“Be careful,” he said. I leaned into his palm, offering my own comfort. His concern meant so much to me. “I’ll be fine,” I said. “I’ll be back before you know it.” If I stayed even a moment longer, I’d risk never leaving, too tempted by his closeness, his touch. So I grabbed my bag and jogged
“Get out of the doorway,” said one of the cheerleaders, standing on the landing outside of my hotel room. I hadn’t let anyone in yet. I hadn’t known, when I had reluctantly agreed to host this party in my room, that it was going to include a group of random guys. “Maybe this isn’t such a good id
When Asher had invited me to spend the night in his hotel room, as mine was occupied by the cheerleaders’ party, I had expected my own double bed. Walking over the threshold, I found not two beds, but one. I froze, unable to move forward or back. It’s not that I didn’t want this, but… But… “I’ll
I should have been mortified, maybe, but this didn’t feel like it was my fault entirely. His limbs were just as clinging as mine, holding my back firmly. I couldn’t move if wanted to, so I stayed put and enjoyed the moment. This was a fantasy. When he woke up, he’d pull away and pretend it didn’t
Elena didn’t elaborate about what she meant, but what else could she mean but that she knew I had spent the night in Asher’s room? She didn’t seem jealous this time, though, which was odd. If anything she was delighted. I didn’t dare risk pressing her in front of Coach, so I had to just stand ther
Until one grabbed me around the waist and pulled me onto his lap. “Let go!” I said at once, loud. Some of the other cheerleaders laughed. “What’s wrong, baby?” the boy said. I elbowed him in the ribs, and he released me with an oof. The laughter only increased. I ran for the door, but Elen
Once Asher and I had stepped into the small, dark closet, one of the girls locked it behind us. She giggled, “Enjoy your seven minutes. Starting now!” The hotel room closet was cramped. Only a handful of inches separated Asher and me. Plus, Asher had to lean forward not to hit his head on the shel
Shouldn’t Cynthia be in trouble for making us late? I nervously hooked my fingers together in my lap. Elena was right. I had made everyone late by oversleeping. Even if the party hadn’t been my idea, my inability to wake up on time had been due to my own negligence. I deserved to be punished.