Just Love Me Once Again

Page 27

I ADJUSTED MY DRESS for the millionth time this evening. Adam had asked me for the homecoming, and I'd jumped at the opportunity. I made the mistake of thinking that would keep Adam's wandering hands from touching my body. Guess not.

The car pulled in front of the school's gym. Adam's hand brushed the side of my breast, and he whispered in my ear, "You're so hot, Trixie."

I whispered back, "Stop it. People are watching."

He drowned the rest of the beer, shoving his body against mine again. "Tell me it'll be tonight. My parents will be away until tomorrow afternoon. We'll have all night." His hand dropped to my butt.

I smacked Adam's hand away.

Adam offered me his hand. I took it and let him escort me into the dance. The decorating committee had attempted to transform the gym into an island paradise. Three glittering palm trees and ocean backdrops for the photographer didn't hide the basketball goals or bleachers.

Adam only slow danced, leaving me to dance to the faster songs with the rest of the crowd. As I did, Adam wandered in and out of the boy's locker room with his friends. Unfortunately, he came back to the dance a little more sloshed each time.

"Hey, beautiful."

Adam gave me that loopy one-sided grin he only wore when he was drunk. I forced a smile on my face and stood. "Can we talk?"

His hand, sweaty from God knew that, touched my cheek. "Sure. In a sec."

The third slow song for the night began to play.

Adam took my hand and began to pull me toward the dance floor. We'd bypassed the dance floor and entered the hallway leading to the bathrooms. "Where are you going?"

"I told you, the locker room," Adam answered.

I yanked my hand away. "What happened to dancing and then talking?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Later. We're getting to the bottom of the barrel with our supplies. If I don't go in now, I'll miss the chance."

In more ways than he could ever imagine, "Yes, you will."

His deranged male mind misunderstood, and he kissed my cheek. "I knew you'd understand." And Adam walked away.

I leaned against the door frame, half of me in the shadowed gymnasium, the other in the lighted hallway.

Idiot. I was an idiot. I blinked several times to keep my tears at bay and hugged myself.

I could have expressed my feelings to Caleb.

"I told you that you deserve better."

My heart lifted at the sound of that deep, mischievous voice. "Caleb?"

Like a thief, he drifted from the shadows in a white button-down shirt, black tie, loosened to the third button, blue jeans, and black army boots. His dark brown hair fell casually over his eyes. "Trixie, you look..." He let his eyes wander down my body and then slowly back up. A wicked grin spread across his face. "Appetizing."

I laughed out loud, causing several lowerclassmen passing by to gawk. For the first time in a long time, I didn't care. "Like chicken wing appetizing or succulent hamburger appetizing?"

His chuckle tickled my insides. Caleb stepped closer, definitely invading my personal space. "Appetizing as in your boyfriend's a moron to leave you alone."

"He's not my boyfriend." And never would be.

"Good. Because I was going to ask you to dance."

As if on cue, another slow song started. Caleb didn't offer me his hand to take me to the dance floor. Instead, right there between the entrance of the gym and the locker room, he wrapped both his arms around my waist and pulled me close. God, he felt good, warm. I slid my arms to his neck, letting my fingers skim his skin.

"I thought you didn't do dances."

Caleb held me close enough to see those grey eyes. " I don't. And this afternoon, I had no intention of coming here." He swallowed. "This dance seemed so important to you. And you, you're important to me." He stopped swaying from side to side and looked away from me.

My heartbeat so loudly he had to hear it, if not feel it through my chest.

"Trixie, I can't tell you what's going to happen because I don't know. I don't hold hands in the hallway or sit at anyone else's lunch table. But I swear...you'll never be a joke to me, and you'll be much more than a girl in the backseat of my car."

The proximity of his body to mine made voicing the thousands of emotions raging inside of me impossible. My fingers drifted from his neck to his head. I clutched his hair and guided his head to mine. I couldn't tell him, but I could show him.

"Get away from my girl, Rivers."

In lion-fast movements, Caleb maneuverer us into the hallway and placed me behind him. He stood between me and Adam. "She's not yours."

Adam's face reddened, and he fisted his hands.

My now-ex stared straight at me. "Come here, Trixie."

"We should talk. In the gym." And get the heck out of here. I inched toward the gym, but neither Caleb nor Adam moved.

Cisco, Dustin, and a few other guys stumbled out of the locker room. Their laughter faded the moment they noticed Caleb, Adam, and then me.

Cisco stepped beside Adam. "It's not cool to be upon another man's girl."

I wrapped my fingers around Caleb's hand and tugged gently. "Caleb."

He squeezed back before pulling away. " Why don't you go in? I'll be there in a few."

"Um, no. Not without everyone else."

"What's happening here? And Caleb, why are you with Trixie?"

Oh, crap! Natalie, not now.

Natalie stood next to Cisco in shock.

Adam took a drunken step toward Caleb. "Yeah, go, Trixie."

This was not happening. Adam didn't stop his advance. He picked up his speed and slammed into Caleb. The two of them crashed into the wall. "No!"

Adam punched Caleb in the jaw. Blood trickled from Caleb's lip as he drove his fist into Adam's stomach and pushed him away.

"Would anyone tell me why Caleb is fighting with Adam?" Natalie yelled.

"Come on, man," Caleb said, ignoring Natalie, wiping the blood from his lip. "You don't want to do this."

"You stay away from her," Adam yelled as he rammed into Caleb again.

Prepared this time, Caleb punched Adam in the gut and pushed him to the ground.

Adam staggered up, staring at Caleb. I raced toward them. This had to stop. Only I was a little too late. Adam launched himself at Caleb at the same moment I stepped between them. Cement hit my stomach. I lost the ability to breathe, followed by an extensive amount of pain.

"Trixie!" multiple voices yelled from various parts of the hallway.