He thinks I don't know he's following me all the time. He knows I want my life, and he's trying so hard to let me have it. I don't want to burst his bubble, so I don't say anything, but, really, I like knowing that he's there. When I can't sleep at night, I stare out my window through the trees at the glint of the moonlight off the hood of the Shelby, and wish I was out there with him.
I look around Gallaghers' backyard through beer-blurry eyes and see him leaning against a tree looking hotter than hell. Just as I start stumbling toward him, Riley and Trevor come sneaking out of the woods. I change my direction, staggering up to her, and brush the bramble out of her hair with my fingers as Trevor makes his way back up the stairs to his crew on the porch. I crack a smile. "Hey, Ry. You guys spending some quality time in Gallaghers' shed?"
Even in the bit of moonlight filtering through the trees, I can tell her blush is flaming. And I recognize the look in her eye, 'cause I've been seeing it in the mirror recently. "He's unbelievable, Fee. The stuff he does with his-"
I hold up my hand. "Too much information, Ry." But then I can't stop the grin from spreading across my face. It's great to see her so happy. "When you guys gonna tell Taylor?"
"Trevor's going to talk to her tomorrow-I think. He said that yesterday too, though… and last week."
I crack up. "She's gonna beat the shit out of him, and he knows it. I think you're gonna have to do it."
She groans as Taylor blasts into us, screaming, nearly knocking me to the ground. Taylor wobbles nearly to the point of falling, and Riley catches her and steadies her on her feet. "Come party with me, losers." Taylor giggles and loops an arm around each of our shoulders.
"Hey Trev!" I yell. "C'mere!"
He looks over warily, then slowly, and with much trepidation, starts making his way down the stairs. When he finally reaches us, I loop my free hand over his shoulder.
"So, Tay, Riley and Trevor have something they're dying to share with you," I say, slipping out from under Taylor's and Trevor's arms and linking them together.
If Taylor didn't need the support, she would have pushed her brother's arm off, but instead she leans on him. "What?"
I watch as Riley and Trevor share a glance then link their free arms around each other, closing the circle.
I turn my back on the happy little circle and look around again.
Roadkill is set up behind the house, and Delanie is blasting out a perfect Paramore. It's pretty amazing how much better they sound with someone who can actually sing. Reefer looks up at me and smiles. I wave and smile back. I laugh when I think about what Taylor called him: a geek of the Guitar Hero variety. He is, and it's cool.
And suddenly I feel all emotional. It must be the beer, 'cause my eyes well up when I realize how much I'm gonna miss all this. But I hope I'm not gonna miss Luc. I've been afraid to ask what's gonna happen after graduation.
I stumble toward him and stop to look back at my friends when I hear Taylor screech, "You stupid shit!" She shoves Riley, but only succeeds in knocking herself on her butt in the mud.
I turn back, smiling, and make my way to Luc. When I get to him, I hook my hands over his shoulders and lean in to steady myself. I rest my head on his chest, and he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me close.
"Hey," I say into his shirt.
"You having fun?"
"Yeah, but you're not."
"Why would you think that?"
"Dunno. You're just standing here."
"Enjoying the view," he says squeezing me a little tighter.
"Fee! You suck!" Taylor shouts at me.
In answer, I push back from Luc and flip her the bird. Then I reach up and twist my hand in his hair, pulling his face to mine. He grins and lets me, and when he kisses me I seriously want to climb right into him.
"C'mere," I whisper in his ear, sliding my hand under his T-shirt and running my finger along the skin at his waistband. I want him alone-now.
"Where are we going?" I feel his body stiffen as I hook my fingers around the button of his jeans.
"Just for a little stroll." I turn and start to tug him by the waist of his pants toward his car.
He smiles. "What about your friends? This may be your last bash with them."
"To hell with my friends."
I tow him past a line of cars on the side of the road to the Shelby parked near the woods. When we get to it, I push him into the side and lean in, pressing myself into him. Roadkill must be on a break, 'cause I can hear Led Zeppelin wailing from the boom box about a stairway to Heaven, but all I care about is Luc.
"What did you have in mind?" he asks, searching my face as if looking for something he lost.
"Finding our own stairway to Heaven. Your backseat looks comfortable. I haven't had a chance to check it out yet," I slur, pushing away from him to open the door.
So, I'm feeling pretty dizzy, but the potent smell of rotten eggs cuts through my drunken haze instantly. I start to turn, but a pair of hot arms grab me from behind. Reflexively, I drop into a crouch and grab one of the arms from my waist. I lose my balance as I flip the person it's attached to over my shoulder onto the ground in front of me. I see his face just before I fall backward into the mud.
Belias's one good eye stares red death at me. His other is covered with a black eye patch.
The next second, I'm being scooped off the ground and thrown into Luc's car.