Page 61 of Reckless Liar

“Just okay,” I said, not meeting his eyes.

The dress I borrowed from Scarlett was a black V-neck sheath with a silvery overlay. It was too tight in the bust, too loose in the hips, and a little too long on me to be fashionable.

I walked into the living room where Xander was sitting on the couch. He glanced up from the TV to me. His mouth twisted up into a large grin.

“Whoa, you look amazing.”

I glanced down at the dress and frowned. “You think? I’m not so sure. It’s a little low cut with my...you know.”

He stood up and walked to me, placing a hand on my cheek. “I know I said we’d go as friends but seeing you in this dress is giving me some very unfriendly thoughts.”

***

I handed Xander a flute of champagne. “So, my mother, in a stroke of uncharacteristic familiarity, just cornered me in the bathroom and asked if I brought you as my date.”

Xander raised his eyebrows and tried to hide a smirk. “Did she? What did you say?”

“That we’ve been ripping each other’s clothes off every chance we get,” I rolled my eyes. “What do you think I said?”

“That would be an over-exaggeration of how far we’ve gone, unfortunately.” Xander grinned.

I glared at him. “You know what I mean.” I sighed loudly. “I played dumb.”

He glanced over my shoulder at where my mother was visiting with a fellow Ridgewood Pearl, Liz Hansen. “I think your mom wants to set you up with Matt Hansen. Looks like she’s trying to get you a piece of the great Hansen Outdoors Center fortune.”

I grimaced. “After what happened to him and Cami? No way in hell.” Our classmates, Cami and Matt Hansen recently separated, and I suspected Matt’s roving eye was the cause.

I swallowed the last of my champagne and grabbed his glass out of his hand, draining his glass. I looked over at my mom.

“Sorry, I get anxious at these things. Being here reminds me of all the expectations I haven’t lived up to. The constant questions from all their friends about my life. After they figure out I’m not that interesting they all want to talk about my brother. How his residency went, how successful he is.”

Xander stepped closer, resting his hand on my arm. “Hey, I don’t know if it makes you feel any better, but I think you’re the most fascinating person here.”

I laughed up at him. “That’s all that matters, right?”

His hand didn’t leave my arm. Seeing the serious look on his face I stepped closer to him, resting my hand on his chest. Gazing down at me, he covered my hand with his.

“You know, you’re the only one who matters to me.”

I glanced around the party, before grabbing his hand and pulling him behind me. I led him down the hall and around a corner. As we approached the stairs, I looked back. The party was in full swing, with no one watching us as we ducked away. We snuck into my childhood bedroom and closed the door.

“I haven’t been here in a long time. Not since...” he trailed off, but I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. The last time Xander was here, he’d come over after I caught Max kissing Carrie Semple at a high school party.

“Still looks the same. I thought my parents would’ve cleaned it out by now, but they haven’t gotten around to it. I’m pretty sure they won’t consider me an adult until I get married. Until then, the shrine of Ana remains.” I walked to my vanity. Pictures surrounded the mirror, the tape holding them up had begun to turn yellow from the years. I touched a group picture of all of us together on a camping trip. Even stupid Peter Jurgensen was in the picture. In it I’m where I always was, tucked under Max’s arm, smiling up at him.

“Thank you for coming tonight. If I hate these things, you must be in hell.”

“I’m surviving.” He stepped closer to me and gently cupped my cheeks. I stared up at him, transfixed. Slowly he bent down to kiss me. My arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. He walked backward until we fell onto my bed. His hands came down my legs and grabbed my thighs, bringing me closer to him. I could feel all of him against me. I slid my hands down to tug his shirt out of the front of his pants. I needed him desperately. A fever awakened across my skin, his kisses scoring along my neck. I started sliding my hand down the front of his pants, but he stopped me.

“We can’t Ana,” he whispered against my lips.

I pulled my hand back and leaned away from him, breathless. “Yeah, you’re right, we just got...”

“Carried away.”

I smiled at him. “Yeah.” I climbed off the bed, straightening my dress. “We should get back to the party. We don’t want my parents coming to look for us.”

He laughed. “You go on ahead of me, I need a minute before I can go out there.”

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