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Eighteen years old/12th Grade/May
Heavy, warm air that smelled like rain hit me. It didn’t surprise me that Steve and Zed were standing nearby between the elevator lobby and the sliding doors that led outside. Standing with them was our limo driver. Steve headed my way when he saw me.
“Is everything all right, Hollis?” he asked.
“Have you seen Patrick?” Patrick was all I was worried about right now.
“Mr. Dawson is sitting outside on a bench… in the pouring rain.” Steve pointed outside. Just beyond the valet section, Patrick sat alone. He was leaned forward with his forearms resting on his knees and stared at the ground. Dangling over his knees were balled up fists. “He didn’t respond to me when I went to check on him. Hollis, is everything all right?” Steve asked the question again that I didn’t know the answer to; however, now that I could see Patrick, I felt better.
“Yeah. I think so. Can the limo driver wait for Ginny and see to it that she gets home? Patrick and I will ride home with you and Zed.”
“Of course. I’ll speak to the driver now.”
“I need a few minutes to get Patrick, then we can go.”
“We’ll have the car warm and ready,” Steve promised.
I picked up one of the hotel umbrellas from the metal bin beside the sliding doors and opened it when I got outside. I walked to Patrick and then sat on the wet bench beside him and held the umbrella over us to prevent him from getting wetter. With one hand, I tried to toss his tux jacket over his soaked back and then I flung my arm across his shoulders. I replayed the crap Ginny said about him tonight as if he wasn’t even standing in the room.
Life wasn’t fair. Patrick had constantly struggled, and he deserved to be treated well. Life had been much easier for me. The more I thought about it, I thought Ginny was honestly hanging around me for the coattail fame, even though she said she detested TCF. I thought she did truly hate TCF, but she knew it was a way for her to get her face out there while she was attached to my arm. When we returned from Vegas in January, we realized the fame that I already had and knew it would quickly multiply once I graduated. Dad had told me that there were going to be people like Ginny who will appear to be my friend, but who will ultimately want something. I just hadn’t known then that Ginny was going to be one of them.
“Dude, your pants are getting wet,” Patrick said.
I squeezed his shoulder and pulled him to lean against me. At least he was talking to me.
“I don’t care. Besides, you’re a bit more than damp,” I teased. I could feel his body quivering. “Is your lip okay?” I asked. I knew getting clocked with the pillow stung.
He nodded.
“I’m sorry about tonight, Hollis.”
“Don’t be.” I squeezed his arm again. “Are you sorry about the kiss?” I asked him.
“What?”
He sat upright and turned to look at me for the first time since I’d been out here with him. He was frowning, and I couldn’t help but notice how his bottom lip was a little puffy from the fucking pillow Ginny had swung at him. She’s lucky she didn’t hit him in the eye.
“I asked if you regret our kiss.”
“No! Fuck, no. It’s the first time… It’s the first time I felt wanted,” he admitted. I smiled at him and tugged him closer to rest his head on my shoulder. “Do you regret it?” he asked me.
“No.” I turned my head slightly and planted a soft kiss to his forehead. “My only regret tonight was letting you leave the hotel room without me.”
I let that sink in for a moment while I absorbed my own words. I’d had a taste of something that I never thought I’d ever want. Doing it felt so… forbidden, but perfect.
“Let’s go home. You’re soaked and freezing.”
I stood and instantly felt chilled now that I wasn’t sitting on the wet concrete bench. Patrick stood and maneuvered his arms into his tux jacket. I carried the umbrella as we walked toward the hotel’s sliding glass doors. Steve walked out and waited for us. Once we were under the covered area of the valet, I closed the umbrella and set it in the umbrella bin under the valet window.
“Ready, Hollis?” Steve asked as Zed pulled into the valet area.
“Yes, thank you.”
Zed hopped out of the driver seat, opened the back door, and pulled out a blanket. He stretched his arm across the trunk and handed it to Steve while I pulled my tux jacket on. Steve opened the blanket and draped it around Patrick before helping him into the backseat. Once I saw Patrick was inside, I went around the back of the car to get in on the other side. Zed stood beside the door and shut it as soon as I got in.
“Where to?” Steve asked from the front seat.
“Home, please.”
