Page 28 of Close to Falling

“You know I want you,” I whisper, “but you always say no.” He kisses my knee as his hand continues to climb up the inside of my thigh. I look down at it and then back up at him.

“Greedy,” he says playfully.

“When it comes to you,” I reply with no shame.

“Me, too,” he says as he leans farther up and kisses me. It’s dangerous what he is doing. We could get caught. He kisses my top lip before he sucks on my bottom. My hands go to his dirty blond hair and the back of his neck. He grips my thigh, and I pull him down. He rolls his hips when he falls between my legs, and I wish my cotton shorts would disappear when his hardness hits me in the best spot. “This is what you want?” he asks against my lips.

“Yes,” I reply.

“Don’t go to prom with him.”

“River, I have to go.”

“You’re really going to do this?” He shifts away from me, messing his hair up more.

“Don’t be mad.”

He smirks. “That’s not how this works, B.”

“How does this work then?” I ask. “Because I can’t go with you, and I want to go. What am I supposed to do?”

He sighs. “Let’s just fucking tell them.”

“Frankie would never allow this in his house.” He looks over at me, and I see it now. “That’s why you haven’t taken things farther, isn’t it?”

“Go to prom, but I’m going, too,” he says, standing.

“With whom?” I ask.

“Don’t worry about that. Just know I’ll be there.”

Chapter Twelve

“Close your eyes,” Cali tells me as she puts dark green eye shadow across my eyelid.

“Your brown eyes are going to pop with this.” She’s all done up and soft curls. I wish I were more excited, but River is gone, and I am wondering what he is up to. I hear a knock on the door, and I take a look in the mirror. My dress is black with a long skirt. Mesh and lace flowers make up the top, showing off my summertime skin. A belt of pearls wraps around my waist, and I move my long dark hair to one shoulder. I look older.

“Are you two ready?” Landon asks. “Mikey is here.”

“Yeah,” I reply. I open the door, and Landon smiles.

“You look nice, sis.”

“Thanks. Have you talked to River?”

“He’s going to meet us there,” he says, looking past me at Cali, and I nod before I walk around him. I hear Landon tell Cali she looks pretty, and I smirk as I head downstairs. Mikey sits in the living room with Frankie, and I wonder how that awkward conversation went.

“Hey, Maddie,” Mikey says. He stands in an all black tux with a matching bowtie. Baby pink roses make up the corsage he is holding, and Frankie looks over at me. He smiles, but doesn’t say anything.

As Landon and Cali walk down, Frankie speaks, “Hell, I guess I need to take your picture.”

***

“So, Landon and Cali?” Ellie asks.

“Yeah, they tried to make a go at it.”

“Tried?”

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