Page 77 of Under the Influence

It takes a few minutes before she speaks, “No one has ever pushed me like that. No one ever cared to try.”

“Because I’m not afraid to, I’m not afraid to tell you how I feel.”

“How do you feel?” she asks.

“I feel like I might die if I don’t kiss you right now.”

My heart pinches, waiting for rejection, but she slips her hand from mine, “Then what are you waiting for?”

Her words make my heart slam into my ribcage, and I pull her into me, pressing my lips against hers. The same lips I’ve wanted to kiss for the past two years, finally on mine. My stomach flips.

Our tongues clash, and her hands trail up my back, pulling my shirt over my head. The interference separates us for a split second, but her eyes burn so fiercely into mine that we both are desperate for each other. Her grip around the back of my neck tightens as we fall into my bed. The soft whimper that escapes her lips makes me grow beneath my jeans, and her hair swinging around my red t-shirt makes me lose my damn mind.

“Avery,” I whisper, pushing her back a little. “I don’t want to take advantage of this. You’re upset, and I don’t want to make things worse.”

Her fingers trail down toward the button on my jeans, “Madden, you are the only thing holding me together.”

I can’t stop it.

I don’t even try.

I lose myself in her.

In us.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FOUR

NASH

My head pounds as I roll into the sunlight streaming through my window, my face throbbing with pain. I slightly remember getting here last night, but not really.

The faint smell of Corinne still lingers on my sheets, reminding me that she was here and that part wasn’t just a dream. Not only was she here, but God only knows what I said to her. I think about leaving my room to check if she is still here, but I don’t want her to see me like this, even if I do find her.

Hungover and dirty.

I choose to stay put here in my room, resisting the urge to find her and hold her hostage. Maybe it’s better if she just leaves. I stand up, the sudden change of elevation sending me straight to the toilet.

After dry heaving for a few minutes, there is nothing left to throw up. I turn the shower on, allowing the water to get as hot as possible, not that skin melting will erase what happened. And it definitely won’t stop my dad from coming home and bringing his new family with him.

I let the water run over my scalp, and surprisingly the memories of last night are vivid. Too vivid. I don’t want to remember, but I do. I fucking remember too much. Cutting the shower off, I slip out and into a towel, stopping at the sink. The bruising on my face makes me grimace. There’s absolutely no way I’m going to school like this.

It’s Friday anyway, I remind myself, and it’s not like I won’t pass. I have too much dirt on all my teachers for them to fail me.

I brush my teeth and slip some clothes on, but I stop midstride when I hear voices coming from behind the door. I try to hold my breath, inching closer to listen to what is going on. I swallow the lump in my throat when I hear Corinne’s soft voice.

“If you care about him at all, you’ll go to rehab.” I hear her say, the demand in her voice tenacious. “The last thing he needs is to be in this house alone.”

What the hell is she doing?

My mother’s sobs follow, “There is nothing wrong with me. Everyone thinks I have a problem, but I don’t because I can stop!”

I open the bedroom door, looking between the both of them. My mom cannot look me in the eye as she stalks angrily past Corinne with a duffle bag in her hand, slamming the front door behind her with a thud. She didn’t want to leave me. My dad is forcing her somehow.

I clench my teeth, staring straight at Corinne, dressed in my t-shirt. Her bare legs and my Nike socks somehow make me even angrier. The fact that she spoke with my mom infuriates me. She had no right. None whatsoever. She doesn’t know anything about us.

“Nash—” she starts to speak, but I cut her off.