Page 10 of The Second Kiss
“Wait.” I stop kissing Brad and put my hand on his chest, pushing him away. He pushes back and it hits me how much stronger than me he is. “Stop.”
“Just relax.” He moves so my arm is pinned between him and the couch.
I’m trapped. “Let me go.” I say it louder. My voice sounds far away. I’m afraid if I wait any longer, I’ll lose myself completely. “I want to go home.”
He leans into my neck and whispers, “You don’t want to do that, babe. You’re nothing without me.” I work my hand free, push his face away from my neck, but I can’t make him move. And he isn’t listening.
"Let me go!" I panic, grab his cheek, and dig my fingernails in hard.
“What the—” he jumps back, off the couch. The marks I left on the side of his face are turning red and filling with blood.
I’m horrified at what I just did. I get up from the couch and take a step towards him. “Brad I’m sorry I just—”
“You little bitch!” He grabs my shoulders and pushes me backward. I stumble over the table, knocking over the picture of the little boy.
“I’m sorry,” I repeat, huddling against the wall.
Brad steps toward me. His fists clench, and his jaw tightens. I close my eyes and wait for the blow to come.
It doesn’t.
“Dude, she’s not worth it.” When I open my eyes, Grant has his hand on Brad’s shoulder. It feels like the entire party has come in to watch the show.
“You’re right,” Brad lets me go. I stumble forward, but catch myself before I go down. He presses his hand against his cheek.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
He won’t look at me. “Get away from me.”
I stumble past the crowd toward the door without making eye contact, but I still see the looks on their faces, embarrassment, shock, and amusement. No one offers to help.
Lexie smiles at me. The dim light of the room glints on a bit of silver as she unwraps a stick of gum. She folds it in her mouth with a look of pure triumph.
seven
Ghost of Childhood Past
“Don’t those two ever come up for air?”
I don’t bother following Taryn’s gaze. I know who she’s talking about. Brad and Lexie make it a point to be overly affectionate whenever I’m around. I keep my eyes on my salad, rearranging it with my fork.
“Funny how Lexie wasn't interested in him until...” She sets her lunchbox down. "Sorry Jess."
I shake my head and spear a piece of lettuce, maybe a little harder than I need to. “Don’t worry. I couldn’t care less what those two are doing.” I don’t look up from my tray, but I can feelsympathy oozing across the table. I can’t take Taryn’s pity. No matter how much she loves me. She sighs and opens her milk and her latest romance novel. She knows I’m not in the mood to talk.
“Jess, hey, Jess.” Jasmine bounds down the last two stairs towards our table. She’s waving and talking loudly, like I can’t see her or hear her. Like there’s any way I can ignore her—any way anyone can ignore Jasmine.
She slides into the chair beside Taryn and sets her lunch—a diet soda and a candy bar—on the table in front of her. “I just got a text from Chris. He wants us to come with him to a party tonight.” Chris is Jasmine's boy of the month. He goes to the school across town.
“Not interested.” I pick the apple off my tray and roll it between my hands. One party in my whole life was enough. Jaz doesn’t understand. She keeps bugging me to get out, to show Brad that he hasn’t crushed me. But maybe he has.
I gave my friends the bare minimum of information after the party. Brad was being a jerk. We got into a fight. I scratched his face. End of story. No one knows what really happened. Not even the kids at the party. They all thought I was drunk or stoned when I clawed Brad’s face and then stumbled outside and made myself throw up in the bushes. I’m not even sure I know what really happened.
Jasmine works her long red fingernails around the top of her soda and pops it open. “What are we going to do with her?” She stretches her perpetually tanned legs out along the bench. “Maybe we could get her to go if we told her there would be guys in uniform there.”
My head snaps up, and my face flames. Am I that transparent?
Jasmine continues talking to Taryn like I’m not here. “She’s got this thing for Army guys lately. Have you noticed? We were at the mall on Saturday and saw a bunch hanging out in theparking lot. She made some lame excuse to go over and check them out.”
