“I love you too, Oliver,” she mumbled lazily.
Fallen Angel
Abbygail
Something was wrong. I could feel it. Oliver and I had been back to our somewhat normal relationship, but the whole thing lasted only a few days. Now he wasn’t just distant with me, it was with every one of our closest friends, as well.
“Ready to go?” Kylie asked, looking at our reflection in my bedroom mirror. The beautiful poppy and pink dress she was wearing fit her so well.
“Just about. I need to put the finishing touches on my make-up.”
“What make-up? Everything you put on is so light that we can barely see you’re wearing any.”
“It’s called sheer for a reason, Kylie. I just want the shine, not the full on color.” I put on a layer of bubble gum lip gloss. “I’m done.”
I spun on my heels and my simple short white lace dress lifted, twirling as I moved.
“Wow. Now lose the tan boots.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s either these boots or my Converse shoes, Ky. Take your pick.”
“Fine. Keep the boots.”
“I knew I’d find a way to make you agree with me. Now tell me, how do I look?”
She smiled. “Beautiful. Any guy would be crazy to not be in awe of you tonight.”
It was our homecoming dance, and since the warm fall weather had come later than usual, the committee decided to make our night a summer-themed party. Kylie and I had spent the day soaking up as much sun as we could. We went apple picking in the morning, and in the afternoon, she and I went to the skate park and spied on the guys while they were skateboarding. Fall had always been my favorite season, and the warm days we were having made it even better.
“Yeah, well, I’m not looking for any guys’ attention. Just the one.”
“I know. And don’t worry, Abs, once he sees you, he’ll go nuts. Now let’s go. I don’t want to be late.”
***
“Hey.” Tyler said to me as I made my way to the refreshment kiosk.
I had just spent an hour dancing with the girls and my feet were killing me.
I should have just gone with the converse shoes.
“Hey, yourself. Where have you guys been?”
“Watching you girls dance,” he smirked. “You look gorgeous by the way. Like an angel in a sexy white dress.”
“An angel?” I chuckled. Tyler had never been a really expressive person, and his comment had taken me off guard.
“I’m serious, Abs. I must have heard every guy in school talking about you tonight.”
“Funny. Especially considering none of them approached me,” I remarked.
“That’s because we can’t.”
We?
“Can’t?” I asked crossing my arms over my chest. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard, Tyler Parker.”
But I could tell by the look on his face that he was serious.
“Why?”
“The question you should ask is: Who?”
I followed his gaze to the dance floor until it landed on my worst enemy’s hands all over the one person I had been waiting to see all night.
“Oliver?” I frowned. I saw Tyler’s nod from the corner of my eye.
I’m going to kill him.
“Come dance with me,” I pleaded Tyler.
“Fuck no.” The look I gave him showed how insulted I was, but I needed to hand it to him, he recovered himself quickly. “Abs, seriously do not take this the wrong way, I’d love to dance with you. But I love my balls more.”
So much for your smooth come-back.
I wrinkled my nose in disgust.
“Cute.” He laughed. “I’m sorry, Abby, bros before–”
I put my finger in his face. “Don’t finish that sentence, or I swear to God, I’ll punch you in the balls myself.”
“Please don’t,” he chuckled. “And trust me. My not dancing with you is only because I promised him I wouldn’t.”
“So what you’re basically telling me is that I’m just supposed to stand here and let him keep every guy from school away from me while he dances with Pompom Bitch?”
“Abby, I’m–”
“Don’t apologize,” I retorted walking away from him. “Try growing a pair.”
I couldn’t believe Oliver. I mean, I understood his desire to shelter me from heart-break; it’s what he had been doing for years. His protectiveness wasn’t new to me. I didn’t agree with it, but I never bothered telling him since he was the only guy I was interested in. His prohibition of me dancing with a friend on the other hand, well, that went a little too far.
Angry at everyone, I left the gym, and slipped inside the girl’s changing rooms. There was a ‘no entry’ sign at the door for the night. The school committee didn’t want couples disappearing inside the locker rooms, making irresponsible decisions. The school committee needed to learn that locking doors was way more effective than stupid signs...
***
“Abs?” Kylie called as soon as the locker room door shut behind her. I knew it was closed because of the double thump it made once it hit the frame.
“What?” I grumbled from behind the shower stall I was hiding in.
“You do know that you’re not supposed to be here right?”
I opened the curtain and raised my eyebrow at her. Her response was to look back at me with the same annoyed look.
“You’ve been gone for a half an hour, Abbygail. I was worried.”
“How did you know where to find me?”
She smiled and walked over to take me in for a hug. “Because this is the secret spot where girls come to cry and find amazing friends.”
I returned her smile, remembering how she and I had met at this exact same spot. But my smile faded away quickly as the thought of my best friend swooped back in and made me frown.
I wish my relationship with him could be as easy as it is with Kylie.
It was. You know, right up until you decided you were in love with him…
“Are you going to be okay?” she asked concerned.
“I’ll be fine. What’s a homecoming dance without girl drama?” I asked blandly.
“An urban legend.” She hooked her arm with mine and chuckled at her own lame joke. “Come on, drama queen, let’s just get out of here and hit the dance floor.”
We walked out from the girl’s gym changing rooms and heard them talking before rounding the corner.
“You’re supposed to be her best friend, Oliver” Stephan complained.
“I am her best friend.”
“Well, you’re not acting like one. It’s like you’re doing everything to purposefully hurt her.”
I pulled Kylie to my side, and put my finger to my lip so I could listen.
“That’s a load of bullshit and you know it.”
“You’re flaunting yourself in front of her with the only girl in school she despises, Ol.”
“I’m just having fun, Steph. Give me a fucking break.”
“You’re allowed to have fun, but she isn’t?” Tyler questioned.
“She’s dancing with the girls, isn’t she? I mean that’s got to count for something.”
“You’re an idiot.” Tyler accused. “What’s with you keeping every guy in school away from her, anyway?”
“She’s mine to protect.”
“Dude, you are so full of shit it’s beyond ridiculous. Abby doesn’t need your protection. She can take care of herself.”
“You’re entitled to your opinion, Tyler, but I’m not changing the rule.”
Rule? There’s a fucking rule?
“Anyway it doesn’t matter. My relationship issues with Abby are not why I asked you here. There’s something I’ve wanted to tell you guys for a while now.”
I frowned.
“Steph, I spoke with my mom. I’m leaving.”
Leaving? Already?
“What the hell do you mean you’re leaving? Like on a trip or something?” Tyler seemed as confused
as I was.
Oh! I hadn’t thought about a trip. Wait. Why would he go on a trip and not tell me?
“No,” Stephan answered with a sad tone. “He’s moving.”
Moving?
“Yeah... I’m moving to Vancouver. My Uncle Jerry is in town, and we’re flying back to B.C. together on Sunday.”
My began to spin. My heart stopped. My world shifted.
Sunday? As in, the day after tomorrow? I must have heard him wrong.
“Holy shit.” Kylie muttered. “That’s in two days.”
Abandoned once again.
The ache was relentless, and the one person that could truly know how excruciatingly raw it felt, was the one harshly slashing the already deep, opened wound.
Mine
Abbygail
I tried to retain the tears, but I was clearly bad at it. In my defense, though, the sappy music playing in the background wasn’t helping. Our school DJ was on a roll with his second song about love. The objective was probably to fulfil the happy couples’ need to get close, but my tears and I were more than ready to move on. I yearned for Eminem’s angry lyrics. They would have satisfied those needs greatly.
“Want to dance?”
I looked up to see Tyler extending his right hand to me. I had been hiding alone, picking at my black nail polish under the gym’s bleachers for quite a while, and I wondered how long it would take for one of them to find me. I wasn’t expecting Tyler to be the one that would catch sight of me first.
“Please?” he begged. I frowned. I had the perfect witty reply at the tip of my tongue, but he cut me off before I could say anything. “About a half hour ago I realized that my balls were pretty big already, and that if they grew anymore my pants would rip.”
I unexpectedly exploded into laughter. It was the most perfect thing he could have said, ever.
“Is that a yes?” he asked exposing his friendly grin
I nodded and he helped me up.
Oliver
“Told you,” Damian said as soon as I stepped back in the gym. Stephan and I had been outside talking for a while after Tyler left us angry about the news I shared.
“Told me about what?” I frowned at his nonsense, but then figured that he was probably high.
“Abbygail. I guess someone did beat you to it after all.” I lifted my eyes and I saw them dancing. The sound of the melody playing got lost as I observed them closely together. She had her hands around his neck, and his hands were resting just above her ass. I was ready to explode.
“Relax,” Stephan said standing beside me. “He’s our friend, Oliver.”
I swallowed the angry lump I had in my throat. Friend or not, he wasn’t supposed to be dancing with her.
“Oliver,” he warned. He put his hand on my arm to hold me back.
My jaw twitched and I glared at him. I had no intention of hurting Tyler, but he was definitely going to take his hands off my girl. “Let me go, Steph.”
“Only once you’ve calm down.”
“He isn’t supposed to be dancing with her, she’s mine.”
There was absolutely no chance that she could have heard me, but as soon as the words escaped my lips, she lifted her head off Tyler’s shoulder and stared at me. Abbygail’s beauty that night hadn’t ceased to amaze me. I had secretly watched her in her short white dress dancing all evening. She was carefree and completely clueless as to the number of guys watching and wanting her.
How the hell am I going to protect you now? I’m not even gone yet, and there you are, already in the arms of another guy.
“Ol?” Stephan said interrupting my thoughts. “You need to tell her about B.C. before someone else does. You know how fast this shit is going to get out.”
He was right. I shook off my anger and walked, crossing the entire dance floor to join the both of them.
“Abs, we need to talk.”
She looked up to me and rested her head back on Tyler’s shoulder, ignoring my demand.
“Abbygail.”
“I’m busy.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to work for me, beautiful.” I took her from Tyler’s arms
“Oliver.” she shrieked. I hauled her over my shoulder and walked back across the gym’s dance floor. She kicked and screamed, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Oliver, you jackass, let me go.”
I settled her on the floor once we stepped away from prying eyes.
“Did you just call me a jackass?” I demanded. As soon as I let her down she slipped away and busted inside the girl’s locker room.
As if that’s going to stop me…
The look she gave when she realized that I’d followed her inside, told me she wasn’t expecting me. “Leave me alone, Oliver.”
“I want to talk to you.”
“And I don’t. Leave.” She stood still and crossed her arms, threatening me with her angry stare. “I’ll scream.”
“Please.” I mocked. “As if someone could hear you.”
“This is the girl’s locker room. You aren’t supposed to be in here.”
“Well, the sign at the door says you aren’t supposed to be in here either, Freckle Face. Besides, when has a girly logo at any door ever stopped me from following you somewhere?”
Her eyes got teary and she started to avoid my eyes by turning around. I frowned. I couldn’t understand where her sudden tears came from.
“What’s wrong, Abs?
“Nothing,” she cried. “Just leave, Oliver.”
“Abbygail Evens, I am not leaving until we talk.”
She looked up surprised by my tone. “When did you become such an overbearing jackass?”
“When have you started dancing with Tyler instead of me?”
“Right around the time you decided to–” Her eyes hit the floor. When they rose back to mine the expression on her face changed. The sadness switched to anger in a matter of seconds.
“I decided to what?”
“Nothing.”
“Abby.”
“Oliver,” she challenged. “I want you to fucking leave me alone.”
Her angered tone only fueled mine and I had no intention of leaving. As a matter of fact, I stepped forward, moving even closer to her, and cornering her in, so that she had nowhere else to go.
The feeling bubbling inside me felt like it did when I came back from the football practice she hadn’t attended, the day she challenged me about our friendship, the day she showed up all dressed up and looking sexy for someone that wasn’t me… except that, unlike our last confrontation, my senses weren’t fuzzy. In fact, everything I was feeling for my best friend was heightened, and my desire for her felt ten times stronger than it did before.
I took a step forward and she took two back. We played the game until her back hit the lockers behind her. I advanced one last step and as soon as her eyes met mine, something changed. They went from crystal blue, to sapphire. I still had no idea what the color meant but I loved it. Her eyes travelled down to my lips and then back to meet my gaze. I wondered what was going through her mind. She bit her bubble gum smelling lips and my heart sped up.
“I thought I told you to stop biting your lip like that.”
She submitted, replacing her teeth by her sweet tongue, massaging the very spot she was biting into. She just made it worse. I picked her up and pinned her against the wall, the lockers behind her rattling loudly. If we weren’t careful, we would get caught.
Who gives a fuck? I’m done being careful.
I hadn’t expected her to wrap her arms and legs tightly around me. I felt her chest rise up and down unsteadily against mine. I breathed the smell of her citrus perfume that I loved so much, and I watched as she swallowed and bit down on her lip once again.
And I caved.
I put my lips to hers, and finally let myself possess what I had been yearning for. At first, it was sweet and unsure, but I lost control. The kiss quickly transformed into a demanding need. I pulled us down to the bench behind me and straddled her over m
y body, losing myself in every stroke of her tongue and every graze of her teeth against my jaw and lips. She never moved away, never questioned. She just kissed me. Like she wanted it. Like she needed me just as much as I needed her.
***
The sound of Kylie’s voice pulled us out of our embrace. “Abby?” Are you in here?”
Neither one of us said a word. We sat motionless. We looked into each other’s eyes, and held our breath, waiting for our intruder to go back to where she came. I recognized the sound of ‘Be the One’ by The Fray playing in the background. I was tempted to tell Abby to listen to the lyrics, but as soon as the door shut behind Kylie, the silence between us became thick, and the reality of what I was doing hit me. I started to her push away. But then she tightened her grip, pressing me closer to her, and my need for the girl I was holding grew deeper. I caressed her body and moaned under the pleasure of hers moving with mine.
“Oliver,” she panted.
And just as if it hit me in the face, the guilt won me over. I tore my lips away from the crook of her neck.
“Abby, we need to stop.” I leaned my forehead against hers breathing heavily, but still holding her body close to mine. I said the first thing that came to mind. “I’m sorry. I–I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
“Okay.” She frowned and touched her bruised lips. Leaning away from me, she eyed me suspiciously as she tried to figure out if I truly regretted what had just happened between us.
I didn’t. I wanted more. But I also needed to explain myself. I needed to tell her everything so she could understand. “Freckle Face, there’s something I need to tell you.”
I looked up to meet her eyes, but she wasn’t looking at me, she was staring at our joined hands. A huge teardrop rolled down her reddened cheeks. After a moment of heartbreaking silence, she lifted her pale blue eyes to mine. I saw her tears tip over and fall on my thumb that was unconsciously rubbing her wrist.
“Are you really leaving?”
Wait. What? She knew?
“He told you?” I asked angry
“Who’s he?”
“Tyler.”
She shook her head. “I heard you telling them before me. It’s nice to know where your true loyalty stands, though.”
No Regrets (No Regrets #1) Page 9