Page 52 of All Your Pucking Secrets

“It was wonderful.” She sighs contentedly. “A-plus.”

“Thank God.” I don’t know what I’d do if she answered in the negative.

“By the way.” She sits up, and her hair falls around her shoulders in a tangled mess. “I have a gift for you.”

My heart leaps. “You do? It’s not my birthday.”

“I know.” She shrugs. “I just saw it and thought of you. Wait here.”

She goes to her bag and opens the front pocket, drawing out a small black box. She leans over the bed and passes it to me, then snuggles up to my side.

I take it, choked up. Other than on my birthday, no one ever gives me anything. On the contrary, most people expect something from me since I come from a wealthy family. Echo has so little money, and she wasted some of it on me. How does she believe for even a moment that I’m worthy of her?

“Open it,” she urges.

As gently as I can with my rough hands, I open the little box. A pendant is nestled inside. It’s made of some kind of black stone and is surprisingly masculine. With trembling fingers, I pick it up and examine the design. It’s a stylized moon.

“Why a moon?” I ask.

She leans her head against my shoulder. “You said I’m bright like a shooting star, but you shine too, even if you don’t believe it. I wanted something that would remind you of that.”

My vision blurs with tears, and I quickly blink them back. I turn and kiss her, my chest so full of emotion, it feels like I might explode. Echo is incredible. Am I really going to risk losing her by being a coward who’s afraid to deal with his dad and asshole friends?

“I love it,” I tell her, and then, impulsively, I add, “Will you go to prom with me?”

She blinks her big doe eyes at me. “Are you sure you’re ready for that? There’s no rush.”

Yes, there is. If I drag this out too long, she’ll get sick of waiting for me, and I wouldn’t blame her for it.

“I am,” I say firmly, even though my stomach has plummeted to my feet. “And then, afterward, I want to meet your mom—if you’re okay with that.”

The smile that transforms her face is breathtaking. It makes me feel like a dickhead for not offering her any type of recognition earlier.

She kisses my cheek and slots her hand into my unoccupied one. “I’d like that.”

Maybe I can keep my father from finding out. There’s no way to avoid my friends discovering the truth, but as long as Dad doesn’t, perhaps everything will be all right.

If he does… I’m screwed.

14

ECHO

On Monday, we have another group project session, and I arrive at the study room we booked just as Tyler arrives from the opposite direction. The instant I see him, my cheeks burn. It’s the first time I’ve laid eyes on him since he talked me through an orgasm, and I’m not mentally or emotionally prepared to come face to face with him.

My grip tightens on my skinny caramel mocha and I glance at the door to the study room, noting that Jin and Elle are already inside. Hopefully, they won’t question my blush. I steal a peek at Tyler, and his devilish grin says he knows exactly where my mind has gone.

But really, how am I supposed to think of anything other than the husky tone of his voice in my ear and the pleasure that zapped through every cell in my body because of him?

I haven’t had much interest in sex since The Incident. Or even before that, if I’m honest. Not since Tyler and I broke up. But, somehow, he must have shattered the barrier around my sex drive because I got myself off twice more over the weekend after our phone call.

I don’t think I’d be comfortable with another person touching me yet, but I’ve come much further than I imagined possible.

“Good weekend?” Tyler asks, cocking one of his eyebrows.

“All right,” I say weakly. No way am I acknowledging what happened between us or what I did afterward.

Before he can speak again, I push the door open and enter the room. Jin and Elle have claimed seats on the far side of the large desk, leaving us the two seats that are easier to access—and also beside each other. Based on the dirty look she sends me, Elle isn’t thrilled about that, but Jin must have talked her into it.

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