Burning Down the House

by Allie Gail

  He made some kind of noise that sounded like, “Nuuuunngh.”

  Yeesh, how heavy of a sleeper was he? I placed both hands on his back and practically bounced him up and down. “Rob! Wake up! Wakeupwakeupwakeup!”

  Finally he turned his head and slowly forced his eyes halfway open. “Whussit? What?”

  “Um. The power’s out.”

  Clearing his throat, he rolled over on his side and blinked up at me groggily. “You…woke me up to tell me it’s dark...?”

  If he was trying to make me feel like a complete moron, it was working. “A tree just fell right outside my room.”

  He looked puzzled. “Tree?”

  “Yes, a tree! I’m lucky it didn’t fall on my head!”

  “Outside?”

  “Yes, it’s outside.”

  “Then it won’t bother you,” he slurred, burrowing back into his pillow and closing his eyes. “Go back t’sleep.”

  “What if another one falls?” I fretted. When he didn’t answer, I shook him again. “Rob! What’s the matter with you?”

  “Nothin’. I took an Ambien.”

  So that’s what was in that prescription bottle on his dresser. Nothing more than sleeping pills. “The wind is blowing really hard,” I nervously told him. “I mean, like crazy hard. Listen.”

  Unconcerned, he gave a drowsy chuckle. “Sleep in here if you wanna.”

  “Sleep? Who can sleep with the house blowing down around us?” But he was already unconscious again, so I muttered to myself, “You, obviously.”

  Not exactly stoked about returning to my own empty room, I made myself comfortable sitting upright next to him with my back against the headboard. After about five minutes of that I got cold and slid underneath the covers. The wind was still gusting powerfully, rattling the windowpanes, but somehow from in here it didn’t sound quite as threatening. It wasn’t long before I drifted off to sleep as well.

  I’m not sure how long I dozed before something woke me. Electricity hadn’t been restored yet and the room was still pitch black, but the angry tempest outside had diminished to a harmless rustle. Against my arm I could feel Rob’s fingers twitching. Still lying on his stomach, he mumbled something I couldn’t make out before abruptly rolling onto his back. Then, clear as a bell he said, “Get away from me.”

  It startled me for a minute before I realized he must be dreaming. Just to make sure, I whispered, “You awake?” There was no response, but I could tell by the agitated way he was breathing and jerking his hand that he was having one doozy of a nightmare. As if it wasn’t bad enough he’d just escaped one - now he was subjected to reliving the experience. Well, that simply wasn’t happening. Not tonight - not on my watch. Touching his arm lightly, I traced it down to lace my fingers with his. “Shh…it’s okay, sweetie. Everything’s okay. No more bad dreams.”

  He muttered something unintelligible before sighing and squeezing my hand gently. The tense muscles began to relax and his breathing gradually took on a slower, more steady rhythm. His fingers went limp in mine as he fell into a peaceful, more restful slumber.

  Satisfied, I rested my head against his shoulder and that was when I realized he was naked from the waist up. Heck, for all I knew he was naked from the waist down as well - maybe he slept that way. How would I know? It’s not like I was in the habit of initiating sleepovers with the guy. Now there was a thought destined to keep me awake all night. The idea that I might be curled up in bed right now with a sleeping centerfold.

  There was no way I’d get any rest until I knew for sure. Bringing one knee up to cautiously rub it against his hip, I was reassured to feel a thin layer of cotton instead of bare skin. Okay, so he wasn’t completely in the buff. At least he had underwear on. That was a relief. Or was it a disappointment? Get a grip, Sara.

  Well, whatever he was wearing or not wearing, I knew I should get up and go back to my own room. There was no reason in the world for me to still be in here. I should go back to my own bed right now. Just get up and make my way back down the cold, dark hallway. Climb out from beneath these warm covers and leave his comfy, cozy bed…yeah, that’s what I should do…

  The next thing I knew I was waking to the blaring of some Breaking Benjamin song on a clock radio practically right next to my head, and a warm body spooning me from behind. Cursing under his breath, Rob reached over me and whacked the snooze button. Apparently the power was back on.

  Relaxing back into the pillow we shared, he slipped his arm underneath the covers to snake it around my waist and pull me more snugly against him. Sighing contentedly, I covered his arm with mine and tried to ignore the very noticeable erection pressing against my backside. Morning wood, whatever you want to call it - felt more like solid granite to me. It sent a tingle of electricity through my body that prevented me from falling asleep again, even though I was drowsy. I probably hadn’t gotten more than three hours of sleep.

  The arm that was wrapped around me began to casually move until his hand found the bottom of my Victoria’s Secret tank and slid underneath. He caressed my belly lightly with his knuckles while I tried to remember how to breathe. His touch was so amazingly gentle, which from my limited experience was kind of surprising. He paused just beneath my breasts, maybe waiting to see if I would protest. I didn’t.

  With my hand still resting on his arm, his fingers slowly traced my curves. He nuzzled my hair out of the way to give me a lingering kiss on the shoulder before whispering, “You’re so soft…”

  “Can’t say the same for you,” I replied breathlessly. His thumb began to stroke my nipple, stiffening it instantly while liquid heat coursed through me. I felt his hard length grind against me.

  “I tried to tell you…this is what you do to me.”

  I wondered if he had any idea what he was doing to me. Given the opportunity I would have traded five years of my life not to have to leave the warm security of his arms. How could I ever go back to sleeping alone after experiencing this?

  The loud rock music interrupted us again, and this time I was the one who hastily shut it off. I wanted his hand to stay right where it was.

  “I hate that fucking alarm clock,” he muttered, voicing my very opinion.

  “Mm.” I returned my hand to his arm and snuggled back into him. Cupping my breast, he hugged me close. I sighed in complete and utter bliss. Unfortunately it couldn’t last. The minutes were flying by ridiculously fast. Why is it time only speeds up when you don’t want it to?

  Finally he told me reluctantly, “We really need to get up.”

  I groaned. “I don’t wanna get up…I have a stupid physics test today. And I didn’t even study for it.”

  “Babydoll, if you don’t move soon you’re gonna be taking more than a physics test.”

  “Five more minutes…”

  “It’s Thursday. You know your dad’ll be home today.”

  “Not until later.”

  “Hasn’t he ever come in early?”

  I considered that. “Um…well…”

  “Uh-huh.” Pulling his hand away from my chest, he gave my bottom a light nudge with his knee. “Time to get up, Sleeping Beauty. Go get ready for school.”

  Knowing he was right, I dragged myself grudgingly from the comfort of his bed. “Mornings suck,” I announced while shuffling to my room.

  “Just be thankful you’re not the one who has to take a cold shower,” he called back, causing me to laugh.

  I was sitting on the edge of my bed half an hour later pulling on a pair of socks when I heard a tap at my door. “It’s open.”

  Rob entered, looking sizzling hot as usual in jeans paired with a green t-shirt and an unbuttoned green and black plaid shirt thrown casually over it. He was freshly shaven and his dark hair was still wet from the shower. And one look from him was all it took to send a queasy knot settling in the pit of my stomach. There was no denying I had it bad for this guy. Too late to save myself now. The train had already derailed - the inevitable wreck couldn’t be far behind.
>
  “Did you say something about a tree falling last night, or did I dream that?” he wanted to know.

  Oh, yeah. I’d forgotten all about that. Pushing the yellow curtains aside, I peered out the window. “Well, maybe it wasn’t the whole tree. But it is a really huge limb.”

  He came up next to me to have a look, standing so close I could smell his aftershave. “Whoa. I’ll have to break out the chainsaw to haul that puppy off.”

  Leaning in a little closer, I brushed my lips against his smooth jaw. I couldn’t resist. I’m only human.

  His eyes shifted from the mess outside to me and seemed to cloud over as he pulled me into his arms. “You’re bound and determined to make us late, aren’t you?” he demanded.

  I smiled up at him innocently. “Maybe. So?”

  “I don’t know what I’m gonna do with you. You’re a devil in a short skirt, that’s what you are.” He lowered his head to issue a soft, sweet kiss that left me weak in the knees. Branches weren’t the only thing falling fast and hard around here. I wrapped my arms around his neck, running my fingers through his damp hair while he rested his forehead against mine. “You know we can’t keep playing this game, babydoll. It has to stop. I can’t do this.”

  I felt the knot in my stomach tighten apprehensively. “Do what?”

  “You know what.” He hugged me gently, a gesture I was sure was meant to serve as an unspoken apology. “What do you suppose your dad would do if he thought I was screwing around with you?”

  Screwing around? Oh, real nice. I so didn’t appreciate the terminology he was using. “I don’t know,” I admitted.

  “Neither do I. But there’s always the possibility of it ending up with me being thrown out on my ass. Is that what you want?”

  “No, of course not…”

  “I like you, Sara. I do, you must know that by now…but this is just too risky. I don’t want to give him any reason to feel uncomfortable about leaving us alone here together. I mean, I know your dad’s a pretty open-minded guy, but when it comes to his own little girl he might not be quite so understanding. You see what I’m saying here?”

  I wanted to reassure him that my father would have no qualms about us dating but in all honesty, how could I? Homecoming didn’t count - my dad was no idiot, he knew Rob only took me because Riley jacked me over. If he thought we were actually interested in pursuing a relationship, he might have an issue with us living together under the same roof. Because there was no question of where we’d end up. Look how close we’d come already. The temptation was undeniable. I couldn’t speak for him, but personally I’d never been so wildly attracted to anyone in my life. “Yeah. I guess so.”

  “Friends, no benefits. Right?” He released me with a grin. “You better be glad I was too doped up last night to stay awake.”

  I smiled in spite of myself. “And why is that?”

  “You might have gotten a lot more than you bargained for.” Turning to leave, he added over his shoulder, “Now get your stuff together - you got about two minutes to grab something to eat before we leave. Let’s go, ándale!”

  Snatching up my backpack, I shadowed him into the living room. “I’m not hungry.”

  “You sure?”

  “Uh-huh.” Scanning the room, I located my pink Converse high tops and shoved my feet into them. “Okay, I’m ready when you are.”

  He lingered for a moment like he wanted to say something else, then appeared to change his mind. “Good. Let’s go then.”

  “I don’t know what your hurry is,” I grumbled, following him out the front door and pausing to lock it behind us. “We have time.”

  “I don’t like to be late.”

  “We’re not late! Chill out…God, I hate it when people rush me.”

  “If I was rushing you I’d do this…” Turning to face me, he dug his fingers into my ribs and tickled me until I shrieked and slung my backpack at him. Like that would do any good - he played football, he was used to having heavy things slam into him.

  “Stop it! I hate being tickled.”

  “Uh-oh, you never shoulda told me that…”

  “If you don’t want those fingers broken you better keep ’em to yourself!” I threatened, hopping up into the Tahoe and buckling my seatbelt. To my surprise, once he started the engine and backed out of the driveway he took one hand off the steering wheel to reach for mine. Our fingers intertwined automatically, palms pressed firmly together.

  “I don’t much like keeping them to myself.”

  Talk about mixed signals. Not even five minutes ago it was I can’t do this and now here he was holding my hand and teasing me with innuendos. Obviously he wasn’t terribly committed to his mission. How was I supposed to know what to think when he was so inconsistent? If he was anything like Trent, I could just take his flirting with a grain of salt and know that he wasn’t serious.

  Fortunately he was nothing like Trent.

  “Rob…?”

  “Sara...”

  “Do you have nightmares a lot?”

  He glanced over at me warily. “Why? Was I talking in my sleep last night?”

  “A little. Mostly you were just thrashing around.”

  “Sorry. I hope I didn’t keep you up.”

  “Not really. I was already awake.” I pulled one foot up to adjust a crooked shoelace with my free hand. “So, do you?”

  “I did for a while. Not so much lately.”

  “Could be that medicine you’re taking, you know.”

  “Possibly. I think it’s one of the side effects. I only take it once in a while, when I feel like I haven’t been getting enough sleep.”

  “Maybe you should try some warm milk instead,” I suggested.

  He chuckled at the idea. “Warm milk - now that’s disgusting.”

  “Well…hot chocolate always makes me sleepy.”

  “Hot chocolate has caffeine in it. How’s that gonna help?”

  “I don’t know. Works for me though.”

  “All right, Dr. Marsh - next time I need help sleeping I’ll give it a try. And if it keeps me up all night you get to do my homework for me the next day.”

  “Funny, I don’t remember agreeing to that.” Shivering, I pulled my hand away from his to turn on the heater. “Man, it’s cold out this morning.”

  “Yeah…weird how that cold front didn’t make it any warmer.”

  “Smartass!” I hugged my arms to my chest. “I shoulda worn a jacket.”

  “Mine’s in the back seat if you want it.”

  I unbuckled my seatbelt long enough to retrieve his blue and gold letterman jacket and slip into it. It was too big of course, but that didn’t matter because it was warm and also had my new favorite number on it. Forty-two. “People might talk,” I warned him playfully.

  “People will always talk. Doesn’t mean you have to listen.” He reached for my hand again and my heart fluttered. “I already had three people come up and ask me if we were dating.”

  Not surprising. It was because of us showing up at the dance together. Funny how nobody had asked me if we were dating. “What did you tell them?”

  “That it was none of their damn business.”

  I almost choked on my giggle. “Jeez, Rob…I hope they left space in the yearbook for your ‘Most Likely to be Featured on Crimestoppers’ photo.”

  “What? I can’t stand nosy people.”

  “You can’t stand anybody!”

  “That’s not true. I can tolerate you. Just barely.” He grinned to show that he was kidding. “I didn’t kick you out of bed, did I?”

  “Technically…you did.”

  “Only because we both had to get up.”

  “What if we didn’t?” That was the million dollar question, and one that was probably better left untouched but I couldn’t help it. I wanted to know.

  He hesitated for what seemed a very long time before quietly admitting, “I suppose ultimately that would have been up to you. I’d like to think I have enough self-control to stop myse
lf from doing what I promised myself I wouldn’t, but my willpower has its limits, Sara. You might want to keep that in mind next time you decide to climb into bed with me.”

  It was because of my own limited willpower that I called that very morning to make an appointment with Planned Parenthood. It was probably high time I looked into getting some birth control. Just in case. Because in spite of everything he said, I had a strong premonition that this was one train wreck that couldn’t be stopped.

  13

  “Oh, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?”

  “What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?”

  “The exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine.”

  “I gave thee mine before thou didst request it; and yet I would it were to give again.”

  “More passion, Sara!” Mr. Clarke cut in. “Don’t just say the words. Express them.” He threw up his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Okay guys, bell’s about to ring so why don’t we pick it up here tomorrow. Riley, I want you to put more effort into memorizing those lines. Work on it over the weekend. Next week I expect to see you doing this scene without having to refer to your script. Good job, everyone - class dismissed.”

  Dana skipped over to me with a spirited grin. “Don’t be such a frigid bitch, Juliet!”

  “Tell your son not to be such a douche, Lady Montague!” I picked up my backpack and heaved it over my shoulder with a wide yawn. “I need a nap. Will you take my physics test for me?”

  “Sure! Oh, wait - were you actually wanting to pass it? Then, no.”

  “That’s it - I’m telling Montague that you and Friar Laurence have been getting it on behind his back.”

  “Hey, Sara - wait up a sec,” came Riley’s voice from behind me. I caught Dana’s facetious eye roll as I turned around to see what he wanted.

  “Yeah?”

  “I was thinking, maybe we should get together sometime and work on our lines.”

  “What for? I know my lines.”

  “Well, to be honest I could really use some help with mine. Between football practice and homework, I’ve been swamped. I haven’t had much of an opportunity to study them. If I don’t step it up, Clarke’s gonna wind up replacing me.”