Things were getting interesting. All that time Trip and I spent being platonic, and it turns out we both thought it was because the other one wasn’t into it. God. Stupid teenagers. So many months wasted just because we hadn’t opened our idiot mouths about it. Our year together could have gone very, very differently.
“And actually,” he continued, “I wasn’t really looking to pick a fight with that monster. New kid, new school, new town. Yeah, thanks. But no.”
“Did that happen a lot? At your other schools?”
“What, fighting? Oh, yeah. Almost every time.”
I felt bad thinking about that beautiful face being beaten to a pulp just for being the new kid. It was probably hard enough having to start over in some strange new place without some stupid bully picking on him. My heart broke for that nomad little boy, just thinking about it. It was enough to make me want to hop in the car and take a cross-country trip to every town he’d ever lived in and kick some ass.
“Did they hurt you?” I asked, the sadness in my voice unhidden.
He looked at me like I was crazy. “No. I learned to fight pretty early on. Most times, the guy’s ass I kicked wound up being my closest friend afterward.”
“Hell of a first impression.”
“Ya gotta do what you gotta do. I just thank God my old man taught me how to fight. Lord knows he knew how.”
I knew he and his father had had their problems, but that was the first I’d ever heard about it getting physical. I didn’t think I could handle hearing more about it. “Well, jeez, Trip. Maybe Stephen should have just let you have at it the other night. Sounds like you missed out on the chance to make some new friends down at The Westlake!”
He sat up just then, and before I knew what was happening, he quickly rolled over half on top of me. He planted a hand on either side of the chaise, at my head, his chest grazing against mine, his lips hovering an inch above my own. My heart was racing as I watched his heavily-lidded gaze fixate on my mouth, his voice seductive and serious as he said, “I’m not looking for any new friends. I kinda like reconnecting with my old ones.”
I was stunned into silence, just lying there, caged by his upper body, looking into those lethal blue eyes of his. Uh-oh.
He started chuckling before lowering his head to my shoulder, giving me a quick, flirty nuzzle against my neck. “Shit, Lay. You look like you’re ready to pull the mace on me.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding and gave a shove against his chest, heaving the big jerk off of me. “Not funny, Chester.”
Only he thought it was just hysterical, because he was still laughing as he stood up and offered an outstretched palm. “Aw, c’mon, babe. Get over it and come dance with me.”
I was still trying to pull myself together from the near miss, but he wasn’t leaving me much choice (not that I could have made a different one anyway). So, I took his hand and let him haul me into his arms.
It was the middle of the night, but we were in the city that never sleeps, so we had the soft echo of the music from the jazz club a few floors below to accompany us. He slipped his good arm around my back and held up his damaged one. I slid one hand against the rough bandage at his palm and rested my other on his shoulder, trying to downplay the quickening of my heart as he pulled me closer against his body… and started to sway.
I was never much of a dancer, and this was a first for Trip and me. Seems there were a lot of firsts between us over the course of my life. First love, first time… first heartbreak. But none of that mattered right then. The fact was, all that stuff was back in our past, and we were dealing with a very, very different present. Somewhere in a parallel universe, Trip and I were happy together. Just not in this one.
But it was actually really nice just dancing with him. It was really nice just being with him. I guessed it would have to be enough.
“Hey,” I said. “I wonder what time it is.”
“Who knows. Four? Five? Why, you got somewhere to be?” he teased.
Even if I did, I wouldn’t have left that spot right then if my life depended on it.
“Of course not. I just can’t believe we spent the entire night together.”
He gave my waist a nudge, and I took the cue, giggling while I spun away from his body and twirled in again, where he pulled my back against the length of his front, our arms wrapped around my middle.
He nuzzled my ear and said, “Somehow, I thought spending the night with you would have gone a little differently.”
His words shot an electric charge down my spine, and it was all I could do to remain standing upright. My body had succumbed to that familiar melt… and I’m admitting nothing here, but Trip might have had reason to believe that I leaned back against him just the slightest bit. I heard the sharp exhale of breath through his teeth before he turned me in his arms and we went back to our dancers’ pose, Trip curling our hands over his heart.
He looked as pained as I felt at that moment, and I figured we were dancing around something way more dangerous than the roof of my apartment building. If I didn’t change the focus, one of us was bound to do something stupid, and soon.