“You’re going too fast. Slow down.”
“What are you talking about? You act like we’ve never been to second base before.”
“Be Still” by The Killers started playing, and my heart fell. Reed’s face swam before my eyes.
This was wrong. All wrong.
I plopped down on the edge of the bed. “Please shut off the music.”
My shoulders relaxed a little more when the song stopped. Derek sat down beside me and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “This isn’t happening tonight, is it?”
I shook my head. “No.”
He let out an exasperated breath. “Is this about the rose petals?”
He really didn’t have a clue.
“This isn’t working, Derek.”
“What?” He stood up, glaring down at me. “You’re breaking up with me?”
“Did you really think this was going to last?” I asked. “We have literally nothing in common except for the fact that our best friends can’t keep their hands off each other.”
“Something you could have mentioned before I shelled out a couple hundred for this room.”
“I didn’t plan this.”
He grabbed his phone and shoved it into his pocket. “I knew I shouldn’t have dated a virgin.”
“Excuse me?”
“You said yourself this wasn’t going to last. And you’re right, I knew it, too. But I was at least hoping to have some fun before we went off to college.”
By fun, he meant sex.
And I’d be kidding myself if I didn’t use him for the same reason. I wanted to have sex. I wanted my first time to be prom night…and Derek was there at the perfect time.
But Reed came home at the worst time.
“I’m sorry.” I hugged my arms around my waist. “I’ll split the cost of the room with you.”
“Just forget it. I’m going back to the party.” He tossed the key card on the bed like it was a few hundred dollar bills. “You can keep the room.” He grabbed his jacket and slung it over his shoulder before storming out of the door.
Worst. Night. Ever.
Text
To: Reed
From: Tabitha
T: If you’re still up, would you mind bringing me home?
R: Which hotel?
T: Briar.
R: Go down to the lobby. I’ll be there in fifteen.
6
Dreams Come True?
Reed
If that toolbag touched her in any way that was unwanted, I will tear his fucking head off.
Tabitha looked incredible in that dress, and all he could see was frigging boobs. I wished her dad had put his foot down. It really was too revealing for that douche to appreciate.
My foot pressed harder on the gas pedal, my knuckles even paler as they gripped the steering wheel. I couldn’t get out of the car fast enough when I reached the hotel. When I walked into the lobby, my head swung in all directions until my eyes found Tabitha. She was sitting on a floral chair, looking down at her phone.
Her head rose. Her brown eyes were red, and the makeup she had on earlier was washed off.
“You ready?” I asked.
She nodded and pushed herself off the chair. “Thanks for picking me up.”
I looked down at her dress and her exposed arms. “You have a jacket?”
She shook her head. I pulled off my hoodie and handed it to her. I only had on an old Pink Floyd T-shirt underneath, but there was a zip-up sweatshirt in the car I could throw on if it got too cold. It didn’t matter. All I was worried about at the moment was Tabitha. She slipped it over her head and rolled up the ridiculously long sleeves.
As soon as we got into the car, I leaned back in the seat and inhaled a deep breath to keep my anger down to a simmer. “Did he force you in any way to do something you didn’t want to do?”
“What? No.”
I let out the air from my lungs in relief. “What happened?”
She wiped at her eyes. “We broke up.”
Good.
“Don’t waste tears over him. He’s an idiot, and you can do a lot better.”
She stared out the window. “I’m not crying because of him. I just…I imagined this night so differently.”
She’d been imagining it since she was fifteen years old. I knew what it meant to her. I held back the urge to tuck her hair behind her ear and softly stroke the side of her face. “Did you drink?”
“Only a glass and a half of champagne.”
Not too bad, but she wasn’t a big drinker.
I put the key in the ignition. “Let’s get some food and sober you up before I take you back. McDonald’s is probably the only place open. Is that okay?”
She forced a smile. “Yeah.”
We went through the drive-thru and ordered two Quarter Pounders with fries and sodas. She looked through the windshield as I turned onto the road, munching on a fry. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” I turned into the parking lot of the Lakeside Villa restaurant and pulled near the back. The place was closed, but they had a few benches and a gazebo scattered over the small strip of lawn that overlooked the lake.
I grabbed the bag and went to the trunk to get my sweatshirt. By the time I zipped it up, Tabitha had our two sodas in her hands. I led the way to the gazebo. We sat down by the stairs, and she looked up into the sky. The moon wasn’t full, but its light still rippled across the water. I pulled out one of the burgers and handed it to her.
“It’s nice here,” she finally said. “Do you come here a lot?”
I swallowed down my bite. “I used to when I was in high school.”
“Is this some kind of make-out spot to woo the girls?”
I winced. “Do you really think I’d take you to one of my make-out spots?”
Her shoulders sagged, and she set down her burger. “No.”
That wasn’t how I meant it, although I probably should have meant it that way.
“This is a place I’d come alone, to do some writing and listen to music.” I’d never told anyone about this place, let alone brought them here…until now.
“A getaway like your lair.” She smiled and reached into the bag for a handful of fries.
Our lair.
“You never got caught?” she asked.
“No. Cops don’t do any rounds in here, and my car stays hidden in the back.”
“Do you want to listen to music now?” She sipped her soda.
“Play whatever you want, just not too loud.”
“I left my purse in the car.”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to her. “Pick out whatever you want.”
Within a few seconds, “The Way It Was” by The Killers filled the space between us. She only finished half her meal before tossing it back in the bag. She scooted against the post and tucked her knees to her chest, gazing off onto the water. “What are some other places you want to see when you become a travel writer?”