“Damn, Shelly. I love you,” Keenan groaned. Sheldon wailed and picked up her pace.

I looked up at Dash, who had already looked away, but his disgusted expression was very much evident. I pushed him away, and we tiptoed up the stairs.

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know they did it,” I mocked.

“Knowing and seeing are two different things.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his expense. “Think it’s funny, do you?”

“So much.” I laughed even harder. Completely unable to contain it. “Hey, where do you think Ken is if they’re doing it practically in public?”

“I don’t know. She could be sleep.”

We made it to Ken’s room and peeked in. Sure enough, she was sound asleep, but dressed in clothes to go out.

“I guess she fell asleep.”

“Those jerks could have called instead of making a detour to get laid.”

“Sounds like someone is jealous,” I sung. The next moment, my back was against the wall and his face was buried in my neck.

“Why would I be jealous when you have all this ass?”

“Are you trying to say I have a fat ass?”

“Yes,” he growled, “and I love it.”

I had just felt the beginning stirrings of extreme horniness rising when Sheldon’s cries and the sound of slapping skin drifted up the stairs. Dash’s body went rigid and his complexion paled.

“Please, get me out of here,” he pleaded. I clamped my hand over my mouth stifling my laugh and led him by the hand, down the stairs and out the door. I looked back at Dash whose face was set as if he didn’t find any of it amusing.

Poor baby.

“What do we do now?”

Once he managed to stop looking so disgusted, he spoke. “It’s still early. We can wait around for them,” he screwed up his face, “to finish.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

SENIOR YEAR - HIGH SCHOOL

DASH

I DECIDED A million times not to bother, but each time I threw away caution until I was finally pulling in her neighborhood. I didn’t stop to consider if her parents might be back soon. I knew her brother wasn’t home either, having seen him climb into the neighbor’s window during my stakeout five minutes prior. It was unbelievable that she had managed to make me desperate enough to become a stalker.

It was only the first day of school, but we had been back for a couple of weeks now, and already, Willow had discarded me as if I were yesterday’s newspaper.

Anger flared, hot and ready to burst. I wanted to know how she could be such a cold bitch as if we didn’t share the same feelings over the summer.

I didn’t care that it had been exactly what I was supposed to do when I returned. Long before it was ever time to return, I decided I wanted to be with her and damn the consequences.

Apparently, she did not share my feelings.

I knocked once and after mere seconds of waiting, I began to beat on her door. Finally, the door opened and I held my breath, waiting to see if it would be her.

My gaze finally locked with hers, and I could see the shock written in her green eyes. She barely had the door open before she was telling me to go away. “You can’t be here.”

“Too late. I already am and I’m not leaving.” Because I couldn’t not touch her, I gripped her waist tight and lifted her as I stepped inside.

“My parents are home.”

“They left five minutes ago.”

“Buddy is home.” She was grasping at straws, and it couldn’t have been more obvious, much to my amusement. I knew what my nearness did to her. I could practically see her knees weakening. She needed me gone, but it wasn’t happening.

“Buddy is next door, screwing the neighbor.”

“Fine. I don’t want to see you, now get out.”

“Not until you talk to me.”

“About what?”

“Why you’re shutting me out?”

“Please don’t do this.”

“What? Do what?” I hadn’t realized I had shouted until she jumped.

“Don’t pretend what we did was more than just a thing. We had fun. It’s over, right?”

“You’re a cold piece of work, you know that?”

“Are you mad because I said it first?”

“Fuck no. I’m crazy mad that you said it at all.” This girl, with little effort, had managed to turn me into some lovesick puppy. My hand left her waist to grip her shirt in my fist. We were turning and her back was suddenly against the door. I needed to touch her in every way so I leaned down letting my breath fan across her neck knowing how much it affected her. “I told you when I took you the first time not to fuck with me. Do you remember?”