by Bella Emy
Cory laughs and says again, “I’ll be right back!” He walks out of the room, taking zombie-like steps with his arms out in front of him.
Preston and I laugh. We lock eyes momentarily before I turn away to look at Aubrey, who’s now completely passed out.
“So, Harleigh. Did you enjoy the show tonight?” Preston asks.
I swing my head back to face him. There he goes, saying my name once more. I swear the sound of it from his mouth never gets old.
“I’m guessing your friend did. She’s worn out,” he says.
I giggle. “Oh, yeah. We both really loved it. It was amazing. Thank you so much for letting us come with you guys. I’m sure there were plenty of other girls you could’ve asked to go.” That little reality kills me and is a reminder that I have no business of being in the same world as him.
His eyebrows furrow over his eyes. “Are you serious? I was happy you guys got to come. It was nice doing something… with you.”
I immediately drop my gaze to the ground in front of us. Oh, my God. What the actual fuck is he talking about? He must be tired, talking like he actually enjoyed the company of two silly sophomores.
Suddenly his hand tucks a strand of my brown wavy hair behind my ear, and I’m going to die.
“Harleigh, look at me…” His words hang in the air.
Slowly, my head slightly lifts, and my eyes meet his once more.
“There was no one else I would rather have gone to that concert with than you.”
My eyes go wide. What the hell is going on? I can’t even begin to fathom what the heck is happening before I feel him leaning closer to me.
“W-what?” is all I manage to say in a whisper.
His eyes become small, and his lips pull into a smug grin. “Shh, Harleigh. Don’t speak. Just… feel.”
Those are the last words he says to me before his perfect, full lips crash into mine.
They’re so soft… so luscious… so perfect. I want more. So much more. Instead, it’s a small innocent peck, and he pulls away. He searches my face and looks into my eyes to make sure he hasn’t crossed any lines he shouldn’t have.
When he ultimately notices I haven’t freaked out and, in fact, am yearning for more, he leans in again, and this time, I’m the one to smash my lips into his.
Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m sitting on my couch in the middle of my living room late Friday night—actually, in the wee early morning hours on Saturday—making out with Preston Scott.
Preston Scott, a senior at our high school.
Preston Scott, my forever crush.
Preston Scott, the one guy whom every single girl wishes would look her way for a split second.
Preston Scott, my brother’s best friend.
I don’t care if he’s Cory’s best friend. I don’t care if this makes him off-limits at all. I don’t care if Cory and Aubrey both warned me to keep my distance from him because they fear he’ll end up hurting me or breaking my heart.
All I care about is this moment, and right now, I want to continue feeling the touch of Preston’s lips on my own.
I let out a soft moan and feel Preston’s hand grab the back of my neck, bringing me even closer into him. Jesus Christ, this feels amazing.
I’ve been kissed before, but never like this. I’ve only had one serious boyfriend in my life, and we only dated for about eight months before he left me for another girl in our class. We made out a few times, but it never went past second base.
Even though Preston and I are just kissing—fervently, but still just kissing—this feels way better than any other kiss I’ve ever had in my life.
Preston’s other hand reaches for my lower back, and I feel him smile through his kiss. We pull away only for a moment, and he says, “Damn, Harleigh. I never wanted to kiss you so badly.”
Meaning he had wanted to kiss me before?
Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! Whatever, there’s no time to waste. I want more of Preston. I need more of Preston.
“Kiss me again,” I whisper and see his smile widen.
“Gladly,” he answers before smacking his luscious lips to mine once more.
I have never wanted to lose my virginity as badly as I do right now. Preston is making it really hard for me not to take my clothes off. I want him so much. I would gladly and happily—willingly and freely—give my virgin self to him.
I don’t care what his reputation says about him. I don’t care if it would make me look like a whore. I want more of him right here, right now.
We continue kissing, but before long, heavy footsteps can be heard from down the hall.
“Mmm, nothing beats grilled cheese at two in the morning.” The sound of Cory’s voice through a mouthful of the sandwich forces Preston and I apart before he has a chance to walk in on us. Thankfully, Cory always had a big mouth, so anyone can hear him from miles away.
Preston and I sit back as if nothing just happened between us. Cory takes his seat back on the couch with his plate of grilled cheese. Aubrey begins to stir, and they’re both none the wiser.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Preston
I have to be the biggest asshole on the planet.
What the hell was I thinking? Okay, obviously, I wasn’t. Or maybe I was thinking with my dick, as usual, and not with my head—not the correct one anyway.
How could I have said what I said to Harleigh?
“There was no one else I would rather have gone to that concert with than you.”
Ugh. I want to punch myself in the head.
And then what had I had gone and done? As if those words hadn’t been bad enough or done enough damage, I’d gone ahead and kissed her.
And kissed her.
And kissed her again.
Relishing in the feel of her lips.
Loving the taste of her.
“Damn, Harleigh. I never wanted to kiss you so badly.”
Fuck! I’m a damn moron. A complete fool. How could I have gone and made out with my best friend’s sister?
And Harleigh? Harleigh loved it so much. The way she moved and writhed in my arms as we made out was complete confirmation of it.
I should have known better. I should have never crossed the line with her. It’s just not right. I know Cory wouldn’t like it if he knew I put the moves on his little sister. He’d probably want to kill me, and could I blame him? I mean, I would have done the same for mine if she were still here… damn.
My thoughts are instantly interrupted by the vibrating of my cell phone on my nightstand. It’s Josh.
Josh: Hey man, how was the concert last night?
Dare I tell him about Harleigh? Since last night, it’s all that’s been on my mind. It’s five in the afternoon, and it’s still on my damn mind. I decide I’ll skip telling Josh about it for now.
Me: Awesome, of course. How’s things over there?
Josh: Bad… it’s terrible. Courtney fell asleep wrapped up in my arms, crying her eyes out. She’d wake up every couple of minutes and start bawling again. I would have checked in earlier but I’ve been in zombie-mode, catching some sleep when I can. I have a major headache from lack of sleep, but I don’t care. I’m here for her for whatever.
Me: I know, man. I’m sorry. It’s not easy times right now for them.
Josh: Yeah, reminds me of Alyse.
Me: I know.
Don’t I know it. She’s the first thing I thought about when he told me about Mr. Van Buren’s death. I knew it would be hard on the family. It’s never an easy situation.
Josh: That’s one time in my life I was hoping to forget, but don’t think that will ever happen.
Me: Yeah, I doubt it.
Josh: :(
Me: :(
Josh: Alright, Courtney’s done in the shower… somehow I convinced her to take five minutes to herself… told her I’d wait right outside the door if she’d need me.
Me: You’re amazing to her, you know that.
Josh: Yeah, she’s my best friend.
<
br /> Yeah, keep telling yourself that, big bro. She’s more than that to you.
Josh: Alright, I’ll hit you up later.
Me: Cool… later.
***
Monday morning at school, I feel a million knots in the pit of my stomach, and every time I see Cory, I feel like an even bigger asshole than I did before. I think guilt is starting to set in.
I try avoiding him as much as possible, but it’s hard when you have classes together and I know that come lunch time he’s going to come looking for me.
Sure enough, when study hall rolls on in, he comes toward me and smiles.
“Hey, man. I’ve been trying to catch up to you all day. You all right? You’ve been quiet in class and shit,” Cory says as he takes a seat next to me.
I shrug, avoiding eye contact. “Yeah, dude. I think it’s just the Monday blues. I miss the weekend.” Man, do I ever… The feel of Harleigh’s lips on mine in the early Saturday-morning hours are really being missed by me right about now.
He pulls a notebook from his backpack and says, “Yeah, yo. I feel ya. Wanna come over after school and throw the ball around?”
Fuck yeah I want to come over, but I don’t want to play football. I want to go over and spend time with your sister. But I can’t. I need to keep my distance so I don’t hurt her and so I don’t fuck up my friendship with Cory.
Reluctantly, I decline and lie to my best friend. “I wish I could, but I promised Josh I would meet up with him to bring him some fresh clothes. He’s still staying at Court’s.”
I’m a fucking bad liar, and I’m hoping he doesn’t pick up on it. Josh had packed enough clothes to last him a month or so.
Cory’s eyebrows raise. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot he was staying at her house. The wake’s tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah, tomorrow at four and then again at six.” Fuck, I remember the girls saying they wanted to go to pay their respects. It’s going to be so hard not to even look at or acknowledge Harleigh.
I know she’s going to be throwing glances my way.
But I can’t look at her. I can’t let her think it was more than just a kiss.
Because that’s all it was, right?
Fuck, who am I trying to convince? It wasn’t just a kiss. I really like this girl.
I really, really like my best friend’s sister.
Harleigh Davis Scott… It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
Wait, what the fuck am I saying? I need to get out of here. I need to go. I push up from my seat. I start rushing, trying to get as far away from here as fast as I possibly can.
“Hey, man. Where you going?” Cory asks before I have a chance to make it very far.
“I gotta go. I’ll see you later, Cor.”
“But—”
I ignore his words and make a beeline for the door. I run straight to the boys’ bathroom. I head for the sink and turn the faucet on, then hold my hands underneath it. Once cold water fills my hands, I lean down and splash myself in the face. I need to get a fucking grip. This can’t go on much longer, or I’m going to lose it all because of Harleigh Davis.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Harleigh
I toss and turn in my bed as midnight rolls in. I can’t sleep and haven’t been able to do so since the whole thing with Preston went down.
It’s been days since our kiss, and all I want to do is slap myself hard across the face. How could I have been so stupid to believe he actually liked me? He’s been avoiding me since the whole thing happened. He hasn’t been over to our house in days, maybe even closer to a week now, and the glances he used to give me are not happening anymore.
Dammit, why hadn’t I listened to Cory and Aubrey and kept away from Preston Scott? Why had I been so stubborn and hardheaded and given in to the pull and attraction I felt toward him? Obviously, it had been one-sided and he had just wanted to see how far he could get with his best friend’s sister.
I told Aubrey about it the following day, and of course she had lectured me. Now that he’s been totally avoiding me, she’s lecturing me even more.
I can’t be mad at her. She was right. I should have listened. But I didn’t and now I hate myself.
I hate myself for falling for him and thinking he actually thought I was something special. I was probably just another girl to him, and if we had truly been alone that night, he probably would have tried taking it further.
The way I was feeling that night, I know I would have let him. I know I would have let him take all my clothes off me and take my virginity. It’s what pisses me off the most about this whole thing. I know that if the opportunity had risen, I would have willingly helped him strip me of my clothes.
Ugh! I’m such a moron.
I flip around onto my stomach and bury my face into my pillow. Then I decide against it, pull my head up, grab my pillow, and slam my head onto my bed. Afterward, I throw the pillow over my head. I’m hopeless.
***
“I haven’t seen him in days. I don’t know what’s going on,” I say to Aubrey during lunch one day, weeks after my make-out session with Preston.
“It’s odd. I haven’t either. Usually I’d see him in the hallway, if not at lunch. Have you asked Cory?” She pulls out a napkin and wipes her mouth.
I shake my head. “No. I haven’t brought up Preston to him at all.”
Her eyes widen. “Are you for real? You haven’t asked your brother about his best friend?”
I shrug. “How can I? I don’t want Cor to find out about the kiss. He’d kill me.”
She rolls her eyes. “Okay. A, he wouldn’t kill you. He loves you, silly ass. And B, he wouldn’t find out about the kiss just because you ask him where Pres—”
Aubrey abruptly stops talking, and her face turns as pale as a ghost.
“Aub, you okay?” I ask.
She’s not budging. She’s staring straight ahead.
I follow her gaze and see Preston making out with Gina Thompson against a wall across the cafeteria.
My mouth goes agape. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. First, he hasn’t been around in days. And now, now that he’s here right in front of everyone, he’s kissing one of the biggest whores in the school.
Gina Thompson is a junior with much bigger boobs than I’ll ever have. Ha… and I really thought he’d like someone like me. What was I thinking?
What a fucking jerk. I can’t believe he’s here making out with this bitch. He knows damn well I’m in this cafeteria. Why is he parading around with bimbo sluts in front of me? Fucking asshole.
If I thought I hated his ass before, I really hate his ass now.
Jerk. Bastard. Piece of shit… piece of shit whom I really, really like.
Ugh! What am I saying? I need to stop my thoughts before I end up causing myself unnecessary pain.
I swallow hard and push the thoughts away. Tears form in my eyes, and I know I need to get out of here as soon as possible. I can’t just sit here and watch this damn train wreck that my life is turning out to be.
I look back at Aubrey, and she looks like she’s about to cry too, now finally looking at me. “I’m sorry, Harls… so, so very sorry.”
I shrug, and tears spill down my cheeks. “It’s okay. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.”
With those words, I get up from my seat and run out of the lunchroom faster than a bat out of hell.
***
A couple days later, I’m sitting in Aubrey’s room going over our notes for English class. Unfortunately, the world keeps turning and doesn’t stop for anyone. I’ve had to come to terms with realizing that the kiss I had shared with Preston was just a kiss and nothing more, with the help of Aubrey of course. It obviously meant nothing more to him.
I tried keeping busy by surrounding myself with my studies, going to the mall with Aubrey, and looking into trying out for the cheerleading team. I had never taken myself for the rah-rah-sis-boom-bah type, but hey, I had to do something to keep my mind off P
reston Scott… or at least try to.
Like I said, try to.
It still hasn’t been easy, especially when I see him at school, and he’s usually surrounded by different girls like he has been so many times in the past. The weeks right before the concert, I hadn’t seen him around many girls like he used to be. Then we kissed, and now he’s always with someone else. He’s really making Aubrey and Cory’s words true. As much as I still like him, he’s an ass, and I’m trying my hardest to get over him.
“You need to date someone,” Aubrey says as she highlights text in her notebook. She’s on her bed, lying on her stomach, and I’m sitting on the carpeted bedroom floor. She doesn’t meet my gaze as she says those words though.
“That doesn’t sound like Shakespeare,” I answer, raising an eyebrow. We’re supposed to be going over Hamlet. It’s one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. Of course, being the hopeless romantic I am, I love Romeo and Juliet too, but something about Hamlet really intrigues me. Maybe it’s the way the murder of Claudius was plotted. I’m not quite sure, but I love it.
Aubrey pushes herself up with her elbows. She crosses her legs and sits up, looking at me. “You think I don’t know what’s going on in that boy-crazed little mind of yours?”
“Boy-crazed?” I give her a questioning look.
“I’m sorry, let me rephrase that. Preston-crazed.”
I gasp. “I’m trying to study Hamlet.”
“The hell you are.” She chuckles. “I know you better than you know yourself, and I think sometimes you forget that. But seriously, girl, you need to get out there and find someone to date. There are plenty of guys at our school to choose from.”
I grimace. “Yeah, all the horndog guys from Westville High… whomever shall I choose?” I say, placing a finger underneath my chin, pretending to think it over.
Aubrey grabs a throw pillow from her bed and flings it at me. “Smart ass.”
I jerk to the side, and the pillow lands on the floor. “Yeah, but I—” I’m cut off by the ringing of my cell phone. I go into my bookbag and fish it out. It’s Cory. It’s only just after five in the afternoon. He knows I was planning on coming home around seven for dinner. I shrug and answer it to see what he wants.