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I wanted to be the one he turned to for comfort.
“Lily, it’s your shot,” Aaron said, offering me a sympathetic glance. I guess my secret crush wasn’t so secret after all.
With a heavy sigh, I placed down my drink on the small table, picked up the cue and lined up my shot, promising myself not to obsess over Kaiden and Lindsey. If he wanted to dismiss me so easily then I guess he wasn’t the guy I thought he was.
It was hard, but I managed to avoid looking at them as we took turns sinking the balls. Bryan and Gav hung close by, but neither of them mentioned Kaiden and Lindsey again.
Somewhere during the second game, I was perched over the table trying to line up the shot, when someone moved behind me. The faintest touch glided across my back where my t-shirt had ridden up slightly, sending tingles up my spine. My heart ratcheted up in my chest as I held my breath waiting for it to happen again, but it didn’t. So I took the shot, conceding when the ball hit the pocket and rebounded into the center of the table.
Convinced I must have imagined it, I stood up only to feel warmth at my back. “You almost had it,” Kaiden whispered over my shoulder, his hot breath fanning my neck. A shudder ran through me melting into a pool of desire.
Heart fluttering wildly, I turned around, but he was already gone, moving around his friends to sit back down on the couch at the end of the room. A quick glance around and I realized no one was any the wiser to what had just transpired between us.
The room had begun to empty, everyone favoring the party above if the noise was anything to go by.
“You okay?” Ashleigh said. “You look a little flushed.”
“I’m fine.” I swallowed, grabbing my drink and washing down my nerves. Winding my hand around my braid, I tugged gently, relishing the slight pinch.
Since therapy I was in better control of my trich symptoms. I rarely found myself uncontrollably pulling at my hair. Instead, I used it as more of a soothing technique for when my emotions became too overwhelming to process. Like right now, just the slight pinch at my scalp was enough to abate some of the restless energy building inside me. It didn’t totally remove it, but it calmed me enough to focus on the other techniques I’d learned to help manage my condition.
“I’m going up,” Bryan announced. “Time to gift the ladies all this.” He circled a finger inward at himself.
“Let me know how that works out for you.” Aaron snorted.
“Coming?”
“Yeah. Why not?”
“Yo, Thatcher? You coming?” He stared right through his friend, and Bryan let out a low whistle. “I guess that’s a no.”
They started to ascend the stairs, but I lingered behind. Ashleigh noticed, her eyes flicking between me and Kaiden. “Do I need to warn you about the risks of unsafe sex?”
“Oh my God, Leigh… we’re not going to—” I couldn’t even say the words. Because they were so ridiculous. So fantastical…. So forbidden.
“I just want to make sure he’s okay.”
“You have your cell phone?” I nodded, my throat dry. “You get an hour. Then I’m coming to find you.”
“Okay.”
“Just remember, guys like Kaiden…”
“Yeah. I know.” I grimaced. I didn’t like thinking about Kaiden with anyone else. Especially not girls like Lindsey.
They disappeared up the stairs, leaving me alone with Kaiden. His eyes stalked my every step as I made my way toward him.
“You should have gone with them,” he said in a low, gravelly voice that made my tummy clench.
“I wanted to make sure you’re okay. You’re hurt.” I ghosted my hand over the bruising around his eye, careful not to touch him. But Kaiden surprised me, by turning into my touch and pressing his hand over mine so that my palm was splayed against him. His shoulders sank as the tension seemed to melt away from him.
“Kaiden, I—”
“Ssh,” he said, sliding his hands around my hips and pulling me down on top of him. My knees hit the edge of the couch and my hands went to his broad shoulders as I straddled his legs, forcing my skirt up around my thighs.
“Is this okay?” he rasped, brushing his lips over my collarbone.
My whole body lit up as I smothered a whimper.
