by J. L. Wyer
“Clichéd?”
“Yeah, the whole ‘have sex on prom night in a hotel room’ cliché. You forget, I have a reputation to uphold when it comes to wooing my girl. If I started doing normal run-of-the-mill stuff like that, Elizabeth would break up with me.”
“You do have the whole romance and wooing thing down,” I admit and wish it was me doing the wooing with Elizabeth.
Jayson's cocky side comes out when he replies, “Yes, I do. And tonight, I will continue with that tradition. That’s why I need Liz for a bit. So, would you mind?”
“Not at all. Like you said. This night is for her.”
For the next two hours, we dance and hang out. Davis, Keith, Beth, and Celeste join us. No matter what, we never leave Elizabeth’s side. If she goes to the restroom, Beth and Celeste go with her. Me and the guys keep a constant watch on where Maria and Marshall are. The girls have fun pulling us to the different world displays for pictures. We do goofy pictures at Tower Bridge, and group pictures at Niagara Falls and the New York City skyline. At the Eiffel Tower, Julien takes Elizabeth in his arms and dips her. The photographer gets the perfect shot of them. She’s bent in his arms, their noses almost touching. Julien says something to her, and she tips her head back laughing. Her silky blond tresses flow out and down over his forearm. Absolutely breathtaking. I’m definitely ordering a copy of that one.
Once Julien is finished, Elizabeth waves me over.
“How do you want to do this? Where should I stand?” I ask her. She worries her bottom lip, then reaches for my hand.
“I want it just like how we were when we danced. I want to capture that moment.”
Elizabeth tucks her hand against my chest next to where my heart is pounding staccato beats because holy hell, she’s touching me again. Holding my larger hand in hers, she wraps my fingers around her waist. As if in slow motion, she reaches her left hand up and glides her fingertips along my neck and stops when her thumb curls under where my jaw meets my ear.
“Thank you, Ryder, for tonight. You guys have given me the perfect prom.”
She pushes up on her tiptoes and softly kisses the side of my mouth. I can hear the clicks of the photographer’s camera. I don’t know whether it’s the fact I stop breathing when her lips barely touch mine or the way she’s looking at me, but I’m lightheaded and a bit punch-drunk. I stumble back on my heels when we release each other. Jayson and Julien are looking at us. Julien with a quizzical expression, Jayson with a semi-scowl.
Next, Julien and Jayson take some photos with each other for their parents. Elizabeth stands next to the photographer wanting to see the shots as he takes them.
“They really are identical twins,” the photographer says to her looking at his camera display. “If they didn’t have different haircuts, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart, would you?”
Elizabeth gives him a questioning look. She’s been able to easily tell them apart since she was six years old and they dressed the same.
“Come here, princess,” Jayson calls her over.
He gives a shrill whistle with his fingers and a few people stop to see what’s going on. Jay pulls her in front of him, takes both of her hands in his, and stands there grinning at her.
“Um, Jayson, aren’t we going to do photos?”
He grins wider. “Wait for it.” The DJ cuts off the music abruptly. The couples on the dance floor look around trying to figure out if something happened. The lights dim again, and a woman’s crooning voice starts singing. Elizabeth’s eyes go wide.
“That’s our song! Oh my God!”
I recognize it now once she says that. It’s Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” The song Elizabeth sung just for Jayson. And then to our shock and astonishment, and my horror, Jayson starts to drop down on one knee.
“What is he doing?” Julien and I both yell out at the same time.
“Jayson, what are you doing?” Elizabeth exclaims.
No one is dancing anymore. Everyone in the ballroom has stopped what they are doing and are watching the scene unfold in front of the fake Eiffel Tower.
This can’t be happening.
The photographer is having a field day clicking as fast as he can to take as many shots of what’s going down in front of us.
Elizabeth
“Jayson, what are you doing?” Oh my God. Is this really happening? What do I do? I'm too young. I'm not ready. My nerves are already frazzled from being intimately pressed against Ryder again, and now this. Part of me is stupidly excited and giddy and I want to leap into Jayson’s arms screaming yes, yes, yes. Then there’s the other part of me that knows as much as I love Jayson, my heart belongs to someone else. I look over to Ryder and Julien. They look as shocked as I do.
Jayson pulls my attention back to him when he begins to speak. “Elizabeth Penelope Fairchild. I have loved you since the first grade. The happiest day of my life is when you said yes. Yes to us. Yes to me. Yes to everything. My heart is not whole without you. My life is not complete without you in it. You are my soulmate. You’re my princess. And as your prince, I will lay the world at your feet and make all of your dreams come true. In the tradition of all of our next times, I want to forever promise you my heart, my love, and my soul. Will you wear my promise ring knowing it represents my promise to you for our happily ever after?”
Several sighs are heard around us from various girls. I hear Keith ask, “Does he do this stuff all the time?” Beth exclaims, “That is so freaking romantic!” and then I hear Celeste. “Why don’t you do stuff like that for me?
Jayson laughs at my expression of relief apparent on my face when I figure out he’s not really proposing. “I’m going to kill you Jayson Jameson. You about gave me a heart attack!”
He winks at me and stands up. The promise ring he bought me is a simple silver band. The ring is on a silver chain which he unclasps and places it around my neck, tucking it beside my rose quartz heart pendant I’ve worn since the day he gave it to me. “It’s engraved,” he shows me. In tiny cursive letters inside the band are the words “All Our Next Times.”
“It’s beautiful, Jayson.”
He grabs my face in both hands and swoops in with a kiss to end all kisses. As I get lost in the pleasure Jayson’s kisses always bring, I hear everyone around us clapping and cheering.
Jayson twirls me around like a ballerina until I'm breathless with laughter. “Now, I want to slow dance with my girlfriend,” he says with a sexy grin.
Chapter 21
Elizabeth
After prom, Maria started a rumor at school that I was pregnant and that’s why Jayson was going to propose to me at prom. For over a week, she, Jacinda, and Samantha hazed my locker and car with baby pacifiers and diapers until we went to the school administration with pictures Julien was able to get showing proof they were the ones who were doing it. Maria got a week’s worth of detention, but Jacinda and Samantha didn’t get any punishment after the cheerleading coach spoke to the principal. I know I should be over it, but it still hurts when Maria does mean stuff like that to me. That stings the worst. I keep wondering what happened to the girl I thought I knew — the girl I thought was my best friend.
I look at the nightstand clock and groan. For some reason, I can't sleep. All our families met up at Ryder’s house for a cookout earlier this evening and then Jayson snuck into my room around midnight through my open bedroom window. Luckily, my parents had gone to bed and were fast asleep.
Deciding to give up on tossing and turning, I roll over to climb out of bed. Might as well work on my English paper that’s due soon.
I’m pulled back into bed by a strong, warm arm. “Where’re you going?” a sleepy Jayson mumbles.
“I can’t sleep.”
“Don’t go,” he mumbles again, this time against the crook of my neck. He breathes in deep and moans, “You smell good.”
I roll over so I can look at his face. I graze my fingers across the short stubble on his jaw and push his
hair back behind his ears. Jayson really is wonderful to look at, especially when he’s asleep, his face relaxed and calm. I see glimpses of the boy he used to be in the man he is becoming.
“You are such a handsome man,” I say out loud, continuing my exploration of his face with light caresses.
“Baby, you keep sweet-talking me like that,” he trails off and rolls me on top of him. I guess my English paper can wait.
Jayson leaves around five in the morning to go home and get ready for school. I take a quick shower and then work on my school assignment. Luckily, it’s Friday so I’ll be able to catch up on my sleep over the weekend. Only if I can finish up this paper for English paper first since it’s due on Monday. There’s also another bonfire party tonight, not to mention I have work at the library after school today. I groan. Maybe I’ll skip the bonfire tonight.
Around six, I hear Hailey turn on the shower in our jack-and-jill bathroom. Crap. I lost track of time and am going to be late to meet up with the boys for breakfast. I pack all my school stuff in my bag and go to brush my teeth. I wipe off the condensation from the mirror and pick up my toothbrush when Hailey turns off the shower and pulls the curtain to get out. My eyes catch hers in the mirror and for a brief moment Hailey freezes, her eyes flaring in surprise and something else — something like shame. She snaps the curtain back to hide herself but isn’t fast enough.
“Jesus, Hailey!” I shout, yanking the shower curtain hard enough that it pops three of the rings holding it on the bar.
Hailey is desperately trying to wrap the towel around herself, but I also yank that away, modesty be damned.
“It’s nothing. Honest.”
“Nothing? I wouldn’t call these nothing, Hailey. What happened?”
I turn her to get a better look at the huge purple and green bruises decorating her upper thigh and hip. On her shoulder is what looks like a circular burn mark that has blistered and scabbed over.
“I fell during PE. Like I said, it’s nothing.” She steps out of the shower and grabs the towel I yanked off of her, wrapping it tightly around her torso.
I give her an incredulous look. “What, were you playing football and ran into the linebacker? Does it hurt?”
She walks out of the other side of the bathroom to her room with me hot on her trail. “No, it doesn’t. So drop it.”
“Enough with the flippant remarks.” I touch her shoulder. “What about this one? Get it at PE too?”
“That’s from my curling iron.”
She throws open several drawers and grabs various articles of clothing, one of them a long-sleeved shirt. She’s been wearing those for a while now, even when it’s hot outside.
“Hailey.”
She turns around giving me a brilliant, happy smile, but I’m not buying it. “Lizzie. I fell down and had a hair mishap. Do I lecture you when I see all the hickies Jayson gives you?”
She has a point, but then again, Hailey looks like she challenged a semi-truck and lost.
“Aren’t you going to be late?” she reminds me. “I’m surprised Jayson isn’t already beating down the door wondering where you are.”
I consider her for a minute. “Hales, you know if you need to talk to me about anything, I’m here.”
She sucks in her cheek by biting the inside and then gives me another one of those brilliant smiles. “I know that, silly. If there was anything to tell, I would tell you. But there’s not. So, shoo. You have three gorgeous, hot guys waiting to eat breakfast with you.” Hailey squeezes me in an overenthusiastic hug and pushes me out of her room. “See you at school!” she says, closing her bedroom door in my face.
Maybe I’m worrying for nothing. If there was something going on, she would tell me. Right? I’ll ask Ryder to talk to his sister, Brea, since she and Hailey are best friends. Part of me wonders if Hailey is being bullied by Maria too. I wouldn’t put it past Maria to mess with my sister to get at me. Anger boils up inside of me. If Maria’s put her hands on my sister in any way, she’s going to regret it. I’ll see what Ryder thinks when we meet for breakfast.
Chapter 22
Ryder
“Do not say a word to Liz about what happened at the bonfire,” Jay warns us once again. He's said that same thing to us a couple of other times over the past few days since the bonfire party last Friday.
It's Tuesday afternoon, school’s done, and we’re hanging out in the parking lot waiting on Elizabeth to finish talking to Beth and Celeste before we head out to the Fields. Luckily, Elizabeth doesn’t have to work tonight and Julien doesn’t have a soccer game or practice, so everyone’s coming to watch me race.
“If you don’t tell her, she’s going to find out eventually, man.”
“I agree with Ry. Tell her. Get it out there, act like it’s no big deal and move on. Liz doesn’t need another Jacinda incident.”
“Don’t you know I know that already. She’s stressed enough as it is with getting ready for her music competition coming up,” Jay replies in frustration. “She hasn’t been sleeping well and now she’s worrying over Hailey.”
“I hate to say he’s right,” Julien agrees with Jayson.
“What the heck, Jules? You just told him he should tell her.”
“He made a good point. I can change my mind.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Do what you want to do, man, but I disagree. Then again, it wasn’t me Jacinda was climbing all over so it’s not me she’ll be upset with.” I stop talking when I see Elizabeth walking over toward us. Jayson reaches out to grab her, but she spins out of his reach and jumps onto my back piggy-back style.
“I can’t wait to see you race tonight!” She squeezes me tightly and then convulsively squirms when Jayson grabs her ribs to pull her off me.
“Hands off my girl, Ry.”
Wanting to mess with him now since Elizabeth is the one climbing all over me, I tell her, “Hold tight,” which is the only warning I give before taking off across the parking lot toward my car. Elizabeth hugs my neck tight and laughs. Jayson doesn’t find it funny at all. He may be a fast swimmer, but I’m a faster runner. I have Elizabeth in my car, doors locked, and engine turned on by the time Jayson pounds on my window.
“Open up and give me my girlfriend back!”
I raise my middle finger and rev the engine. Elizabeth wiggles her fingers in a goodbye wave, blows him a kiss, and we peel out of the lot.
“He is so going to beat you up when he gets to the track.”
I grin at her. “Worth it.”
“Am I a bad person to like it so much when you mess with him?”
“He deserves it.”
“Why do you say that?”
I change the subject. “I can’t believe we only have a month left before summer vacation.”
“I know! It all feels so surreal.”
“Looking forward to Hawaii?”
“I can't freaking wait. Hailey and I can't stop talking about it.”
Elizabeth starts swiping through my music files. She loves cranking up rock and roll when we’re driving in my car together. “Ryder, has Brea said anything or talked to you about Hailey recently?”
I shake my head, eyes on the road. “Not a word. I did talk to her like you asked me to, but she said other than Hailey maybe having a secret boyfriend, she’s been the same old Hailey, just a little more standoffish than usual.”
Loud honking interrupts our conservation. “Wonder what took him so long?” Elizabeth chuckles, looking out the back window at Jayson’s truck coming up behind us fast. I push the gas down and speed away, wagging my middle finger out the driver’s side window.
We pull into the Fields and there are several other cars parked already. Things won’t really get busy until about seven, so we have over an hour to kill. Jayson parks his truck next to us.
“Come here, Liz,” he says as soon as he's out of the truck.
“No,” she sasses back, running around my car to hide behind my back, head poking up over my shoulder.
Julien casually walks over and lifts Elizabeth into his arms. “Stop being so possessive,” he tells his brother.
“Will everyone stop manhandling my girlfriend?”
Elizabeth is enjoying the game of “pass the girlfriend” if her giggles are anything to go by. Elijah shows up and Julien hands Elizabeth over to him. Jayson has had enough and strong arms Elizabeth away from Elijah.
“Hi,” she says, grinning at Jayson when they are nose to nose.
Jayson makes a rumbling noise of exasperation before he attacks her mouth with a kiss. I turn to pop the hood of my car, feigning checking the engine. It gets harder and harder for me to watch Jayson kiss Elizabeth because, truthfully, I want to be in his place.
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” Elijah says walking over to me, “but word is Marshall is racing tonight.”Both Julien and I release twin groans.
“I'll be glad when we graduate and won’t have to see that jerk for the rest of our lives.”
“Speaking of Marshall,” Julien jerks his thumb to the side where Marshall and several others are getting out of their cars. He glares over at our group and we glare back. Fallon arrives next in a new Porsche 918 Spyder. I swear that guy goes through cars like he does girls.
“Hey, there’s my man!” Fallon shouts out at me.
“Nice car,” I comment. The guys have walked off and are talking with a group of people from our school, but I notice Elizabeth lingers behind, her gaze watchful as Fallon approaches me.