"Because I quit. But when I'm stressed about something I start up again. C'mon, Rumor, I can't be alone right now."
"Why don't you go to Alyssa's house? You guys are best friends."
"Alyssa's such a downer. She's not who you want to be around when you just found out your friend died. I just need to take a quick shower. I'll be there in an hour. Maybe less."
"Peyton, you can't. I'm serious. There's too much going on right now. Lawyers keep coming over. Braden and Brock are fighting. And the cops might show up again."
"Why would the cops be there? For Braden?"
"Or me," I mutter.
"Why you?"
"I don't want to get into it," I say, knowing she'll spread anything I tell her around school. "Peyton, I need to go."
"Maybe I could stop by later."
"It's not a good time. I'll just see you at school on Monday." I end the call, hoping she doesn't show up here. Why is she trying so hard to be my friend? We have nothing in common. And she already has friends. She's friends with all the cheerleaders.
Two hours pass without a word from Jackson. I'm about to text him when I hear him at my door. "Rumor, it's me."
I run to the door and open it.
"Finally." I hug him. "I was getting worried."
"Took longer than I thought it would."
"What happened?"
"Long story." He backs me into my room and shuts the door, then kisses me. The type of kiss that makes me forget everything that's going on and suspends me in the moment. God, I've missed that. I didn't even know that type of kiss existed until I met Jackson.
Moments later, we're in my bed, clothes stripped off, and Jackson inside me.
"Can we just stay here?" I say, breathing hard. "And never leave?"
He smiles, then kisses me as he slides in and out of me in that slow intoxicating way that feels so damn good it makes me come before I wanted to. I was hoping to make it last. Who knows when we'll be able to do this again?
As I lie in Jackson's arms, I realize this is the first time since Friday night that I've felt calm and relaxed.
"You okay?" Jackson asks, kissing my forehead.
"I'm great." I take a breath. "I just wish we could stay like this." I look up at him. "How'd you get in here? Was the front door unlocked?"
"Brock let me in. His obsession with getting a role in one of my dad's movies is really helping us out."
"Is your dad going to give him a part?"
"Maybe. He hasn't decided. Actually the whole thing was my idea."
"What do you mean?" I sit up, pulling the sheet up to cover me.
"I needed something to get Brock off our backs. I knew he'd never let me see you if there wasn't something in it for him."
"So you told your dad to give him an audition?"
"My dad owed me a favor for all the times I went to his house last year to deal with shit that came up during construction. My parents built an addition on their house and the builder kept fucking it up. Anyway, he owed me so this is what I asked for."
I smile. "You really wanted to be with me."
