herself over the pounding of her heart. “We graduated
together. I couldn’t believe that after four years he was
actually paying attention to me.” She snorted. “I
willingly followed him into the basement. How stupid can one person
be?”
“Don’t say that,” Drew
demanded.
“Why not?” she asked. “I
followed him into a basement shut off from the rest of the party.
Even when I realized that if I screamed no one would hear me, I still
stayed.”
“You trusted someone that you had
known for years,” he told her. “That wasn't stupid. He’s
the stupid one, not you.”
“I led him on,” she all but
screamed out of frustration. “I let him kiss me.”
“So,” he said. She could
hear him walking across the room to her. “Big deal! You liked
it when he kissed you. The moment you put the brakes on things he
should have stopped.”
She closed her eyes. “After he
was finished, he went back up to play beer pong as if nothing had
happened.”
His arms came around her from behind
pulling her back against him. “Stop blaming yourself. He’s
the monster not you.”
Her phone chose that moment to buzz with
a message. Lana stiffened with dread.
She felt his arms tighten around her
pulling her even closer. “Honey, what aren't you telling me?”
Without saying a word, she took her
phone from her pocket and pressed it into his hand.
Lana cringed when he proceeded to read
the most recent text aloud. “Oh
where, oh where, did the little ho go?”
She jumped a good foot when his voice
boomed, “Who the hell is this from?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s
from Shawn,” she whispered.
“Since when do they allow cell
phones in jail?” he asked. At her silence, his gaze narrowed.
“He is in jail for what he did right?”
Ashamed she shook her head. “I
never reported it. Too many people had seen us talking, dancing, and
flirting. What's worse is they saw me follow him to the basement.
Who would believe that I had not wanted everything that happened?”
“Anybody with a brain in their
head,” he told her. It was his turn to pace around the room.
“When did the texts start?”
“The night you had your party.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
he asked.
She pulled away and sat on the couch,
legs pulled to her chest. “I didn’t want to risk losing
you. If I told you about the texts then I had to tell you about
Shawn.”
“Let’s get one thing
straight,” he told her, sitting down on the coffee table and
taking her hand in his. “You will never lose me because of
this.”
“Why?” she whispered.
“You're in a rock band. You have girls throwing themselves at
you all the time.”
“So?”
“You couldn't possibly care about
me now. I'm damaged goods.”
“Well, you're wrong. I do care.
Just so you know, I don’t want any of those girls; I want
you,” he told her.
“Even after what I’ve told
you?”
Her breath caught in her chest as he
leaned in. His mouth hovered over hers.
“Still,” he whispered
huskily.
Then his mouth was applying gentle
pressure on hers. His kiss tasted of Heineken and fries. Not fiery
passionate but sweet torture, the kind you never actually wanted to
end. Her arms came up around his neck of their own accord, pulling
him in closer as she returned his kiss. All bad thoughts were chased
away in that perfect moment.
**************************************
Drew held a sleeping Lana. He was
unable to sleep himself. It all made sense now. Why she never
drank. Why she always glued herself to his side when they were in a
crowd. Hell, even Ricky made sense. A gay roommate would never
bring home someone who would pose a threat.
He should have sent her home when he saw
she was about to crash. Maybe he would've if Ricky had been there.
Sending her home to be alone did not settle well with him.
Anger surged through him at the thought
of all she had been through. What type of monster did it take to
take advantage of such a sweet girl?
To make it worse, just
together. I couldn’t believe that after four years he was
actually paying attention to me.” She snorted. “I
willingly followed him into the basement. How stupid can one person
be?”
“Don’t say that,” Drew
demanded.
“Why not?” she asked. “I
followed him into a basement shut off from the rest of the party.
Even when I realized that if I screamed no one would hear me, I still
stayed.”
“You trusted someone that you had
known for years,” he told her. “That wasn't stupid. He’s
the stupid one, not you.”
“I led him on,” she all but
screamed out of frustration. “I let him kiss me.”
“So,” he said. She could
hear him walking across the room to her. “Big deal! You liked
it when he kissed you. The moment you put the brakes on things he
should have stopped.”
She closed her eyes. “After he
was finished, he went back up to play beer pong as if nothing had
happened.”
His arms came around her from behind
pulling her back against him. “Stop blaming yourself. He’s
the monster not you.”
Her phone chose that moment to buzz with
a message. Lana stiffened with dread.
She felt his arms tighten around her
pulling her even closer. “Honey, what aren't you telling me?”
Without saying a word, she took her
phone from her pocket and pressed it into his hand.
Lana cringed when he proceeded to read
the most recent text aloud. “Oh
where, oh where, did the little ho go?”
She jumped a good foot when his voice
boomed, “Who the hell is this from?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s
from Shawn,” she whispered.
“Since when do they allow cell
phones in jail?” he asked. At her silence, his gaze narrowed.
“He is in jail for what he did right?”
Ashamed she shook her head. “I
never reported it. Too many people had seen us talking, dancing, and
flirting. What's worse is they saw me follow him to the basement.
Who would believe that I had not wanted everything that happened?”
“Anybody with a brain in their
head,” he told her. It was his turn to pace around the room.
“When did the texts start?”
“The night you had your party.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
he asked.
She pulled away and sat on the couch,
legs pulled to her chest. “I didn’t want to risk losing
you. If I told you about the texts then I had to tell you about
Shawn.”
“Let’s get one thing
straight,” he told her, sitting down on the coffee table and
taking her hand in his. “You will never lose me because of
this.”
“Why?” she whispered.
“You're in a rock band. You have girls throwing themselves at
you all the time.”
“So?”
“You couldn't possibly care about
me now. I'm damaged goods.”
“Well, you're wrong. I do care.
Just so you know, I don’t want any of those girls; I want
you,” he told her.
“Even after what I’ve told
you?”
Her breath caught in her chest as he
leaned in. His mouth hovered over hers.
“Still,” he whispered
huskily.
Then his mouth was applying gentle
pressure on hers. His kiss tasted of Heineken and fries. Not fiery
passionate but sweet torture, the kind you never actually wanted to
end. Her arms came up around his neck of their own accord, pulling
him in closer as she returned his kiss. All bad thoughts were chased
away in that perfect moment.
**************************************
Drew held a sleeping Lana. He was
unable to sleep himself. It all made sense now. Why she never
drank. Why she always glued herself to his side when they were in a
crowd. Hell, even Ricky made sense. A gay roommate would never
bring home someone who would pose a threat.
He should have sent her home when he saw
she was about to crash. Maybe he would've if Ricky had been there.
Sending her home to be alone did not settle well with him.
Anger surged through him at the thought
of all she had been through. What type of monster did it take to
take advantage of such a sweet girl?
To make it worse, just
Similar Books
