Believe it or not, this was the first time I’d snuck a boy into my room. My parents had loved Harvey, but we hadn’t spent a lot of time in my bedroom.
I peeled back a corner of the floor-length black curtain and held my breath. It came out in a relieved whoosh at the sight of Brock’s gorgeous frowning face.
God, even upset he was ridiculously attractive. It was like the devil and an angel had a baby, producing the most heavenly-looking male who had a naughty streak that went deep into his core. Fearless. Calculating. Ruthless. Powerful.
Brock leaned against the window frame as I slid the glass pane up. Moonlight splintered across his face as he lifted his eyes, and my heart thrust against my chest. Hands shoved into his pockets, the starlight made his eyes glitter.
I was so falling in love with him, even as I told myself not to. My pulse raced faster. “You climbing in or just going to lurk like a creeper?”
He snorted. “As if I have a creepy bone in my body.”
True. But his ego didn’t need me to confirm it. He eased himself through the opening and closed the window behind him as I hobbled back to the bed, waiting for him to join me. When he just stood near the window, I angled my head to the side, regarding him. “You can’t just stand there. It’s making me nervous.”
A single brow arched. “Since when do I make you nervous, Firefly?”
“Just sit down,” I groaned, patting the bed.
Seconds later, the mattress dipped under his weight, but there was still too much space between us. From the moment he showed up at my house earlier tonight, I wanted to be in his arms, engulfed by his scent and strength. I didn’t know why it was so hard for me to ask.
He brushed a stray piece of hair behind my ear with the greatest care, a gentleness I didn’t know he was capable of possessing. “Is this okay?”
“Yes,” I whispered. “I’m not going to break… any more,” I added with a lopsided grin.
He shook his head. “I don’t know how you can have a sense of humor about any of this.”
“If I don’t, I’ll lose my fucking mind.” A flash of something like respect or admiration passed over his features. I put a hand to his chest, just over his heart, giving in the urge to touch him without asking him for what I wanted. “Why are you here?” I asked. I was done with the games. If I took away anything from what happened today, it was that the lies stop; the secrets too.
No more.
No more excuses.
And that included my own secrets.
He cleared his throat. “I promised Grayson I wouldn’t leave you alone.”
Propped on a pile of pillows behind me, I retorted, “Bullshit. Why are you really here? What is this we are doing? You and me?” I came right out and asked what I couldn’t get off my mind.
His fingers forked into his dark, windblown hair. “I don’t know, Firefly. I just know that I can’t stay away from you. Even though I should.” The confession didn’t seem to make him happy. If anything, it had the opposite effect, his lips turning down.
It was a start. Not a very good one. He literally told me nothing, other than he too was struggling to figure out what was between us.
Brock shook his head. “I never should have involved you. I didn’t expect this. I don’t like surprises, and you definitely took me by surprise.”
I placed a hand on his arm, drawing his eyes to me. There were shadows there, hidden in his face. “You’re not the only one who was surprised. I had plans, you know.”
His lips twitched, and the shadows faded just a sliver. “Oh, really. Like what?”
“Well, for starters, I was going to get the hell out of this town, go to college.”
“Has that changed?”
“No.” But at this rate, I might not make it out of high school. “I just feel as if I’ve fallen off track. I thought I’d be applying to colleges, visiting campuses. Instead, college has been the last thing on my mind.”
He nudged gently near my hip. “Make room, Firefly. You need to lie down and I don’t plan on sleeping sitting up.”
When he reached out, I shifted into his arms and let myself rest fully against him. I guess that was my answer, and for the first time since the alley, I could breathe. The pressure on my chest lifted, the weight on my shoulders eased. I didn’t have to handle everything on my own.
Not that the warmth and support of his arms changed anything.