Where the Night Ends

by Melissa Toppen

  “And what do I get if I win?” I purr, pressing my body firmly against his as I grab a handful of his thinly covered backside and squeeze.

  “Anything you want, baby.” He smiles, trailing his tongue along my bottom lip.

  “You have to give me my very own private Risky Business dance.” I giggle against the kiss he presses to my mouth.

  “Fine,” he agrees. “But if I win,” he whispers, deepening the kiss without finishing. He waits until he’s made me good and flustered before pulling back. “Then you have to agree to let me strip you out of this little outfit and kiss this incredible body of yours—everywhere.” He rakes his hand down my side and wraps the end of my long sweatshirt around his hand.

  “Everywhere?” I swallow hard, not sure if the thought makes me more excited or nervous.

  “Everywhere,” he confirms, hoisting me up into his arms.

  I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist, unable to resist the urge to grind downward when I feel how hard he is against me. A stiff groan escapes his mouth, and I swear it’s the hottest sound I’ve ever heard.

  “I’ve never wanted to lose a bet more than I do this one.” I smile, claiming his mouth once more.

  It isn’t long until things have gotten pretty hot and heavy. Sebastian has me pinned against the wall in the formal sitting room, working hot kisses down the side of my neck when the sound of the doorbell echoes through the large house.

  We both freeze, panting like we’ve just finished a marathon.

  “Fuck!” Sebastian curses, slowly sliding me down his body until my feet are back on solid ground.

  “How about you go splash some cold water…” I let my eyes travel down to his very clear erection, “…on your face,” I continue with a slow grin. “And I’ll get the door.”

  “Probably a good idea.” He looks down and then back up at me knowingly.

  “To be continued?” I offer.

  “Fuck, yes.” He kisses me once more before hightailing it toward the bathroom.

  Taking a few deep breaths, I straighten my sweatshirt and make sure everything is covered before making my way into the foyer to let in the first arriving guests.

  ***

  This party is so very different from the first one I attended at Sebastian’s house back in August. I mean, the atmosphere is very similar with the addition to the costumes everyone is wearing, but there is a certain belonging I feel now that I didn’t have the last time.

  Sebastian is a social butterfly, rather than hiding out on the balcony upstairs he’s working every angle of the room, always keeping me close beside him.

  I smile freely and don’t even bother looking over my shoulder. Knowing I don’t have to worry about running into Dylan offers more relief than I thought it would, considering there’s no way he would have the balls to show up here after what transpired a few weeks ago. I mean, unless he wants to repeat said events, which I doubt.

  The night goes by smoothly, and I even find myself partaking in a little bit of drinking. It feels good to let loose a little and be an ordinary teenager. I know Sebastian’s got me, and the thought makes me feel safer than I ever thought possible.

  Just after midnight, I decide to go in search of Bree, wanting to get a picture of me, her, and Courtney together before Court and Ant call it a night—and by calling it a night I mean disappear upstairs.

  I look all over the first floor and out back but can’t find her anywhere. I decide to try my luck upstairs, humming happily to myself as I climb the back stairwell. I didn’t realize how buzzed I had become until just now, and I can’t help but giggle at myself when I stumble at the top of the steps.

  My bubbling, drunk happiness quickly dies off though when I catch sight of Bree on the ground, tears streaming down her face as Blake hovers over her.

  “What the fuck?” I blurt, my eyes bouncing back and forth between Blake and Bree.

  “Tess.” Bree quickly climbs to her feet, trying to wipe away the mascara streaked down her face.

  “What the fuck?” I say louder, not paying any mind to my choice in language. Right now, fuck is the only word that seems appropriate.

  “It’s nothing,” Bree quickly tries to explain. “I just fell. I’ve had too much to drink.” When she steps toward me I can see the red welt across the left side of her face, and my entire stomach bottoms out.

  “You fell or he hit you?” I grind out, my hands clenching at my sides.

  “What?” Bree tries to act confused by my question, but I can see the truth in her eyes. That asshole put his hands on my best friend.

  “Why don’t you go back downstairs, Tess. This isn’t any of your business.” Blake steps in front of me, blocking my view of Bree.

  “None of my business?” I question, shock turning into anger. “None of my business?” My voice intensifies tenfold. “You hit my friend, and you’re telling me it’s none of my business.” I practically scream in his face, my heels allowing me to stand nearly nose to nose with him.

  “I said, go the fuck downstairs, Tess.” His voice is laced in warning, and he puffs his broad chest out like that’s somehow going to scare me into leaving him here alone with Bree.

  “No,” I challenge, not planning to go anywhere. “Bree, go, now.” I meet her gaze over Blake’s shoulder.

  “Tess.” She’s crying harder now, swiping angrily at her tears. “Please.”

  “She’s not going anywhere with you.” Blake takes a step forward, forcing me to take a step back. “If you know what’s best for you, you’ll turn around and not fucking say a word about this to anyone.”

  “Are you threatening me?” I plant my feet, unwilling to move another inch even when he tries to force me back again.

  “Tess, please,” Bree continues to plead.

  “Shut the fuck up, you stupid bitch.” Blake turns his face as he speaks to Bree.

  The instant his face turns back in my direction, my hand lands against the side of his cheek, a loud smack echoing down the long corridor. I didn’t even mean to hit him, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel good to do so.

  I don’t have time to prepare for what comes next. While I may be headstrong, my petite body is nowhere close to a match for Blake’s muscular build. Grabbing my forearms, he squeezes so tightly that his fingers bite into my skin as he swings me sideways, and I hit the wall hard, my teeth jarring the instant the contact is made. Surprisingly, I somehow manage to stay on my feet.

  “Stop!” I hear Bree seconds before my eyes find her, just in time to see Blake lay a hard backhand to the side of her face. She immediately stumbles backward, nearly losing her footing.

  I don’t know what comes over me. Maybe it’s the alcohol, maybe it’s the adrenaline or the sheer protectiveness I feel over my friend, but when I slide my high heel off my foot and swing it at Blake’s head it’s like I’m outside of my body watching someone else’s actions.

  It connects with his face just as he turns back toward me, the pointed heel tearing the skin below his eye. He retaliates instantly, slamming me against the wall, his forearm pressed firmly against my throat restricting my ability to breathe freely.

  “You really shouldn’t have done that, little girl.” He smiles wickedly.

  I have no idea where Anthony comes from or how much times passes, but it can’t be more than seconds before he manages to pull Blake off me and pin him to the ground—after laying a few good punches to his face of course.

  I stumble to the side, grabbing Bree’s hand, and pulling her to me.

  “Are you okay?” I wrap my arms around her and squeeze tightly.

  She doesn’t respond right away. I think she might be in shock. Honestly, I think we both are. But it doesn’t take long before her body shudders against mine, and she breaks down in my arms.

  I look up when I hear a commotion, finding Sebastian’s eyes the second he reaches the second story landing. He looks down at where Ant has Blake pinned to the floor and then back up to where I’m holding Bree
, seeming to piece it all together in a matter of seconds.

  “I’m fine,” I mouth, knowing his gut instinct is to come to me. “Get him out of here please.” This time my words filter through the space between us.

  He nods only once before him and Ant are dragging Blake down the stairwell, disappearing within seconds.

  I sag forward into Bree relief the most prominent thing I feel right now. My alcohol buzz is long gone, as is my carefree, happy mood. What started out as a fun night took a dark turn I never saw coming.

  It’s in the few moments that Bree and I remain in the hallway alone that everything starts to fall into place. How withdrawn Bree has been. How hesitant she was to bring Blake around us. The black eye she had two weeks ago where she claimed to have walked into an open kitchen cabinet while walking and texting.

  Like a lightbulb turning on, everything seems to come to life in front of me. Pulling back, I place both my hands on Bree’s shoulders and wait until her gaze meets mine before speaking.

  “How long?” I ask, giving her shoulders a light shake when she doesn’t answer me right away. “How long?” I repeat, my voice thick with emotion.

  “A couple months,” Bree finally answers, unable to meet my gaze.

  “A couple months?” I question, clearly upset to learn that one of my best friends has been getting knocked around by her boyfriend for weeks, and I’m just now finding out about it. “Why would you let him do this to you?”

  “Because I love him.” She shoves out of my grasp, crossing her arms protectively over her chest.

  “You love him? He’s been hitting you for two months, and you love him?” I hate how judgmental I sound, but I can’t hide the fact that right now I want to kill that asshole.

  “He has his moments. He’s not always so bad.”

  “Do you hear yourself right now?”

  “I don’t expect you to understand,” she bites out harshly. “Not everyone can be as perfect as you and Sebastian.”

  “This has nothing to do with me and Sebastian. It’s not a competition, Bree. Blake hit you. He’s been hitting you. How can you stand here and defend him right now?”

  “Because I love him,” she cries.

  “I don’t believe that for a second. Tell me the truth,” I demand, knowing my friend a lot better than she’s giving me credit for right now. “You can tell me.” I soften my approach.

  “I’m pregnant,” she blurts, fresh tears streaming down her face.

  “What?”

  I expected a lot of things, but this certainly wasn’t one of them.

  “I was just telling him. That’s what set him off. He blames me. Said if I didn’t take care of it that he would.” She sobs, trying to pull herself together. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, Tess.” The look she gives me damn near tears me in half.

  “How long have you known?”

  “About a month.” She shrugs helplessly.

  “You should’ve told me. I could’ve been here for you. I could’ve helped you.” I’m pulling her back into my arms just as Courtney appears at the top of the stairs, her face flush and her breathing labored.

  “Ant and Sebastian just dragged Blake outside. What the hell is going on?” she questions, dropping it the instant she gets at look at Bree’s tear stained face.

  Without hesitation, she wraps her arms around Bree from behind, sandwiching herself between the two of us.

  It isn’t until much later that everything calms down enough for Bree to tell us everything. The three of us are all sitting on Sebastian’s bed, me and Court listening to Bree recount when the abuse first started and how things have spiraled from there.

  By the end of the conversation, we’re all mentally and physically exhausted. Bree falls asleep lying sideways across Sebastian’s bed and Courtney follows closely behind, lying right next to her. I, on the other hand, feel wide awake. My mind can’t shut out the image of Blake hovering over Bree while she cowered on the ground.

  It makes me sick to my stomach to think that this has been going on right under my nose for weeks, and I was so preoccupied that I missed every single one of the warning signs. Guilt settles in my chest and wraps around my heart like a vice.

  Even though I don’t deserve to feel better, I go in search of the one person I know will give it to me anyway.

  I find Sebastian in the kitchen, throwing away bottles, a pair of gym shorts now covering his bottom half. He turns when he hears me enter, opening his arms for me the second he catches sight of me.

  “Hey.” He pulls me against his chest, smoothing a hand over my unruly curls.

  “Hey,” I speak into his chest, breathing in his scent.

  “How is she?” he asks, pulling back just enough to look down at me, the pad of his thumb tracing lightly across my cheek.

  “Sleeping.” I lean into his touch.

  “And you?”

  “I’m fine.” I let out a shaky breath. “A little shaken up and a lot confused, but I’ll be okay.” I shrug.

  “That motherfucker is so lucky it was Ant who found you and not me.” He lets out a loud breath. “I swear to god, had Ant told me what happened prior to Blake leaving, he would’ve left in an ambulance instead of driving out of here himself.”

  “I’m glad Anthony knows you well enough to know how to play his cards.” I smile sweetly. “Remind me to thank him later. The last thing I want is for you to end up in jail over someone like Blake. I still can’t believe Bree.” I shake my head slowly. “Out of all of us, she’s the tough one. I never thought she’d be the type to let a man beat on her.”

  “Sometimes you don’t always know what people are capable of, both doing and enduring. I’m sure she had her reasons. But she’s done with him now, right?”

  “As far as I know.” I let out an audible sigh. “I can’t see her going back to him after what happened tonight. Especially now that news of the baby is out.”

  “Has she said what she’s going to do?”

  “No, but I can’t see her getting rid of it either. Bree may be hard on the outside but on the inside, she’s one of the most loving people I know. I have no doubt she’ll do what’s right for her baby.”

  “I’m sure she will.” Silence stretches between us for a long moment before he abruptly changes the subject. “We never did get to finish our bet.”

  He must have sensed my need to talk about something else because just as I thought it, he’s offering me a much-needed distraction.

  “We didn’t, did we?” I smile up at him.

  “How about we call it a draw and we both win,” he offers, lowering his mouth to mine.

  “Now that you mention it, I think you dancing around like Tom Cruise might just be the thing I need to erase this awful night from my brain.”

  “I’m more than happy to do anything my girl wants.” He presses his lips to mine before speaking against them. “But that means you have to pay up, too.” My body instantly flushes at his words.

  “I think I can manage that.” I slide my arms around his neck and let him pull me into his arms.

  “Are you going to tell me where we’re going now?” I watch a slow smile spread across Sebastian’s face, but he only shakes his head side to side.

  “You’re going to have to wait and find out,” he says, his eyes remaining on the road as we merge onto the freeway.

  “You realize that I could get in big trouble for this. If my mom calls Courtney’s house and finds out I’m not there, I’ll probably be grounded for the rest of my life.” I try to guilt him into telling me.

  “Nice try.” He chuckles, reaching over the middle console to squeeze my thigh. “But we both know your mom is working tonight, and if she needs you she will call your cell—not Courtney’s house.”

  “You’re really not going to tell me?” I whine, giving him my best pouty-lipped frown when he throws a quick glance in my direction.

  “That’s not going to work on me, Tessa Wilson. I know all your tricks.” He laughs next
to me.

  I’ve been super nervous about this night away since Sebastian brought it up last week. With it being so close to Christmas, he wanted us to have some time alone before we both became busy with family obligations, but up to this point, he’s refused to tell me where exactly it is that we’re going.

  “You’re no fun,” I huff playfully, crossing my arms in front of myself.

  “Oh, I’ll be plenty of fun later. Don’t you worry.” He throws me a wink before his gaze goes back to the road.

  My stomach tightens in both excitement and fear. I knew going in that tonight would probably be the night. We’ve been skirting around it for weeks, things getting a lot more heated between us after the Halloween party. At this point the only sexual experience I’ve yet to have with Sebastian is sex.

  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared—hell, I’m terrified—but I think more than anything I just want it to happen already. I want to cross this last hurdle and feel like I can give myself to Sebastian freely without my virginity hanging over our heads.

  We remain silent for the next several minutes, Sebastian humming quietly along with the music playing on the radio. It isn’t until about forty-five minutes into our drive that I realize where we’re heading, and the instant I do, a wide smile spreads across my face.

  Sebastian chooses this moment to glance in my direction, chuckling when he catches my expression.

  “Took you long enough.” He snags my hand, wrapping his fingers around it.

  “You’re taking me to New York?” I ask in disbelief.

  “I figured if you were going to plan your future around going to school here, you might want to experience it first.” He falls silent for a long moment before adding, “I wanted to be the one to take you for the first time, that way the city will always hold a piece of us in it, something you can keep with you when we’re not together.” There’s an air of sadness around his words, but I choose to ignore what that statement might mean for us.

  I know our future is uncertain. With Sebastian’s graduation less than six months away, I know there is still so much to figure out. I just can’t bring myself to bring it up. And while I know Sebastian has been talking to a couple different schools that have shown interest in him playing ball for them, he’s yet to really discuss it with me in any great detail. I think we’re both hesitant to face what we know is coming.