Prom King

by Penny Wylder

  * * *

  Lorraine shows up with ice cream and coffee and tissues. I don’t have to let her in, she still has her key. I didn’t call her yesterday. I didn’t do anything yesterday except come home and cry. Of all the people, why Sasha? It might be irrational, though I’m not sure, but it seems like I’m relieving high school all over again. Everyone is staring and laughing at me. Somehow, ten years later, this is happening again. I’ve been had. Fooled.

  I’m on the floor in front of the couch wrapped in a blanket when Lorraine comes in. “What the fuck?” she asks me. I didn’t tell her much—just the gist. That Adam’s been lying and we may have broken up. Even though we hadn’t had the conversation about whether or not we were officially together. But we were. I know we were.

  She hands me the coffee and disappears to put the ice cream in the freezer before kicking off her shoes and plopping down next to me. “Spill.”

  And that’s all it takes to get me crying again. Somehow I manage to get it all out. The coffee does make me feel better, and I manage to stem the tears by the time I fill her in on everything that he said. “Do I believe him?”

  I’m actually asking.

  Lor takes a sip of her coffee, and I recognize the deep in thought look on her face. “First, he’s an asshole for lying to you.”

  “Yes.”

  “Second, he’s a particular kind of asshole for lying about Sasha Pratt.”

  “Yes.”

  She clears her throat. “But, you never knew the Carlisles in high school. I did. There were get-togethers with the sports teams and the cheerleaders at their house sometimes. And I know that Mr. Carlisle is a fucking piece of work. He’s a heartless workaholic who would do absolutely anything to advance his career. Or his son’s. So the idea that he would tell Adam to date her for that reason makes absolute sense.”

  “Yeah,” I say, “I got a sense of his piece of work when he showed up.”

  “And didn’t you say that Adam told you the whole reason Sasha pulled that stunt at prom was because he turned her down?”

  I nod.

  “I know that it happens and people change their minds,” she says, “but I think I believe him when he says that they’re not really together.”

  “Why?”

  “Because, like I said at the reunion, people like Sasha don’t change. And if she’s creating a fake baby, it’s clear that her particular brand of crazy hasn’t exactly disappeared in the last ten years.”

  “Yeah.” I let my head fall back against the couch. “I don’t know what to do. Why does it feel like this?”

  “Like what?”

  I huff a laugh. “Like my chest is cracking open and everything is leaking out onto the floor.”

  “Oh, that.” She toasts me with her coffee. “That’s because you’re in love with him.”

  “What?” I’m frozen.

  “Seriously?” Lor asks. “You can’t be surprised by this.”

  I shake my head. “I’m not in love with Adam.”

  “If you weren’t,” she says, “then this would hurt less. You would get over the pain and move on if it were just a fling. But you’re not going to be over this tomorrow.”

  That feeling when we were playing in the water. That’s what it was. I thought I might be falling, but I missed the fact that I was already there. “What do I do, Lor?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “That’s not your real answer.”

  She sighs. “It sucks, what he did, and he was a real dick not to tell you, but I also can see why. Like, if I’d gone into a career that took seven years of school, I’d want to protect it. And Sasha…is a force of nature. She’s crazy, she’s rich, and apparently she’s got it in her head that Adam is hers. I think he’s right to be afraid of her.”

  I nod, taking another sip of coffee and throwing the blanket off my legs. “That still doesn’t tell me what to do.”

  “I’m not going to tell you what to do.”

  “Why not?” I whine.

  She rolls her eyes. “Because I’m not your mother. But I do have an idea, and you can decide.”

  “Hit me.”

  “He invited you to that party tomorrow, right?”

  I wave a hand. “Yeah, it’s at his parents’ house.”

  “So go.”

  “Are you serious? That’s insane.”

  “It’s not.” She’s got her game face on. “You know he’s going to be there. If you decide that you can forgive him, you can talk to him and show him that you can handle being with the type of crowd that his family hangs out with. If you want revenge, you can tell everyone at the party what he did.”

  That thought makes me sick to my stomach. “That would be like pulling a prom night on him. I don’t think I could do that.”

  “Well, then maybe you going can give him the opportunity to get out from under Sasha, even if you guys don’t end up together.”

  “I don’t know.”

  Lor grins. “I’ll crash with you. I’ve still got some great dresses for us. Backups from the reunion.”

  I look at her. “You’re not going to stop until I say I’m going to go, are you?”

  “Nope.”

  “Fine.”

  She’s right. This is a good solution for now. All I have to do is figure out what I want to do before tomorrow night.

  24

  Ollie

  “This is a stupid idea.”

  Lor laughs. “This is a brilliant idea and we look fabulous.”

  No matter if Lor has worked her magic—and she has by putting me in an emerald green dress that women would kill for—it’s still a stupid idea. I’m more nervous about this than I was about walking into the reunion. I suppose that’s because there was a chance of being tortured at the reunion, and when I walk into this party, there’s an almost absolute chance of some kind of scene.

  Adam had already given me the address to his parents’ sprawling brownstone on the Upper East Side, and now I’m standing outside hyperventilating. Lorraine grabs my arm. “We can’t just stand outside in these clothes. We need to go in. It will be fine. Breathe.”

  We go up the steps together and the door opens. The butler doesn’t ask to see an invitation, this isn’t that kind of party. Thanks to Lor’s brilliant work, our clothes are all the invitation we need. “I’ll be at the bar, waiting. If you need a drink, come find me.”

  “I will definitely need a drink,” I mutter under my breath, but she’s already gone.

  My plan is to find Adam first. I want to hear it from him again that it’s not true, that Sasha isn’t pregnant and that they’re not together. I want him to look me in the eyes and tell me the truth, again. Then we can talk about dealing with Sasha. I move as quickly as I can through the rooms—I need to find him quickly before someone realizes that I’m really not supposed to be here.

  I make it once around the party and am starting my second circuit when I hear a voice to my right. Loud, brassy, and completely recognizable. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Sasha.

  I turn, and give her the least antagonizing smile I can. “I need to speak to Adam. Have you seen him?”

  “Of course I have,” she says loudly, drawing the eyes of those around us. “He’s my boyfriend. And the father of my child. I’m not going to tell you where he is, you stalker.”

  I jerk back. “What?”

  “You’ve been stalking him for ten years. You wanted him in high school, and ever since that reunion you’ve been following him everywhere. To his job, even to his family’s house on the island. It’s sad, Olivia. You need to stop. You’re dangerous, and you disgust me.”

  I close my eyes, fighting flashbacks of Sasha playing the victim at prom and everyone chanting cheater. I keep my voice calm and level—there’s no way getting upset is going to help me in this situation. “Sasha, I’m not stalking Adam, he invited me. I just need to speak with him for five minutes, and I’ll be on my way.”

  People are staring now,
some starting to move in, drawn to the conflict like a flame. I flex my hands, trying to calm my nerves. Where is Adam?

  Sasha looks around and sees the people that are watching us. Suddenly, she flinches away from me, taking several large steps back, cradling her stomach protectively. “You stay away from me, Olivia! Please, don’t hurt me or my baby. You need help, and we’ll get you some. We know you used to hurt yourself and that you’re upset but please don’t hurt me!”

  My jaw drops. “What on earth are you talking about? Why would I ever want to hurt you?”

  Suddenly Adam and his father appear in the doorway. Adam’s face is a journey of emotion: shock and hope and pain and what I hope is relief. His father is the opposite, a face of mask of fury. He storms across the floor and pulls Sasha further away from me. “For the sake of the baby, Sasha, stay away from that woman.”

  I still don’t understand what’s happening, “What? I don’t—”

  He cuts me off. “I won’t have my grandchild around someone with a history of violence and attempted suicide.”

  Blood rushes to my face, and Adam is suddenly by my side. I don’t understand. I’ve never hurt anyone. Never tried to kill myself. I’ve never even thought about killing myself. And if I had, I don’t think treating me like this would be the answer.

  His father continues. “Don’t deny it. It’s well known that you went off the deep end ten years ago. Became so depressed you attacked your friends and then slit your wrists.”

  My wrists. At the reunion. I look at Adam. “Is that why you were looking at my wrists? You thought I tried to kill myself?”

  “I’d heard the rumor,” he says softly.

  I fight the tears making their way to my eyes. “So you were checking to see if I’d gone crazy?”

  “Never,” he says. The truth in that word runs bone deep. “I wasn’t trying to judge you, or avoid you. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  I look across the room, and no one is looking at Sasha. But she’s looking at me, and there’s a tiny, vindictive smile on her face. It clicks. She’s the one that started the rumor. She knew that Adam hadn’t been turned against me by her stunt at prom and she needed a way to make sure he didn’t come after me. It’s truly ironic that she’s calling me a stalker—she’s been after Adam for ten years.

  “Adam,” his father says, voice thundering. “We’ve spoken about this. You need to take care of Sasha and the baby. Not spend your time catering to a suicidal whore,” he spits.

  I feel like I’ve been stabbed in the gut, and Adam steps in front of me. “There is NO BABY!” His voice echoes through the house and the entire party goes so silent you can hear the traffic outside. “There never was.” He points at Sasha. “She made it up. In fact, the whole thing was made up. You’re the one who pushed us together in the first place to make a good impression on Dr. Pratt, and somewhere along the way you forgot that it wasn’t real.”

  His father starts to bluster, but Adam doesn’t let him speak. “Make her take a pregnancy test right now. We’ve never slept together. She is not pregnant. We are not a couple. She made up the baby as a way to blackmail me into staying in this fake relationship, and I’m done.” He looks at Sasha. “We’re done. Try to ruin me or not, I don’t care, I can’t do this. And yes, it’s my fault that we lied for so long. I got too deep, and I was stupid for not coming clean sooner. But I need to be honest now.”

  He turns to me and takes my hands. “I love you.” There’s a soft gasp from the room. “I want to be with you, and I’m sorry that I lied to you. I’ll never do it again.” He kisses me softly, and I let him. How can I not? His next words are soft enough that only I can hear. “I don’t care if I lose my career, I’ll find another one. I choose you.”

  I kiss him this time, and I can almost forget that we’re in the middle of the party except, “Are you kidding me?!” Sasha is shrieking at the top of her lungs. She looks at Mr. Carlisle, “You’re just going to let him abandon me and our—”

  “Sasha.” A deep voice cuts across the room, and a man with silver hair and an impeccable suit steps into view. “That’s enough.”

  Adam wraps his arms around me, keeping me pressed against his body, but he doesn’t feel tense.

  “Daddy—”

  “No,” he says, and I realize that this must be Dr. Pratt.

  He approaches Adam and me, and I blush under his gaze. He looks at the two of us long and hard, and then he speaks. But not to the room, just to us. “I wish I had known. Adam, I’m sorry that you felt the need to keep this from me, or that you ever felt you needed to boost your approval by dating my daughter. You’re a fine doctor, and I don’t need you to date Sasha in order to tell you that.”

  “Thank you, Sir.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Olivia,” he says. “I hope to see you at the hospital soon.”

  Adam pulls me tighter. “You will,” he answers for me.

  Dr. Pratt turns back to the room. “Sasha, you and I are going home. It seems we have a lot to talk about.”

  She sulks and glares at Adam and me, but amazingly, she goes. The room erupts into whispers as soon as they leave, and I duck my head into Adam’s chest. There’s nothing I want to do right now but hide. Even though the fight is over, everyone is still watching.

  Lor appears with a drink in her hand. “That was epic,” she gushes, “but maybe we should let people get back to the party.”

  “More like gossip,” Adam mutters. “But yes, let’s go.”

  His father is still glaring at us as we leave.

  As soon as we’re out of the house, Lorraine hails a cab. “Have fun, you two!”

  “Do you want to go with her?” Adam asks softly.

  I shake my head. “No.” I don’t want to let go of his hand.

  “In that case, my place or yours?”

  “Yours is closer.”

  He nods in agreement and hails a cab. We don’t speak on the cab ride, though are hands are locked together. It somehow feels wrong to talk about what we need to talk about in a cab. So we wait until we get to his apartment. He goes around turning on lights, and I go to the windows and watch the streetlights from New Jersey sparkle on the river.

  “Ollie,” Adam says, appearing behind me. He wraps his arms around my waist, and I lean back into him. “I’m sorry.”

  “I know,” I say. My mind has been racing since we left the party, and I’m still not all the way there. “I came to the party to talk to you, not to fight with her. I want you to know that.”

  “I know. And I’m sorry that it happened. I’m sorry for so much.”

  I turn around in the circle of his arms, and drape mine around his neck. “I accept your apology. I’m still hurt by the fact that you lied, but I can understand why you did. That isn’t going to stop me from kicking your ass if you ever lie to me again.”

  “I fully expect you to.”

  I clear my throat and look away. “But can I ask you something?”

  “Anything.”

  “You said that you—”

  “I love you,” he finishes. “Yes, I love you.”

  Warmth spreads through my body, a perfect glow surrounding me. “You love me.”

  “I do.”

  I lean my head on his chest. “I love you too.”

  He tugs on my hair, guiding my face up until he can reach my lips and he kisses me, hard and desperate and so sweet it takes my breath away. “Let me take you to bed, Olivia Mitchell, and show you in many ways how thoroughly I love you.”

  I laugh, the sound freeing, and Adam sweeps me off my feet and into his arms and into his bedroom. Maybe our bedroom at some point in the future. I can’t wait to find out.

  Epilogue

  Adam

  One Year Later

  I carry both of the drinks down onto the sand, and hand the one with zero alcohol in it to my very pregnant wife. My wife. It still hasn’t been quite long enough for me not to be enamored of the title. She’s currently cradled in a beach chair wi
th a book propped on her belly and a floppy sun hat covering most of her face. She looks up as I approach. “Hey, handsome.”

  “Hello there, beautiful.”

  She snorts. “I’m a whale.”

  I hand her the iced tea that she asked for and take a sip of my beer. We decided to take a baby moon before the little one arrives. Still a couple months to go, so we came to the beach. A small house with a very private beach.

  It’s the perfect time for it. My residency just finished and I have a few months before I start my work as a pediatrician. I’m staying at Columbia under Dr. Pratt, who never once doubted me or my integrity even after everything that happened with Sasha. I think he’s almost more excited about the baby than I am, and that’s saying a lot because I’m so excited to be a father that I haven’t been able to keep a smile off my face in months.

  “You are not a whale,” I say. “And if you are, you’re the hottest whale I’ve ever seen.”

  Ollie rolls her eyes but I’m not kidding. I love everything about the way she looks, from the way her breasts have gotten bigger to the curves of her belly. My wife is fucking sexy, and it’s a struggle not to get hard whenever I’m within a ten-foot radius.

  “I’ve got another one,” I say, and I can almost hear Olivia roll her eyes. She pretends she’s not amused by my bad baby name suggestions, but she is.

  “Hit me.”

  “Chrysanthemum.”

  Ollie bursts out laughing. “We are not naming our daughter Chrysanthemum.”

  “We could.”

  “We’re not.” But she’s laughing. “If we’re going with flowers I still like Lily or Rose.”

  “What about Aqua?”

  “Adam,” she warns.

  “Turquoise. Lavender.”

  She takes a sip of the iced tea I brought her. “You’re ridiculous.”

  “And you love me.”

  “I do,” she says, shifting in her seat in an attempt to get more comfortable.

  “How’s the book?”

  She sighs. “It’s okay.”

  “You a little bored?”

  “Yeah.”

  I reach out and grab her hands, help her to her feet. “Come on.”