“Spill. Now.”

So much for sleep.

“Ok, but can we have some caffeine first?” I asked.

She ran downstairs, came back with two Red Bulls, and shoved them at me. “Now talk. I want to know everything. Starting with what happened to your face.”

Brody and I met each night at midnight. Usually, we drove to his aunt’s property and gazed at the stars while we talked. Some nights, we didn’t talk at all. We just lay side by side, holding hands. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. It fit. Nothing with Brody was uncomfortable, except when he touched me—and that was a good uncomfortable. One my body craved. I needed his touch almost as much as I needed to breathe.

Each night I was with him, I felt myself doing something I shouldn’t…

I was falling.

Falling fast and hard for Brody Victor. It felt like a dream. One when I’d jolt awake with the sensation I’d been falling. I wondered if Brody would be there to catch me or if I’d hit bottom. Because the bottom scared me. I knew who waited for me there.

Brody and I talked about everything when we met each night. There was no topic off limits. There was nothing I didn’t want to tell him, even though there was one thing I wouldn’t. Something no one knew the truth about, except Ralph and Jaden. The two people who had no trouble using it as a way to torment and force my mom and I to bend to their will.

“Favorite color?”

“White,” I answered.

“White isn’t a color,” Brody said. “Why white?”

“Yes, it is a color, and because it’s clean, pure. What’s yours?”

“Red. Favorite food?”

“Your aunt’s milkshakes.”

Brody laughed. “Same here. They rock.”

“Yes, they do,” I agreed. “Where’s your dad?”

“Around.” Brody rolled to his side and picked up a lock of my hair, twisting it around his finger. “They got a divorce. That was an excuse for him to take off and disappear.”

I turned my head to face him. “I’m sorry.”

“It is what it is, I guess.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” I licked my lips. “You and your mom seem to do okay.”

“Yeah, my mom’s great. What about you? Do you all get along?”

“Ralph and my mom are really… well, they just are, I guess. I’m not sure if it’s love or a match made in Heaven or whatever.” I rolled toward him and lay my head on his out stretched arm. “But they have someone. So they aren’t alone, you know?”

“I suppose. I’ve heard of couples getting together just for companionship. I guess it depends on the people.” Brody shrugged a shoulder. He picked a pebble off our blanket and tossed it. It was swallowed up in the inky blackness surrounding us.

“Okay, here’s a question. How did you get your love ’em and leave ’em reputation?” I smiled and lifted a brow.

“I dated a cheerleader at Stanton, and we had a bad break up. I dated another girl right after her. It was a rebound thing. It didn’t last long. The cheerleader started a rumor that we slept together, and then I dumped her right after. The rebound girl jumped in, said the same thing, and there you go—instant reputation.”

“Did you?” I bit my bottom lip, waiting for his answer.

“Did I what? Sleep with her?” He let out a long breath and looked at the stars before his gaze found mine again. “Yes. But it wasn’t like she made it out to be. I didn’t dump her as soon as we slept together. We dated for nearly a year.”

“And the rebound girl?”

“Do you really want to know all the girls I’ve slept with?” I shrugged a shoulder and picked at the blanket. “I’ve slept with a few, not that many. I can count them on one hand. And, no, I didn’t sleep with the rebound girl.”

What is wrong with me? I’m jealous. I shouldn’t be surprised. If I didn’t want to know, I should’ve kept my mouth shut. But I’m crazy jealous of those bitches.

“So, what about you, Willow? Have you slept with Jaden? You’ve been together since, what, sophomore year?” Brody tugged a piece of my hair.

I licked my lips and brushed a piece of grass off Brody’s shoulder. “No, I haven’t slept with him.”

“You’re kidding. We’re talking about Jaden, right? He’s waited all this time?” Brody slipped the lock of unruly hair behind my ear. His fingers trailed down my jaw, leaving goose bumps in their wake. He cupped my jaw in his hand and guided my face to his, massaging the back of my head with the tips of his fingers.

“No, I didn’t say he hasn’t slept with anyone. I said I haven’t slept with him, or anyone else,” I said quietly.

“Oh. I just figured… I mean, Jaden. I assumed…”

“Yeah, I know. Bimbo.” I gave him a small smile. He didn’t smile back.

“Sorry,” he murmured. His thumb grazed over my bottom lip.

“Hey, I was just teasing.” I gave him a playful shove on the shoulder. “You’ve apologized for that. I just like teasing you.”

“If there was something I wish I could take back, it’d be that comment.”

I shrugged. “It’s not a big deal, Brody. I’m over it. I think it’s funny now.”

“Can I ask you something?” His eyebrows pulled down over his eyes.

“I thought that’s what we were doing. You just asked if I’d slept with Jaden. And I just admitted I’m still holding my V-card. I think you can ask me about anything,” I said with a wink.

“Why haven’t you?”

“What? Slept with him?” Brody nodded. I placed my hand on his arm and moved it up until it covered his hand. Turning his hand over, he threaded our fingers together and kissed the inside of my wrist.

I let out a small breath. “It doesn’t feel right with Jaden. It never has. I guess I’ve always known he wasn’t the one, even when we first started dating and things were different.” I paused and gazed at the stars. “I won’t do it just to do it. I’m waiting until it means something.”

We were at the park in my subdivision. I was on the swing, and Brody was pushing me.

“You don’t need to push me, you know. I’ve known how to swing since I was six.”

“I know.”

“Then come up here and sit next to me so we can talk,” I called over my shoulder.

“And give up the chance to put my hands all over your ass? No way.”

I laughed and jumped off the swing. “You’re such a perv.”

“Yeah, and you love it,” he said with a grin.

Oh, that grin is going to be the death of me.

He walked to me, took my hand, and led me to the merry-go-round. We lay on our backs, and Brody used his feet to slowly turn it as we looked at the sky.

“Can’t see the stars here like at your aunt’s place.”

“No,” he agreed.

“Everyone thinks you’re gay, you know,” I blurted.

He rose up on his elbows and looked at me, clearly amused. “Really? I’ve dated a few girls since I’ve been at Cassidy. Why would they think that?”

I stretched my arms over my head and grabbed the center pole. “You’ve only went out with three girls, and you just went out once with each. You didn’t even kiss them. At least, that’s the gossip.”

“I didn’t happen to be in the kissing mood.”

“Do you have a… I mean, is there someone special at your old school?”

“No.”

“So there’s no one?” I turned to face him. “That’s hard to believe.”

He lay back down and rubbed his hand over the top of his head. “I didn’t say there wasn’t anyone. She just hasn’t noticed yet.”

I snorted a laugh. “I don’t know if you are aware of this, but every girl notices you, Brody. Some guys, too.”

“Not this girl. At least, not the way I want her to.”

“Then she must be blind and incredibly stupid not to be interested in you.”

He shrugged. “She’s not stupid, just… preoccupied.”