The closet door is ajar, so I step inside. The first thing in it is a garmentbag.
I tug down the zipper, and the purple dress inside twists my guts another sharpturn.
After spending the evening at prom with Carly, I didn’t think my night could get anyworse.
But the look on Annie’s face guttedme.
There’s a real possibility Annie will never forgiveme.
She wanted to go tonight. I would’ve given almost anything to takeher.
Except I couldn’t take her—for a million reasons that now seemridiculous.
Her dad, this thing with Carly—none of it matters when I cross the room and look ather.
She’s rich, and I’mpoor.
She feels everything, and I guard myemotions.
She’s aching to be seen, and I long to be leftalone.
My chest hurts when I’m with her and even more when I’m not, and I don’t know how the hell to live my life when it feels inextricably linked withhers.
Annie shivers, and I pull the covers up overher.
“I know you’re upset with me,” I murmur. “But I need things to be okay with us. Because if they’re not, ifyou’renot…” I shove both hands through my hair, at a loss to finish that sentence. “What you said about me wanting to control things—you’re right. But the thing I hate more than losing control is the thought of you hurting when I could fixit.”
My name on her sleepy lips has me leaning over thebed.
“Did you dance with her?” shemumbles.
I have a sudden urge to trace the curve of her lower lip with my finger but settle for brushing aside a piece of hair that’s falling across her face. “Yeah.”
“Did you kiss her?” Annie’s fingertips graze mybicep.
I swear it’s an accident until they linger. Then they drift up, over mychest.
My muscles leap in response, and I suck in a shallow breath. “Yes.”
Her touch moves down my chest, tracing the lines of my pecs as if drawing me through her closedeyes.
The only things between us are her thin tank top and my shirt. When her fingers reach my abs, my eyes nearly roll back in myhead.
“Did youfuck—”
“No.Never.”
It’s not a statement—it’s a plea for everything to be okay, to go back to the time before I realized how much she meant, how high the stakes got when I wasn’tlooking.
I can resist her innocent exploration, at least until her hand finds the hem of my shirt. When her fingers graze the bare skin over my clenched abs, right above the waistband of my pants, I want togrowl.
Tonight’s a war of emotions. My dick has no business being in this game, but I can’t helpit.
It wantsher.
I wanther.
Both of us are sick of holdingback.