Page 3 of Unholy Confessions
I do, and immediately regret it. Her eyes are so blue they're almost gray, and they're looking at me with an intensity that makes my stomach flip.
"You're not alone, okay? No matter what happens with your family, or with EJ, or with anything else – you're not alone. You have me."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut, but in the best possible way. I turn my hand over so our palms are touching, and I wonder if she can feel the calluses on my fingers from playing guitar. I've been taking lessons the past couple of years and I've gotten pretty good.
"I know," I say quietly. "You're about the only good thing in my life right now."
She blushes, and I realize what I've just said. It's more honest than I meant to be, but I don't take it back. It's the truth.
"RJ..." she starts, but I'm already pulling my hand away and reaching for my wallet.
"Come on," I say, standing up. "I should get you home before your mom sends out a search party."
"More like my dad," she whispers, laughing.
The drive back to her house is different than the drive to the restaurant. There's something charged in the air between us, something that makes me hyper-aware of every breath she takes, every time she shifts in her seat. When I pull into her driveway, I don't immediately put the truck in park.
"Thanks for dinner," she says, but she doesn't move to get out.
"Thanks for coming with me." I turn to look at her, my eyes cataloging every piece of hair, every patch of skin. "I know I'm not the easiest person to be around lately."
"You're worth it," she says simply.
And then, before I can talk myself out of it, I'm leaning across the center console and she's meeting me halfway. Our lips touch, and it's like every cliché I've ever heard about first kisses – fireworks, butterflies, the whole damn thing. She tastes like banana pudding and something uniquely her, and I want to memorize every second of this.
When we break apart, we're both breathing hard. Her cheeks are flushed, and I can see my own surprise reflected in her eyes.
"Wow," she whispers.
"Yeah." I clear my throat. "Wow."
She smiles – a real smile, not the worried one she's been wearing all evening – and opens the truck door. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Tomorrow."
I watch her walk to her front door, and she turns to wave before going inside. I sit in her driveway for a few more minutes, touching my lips and trying to process what just happened. Montgomery Winston just kissed me. My best friend, the girl I've been falling for, just kissed me back.
And it was perfect.
The drive home takes longer than usual because I keep replaying the kiss in my head. When I pull into our driveway, I'm surprised to see that the house is lit up. Dad's car is in the driveway, which is unusual, he's supposed to be on tour for a few more days, I thought.
I let myself in through the front door and immediately hear voices coming from the living room. Dad's voice, and EJ's. They're talking animatedly about something, and I can hear the excitement in EJ's voice even from here.
"The sound check's at six," EJ is saying as I round the corner. "And they want us to do two sets. Two sets, Dad. At The Lounge, can you believe it?"
So he must be telling Dad all about the good news.
"That's incredible, son." Dad's voice is warm with pride. "Your mother's going to be so proud. Hell, I'm proud. You've worked so hard for this."
I stop in the doorway, and they both look up at me. EJ's face is flushed with excitement, and Dad's got that smile he reserves for when he's really happy about something. The same smile he used to give me when I was younger and I'd play him a song on the guitar.
"Hey, RJ," EJ says, but his tone is different than it was a minute ago. More guarded. "How was your night?"
"Fine." I shove my hands in my pockets, suddenly aware of the dried blood on my knuckles. "Congrats on the show."
"Thanks." He turns back to Dad. "So you really think Mom will be able to make it back from New York in time? I know she's got stuff to do with the shop."
"She'll move mountains to be there," Dad assures him. "This is huge, EJ. Really huge."
