A bolt of panic went through me, the buzz wearing off a little.
I dropped my face to the crook of her neck, pushing out the cold harsh bite of disappointment.
As if Celeste felt the change in me, she wrapped her arms around me, erasing every last sliver of space between us.
Something slithered through my gut, but I shut it down. She felt too good and there was no undoing what I’d done now.
There was no going back.
Even if I knew things would never be the same.
Celeste
Zane was stilland silent above me, only the sound of his exerted breaths filling the space.
We’d done it.
We’d had sex.
I’d had sex with Zane Washington.
A warm rush of emotion flowed through me as I snuggled into his arm bracketed at the side of my head.
“Fuck,” he hissed, pulling off me and slipping out of the car. He disposed of the condom and yanked up his jeans.
“It’s okay,” I said, unable to stop smiling. Because I’d had sex… with Zane. “Come back. I want to—”
“We need to go.”
“Where?”
“Home. I need to go home.”
“Okay,” I sat up, pulling my dress down. I was sore between my legs but that was to be expected. “I can give you a ride. Maybe we can hang out with your grandma. It’s not that late. I’m sure—”
“Stop. Just… stop.” Zane cut me an icy look that made a shiver run through me.
Not in a good way.
“What’s the matter?” My brows pinched, my heart crashing against my ribcage.
“I’m drunk and you’re—”
“Drunk? You’re… oh.” Bile churned in my stomach. He was drunk. And I was basking in the afterglow of my first time with a guy who looked like he regretted every second.
“You should go. Get home before Mommy or Daddy realize you’re missing.”
“Zane, don’t do that.” I shuffled to the end of the seat, wincing a little, and reached for him. “Don’t downplay what just happened. It was…”Everything.
“You don’t get it, do you?” He snarled, snatching his hand away. “This, us, it’s a game. You’re a game to me, Einstein. A way to pass the time. That’s all this is.”
“I don’t believe you.” I shook my head, shoving off the sting of his words. “I felt it just now and I know you did too.”
There had been a moment of clarity, when we’d both realized this was more than a game. I hadn’t imagined it. He was just doing that thing guys did whenever they started to panic.
“Jesus, you’re so fucking deluded, Celeste. This isn’t a fairy tale. I’m not going to get down on one knee and profess my undying love for you.” He ran a hand down his face, blowing out an exasperated breath. “It was sex. Unforgettable sex at that.”
Pain lanced through my chest. He was lashing out, trying to protect himself by pushing me away. I knew enough about Zane by now to know that was his standard MO. He thought letting people in, trusting them, made him vulnerable. But he didn’t need to worry with me. I wasn’t out to hurt him.