Page 69 of A Ballad of Betrayal and Beauty

I blink. “Huh?”

She glances around, then with a smirk, she lifts one side of her skirt to show me the little black bows again.

Blood rushes south for the second time this morning. Charmed by my panic, she leans closer. “Any requests for which ones I should wear tomorrow?”

My eyes nearly bulge from my head. “Wh-what?”

“My panties,” she whispers. “You enjoyed looking at them, so I thought I’d ask if you had any requests.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “Look, I—that was a mistake. I didn’t mean to?—”

“I’m not mad.”

“You’re not?”

“Guys look at me all the time, and I hate it, but you?” She smirks. “I likeyoulooking.”

With that, she pushes me back against the bleachers again. She fists the collar of my shirt and presses up onto her toes as her lips nearly touch mine.

“I’ve always liked you looking,” she whispers, then kisses me again. This time I can’t contain it. My hands are all over her, because she’s here, and I can’t get enough. She likes me looking at herandshe’s kissing me. Her tongue begs for entrance and I give in, forgetting for a few moments everything I’ve been told in church. She tastes like smoke and butterscotch candy and it’s the best drug I could ever hope to try.

When the bell rings in the distance, I’m breathless and floating, unsure whether it’s been five minutes or an hour. Pulling back, we look at each other, her lips swollen and her hair a little messy from where my hands have been, but she smiles so brightly it’s as if I’m looking at the sun itself.

“I promised I’d come back for you.”

CHAPTER17

Suspicious Minds

JOEL

Idon’t think I can remember the last time I smiled so much. My cheeks hurt. Is that normal? Do I have lockjaw? But as I pull into the driveway I glance in the rearview mirror and my grin pulls even wider.

Oh man. I’m such a fucking goner.

One makeout session with this woman and she has me eating out of the palm of her hand. I rest my head back against the seat. What the hell am I going to tell Key? He wants everything to stay the same, but life isn’t like that. What if he hates me for dating someone? What if he thinks I’m leaving him behind? Oh fuck, what if it breaks up the band?

“Fuck a duck . . .” I mutter, grabbing a cigarette and stepping out of my Honda Accord. I glance up at the stars above me, imagining they’re Dusty’s freckles across the bridge of her narrow nose. It’s so dark now, the lit cherry of my cigarette the only light. I fumble with my keys, taking far too long in the dark to find the right one. Finally, the door opens and I’m assaulted by the lights and noise.

Key’s not alone.

Panic floods through me. What if Key brought home a girl? What if he wants us both to take her to bed? I don’t want anyone else. In fact, I haven’t thought about any other girl since Dusty reappeared in my life. I’m locked in. Hook, line, and sinker.Jesus Christ. Is this how Dave and James felt?

I close the door behind me and see Becks standing in the kitchen pouring coffee. With the noise of the door slamming, she looks up and her green eyes meet mine. “Oh good, Joel, you’re home.”

“Uh, yeah. What’s—what’s going on?”

Her mouth is turned down and a sinking feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. “You should come into the living room.”

I turn the corner to find the guys sitting around Al wearing worried expressions. Becks passes out coffee, but it’s not until I sit down in the seat next to Key that anyone notices I’m here.

“Joel,” Al says. “Good, I think it’s best that we do this with everyone here. Less confusion, I think.”

“I don’t understand,” I say. “What’s going on?”

“Something has . . . happened,” Al starts.

I wait, but when he doesn’t elaborate I look around the room. James and Dave don’t meet my eyes, and Key has slumped forward, head heavy in his hands. Everyone seems to know but me.

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