“Not one single boy has caught your eye? No one? It’s college. Don’t you want to experiment?” he asks, and I laugh.
“It’s not about what I want,” I answer truthfully, and he tilts his head.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, boys don’t usually like me. I–” But he interrupts.
“They’d be stupid not to like you, Petal. Why are you so hard on yourself?” he asks, and I shrug.
“Look at me, wh—”
“I am looking at you,” he says as a single finger traces my jawline, and I shut my eyes when histhumb catches my bottom lip. “I don’t see anything wrong with how you look,” he says as his warm breath fans over my face. I’m terrified to open my eyes, but when his lips press against mine softly, a moan seeps from them. He pulls away, and I open my eyes and stare into his blue ones.
“Why did you do that?” I ask, but he doesn’t answer. He just leans in and kisses me again, only this time it’s feverish, as if this is the first and last time he will do this. I can’t help but shiver when his tongue grazes mine. He kisses me with so much passion that I become dizzy, and it’s not until he pulls away that I notice I’m breathless and my lips tingle with want—need.
“I did that because I can.” He smirks, then gets up from the bed and walks over to the bag and places his empty container inside. He lifts a package and throws it at me. “I got you those too. They should help as well,” he says as I pick up the throat lozenges and open it. Popping one in my mouth, I moan again because cherry is my favorite flavor.
“Thank you, Elliot. I really appreciate it,” I say, and he shrugs.
“No sweat. Hopefully I don’t get sick now. Then you will have to take care of me.” He chuckles, and I shake my head.
“Oh, I’m not sick, I have a sore throat because—” But I stop mid-sentence. Ican’t tell him his best friend is the reason for my pain. But he tilts his head, and I know I fucked up.Shit.
“Huh?” he asks, but I shake my head.
“Nothing, nothing. I’m a snorer,” I lie, but he crawls up the bed and cups my face.
“You can trust me, Rowyn. I won’t tell anyone your secrets, and I'm the last person to judge you,” he assures me, but I still shake my head.
“I can’t. I’m sorry,” I say, but he growls.
“Who?” he grits.
“What do you mean who?” I ask, and he takes a deep breath.
“Either tell me or I’ll force it out of you,” he growls, and I gasp at his sudden change in tone.
“I-I...” I trail off because I’m not sure what to do or what to say. I’ve got myself cornered with no way to escape.
“It’s okay. I promise you can trust me,” he says again, and I close my eyes.
“It was Kade,” I whisper as his thumb drags down the center of my throat, making me swallow against him.
“Kade is the reason for your pain?” he reiterates, and I nod. “Words, Rowyn, I need your words,” he grits, and I take a deep breath, opening my eyes. His jaw is tight as his thumb continues to rub up and down my throat.
“Yes, Kade is the reason for my pain,” I answer truthfully, and he nods.
“Thank you for telling me. Keep up with the meds and the suckers. You will be okay,” he tells me, and I’m a little taken back by his reaction. But who am I kidding, it’s not like Elliot has feelings for me. It’s not like what happened tonight will go any further than it did. Boys like Elliot don’t find fat girls like me attractive. He’s just being nice—a friend.
His hand leaves my skin, and I’m instantly cold as he climbs off the bed. He turns to me and smiles. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good night, Petal,”
“Okay. See you tomorrow, Elliot,” I reply, and as fast as he entered my room is as fast as he leaves it. I crawl down into my bed and cover my head with the blanket.What the hell was that?Ugh, these boys are either ruining my life or drenching my panties. I just need them to stop kissing me. Thank god Grayson stays away from me for the most part, because I’m not sure what I would do if all three of them kiss me. I can’t handle this shit.
Rolling over, I continue to hide under my blanket, seeing no point in waiting for Misti to get back. It’s not like I can tell her what’s been going on. She warned me to stay away from them. Have I listened? Yes, but they keep coming for me.Ugh. This is so confusing.I huff and reach for my nightstand lamp, shutting the light off, then close my eyes and let sleeptake over me, except my dreams are filled with the three boys who I can’t stop thinking about.
six
Rowyn Hale
