all the cheers, giving me the boost of confidence I need.
“So tell me, Damian,” I say coyly. I place my hands on my hips, not trying to hide from him or anyone else. I can feel the heat of dozens of eyes on me. I know I have a nice body. And I’m pretty sure I have the biggest boobs in my class, which is probably why every single guy in this room is salivating right now. “What would you like me to take off?”
He stands from his chair, wearing just a pair of boxer briefs. I steal a glance, noticing a bulge that’s grown in size over the past few seconds. He doesn’t even try to hide it.
With a devious stare, he lifts a finger to my neck, running it down my collarbone. When he proceeds through the valley of my cleavage, my breathing grows more uneven. I’m hoping he stops there, but he keeps going, his finger circling my belly button before settling at the waistband of my panties.
My pulse spikes, his mouth a whisper away. He sneaks a finger underneath the material for a moment before pulling back. “Your bra.”
There’s more clapping as everyone begins to chant my name. I draw in a deep breath, summoning the strength to get through this. What does it matter? They’re just boobs. Every female has a pair. They’re not sexual but maternal, a way for a mother to feed her young. At least that’s what I try to convince myself as I close my eyes and reach behind me to unclasp the thin piece of fabric.
One second, my hands tremble, regret filling me for putting myself in this situation, knowing my reputation at school will never be the same. The next, some sort of fabric is thrown over me and I’m hoisted up, disoriented as I watch the basement disappear behind me. I flail and kick, screaming for whomever has me to put me down, worried it’s Damian carrying me upstairs for a bit of privacy. I don’t know what I expected tonight’s end result to be, but it was certainly not that.
Fresh air hits my face, my feet finding the ground. I take a minute to reorient myself when I’m met with a pair of fiery, dark eyes.
“What the fuck were you doing?” Drew roars, his neck tense, his jaw clenching. I’ve seen him angry before, but never like this.
“Just having a little fun.” I pull the blanket tighter around my body, feeling sick to my stomach. My skin crawls with what I’d almost done. Still, I don’t want Drew to know that. I don’t want him to think I need him in my life when he’s made it more than apparent he doesn’t need me.
“A little fun?” He stares at me, then tugs at his hair, pacing. “A little fun? I’m leaving tomorrow, Brooklyn! I won’t be around to look out for you anymore!”
“Who said I needed you to do that in the first place?! I’m fine! I know what I’m doing!”
“Oh really?” He stops in his tracks, leaning into me. “And what would your father say if he learned you were about to take off your bra in front of half the male population of our school?”
I swallow down the bile rising in my throat. My dad would never look at me the same way again. He probably would send me to a convent. He’s constantly warning me about the consequences of bad decisions, particularly on nights he responds to a labor call and the woman is a teenager. Tonight is most certainly the worst decision I’ve ever made in my life.
“I just wanted one night of fun. One night! You can’t stand there and talk to me about this when you were at the overlook with Mindy tonight. You have no claim over me.”
He screams in frustration. “I never took her to the overlook. That date was over before it ever began!”
My breath hitches at his words. “It was?”
“Yes.” His voice softens. “It was.”
I’m momentarily speechless, but that still doesn’t give him the right to make decisions for me. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter. As this summer has taught me, I don’t matter. I’m just your sister’s best friend. Nothing more.”
I storm away, never feeling so embarrassed in my life. All I want is to go home, crawl into bed, and wake up in college, where I can leave behind all the social burdens of fitting in.
Before I can get too far, a hand grips my arm through