Harry turns on the radio as we drive along, and laughs into a speech on how music these days is all based around sex. I watch him as he talks animatedly, sometimes removing both his hands from the wheel to make a point. At those times I quickly remind him to have two hands on the steering wheel and he laughs before complying.
"Where are we even going?" I ask him.
"You'll recognize it," he says, a sly smile forming on his lips.
"You're not taking me to play poker again, right?"
"No, don't worry. You won't have to face losing at poker to me."
"I would not lose."
"Rosie, Rosie. I don't think you know who you're talking to."
I narrow my eyes at him and he smirks, raising his eyebrows at me.
When he finally parks the car, I furrow my brow in confusion. "Are we at...Crystal?"
"Yep," Harry says, getting out of the car.
"Why?" I ask. "Of all the places to kill me, you think Crystal is the best?"
Harry laughs and locks his car. "Absolutely."
I follow Harry through the lobby and into the elevator. I eye him carefully as he pushes the button for the fifteenth floor. He notices me watching him and smirks.
"I'm not going to push all the buttons," he says, leaning back against the wall of the elevator as it begins to ascend. "Being stuck with you in a small, compact space once is enough for me."
I scoff. "You're one to talk."
We both smirk at each other as the elevator finally stops, dinging open. We step out and I look at Harry confusedly when he begins climbing the stairs to the roof.
"Why are we going to the roof?" I ask.
"Because there's something I want to show you," he answers.
I furrow my brow but follow him anyway. The cool air greets us as we arrive on the roof. The city is lit up around us, the sound of honking horns and bustling people hanging in the air.
"Wow," I breath. "This is beautiful."
"It is, isn't it." Harry sticks his hands in his pockets, sighing.
I watch Harry as he walks away from me, making his way toward the middle of the roof. I tentatively follow, wondering what he's up to.
As we walk closer, I notice in the middle of the roof area is the large skylight window that looks straight down to the lobby. All of the floors are built around this area, so you can see all fifteen stories from it.
I watch in disbelief as Harry steps right onto the glass, turning around and facing me.
"Are you insane?" I ask him.
"Maybe," he grins. "Come on."
I shake my head. "No way."
"Come on, Rosie. It won't break. This glass is fourteen inches thick, at least."
"I don't care." I cross my arms over my chest.
"Rose." Harry walks to the edge of the glass, where I stand. He extends his hand to me, smirking. "Don't be afraid."
"I'm not afraid."
"Prove it."
I sigh. "If it breaks, I blame you."
"Fair enough."
I tentatively reach out and take his hand, stepping onto the slick glass. Below me is fifteen stories, and my stomach does flips. I grip Harry's hand tightly, and he smirks.
"Don't cut off my circulation, now," he teases and I loop my other arm around his, just for safety.
"It's so far down," I say softly as Harry leads me to the middle of the large window.
"Yeah, if you fall, you'd go splat."
I glare at him and he laughs, pulling my hand down with him as he sits. I carefully sit beside him, removing my hand from his warm one. The breeze blows around us, making me shiver slightly.
"Will we get in trouble for being up here?" I ask.
Harry shrugs. "Not if we don't get caught."
I look over at Harry. His cheeks are flushed with a healthy pink and his curls blow slightly in the wind. His emerald eyes reflect the city lights around us, and his lips are full and pink. I've never cared to admit it before, but he's one of the most devilishly handsome boys I've ever seen.
"So tell me about New York."
Harry's slow voice breaks me from my trance.
"Well, it was one of the worst weekends of my life," I say. "Until Elizabeth and I made up last night."
"What ever did happen between you two?"
I look at him. "I..."
As much as I want to trust Harry, a small part of me doesn't want to let this secret go. I mean, he's hardly told me anything about his past, so why should I tell him about mine? This is my darkest secret that I've kept hidden inside of me, lurking there in the depths of my soul, and I don't think I'll ever fully be prepared to tell anyone about it.
"Don't want to tell me, do you?" Harry's eyes hold something I can't decipher. He looks away. "I know the feeling."
"It's not something I'm very proud of," I say quietly.
Harry chews on his lips. "How about this," be says. "If you tell me your secret, I'll tell you one of mine."
My heart rate quickens. He knows he's using curiosity against me, and I know it too.
"Harry, I..."
"Cone on, Rose. A secret for a secret."
I look back into his eyes, and I suddenly believe that he really wants to know. Not just for the sake of knowing, either; he wants to know because he cares. Maybe he cares because we're friends, or that we're bound by secrets regarding Wolfe Enterprises, but either way, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that he cares. Harry cares.
So I open my mouth to tell him my darkest secret.
"Rose," my mother says, setting the cake down on the kitchen table. The party is in full swing around us, with music pounding from the stereo and high-schoolers grinding up against each other. The lights are dim in the apartment, casting a club-like feel through the area. I'm surprised my parents are letting this occur--normally they're so proper and conservative. But Elizabeth is turning the big one-eight, so I suppose it calls for proper celebration.
I look up at my mother from my seat at the table. "Yeah?"
"Go find Elizabeth and Jason. It's time to blow out the candles."
I nod and stand. Today is Elizabeth's eighteenth birthday, and I took the day off from college classes to celebrate it with her. Her friends from school are here, and even some of my old friends showed up. My father has shut himself in his study, not wanting to deal with intoxicated teens.
I weave through the throngs is sweaty, dancing teenagers and make my way to the hall. I knock on Elizabeth's door, knowing her and Jason disappeared in here earlier. I've never felt quite right about Jason. Something has always been off about him, although I don't know what. I hope Elizabeth isn't trusting him with her virginity--she deserves better than him.
When there's no answer, I knock again, this time a bit louder.
"Who is it?" A muffled voice asks.
"Rose," I answer.
I hear rustling inside the room and suddenly the door swings open, a hand grabbing me and I'm shoved up against it, my body colliding with the wooden door.
My eyes quickly adjust to the dark room. I look around for Elizabeth, but she's nowhere to be found. Instead I meet the eyes of Jason, who steps forward and presses his body against mine. He traces my jawline with his fingertips, a dangerous smirk spreading across his face.
"What are you doing?" I ask, trying to push him away.
He grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him. "Rosie, Rosie," he coos. "You don't need to worry, it's only me." He smirks again before feverishly pressing his lips to mine. I taste alcohol and smoke on them as he pries my lips open with his tongue, shoving it down my throat.
I push him away from me, disgusted. "Stop," I say. "You're with Elizabeth."
"That doesn't mean we can't have a little fun, does it Rosie?" His eyes flash as he stalks back toward me, his finger running up my thigh. I gasp as they push aside my underwear, and within seconds, he's inside me.
"Stop--"
He clamps his other hand to my mouth and I squirm, trying desperately to get away from him as he leans in and sucks on my neck harshly. He pushes deeper inside of me, and tears spring to my eyes. No, no, no. This isn't happening. This is just a nightmare.
"I know you're enjoying this, Rosie," he purrs in my ear. He pushes another finger in and pain shoots through me, along with fear.
In a last attempt to escape his grasp, I bring up my knee and nail him swiftly in the nuts. His fingers pull out of me as he falls to the ground, pain taking over his features.
I try to catch my breath and fumble from the door handle, but he's too quick. He rises to his full height like a predator, his eyes flashing.
I cower against the door as he grabs my wrist, yanking me away from the door and striking me hard across the face. Tears fall down my face as I fall onto Elizabeth's bed.
"You do not refuse me, do you understand?" He snarls, hitting me again. I wince and try to find the strength to fight back, but I have none.
He leans down and begins to press his lips to mine again, when suddenly light spills into the room. I frantically look up, relief washing over me and then disappearing as I lock eyes with my sister.
"R-Rose?" She stammers in confusion. "Jason?"
Jason stands quickly, brushing himself off. He composes himself quickly, a confused look crossing his face. "I don't know what happened, baby," he says to her. "She just...came onto me."
I gape at him. How dare he lie like that?
"I can't believe you," she snaps at me, her eyes flashing. "You whore!"
More tears stream down my face as I get off the bed, walking towards her. "Elizabeth, I didn't--"
"Don't even talk to me, you fucking slut." She turns on her heel, Jason chasing after her down the hall.
I crumble to the floor, sobs raking my body. I have never felt so betrayed, pathetic, and hopeless in my life.
Tears stream freely down my face as I finish telling Harry. He looks at me deeply, his brow furrowed.
"That's it," I say, wiping tears from my face. "That's my secret." My voice cracks again at the end of my statement.
"That's why you don't like being called 'Rosie,' is it?" Harry asks softly.
I nod.
Harry, for the first time since I've met him, is lost for words.
After a few minutes, he finally finds them.
"You're really strong, Rose," he says, looking into my eyes. In a completely out-of-character gesture, he reaches out and puts a soothing hand on my thigh, using his other hand to wipe my tears.
I look down into my lap. "I made him tell her," I say. "I made Jason tell Elizabeth that he lied."
Harry stares at me.
"It only took him a year," I laugh dryly. "But Elizabeth's finally forgave me for something I never even did."
A silence takes over after that. The sun has set by now, and shining stars have begun to pop up in the sky. I suddenly remember that Harry owes me a secret.
"Now that you know my secret, you have to tell me yours," I say, wiping the remainder of my tears.
Harry smiles crookedly. "Which one?"
I contemplate this. It's obvious Harry has many secrets--so which one do I want to know about now? Before I can think, words tumble from my mouth.
"Tell me about the first time you fell in love."