Page 24 of Until We Fall

“You taste so fucking good,” I whisper against the side of his jaw.

He can’t hear me over the music. That’s the only reason I say it. But he’s tucked into my arms, and my eyes roll as his hips do. His dick is hard against my stomach… fucking hell. It’s theperfectsize.

“D,” he whimpers, close enough to my ear that I can hear, and I groan at the way he’s uttering my name. It’s what he always calls me, but there’s this base, raw need in it.

“I want to taste all of you.” I nuzzle closer to his ear.

Can he hear?

Fuck, I can’t believe what I’m saying. Well, I can. Because it’s true. But I can’t believe I’m actuallytellinghim. Whether he can hear or not.

“You are so fucking sexy, Rory,” I whisper. “I want to suck your tongue.”

My heart pulses, butterflies spinning. He moans, like he can hear me, so I keep going. “And I want to kiss down your body, find all your freckles, and swallow your little di?—”

He stiffens, a sound coming from deep in his throat.

He shoves away from me. Out of my arms, his eyes wide, his mouth falling open. He stumbles back, the color draining from his face, now only pale green with the neon.

Oh god. Oh fuck.

He looks panicked.

“Rory,” I say. Everything feels like it’s contracting, like it’s spinning, like it’s in turmoil. “I didn’t mean to?—”

He turns, and in the neon-lit darkness, he runs, disappearing into the crowd. I try to follow, but by the time I get to the boardwalk, he’s gone.

Too many people. Too dark. Too much fucking neon.

“Rory!” I shout, just toyellit. To feel it coming out of my mouth.

My chest constricts, emptying out all my breath. Panic edges higher, past alarm into something more like fear. I fucked up. I fucked upagain.

I jog down the boardwalk, my head swiveling at the sight of every green neon necklace. I need to find him.

I pull out my phone and text him, thumbs flying.R? Where are you?

I wait, my stomach knotting, and when there’s no response, I text him again.

Are you okay? I’m so sorry.

I feel like the bottom just fell out of the world. Seconds ago, everything felt perfect. And now…

I text him again. And again.

I stare at my messages, hoping to see his typing bubbles, but they don’t come. I don’t even know if he has his phone with him. We dropped most of our shit off at the room earlier.

I fire off a text to Carter, and he responds, but they’re still at the slip ‘n slides. He hasn’t seen Rory, but they’ll go search too.

I shove my phone into my pocket, squeezing my eyes shut where I’m standing in the middle of the boardwalk. What made him run?

I rewind it all in my head. The way he was leaning into me, and then the words that I used.I want to kiss down your body, find all your freckles, and swallow your little?—

Oh god.Little.

That was the word I used. That was the word the dickhole DJ used too.

Of all the ways that I’ve messed up on this trip—this one feels unforgivable.

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