Page 18 of Falling Again

“You’re the best.” He leans and gives me a soft kiss on the mouth.

We finish up and head out to the parking lot. I’m holding hands with Liam, and Nico stands next to Annika, who keeps trying to walk away from him. I don’t understand, because they seemed to be getting along. I’ll have to ask her about it tonight. Or I guess tomorrow, since I’m not going home.

“Hey, Anni, I’m gonna go with Liam.”

“You’re what?” Annika stops walking.

“Hey, wait, you gave me a ride,” Nico tells Liam.

“You can give him a ride, right, Anni?” I say, “Liam will give me a ride home tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Annika looks over to Liam and pulls me aside so the guys are out of earshot. “You know my parents are expecting us both home tonight.”

“It’s fine. I’ll go back to my mom’s house tomorrow, then.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“It’s fine, they aren’t my parents. They shouldn’t worry.”

Annika gives me a leveled look. “You are their family, just as much as me. You know that. They want you to be safe.”

I take a deep breath. “I know, I’m sorry. I want to go with Liam. I’ll text your mom.”

“Okay, be careful. If you need me to pick you up, call me. It doesn’t matter what time it is.”

“Thanks, but I think it will be okay,” I say, grabbing her hand and returning to the boys. “Nico, Annika said she’d love to give you a ride.”

“Yeah, she would,” Liam jokes. Annika shoots him a deathly glare, and Nico looks a bit queasy. I roll my eyes as I take Liam’s arm in mine.

“Well, see ya at school.” Annika turns to her car, and Nico jogs after her. Liam and I head to his car, and just before we get in, I see Nico run toward Annika’s driver’s side door to open the door for her. Liam never opens the door for me, I think as I swing the passenger side door of his car open and hop in.

Liam unlocks his front door, and we quietly enter his house. The lights are already off. I’m guessing his parents are asleep already. We quietly walk over to his bedroom. I’ve been to his house twice before, but it was during the daytime, not nearly 10 p.m.

I sit on his bed, sliding my shoes off. He kicks off his sneakers and crawls over me, starting to kiss me along my collarbone, up my neck. His lips are soft and warm. I am happily moaning along as he trails kisses up to my mouth. I’m enjoying his strong, hard body draped over mine.

He dips his hand under my dress.

“This okay?” he asks. I nod, and he drags his hand up to my chest. I run my hands under the back of his shirt and trace my nails along his back.

He takes his other hand and reaches toward my underwear, snaking his fingers in, but I jolt away from his touch.

“What’s wrong? I thought this was okay?”

“Not that far. Okay?” I ask quietly. Something inside of me is telling me I’m not ready to go that far with him yet. I’m fine with a little heavy petting, but I’m feeling suddenly shy.

He starts shaking his head, scrunching his nose. “I’m confused. You just said it was okay, and now it’s not.”

He backs up from me, and I feel the space of air between us like a cold front. I sit up and push my dress skirt down, covering my waist.

“I just don’t want to go that far with you. Not yet.”

“But you go that far with everyone else,” he says, and I feel sick.

“What do you mean? No, I don’t.”

“I heard you gave it up to the entire soccer team your freshman year, and that you had a threesome with Blane and his brother last year.”

My mouth falls open. “No, I did not! Who told you that?”