Page 136 of Fighting the Forbidden

Fuck that teacher. I lean down and kiss Molly. Press my lips to hers for a few seconds, brief and sweet. “Thank you for telling me that.” I glance over at the girls. “It’s your last big thing before graduation. Next year, the five of you will be scattered at different schools.”

“I’ll see them over the summer too.”

I swallow hard. Molly’s going to need her friends if I’m gone all summer. Shit. I have to tell her soon. I’ve been using prom as my excuse not to tell her. Well, come midnight, that excuse is toast. Maybe tomorrow? After we say goodbye to her friends.

Don’t ruin tonight for her.

I pull her close again. “I’ll have you all to myself later, right?”

“After mystery theater.” Her eyebrows lift in a sweet, hopeful gesture.

As if I’d ever say no to her. “Yeah, okay.”

“Yay!” She claps her hands. “Remy asked me to scope it out and get some ideas. He’s thinking of hosting a mystery dinner theater at the bar.”

Suuuure he is. That fucker. Anything to keep Molly and me out of a bedroom.

There’s no way I’d ever tell her what I think her brother’s actually trying to do, so I force a quick smile. “Sounds like fun.”

* * *

After the DJ announces the last song of the night, the girls rush back to our table. Molly throws herself into the chair, almost tipping it over, and lets out a loud sigh.

“You all right?” I ask.

She takes a sip from a plastic stemless wineglass in her hand. “I dunno.”

“Look at me.” I brush my knuckles against her cheek and turn her face. Her skin’s warm to the touch. It’s not the excitement of prom that’s turning her eyes glassy, slurring her words, or coloring her nose a bright pink.

How could I fuck this up? Watch Molly. That was my only job tonight. It’s not hard. She’s barely been out of my sight.

“What’s in this?” I tap my knuckle against the cup.

“It’s a mystery!” Hayden giggles and hiccups.

I pry the cup of punch out of Molly’s hand and take a sip. At first, I almost gag from the sickly sweet, thick liquid. Then the bitter burn hits the back of my throat.

Fuck.

“Who gave this to you?”

She gestures vaguely toward the table of drinks. “The punch bowl.”

I reach for a bottle of water and uncap it. “Drink some of this for me.”

She takes a timid sip, then a larger one.

“After-party!” Darcy bangs her hand against the table. “Let’s go!”

After-party my ass. I glance at Molly. As far as I know, she’s never been drunk before. With her dad’s issues, she’s never been interested. “How much of this did you drink, baby?” Thank fuck I realized her condition before one of the teachers did.

“Just that.” Her eyelids drift closed.

Of course, she’s a lightweight. The cup’s still half full.

But our night’s probably over.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

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