Fast (The Fast Series)

by Ringbloom, Ryan

“Go ahead, say it. I gave you a label, it’s only fair, you can give me an awful label.”

  She shakes her head no.

  “Just say it.”

  “No, because I don’t even mean it.”

  I know it’s bad. My eyebrows rise letting her know I’m waiting for an answer.

  She covers her eyes so she won’t have look at me when she says it. “A band loser.”

  That’s right. It’s all coming back to me now, the car wash, and the hose. My eyes close and I shake my head. “Okay. Wow, I’m not even in band.”

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She waves her hands cutting me off. “I didn’t want to say it. I told you I don’t mean it. You made me say it. I don’t think you’re a loser and I didn’t mean to insult you and your tuba or anything.”

  “My tuba? You’re calling me names and you don’t even know what I play.” I pretend I’m disappointed, but I give her a smile to let her know I’m messing with her.

  “What do you play?” she asks.

  I look across the table at the blue eyes waiting patiently for me to answer. Four years of high school together, and she just asked me if I played the tuba. The few times we interacted, I didn’t like her, at all. Yet, I can’t stop myself from asking.

  “Do you want to go out with me again?”

  CHAPTER SIX

  The day we met…

  The girl finally stopped crying. The sun was going down and I could hear the crickets start chirping. My family was probably looking for me, but I didn’t want to leave the girl all alone. I just couldn’t.

  It had been a while since either one of us spoke. I smacked my hand against my leg to squash a mosquito. “I’m not gonna hate the baby anymore.”

  “Good, you shouldn’t,” she mumbled. Her hands clawed at the ground and she pulled up a fistful of dead leaves and tossed them back down.

  “I’ll be real good to the baby. I’ll do all those things you said you would do. Except for maybe the diaper changing thing.”

  “You promise?” Her face had streaks of dirt all over it from wiping away her tears with dirty hands. It didn’t matter, she still looked really pretty.

  “I do,” I smiled. “I promise I will be the best big brother ever.”

  She pulled her knees in and played with her shoelaces. “Do you want a brother or a sister?”

  I hadn’t even thought about it. “I have a brother, so maybe a sister, but I don’t know ’cause I really like having a brother.”

  “Wow,” she sighed, dropping her shoulders. “You already have a brother. You really are so lucky.”

  I was. Now thanks to this girl, I knew it.

  Patrick

  I pass the time sitting in the waiting room reading another one of Ashley’s many books. Every book is the same, hopeless women being saved by strong men. She certainly has a thing for heroes.

  Ashley comes out of the doctor’s office smiling today. I’m relieved. This has been a good visit. Not all of them are.

  “Thank you.” She holds my hand as we walk to the car.

  “For?”

  “This. Finding me someone to talk to, setting it up, making me go, waiting for me and putting up with all my craziness.” She grabs my arm pulling us both to a stop. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” I wrap my arms around her. “What did you talk about?”

  “How my mom agreed to go for treatment. He gave me all the information about the place. It’s in California, very expensive, but she can afford it.”

  Ashley’s mother inherited quite a large sum of money at a very young age. Even though her father had pilfered money into a hidden account for years, it barely made a dent in her finances.

  “That’s great, Ashley.”

  “She’s going to miss my graduation. But that’s okay. I’ll take her getting help over coming to graduation any day.”

  “Well, I’ll be there and when they call your name you’ll hear me cheering. I’ll be the loudest one.”

  “Everything’s finally going so good in my life. My mom’s getting help and being with you. I’m probably gonna die or something.”

  “Stop, don’t say stuff like that.”

  “No seriously, I don’t feel so good.” Ashley twirls melodramatically flinging herself into my arms. “I think I need…” She throws her hand up to her forehead and shuts her eyes. “I think I need…” She pretends to faint and then flutters her eyes. Her voice is so faint I have to lean down to hear what she’s going to say next. “Step three.” Her eyes are still closed and she smiles.

  I gaze down grinning at my damsel in distress. She opens one eye to make sure I’m looking at her and then closes it real quick. An older couple walking in to the doctor’s office gives us a strange look. “She’s okay,” I address them. “She just came down with a bad case of the vapors.”

  Ashley turns in my arms throwing herself into my chest in a hysterical fit of giggles. The old woman smiles but the old man shakes his head disapprovingly and ushers his wife faster into the building.

  My entire body vibrates from the laughter still being roared into my chest. Ashley gasps for air, tears streaming down her face. She’s trying to say something, but can’t get the words out.

  “I know what you’re going to say. Yes, I finished, The Wicked Duke’s Pleasure, while I was in the waiting room. And, yes, I’m going to stop reading them.” I slip my keys from my front pocket and unlock the car doors. “As soon I finish the series and find out if the youngest sister, Daphne, ever finds love in an unexpected place.”

  Slam. She falls right back into me, a fresh set of laughter takes over.

  “Give me a hint.” I kiss the top of her head. “Does she go back to the cave where she found that necklace?”

  Kent

  “Come with me.” I take Tessa by the hand after schools over. “I want to show you something.”

  “Where are we going?” Her eyes flicker and her blonde curls bounce as I lead her to an undisclosed destination at the end of the long hallway.

  We walk into the auditorium. I sit Tessa down on a red cushioned seat in the front row. “I’ll be right back.” Running off, I take two steps at a time up the side stairs to the stage.

  One of the sound guys from the drama club helps me out by opening the curtain once I’m seated in front of the piano.

  Tessa tips her head to the side and smiles. She put her hands together and claps excitedly.

  “It’s not a tuba,” I yell down to her. “I’ll never let you live that one down.”

  She covers her face and giggles into her hands.

  I could play Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Mozart but I’ve chosen something completely different. The sheet music I found online is placed neatly in front of me and I begin. I look over at her when I’m done.

  She’s impressed. That’s what I was going for.

  Tessa walks over to the stage and looks up. “How did you know about that song?”

  “I did my homework.” I get up from the piano and hop off the stage to stand next to her.

  Tessa studies me very carefully. She arches an eyebrow and smiles. “You are not what I expected at all Kent Daniels.”

  “Neither are you.” I pull her in for our first kiss.

  It’s very sweet, very soft and surprisingly, I find myself liking this girl more than I expected to.

  Patrick

  I’m seated and ready for a private fashion show. Ashley “needs” to show me her prom dress. I try not to be antsy waiting for her to make her grand entrance from the bathroom.

  “My mom is actually out shopping. She hasn’t had a drink in over a week. Can you believe it?” she says through the door. “It’s her third night out this week. We even had dinner together last night. Oh, and she asked about you.”

  “What did she say?” So, her mom isn’t home. We haven’t been alone in quite some time.

  “Just normal stuff, but the fact that she asked was shocking. Ya know, ’cause you’re a guy and she hates all men.”
She peeks her head out the door and giggles. “Are you ready?”

  “I am,” I sit up straight.

  Ashley opens the door and glides out, doing a full turn for effect. The buttery colored dress is almost a perfect match to her buttery blonde hair picking up flecks of gold in those big brown eyes of hers. She lifts up the dress and does one more spin for me triggering a massive amount of little crystals to sparkle as they bounce off the light in her room.

  “Breathtaking,” I stand up and walk over to her. “You look beautiful.”

  Ashley admires herself in the mirror. From behind I wrap my arms around her waist and try to drag my eyes up and away from the soft flesh peeking out the top of her gown. Not an easy task. My lips sweep down and gently trace a line across the silky tan skin of her shoulders, when I look back up a huge smile lights up her face at our reflection.

  “You know what I love?” she asks me.

  “What’s that?”

  “My smile. When I’m with you, I’m smiling. A genuine smile, because I’m happy. Not some fake one I put on to make other people happy.”

  She knows all the right things to say to make my chest swell with pride. When she says things like this to me, I feel so good. I push the hair away from her neck and kiss the soft skin hungrily. The kiss sends a shiver through her body, which causes one to go rocketing through my own as well. The shiver turns to heat. I take a step back, these are her shots to call, not mine.

  “Can you unzip my dress?” Ashley bites her lip and looks over her shoulder at me.

  As I unzip I do my best to remain calm, slowly exposing nothing but bare skin all the way down her back. The first hint of pink silk showing there’s at least something on underneath the dress makes my breath return to normal. Somewhat normal.

  She faces me holding the top of her gown up with her hands.

  Is she going to drop the dress? Breathe Patrick. It’s been a long time since the last step. I keep a poker face, while my insides place bets on whether the gown will hit the floor.

  Ashley holds onto the dress and vanishes back into the bathroom. Damn, I breathe in through my nose and exhale. It’s hard not to visualize unzipping the gown again, this time merging it with a previous memory of her from my room. I’ve just created my very own version of her dropping the dress. My heart races and I curse myself for creating the sensual image.

  She reappears two minutes later in a pink tank top and a small pair of shorts. “I’m sorry,” she says. “It’s an eight hundred dollar dress. I couldn’t just drop it on the floor and leave it.”

  With a chuckle, I lean back on my heels and act like I’m not sure what’s she talking about. “I didn’t think you were going to drop it.”

  “Oh you didn’t? Interesting.” Ashley doesn’t even try to hide her smile. “You do realize that you’re beet red and sweating, right?”

  I reach up and wipe away the sweat from my forehead. So much for my poker face.

  Ashley walks over and wraps her arms around my neck. The sweet smell of strawberry still lingers on her lips. “It’s okay. I’m ready to take another step. I want to.” Her lips are on mine and she reaches for the top buttons of my shirt, soft fingers tickle my skin before tugging it open. She opens it just enough to place her mouth on the top of my chest kissing her way back up to my neck. I drop my hands to her waist easing her tank top up gradually with my thumbs.

  All the waiting built up inside, when my hands reach her breasts and she says my name, going slow, is the furthest thing from my mind.

  After a few rushed moments, we slow back down to appreciate each other’s gentle touches. My hands learn their way patiently relishing in the delightful little sighs of pleasure she’s expressing. When she undoes my jeans and returns the favor, my breath hitches with an unbelievable desire sending me over the edge, closing my eyes, seeing nothing but stars.

  As we recover, she rests her head on my chest as it continues rising in deep breaths.

  “Nothing’s ever felt like this before,” she says, through her own deep breaths. “I didn’t even know touching could feel this way.”

  “Me either,” I reply honestly. My hand slides up to her hair smoothing it back gently, waiting for my heart rate and sight to return to normal.

  “Patrick, can you imagine what it will be like, when we finally…”

  “Ashley,” I interrupt. “I’m seventeen, it’s all I imagine.”

  She sits up and looks at me. “That’s the most normal thing you’ve ever said. You always act so mature all the time. Going slow, taking steps, it’s good to see that you actually have this other side to you.”

  “You mean a horny side?” I laugh. Does she not realize that the only way I survived the last few months is by taking long showers and a locked bedroom door?

  “Yes.” She lets out a giggle. “I know you were being patient, and I love that, but part of me was getting a little nervous.”

  “Well, I guess you don’t have to worry anymore.”

  Ashley slips her tank top back on without a bra. My eyes don’t leave her as she walks over to the dresser searching her purse for pink gum, her cigarette equivalent. She shoves a piece in her mouth and runs back to the bed onto my lap. I’m knocked down and two long lean legs are wrapped around my waist. A sweet puff of delicious strawberry air reaches my nose. “So, tell the truth, before, how bad did you want me to drop that dress?”

  The strawberry scent is weakening my defenses. “On a scale of one to ten, I would have to say a twenty.”

  Kent

  I made sure the florist had the perfect pink roses for Tessa.

  She looks stunning. My feelings for Tessa might actually be growing. Turns out she’s nothing like the girl she portrays in school. We dance close. Her hair has an unbelievably sweet smell and I’m enjoying it. Still, I can’t help but glance over at Robin.

  She looks beautiful wearing a low cut red dress, it’s quite revealing. She’s definitely come out of her shell. Seeing Robin cuddle into Billy on the dance floor bothers me. No matter what, I will always look at her as if she’s still mine.

  The DJ switches the tempo from slow to fast. Tessa and I leave the dance floor.

  “I voted for you for prom queen!” Ashley runs over to Tessa and squeals. They are best friends now. “Real best friends” are Ashley’s exact words.

  “I voted for you!” Tessa squeals back.

  “Ahhh!” Ashley screams, way too excited. She grabs Tessa’s hand and they run off towards the ladies room.

  Silly is the only word to describe them. I raise my eyes at Patrick, who shakes his head and grins.

  “Is it my imagination or are you and Tessa hitting it off?” he asks. “Did not see that happening.”

  I smirk and raise a shoulder in a half shrug. We are actually hitting it off, to mine and everyone else’s surprise.

  “Just remember,” Patrick dips his chin down and warns me. “Slow, you don’t want a repeat of last time.”

  Since when is Patrick the expert on relationships? I asked him one lousy question and now he’s acting as if I’m the little brother in need of his big brotherly advice. Time to put him back in his place. Straightening out the cuffs of my black jacket I raise a concerned eye. “Does Mom know you’re wearing a tie tonight?”

  Patrick glares at me. “You’re an ass.”

  My younger brother walks away sulking, I’m the big brother and that’s the way it goes. I know whatever’s in that book is his kryptonite. The balance is restored. I think I’ve won until I turn around and see Patrick escorting Robin onto the dance floor to dance. She giggles and spins holding onto Patrick’s hands dancing to the fast music. My kryptonite.

  No big surprise, Ashley wins prom queen. Between all her new friends and fixing the issues with her old friends, she won by a landslide. The big surprise: I’m prom king. Ashley used her new influence to sway the votes. If it couldn’t be Patrick then I guess she figured she would rally for me. Tessa is thrilled as I balance a plastic crown on my head and twir
l her around the dance floor. I slip the crown off my head and place it on hers. She pushes it down on her head for a better fit and her arms fling around my neck. The enthusiastic kiss she gives me bangs my lips hard into my teeth. I notice Robin standing and watching from off to the side. She gives me a smile and claps her hands. I toss her an arrogant shrug and smirk. Of course she gets I’m joking and we both laugh. Tessa diverts my attention away whispering in my ear about how much fun she’s having and when I look back up Robin isn’t there anymore.

  The prom is over. Tessa has me carry the favors, her purse, her shoes and a balloon she insists on taking for some reason. The only thing she’s carrying is the pink rose corsage I gave her in the beginning of the night and the crown still perched on top of her head.

  The night’s not over, the entire graduating class is invited to Tessa’s friend Holly’s house for an after party. I ask Tessa how to get to Holly’s. Instead of giving me directions to the party, she makes a different suggestion.

  “Maybe you could just bring me home. On my street, there’s a dead end. It’s dark and quiet, we can hang out.” Her voice is shaky and I can see her knees are shaking underneath her gown.

  I’m not sure how to reply. “Um, you don’t want to go to the party?”

  “We can go to a party anytime. This is prom night, it should be special.”

  My brain alerts me, there is nothing special about a dead end. Then something else alerts me.

  “Okay,” I smile, listening to the something else. “Let’s go.”

  Once the car is parked at the end of her dark street Tessa makes another suggestion.

  “The back seat?” she gestures, using the same shaky voice.

  “Okay.” It’s a pretty awesome suggestion.

  We open up the front doors of the car and the balloon floats out into the night air as we transition to the backseat. I hesitate once we’re situated, but the way she’s looking at me makes me reach for her eagerly. My mouth is on hers and she welcomes my aggressive kiss. This will just be kissing, nothing more I tell myself.

  Tessa pulls away. She reaches for the zipper in back of her dress and struggles to unzip the first few inches. She lowers the top of her dress down just enough to expose the top of her breasts and covers them with her hands shyly.