Page 18 of Reckless Youth
“Argh,” I belly-ached with a loud grunt, kicking at the ground with my Sketcher shoe.
And at the same time, both Sage and Cam threw their ideas in the ring.
“We could just do what they claim we’re doing…” said Sage, a wry smile across his face, just as Cam said,
“We should lay low for a while until this all fades away…”
I stared at them both, my head reeling, blinking in rapid succession as I worked through their suggestions.
Throwing my hand up in order for them to shut up, I heaved a deep breath.
Glaring and pointing at Cam, I gave him the what-for, stuttering with condemnation.
“I’m surprised that you of all people would suggest we tuck tail and hide like we’re guilty of some crime. You would allow their ignorant comments to ruin our friendship? Ruin what we’ve had together for thirteen years?”
Cam’s shoulders drooped in despair. “I don’t know. Yeah, maybe. Just for a little while. Give us a break to hang out with other people.”
A tear escaped and dripped down the side of my nose. Sage jumped to his feet and wrapped his arms around my back, pulling my head into his shoulder.
I sniffled into him. “I don’t want to hang out with other people. I want you.”
“Don’t cry, sweetheart. You know I can’t stand it when you cry.” Sage turned to speak directly to Cam.
“That’s the lamest fucking thing I’ve ever heard you say. You’re just gonna roll over like some pussy because some people are talking shit about something they know nothing about? Fuck ‘em all, I say. They can all go to hell right along with my asshole dad.”
I snapped out of my funk and giggled, my body shaking against Sage’s chest. Sage slid a hand down my hair and the column of my neck, kissing my forehead sweetly. Wrapped up in Sage’s arms, I couldn’t care less about what anyone else thought, as long as we had each other and stayed together.
When Sage’s mouth landed on mine, I knew he was thinking the same thing. It was the three of us against the world, and this was our last year together before we went off in different directions.
For Cam and me, the future didn’t feel like such an unknown, because we both knew where we were going, and we’d always have homes to come back to.
But for Sage, it wasn’t like that. His father had been promising him for years that the minute Sage graduated high school he would be kicked to the curb and would be cut-off financially. Not that Sage got anything from his dad that constituted as parental support, anyhow.
Sage’s kiss turned drugging, his tongue slipping inside my mouth sending prickles of heat to ignite my body. His palm landed on my backside, grabbing at the flesh of my butt and squeezing hard, a deep, masculine sound exploding from his lungs. I had no more control over myself kissing Sage than I did breathing. It was a necessity. It was pain and beauty and comfort.
I let my fingertips trace the edge of Sage’s square jaw, the bristle of his dark short scruff sexy and tantalizing, shooting lightning bolts of pleasure between my legs.
A car drove by and honked, jeering voices of several boys in our class throwing out rude obscenities from the car window. I could hear Cam growl as he called after them, “Assholes!”
Sage broke the kiss and we stepped away, me licking my lips and he running a hand through his hair.
“London, it’s up to you. I’ll do whatever you want,” Sage muttered, but I could tell from the glint in his eyes and the tightness of his mouth that he knew we belonged together.
Not apart. Not separate.
Cam stepped beside us and reached for my hand.
“Me, too. I just want to protect you, not lose you.”
Our answer was there filling the space between us. Casting a warm glow of affection over us.
We’d tell all the nay-sayers to go screw themselves and we’d continue spending time together for as long as we could.
In the end, we all decided to forgo Homecoming with each other, must to my disappointment because it was the only thing I looked forward to. Although I wanted to, I didn’t argue or fight it, and we each took different dates, but all went as a group together. It nearly killed me, though, to see Cam with Hallie and Sage with my friend Chloe.
They should’ve been dancing with me, where they belonged.
Chapter 10
