I felt Alex’s grip on my hand tighten and he pulled me closer as my eyes remained locked with Adrienne’s.
“Enough, Adrienne. Stop being such a bitch. C’mon, Riley.”
She
finally broke her gaze from mine and stared at Alex for a moment before she huffed and flung her wavy hair before storming off. Alex had led me away from the crowded living room. He opened a door, taking me into a quiet den, quickly shutting and locking the door behind us. The music that had been blaring only moments before was now just a subtle hum and it was then I realized my eyes were warm with tears. I hadn’t wanted to admit she had gotten to me, but I couldn’t help it. I could understand her hostility a little, at first, but I really thought she’d get over it by now. She wasn’t getting over it though and she was determined to make my life miserable. I wanted to ignore her, to not let her bother me, but one can only take the insults for so long before breaking down and I’d had enough.
“I’m sor
ry about that,” he said softly.
I just shook my head and when I blinked a
tear fell down my cheek.
“Don’t cry,” he said
, reaching up and gently wiping it away. “Don’t let her get to you.”
“
Ya know, it’s pretty hard not to let her get to me.”
“I
know, but she’s not worth it.”
“That’s easy for you to say. She doesn’t attack you. She doesn’t sneer at you every day. I’m a pretty strong person, but it’s
kinda tough to ignore it when I can’t even go out with you without wondering if she’s going to be around. I mean, I knew she’d be here tonight, but I was really hoping she’d just leave us alone. She’s never gonna leave us alone,” I said, ripping my hand away from his and sitting down on the old striped sofa.
Alex
came and sat down next to me.
“I’m gonna talk to her,” he said
, taking my hand again.
“Why? What good’s it gonna do? She doesn’t care. She won’t care. All she cares about is getting you back.”
“She doesn’t want me back. She just doesn’t want a girl around who’s hotter than her.”
I felt my cheeks flush red at his words, but it still didn’t c
hange how I felt.
“That’s not true,” I said and looked down to stare at
the tacky green shag carpet.
“Hey,” he said quietly
, gently raising my chin with his hand. “It is true. She’s completely intimidated by you. Ever since we were kids, she’s been the one everyone wanted, but then you show up and blow her out of the water. She’s just scared and the only way she knows how to deal with it is by being a bitch.”
I laughe
d softly, but then looked away.
“I don’t know,
” I said doubtfully, shaking my head.
“Don’t know about what?”
“This. Us. You and me,” I said, slowly moving my finger between us.
“
What about us? Tell me.”
“What are we even doing?” I asked, finally looking up and meeting his dark brown eyes again.
“We’re hanging out. What do you mean?”
“I mean, is it even worth it? Is it worth being chastised every day by Adrienne? Is it worth feeling badly about myself because she has some complex? I mean, I don’t even know what this is between us.”
His lips turned up into a smile and he reached up and gently stroked my cheek with his fingers. He eventually found a strand of my hair and caressed it for a moment before talking again.
“I
wanna be with you, Riley. That’s what this is between us,” he said sweetly and then he laughed. “Now, if you remember correctly, you’re the one who said you wanted to play the field. Keep your options open, I believe were your exact words.” He was grinning at me and I couldn’t help but crack a smile thinking back to our banter that day in the lunch room. “Do you want me to say it?” he continued. “Because I thought it was pretty obvious.”
“Say what?” I asked softly.
“I want to be your boyfriend and I want you to be my girlfriend,” he said with a playful grin and started laughing.
“Are we in fifth grade or something?” I s
aid as I started laughing too.
“You wanted to know where we stood. You can’t get any clearer than that, can you?”
“I guess not,” I agreed.
“Then whaddya say? Do you thin
k it’s worth it, because I do.”
When I looked at him, I couldn’t resist him. Adrienne was a pain, but he was right. What difference did it make if Alex and I were together? She could say whatever she wanted and she could do whatever she wanted, but it wouldn’t change the fact t
hat Alex wanted me, not her. He’d spelled it out as clearly as he could and I knew this little hard to get game I’d been playing with him was, indeed, just a game, and without a doubt, I wanted to be with him too.
“It’s worth
a try, right?” I finally said.
“I’m gl
ad to you hear you say that.”
His voice was low and seductively husky as he came in closer to me. He reached up and began stroking the neckline of my tank top like he’d done earlier by the car. The same goosebumps popped up all over my chest and I shuddered.
“You okay?” he whispered in my ear as he continued to tickle my skin with his fingers.
“Ye
ah, I’m okay,” I whispered back. A moment later, my fingers found themselves tangled in his hair while his lips found their way to my neck. His lips were warm and moist and he kissed the base of my throat, leaving a tingly trail behind until his lips rested at the corner of my mouth. His tongue tickled my lips and I heard a low moan escape from my throat. My heart was pounding. I wanted to feel him closer to me and we laid down on the couch. The weight of his body felt good and I imagined what it would be like to feel his bare skin on mine. Without thinking, I reached under his shirt and ran my hands over the strong muscles in his back as he moved his lips from the corner of my mouth to my ear. His breath was heavy as he began nibbling on my ear before eventually making his way back to my lips. I kissed him hungrily, wanting to taste everything about him. My hands were still exploring his strong body when I felt his hand slide under my shirt.
“I want you
,” his heavy voice rang through my ears.
With those words, he moved his touch from my chest to the button of my jeans. Without hesitation, as if he’d done it a million times before, the button was undone and I heard the sound of my zipper. I tensed up and breathed in deeply as I felt his warm touch on my bikini line. It felt like every inch of my skin was on fire. He was so gentle and every part of me wanted to be with him, but as his hand moved smoothly up and down my thigh, I suddenly tensed. Alex stopped and his hand trailed from my thigh up to my cheek. He looked down at me and smiled and then brushed the hair lightly from my face.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly.
I couldn’t talk so I just nodded. He leaned down again and began kissing my neck while his hands found their way under my shirt again.
“Alex…wait,” I whispered as my hand found his. He stopped and looked into my eyes again. I couldn’t tell how to read him. “I…I can’t. I’m sorry.”
He was quiet for a moment and I wondered if he was mad, but then he smiled, a gentle reassuring smile, and I felt better.
He sat up, leaving me red-faced and embarrassed, still lying on the couch. I quickly zipped and buttoned my pants and sat up next to him.
“Alex, I want to, but…I…I can’t,” I whispered looking at him out of the corner of my eye.
“Riley, stop,” he said sweetly and he took my hand. “I understand and I’m fine with it.”
“It’s just…I’ve…
I’ve never,” I stuttered, trying to tell him I was a virgin without having to say the words.
“I adore your innocence,” he said softly looking at me like a little kid, which embarrassed me even more. “You’re not ready and that’s alright.”
“You’re not mad?”
“No. I promise you
, I’m not mad.”
We sat quietly for a few moments and I didn’t know whether or not I believed him. He was a seventeen-year-old guy after all. He was a seventeen-year-old guy who thou
ght he was getting some until I pulled away. I just couldn’t do it though. I’d waited seventeen years to lose my virginity and it wasn’t something I was just going to give away at the drop of a hat, especially on an old sofa surrounded by shag carpeting.
I was lost in my thoughts, justifying to myself that I’d made the right choice, when he took my hand and held it to his lips. He kissed it softly and then smiled at me so all of my doubts washed away.
“You wanna head back out to the party?” he asked and I nodded, wanting to return to normal as soon as possible.
After straightening our clothes, we stood up and walked hand and hand out of the den and back into the living room. The music was still blaring and everyone looked completely trashed. I thought I smelled marijuana too. I’d smelled it at a concert before and the scent was unmistakable. I looked around and realized this was what Jesse had warned me about. It’s not like I was a prude or a goody-two-shoes. I definitely wasn’t either of those things. I’d done my share of things I knew my parents wouldn’t approve of, but I also wasn’t an idiot. I’d had a few drinks in my life, but I’d never touched a drug.
As I continued to look around, I realized Alex and I weren’t the only ones who couldn’t keep our hands off each other. Couples all around us, including my cousin and the blonde, were making out, but at least Alex and I’d had the decency to do it in private.
“You want something to drink
?” Alex shouted over the music.
“Sure,” I said and I followed him into the kitchen, eager to get the image of
David and that girl out of my mind. I guessed I wouldn’t be speaking to him tonight after all.
The music was a little quieter when we got in the kitchen. Alex went to the fridge and then pulled me over.
“What do you want?” he asked as I looked through the fridge.
“I’ll just take a Coke,” I said
, reaching past the booze and pulling out a can.
“Ah…and the innocence continues,” he la
ughed as he pulled out a beer.
“It’s got nothing to do with innocence. I just don’t like beer
.”
“Sure,” he said doubtfully and then smiled. “Do you mind if I have one though? I’ll just have the one. I won’t get hammered. I’ve got to drive you home after all.”
“Go ahead,” I told him as I sipped my Coke. He popped open his Budweiser and took a swig and then his face twisted into a scowl.
“You’re right
. This is nasty.” He set the beer on the counter and then looked over at me. “You wanna get outta here?” he asked with a smile.
“Definitely,” I said
, putting my Coke down next to his beer.
He took my hand and we made our way through the crowd until we were out in the fresh air.
“You were a good sport tonight,” Alex said as we were driving away. He hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye to his friends. We just took off, leaving them all behind.
“You can’t say I didn’t
try,” I replied.
“You did try and I appreciate it, but I’d much rather have you all to myself than hang out with those idiots,” he said and I felt my cheeks flush and I couldn’t help but smile. “
Wanna go back to my place and watch a movie or something?”
“Sounds great,” I agreed.
“Much more fun than that party.”
He looked over and smiled
before he made a sharp right turn towards his house.
****
When I got home right before curfew, I was glad Alex had suggested we leave the party. We’d spent the rest of the night at his house watching a movie. His parents had left us alone and we cuddled on the couch until he had to take me home.
The house was quiet when I walked in after Alex dropped me off, but I saw the light was still on in my mom’s bedroom. I tip-toed up the stairs not wanting to disturb anyone and I walked quietly into my room. I flipped on the light and set my purse on the desk before a glow of blue caught my eye. I looked around and saw the baseboard
s and window frames were covered in the blue painting tape. I was totally confused as I stood there staring at it.
I heard quiet footsteps shuffling down the hall and then they stopped outside my room. I turned around to see my mom standing there.
“Did you do this?” I asked, not bothering to say hello. She shook her head from side to side. “Then who did?”
“Jesse,” she replied.
“What?” I asked more confused than ever.
“Jesse came over while you were out with Alex. He thought you might need some help finishing up.”
“But, I hadn’t even started,” I stammered.
She just stared at me wit
h a knowing look on her face.
“He did it a
ll by himself,” I said quietly.