Page 7 of Destroying Everleigh

He shook his head, blowing out a breath to get his bearings. “He didn’t…you didn’t…you’re still a—” He cleared his throat, a stitch forming between his brows.

“We didn’t hook up, Dad. I promise.”

Briley snorted in response. “Had we given them a few more minutes they might have.”

My hands curled into fists at my sides. Why did she always have to get under my skin? I knew she was just thirteen and was having fun with it, but this was humiliating.

Dad disregarded her, his gaze darting to my mother’s. “Hook up?” he repeated. “Is that what they’re calling it now?” She shrugged, not bothering to respond. “Back in my day, hooking up meant getting together to hang out. Not…fondle each other.”

A laugh fell from my lips before I could stop it, but to my surprise, Dad smiled back at me. I’d expected him to explode after Mom filled him in on what happened at the maze. He’d always been stern on theno boyfriendrule. Not only did Ashton ask me out, but he kissed me,touchedme. And then we were caught.

Mom huffed, clearly not impressed with his reaction. She drifted further into the living room, her hair a wild mess in the ponytail tying it together. Probably from having to chase after me and Bry all night. “Seriously, Greg? That’s all you have to say?”

He shrugged, his arms firmly wrapped around Emma’s sleeping body. “She’s fifteen. We knew she wouldn’t stay innocent forever. It was just a kiss and a boob grab. It’s not like he had his hand in her pants.”

My face heated at that reminder. The way he grabbed my crotch, asking if he could touch me there. I wanted him to so badly, to know what it would feel like. But I knew I wasn’t ready for that. If a single kiss could make my head spin the way it had, what would his fingers do to my brain once they were inside me? I probably would have ended up losing my virginity right then and there and crying about it later filled with deep-rooted regret. I was too young for any of that. Hell, I was too young to be touched the way he’d touched me. But when he did it, I felt alive. Like something inside me had awoken, telling me that this was just the beginning.

Mom whipped her head over in my direction, her eyes narrowing. “He didn’t touch you there, right?”

“Nope.”

She searched my gaze for a moment, trying to detect a lie, but she must have been satisfied when she found nothing but the truth. Her shoulders dropped with relief, and she nodded. “I don’t like that boy,” she murmured.

“Oh, that’s right,” Briley chimed in again. “Even after Mom caught them and told him to get away from Eve, hestillkissed her before walking away.” She doubled over with laughter, knowing that might very well be the nail in my coffin.

“A little bad boy, huh?” Dad questioned with raised eyebrows, though he genuinely seemed interested in that.

I groaned, throwing my head back in annoyance. “I’m going to bed. I have school tomorrow.”

I darted out of the living room and hurried up the stairs, closing myself in my room. Their voices traveled up to the second floor, an argument brewing undoubtedly. I threw myself on my bed and closed my eyes, my heart pounding furiously with humiliation and embarrassment.

Just when I thought I was safe, footsteps pounded up the wooden staircase, making me wince. It wasn’t enough that theyfilled Dad in on the entire thing, but now someone was coming to interrogate me again.

When my bedroom door swung open, Mom stepped through. Her expression was softer than it had been which gave me some relief. She closed the door behind her and walked across the room before sitting beside where I lay on the mattress.

“I’m making you an appointment to get on birth control next week,” she began.

My jaw slackened in response. “I’m not sexually active, though.”

She nodded, her dark eyes falling to her lap. “I understand that. But anything could happen. Your dad was right. You aren’t going to be innocent forever. One thing can always lead to another, and I’m sure that’s what happened tonight.”

“But…I’m not even allowed to have sex.”

Her gaze snapped to mine. “No. You’re not,” she warned. “But just in case. The last thing you want is to end up pregnant or with an STD. There’s nothing wrong with being cautious.”

I thought about that for a moment and then nodded. She was right. For the briefest of moments, I’d wanted him completely, even having barely known him. Just to be able to say I did it. With someone I genuinely liked. Lots of girls lost it the first opportunity for similar reasons, only to end up regretting it later on. That would have happened to me, too. Especially if I didn’t even think about protection.

That just proved I wasn’t ready for this. But it still felt nice to feel desired by someone. Even if it was mostly physical. Mom leaned down and planted a kiss on my forehead.

“Just promise me you’ll be careful,” she whispered.

“Of course.”

She shot me a small smile before rising and striding across the room. “Light on or off?” she asked, stopping at the door where the switch resided beside it.

“Off.”

She flicked the light off before slipping out into the hall and closing the door behind her. I wasn’t even close to ready for bed, though. My mind was spinning a million miles a minute.

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