Page 29 of Close to Falling

“Cali is a small-town girl. She won’t ever leave Crystal Bay, but Landon wanted more. They fought a lot until one day Cali called it quits. Landon didn’t want that, but he has a passion, and sometimes that goes above everything else.”

“Right,” Ellie says. She moves from behind her desk and sits in her soft chair with her throw over her legs. She complains she can’t ever get the temperature right in here. “So, prom goes well?”

“For the first hour, it was okay.”

***

White tablecloths cover at least twenty tables in the large gym. I sit at one of them messing with my pink roses. Decorative lights are strung around, and too much glitter is sprinkled everywhere. Landon and Cali are dancing, and I’ve never been more bored. I’m waiting for my boy and his date to come walking through the door, but it’s been over an hour now, and I don’t think he is gonna show.

“Want some?” Mikey asks, getting my attention. I see he has a little flask, and I smile at the boy who never breaks the rules.

“Yeah,” I reply. He grabs my cup, putting both the flask and my cup of punch on his lap, and spikes it.

“Here,” he says. I smile because he is trying to make this more fun. As I take a few sips, a good song comes on.

“Let’s dance, Mikey,” I suggest. He lifts his lips, giving me a boyish grin, and I grab his hand. I gotta make the best of this. We walk out beside Cali and Landon, and I giggle when the boy who broke a rule for me spins me out and back in again. We dance, and a slow song comes on, so Mikey puts his hands on my waist as I put mine around his neck. Cali and Landon are close, and she looks swept off her feet, happy.

“What’s the B stand for?” my dancing partner asks.

“Huh?” I reply as my eyes roam over the room. I know who I’m looking for, and I don’t understand why he hasn’t shown up yet. What could he be doing?

“Maddie B, what’s the B mean?”

“Oh, it doesn’t mean anything,” I say, looking back at Mikey. “My dad just liked the way it sounded.” I smile.

“What happened to your parents?”

“They were killed in an armed robbery,” I say, chewing my bottom lip.

“Sorry,” he mutters, giving an apologetic look. I hear Mikey, but my eyes go across the room. Loose black tie and unruly hair, River looks sexy and up to no good. He laughs at his boy Austin, and the two girls beside them couldn’t look trashier if they tried. I don’t recognize either of them. River notices me and says something to Austin. He doesn’t even speak to the girl beside him before he walks my way. My eyes watch easygoing as he comes closer—all black tux, white button-up, and a tie he obviously thought was too tight at one point because it’s carefree loose. He makes my heart skip beats. I want my hands on him. I know he has a pack of smokes in his pocket, and I’m willing to bet everything I have he smells like heaven.

“What’s up, Landon?” River says as he passes by him and Cali. River looks between them. His eyes light up, and he lifts his lip, clearly entertained.

“Shut up, River,” Cali says. River holds his hands up in defense.

“I didn’t say anything,” he says with a sly grin.

“But you were thinking it,” the girl who has her arms wrapped around my brother says. Landon lifts his chin toward Austin and the Rizzo look-alikes.

“Who the hell did you bring?” Landon asks.

“Just some girls from Bayside,” River answers, turning his attention to me. I see a quick look of wonder spread across his face. I shift my feet and bite the inside of my cheek. “Mind if I cut in,” he says to Mikey. It’s not really a question, and I look over at Landon who has his eyes narrowed with curiosity, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Um,” Mikey says, uncomfortable.

“Man, I’ll give her right back,” River says, but I can tell he doesn’t wanna be so nice.

“It’s okay, Mikey. I’ll meet you back at the table.” I see John and his date sitting there, so I don’t feel so bad.

“Okay,” Mikey mumbles as he walks off. I’m shitty, I know, but I can’t help it. River is an addiction for me. I want his touch and his attention all the time. He looks me over, and with a small smirk, he grabs my hand.

“I wanna show you something,” he says loud enough for Landon and Cali to hear.

“Be back,” I say to them. Landon looks suspicious, but my girl grabs his attention, and I know she is doing it for me.

I hold on tight to my boy’s hand as he leads us through the maze of dresses and suited-up boys. I feel butterflies in my stomach, and my chest blooms with excitement. He opens the back door to the gym, and we step out into the night air. River walks around the back, and before I can even think, he has me up against the building, hands above my head, as green eyes pierce right through me.

“You look so good, B.” He leans down to steal a kiss. He can steal more. Take more. Have more. He breaks away, and I see him swallow. “Let me take you somewhere,” he says sweetly. It melts my heart, and I never want to hear him speak to me any other way. If love had a sound, his voice would be it for me.

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