by Sarah Sutton
“You too, Remi. Say hello to your mom for me.”
Cue my exit. I made my way back to the foyer, feeling a little put-off of my party mood, trying to shake off the weight that rolled over me. It was this house. I couldn’t even begin to explain it. The free-spirit vibe that had once existed here had fled as if on fire, replaced by a heaviness. I knew that Mrs. Greybeck had to be taking the arrest hard—she’d always had high hopes for Terry, her golden boy. And now…
“Remi?”
I looked toward the sound of my name, the weight lifting a bit. “Hey.”
Elijah stood in the middle of the staircase, staring at me. He still wore the jeans from school today, still wore his graphic tee. His blond hair stuck up in some places, as if he’d just run his fingers through it. His face, I noticed, appeared a little red. “What are you doing here?”
I glanced around, but didn’t see his dad. “You weren’t answering my texts.”
He blinked a little. “I must’ve put my phone down somewhere.”
I pulled the edges of my coat away from my body, exposing my sparkly sequin top. When I shifted, the light reflected off of the fabric. “It’s party time.”
Elijah let out a harsh breath. “Remi—”
“Before you say no,” I hurried to interrupt, starting up the first two steps, “I won’t ask anything of you again. I won’t ask you to go shopping with me in the underwear section anymore, even though you get rewarded with ice cream.”
He opened his mouth to say something just as a face formed over his shoulder, and my brain registered it as the face of his girlfriend. And it was…pinchy.
Oh, she was here? Oops.
“You went underwear shopping with her?” Savannah demanded, coming down a few steps to meet Elijah in the middle. Her haircut looked similar to mine, with straight-across blonde bangs and a longer bob, her own blue eyes a shade or two darker than mine. “Are you serious, Elijah?”
Elijah’s gaze lifted to the ceiling.
“It’s not his fault,” I told her, trying to diffuse the situation and the bomb-like energy that radiated from her. “I had a really crappy day, and I just needed a stress reliever. That’s it. He just gave me a ride, and I asked him earlier if he wanted to go to Jer’s party—”
“Party?” Mr. Greybeck asked, his face appearing over Savannah’s shoulder.
You have got to be kidding me.
Elijah’s face conveyed my thoughts perfectly, offering that disbelieving smile to no one in particular. Seeing it on his face made my sequin top and the idea of a party a whole lot less exciting. “Beanie, just go, okay? You’ll have to have fun by yourself.”
“But—”
“Go, Remi,” he repeated firmly. He didn’t look at me, but I so didn’t blame him. I had barged into his house and gotten him in trouble left and right. If not with Savannah, then with his father. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”
Savannah crossed her arms over her chest, staring at me like I had just kicked her puppy or something equally despicable. In her eyes, kicking puppies and taking someone’s boyfriend underwear shopping probably evened to the same severity.
But honestly, why was she mad at me? He had chosen to stay with her instead of going with me. Total win on her part.
“See you in homeroom,” I said uneasily, tucking my hands back into my jacket and turning to put on my shoes. No doubt everyone’s eyes were still on me—everyone’s but Elijah’s. I turned as I opened the door. “Bye, Mr. Greybeck.”
He lifted a hand over Savannah’s shoulder. “Oh—goodnight, Remi.”
Savannah didn’t offer any parting words, and I didn’t supply any. No sense in poking an angry bear.
Finally, I caught Elijah’s eyes. He didn’t look mad, but there was also no shaking the uneasy feeling between us.
I pulled myself from the house and into the night air, shutting the door as quickly as possible.
Chapter Four
“And then his dad came out from behind Savannah and was like, ‘Party? What party?’” I buried my face in my free hand, letting out a groan. My fingers had finally lost the chill they held from walking all the way over here. Twenty minutes separated my street from Jeremy’s, leaving me shivering, teeth chattering. The lengths I’d go to for crappy music. “It was so awkward.”
Eloise leaned against the wall opposite of me, holding a plastic cup loosely. She’d twisted her long dark hair over her shoulder for tonight, securing it with a bow. Her almond eyes looked down into mine as she spoke. “It probably wasn’t as bad as you think. I’m sure they have a lot of other stuff on their minds.”
No kidding. I took a sip of my drink, feeling the warmth spread slowly through my stomach. “You’re probably right.”
“I mean, I doubt Mr. Greybeck thought anything of it. And as for Savannah, well…yeah, I’ve got nothing.”
“It’s not like I’m trying to steal her boyfriend,” I said irritably, glancing around the room. Tucked between the house’s walls, I counted fifteen people pooling into the space, talking, drinking, and dancing. I had to give it to Greenville High—there weren’t as many people here as normal. Maybe everyone feared there’d be school tomorrow, or maybe they had to finish their art projects, too. Not thinking about it. “But if we’re going to play that card, I knew Elijah first.”
“I’m just going to play devil’s advocate here, okay? Don’t hit me. But, I mean, would you want your boyfriend shopping for lingerie with his girl best friend? You know, if you had one.”
I nearly choked on my sip of alcohol. “Eloise, we weren’t lingerie shopping!” Though Elijah did correct me on my cup size. Maybe that was a little weird. “We just wandered over to that side of the store. It couldn’t have been more than five minutes tops.”
Eloise lifted her shoulder, drawing her cup to her lips.
Up until freshman year, it had just been me and Elijah, the two of us against the world. Or, well, against the beginning of high school. Then I met Eloise Xiang, a transfer from Bayview. Quirky, funny, female. My first actual girl friend. Eloise had taught me just how great a tube of mascara could be, as well as the beauty in a bottle of nail polish. She also took me to get my first real bra, with a clasp and everything. A true gem, that Eloise.
Eloise and I weren’t as close as Elijah and I were, but I valued our friendship so much. The three of us didn’t hang out as much as I would’ve liked, but that was okay.
“You wore that new perfume I bought you,” she said with a soft smile, drawing in a breath through her nose. “I like it. It smells sugary.”
“What? It does not,” I said, making a face. “I don’t smell sugar. I smell spice. It smells spicy to me. Totally different.”
“Let me smell,” a deep voice said from over my shoulder, prompting me to turn—and falter as my heart did a little jump in my chest. Jeremy Rivera stood behind me, holding a plastic cup, confident smile on. He came close to my neck, inhaling deep. “Oh, I agree with Eloise; you smell incredible. It’s a nice surprise to see you here, Remi.”
It took me a moment to summon the nonchalance that I normally used when flirting with guys. That sort of loose gaze, shrugged shoulder, light laugh. Not too engaging, but a leave-them-wanting-more kind of vibe. Or at least that was what Eloise called it. I’d gotten good at implementing it with Jeremy.
“Are you saying you didn’t throw this party secretly hoping I’d come?” I asked.
The level of Jeremy’s attractiveness was seriously unfair. His curly brown hair, a few shades darker than his skin tone, hung long enough to hold the wave but short enough that it wouldn’t get in his eyes, which were a pretty hazel. “Man, am I that obvious?”
“Maybe just a little.”
Jeremy flashed me a smirk. “I’ve got to kick my game into high gear with you, huh?”
See, this? Totally worth bailing on my stupid project and probably failing my senior year. I mean, this was why they had summer school, right? For cases like me, a love-struck girl, bailing on homework
to flirt with a cute boy.
And man, he was so cute. It almost made my brain hurt.
“Can I get you a refill, Remi?” he asked.
I looked down at my near-empty cup. “I’m good. I have to walk home after this, so I’ll have to settle for being slightly buzzed.” And that buzz felt good so far. Especially with Jeremy to look at.
“Anyone playing Lip Locker?” Eloise asked, her eyes darting my way as if she were trying to be sneaky.
Lip Locker—a mouthful when you were a little tipsy—was kind of like Seven Minutes in Heaven, where a couple went into the closet and got their freak on, except Greenville played it with blindfolds. So you couldn’t see—only feel. I’d only played once freshman year, paired with senior quarterback Julian Castleroy. It could’ve been hot, and I could’ve used it as a total popularity boost, but he’d had the most chapped lips ever, and he’d been too drunk much to remember it. Romantic.
“Not yet, I don’t think.” Jeremy shifted, drawing my eyes down to the neon orange basketball shorts he wore. They definitely didn’t match his red shirt, but who cared about one small fashion faux pas? “But I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.”
This time, his eyes snapped to me. I tipped the contents of my cup back, swallowing the rest and passing the empty cup to Jeremy. “I’m going to run to the bathroom,” I said to the both of them, utilizing the leave-them-wanting-more card. “Don’t talk about anything interesting without me.”
Jeremy revealed a set of white teeth. “You’re taking all the interesting with you, Remi.”
Swoon. Eloise lifted her own plastic cup to her lips, and even over the rim, I could see her smile. “We’ll be here.”
I turned down the hallway, making sure to add just the right amount of swing to my step. Elijah was right—I had to have fun without him. And I was. I didn’t need him to come tonight. We were both perfectly happy where we were.
I hadn’t dried my hands enough to get all the water droplets off, so I rubbed my palms along my jeans before pulling the bathroom door open. It felt like I’d been away for hours. The line in front of the bathroom trailed atrociously long, and I had to wait behind seven people. Seven. Ridiculous. It was like everyone decided to pee at the same time. Five people still stood in line at the door, and I edged out of the way so the next could pass.
The party carried on in my absence, bass pumping from the crappy speakers in the living room. When you were drunk enough, though, anything sounded good. More people had shown up since I was gone—either that or I miscounted earlier.
“Remi!” Eloise appeared around the corner before me, an excited look on her face. She gripped my shoulders. “Deem me a better friend than Elijah, please. Because I rock. It’s official.”
Immediately, my guard went up. “What did you do?”
She tipped her dark eyebrows toward her hairline, dropping her voice suggestively. “Oh, just convinced Jeremy to meet you in the guest bedroom closet for Lip Locker.”
My stomach shifted as I glanced down the hallway, recalling our conversation minutes before. Had my flirting worked that well? “Is he in there now?”
Eloise took that question as agreement and steered me down the corridor. “Probably. He ran off to find a breath mint, but you can wait for him. I mean, it’s Jeremy.”
We opened the guest bedroom door to darkness, and I immediately pressed a hand to the wall to orient myself. The lights were off, the window coverings drawn. “Here’s the blindfold,” Eloise said as she fitted it over my eyes, fingers careful when they moved around my hair. “This is the sash off Kelsey’s dress, so don’t lose it.”
“This is silly,” I declared as she tied off the knot, but I couldn’t ignore the anticipation building within my stomach. I honestly didn’t even need the blindfold; the darkness was so thick I couldn’t see two feet in front of me. “If Jeremy wants to kiss me, why does he have to do it in a closet? Isn’t this for blind hookups?”
“No, this is sexy,” Eloise corrected. “You can’t see—your sense of touch is heightened. Sex-y.”
“Yeah, tell that to my hair. Are you even trying to put this thing on right?” I took a deep breath through my nose, taking stock of everything. My lips didn’t feel too chapped, despite the jaunt I’d taken in the cold to get here. I didn’t think my breath smelled bad—but really, was it ever possible to know if your own breath smelled bad? My palms were still a little wet from washing them—or was that sweat?
“I’ll come check on you in five minutes,” Eloise said, oblivious to my mental freak-out. She grabbed my hand and laid it on the closet door handle. “I’m walking away now. Remember, just be yourself. With more tongue.”
I cringed, stiffening my spine. “I’m not using—”
I heard the bedroom door shut.
With my heart beating fast in my chest, like horse hooves pounding against the ground, I pulled the closet door open. The hinges creaked horribly, announcing my presence at once. I took a step in, my hands out to steady myself. They landed on something solid and firm.
Jeremy’s chest.
His hands immediately rose to steady me, falling awkwardly on my sequined sides. The contact made my heart jump before resuming its frantic, nervous beat.
“Sorry,” I said, my nervousness making my voice lower. It also sounded obnoxiously loud in this claustrophobic space.
This was such a stupid idea. And awkward. And embarrassing.
One of Jeremy’s hands pushed the hair back from my face, a gesture so affectionate that it surprised me. I tried to inhale, but my nose was still stuffed from the cold outside, prevented his familiar scent from hitting my senses. I could feel each of his calloused fingertips against the skin on my cheek, gentle and warm.
I was definitely, definitely overthinking this. I just needed to go for it.
Drawing in a brave breath, I stood on my tiptoes and sought his mouth out with mine, trying to imagine where it’d be in the darkness. It took a moment before our mouths aligned perfectly, my top lip hitting his nose at first, and my breath caught.
His soft, warm lips pressed against my own with a firmness that caused something inside me to stir. I had to tilt my head back farther than I thought I would’ve; he loomed taller up close.
At first, our mouths just pressed together, like two second graders stealing a kiss behind the teacher’s back, neither one of us moving. And then—
Jeremy pulled me flush against his chest, and I had to clutch his narrow shoulders for support. I reached up and curled my fingers into his hair, the silky locks coiling against my skin. I tugged a little, trying to angle his mouth closer, and he made a muffled sound in response. It echoed through me, drawing an army goosebumps. It was a dance move of a kiss, a choreographed song of perfectness in this tiny closet space. I swayed into every step wholeheartedly, never thinking of myself as a dancer but now desperate for the beat to continue. One of his hands still pressed against my waist, five fingers curving delicately against the fabric of my shirt. His other hand settled against the back of my neck, leaning my head back, back, my hair tangling in his light touch.
And oh. My. Gosh. He was a fantastic kisser. It could’ve been because I hadn’t been kissed in literally forever, or my last Lip Locker kiss had sucked. Either way, every single time his lips broke from mine and realigned, I was shocked by tiny electrodes, all stuttering my brain activity. Shuttering, leaving me wondering if this was even real, if this was even happening. My mind spun, pulse raced.
I reached my hands around his waist, meaning to just touch the waistband of his shorts, but my fingers caught against the material of belt loops. I hooked my fingers through them, pulling him closer.
He gasped a breath against my lips, shooting a shiver down my spine. Using my grip on his jeans, I tugged him backward, wanting my back to find the wall, wanting him closer, wanting something—
My head cracked on a low shelf, banging off the edge with enough force that I stumbled forward into Jeremy, white stars tearing across my vision.
I swayed into him unevenly, nearly gagging from the pain splintering against my skull. Biting back a moan of pain, I tore my blindfold off.
“Are you okay?” he asked, one hand still on my waist. “Did you hit your head?”
We were close together, one of my hands pressed to his chest. I leaned against him as my equilibrium tried to balance itself. In the darkness, I could just make out the sharp angle of his chin. “Yeah,” I huffed, cautiously pressing my fingers to my head, fearing for blood. Nothing felt wet, but the sensation sent another roll of nausea through me. “That’s embarrassing.”
“It’s because it’s so dark,” he said as he let go of me. “It’s life-threatening, apparently. I know we thought this would be fun and exciting, but it just seems dangerous.”
For a single moment, my heart stopped. Totally and completely just stopped. I rocked again in the darkness, but not because of the pain.
That voice…didn’t sound right.
In a bit of a panic, I scrambled for my cell in my back pocket, dizziness reaching its peak as a strange feeling washed over me. The home screen caught my attention momentarily. I had missed a call nearly a half-hour ago from Elijah. Why had he tried to call me? Had he changed his mind and wanted to come? No—that could wait.
When I clicked the button, the small space filled with blue light, illuminating the boy in front of me. If I thought I had frozen before, now I was a statue.
It wasn’t Jeremy standing in front of me.
Almost as if conjured by his name on my phone, Elijah leaned against me, a blindfold still fully covering his eyes. “Savannah?”
Chapter Five
“Savannah?” Elijah repeated, concerned. His voice sounded so obvious now, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t placed it before. Pain radiated through my head, and I gaped at him in a strange sort of horror. “You hit that pretty hard. I could hear your head crack against it. Are you good?”
Was I hallucinating? Had I hit my head so hard enough that I’d actually imagined this moment? Imagined Elijah? No, that was impossible. There was no mistaking the blond hair tucked over his ears, nor the worn graphic t-shirt. All the air stalled in my lungs as his face moved in the LED light.