“Aimee? What was that all about? Why were you both in here?”
“Oh, nothing, Mom.” My voice is much too high. “Lex just wanted to make sure I was all right after I knocked into that waitress.”
Is she buying it? Her face is so hard to read at times.
“Mhmm,” she replies. Her face contorts as she studies me, “Your lipstick’s smudged.”
I gasp and swirl around to look at my reflection in the mirror. How could I have been so stupid?
She steps closer to me, and I think she’s about to embrace me, but what comes next sends my stomach into free–fall.
I can feel her breath close to my ear, “Keep your legs shut. If you ruin this for me, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
The bathroom door softly shuts behind her as she walks out, and I slump to the floor as exhaustion and panic overtake me.
Fuck.
Chapter Eleven
My original plan to stay overnight after the party is now blown right out of the water. After the confrontation with my mom, there is no way I can’t stay and risk bumping into her again. I can only imagine the awkward, stilted conversations. Knowing her, she’d act as if nothing had ever happened, and that would be worse.
I sit on the cool floor for a few minutes, encouraging my heartbeat to return to a normal rate before I pick up my phone and call the town–car service. At least there are some benefits to being rich…
The apartment is still full of guests as I pop my head around the bathroom door. With a last look in the mirror, I burst from the room and don’t stop to look or talk to anyone. The slow screeching of the never–ending quartet grates on my nerves, and I am glad as the elevator doors abruptly cut off all sound and leaves me in calming silence.
Once in the car, on my way back to my University apartment, my head fills with bittersweet thoughts of Lex, of what we did and how he’d left me, yet again. This is becoming a nasty habit of his.
Can I forgive him if he ever speaks to me again? Do I want to forgive him? The answer to that is obvious… There is no simple procedure that can remove my love for him, and I doubt that will ever change.
After several hours of driving, the car pulls up to the curb of my apartment and comes to a stop. I can’t wait to get out of this dress and crawl beneath the covers. I’ll leave the worrying and planning for another day.
The car door opens suddenly, but I look over to the front, and I see the driver is still sitting in his seat.
A hand reaches in, and I begin to think that I’m concocting the whole thing, dreaming – a fairy–tale dream that every woman plays out in her mind.
I take the hand, and it helps me out of the car.
Lex. I search his face for any insight to explain his presence here. I don’t dare smile.
He stands, holding onto me, and it’s a good thing, too, because without his support, I’d be on the floor again.
“This won’t be easy, you know that, right?” he says, his crystal eyes twinkling.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
I know full well what he intends, but I want to hear him say it.
“You’re getting your wish: I’m going to lock you up and make you my little secret.”
He leans his head down. I feel his breath on my face, and a moment later our lips meet in soft, slow, meticulous kisses.
Dreams do come true after all, I think.
Finally, he’s mine.