Chapter Ten
Elizabeth
The rest of the week passed in a blur. I hated to admit it, but things were almost starting to go back to normal around home. The cops had done nothing to search for Monica – the word around town was that her parents had urged them to leave their daughter alone – and slowly, the kids at school were finding other things to talk about.
The only people who seemed to think of Monica at all were David and myself. Even Steven had stopped asking me how I was feeling. It bothered me. What bothered me more was that if it had been anyone else, I really would have let loose on them. But being around Steven was different. Whenever we were together, I could barely think of anyone but him.
It made me feel like the world’s shittiest best friend.
On Sunday, I was still in bed when Mom came to the door and told me that Steven was on the phone. I could tell by her expression that she was dying to know more, but I managed to push her out of the room before she could ask. Steven asked if I wanted to come over and watch a movie. His parents were at church with Andrea, and he finally had the house to himself.
Before I left, I put on a touch of mascara and did my eyebrows with the new pencil I’d gotten over the summer.
Mom raised her eyebrow at me when I went downstairs.
“You’re going to have to bring this Steven around,” she said. “I want to know who my daughter is spending so much time with.”
I blushed. “Mom, you’ve met him before, remember? We used to go to their church.”
Mom frowned. “That was years ago,” she said. “We haven’t been for a long time. You know that, Elizabeth.”
“Well, he’s still the same person,” I said lightly.
“He always seemed so devout, especially for a young person,” Mom said slowly. “Has he changed? He’s not pressuring you, is he?”
I shook my head so quickly my brain spun. “No,” I said. “Nothing like that.”
“If you want to keep seeing him, I need to meet him,” Mom said. “You can’t put this off forever, honey.”
I frowned. “Okay.”
Mom laughed. “Come on, it’s not like I’m a dragon lady or anything. You know that.”
I nodded. “I’m just nervous.” I blushed and looked down. “I’ve never had a boyfriend before.”
“Good.” Mom rolled her eyes. “When I was growing up, your grandmother wouldn’t let me go out with anyone until they introduced themselves first.”
I shuddered. “Yikes.”
“I didn’t have any boyfriends until college for a reason,” Mom said lightly. “But then I met your father, and you know…the rest is history.” She smiled. “Steven sounds nice, Elizabeth. I’m not trying to pressure you. I just want to make sure you’re not getting into anything you shouldn’t be.”
Her unsaid implication was, ‘I just want to make sure you’re not getting into anything like Monica.’
“Right,” I said quickly. “Well, Steven’s here. Gotta go. Bye, Mom.”
Mom gave me a distracted, one-armed hug, and I dashed out the door. Steven was leaning against the side of his car. He grinned when he saw me.
“So, you ever seen Tree of Life?”
I shook my head. “I haven’t even heard of it,” I admitted.
Steven laughed. “Me neither,” he said. “My parents got it from Netflix, though. Thought it might be interesting.”
I smiled. “You’re in a good mood,” I said as he pulled out of the driveway.
Steven nodded. “Yeah. Mom finally stopped forcing me to go to church with the rest of them,” he said. “You would have thought she could have taken the hint back in junior high.”
“Mmm.”
“It’s just…I don’t really identify as a Christian.” Steven kept his eyes focused on the road, and I wondered if this was a personal subject for him.
“I don’t, either,” I said.
“It’s different for you,” Steven said. He turned the car around a bend in the road, and I grabbed the door so I wouldn’t go flying. “You didn’t grow up in a family like mine.”
“I guess.”
“No, it is.” Steven shook his head, laughing bitterly. “You should’ve seen my mom’s face when I told her I wanted to read science fiction. She acted like I’d said I wanted to start worshipping the devil. She wouldn’t even let Andrea read those stupid Harry Potter books.”
I snorted. “Those aren’t bad at all.”
Steven nodded. “That’s my point.” He pulled into the driveway of his parents’ house and wiped his palms on his jeans. “It was, like, a huge struggle with my mom. She finally said I was old enough to decide for myself, but she told me that she’d be praying for me anyway.”
I snorted.
“I know,” Steven said. He rolled his eyes. “Come on.”
It felt strange being in the D’Amico house without Andrea. Before the whole séance fiasco, Monica and I had come over a couple of times per week. Even though Mrs. D’Amico was annoyingly religious, she was a generous hostess. She’d always made us snacks and paid attention to us. Monica had always sort of mocked Andrea behind her back, but now that she was gone, I realized she must have appreciated the level of attention from Mrs. D’Amico. It wasn’t like Monica’s parents at all; there, you were lucky if they even acknowledged your presence.
“It’s so quiet in here.” I ran my hand along the polished wood of the bannister. “Your mom did a nice job with the house.”
Steven nodded. “Yeah. She’s kind of obsessed. She’s really into, like, those house-flipping shows.”
My stomach lurched. “Do your parents want to move?”
Steven snorted. “Hardly. My mom thinks big cities are like, dens of sin. She’s never going to want to leave a small town.” He eyed me smugly. “Why? Would you be upset if I left?”
I blushed hotly. “Maybe,” I lied.
Steven took my hand and pulled me close. I was surprised by how easily he could move me. He was definitely stronger than he looked. When he put his fingers under my chin and tilted my head up for a kiss, I thought my heart would explode.
“I like you,” Steven murmured. “You’re really cool, Elizabeth.”
I blushed. Steven pressed his lips to mine, gently at first. Then his teeth scraped my lower lip, and a shudder of something strange and hot flashed through my lower body. I moaned softly as Steven slipped his tongue in my mouth. It felt strange – almost invasive and alien – but after a few seconds, it seemed almost as normal as breathing.
Steven pulled away and grinned. “Come on,” he said. “The couch is more comfortable.”
I took a deep breath and tucked loose hair behind my ears as I followed him into his living room. There were two matching couches upholstered in striped silk, and I sat gingerly at the end of the one closest to the television. Steven put the movie in the DVD player, then sat down next to me. The couch bounced with his weight.
“I’m glad you could come over,” Steven said. He put an arm around me. After a second, I scooted closer.
“Do your parents know?”
Steven shook his head. “Nah. They won’t be back until the afternoon, though. Andrea’s got some kind of a performance thing after the service, and then they’re going out to lunch.” He rolled his eyes. “Mom tried to bribe me with food. No thanks.”
“Are you going to get in trouble?”
Steven shrugged. “I don’t really care if I do,” he said. “That doesn’t bother me.”
“Look at you, mister cool,” I said.
Steven snickered. Up close, he smelled like clean laundry and fresh aftershave. A shiver wriggled through my body. When he kissed me this time, I wasn’t as nervous. I tilted my head up and closed my eyes, trying to hold my head exactly still.
Steven tangled his fingers in my hair and gently pulled. Warmth cascaded through my limbs, and I felt myself melting in his arms. As Steven kissed me, he gently pushed me down on the couch until I was on my back. The kisses grew urgent, more intense, until I found myself clawing at Steven to pull him closer. He gently pulled away, then nuzzled my head up and started kissing and nibbling on my neck.
Sensations exploded in my lower belly, coiling tight with arousal. I moaned and arched my back, spreading my thighs. Steven crawled between my legs, and I felt something hard at his crotch poking my thigh. When I realized it was his erection, I blushed hotly. Steven licked his way back up my neck, then kissed me deeply and slid his tongue in my mouth.
I wrapped my arms around Steven’s neck, and he pressed his body closed to mine. After a few seconds, I realized that I was moving my hips in a sensual rhythm, pressing my body against Steven’s, hungry for more.
The only thing I could think about was how much I wanted to keep kissing him. My lips were chapped and raw, but I didn’t care; the tingling in my nipples and between my legs was too much, too exciting. When Steven put his hand up my shirt, I shivered at the touch of his cold fingers against my skin.
“Is this okay?” Steven murmured, turning my head to the side and nipping at my earlobe. It tickled in a sensual way, and I giggled, biting my lip nervously.
“Yeah,” I whispered softly. Steven kissed me again, pressing his lips hard against mine as his fingers moved under my top. When he rubbed my stiff nipple through the material of my bra, I cried out in pleasure. Everything in me wanted more – wanted him.
Steven reached behind me and fumbled at the clasp of my bra. There was a loud sound from the other room, and I tensed underneath of him. His fingers kept trying to undo the clasp.
“We should stop,” I said, sitting up and pushing my hair out of my face. My heart was racing, and I knew my face was bright red.
“It was probably just the cat,” Steven said. “Come here.” He reached for me again, but this time, I dodged out of the way.
“No,” I said. “I’m sorry. It doesn’t feel right doing this on your couch. Your parents could come back at any minute.”
Steven frowned, but he sat up and straightened his shirt. Immediately, my stomach twisted with regret, but the mood between us had vanished. An image of Andrea kissing Steven on the lips popped into my head, and I frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I bit my lip.
“You’re lying,” Steven said. “Come on, Elizabeth. You can tell me. Did I push you too far?”
I shook my head. “That’s not it,” I said slowly.
“Then what? Tell me.”
My heart started to thud again, but out of anxiety this time.
“It’s nothing.”
Steven rolled his eyes. “Come on, don’t be like that.” He stared at me. “I didn’t think you were like other girls, Elizabeth. I thought you were cool.”
I swallowed. “Why did Andrea kiss you the other day?”
Steven shrugged. “Uh, I don’t know. Probably because she’s my sister.”
“On the lips?”
Steven stared at me for so long that I started to feel like an idiot. “Yeah,” he said.
“What’s going on with her? Is she jealous?”
Steven rolled his eyes. “Jealousy isn’t a good look, Elizabeth.” He stood up from the couch and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’m not talking about Andrea with you. I’ll be right back.”
Steven strode out of the room. A few seconds later, I heard the bathroom door slam shut. My heart twisted, and I closed my eyes, trying to process what had just happened.
When I heard my phone buzz, I looked down at the table. But it wasn’t my phone; it was Steven’s, lit up with a text.
I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t help myself. The screen flashed and lit up with Andrea’s name. I bit my lip as I took Steven’s phone with trembling fingers and unlocked the screen.
There was a photo of Andrea, topless, with her back facing the camera. She was glancing over her shoulder and pouting. It was in some public bathroom – the glare on the mirror was almost more noticeable than her naked back.
My stomach dropped as I read the text.
“I can’t wait for tonight.”
For a moment, I thought I was going to throw up. I dropped Steven’s phone like it was burning hot, grabbed my bag, and ran out of the house.
I ran all the way home. Even when I was breathless with a painful stitch in my side, I didn’t slow down. I kept running and running until my legs ached and my chest burned. I didn’t stop running until I was on the porch of my parents’ house, where I bent over and rested my hands on my knees.
The nausea hadn’t gone away. I couldn’t stop thinking of that stupid sly smile on Andrea’s face, and that creepy picture. Why the fuck would she have sent something like that to Steven? Was she trying to make me jealous?
Or was I an idiot? Was something going on between Steven and Andrea? Was he just using me as an excuse?
The door swung open. When Mom saw me gasping and red in the face, she gaped.
“Honey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I said. I was panting so hard that talking was difficult. After sucking in a couple gasps of air, I turned to her. “Steven’s parents weren’t home, so I thought I should come back. I didn’t feel like having him give me a ride. It’s such a nice night, I thought I’d exercise for a while.”
Mom frowned. “It’s thirty-five degrees, Elizabeth.”
Pushing past her, I forced a fake grin. “Well, exercise is good for keeping warm.”
“I didn’t think you’d be home until later, so I just made leftovers for dinner. You want some, or do you want me to make something else?”
“No,” I said quickly. My stomach was still jumping and dancing around, and I knew that even smelling food would make me sick. “I’m fine. I’m going to take a shower and go to bed early.”
Mom looked at me suspicious, but nodded. “Okay,” she said slowly. “That’s fine, honey. Just come down later if you change your mind.”
I nodded. As soon as she was back in the kitchen, I bolted upstairs and grabbed my phone. I had two missed calls from Steven, and about fifteen texts. My stomach turned, and I threw my phone on my bed without even looking at his messages.
I felt like the world’s worst person. I’d almost completely forgotten about my missing best friend because of a guy. I’d been so stupid, so blind that I hadn’t even thought about anything untoward going on.
‘Monica, please,’ I thought desperately as I crawled into bed and pulled the covers up, ‘if you can hear me, please come back. I need you now more than ever.’