“Are you sure about this?” he asked.
“Definitely sure,” I replied.
He stared at me for a moment as if giving me one last chance to change my mind, yet I refused to stop this. I wanted it.
He took my hand in his and led me to the house where he was staying. Not once did I feel nervous, only excited.
He was so gentle and attentive. It was almost magical. Being young and inexperienced, I knew I was playing out a fantasy in my head, but I didn’t care. I wanted this night to remember during all the times at home when I felt like I was nothing.
I looked up at him as he hovered above. The way he looked at me made me feel things I had never felt before. He wanted me; I could see it in his eyes.
Zack and I had spent hours together just talking and kissing, and I wanted more. I wanted it all. Our time together was something I knew I would never forget. He held me close afterward, and kissed me softly as I fell asleep with my head on his chest and a lump in my throat.
I didn’t want to leave him. I didn’t want to go back to the life I had in Illinois. I wanted to live in this little bubble we had created and never look back.
One lie led to another and before I knew it, I was in too deep. The way he looked at me, held me, and talked about staying in touch, I found myself trying to come up with a way to make all that happen.
I left his place with plans to figure out how to make this work. How I could keep this artificial life I had created for myself a reality.
The entire walk down the beach my heart ached and my stomach tensed. A few times I turned back with the intention of telling him I lied, but then I thought of never seeing him again and forced myself to keep moving.
***
“Taylor, what do I do? How do I fix this?” I was panicked. I had dug myself a hole and had no way out of it.
“Will you just breathe? Maybe you should just tell him.” My eyes widened at her response. “Okay, maybe not.”
“You’re the one who told me to play the game,” I shrieked.
“Yeah, well, I honestly didn’t think it would go any further than a little flirting, maybe a few kisses. I truly hadn’t expected it would turn into a wild night of maddening crazy monkey sex that he’d want to make into more.” She leaned back against the kitchen counter as I paced the floor before her.
“I just need to tell him,” I decided. I grabbed my water bottle from the table and began walking toward the door. I was determined to fess up and hope that somehow, some way, he could forgive me for my deceitful acts.
I knew the chances of that were slim to none, but I couldn’t help but hope.
“Wait,” Taylor yelled as she followed me out the door. “What are you going to say?”
I threw my hands in the air, because I hadn’t planned anything. “That I lied; what else is there to say?”
Lies, those little things that come back to haunt us.
“I’ll just tell him that I hoped age wouldn’t matter, and when I spent time with him he made me feel better than I had my whole life. Then I guess I’ll pray that he doesn’t run like hell and forget I exist.” My heart was racing as Taylor watched me close.
Chapter 3
Zack
“You move fast man,” Rigdon said as he flopped down on the couch beside me. I held a huge bowl filled with Cocoa Pebbles in front of me, the spoon only inches from my mouth.
“Wah,” I mumbled around the heaping spoonful as I filled my mouth.
“I saw the blonde leaving your room this morning.” He wagged his eyebrows suggestively. “Nice.”
I chose to ignore his prying. The guy was my best friend, but he was a fucking horny bastard. All he ever did was look for his next conquest. Last night he must have struck out so now he wanted details of my night with Lindsay.
“Haven was doing everything she could in an attempt to gain your attention. I let her use me, I didn’t mind.” He smirked as he sat back on the couch and grabbed for the controller. “But even when it came to the deed, she brushed me off. She wanted you. I bet you could hit that tonight if you wanted.”
“No thanks,” I said.
The guy was a fucking douche, but he kept it entertaining.
I was just about to tell him to take a hike when there was a soft knock on the door.
We exchanged a look of curiosity and before I could move, he leaped from the couch and practically sprinted for the door.
I was a little disappointed to find Haven, the girl who had attempted to gain my attention since the moment I walked down to the beach yesterday. I was secretly hoping it was Lindsay.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Rigdon cooed.
I turned my head to avoid his mac daddy moves. He was a fucking tool whenever women were present. Who was I kidding? He was a tool all the time.