Page 9 of Dark Encounter
Chapter 4
Grace
"Grace. Seriously?" Jenna laid across her big white bed at her parent's house, giving me a look I'd seen too many times over my short life.
"What?" I twirled in front of the mirror. "I like it. It's conservative."
"It's boring and old." She rolled onto her back and climbed off the bed, walking to stand between me and the mirror. "The eighties called, and they want their tie back."
She grabbed the bright pink tie I had on and tugged on it.
"I like this." I forced a frown as she walked toward her closet.
"No. You're not wearing that out tonight. Take it off. Now."
"I don't like your tone. Reminds me of Nate." I smiled wickedly and turned to face her. "Speaking of... tell me what's been going on with you guys. You know I have to live vicariously through you."
"No. You don't." She tossed me a white top and black miniskirt that would make a whore look needy.
"Yes." I tossed it back to her. "I do. I don't have a boyfriend."
"You know what?" She lifted her eyebrows and dropped the clothes on the floor, moving back to stand in front of me. "You've never had a boyfriend. We're in our early twenties. It's time to stop letting all that bullshit from your mother stop you from being who you really are."
She reached up and undid my tie before unbuttoning the white button up I had picked with pride from my closet. There was no way in hell anyone would hit on me at Kadia if I looked like a cross dresser.
"This is hot." I gripped her hand and wagged my eyebrows. "Go slow, okay?"
She laughed. "You like dick, and so do I."
I shrugged. "I wouldn't know." I glanced down. "I've never really had it."
"What?" She moved back like I'd scalded her. "We've been best friends our whole lives. You told me you slept with Tommy Johnson and Tanner Walls."
"I lied." I shrugged and moved away from her. "I'm sorry. Honestly." I hopped up on the bed as the familiar feeling of disappointment raced through me. "I've never slept with anyone."
"That's nothing to be sorry about." She moved in front of me and pushed my shirt over my shoulders. "It's beautiful. Are you saving yourself for marriage?"
"No. Yes. I don't know." I glanced down at my hands feeling like a child all of a sudden.
"Hey." She touched my chin. "Talk to me. I'm your best friend. We're like sisters."
"I want to sleep with someone, but not just anyone. It's too intimate, too much like giving myself up for nothing." I pushed at her chest. "Back up. You're in my space."
She laughed and moved back, picking up the shirt. "And is there someone you have in mind for giving up your V-card to?"
Heat rushed up my chest and coated my neck. "Erik, of course, but he would probably be appalled by it. Guys like him like a woman who knows what they want."
"And you don't know what you want?" She handed me the shirt. "Put this on and pull your boobs up a little so they show right at the top of the shirt."
I did as she said and tried to figure out how to get myself out of the most awkward conversation we'd had to date. "I want Erik."
"Good. Nate should be here any minute. Put on that skirt, and I'll make him call Erik."
"I thought you said Erik was horrible for me." I laid back and pulled off my tights before getting off the bed.
"Wow. Your ass looks great in those panties."
I turned and put my back to the mirror. "There aren't any panties there. Hence the wordstring." I laughed and reached for the skirt.
