XO

by Melissa Jane

  Taking a step back, she gently pushes a curl over my shoulder. “You don’t need to be nervous, Rosie. Jacob will always look after you. What the people in this town don’t realize is that they are the problem, not you.”

  “I know. They’ve all been so cruel that it feels weird going to a dance with them all there in what should be a time when we all come together.”

  “You’ve always held your head high, Rosie. This is the very moment you need to keep it high and don’t waver for anyone.” Kissing my cheek, she grabs her makeup kit and walks to the door. “Let them see how much you shine, Rosie. Like the diamond you are. I’ve always loved you.”

  That damn hard lump returns. “I love you, too, Mrs. Lunch.”

  When she closes the door behind her, I suck in the deep breaths I need to be able to steady my emotions, so my eyes don’t start leaking and destroy all of Mrs. Lynch’s hard work.

  Only five minutes after she leaves, my mother slams the door closed, announcing her rushed arrival. When I hear her cursing back at my father, I grab my clutch and walk to the top of the landing.

  Taking a break from their cruel jibes, they both turn and take me in. My father’s eyes fill with pride as he grows emotional. My mother plays the role of someone who suddenly gives a damn, since this is the first time she’s had anything to do with prom. She never even inquired as to whether or not I had a dress.

  “Sweetie, you look beautiful,” she says, with a hand over her heart. She places her leather case to the side and steps forward so she can take a candid photo.

  There’s a knock at the door, and my dad reaches over to open it. Jacob steps in stopping just shy of the stairs, his shockingly handsome face beaming with a gorgeous smile. Dressed in a stylishly cut tux, he looks every bit the god I knew he would.

  ‘Wow!’ he mouths, and I do the same.

  Forgetting anyone else is in the room, I walk down the stairs, pulled with an urgency to reach Jacob as fast as possible. He wraps his arms around my waist and twirls me off the last stair with ease, gently kissing my lips.

  “You look like a princess.”

  “Then that must make you my prince.”

  “Okay you two…” my mother interrupts, still disapproving of what she can’t stop. “I want her home before twelve, Jacob.”

  “She can stay out as long as she likes,” Dad counters earning a scowl from Mom. “Let them celebrate.”

  “You’ll let your daughter stay out all night with a boy?”

  “If I remember correctly, Amanda, you stayed out the whole weekend when you were still a junior in high school.” My father winks at me, and I wink back knowing he’s on my side, and Mom is simply overcompensating for all the times she’s been absent emotionally and physically. “So, let your daughter have some fun the way you used to.”

  I don’t want to know what type of ‘fun’ she used to have, so I end that conversation. “Well, we’re going. So… I’ll see you when I get home.” I lock eyes with Mom. “Whenever that is.”

  “Just be safe, please.”

  “I will.”

  She hugs me quickly before my dad pulls me into his arms. “Have I ever told you how proud I am of you, boo-boo?”

  “Every day.”

  He chuckles, squeezing me tighter before pecking my cheek. When he pulls away, tears glisten his eyes ,and the sadness he’s been carrying around for the last few months is mixed with something bittersweet. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, you know that?”

  I nod, because I’ve always been the apple of my father’s eye. My throat constricts, and tears slip down my cheeks.

  “John, you’re going to ruin her makeup.”

  I want to tell her she’s ruining the moment between father and daughter.

  “I love you, Daddy,” I say, hugging him again.

  “I love you, too, Rosie. Always remember that.”

  ~

  “Jacob?”

  “Yes?”

  “Where are we going?”

  Despite him concentrating on the road ahead, the corners of his lips turn the slightest degree telling me he’s up to something. “To prom.”

  “But we’re heading south. School is in the opposite direction.”

  “Oh, yeah…”

  “Oh, yeah?” I laugh. “That’s it?”

  “Yep.” This time his smile is megawatt. He’s up to something, and he sure is proud of it.

  “You’re not giving anything away?”

  Jacob glances quickly at me. “Let’s just say, the idea of going to prom just go a whole lot more appealing. In fact, we’re here.”

  Indicating, Jacob turns into an underground parking garage. Once he pulls up the handbrake, he’s quick to be out and rounding the Dodge to open my door.

  “Like a true gentleman,” I remark endearingly.

  Jacob takes my hand. “I know both of us, for varying reasons, had no interest in prom. It’s hard to want to celebrate the tradition with people you’d hardly call friends, so I’ve put together something that will be far more memorable for us, and memorable for all the right reasons. But that doesn’t mean we don’t stick to some traditions. Well… it’s my own twist on a tradition.”

  I eye him suspiciously as his hand disappears inside his jacket pocket and retrieves a long velvet box.

  “Traditionally, the guy gives his prom date a corsage. But… I didn’t want something that will die in a few days. So, instead of putting real flowers on your wrist, I have this for you.” He opens the box to reveal an exquisite bracelet formed of small gold flowers, each one with a ruby stone in the middle. It glistens and gleams under the lighting, and I involuntarily gasp at its beauty.

  “Jacob, what have you done!” I’m in awe, my heart melting for the boy who’s stolen it.

  He chuckles at my wide-eyed response. “I told you,” he says pulling the bracelet from the box before placing it on the roof of the car. “I want to stick to traditions, but add our own twist to them.” Clasping it around my wrist, he gives me a second to admire his unexpected gift.

  “Jacob, thank you. This is just… everything.”

  Closing the space between us, he gently kisses my lips cautiously so as not to mess my makeup before the night’s started.

  “So, are you ready for prom?”

  ~

  The lift takes us up ten stories of the town’s tallest building before we have to take some internal fire stairs. I recognize the building. It’s where Jacob’s dad has worked ever since he was transferred here five years ago.

  “Does your dad know you stole his swipe?”

  “He’s got a few, he won’t notice this one’s gone.” Taking my hand, he leads me to what I can only assume is a rooftop door. “Ready?”

  I swallow hard, nervous, and excited. “I’m ready.”

  Jacob pushes open the heavy door, leading me a few steps onto the rooftop before turning to the right.

  “My God, Jacob!” I practically squeal, taking a shock-induced step back. “What… what… how did you do all this?” If I were a wide-eyed deer before, my eyes are frisbees now. The rooftop, which would have been a barren concrete structure, has been transformed into a stunning fairy tale… A Midsummer Night’s Dream fairy tale to be exact. The very same that should be at the school prom as we speak.

  I laugh—hard. “Jacob… did you…?”

  “You worked so hard on the decorations, it seemed a shame for all those assholes to enjoy them and not you.”

  I cover a hand over my mouth, giggling at the fabulous ridiculousness of it all. The sculptured mushrooms, giant lanterns, fairy wings, lush greenery, almost everything we’d personally created to outfit the hall for the prom, has now came to life on this very rooftop. Fairy lights cascade above as well as soft pinks and lilac fabric which is draped over concrete pillars. The whole set up is like entering a dreamland Shakespeare himself artfully created. Our favorite songs play in the background, a table for drinks and nibbles set to the side, and most importantly, the
giant mushrooms I created line the perimeter of a glittering dancefloor.

  “How did you do all this? I mean… how?”

  “I had help.”

  “Who?”

  With a smile, he points to the right.

  “Lenny,” I scream bounding over to him. “You’re in on this?”

  “I am… because…” His guilty eyes glance sideward as a nervous but excited Nessie rounds the corner. Ecstatic, we both scream before flying into each other’s arms.

  “Nessie, I’m so glad we get to spend prom together.”

  “Isn’t it beautiful.”

  “Did Lenny surprise you, too?”

  “Yes, we got here only ten minutes before you.”

  We turn to face our boys, who together, have created the best night of our lives, and we get to share it with people we love the most.

  “We did have two others helping us, though,” Jacob admits.

  I frown because our friends’ circle since getting together is rather limited to the people already standing on the rooftop.

  “Anna Davidson helped. She kept the stuff she made for prom and said we could have what you worked on, that way the others didn’t miss out.”

  I made a mental note to thank her. We aren’t the closest of friends, but she isn’t in with the in-crowd.

  “Who else?”

  “Ms. Zagwich.”

  “Ms. Zagwich let you take half the props?” What else can possibly shock me tonight?

  “She’s your greatest fan, you know, Rosie,” Jacob says warmly. “Other than me, of course.”

  I smile sweetly back at him. “Of course.”

  “When she asked whether I’d convinced you to come to prom, I told her of my plan, and she swooned over the idea. In fact, I was almost certain she was waiting for her own invite.”

  I laugh because that’s just like Ms. Zagwich. Alternative in her own sense, and different to the mold. That’s why she and I get along so well.

  “Anyway…” Jacob announces, putting his phone on the tripod facing the beautiful set. “A prom isn’t a prom without proof we were there.”

  Giddy with excitement over how the night has taken a sudden turn, the four of us gather together in front of the camera, striking a new pose after each memory-capturing flash. And while we are living in the moment, hearts filled with love and happiness, I can’t help but think this is truly the best night of all of our lives.

  ~

  Adele’s ‘He Won’t Go’ plays softly in the background as Jacob and I sway gently to the music, my head resting on his chest as he holds me close. I feel his heart gently thudding and close my eyes to the beauty surrounding me to focus on the rhythmic beat.

  How can this boy, who I grew up despising, who’d launched all-out war on me, be the one to consume my world to the point where it’s like only he and I exist? There’s comfort in the way he holds me, peace in his touch, and love in his eyes. His face is all I see, the face which lit up when he earned my attention, good or bad, he just loved it when faced with the sound of my laugh or incoming wrath. He worked hard convincing me to fall in love with him. And now that I have, nothing can ever tear us apart. A tear slips down my cheek as he gently sings the chorus, his chest revibrating with each word.

  Lenny drove Nessie home, well, dropped her off down the street so she could walk home without being seen with a boy. Now it’s just Jacob and I to have the whole magical rooftop to ourselves. The song changes, and Jacob leads me into a gentle twirl before taking both hands.

  “I’ve never seen you look so happy,” he remarks. “You’re glowing.”

  “I feel like I am. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have you.”

  Jacob bites his bottom lip while smiling and it’s sexy as all hell. “Come on,” he says, leading me behind the draping decorations. When I see what’s before me, my heart stops. Still under the fairy lights and the twinkling stars above, lays a makeshift bed. Makeshift in the sense that it’s a mattress on the rooftop floor covered in lush blankets and cushions.

  Once recovered, I gasp at the thought and mastery behind it.

  “Jacob, this is incredible.”

  Leading me the rest of the way, we lay side by side, lost in each other’s eyes. His eyes twinkle with the lights above, warming his already tanned skin.

  “I love you, Rosie,” he says, gently brushing my hair off my cheek.

  “I love you, Jacob.”

  On my upturned palm, he draws an X with his finger. “I always have.”

  Rolling onto my side, I find his hand, taking my time drawing an O. “Together forever.”

  “Forever.”

  Jacob props himself on his elbow and cups my cheek drawing me into a kiss. It starts tenderly at first before deepening into an all-consuming moment of intense passion. He finds my tongue, and I let him lead because he’s masterful at what he does, and he knows how to ignite the desire within.

  I take his shirt to task, unbuttoning it to reveal his smooth, hard chest and perfectly defined abs. My hands are greedy, wanting to touch every inch of skin as his muscles ripple with his natural movements.

  Pulling away, Jacob guides me to my knees and turns me around, so I face away from him. Hooking my long hair over one shoulder, his lips trail down my neck, a sensation he knows I love as a delectable shiver travels across my skin.

  Like I did with his shirt, Jacob works at removing my dress, sliding the zipper down to just above my ass. He lets the dress fall, exposing my bare breasts. The sound he makes is a mix between a groan and a rumble, and it makes me feel things between my thighs.

  My breasts are a decent C-cup, his large hands easily engulfing them.

  Spinning me around, we rid our bodies of unwanted fabric and fall back onto the bed. With Jacob on top, I part my legs and let him settle in between, the desire to have him inside me has me caught in a heady spell. Claiming my mouth once more, I raise my hips to meet Jacob’s, feeling him as ready as I am.

  “Are you sure, Rosie?” he murmurs against my mouth.

  “Beyond ready.”

  Keeping his eyes on me, Jacob tears open a foil packet with his teeth and slides on a condom. Nestling further down and spreading me wider apart, Jacob gently moves forward, entering his hardness ever so slightly before thrusting halfway. I wrap my arms around his neck and let him ease inside me, taking it slow in case it hurts. When I nod for the go-ahead, he pushes deeper, my nails digging into his back as I’m overcome with a strange mix of pleasure and pain.

  So, this is what I’ve waited so long for? My nipples harden, and my skin flushes, tingling with an intense sensation.

  “Jesus, Rosie…” he sighs heavily, closing his eyes as he sinks himself completely in. I smile against his lips, happy he’s already enjoying it as much as me.

  Jacob begins his rhythmic thrusts while I wrap my legs around him. Our groans blend together, muffled by our demanding mouths seeking each other out. I’m flushed in the face and panting heavily when Jacob rolls us so he’s underneath, staring up at me riding him from on top. With his hands gripping my hips, he moves me so I’m grinding against him, my long hair hanging over my naked breasts.

  Although his eyes are hooded with lust, he still gazes up at me in wonderment. “Rosie Rachel Reign, you are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on. So raw, vulnerable, yet so fierce. I wish I could hang on to this moment forever.”

  Lowering down, I kiss his forehead, his cheek, his nose, and then his lips. Jacob throbs inside me as I move my hips the way he likes, his strong arms wrap protectively around me.

  “We can hold on to this forever,” I whisper against his mouth.

  “Nothing can ever…”

  “… tear us apart.”

  16

  THEN

  It wasn’t the beautiful glow of sunrise that woke me. It wasn’t even the feeling of complete and utter contentment. Nor was it my body sighing in satisfaction. No, it was the feeling of the cold empty space next to me as I reached out to touch Jacob. W
hen I couldn’t feel him, I searched some more only to come up empty.

  Bolting upright with a pounding heart, I grip the blanket around my nakedness and look for Jacob. He’s gone, the voice inside my head mocked. Already left after just one night, it continued.

  “Jacob?” I call, my voice husky from all the night’s festivities. I look around, the rooftop still fully decked out. Nobody could come up here except for us, he’d said last night, since he was the only one with the fob key after taking back the only hard key from Lenny.

  When I don’t hear an answer, I stagger to my feet, wrapping the blanket tighter. Rounding all the decorations, I sigh in relief, seeing Jacob dressed in his tuxedo pants and white collared shirt, sitting on the building’s edge and staring out at the sunrise.

  “Jacob,” I call again, but it comes out as a whisper.

  He turns, and the feelings of euphoria we both felt last night quickly dissolve.

  Something’s wrong.

  “Rosie,” he says, turning to jump back onto the roof. There’s something strange written across his face, eyes red-rimmed but full of rage, his touch urgent yet compassionate.

  “Jacob, what’s wrong?” I ask fearfully.

  He sucks in his lips, nostrils flaring as he takes both my hands in his. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “You’re ready to go home?”

  “No,” he says, almost yelling. “Let’s leave town and just… get out of… here.”

  I laugh at the ridiculous notion. “But why, where would we go?”

  “We don’t need to plan, Rosie. We just go, right now. We just leave.”

  What the hell has happened to the boy I was with last night?

  “I’ve got to tell my parents. My mom was already freaking out that I would be—”

  He grunts in annoyance and I take a step back. “They’ll be fine. I promise, we’ll contact them as soon as we make our first stop.”

  “Jacob, you’re scaring me.”

  Realizing that he is indeed freaking me the fuck out, his tone and expression soften. Cupping my face, he pulls me in and kisses my forehead. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you. But this… this could be our opportunity to go on the adventure we’ve always talked about. And it’s not forever. Just for a couple of days we hit the road, without planning a thing. We stop where we feel like and play by our own rules. What do you think? Feel like being a rebel without a cause for a moment in time?”