by M. A. Foster
“It hurt so much, Z,” she says with a shaky breath. “I couldn’t get out of bed. All I wanted to do was sleep away the pain until it didn’t hurt anymore. Some days I’d try reading a book to escape reality for a few hours. Those were my good days. Grace would bring me food and water, but I guess I wasn’t eating or drinking enough. I felt weak and just so tired. My mom blames herself for not paying attention, but it wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. We were all sad. Sometimes we just get so caught up in our own pain, we forget about everything and everyone else. We lose the ability to care. That’s what happened. I stopped caring.”
Our waitress brings our food and sets it on the table before scurrying off. Jay stands from my lap and moves back to her seat.
We pick at our food in comfortable silence and after a few minutes I ask, “What did the note from your dad say?”
She smiles. “That he wishes he could be here to see me dressed up for my first high school dance. And that my date better keep his hands to himself.” She snorts. “I swear, every time I read one of his notes, it’s like he’s right there reading it over my shoulder and I imagine the sound of his voice as I read it. I look forward to his notes because it feels like I’m getting more time with him. Does that make sense?”
“Of course, it does. I’m sure your dad’s intentions weren’t to upset you, but to remind you he’s here with you for all the special moments in your life.”
“What scares me the most is what happens when there are no more notes? I’m not sure if his notes are helping me or hurting me. Am I only getting by because of his notes, or am I healing because of them? Either way, I don’t want them to stop. I guess that’s something I need to talk to Dr. Ramos about.”
“Who is Dr. Ramos?”
“She’s my therapist. And I’m pretty sure Liam is fucking her.”
I cough out a laugh. “Wow. Okay.” I glance at the time on my phone. “What time do you need to start getting ready?”
She smiles knowingly. “Dinner is at five, so I need to start getting ready around three thirty.” She looks down at her watch. “It’s one thirty,” she says, scooting back from the table. “That gives us a couple of hours of play time.”
Yes!
I jerk to my feet. “Cam took off with my grandparents for the day, so we have the house to ourselves.” Pulling some cash from my wallet, I toss it on the table and take her by the hand. “Let’s go.”
“GET NAKED,” I command, toeing off my shoes and pulling my shirt over my head, tossing it next to hers on the floor.
“You are so freaking hot!” Jay purrs from the middle of my bed where she lies naked as a… well, a Jaybird. Her hair is fanned out over the pillow and her arms are stretched over her head.
I shove my jeans to the floor and kick them to the side before crawling onto the bed. I pause, hovering over her. “You’re beautiful,” I say, rolling to my back, bringing her with me so she’s straddling my hips. She leans forward, placing one hand on my chest, the other guiding me to her entrance. Her mouth parts slightly with a small gasp as she stares down at me with a mixture of love and lust swirling in her blue-green eyes.
I’m still amazed that this beautiful girl loves me. And she’s mine.
A flash of movement in my peripheral vision has me turning my head slightly in the direction of the bathroom where I see Logan standing in the doorway, wide-eyed and mouth open in the form of an “O”. Damn. I forgot about Logan.
There’s nothing I can say or do because the tingling sensation at the base of my spine renders me speechless. I’m past the point of no return. Closing my eyes, I bury my face between Jay’s breasts and let go with a growl.
STANDING IN THE the driveway, I wave as Jay backs out and drives off before I storm inside to kick Logan’s ass. If Jay knew he was there, she didn’t say anything.
Shoving open his door, I find Logan lying in bed with his hands tucked behind his head and a shit-eating grin on his face. “What the fuck, Logan!”
He whistles through his teeth. “Holy shit, little bro.” He laughs. “That was one hot piece of ass.”
“Don’t talk about her like that!” I pause, taking a deep breath to rein in my temper. “You’re lucky she didn’t see you.”
“She didn’t.” He waves me off. “Nice sex face, by the way. Of course, I’ll have to block that part out when I’m replaying the image her getting off in my head.” He throws his head back and lets out a high-pitched moan like a girl.
“You know you could’ve just shut the door. Not stand there and watch like some creeper.” I move to punch him in the thigh.
He laughs and holds up his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry. I just woke up and I was taking a piss. The door was unlocked. I didn’t know you had company. Who was that? I thought you were bangin’ that little blonde. Melanie or something?”
“Reagan.” I shake my head. “We broke up in May. Good to know you were paying attention during our little chats, big bro,” I retort.
“I do listen. I just forgot for a hot minute. Reagan is the judge’s daughter, right? She cheated on you with Grayson Martinez at prom.” I nod. “See, I listen,” he declares. “So, tell me… Who’s the babe?”
I hold back my laugh and tell him, “Jayla.”
Logan’s eyes go wide and his mouth pops open. “Sparkles?” he chokes out. “Shit, Zach. Dad mentioned you were spending time with her. I completely forgot.” He smirks. “I told you she’d grow up to be hot. So, you finally made your move.”
“Actually, I made my move last summer. Several times.” I waggle my eyebrows.
“How do the Mackenzie boys feel about you bangin’ their little cousin?”
“She’s my girlfriend.” I correct him. “And they’re cool with our relationship.”
“You know her dad was Marcus King, right?”
“Yeah. How’d you know?”
“Dylan.” Logan smiles like a proud big brother. “Good for you, Zachy.” I punch him in the thigh. “Ow! Dude, lay off the steroids. When the hell did you get so fuckin’ strong?”
“Football, dickhead. You should pull your nose out of those law books and hit the gym once in a while.”
“Fuck off!” He punches me in the arm. It doesn’t hurt. “I try to go to the gym when I can. I’m just busy.”
“I know.” I drop down on the edge of the bed. “You look good, asshole. Tired, but good. What are you doing home, anyway?”
“I have some legal stuff I need Dad’s help with. I’m flying back tomorrow night. What are you up to for the rest of the day? You wanna do something?”
“I wish I could, but our Homecoming dance is tonight and I have to be at Jay’s house for dinner at five.” I stand up from the end of the bed and stretch my arms over my head. “I need to go home and get ready. You should come with me to the house and then over to Jay’s for dinner. Meet her mom, Emerson.”
“Ah. The enemy,” Logan jokes, rubbing his hands together.
“Emerson’s pretty chill,” I tell him as I head for the door. “Cam will be there and so will our grandparents.”
Logan rolls from the bed and slips on his shoes. “So, how long has Cam been sleeping with the enemy?”
His question has me jerking to a stop in the doorway and turning around. Logan laughs and holds up his hands in defense. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna say anything. Everything echoes in this house. Cam should really consider putting some furniture in here.”
LOGAN MAKES HIS way into the kitchen and my mom squeals in excitement as I jog up the stairs to my room for a shower. Homecoming isn’t as formal as prom; we’re only required to wear a suit and tie. After my shower, I put on my black Calvin Klein suit and hang the silver tie Jay bought for me to match her dress loosely around my neck. Grabbing my keys, wallet, and phone off my bed, I hurry downstairs to find my mother so she can help me with my tie.
Logan’s raised voice carries from my dad’s office. “Did you at least see if Zoe was okay before you slammed the door in her
face?” Logan asks.
“Zoe wasn’t with her,” my mom replies.
“Logan, this isn’t her fault,” my dad demands. “We’ll find Zoe, I promise.”
“What if we don’t?” Logan asks, his voice sounding worried.
“We will,” my dad promises.
I use the break in conversation to step inside the office. “Mom, can you tie this for me, please.”
“Oh, my God, Zach.” She brings her hand to her forehead. “I completely forgot about Homecoming. I’m the worst mother ever.”
“No you’re not.” I chuckle.
“I didn’t even get to congratulate you on your win last night. Why are you leaving so early?” she asks.
“Because I’m having dinner at Jay’s.”
“Oh?”
“Don’t act surprised, Liz,” my dad says. “We were invited.”
“You were?” I ask.
My dad nods. “Actually, your grandparents invited us at Emerson’s request, but your mom didn’t think it was a good idea. I’m sorry, but we won’t be able to make it.”
I shrug. “It’s fine. You guys are the ones missing out on my senior year.”
“Hey,” my mom says. “That’s not fair. You’re never home anymore.”
I shrug again. “It’s true. You don’t like Emerson and since you aren’t interested in getting to know my girlfriend, I spend my time over there or at Cam’s. Tonight is Jay’s first school dance, you know? Emerson spent the entire day putting together this big dinner party for Jay’s friends and their families.”
Regret flashes in her eyes and now I feel bad, but she’s so damn stubborn.
“He’s right,” Logan adds with a smirk. “I’ve seen them together and I know she makes Zach very happy.”
He’s such an asshole.
My mom finishes off my tie, then stands on her tippy-toes to kiss me on the cheek. “Have fun tonight, sweetheart.” She pats my chest and heads upstairs.
I look over at my dad with a frown. He shakes his head. “She’ll get over it.” He pats me on the back before pulling me in for a hug. “Have a good time tonight.”
“JESUS,” LOGAN SAYS, ducking his head to look out the windshield at Jay’s massive castle as I steer up the driveway. “I thought the Manning’s house was big, but this is ridiculous. It looks like a hotel.”
I laugh. “I know. We’re taking Jay’s Range Rover to the dance, so you can use my Jeep tonight if you want.”
“Are you guys coming back to Cam’s after?”
“It’s up to Jay, so I’m gonna say that’s highly likely since she’s not a fan of high school parties.”
Logan laughs. “For some reason that doesn’t surprise me. She grew up around adults.”
The front door opens and my beautiful girl appears in the doorway wearing a formfitting silver dress that stops just above her knees. Logan hops out of the Jeep and runs over to Jay, scooping her up in a hug and spinning her around. “Look at you, Sparkles, all grown up.”
“Shut up, Logan,” Jay warns through a laugh. “This time I won’t be aiming for your shins.”
“How did you know I was here?” I ask.
She holds up her phone. “Whenever you use your code at the gate, it notifies me.”
“Is Cam here yet?” Logan asks.
“Everyone’s here. They’re in the back,” she tells us as she closes the front door.
“Sweet.” Logan kisses her on the cheek and jogs toward the back of the house.
“You look gorgeous, Z,” she says, slipping her hands underneath my jacket and pressing a soft kiss on my lips.
“Jayla, does my grandson know you’re going around kissing handsome young men?” I turn and smile at Grandma Kate. “Well, hello, handsome. You look just like my grandson.”
I hug my grandma and kiss the top of her head. “Hi, Grandma. I’m sorry I haven’t been around much. I’ve been busy with school and football.”
“And me,” Jay adds.
“Grandma, Logan’s here,” I tell her. “He just went out back.”
“Oh, Logan,” she says in surprise, pressing a hand to her chest. “I feel like I haven’t seen him in years.” Her voice carries as she hurries off in the same direction.
HOMECOMING IS BASICALLY a high school party with pretty dresses and no alcohol. It’s not like in those movies where someone spikes the punch. Instead, everyone parties beforehand. It’s called pre-gaming. Maybe I’m boring, but getting wasted before a school dance isn’t my thing. Maybe it’s because it was my first dance and I wanted to remember it. Or maybe it’s just how I was taught to act in public. Honestly, I wasn’t all that impressed with Homecoming. I had more fun at dinner with my friends and family. But at least I can check Homecoming dance off my bucket list of things to do as a normal teenager. And I can say that I went to said dance with my guy.
The highlight of my night was performing with the Project Mayhem class. But, of course, what’s a school function without some drama? First, Ashton threw a bitch fit because Cole brought Harper as his date. Even a blind person could see that one coming. Cole quickly shut Ashton down with a few gruff words and basically told her to get over it. I kind of felt bad for Ashton because there were tears and clearly her feelings for Cole are unrequited. But she had to know she was taking a risk getting involved with him in the first place. I love Cole because he’s my family, but he’s not exactly Mr. Romantic and he’s never claimed to be. I know he has a good heart, which he keeps guarded for some reason, despite what others might think. I’ve never known him to be serious with any girl. Harper is the first and I worry she might get hurt. But she’s assured me that she’s got it under control.
We’ll see.
The second temper tantrum was from Hannah when Brad brought Cherry as his date. Hannah even stooped to spewing hateful words about Cherry’s mixed race. But Cherry, being the tough girl she is, didn’t even flinch at Hannah’s ugly words. Instead, she took the high road, smiled, and curled her arm around Brad’s waist, keeping her dignity intact. However, Brad did not. He literally lost his shit. Honestly, I didn’t think Brad had it in him.
Hannah is a complete psycho. And I don’t mean she’s a psycho because she’s an ex-girlfriend. The girl is cray-cray. You can see it in her eyes.
Reagan, surprisingly, kept her distance, staying beside her date, a guy from the baseball team. But I caught her watching Zach and I, more than a handful of times.
The second highlight of the night was when Lexi was crowned Homecoming Queen and Cole was crowned Homecoming King. However, this prompted the grand finale of all temper tantrums. I don’t think I could’ve rolled my eyes any harder at Ashton, not feeling the least bit sorry for her that time. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that she’s a senior in high school; she throws more temper tantrums than Willow.
Instead of the king and queen sharing a slow dance, the DJ switched it up with a booty dance, making things less awkward for Evan and Harper watching from the side.
Let me tell you, Cole can get down with the best of them. He had the whole room cheering him on. Then we all joined him and Lexi on the dance floor. Zach surprised me, too. I had no idea he could move like that.
But the one thing that stuck with me the entire night was my conversation with Piper. It was a rare moment where we found ourselves sitting at a table alone. Piper has never gone out of her way to rude to me like Ashton, Hannah, and Reagan. She’s the friendliest of the cheerleaders, aside from Kali.
“Why don’t you have a date, Piper?” I asked.
Piper shrugged. “Because they always expect something by the end of the night. No thanks.”
I frowned. “Like what? Sex?”
She nodded. “I’m not claiming to be an angel or anything, but give a blow job or two and I’m labeled a slut for the rest of my high school days, even though I’m still a virgin.”
“You’re kidding?” I’d heard the rumors about Piper, remembering the first time I met her. It was right after she came out of the ba
throom with Zach. Sure, I could make assumptions and buy into the rumors. But high school rumors are no different than tabloid rumors as far as I’m concerned. Things aren’t always what the seem. So, I reserve judgment for those who’ve earned it. Like Reagan. Piper has always been nice to me and her reputation is none of my business.
“Nope. Every guy I’ve ever gone out with has tried to get in my pants because he thinks I’m easy. Now I don’t even bother with them. Not with high school guys, anyway.”
“That’s awful. I’m sorry.”
She shrugged again. “It is what it is. Soon high school will be over and I won’t have to put up with this shit anymore.”
“You shouldn’t have to put up with it now.” People are gonna think what they want so why worry about it. “Who cares what people think? Don’t let them ruin the most memorable year of high school.”
“I agree, but what can I do?”
“You can start by surrounding yourself with better people. My dad used to say, ‘You are the company that you keep.’”
“I like that.”
“Me, too.”
“HEY, DO YOU guys have any plans next weekend?” I ask, setting down my tray and pulling up a chair next to Zach.
“No. Why?” Brad asks.
“Because it’s my eighteenth birthday and I want to do something different and fun with my friends.”
“You’re not having a party?” Zach asks.
I give him a look, reminding him how I feel about parties. “No, I was thinking of a weekend in Orlando at Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights. Emerson booked the whole top floor of the Hard Rock.”
“I’m down,” Brad says.
“I’ll do whatever you want, babe,” Zach says, kissing my temple.
“Yay!” Lexi claps.
“Tickets, hotel, and food are covered. Just bring a change of clothes. We’ll leave Friday after school since you guys don’t have a game that night. And get this, my mom’s chartering a bus. It’ll pick everyone up in the Heritage Bay Beach Club parking lot.”