When they reached the hotel Ben took her hand and led her inside.

Allie felt like her head was on a swivel as she looked around the lobby. This was by far the fanciest and most gilded place she’d ever been in. Ben smiled at her as he slowed his pace, letting her look around the lobby.

Everything looked like it had been dipped in gold and red, and it was all shiny from the marble floors to the wooden arms and legs of the furniture. There were heavy draperies and rugs everywhere, even the lighting seemed softer and richer. The staff were all in suits and the few guests in the lobby all looked like they were headed to either a ball or a board meeting.

They made their way to the golden elevators, and when the doors opened they got in and Ben pushed the button for the tenth floor.

“This place is insane.” She looked over at him, still holding his hand tightly in hers. “I feel like they’re going to kick me out for being an imposter.”

“You look amazing, better than anyone else here,” he said with a grin. “The girls at prom spent hours getting ready, paying people to do their hair and makeup and all that girl crap you think we notice and care about. You took ten minutes and put them all to shame.”

She blushed and looked at the floor for a second. Ben had complimented her on her looks and clothes their entire friendship, but something felt different now. 

Just then the doors opened and he gave her another grin as he pulled her out of the elevator.

“Come on. This way.”

They walked down the carpeted hall and stopped in front of a door that was about halfway down the hallway. He let them in with a key card, and when she saw the room she let out a breath. 

The room had two queen-sized four poster beds with brocade bedspreads and way too many pillows. There was a huge television on the dresser across from the beds and a small table and chairs by the window. The table had two covered plates and a wine bucket with champagne flutes on it. It was the fanciest place she’d ever been in.

“Whoa.”

“Over here.”

“Ben?” she asked as she followed him to the table.

“You didn’t miss anything at the dinner.” He pulled out one of the chairs for her and pushed it in as she sat down. “There were five courses of food that was piled really high on the plate, but wasn’t very wide so the portions were tiny. They served three different kinds of sparkling juice and it took almost two hours to eat.” He laughed. “The best part of the meal was the dessert, some sort of round mousse cake thing.”

“Sounds both awesome and awful.” She laughed as he reached into the bucket and pulled out a bottle of sparkling white wine.

“That pretty much describes the whole night,” he agreed as he cracked open the bottle and poured out a glass for each of them. “Sitting around a huge table with way too many forks and spoons eating tall designer food while a DJ played what sounded like every eighties soundtrack there is.”

“I hope things got better.”

“Then we were all sent out into another room and the tables were cleared and they made a dance floor.” He shook his head. “Half the time it was sappy love songs and the other half was something you’d hear at a rave with a little bit of top forties mixed in.”

“Worth the price of admission?” she asked teasingly.

“Not a chance.” He laughed. “Now everyone is trapped on a boat going up and down the river thinking it’s going to be some sort of crazy after party, but I know for a fact they’re searching everyone. It’s going to be a dry cruise.”

“And here we are with champagne.”

“Sparkling wine,” he corrected as he picked up his glass and held it out to her. “But still classy.”

“Very,” she agreed with a giggle and picked up her glass.

“To us. And to the end of school and the start of adulthood.”

“Cheers.” She smiled as he clinked his glass with hers and they both took a sip of the bubbly and sweet wine.

“And for dessert.” He grinned at her as he put down his glass. “Voila.”

She started laughing as he pulled the lids off the covered plates. One of the plates was piled high with strawberries and the other had a huge bowl of chocolate pudding on it.

Ever since they were kids she and Ben loved to eat strawberries dipped in chocolate pudding. On every special occasion, and whenever one of them wanted to apologize, it was their go-to treat, and she could only smile as he picked up one of the plump berries and dipped it in the pudding.

He grinned and held it out to her. After a moment she leaned forward and took the berry from him, her lips brushing his fingers as she did.

“Happy birthday, Allie. And happy prom,” he said softly as she chewed.

“Thank you, Ben.” She was so touched he would go to all this trouble to give her a special night. “This is beyond anything I could have ever imagined.”

“I’m just happy to give you a night that’s yours. Where you don’t have to deal with your parents or anyone else. Just you and me.”

“You’re the best friend I could have ever asked for.” She picked up one of the strawberries and dipped it in the pudding. “You’re the only one who’s ever been there for me,” she said softly as she held out the berry for him.

He grinned and took it from her. She felt a slight jolt of electricity when his lips brushed against her fingers but tried to ignore it.

“So why didn’t you get a date for tonight?” she asked as she took a sip of her wine. “You broke a lot of hearts going to prom solo.”

“No one I wanted to ask.” He shrugged.

Ben was a bit of a player, and while he had a lot of dates he didn’t really do girlfriends. He’d had some casual things and some really short things, but he’d never really had a real relationship. He liked to joke how he got bored easily and he would be doing himself a disservice by settling down in high school, but she’d always wondered if there was more to it.

She wasn’t exactly a dater either. She’d had three boyfriends, and none of them had been what would be considered long term. They’d only lasted a few months and she hadn’t been heartbroken when they’d ended.

Another big difference between them was that Allie was a virgin and Ben wasn’t. They were best friends and shared everything so she knew all about his sex life. She knew who he’d slept with and when, but other than that they didn’t exchange details. He knew she’d messed around with all three of her boyfriends, but she hadn’t slept with any of them.

“Seems kind of silly, doesn’t it?” she asked as she popped a strawberry in her mouth.

“What?”

“Prom, all of this.” She shrugged. “All this fuss over a night. All the money and preparation and anticipation. I think a lot of people are going to be disappointed that reality didn’t measure up to the fantasy.”

“I think you’re right.” He nodded as he dipped a very large strawberry in the pudding and then crammed the whole thing in his mouth.

“Careful, you’ll get pudding on your fancy ass clothes,” she teased as she sipped her wine.

He laughed around the berry and shook his head.

“Cost of cleaning is in the rental,” he said with a grin after he’d swallowed. “Wait.” He jumped up.

“What?” She watched as he walked over to the side of the bed and turned on the TV. The station was set to look like a fireplace, and she smiled as he sat back down at the table.

“I know how much you like watching fire.”

“Thanks.” She stared at the flames for a moment before looking back at him. “This is amazing, thank you,” she said again as she finished off her wine.

“You deserve it.” He smiled and held a strawberry out to her.

She leaned forward and took it from his fingers, and when her lips brushed his skin she felt another jolt from the contact.

“More wine?” he asked after a pause. By the look on his face he’d noticed something too.

“Please.” She nodded and shoved another strawberry in her mouth.

One secret she’d kept from everyone, and especially from Ben, was that she didn’t just love him as a best friend. She was in love with him, and had been for a few years.

She’d always been attracted to him. He was incredibly handsome so she certainly wasn’t the only one, but there was more to him than that.

He was kind and strong and smart. He stood up for people who needed to be protected and he didn’t care what other people thought. He’d been the most consistent and supportive person in her life for ten years, and he’d helped her through so much. He’d held her while she cried and laughed with her when she’d been happy.

Over the past few years her feelings had intensified and she’d realized she was in love with him, but she’d also realized they were best friends. Saying anything or trying to change things would be the end of their friendship, and he meant too much for her to risk it.

She watched as he finished his wine and then poured out two more glasses. When he was finished he picked up the largest strawberry on the plate and dipped it in the pudding.

As he held it out to her she leaned forward and bit off about half of the berry, it was way too big to try and eat the whole thing. As she chewed she watched him put the rest of the berry in his mouth and then gently suck the juice off his fingers, but it was the look he was giving her that made her shiver.

He was looking at her in a way she’d never seen before. It was intense and heated, and she was sure she was reading it wrong. 

He shook his head slightly as he leaned back in his chair and picked up his wine.

Allie blinked a few times as she looked away from him. Her stomach fluttered and she was nervous all of a sudden. She picked up her wine and drank about half of it down before looking back at Ben.

“Come on.” He smiled as he stood.

“What?” she asked as she stood with him.

He grinned and went over to the TV remote and pressed a few buttons. The fireplace continued to crackle on the screen, but now there was music playing with it.

The song was slow and it was being played by a saxophone. She’d never heard it before, but when she saw Ben coming toward her with his hand out she swallowed as the fluttering intensified.

She took his hand when he reached her and he pulled her into the center of the room, right in front of the TV.

“Everyone needs to dance at their prom,” he said softly as he put his arms around her and pulled her close. “Even if it is to cheesy jazz,” he added as he began to sway back and forth to the music.

Allie stared at him as he held her close, draping her arms over his shoulders as she moved with him.

They’d always been very comfortable with each other and they’d danced together before. They hugged and cuddled and held hands without thinking, but right now something felt different.

“Allie Cat?” he asked as he looked at her.

She smiled at the use of her childhood nickname. He was the only one who still called her that.

“What are you thinking?” he asked as she stared at him.

“I-I…”

“You’ve never been shy with me before,” he said softly as he swayed with her to the music.

“I know,” she said softly. “I’m just trying to figure out what’s in my brain right now.”

He smiled and looked down at her.

Dancing in heels on carpet wasn’t the easiest thing to do and she paused so she could kick off her shoes. She really didn’t feel like catching her heel and twisting her ankle.

When her shoes were off Ben pulled her so she was tight against him as he put his cheek on the top of her head. Ben was six-two and Allie was five-seven, so while there was a seven inch height difference between them, he didn’t dwarf her like he did a lot of the girls at school.

Allie wasn’t small but she wasn’t exactly big. She was curvy and fell in an in-between place. Ben was tall and broad. He’d played sports his entire life and he’d always been big and strong, but he was gentle and his size wasn’t intimidating. At least not to her.

She felt his arms tighten around her and she sighed against him.

“Allie?”

She pulled away so she could look up at him, and her breath caught when she saw the way he was looking at her.

“Tell me what you’re thinking, Allie.”

“I don’t want to screw things up,” she whispered.

“What would you fuck up?” he asked softly as he looked at her.

“I, I…”

“Allie Cat?”

She drew in a deep breath and quickly moved up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

It wasn’t a long kiss. It wasn’t even a real kiss. It was more like she pressed her lips against his for a brief second and then pulled away.

They might have kissed each other on the cheek over the years, but they’d never kissed on the lips before.

“Allie?”

“I feel for you,” she said softly, bolstering her confidence and letting it spill out. If she was ever going to tell him, this was the perfect moment. She had to get it out now before she lost her nerve.

The sparkling wine was starting to go to her head a little. She wasn’t drunk, but the bubbles were making her a little tipsy and giving her courage.

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” he asked as he looked down at her, standing still as he held her close. “Do you want more?”

“I do, Ben.” She nodded. “Do you?”

He looked at her for a second before grabbing her by the waist and spinning her around. He took four steps forward, pulling her along with him, and she gasped as she was pressed between the wall and his strong body.

His mouth descended on hers and she could only gasp again as he kissed her. His lips were firm and warm, and a moment later she felt his tongue sweeping into her mouth as he deepened the kiss.

She kissed him back, fighting the slight dizziness that was threatening to take over from the onslaught of sensations washing over her. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as his hands ran over her body.

Ben groaned against her as his hands slipped over the silky material of her dress. He grabbed handfuls of her skirt and yanked it up, pulling until the hem was up around her thighs so he could grab her leg and wrap it around his hip as he pressed her into the wall.

One of her hands fell off his body as she raised it and pressed it against the wall over her head to try and keep herself steady as his hand ran over her leg, cupping her bum before the tips of his fingers slipped under the material of her lacy underwear and delicately traced against her skin.

“Oh Ben!” She gasped when his lips moved to the side of her neck and he began to kiss and nibble the tender and sensitive flesh. “Oh!”

“Allie.” He groaned against her as he moved his hand from her bottom and slid it up so he was cupping her breast in his hand. “Oh god, Allie.” He groaned again as he pulled his lips from hers so he could look down at her, his hand still holding her breast. 

“Ben?”

“Allie,” he started, his voice shaking slightly. “What do you want?”

“I want you.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, and then groaned as she slipped her hands under the shoulders of his jacket.

He dropped his hands and let her push his jacket off. As soon as the jacket was on the floor he put his hands on her hips and held her tight.

“Allie, I want you to be sure. I don’t want you to regret this.” He groaned again as she reached up and loosened his tie.

“I want you. I could never regret anything that happens between us,” she said softly as she pulled the tie off and tossed it aside.

“Are you drunk?” he asked and gasped slightly when she grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it free from his pants. “If you’re drunk then it’s not right. I can’t if you—”

“I’m not drunk.” She started to undo the buttons on his shirt. It was slow and tedious work, and the fact that her hands were shaking slightly didn’t help, but she just kept working at them.

She wasn’t drunk, but she knew the alcohol was giving her confidence and she went with it. She was in her right mind, and she wanted him. 

“There’s something I have to tell you,” he said desperately as she undid the last button and started to push his shirt down his arms.

“What is it?” she asked when he paused. She pushed the shirt right off of him and let it fall to the floor.

“I—” he cut himself off with a groan as she bent forward and ran her tongue over his chest as her hands gripped his hips, pulling him against her.

“Fuck.” He shook his head as she delicately traced her tongue around his nipple. “I can’t think straight if you do that.”

“Then don’t think.” She grinned as she looked up at him, her lips hovering over his strong chest.

He gasped when her tongue darted out and she licked it over his other nipple. She pressed her lips against his skin and he shivered slightly as she kissed up toward his mouth.

She loved how much she was affecting him. She was pretty inexperienced, especially in comparison to him. She’d been worried she’d be bad and he wouldn’t enjoy her advances. It seemed that wasn’t the case.

“How did you learn to do that?” he asked in a strangled voice as her lips ran over his throat.

“I’m a virgin, not a nun,” she teased as she trailed kisses across his neck and then over his jaw, standing up on her tiptoes so she could reach him.

Hungrily his lips found hers and she was lost.

He fisted his hands in her long hair as he pressed her back against the wall, pinning her with his body as he ravished her mouth with his kisses.

Allie could barely keep her head straight and she just gave in to him. This moment was the culmination of years of desire and lust, and now that it was happening she was almost overwhelmed.

She felt his hand fumbling at her side and realized he was trying to undo the zipper on her dress. She wedged her arm between them and pushed his hand away so she could undo the zipper herself. She didn’t want him to stop kissing her to try and focus on the zipper. It took her a moment to get the zipper down, but when it was she grabbed him by the hips and tried to pull him even closer to her.

His hand slid under the material of the dress and moved up to her chest. He held her breast in his hand and then gently started to rub his fingers over her nipple. She gasped and cried out against him as tiny jolts of pleasure shot through her.

“Allie,” he panted as he pulled away from her.

“Ben?” She shook her head, trying to get her thoughts back.

“I need to be sure. I need to be sure you want me.”

“I want you,” she almost pleaded. “Please, I want you.”

“I love you, Allie,” he said as he looked down at her, his lips hovering over hers. “I’ve loved you for years.”

“I love you too, Ben.” She almost couldn’t believe he was saying that to her, or it could be true. “I love you,” she whispered a moment before his lips found hers again in a deep and hungry kiss.

She wanted him so badly and she didn’t want to wait. With slightly shaking hands she reached up and undid the halter strap at the back of her neck, letting it fall in two pieces in front of her. With the zipper open and the strap undone there was nothing holding the dress up, and the moment he moved his body a millimeter from hers it fell to the floor, puddling at her feet.

He pulled away slightly so he could look at her. It was as though he was trying to memorize her body, and she loved the look of desire and appreciation she saw in his eyes.

After a moment she took a deep breath and reached behind her back and unsnapped her bra. After another breath she dropped her hands, letting the bra fall to the floor in front of her.

“Allie,” he breathed as he looked at her.

This was the most undressed she’d ever been in front of someone. She’d never taken her bra off in front of a guy, and she’d never had someone look at her breasts or touch them without something covering them.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered as he gently reached out and put his hands over her breasts.

She shivered at his touch and kept her eyes on his as he looked at her. After a moment he grabbed her and picked her right up off the ground. She let out a slight squeal of shock as he carried her over to the bed. He tossed her down on the soft comforter and the strength and desire she felt from him was turning her on even more.

She put her elbows under her body and scooted up on the bed as he kicked off his shoes. She thought he would take his pants off, but he just climbed onto the bed and covered her body with his.

She could only hold onto him and cry out as he kissed every part of her he could reach, and when his tongue trailed over her nipple she felt her entire body tighten.

“I want you so bad, Allie.” He groaned as he pulled away from her and held his body over hers.

“I want you, Ben.” She reached up and cupped his handsome face in her hands. “I want you so much.”

“Have you gone this far before?” he asked quietly.

“No.” She shook her head. She wasn’t embarrassed, but she was curious as to why he was asking.

“I want this to be perfect for you. I don’t want to do something wrong. Not with you.”

“Just love me,” she whispered as she smiled at him. “Just love me and it will be perfect.”

He groaned and leaned his head down to give her a soft and gentle kiss before he started to trail kisses over her chest. He paused at her nipple and she cried out as he trailed his tongue over it before pulling it into his mouth to suckle her. After a long moment he moved over to the other one, and she cried out at the sensations.

It was as though he was touching deep inside her body, and she could feel pressure starting to build in her womb.

When he pulled away from her breast and started to move down her stomach she propped herself up on her elbows, and watched as he grabbed the sides of her panties and pulled them off. He kissed her hip and then pushed her legs apart so he could settled between them.

She was torn. A part of her really wanted to experience what he seemed to want to do, but another part of her was embarrassed. She didn’t know if she should stop him, and if he couldn’t or didn’t want to finish then she would be humiliated.

Even as she was trying to figure out what to do he bent his head and pressed his tongue against her clit. She’d never felt anything like it before in her life, and as he continued to move over her, teasing her with his warm and nimble tongue, she had to bite her lip to stop from screaming.

She kept herself propped up on her elbows so she could look down at him as he pleasured her. Watching him was compounding the sensations he was creating in her body, and she could barely keep from writhing as her legs shook and her pleasure built.

She cried out when she saw him look up at her, his eyes locking on hers as he teased her. The eye contact was incredible, and she felt her pleasure begin to crest. A moment later she fell back against the bed as she was overcome with her orgasm.

Ben just held his tongue against her as he let her enjoy the pleasure, and it wasn’t until she involuntarily jerked away from him that he moved up so he was laying over her.

“Allie?” he asked, a teasing smile on his lips.

“Oh god!” She gasped. “Oh my god.”

It was the first orgasm she’d ever had from someone else and it had been almost overwhelming.

She reached up and pulled him down so she could kiss him

After a moment he groaned against her lips and pulled away from her. She watched as he pulled a condom out of his pocket and paused.

“I wasn’t planning this—” he started, motioning to the condom in his hand.

“It’s okay. I’m glad you have one,” she cut him off. She wanted to see him naked. She wanted to see all of him.

He nodded and stripped off his pants and boxers and then ripped open the condom.

Her eyes widened as she looked at him. She’d never seen a cock in person before, and as she looked at Ben she felt her breath catch. He was big, and she didn’t know how she would be able to take all of him. She watched as he rolled on the condom and then moved to lie over her.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you,” he said softly as he gave her a feathery kiss.

“It’s okay.” She was expecting it to hurt, she just hoped she would be able to stand it.

“I love you, Allie,” he said as he reached down and she could feel him pressing against her opening.

“I love you, Ben,” she whispered as he started to push into her.

This was it. This was the moment she would lose her virginity, and it was with the only boy she’d ever loved.

He moved slowly at first, but when he was about halfway in he grunted and almost slammed the rest of the way inside her.

She gasped as a sharp slice of pain cut through her, and cried out as she closed her eyes. That had really hurt, but she didn’t want him to stop. She wanted to feel all of him, and she wanted him to finish. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Allie.” He started to pull out of her.

“Wait.” She pulled him close, trying to hold him in place. “It’s okay. I just need a second.”

He nodded and held her close. He was shaking slightly and she knew it was taking a lot of control for him to wait for her to be ready.

When she felt the pain start to lessen and her body relax, she took in a deep breath and hugged him closer.

“Okay,” she whispered in his ear and he groaned against her as he began to move.

His thrusts were erratic and a little rough, but she just closed her eyes as she clung to him. Now that the pain was gone it felt wonderful, and she gasped as pleasure washed over her.

“Oh god, Allie.” He gasped as his grip on her tightened. “I’m going to—I can’t. Oh fuck!”

She felt him jerk against her as he cried out, and she clung to him, holding him in place. She needed to feel his body just then, and he propped himself up on his arms so he wouldn’t crush her as he held his body over hers.

She just held him, breathing heavily as she processed what had just happened.

Ben loved her, and they’d had sex.

It was almost surreal, and she blinked as he looked down at her.

“Wow.”

“It really was,” he agreed with a smile. “I love you so much, Allie.”

“I love you too, Ben.” She ran her hands over his cheeks and through his hair. “More than anything.”

He smiled and gave her a feathery kiss.

Just then two things happened at once—the door swung open, and there was a startled voice at the now wide open door.

“Dude!”

“Oh my god!” There was a second voice at the door, and it was the second voice that brought both Ben and Allie back to reality.

In shock they both turned to the door, and Allie felt like she was going to die of embarrassment.

Standing in the doorway was Josh, Ben’s prom ‘date’ and closest guy friend, and Ashley, the most popular girl at their school and the last girl Ben had slept with.

“Get the fuck out!” Ben finally managed to find his voice as he moved his body so he was covering her, blocking them from her view. “Out!”

“Sorry.” The door slammed closed and Allie felt like she was dying inside. She reacted out of instinct and started to push against him.

“Allie?”

“Oh god.” She shook her head and scrambled to sit up when he moved off her. “Oh my god.” She looked around, desperately searching for her clothes.

“I’m so sorry. I told Josh I was going to be here when the cruise was on, I should have put a note on the door, told him to stay out of the room.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

She didn’t say a word as she pulled on her panties and searched for her bra. She was so embarrassed she wasn’t thinking clearly.

She found her bra with her dress and rushed over to them. Her hands were shaking so badly she had trouble putting it on. Ben pulled his boxers on and went to help her.

She managed to get the bra on and let him help her step into her dress and pull it up her body. It took a few tries but she was able to do up the halter straps as he zipped her in.

“Allie.” He grabbed her arms as she tried to push past him. “Allie, stop. You can’t leave this upset,” he said as he held her against the wall.

“Let me go. I can’t be here right now.”

“Allie, stop. Please.” He held her tighter as she tried to wrench herself from his grip. “Wait for one minute.”

She stopped struggling and looked at him. She could barely see through her unshed tears and was a step away from breaking down.

“Let me bring you home,” he said desperately, keeping his grip on her. “You can’t just run out like this. Not when you’re this upset.”

“I have to leave. I can’t deal with this. Not after what we did, then for that…” She shook her head and looked down at the floor. “I have to leave.”

“Just wait. Let me put some clothes on and I’ll take you home.”

She wiped her eyes and then nodded slowly.

After a moment he let go of her and went to a bag that was next to the bed. He pulled out a hoodie and handed it to her.

“You’ll feel better,” he said when she didn’t take it right away.

After a pause she took the sweater and slipped it on as he pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She waited as he pulled his clothes on, and when he was ready he reached out for her hand.

She took it after a slight hesitation and followed him as he started to leave the room.

They made it to the hallway before he stopped.

“Shit, I forgot my key card.” He shook his head. “I’ll be right back.”

She nodded and leaned back against the wall as he disappeared into the room.

“Thanks for the show.”

Allie heard the voice in front of her and her eyes snapped open. Ashley was standing in the doorway to the room across the hall looking beautiful and perfect in her ice blue gown.

“And thanks for warming him up for me,” she added with a cold smile. “You know it was me he was thinking about, right?”

Allie stared at her in shock.

“Who do you think he invited to come over after the cruise?” Ashley asked with a wink before she stepped back into her room and closed the door.

Allie felt like her heart was breaking. Ben had invited Ashley to his room after? He’d been planning on having sex with Ashley this whole time?

She couldn’t stop the sob from bubbling out of her chest and she took off down the hall, not even noticing she hadn’t put her shoes on and had left them in the room.

“Allie!”

She heard Ben shouting to her but she didn’t stop. He caught up with her at the elevator and grabbed her arm. “Allie, what’s wrong?”

“Did you tell Ashley to come to your room after the cruise?”

“No, why?”

“Then why was she at your room? Why was she there?” she demanded.

“Allie—”

“Why was she there?”

“I don’t know. Where is this coming from?”

Just then the doors to the elevator opened and she wrenched her arm out of his grasp and darted inside.

He hurried in after her and waited until the doors had slid closed before he turned to her.

“Where did that come from? Why would you think I asked her to come to my room?”

“She’s the last girl you slept with.” She looked away, trying to stop the tears that were still gathering in her eyes. “She came to your room, she said…”

“What did she say?” he demanded when she broke off.

“She said you were thinking about her. That you’d asked her to come to your room.” She shook her head as tears slipped over her cheeks and dropped onto the front of her dress. “She thanked me for the show and for warming you up for her.”

  “Allie.” He gripped her arms. “None of that is true,” he said fiercely. “I swear to you, none of that is true.”

She shook her head. “I can’t deal with this, not right now.”

The bell in the elevator dinged, telling them they’d reached the main lobby. Instead of saying anything he grabbed her hand and moved away from her. She didn’t try to shake his hand off, but as soon as he moved she pushed past him and headed out of the elevator. He followed her out into the lobby, keeping a tight grip on her hand as he did. When they were outside he pulled her to a stop.

“Allie, please listen to me,” he begged as she tried to turn from him. “We’ve been best friends for ten years. I’ve never lied to you, never about something important.”

She looked up at him and brushed the tears from her cheeks with the back of her free hand.

“I didn’t ask Ashley to come to the room. I never would have even if I had gone on the stupid cruise instead of hanging with you. I never thought about her or anyone else, not even for a second while we were together. I love you, Allie. I wanted to be with you and you’re the only person I ever think about. Do you believe me?”

“I want to. But it’s just too much to deal with right now.”

“Please believe me. Don’t leave like this.”

“I need time.” She shook her head. “I need time to process everything.”

“Let me take you home—”

“I’ll be fine. I just need some time.”

“I’ll come over tomorrow afternoon. We’ll talk it out after we’ve slept and—”

“I’ll call you,” she cut in. “Mom will be home tomorrow and I can’t deal with her hitting on you, not on top of all of this.”

“Okay, but please, promise you’ll call.”

“I’ll call.”

“If you only ever believe one thing I’ve ever said to you, please believe I love you, Allie.”

“I love you too, Ben. I could never lie about that.”

“Neither could I.”

 

Ben bent his head and kissed her. She felt wonderful and perfect against his lips, but she was holding back.  

He pulled away from her and looked down the circular driveway of the hotel. There was a cab sitting and waiting. He gripped her hand and pulled her over to it.

“Are you free?” he asked the cabbie as the passenger window was lowered and he bent to look inside.

When the cabbie nodded he helped Allie get into the car and then leaned back down to look through the window as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket. He gave the cabbie her address and more than enough to cover the fair and stepped back as the car was started up.

He looked at her through the window and raised his hand in a silent wave.

After a moment she raised her hand back to him and the cab slowly took off down the driveway. He watched until it had turned onto the street and disappeared before he rubbed his hands over his eyes and sighed.

The night had started out shitty but had gotten better the moment he’d seen her. Being with her had made it the best and most perfect night of his life, and it had ended as one of the worst.

After counting to ten he headed back into the hotel. He was so angry he was seething. Josh opening the door had been an honest mistake. He hadn’t kept watch on the time and Josh had no idea he’d be in a delicate position.

The part that was really bothering him was Ashley. Why the hell had she been at his door, and why would she lie to Allie?

He waited as the gilded elevator made its way back down to the lobby and took it back up to the tenth floor. He tried to calm his rage as he marched up to Ashley’s room and knocked.

“Hey, lover.” She grinned as she opened the door and looked him up and down.

“Why the hell did you tell Allie I asked you to come to my room?”

“Didn’t you?” She gave him an innocent smile.

“No, I didn’t.”

“A few days ago you said we should all come over after the cruise and have a little after party.”

“A bunch of us in a room having a few drinks is a hell of a lot different than me asking you to come to my room alone.”

“Is that how she took it?” Ashley smirked. “Poor little virgin—oh wait. You took care of that, didn’t you?”

“Watch how you talk about her.”

“What, is she your girlfriend now?”

“What happens between me and Allie is none of your business.”

“Can you really say that when I saw you on top of her?”

“Ashley—“

“Don’t bother telling me to keep it quiet. Everyone already knows.” She gave him a contemptuous look. “You fucked me, dropped me, and hooked up with the skank virgin? Pathetic”

“How can someone be a skank and a virgin?”

“Look at who she comes from. She’s not like us, Ben. Her family is trash. Her dad is a loser and her mom is a whore. You know she fucked Jimmy Callahan a few weeks ago, right? How many does that make? Six, seven guys in our class alone?”

“Allie isn’t her mother.”

“The trash doesn’t fall far from the can.”

“Ashley—“

“Are you sure she was actually a virgin? I mean, was there blood?”

“What?”

“Lots of chicks ‘lose’ their virginity more than once. You just tell a guy it hurts, pretend like you’ve never done it before and voila, he thinks he’s the first one in.”

Ben just stared at her in disbelief as she talked. Ashley was gorgeous, there was no denying that. Her long blonde hair, beautiful features and tanned and toned body made her look like a model, not a high school senior. He’d always thought she was hot and he’d enjoyed being with her, but at that moment her beauty was being overshadowed by her ugly personality.

“Her mom treats that house like a revolving door of dicks. What’s to say little Miss Allie isn’t taking her sloppy seconds?”

“Leave her alone. We’re done here.”

Ben turned on his heel and stomped into his room. He didn’t really feel like he’d won that confrontation, and now everyone would know about them. He went over to the ice bucket and grabbed the bottle of wine. There wasn’t much left but he didn’t care. He needed a drink.

He drained what was left in the bottle and flopped down on his bed, staring at the ceiling as his mind began to wander.

He’d been telling Allie the truth. When he’d planned this night he’d never considered sleeping with her, but not because he hadn’t wanted to.

They’d been best friends for ten years, and in all that time she’d never made any indication that she had feelings for him. The first time she’d gotten drunk they’d been at his house. His parents had been gone for the weekend and his sister had been at her friends. They’d cracked open a bottle of peach schnapps and before long Allie had been giggling and confessing all of her secrets to him. She’d told him how she thought he was handsome and the best looking guy at school, but hadn’t said anything about wanting to be with him.

Thankfully he hadn’t gotten as drunk as her. If he had then he probably would have confessed how much he wanted her and how much he liked her, and had for a long time.

Allie was gorgeous. Ever since he started to notice girls he’d noticed her. He’d fantasized about her, dreamed about her, and for years he’d wanted more from her. He’d never acted on his desires because he hadn’t wanted to risk losing her if she didn’t feel the same way. For years he’d been waiting for some sort of sign from her before trying to move forward.

Now that he’d held her in his arms, had kissed her and had his hands on her body, he needed more. Being with her had been incredible. He’d had partners before her, but it had never been like it was with her. Before, he’d felt physical pleasure, but when he’d been with Allie the physical had taken a backseat to the emotional.

He loved her. He’d never loved any girl other than her in his life, and she loved him too. To hear her say the words had almost been too much for him, and that connection had heightened everything.

When he’d looked down at her she’d been the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. Her lips had been a little swollen and shining pink from his kisses, her hair had been messy from his hands and her eyes had sparkled as her cheeks flushed. Plus there was a look in her eyes. She’d looked up at him with a mix of wonder and trust, and there had been desire in there too.

Everything about the moment had been perfect, until the door had opened and shattered their safe little cocoon.

He didn’t blame Allie for being humiliated, or for being upset at what Ashley had said to her. He just hoped she would have a clear mind after getting some sleep tonight. She always calmed down after a good night’s sleep.

A part of him was worried she hadn’t felt what he had. He knew she’d wanted it and had enjoyed him before they’d actually had sex. He’d hurt her, that much had been obvious, and while he hated having to do it, the fact that she’d chosen him to be her first meant a lot to him.

Allie had waited to share her body with someone, and she’d chosen him. He hadn’t been so choosy. He’d lost his virginity at fifteen and had had almost half a dozen partners in the last three years. His standing in the popular crowd made it expected and acceptable for him to act that way, but he wasn’t sure if he’d done it because he’d wanted to, or because he thought he was supposed to.

He shook his head and closed his eyes as he pulled in a deep breath. What had started out as the most amazing and perfect night he could have ever imagined had been ruined by a stupid door.

He and Allie should be lying in that bed together. They should have had a chance to cuddle and talk about what had happened. She should have had time to process what they’d shared as he held her and made her feel safe and special.

Instead she’d run out of the room in tears, and was at home while her mom was most likely passed out drunk and her dad was gone. Her first time might have started out okay but it had been ruined, and there was no way he could fix it for her.