Slowly We Trust (Fall and Rise #3)(22)
Author: Chelsea M. Cameron

“We knew each other in high school,” I said to the new arrivals as Eddie introduced himself to everyone. It was the easiest explanation that wasn’t an actual explanation.

“Okay, well it was nice to meet you all and see you again, Audrey. Maybe we could catch up or something sometime.” He winked and headed off in the direction of a clutch of guys who were all yelling about something.

“You owe me an explanation,” Lottie said, pulling me down so she could whisper in my ear. I turned my head and she gave me a look. I was getting a lot of those right now.

“I think I need a drink,” Will said.

“Aren’t you the DD?” Lottie pointed out.

“Shit, yeah.” I turned to him and all I could see were the questions in his eyes. It didn’t take a genius to see that there was history between Eddie and me and I wasn’t being forthcoming.

“Let’s go find somewhere to talk,” I said in a low voice so only Will could hear. He nodded and gave Lottie a look. She nodded and rounded everyone up to go get drinks as Will took my hand and led me to the stairs.

He must have been in this house before because he found an unoccupied bedroom. I walked in and he shut the door behind me. The party noise seeped through the floor, but the room was relatively soundproof.

“Are you okay?” Will said, reaching out as if he wanted to hug me. “I saw your face when that guy came over.” I was confused for a moment. I’d thought he was going to be pissed at me for not telling him about Eddie, but the more I thought about that, the more I realized he had no reason to be pissed. He didn’t know the details of my past relationship with Eddie and I definitely didn’t want him to find out.

“I . . . I’m fine. It was just a shock, to see someone from high school, that’s all.” I hoped he bought it.

His eyebrows contracted and he dropped his hands and put them in his pockets.

“Are you sure? I thought you’d seen a zombie or something. That’s not the kind of reaction you have when it’s just a high school friend. Do you have history or something with him?” He tried to ask the last part casually, but I could sense his desire to know what Eddie and I had shared.

I sighed as if I didn’t want to unburden myself.

“I had a crush on him in high school, okay? I kind of made a fool of myself and he rejected me and it was embarrassing.” This was partly true.

Will looked at me as if I’d grown an extra head.

“You really expect me to believe that guy rejected you?” Okay, so that part wasn’t completely true. I’d added that as my reason for not wanting to see Eddie. “Nope, that definitely didn’t happen. Unless he’s an idiot. Or has brain damage. Or is an alien life form.” Eddie was none of those things. Well, he was a bit of an idiot, which I didn’t realize until after the glow of having a crush on him for several years wore off. Still, he wasn’t a bad guy. What happened between us was both of our faults.

“You didn’t know me in high school, Will. I was really awkward there for a while.” I still felt awkward ninety percent of the time. Will continued to look at me as if I was suddenly speaking in a foreign language. I walked over and sat on one of the beds crammed into the room. It probably wasn’t the best idea, sitting on a stranger’s bed, but I needed to sit down. Will came and sat next to me. The sheets smelled a bit funky, but I tried not to breathe too deeply.

“Aud?” He put a hand on my shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

No, I wasn’t. I was far from it. My head was spinning, taking me back to another party, one where I’d had more than a few drinks and Eddie had been there and . . .

No. With all of my mental force, I pushed those memories aside. They weren’t allowed to come out now, not when I was with Will.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Really.” I smiled and tried to make it genuine.

He rubbed my shoulder and moved his hand to my back. I leaned on him and he wrapped his other arm around me.

There is something so comforting about just being held by someone you care about. Will rubbed my back, making little circles as the music pounded on below us and the party continued without interruption.

“Thanks for being here with me,” I said after a little while. “You’re always there for me.”

Will shifted so he could look at me.

“Where else would I be?” He touched my chin, holding it as if he was going to pull my face up for a kiss. I wanted him to. I wanted him to kiss me and make me forget about Eddie. Forget about my past.

“With someone that treats you better.” With someone who would appreciate him.

“I don’t want someone else. It’s you I want.” He ran his thumb back and forth on my lips. “Unless you don’t want me.”

Oh, but I did.

“I do want you.” It was the first time I’d actually said it out loud. He inhaled sharply and then smiled.

“Good. Because I was about ready to beat the shit out of that Eddie guy if you still had a thing for him.”

“Real mature, Will,” I said against his thumb. At least he hadn’t quoted Star Wars, even though I thought that was pretty adorable.

He moved his thumb and crushed his lips against mine with so much force we both fell back on the bed. I wasn’t thinking (much) about how clean the blankets were, or the fact that I was in someone else’s house.

All I could think of was Will. All I wanted to think of was him. Not Eddie. Not the last few years. Nothing but Will.

All I saw, all I tasted, all I felt was his body. His warm hands holding me, his lips and tongue against my mouth, his breath, the stubble that was just breaking through on his chin, his hips on mine, matching perfectly. I gasped as he pressed against me and growled a little, low in his throat.

“Oops,” a voice said, causing me to break away from Will and smash my nose with his.

“Ow!” I screamed and fell away from him at the same time he yelled, “Shit!”

Squinting up through watering eyes, I saw Lottie standing in the doorway looking both sheepish and not surprised to find us in our present position.

10

“Are you kidding me right now, Lot?” I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose and wiping tears out of my eyes. “Are you okay?” I hoped I hadn’t hurt Audrey’s face with my stupid nose. She was also rubbing her eyes, but appeared otherwise unharmed.

I knew that Lottie had to know exactly what Audrey and I were up here doing. The question was, why had she cock-blocked me? Sometimes having a twin was the WORST, especially when that twin was a girl who seemed to have a secret agenda she didn’t want to inform you of.