Page 14 of Control Us (Next Generation 1)

(Zach)

My lips still tingled from the kiss Luna and I had shared. It had been the first time I had felt her lips on mine and I wanted more. Fuck, did I ever want more. But I knew she was a virgin. I also knew that she didn’t date. Hell, I wasn’t sure if she ever even had a boyfriend. The idea that she was completely innocent stirred something feral inside of me. I wanted to show her, to teach her. I wanted to use her body to make both of us feel good.

Once Luna left the vehicle, I waited, watching her walk up the sidewalk to her house. I hadn’t parked in front of her place, knowing there would be people watching. It was hard to keep anything private amongst our group of friends.

I slowly drove toward Luna’s house and once I saw her slip through the doors, I was about to drive away when a tap on the window stopped me.

Ashton stood on the other side, motioning for me to roll down the window.

I did and put the car into park. “Hey, Ashton. What’s up?”

“You’re not coming to the party?” he asked, leaning his arm on the hood of my car.

“Party? I didn’t know there was one.” I wasn’t overly surprised that Luna never mentioned it. She was usually holed up in her room whenever her roommates had people over.

“Yeah, this one was last minute. Not a lot of people. More like a get-together, I guess. Gigi said we’ve all been working hard and just wanted to have some friends over.” He shrugged. “I just go with the flow and besides, the girls have some hot friends.”

I chuckled, shutting the car off. “I was going to go home but I can stay.”

“Good.” He pulled away from the car and leaned against the hood. “How was your date?”

“It wasn’t a date,” I told him, really wishing people would mind their own business.

“It wasn’t?” Ashton raised an eyebrow. “Did you pick her up? Was there dinner? Did you drive her home and kiss her goodnight?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I told him. I loved the guy like a brother but right now, he was starting to piss me off.

“Right,” he said slowly. “The girls talk. You should know that. They helped Luna get ready.”

“It still wasn’t a date,” I said, even though I knew it actually was. But whatever was going on between Luna and I, I wanted to keep it to myself for now.

“Alright.” He clapped my shoulder. “Then if it wasn’t a date, you wouldn’t mind if I set you up with someone.”

I stopped walking. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Even if there wasn’t anything going on with Luna, I still wouldn’t agree to Ashton setting me with God only knew who. “Not interested.” I shrugged him off.

“Why not? You’re single, are you not?”

“Still not interested.” My friends had been trying to set me up for a while. At first, I didn’t want a relationship. It had never been my thing. Only because I had never found that one person I wanted to spend time with. I tried convincing myself that there was a person out there for me when really, she had been in front of me the whole damn time.

Luna got beneath my skin and that kiss sealed the deal. She would be mine.

“She’s a good girl, Zach,” Ashton continued. “She’s not one of these girls that you keep diving between.”

“I don’t do that shit anymore,” I mumbled, not that he would believe me anyway.

“Right,” he repeated.

My blood burned through me, my hands clenching into fists. I loved him but right now, I really wanted to smash my fist into his face.

I shoved my hands in my pockets. “If she’s so great, why don’t you date her then?”

“Because.” He didn’t say anymore on the subject, but I knew. Ashton and his twin brother had been sharing another one of our friends. But I wasn’t sure if that had been a one-time thing or not. “Besides, she would be perfect for you,” he added. “She’s taking over her daddy’s business when he retires.”

“Why, Ashton?” I stopped at the base of the steps leading to the house that Luna shared with a couple of our friends. “I never pegged you for a gossip.”

Ashton rolled his eyes. “I’m not gossiping. I’m stating facts. Listen, one date. That’s all I’m asking.”

The answer was still no but Iwascurious. “Why?”

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