Closing her eyes for a moment to prepare herself to tell yet another lie, she took a deep breath. When her lashes fluttered open, she said, “For practice. You promised to help me some more.”
If she hadn’t already been aware of his feelings for her, the injured look that flashed across his face would have been evidence enough to wizen her up. Feeling awful, she pretended not to notice. “So what do you say? No better time to practice than now. Right?”
She saw the hesitation in his eyes, but finally he nodded. “Yeah. Sure. Why not?” He visibly shook off the sting her words had created and lowered his eyes to her lips. He was close enough that all he had to do was lean down to place his face above hers.
She watched with anticipation as his mouth lowered closer and closer to her own. Then at the last second, she closed her eyes. The awaited touch of his lips to hers was like a slice of heaven. It was a million dollars. It was straight As on her final report card. It was a fully paid scholarship to the college of her choice. It was everything she could ever want.
With a soft sigh of pleasure, she opened her mouth under his and brought her hand up to the back of his neck. Her fingers slid through his hair, tangling in locks still wet from his shower.
What had started out very gentle and tentative quickly became heated. Alec’s tongue dipped into her mouth as his hand slid down her waist until it rested on her hip. He pulled her closer, his body shifting so that he was half on top of her.
Her heart pounded furiously in her chest as her hormones zinged through her being like fireworks. Stars burst behind her eyes; her body thrummed with the thrill of their closeness. Though she’d never been intimate like this with a boy before, she wasn’t nervous. This was Alec. This was what she wanted. As the fingers of her free hand trailed lightly along his waist, she shifted her hips to press them against his.
Alec groaned and deepened the kiss even further. His mouth pressed against hers with bruising force, his much larger body pressing her down into the mattress.
With tentative fingers, Ellie eased her hand under his shirt. She’d seen him topless hundreds of times, but she’d never had the opportunity to run her fingers over the toned muscles of his abdomen. She’d never had the urge to before now.
When her fingers made initial contact with his skin, Alec jumped with a startled gasp. The muscles of his stomach twitched against her fingers, bunching as she lightly stroked them.
She let out a breathless laugh against his mouth and playfully inched her fingers along the plains of his abdomen. “Ticklish?”
“Very,” he said on a groan.
With a giggle, she let her hand continue upward to caress along his pectoral muscles. When her fingers swept over a rough ridge of skin, she gave a small sound of surprise. Pulling her mouth slightly away from him, she said, “That’s the scar where you fell on our fence a couple years ago.”
He’d been hopping over the metal fence that surrounded her backyard when his shoelace got caught. He’d fallen chest first on a jagged piece of metal at the top that tore into his skin deep enough to leave a scar.
“Yeah,” he said distractedly. His mouth shifted to her jaw and he pressed a kiss just underneath her ear.
Something about this admission fueled her attraction to him. Her hand skimmed down his chest, along his abdomen, until she came to a scar on his hip. “This is where you took a hockey skate to the side. You had everyone so worried.” Her fingers traveled along the bumpy ridge of scar tissue as she spoke.
“Mmm-hmm…”
When his mouth returned to hers, she kissed him hard. Kissing him was so intimate, but realizing she knew his body down to his scars meant something deeper. She loved him. Every little detail. Every scar. Her hand moved to his newest injury - the gash on his eyebrow. She let her fingers travel gently along the puffy skin as she memorized every facet of his body with her fingertips. “The hockey game…”
Alec suddenly wrenched his mouth away from hers and sat up on his knees. Horror was written plainly across his face. “This is wrong.” He shook his head and slowly backed off of the bed. His eyes were on her as if he considered her to be a dangerous and unpredictable animal. “This is so, so wrong.”
Fear filling her, she sat up. “What…what’s wrong?” She took a deep, shaky breath in an attempt to even out her ragged exhales.
“This.” He waved a hand at her in what looked like disgust. “What are we doing?”
“We’re…we’re…” She swallowed nervously as she fought for an explanation that wouldn’t make her look awful. She couldn’t betray Jake with the truth. Not yet. She would give him until graduation. She’d promised herself that.
“This isn’t right,” Alec said with a harsh sound of frustration. “You’re someone else’s girlfriend.” He shook his head with a look of disappointment in his eyes. “You should have stopped this long before now. How long are you going to let this go, Ellie? You gonna ask me to take your virginity, too? Just so you know what you’re doing? How inappropriate are you going to let this get? I’m your best friend for God’s sake, not a…a…a booty call.”
He backed away from her, moving toward the window. “How do you think Jake would feel if he knew what we were doing? You think he’d be okay with me lying in bed with you, with your hands exploring my bare chest?”
She stared at him in silence. There was nothing she could say that wouldn’t expose Jake or possibly destroy their friendship. As she gazed at her visibly shaken best friend, she realized how awful she’d been to him. She’d been playing with his emotions. She’d been teasing and taunting him. Every action she’d done over the past few weeks had been hurtful to him. She hadn’t taken the time to discover how much so. “I’m…I’m sorry.” Tears welled in her eyes at the thought of losing him as her best friend. She needed him. She didn’t know what she would do without him in her life. “I’m so sorry, Alec.”
“I’m done,” he said in a low, tortured voice. “Okay? I’m done. I can’t do this anymore, Ellie.”
“Alec, don’t go.” Her voice trembled with the tears that threatened to well over. When he moved toward the window, a whimper escaped her. “Alec, please.”
He hoisted one leg out the window, then turned to look at her over his shoulder. “I just can’t be around you right now. I’m sorry.” With that, he disappeared into the night, leaving her alone with her misery.
As she stared at the space where Alec had been only moments before, the tears finally fell. They poured down her cheeks as sobs wracked her body in abrasive heaves. She drew her knees up to her chest and buried her face in them, succumbing to the complete misery that his absence had created. She’d made a complete mess of things and didn’t know how to make them better.
Chapter Ten
It was prom night. This was supposed to be one of the most magical nights of her life, yet Ellie couldn’t keep her eyes from staring glumly at the tabletop. The lavish decorations around her did nothing to pull her attention. The upbeat music only served to remind her of her depressed mood. She was surrounded by glitter and beauty and pure raw energy, yet she was miserable. “It’s been two weeks, and he still won’t even speak to me.”
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone two days without speaking to Alec. The past few weeks had been like torture. Every time she saw him in the halls at school, he turned and made a hasty retreat. He avoided her by staying indoors whenever he was home, only venturing out to get into his car when he went somewhere. He wouldn’t answer any of her texts either. She’d texted him over a dozen apologies but had yet to receive even a single word in return.
“We’re going to make this right,” Jake promised. One of his hands moved to cover hers, and he squeezed encouragingly. “I’ll make this right. This whole stupid thing was my idea. I’ll explain that to him.”
Her eyes widened in alarm. “No, Jake. You can’t… I don’t want…” She shook her head vehemently. “School is over next week. I can keep your secret until then.” She corrected her
statement. “I want to keep your secret until then. I’m sure Alec will come around.”
Jake’s expression was sympathetic as he stared at her with uncertainty. “I feel like I’ve made a real mess of things.”
She rolled her eyes and offered him a weak smile. “You didn’t twist my arm. I went for the idea just as much as you did. We’re both guilty in this. Me more so, because I should have taken Alec’s feelings into account. I’m his best friend…or at least I was.”
“Are,” Jake said firmly. “You are his best friend.” He brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face with a smile. “Friends fight. Then they make up. That’s what makes them friends.”
She nodded, feeling grateful for his positivity. “Yeah, I know. We’ve gotten into a few heated debates before and we were fine. We’ll work this out. In a few weeks, it will all just be a distant memory.” Despite these words, she felt tears spring to her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that week. Things might be sorted soon, but she missed her best friend terribly.
Jake opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by an announcement that blared through the DJ’s massive speaker system.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to announce our prom king!” Their principal slipped her hand in an envelope with dramatic flair. “And the boy you chose to represent Noble High as this year’s king is…Jake Phillips!”
Loud cheering erupted throughout the banquet hall. Sappy music poured through the speakers as if he had just been crowned Miss America. Students were suddenly surrounding their table, clapping Jake on the back.
“Jake,” the principal called out loudly, “get up here! Come accept your crown!”
With an apologetic look, Jake climbed to his feet and waved a hand in acknowledgement of the honor bestowed upon him. “I’m sorry,” he mouthed.
She shook this off with a wave of her hand and a reassuring smile, motioning for him to take the stage.
He nodded. Before he turned to make his way to the platform, his eyes lingered on something behind her.
Ellie spun in her seat to look over her shoulder. She found Alec leaning against a back wall with a scowl on his face. His dark eyes were hooded with displeasure as he watched Jake take the stage. She’d heard he was attending the prom with Kara Wendell, but his casual date had started seeing someone else between the purchasing of tickets and now. She was with her new boyfriend across the room, leaving Alec solo for the night. He was alone, and his posture let her know he believed that down to his core.
With a dreadful feeling in her stomach, she turned to watch Jake accept his crown and the golden scepter that was always passed down to the new king. She clapped halfheartedly, knowing the honor didn’t mean as much to him as it would most boys their age.
“Thank you,” Jake said into the microphone, rewarding the crowd with one of his amazing smiles. “This honor means so much.” His eyes locked onto hers before he took a deep breath.
Directing his attention back to the crowd, he said, “But before I accept this honor, I have a confession to make.” As the ballroom became silent, he bared his soul to every last one of the student body and staff. “I’m gay.”
A shocked hum whispered through the crowd at his admission. As everyone began talking simultaneously, Ellie gave her new friend a thumbs up at his bravery. A proud smile lit up her face. His admission was so brave that it brought goose bumps to her arms.
Through the chatter that arose, Jake’s voice filled the room once again. “Alec, I’m sorry. It was my idea for her to lie to you.” He gave Ellie a lopsided smile before waving for her to go get the boy she’d fallen head over heels for.
With a sharp inhale, Ellie turned to gauge her best friend’s reaction to Jake’s admission and what it meant.
Alec’s expression flashed quickly through an array of emotions. His initial reaction was shock, but it was quickly replaced by confusion, then betrayal. Anger finally settled on his face when his eyes finally met hers.
“Alec—” She didn’t get any farther before he turned and stormed out of the building. “Alec, wait!” She pushed through the press of bodies as everyone tried to get closer to the stage. She was dimly aware of the applause that started to slowly spread through the crowd, but she had eyes only for the retreating form in front of her. “Alec!”
When she reached the doors of the massive banquet hall and threw them open, she was greeted by a downpour of rain. It fell in sheets, blinding her to anything farther out than a few feet in front of her. She was just barely able to make out Alec’s form as he jogged across the street to where their high school sat.
Without a single hesitation, she dashed out into the rain after him. The torrent was too thick to call out to him. It was almost too heavy for her to even catch her breath, so she just hiked her floor-length gown up around her thighs and ran after him.
The rain soaked into her hair, causing her expensive updo to come loose and cling to her neck. Her heels splashed through puddles, soaking her bare legs, but still she raced on.
She found him on the bleachers of the football stadium, his head cradled between his hands, his eyes cast to the metal flooring at his feet. His shoulders were hunched as if he carried the weight of the world on them. “Alec,” she whispered in a voice full of anguish and fear.
When he looked up, his eyes were full of pain. “Why? Why would you lie to me like that? Why would you use me like that? I just don’t understand.”
Her lips trembled as the confession she’d feared for so long became unavoidable. “Things just got out of hand.”
“How? Explain to me how…” He shook his head, unable to finish his sentence.
At the look of resentment on his face, words tumbled from her lips as if of their own volition. “I fell in love with you.” Her rushed confession sucked all the air from her lungs. She stood for a moment in complete silence, unable to speak another word.
The thing that finally spurred her forward was fear. She was afraid he would walk out before she could explain. She was afraid he would walk out of her life for forever.
With rain trailing down her face, she poured her heart out to the boy next door. “When Jake confessed his secret to me, I was already…” She looked away in embarrassment. “I was already in love with you. By the time I had my date with him, it didn’t matter. I couldn’t think of anything but you. Jake grasped that right away. He knew how I felt about you. He had the idea to…” She brought her eyes back to his and held the dark pools of chocolate. “He wanted to keep his secret, and I wanted you to realize you had feelings for me, too. I never meant for you to get hurt. I was just too afraid…” She let out a soft sob, her tears mixing with the rain as they trickled down her cheeks. “I was afraid to lose you. I thought if I confessed how I felt and you didn’t reciprocate the feelings…” She trailed off, unable to finish that horrible sentence.
“You would never lose me.” Alec’s hair hung in his eyes, casting a dark shadow over his face, but his honestly was still plain to see. “You’re my best friend. Sure, I was mad at you, but I would never stop caring about you. Ever.”
Ellie swallowed, too nervous to say anything more. At his assurance, her tears had gone dry, but she was still too uncertain of how much damage she’d done to their friendship to truly relax. She stared at him through the pouring rain, her breaths uneven due to her fear.
“Ellie…” Alec trailed off with a shake of his head. He lowered his eyes down to the floor again. After a moment of silence, he climbed to his feet with a look of determination and strode purposefully toward her. Pulling her into his arms, he lowered his mouth to hers.
As she stood in the deluge of water that poured from the heavens, she wrapped her arms around Alec’s waist and melted into his chest. The kiss was full of passion and emotion. It was full of everything they’d been holding back from one another. It was perfect.
* * * *
Ellie made her way toward her front door, her hand in Alec’s. Her dress was still damp, her
make-up had long since washed away, and her feet were cold, but she was happier than she’d ever been in her entire life. “I don’t want this night to end,” she said wistfully as she gazed sideways at his profile.
He turned his face in her direction with a grin. “Neither do I.” Pulling her to a stop, he tugged her in against his chest. His arms enfolded around her, and he lowered his mouth to hers for a gentle, lingering kiss.
Ellie smiled against his lips, leaning in against him. Her hands pressed flatly to his chest, resting just above his heart as she fit herself perfectly to his form. “It doesn’t have to end,” she said quietly when he finally pulled back.
“Oh yeah?” He smiled as he brushed his lips against hers once again. “How do you figure that?”
Her heart pounded frantically against her ribcage as she nodded her head in the direction of her bedroom window. “I’ll see you in five minutes?”
He inhaled sharply, his eyes moving to the window. “Five minutes,” he repeated with a slow nod. Then he beamed. Grabbing her face in his hands, he gave her a quick kiss before jogging away in the direction of his own house. “Five minutes,” he called out over his shoulder.
Letting out an unsteady breath, Ellie shook out her arms, trying to shake away her nervousness. He’d been in her room more times than she could count, but this one felt different. He was no longer the scruffy boy next door who loved to torture her. He was the sexy hockey star whose kisses could ignite a fire in her soul.
He was still Alec, though. This insight settled her nerves. It put her mind at ease and had anticipation thrumming in her veins. She straightened her shoulders and marched into the house.
It was dark and quiet inside, her mother having gone to bed hours ago. She was grateful for the privacy it afforded her. She did not want to have to answer all of the questions her mother would no doubt ask about her night. She did not want to have to explain about her gay prom date or the newly budding relationship between her and Alec. It was a conversation more suited over breakfast once she’d had time to fully sort out her emotions and realize what these changes would mean for her relationship with Alec. Things would be different, but it would be a good different that she greatly looked forward to.
The Dating Tutor Page 7