Tightrope

Elly Belly

"All I'm saying," said Knight, after we'd driven home from the wedding. "One time, it's the heat of the moment. It just happens. You're a little hot and heavy, you chalk it up to a big misstep and never discuss it again. I don't think you can do something three times and it's still an accident. Like, you're just straight up into him now and I think it's time for you to admit it."

The drive home from the wedding had been weird. Jace and I had made out behind the hedges for, oh, about an hour. The feeling of his lips on mine was practically embedded into my brain, tattooed on my lips. My mind flittered back to the moment every three seconds or so, if I was being generous, and turned my heart to honey.

But when I'd heard Kaelin calling my name from the doorway, I'd reeled back, cursing. Jace had just smiled at me—endlessly amused and almost cocky—as I gathered up my things and raced out into the light, brushing my hair back into a demurer and not just-been-making-out style.

Kaelin had raised an eyebrow at me. "Hey, slut. How's Hartley doing?"

I slapped her arm. It was almost midnight by that point, and the drive home took a couple of hours. Kaelin was staying in Casserine with Julian, but Knight was waiting outside to drive Jace and me home. Thankfully, there was a flurry of goodbyes, tears of joy and a few more sneaky shots that meant I didn't have to look at Jace.

In the car, Jace and I directed all of our conversation through the buffer of Knight, never addressing each other directly. How many times was I going to make out with Jace Hartley? And, god, why did he have to be so good at it? Knight had picked up on the strange energy, and as soon as we'd dropped Jace at home, he'd proclaimed, "So. You guys hooked up again."

Apparently, we were predictable. I also think Knight was avoiding any conversation about his parents, studiously turning the conversation solely to Jace and I instead.

I leant back into my pillows and looked over at Knight with frustration. It was after 2AM now, the sky outside dark and starry. It reminded me of the stars above Jace and I only a few hours ago as we...

"I don't think it's time for me to admit anything, because there's nothing to admit. I was tipsy the other two times," I protested. "I'd had at least five shots both times. Neither of them counts."

"We both know that was, like, not at all a factor," said Knight, leaning back against the pillows with his arms crossed. The left side of my bed pretty much belonged to Knight now; there was an indentation of his ass permanently sunk into the bed. He still slept in the closet most of the time—in case my family walked in—but before he went to sleep, when his presence could be excused, he pretty much just lounged on my bed while I brought him shit like an Egyptian Pharoah. "Just admit you're into him. Admit that you want to go to one of his football games and admire his ass in those little shorts."

"You want to do that," I said. "Stop looking for excuses to pin your pervy desires on me."

Knight just laughed.

From down the hallway, I could hear the telltale signs of footsteps ascending the stairs. Austin was in his room, and Dad was having late night drinks with his brothers after the wedding. The lack of clicking heels told me it wasn't my mother. As the car keys jangled—the sound of far too many keychains clanking together—I knew it was Liv. She was just arriving home from the wedding, clearly.

"Under the bed you go," I said, shoving Knight onto the floor. It was almost 2AM, and I couldn't think of any reason to excuse his presence in my room. I mean, he hadn't, to Liv's knowledge, even been at the wedding. He fell back, sprawled against the carpet.

"Ouch!" he said, rubbing his arm. "This is child abuse!"

"You're older than me!" I said in a hushed voice as the footsteps drew closer. "Now get under."