Page 76 of My Fault
I grinned when I saw the unbelieving look on Nick’s face. He looked so old next to me, so mature…
“Really, there’s no need,” he started to object.
William was in the kitchen wearing his glasses and looking at his laptop. He must have been working. He smiled when he saw us come in.
“You look lovely, Noah,” he said, looking at my uniform full of pins. I had to be careful not to stick myself when I walked.
“Yeah, right,” I said.
My mother pushed Nicholas into a chair and brought over the chocolate cake Prett had made. Nicholas looked so out of placethat I couldn’t help but be amused, just as he’d been amused at my dilemma minutes before.
On the cake, there were two candles shaped like the number 22. My mother lit them and began to sing, shoving Will to try to get him to participate. The whole thing was so funny that I joined in as Nick glared at all of us with his sky-blue eyes.
“Don’t forget to make a wish,” I reminded him before he blew the candles out.
As he did so, looking up at me, I had to ask myself: What could a person who had it all wish for?
26
Nick
I still wasn’t sure why I’d invited her to spend the weekend with me in the Bahamas. Her face had just popped into my head when I’d seen the tickets. I didn’t even need to listen to my father as he told me I should take Noah along—the same idea had already occurred to me.
Since she’d chilled out and become easier to get along with, I’d found myself thinking about her more and more. I couldn’t imagine leaving her alone ever since Ronnie had threatened her, and I freaked out anytime I thought of some other guy getting close to her. Even remembering that she used to be with Dan put me in a bad mood. I wanted to crush him for hurting her. For hurting her and because he’d had nine months to relish her, touch her, kiss her, God forbid, maybe even take off her clothes…
The idea of Noah giving herself to someone besides me tormented me all night and all day. I’d never thought of myself as the jealous type, probably because I’d never considered any girl mine, but now it was killing me. The way she smiled, innocent, almost… She was naturally sexy, which was what I liked about her most. It didn’t matter how she dressed, didn’t matter if she had onmakeup. She could be a wreck, but still, every time my eyes settled on her, I imagined a thousand different ways I could make her moan with pleasure. Maybe what had happened in the pool hadn’t been exactly right, but I’d promised myself I’d stay away from her after that. She made it hard, though. I’d wanted to kill her the night before after what had happened with Ronnie—that beating had been her fault—not to mention for going out with Mario, but as soon as I’d seen the look of fear in her eyes as she’d seen my wounds, as soon as her warm fingers had touched my bare skin, I’d had to draw on all my self-control not to jump her right by the kitchen counter.
Worst of all, she was getting more confident. She was less defensive; she wasn’t even scared to shout at me while I was asleep. She hadn’t pulled away when I’d lost control of my hands and caressed her under the water. Her legs were so long, her curves so damn sexy…
And tonight she was going out again with that moron Mario. He was always quick to feel a girl up, take her to bed if he got the chance. Same as me, but I couldn’t let him do that to Noah. She was too innocent, just a kid—a kid who would drive any man with eyes wild.
It especially bothered me that she was leaving on my birthday. I wanted her to myself; I wanted to show her the fun things to do in town. I wanted her view of me to change. I couldn’t bear her thinking I didn’t deserve to have her.
Someone knocked on the door. I was still getting dressed, so I shouted for them to come in. As I buttoned the shirt I’d be wearing that night, a pair of honey-colored eyes stared at me in the mirror.
“Back from dinner already?” I asked sarcastically, trying not to turn around and trap her, make her stay with me in my bedroom all night.
“You’re having a birthday party?” she asked, ignoring my question. I tried to feign indifference.
“What did you think, little sister, that I was going to stick around here watching a movie?”
“You should have told me. Jenna and Lion thought I was invited. They’re downstairs waiting.” She crossed her arms over her black dress. It was tight and hung just four or five inches from the bottom of her ass. I was furious as I asked myself whether Mario had managed to get his hand under that dress.
“I don’t have time for this. You want to come along? Then do it. You’re on the list. But your little friend isn’t, so figure it out.” I walked closer to her. If I couldn’t have her, at least I could smell that perfume that turned me on so much.
“You’re looking at me like I’m a movie villain, but it’s not my fault. I didn’t know it was your birthday till a couple of hours ago. Mario had already asked me out. I couldn’t just ditch him.”
“And you think he didn’t know?” I asked, annoyed. I knew Mario had set the whole thing up on purpose.
Surprised, angry, even a little guilty, she looked adorable. She felt bad for nearly missing a party she hadn’t even known about.
I couldn’t help but wrap an arm around her waist and pull her close. Her eyes were skeptical but expectant.
“Come on, Freckles, come to my birthday party,” I said, pushing her hair off her shoulder and kissing her there. I smiled as I saw her goose bumps. At least I could be sure she liked me and I still had some influence over her—or over her body, to be more precise.
“You want me to go?” she asked as my lips climbed her neck.
Did I want her to come? Obviously I wouldn’t be able to touch her at that party; no one could know what was happening between us, and we couldn’t kiss. It was going to be complicated.
