by Mae Doyle
“That’s it,” Maggie had said, handing me her credit card. “Let me get it for you. A gift.”
It hadn’t mattered how much I’d argued. In the end I had the dress and a killer pair of shoes to go with it. I’d promised to do their hair and makeup for the dance and they’d agreed.
“You girls hungry?” Mrs. Pierce walked into the room carrying a huge tray with snacks. Not only did she have three bottles of cream soda on it, my favorite, but it was loaded down with mini sandwiches, fresh cookies, fruit, and some amazing chocolate that she said she had shipped in from Europe.
“Man, I could get used to this.” I popped a chocolate in my mouth right away. I loved M&Ms, but this Switzerland chocolate was on a whole different level.
“You’re welcome here whenever you need a break, dear.” She patted me on the shoulder and turned to leave, but then looked back at me. “I love the hair. The shorter cut looks really good on you, Rose. I know that Harper said you liked it longer, but this looks good. Tell your hairdresser that they did a good job.”
To our benefit, the three of us managed to hold it together until she left the room, and then we started laughing. “Maybe I should thank the class for trying to scalp me,” I said between giggles. “Who knew that it would actually look this good?”
Harper grinned at me. “I told you that it looked okay! Now we just have to come up with a game plan for tomorrow. Did you decide if you’re going to ask anyone?”
The three faces of the rogues flashed through my mind, but I wasn’t going to allow myself to think about dancing with any of them. Shaking my head hard, I bit my lower lip. “Not a chance. I’m there to dance with you guys when you’re not grinding with your guys and to eat some delicious food.”
“We’ll make time to dance with you, don’t worry.” Maggie reached out and took my hand, giving it a little squeeze. “We just wish that there were something we could do to make things better for you.”
I wished that, too, but there wasn’t anything to be done, and we all knew it. The thing that kept me going was knowing that my future would be better when I made it out of Taylor Prep. All I had to do was get through the rest of this year and the next and I would be golden.
But first: the dance.
Chapter 17
I’d been working on Harper and Maggie’s hair and makeup for so long that by the time Woods and Everett came by to pick them up, I only had a little time to toss my hair into an updo and swipe on some mascara and lipstick. Pulling on my dress, I carefully zipped up the side, twirling so I could see how I looked.
Incredible. Honestly, I looked incredible, and definitely not like myself. My breath caught in my throat and I reached up to pat my hair, wishing more than anything that my dad were still around. He’d have loved to see this. Shaking my head to clear the thoughts, I snapped a selfie and sent it to my mom before slipping my room key into my bra and heading out.
The night was chilly and I hurried across the quad, trying to keep my high heels from sinking into the grass. Other girls here walked in these shoes all the time, but they also stuck to the sidewalks, and I was beginning to see why. Mud was starting to cake to my heels, but I didn’t want to take them off. Not until I was tired of tearing it up on the dance floor.
Well, I used to be able to tear it up. It had been long enough since the accident that I thought I could probably dance, but not like I used to. In fact, I wasn’t sure that I was ever going to be able to dance the way I had. The thought settled over me like I dark cloud, but I pushed it away.
I was there to enjoy myself, not dwell in the past.
Some students glanced at me as I walked by, but nobody came to speak to me. That was fine, I didn’t need people to say hi. My best friends were inside, and I was going to dance with them, eat until I popped, and then pass out in my bed.
It sounded perfect.
As soon as I made it into the building, though, my jaw dropped and I stopped in my tracks. The gym had been transformed, and if I hadn’t known that the space was where students practiced sports, I would have believed that I walked into a professional entertainment space.
The ceiling was covered with twinkling lights that dimmed and brightened in time with the thudding music. The walls were all covered with thick fabric that pooled on the floor and had lights peeking through the folds. Along the back of the gym were tables laden with food, and there was a full band set up on a stage on the other side. Tons of students were already dancing, but my mouth watered, and I pushed my way through the crowd for something to eat.
“Hey, little Rosita.” Jackie appeared out of the crowd, standing in front of me and blocking my path. I stopped as quickly as possible, but I still ran into him. He circled his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. My breath caught in my throat as I looked up at him.
He looked incredible tonight, but that was nothing new. His light hair was tousled and a bit messy, but it was obvious that he’d put some effort into his look tonight. While a lot of the guys looked overdressed, he was casual, and had his shirt unbuttoned enough that I could see his pulse throbbing at the base of his throat.
I was suddenly overcome with the desire to lean up and kiss him on that very spot, to feel the pulse under my lips, but I managed to hold myself back. His hands felt incredible on my lower back, pulling me to him, but I pushed away, planting my hands on his chest to step back.
“What do you want, Jackie?” My voice sounded breathy, even to me, and I hoped he hadn’t noticed, but he raised his eyebrow and smiled. The curl of his lips wasn’t cruel, for the first time in weeks, but I felt that there was something else brewing under that look.
“I was on the hunt for the prettiest girl at the dance, and I managed to find her.” He shrugged, his eyes searching mine. I ripped my gaze away from him and listened to the pounding of the music.
The prettiest girl? Yeah, right. He’s got to be playing at something. Jerking my chin up, I looked at him. “I’ll let you know when I find her.” Pushing past him, I tried to keep my bare arms from rubbing up against him. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to handle the fire between us if I accidentally touched him.
“No need.” His hand shot out, quick like a viper, and he grabbed my wrist, lifting it up and turning it so he could plant a kiss on the thin skin of the underside. “I already found her. You going to save me a dance, Rosita?”
I couldn’t look at him. Instead, I spotted Harper in the crowd where she was dancing with Woods. She caught me looking and raised her hand, beckoning me over. I pulled away from Jackie, and he let me go, even though I felt his eyes boring into me as I wound my way through the crowd.
Okay, new plan. As hungry as I was, I realized that I should try my best to stay near my friends at all times. I had no idea what game Jackie was playing at, but pretending like he wanted me after months of supporting my torture was messed up.
“Hey, girl, you okay?” Harper grabbed my hands and spun me around. Woods stepped back while we danced, his eyes never leaving his date. She danced in a flurry of red and sequins, and while I tried to keep up, I had to move a little slower.
That was okay. I was still dancing, for the first time in a long time, and it felt amazing.
“I ran into Jackie.” My stomach was still twisted up from the way that he touched me and I realized that I wanted him to touch me. Hell, it was the first time since I’d come to Taylor Prep that someone other than Harper or Maggie had touched me without trying to hurt me, and I liked it.
Her face darkened and she slowed, her body still swaying, but not with the same frenzy. “Is everything okay?”
I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure if things were okay. “Yeah, definitely. He just told me that he wanted to dance with me.”
“You’re not going to, are you?” The concern in her face was evident, and Woods, seeing it, grabbed her hand, but she waved him off. Her eyes were locked on me, and I could easily see the concern in them. “I mean, can you trust him?”
At least he’s not Brett.
The thought ran through my head, unbidden. “I don’t know.”
“Well, what will you do?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Before I had a chance to think any more about it, the band changed songs and the fast frenzy changed to something slower, with a steady beat that throbbed in my bones. I wanted to move with it, I wanted to feel free, but I still felt like I was weighed down and tied to the earth. The titanium in my ribs and the twisting in my hips made it hard for me to let go.
Turning away from Harper, who had been scooped up by Woods and had her arms linked around his neck, started to push my way through the crowd. If nothing else, I just wanted to get out of the crush of teenage bodies. The smell of different cologne and perfume mixing together was starting to get overwhelming.
Over everything, though, a new scent floated past, and I turned, following it. It was toasted coconut, light and airy, and I knew who it belonged to before I laid eyes on him. Kaleb walked up to me, slipping his hand around my waist and taking my other, pulling it to rest it on his chest before I had a chance to say anything.
“You look incredible.” His voice was low enough that I knew the words were just for me, and he turned me, spinning me around in a small circle. My heart started to thud wildly at the look in his eyes. “I just knew I had to dance with you.”
“Yeah, okay.” My mind screamed at my feet to move and to tear away from him, but I didn’t seem to have any control. All I could focus on was the heat from his hand as he pressed it into my lower back, keeping me snug against him. The desire to lean my head against his chest was almost overwhelming, but I pulled back a little so I could look up at him. “Why are you dancing with me right now?”
He chuckled, and I felt the vibrations from his body course through my hand. They left a buzzing, fuzzy feeling that made me feel a little dizzy. “You really thought that you could walk in here and not catch everyone’s attention?”
I scoffed. “Hardly. Everyone else is busy with their dates.” He pushed me away and I spun to the end of his hand, then he yanked me back, pulling me closer than before.
“Not everyone.” He leaned down, his breath tickling my cheek as he spoke to me. “I think that if you look by the food you’ll see someone who’s rather heartbroken about me getting to dance with you.” We spun and I glanced in the direction he’d indicated. Most of the people I saw were either stuffing their faces or talking to people, but there was one person staring at us.
One gorgeous and moody person.
Brett had a look on his face that I’d seen before, and it made me shiver. “Why’s he so angry?” The last time I’d seen him look at me like that was when we were younger, before his mom got remarried and he moved. Before I found out the one thing about him that could destroy his life.
“He’s jealous.” Only two words, but they sent shivers down my spine. I wasn’t sure if Kaleb was telling the truth or not, so I looked up at him. I knew that if I could just see his face then I’d be able to better figure out what was going on. If he was toying with me, like everyone at school had been for weeks, or if he meant it.
I never got a chance to look at his face. He must have sensed that I was looking up, because he dipped his head down. Before I knew what was happening, his lips found mine, crushing me in a kiss that was hotter than hot. Like, panty-melting hot. A flush ran though me before I even realized what was happening, and I reached up, resting my hand on the back of his neck.
Heat surged between us and I felt a throbbing deep in my core that shot between my legs. It was a good thing that he had his hand around my back because my legs grew weak and I wasn’t sure that I could hold myself up on my strappy shoes.
Before I knew what was happening, he pulled back, but my mouth still felt like it was on fire. Without thinking, I touched my lips, running a finger over them. They felt swollen and hot.
It wasn’t a dream.
“What was that?” I managed to ask, but he just smiled at me. “Kaleb – ”
He cut me off. “Rose, you look gorgeous tonight. I’m sorry about everything.” He turned away from me as a mass of dancing students swarmed nearer. “Be safe tonight,” he threw over his shoulder at me, and then he pushed through the crowd and disappeared.
I knew that I should do the same thing. A kiss like that wasn’t something that happened on a dare, or because someone was feeling high on life at a school dance. That kind of kiss had meaning built up behind it, but that didn’t mean that I knew what it meant.
It took me a whole additional song to feel like I had my feet and legs under my control enough to walk, and I darted from the dance floor as quickly as I could. I didn’t want to leave the dance, but I sure didn’t want to stand there in the middle of the couples. Before I could decide what to do, someone cut me off. It took me a moment to realize that it was Amelia.
Her dress was white and shimmery, clinging to all of her curves. The makeup that she had on made her look like a supermodel, and her heels made it easy for her to tower over me. There was a cruel smile on her face as she spoke. “Looks like you’re not quite as innocent as you like to let on, Rose.”
“What are you talking about, Amelia?” I knew that I should leave, but she knew just how to bait me.
“You and Kaleb. You going to let anyone put their tongue down your throat?” The look she gave me was scathing, and I took a step back from her. “Cause I have some friends who would love to get in line to be with you. I don’t know why, because I bet you have an STD, but hey, they say that pussy’s pussy.”
“Shut up, Amelia.” My mouth clamped shut as soon as the words are out of it, but she just raised her eyebrows and laughed.
“Ooh, you’ve got some thorns, huh, Rose? Glad to see that you’re not such a pushover. People are more fun when they fight back.” Her hand snapped out and fingered the strap of my dress. “But you can’t put lipstick on a pig. You do know what that means, don’t you, Rose? No matter how nice your clothes are, you’re still just a gutter rat. You don’t belong here.”
“I do.” Straightening my back, I forced myself to look her in the eye. “I belong here just as much as you do, Amelia.”
She laughed. “Hardly. You were the pity student that Taylor Prep let in, and it looked like you were about to become a pity fuck for Kaleb.”
My face burned knowing that she saw the two of us kissing. I wouldn’t fool myself into thinking that there was really anything there between the two of us, but he had always been the nicest, and I guess that I’d always hoped…
“You’re nothing here, Rose.” She must have read the look on my face, because she continued. “You’re a nothing, and nobody here will ever want you. Not the way you want them to, anyway. If you decide to sell your services, though…that’s a different thing entirely.”
The look on her face was so horrible that I suddenly couldn’t stand to be near her. I turned away, ignoring the pain in my hip that shot down my leg as I ran through the crowd. Students turned and watched me as I ran, and I had the distinct feeling that some of them were laughing.
At me. Not with me.
Bursting through the doors, I interrupted Maggie and Everett, who had found a dark corner under a tree. She glanced up as I paused to take off my shoes and ran over, leaving him in the shadow.
“Rose! Are you okay?” I spun around to face my friend, my shoes dangling from my fingers. One look at my face told her that I wasn’t okay, that I needed help. “Stay here, I’ll get Harper.” Before I could answer, she yelled at Everett to keep an eye on me and darted back into the building.
He walked over and noticed that I was shivering. “Cold?” Without waiting for an answer, he slipped off his jacket and put it on my shoulders. “You’re okay, Rose. She’ll be right back.”
I nodded at him, but I barely saw him. There was someone else standing in the shadows watching me, and from the strong line of his body and the musky cologne that hit my nose when the breeze shifted, I knew that I wasn’t okay. I had no idea why Jack
ie was watching me from the dark of the shadows, but I didn’t want to stick around to find out.
Chapter 18
“Tell us everything.” Harper handed me a mug of hot chocolate that she had somehow convinced Woods to find her and wrapped a blanket around my shoulders. “You haven’t stopped shivering. Are you sure you’re okay?”
I nodded. As soon as the three of us had gotten back to the dorm we’d all changed and the black dress that I loved so much was now in a puddle of sequins on the floor by my bathroom. I’d dropped my heels somewhere in the quad as we walked to our rooms, but I didn’t care. I was fine with forgetting everything about this night.
“He kissed me, you guys. And – ” I paused, unsure of how to tell them how I felt without coming across like I was crazy. “I liked it. I kissed him back, so I don’t know what came over me.” Shame felt heavy, and I dipped my head, taking a small sip of the hot chocolate. It was smooth and creamy, and my stomach rumbled, reminding me that I hadn’t managed to get anything to eat at the dance.
Maggie reached out and rubbed my shoulder. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be kissed by a cute guy, Rose. Seriously. I don’t know what the deal is with the rogues, but he’s definitely the nicest one. I mean, if I had to be kissed by one of them, I’d probably choose him.”
Harper laughed and swatted her. “Rose, you did nothing wrong, okay. We love you, and if you want to spend your evening kissing guys, then we support that.” She hugged me, wrapping her arms around me. “We’re here for you, and nothing will change that, okay?”
I nodded and drank more hot chocolate. When I left the dance all I had wanted to do was get away, maybe run as far away as possible, but now I was exhausted. “I think I need sleep.” Harper took my hot chocolate from me and drained it, then pulled back the covers.
“Get in.” She pointed and then pushed me into the middle of the bed.