Part 5 (1/2)

”No? Okay, bye, then.”

I attempt to slam the door in his face, but he easily stops me with an outstretched arm. He muscles his way through, and I seriously consider using my bat on him. Nah, I've already physically a.s.saulted him enough for the night.

Johnny looks awful. Well, awful in that s.e.xy way that only hot guys can pull off. You know...bloodshot eyes, messy hair, tormented? My eyes are swollen, my hair is a mess-and I'm about as s.e.xy as a potato.

But Johnny's looking at me like he's starving and I'm a steak dinner. His eyes fall on me, approving and possessive. ”You're wearing my s.h.i.+rt,” he says huskily.

I glance down. I hadn't even realized...My favorite sleep s.h.i.+rt happens to be an old jersey of his. He left it here one day, and I'd claimed it for my own. It's huge on me.

Shrugging, I casually strip out of the s.h.i.+rt and throw it at him. He catches it against his chest, dumbstruck. I go over to the hall closet and find a hoodie, slip it on, and zip it up.

There, a.s.shole. That's the last time you'll be seeing them.

”Juliet.” He moves towards me, expression darkening in that intense way that means he's turned on.

”Nope,” I say, and head for the kitchen. He follows right on my a.s.s.

He's refusing to give me any s.p.a.ce. I lean against the stove, and he's right there-crowding me in with his familiar smell and heated presence.

”I know I can't make it right, but just let me explain, okay?”

I turn my head away, refusing to acknowledge him. I don't want to do this, not now. I'm afraid I don't have the strength. To not let him kiss me, and make it all better.

”After we won the game, and everyone was celebrating...the first thing I did was look for you. You weren't there, of course-you hardly ever are. And I get that you have a life, and s.h.i.+t, but sometimes...I don't know. Sometimes I feel like I'm low on the list of your priorities.”

I roll my eyes so hard I give myself a headache.

”Dani was there. She comes to all the games, and she always makes it a point to find me and give me a big hug and congratulate me. We're friends, we hang out with the same group of people. And she...”

I grit my teeth, and shake my head. ”What is the point in retelling the events that led up to the grand finale? We all know how it turns out.”

Johnny gently grabs my face with both hands and forces me to look at him. ”I have to explain, okay?”

I jerk my face away. ”Whatever.”

I feel the sigh coursing through his body before he continues. ”I should have never started drinking, but...I don't know. I was excited, and I needed to let off some steam. I was counting the minutes, waiting for you to get there, and Dani just kind of glued herself to my side. Then Arianna...”

”She said she had just come from the mall, and she saw you there, making out with some guy. At first, I didn't believe her-but she had pictures on her phone. You and some d.i.c.khead-he had his arms around you. You were walking close together-and there was one where he was touching your face, and you were smiling and looking at him-”

”Smiling and looking at him?” I interrupt, my voice horror-filled. ”In a crowded mall, of all places? d.a.m.n me and my s.l.u.tty ways!”

Johnny just gives me a look. ”When she showed me the pictures...I thought you had ditched me to be with him. I got so p.i.s.sed. I started really knocking back the drinks. Then Kara said-”

”Kara? That redheaded b.i.t.c.h?” I snap. ”What could she possibly have to say, considering I never met her until tonight?!”

He frowns. ”She's my friend. She...” He wisely trails off on his own, putting his hands on my shoulders. ”Look, it was a huge mistake. I didn't mean for it go that far with Dani. I was stupid drunk, and-”

”And what?” I give him an incredulous look. ”You tripped and fell into her v.a.g.i.n.a?”

”I didn't have s.e.x with her! I never intended to. We were fooling around, and it got a little out of hand-”

”A little?! I saw you, Johnny! You weren't that drunk. And the way you looked at me...and the things you said...”

”I know, I'm an a.s.shole. I wanted to p.i.s.s you off.” He closes his eyes, face full of useless regret. When he opens them again, they're s.h.i.+ny with unshed tears. ”I'm messed up, right? I destroy everything I love.”

Love? Oh, now he can say the word. That's just awesome.

I try to pull away again, but he doesn't let me. ”Please,” he begs, lowering his face to mine. ”Give me another chance. Don't let me ruin us.”

I take in a shuddering breath, trying to steel myself. ”Have you done this before?” I ask almost fearfully. ”Cheated on me? You did it so easily tonight.”

Johnny catches my face with both hands and looks me dead in the eye. ”I swear to G.o.d-I've never even looked at another girl since I met you. Tonight was-I don't even know. It's always been just you, Juliet.”

The next thing I know, we're kissing-pa.s.sionately, desperately. I can't tell you who reached for who first. I can't even tell you that there wasn't biting involved.

You know the really sick part? I've never been more turned on.

”Juliet,” Johnny whispers, dragging down the zipper of my hoodie.

I suddenly come back to myself, pus.h.i.+ng him away. ”No. Stop.”

”I can make this up to you. I swear.”

”We're over. We were over the second you believed the words coming out of some lying b.i.t.c.h's mouth. Go home, Johnny.”

I jerk myself out of his arms, and this time, he releases his hold, shoulders slumping. But as I start walking away from him, he says quietly, ”I'm never letting you go.”

Why does it sound like a threat?

Oh, yeah. Because that's what the stalker said to the girl right after he tied her up and left her in his bas.e.m.e.nt for a year.

The next morning, I stumble into the downstairs, only half-awake. I need caffeine...I need...what's that s smell? Nose wrinkling, I walk into the kitchen, and almost b.u.mp into my mother carrying a steaming cup of coffee.

”Careful,” Mom hisses, wincing as the hot liquid sloshes out of her mug.

”Sorry!” I gasp. I wet a dish towel and hand it to her. ”Did you get burned?”

”No, it's fine.” She takes the towel and wipes her hand and the sides of the cup. Then she gives me a hard look. ”You look worse than I do. Rough night?”

I collapse at the kitchen table burying my head in my arms. ”Boys suck,” I groan.

”Yeah, they do,” she agrees readily. ”Speaking of boys, did you know there's one asleep on our lawn right now?”

My head shoots up so fast I give myself whiplash. ”What?”

”That boyfriend of yours.”