clueless when it comes to him.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he hushed me.
“I’m not done talking. I was angry at first because I blamed Pete for almost ruining my party. But after talking to a few people, mainly Pam and surprisingly Toby, they told me he was defending you because that prick Anthony said some horrible things about you. I made sure to take care of him.”
“How—?”
“Let me finish. I had a talk with Anthony. He won’t be bothering you or spreading any rumors about us. If I hear even one piece of gossip, he’ll get more than just a few words from me. Also, something you’re probably not aware of was the Monday after, Pete was waiting for me by my car. We talked things out and even shook hands. I think we’re okay now, but I can’t be certain. He didn’t seem all that comfortable.”
My poor Pete. “He’s not that social. He’s fine with me, but with others, not so much. He’s been bullied for most of his life.”
“It’s because you’re so likable. You have an awesome personality. I noticed how great you were at the party and how incredible you are with everyone at school. You make me proud.”
I ate another piece of the cake. I almost said something that would have sounded more like an insult in regard to Dylan acting like my dad, but kept my mouth shut. He did have some good points.
“Are we cool? I want to be friends and the way we were at my house.” He held up a palm as I started to answer him. “Now, don’t jump to conclusions, but what’s the harm with hanging out and seeing what happens between us? I know you care for Pete, and if you want to have something with him, I won’t get in your way. But if I have a chance with you, I’m going to take it.”
The room felt very warm, and I didn’t think it was from the drink I just had. Dylan took my hand and nudged my leg with his. I didn’t tell him to give me space or to let go of my hand. I was still digesting what he had said and how I wanted to proceed with our relationship.
“Dylan, I’m not used to any of this melodrama or someone like you. I like things to be easy. I’m no one special, just a girl who likes to sleep late on the weekends and watch corny movies. Hell, I even like eating dinner with my parents.”
“There’s nothing strange about that.”
If only he knew about Pete’s overnight stays in my bedroom. He would never understand that.
“Where do we go from here?” I asked.
Dylan finished eating the cake. Chocolate smudged the side of his mouth. If I didn’t have Pete in my life, I would’ve licked it off.
“Can we at least be friends?”
I nodded, glancing away from his mouth.
“Great.” He smiled and licked away the crumbs.
An itchy sensation ran up and down my legs. He didn’t notice my reaction and tugged on my hair.
I checked my watch. “Crap. It’s getting late. I better go home. My parents weren’t too thrilled about me not calling to tell them where I was the last time.”
“You should get a cell phone.” He held up his iPhone proudly.
“Maybe I will. Can you give me a few minutes? I want to fill out an application.”
He stood. “No problem. I’ll drive you home.”
I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing, but the way Dylan looked at me, I knew he wouldn’t take the word no for an answer. His face glowed, and his eyes were brighter than usual. Or the jolt of espresso he drank could have been responsible.
“Sounds great.” I grabbed both our mugs and went to the counter. One of the employees came over to meet me, and I gave her a friendly smile. “Hi. I heard there are some possible job openings here, and I’m interested in filling out an application or talking to a manager.”
***
A local rock station played from my alarm clock. I’d just finished a reading assignment for my American History class and shut the book. Leaning against my headboard, I reflected on my day. After I’d filled out the application, I was told I would be called in for an interview within the next few days. Dylan had driven me home. He kissed me on the cheek and asked if we could sit together at lunch tomorrow. I accepted, feeling much better after our talk. I was ready to go downstairs to catch the last part of the rock music marathon I’d wanted to watch.
A scraping noise came outside my bedroom window. Pete climbed in as if nothing was wrong. I crossed my arms and shook my foot in agitation.
“Nice of you to make an appearance after weeks of not talking to me,” I said in a snotty tone.
He dropped his backpack on the floor and sat on the edge of my bed. “Want me to leave?”
He looked so vulnerable with his hair falling in front of his eyes and how he chewed on his bottom lip. It broke my heart.
“Come here, you big goof.” I held out my arms.
He crawled over to me, and I wrapped my arms around him. We tumbled back, clinging to each other. The huge knot that had settled in my stomach for almost three weeks vanished.
“Sorry,” he whispered against my neck a few times.
I continued hugging him and playing with his hair. When he tangled his legs with mine, I squeezed him harder. Even with my mixed-up emotions about him and Dylan, this still felt so right.
“We both acted like jerks,” I whispered, and kissed him near his ear.
He zoned in on my neck. “It’s gone.”
I grabbed a pillow and hit him on his head. He held up his hands and laughed.
“That’s all you have to say? Yeah, the hickey’s gone. You were the only one to notice. I was smart and put a ton of cover up on it. My mom thought I had a pimple there.”
He rubbed a finger over the spot, and I shivered. I turned off the music while he lay with his hands behind his head.
“Are we cool again?” I bit down on my thumbnail.
“I don’t know why I acted the way I did. It was stupid.”
I slid down on my side, facing him. Pete turned on his side and pressed his nose to mine. We used to do this a lot. But lately, not so m
uch.
He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath while I fingered his hair. “Dylan and I talked today. He told me about the conversation you two had.”
“I wanted to apologize for being such an ass. He did too. He seems okay. I can see why you like him.”
I lifted up on an elbow while he contemplated the ceiling. I really wanted things to go back to the way they were before all this happened. I was so out of sorts.
“Dylan may think highly of himself, but he’s honest and seems sincere. He wants us to be friends.”
“Is that what you want?” Pete brushed his thumb over my chin.
I laid my head on his chest near his heart. “I don’t know. He’s a fun guy to have around. Please don’t get upset by this, but he’s a good kisser. Not that I’ve had much experience, so I can’t go on anything else.”
He tapped my back. His eyes held mine, and my stomach dropped to my knees.
“Want to compare?” He leaned in, his mouth almost on top of mine.
“Hmm.” I didn’t know how to respond. “Are you sure—?”
When his lips grazed mine, I gasped.
He pressed his mouth gently across my open one. “How’d that feel?” he asked, doubt in his voice.
“I think you should do it again and longer this time.” Cupping his face, I locked my mouth to his and then sucked down on his bottom lip.
He inhaled loudly and clasped my face like I had done to his. We moved our mouths back and forth together. Angling my head, I opened my mouth and tugged on his top lip. I dug my fingers into his shoulders for leverage. I had no problem sticking my tongue out and pushing it inside his mouth. Our tongues met and circled one another. He licked the inside of my mouth. I broke away, catching air.
Breathing heavy, he bit his lip. “I guess there’s no comparison?”
I turned his face to mine and gave him another kiss. This felt awkward. Not because of who I was kissing, but because we’d never made out before.
“It takes practice, Preiss. I’d rather work on my kissing skills with you, not Dylan. Who knows where that boy’s mouth has been?”
Pete chuckled and poked me in the side. I curved my arms around him. He did the same to me.
“I wanted to be the first,” he whispered in my ear, leaving a soft kiss there.
“From now on, it will only be you.”
We kissed again. After a minute, we broke apart panting, catching our breaths.
“This will change things between us.” I rubbed my nose with his and burrowed my head into the crook of his shoulder. I suddenly felt sleepy.
“I want things to change between us.”
“What if—?”
He placed a finger over my mouth. “No what ifs.”
“Okay,” I mumbled. I fell asleep with him rubbing my back. It felt so nice and right.
Everything between us was perfect again.
Chapter Thirteen
I never really understood the statement about time flying by. As a teenager, I’d really never noticed. But I did now. My big realization had come when I started working at Bump N’ Grind. I’d made a great impression on the owner during my interview and would start working as soon as I wanted on Saturdays and Sundays from ten to four. It was only twelve hours, making minimum wage with tips, but more money than my weekly allowance.
I really didn’t know where October went. I’d become so focused with school, work, and trying to figure out my feelings for both Dylan and Pete that I lost all sense of time.
Dylan and I hung out, but it was always in a group. I was wary of being alone with him. Now that Pete and I were somewhat of an item, it always came down to his feelings and needs. Why? Because I loved him so much and wanted to make him happy. But I wasn’t so oblivious that I didn’t notice the way Dylan would watch when Pete and I sat at lunch together or held hands in the halls. I chose to ignore it. At least the only boy I kissed was Pete.
About a month after I’d started working at the Grind, Halloween arrived. It was a pretty busy day, and by the early afternoon, all I wanted was to go home and take a nap. I wasn’t interested in any Halloween fun, even though there was a dance at the school—more for the freshmen’s benefit. The upperclassmen usually hung out at each other’s houses or down at the lake, eating candy, or trying to sneak in beer or booze to drink. This year, I’d see if Pete wanted to watch some scary movies with me at my house. It would give me the perfect excuse to snuggle with him and work on our kissing techniques. We had been practicing a lot.
I finished brewing the coffee, emptied the used grounds into the garbage can, then grabbed a fresh bag.
“Hey, Wendy,” someone called.
I turned, almost dropping the bag of coffee beans on the floor. Pam dressed like a cat, in a black leotard with ears on her head. Toby sat on one of the couches next to Conner, minus Anthony, dressed in their soccer gear. They either just finished with soccer practice or that was as inventive as they got with their costumes.
“Wow, don’t you look cute?” I checked her out. Pam’s cat getup was impressive.
“Meow.” She held up her black-gloved hands. “I wanted to surprise Toby with my costume at his practice. This is what I’ll be wearing tonight.”
“Hey, Toby, where’s your costume? Will you be going as a panther or a lion to match Pam?” I leaned over the counter to talk to him.
“Conner and I are going as part of The Three Musketeers.”
“Who’s going as the third one?” I asked.
“Anthony,” Conner answered.
I held back a retort and wiped down the counter to keep busy. “Planning on going to the school’s lame-ass costume party?”
She put her hands on her hips and pressed her lips together. “Wendy, the cultural center is having a big bash. They’re showing Rocky Horror at ten. There’s a contest for best costume, and free food and dancing. The whole crew is going.”
Pam and Toby were big Rocky Horror Picture Show fans, so much so, they could recite the whole movie word for word, including the corny phrases you shout out at the screen.
“I forgot about the center’s party. With work and school, it’s been so hectic lately. I’m surprised you want to go.”
“I’m really not in the mood to get drunk at the lake like last year. This is more for your benefit than mine. You, my friend, need to relax. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how stressed out you’ve been since you started working here. You must have an old Halloween costume stashed away in your closet. Come out with us.” she lowered her voice. “Dylan will be there. He said he would come, and in a costume, if you did too.”
“What’s he going as?”
“I have no idea.”
A customer stepped up to the counter, so Pam left to sit with Toby and Conner. All three had their heads together, and every so often she would glance in my direction. Before I could catch her attention, I had to wait on even more customers and give some candy to cute kids in costumes who’d stopped in.
When the mad dash of coffee drinkers diminished and one of my co-workers returned from her break, I came out from behind the counter and cleaned the tables. It gave me an excuse to go talk to the three on the couch.
Pam played with Toby’s hair. Conner texted on his phone. He didn’t talk to me more than he had to because whenever we were around one another, I wasn’t the most polite to him.
“Who else is going?” I asked Pam.
Toby’s cell rang, and he went outside. She rolled her eyes and also stood. Conner typed away on his phone. Must have been somebody important for him not to even acknowledge me. Probably his future prison inmate friend, Anthony.
“All the regular suspects. Christina, Jess, Susie, Dylan. Conner, Anthony, and a few others.” She couldn’t stop smiling. It was good to see her happy again. Lately, her mood sucked.
“I assume Megan, too?” I held back a groan. She could be such a downer and drove me insane to the point where I wanted to rip out her dyed fake raven-colored hair.
“Of course. That’s pretty much a given.”
I pulled her away, so Conner wouldn’t overhear. “It does sound like fun, but Pete and I made plans.” A small fib on my part. “With Anthony and Conner there.…” I lowered my voice and motioned with my head toward Conner.
“Dylan and Toby talked to Anthony. He won’t start anything. Anthony would do anything for those two. He’s such a kiss ass because of Dylan’s father and how much money Dylan has. Pete’s more than welcome to join us.”
“Really?” Wow, what a shock.
“Yes, really. I know how much Pete means to you. Also, it may shake things up. You can make Dylan jealous.”
“This isn’t some melodrama teen soap opera we’re living in. I’m not going to be in the middle of some love triangle.”
“Sometimes I feel like I’m in one,” she muttered.
“Huh? A soap opera or a love triangle?”
Pam bit her lip and watched Toby, who still talked on his cell outside. “Um…nothing. Just thinking out loud.” She let out a fake sounding giggle.
Although I felt crazed, I could tell something bothered her. “Pammy—”
“Wendy, we need your help over here.” My manager waved me over to deal with the new line of people that had formed.
I nodded in her direction and turned to Pam. “Call me around five to tell me where and when we should meet.”
She clapped and did a little bounce. “Definitely.”
I moved behind the counter before I could get in trouble. She waved then, grabbing Conner up by his shirt, they left. She wrapped her arms around Toby as they strolled away. Something was up with her. I would get to the bottom of it, but first I had to deal with the rabid caffeine junkies.
Chapter Fourteen
“Mom?” I called out and closed the front door. The basket of Halloween candy was almost empty. More kids would probably ring our doorbell because I passed a mob of them down the street.
“Back here.”
I followed her voice into the kitchen. She sat at the table, listening to the radio and cutting out coupons from the flyers for food shopping the next day.
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