The Rocky Road Pact

Chapter 23: Rough Boy

"You didn't have to be so rough. You're bigger than Bobby. You could have really hurt him," I said, looking down at my sneakered feet as I swung gently.

"I think you mean 'you're welcome.'" I glanced at Tommy, he was twisting around, knotting up the swing's chain. He never did anything by the book, even the simplest things.

"No, I don't. I can take care of myself. I don't need you riding to the rescue every time a boy is mean to me." 

"He's not just a mean boy who'll pull your pigtails at recess. I've heard things about him. Nasty things. Be careful around him, he's bad in liquor," he said.

"Who'd you hear that from, all your girlfriends?" It was out of my mouth before I could stop it, the last word tinged with bitterness. Where was this coming from?

He stopped twisting. "What is this? You're jealous of...what? We never said we were going steady. You never asked me what I wanted, you came to me with this pact. Your plan is to use me to get your boyfriend back, remember?"

I winced in the dark. When he said it like that, it sounded terrible. I sounded terrible. I hadn't even thought about Brandon in a while, I realized. Now, Tommy seemed to occupy my thoughts. 

"You're right," I said. 

"What was that?" He put a hand up to his ear. "I didn't quite hear you."

I rolled my eyes. "You heard me all right. It's not my business who you're with, ok? It just seems like you have a lot of girlfriends and no one special, that's all. And I wonder why?"

"You're right. It is none of your business," he said, getting off the swing. He walked over to me and held out his hand. I laughed before I could stop myself.

"What do you want to do, shake on it? Ok, let's never fight again," I said, extending my hand. But he pulled me gently to my feet. The music was so loud in Creegan's house, it carried out to the garden, one of those heavy metal rock ballads was playing and my heart began to pound along with the beat.

The tone of our chat had changed.

Without a word, he walked to the back of the garden, still holding my hand. Nestled in behind the hydrangea bushes, he pulled me towards him.

"A slow dance? What is this?" I scoffed, but being so close to him, smelling his spicy, masculine scent was speeding up my pulse and making me sweat.

"Lesson number two," he said, low in my ear. He didn't have to name it. I could feel it all around me. The first date was all about fun. This was different. Moving together, close, in the dark. Feeling each other's bodies pressed together while the music played, away from prying eyes. The night was scented with flowers and the heat built between us. We started off miles away, my hands barely resting on his shoulders. As the song played, we moved closer together until my body was pressed up against his and my arms were entwined around his neck. 

When he whispered in my ear something soft and sweet, and his lips brushed the skin of my neck, I felt sparks and tingles all over, like my own internal fireworks. It made me shiver, and prickled my skin with goosebumps.

Brandon never made me feel like that. Ever.

He straightened and I looked up at him. I did touch his face then like I wanted to, smoothing his hair out of his eyes and running my fingertips lightly across the bruise under his left eye. He lowered his head and kissed me, softly at first, exploring, and then with an urgency that stole my breath away. 

Some yelling in the distance broke the spell for a moment. "What's going on?" I asked lazily, as his warm mouth trailed kisses down the side of my neck and his teeth gently scraped my ear. "Someone's fighting."

"Someone's always fighting," he murmured, and kissed me again. 

The song was coming to an end, but I wanted it to never stop. I wanted more of this; of him. I wanted to say the hell with the lessons, the hell with Brandon and see where these feelings could take us, hidden in the dark where no one could find us. 

But the song did end. He stepped back, away from me and as out of breath and flushed as I was.

"I can't do this," he said, hands in his pockets and looking at the ground.

"Do what?" I was dazed by the kiss, being so close to him and everything I was feeling. It occurred to me that there were two lessons I was learning that bight: the importance of romance and desire and the fact that I was totally confused about the whole pact agreement. Brandon was far away from my thoughts; I wanted Tommy, and this was completely new to me. 

Sex with Brandon was something I had to prepare for in my mind, like a chore to check off the list. Looking back, I could see how wrong I was, how I was all about pleasing him and how I shortchanged myself. This is what it was all about. The feelings between Tommy and I were growing, and I wanted to be with him. 

I felt like I'd just had an epiphany and wanted to share it with him.

"Tommy, I—"

"Cassie, listen. I can't continue with this pact, or whatever. Not so you can go hook up with some other guy. I like you, I've always liked you. Don't you get that? I went along with this stupid idea to be close to you. But the thought of you throwing yourself at someone who doesn't deserve you...I won't be a part of that. Goodnight."

He turned, hopped the fence and disappeared into the night.

I hugged my arms to myself, suddenly cold and confused. I just experienced something that rocked my world, and now he was gone. I longed for him to come back and kiss me again, press his rock-hard body up against mine again, whisper those things that made me blush and tingle. 

But he was gone. Story of my life.

What was it about me that was so unworthy, guys just ran away from me? I choked back tears, and went into Creegan's house to get a soft drink. My throat was suddenly dry.

"Where've you been? You missed all the fireworks!" Creegan said.

No, I didn't, I thought to myself with a secret smile. 

The party had broken up, and only a few stragglers remained. I got a Coke from the fridge and vowed to forget about my problems for a minute and enjoy some hot gossip.

"That Sharon Ellsworth from up Steele's Hill came in here ranting and raving. She's a lunatic."

"Agreed. What was her deal?"

He shrugged. "She was tearing around looking for her boyfriend. Says she knows he's with another girl and when she finds her, she's going to beat the face off of her."

"I feel sorry for that girl," I said. Sharon was a lunatic. And if there was one thing you did not do in this town, was mess with someone else's man. The girls were wild and jealous, often just as violent as the men.

"Who's her boyfriend?"

"Tommy," he said, turning to start cleaning up the empties. My blood froze.

He turned back and said "Jesus Christ, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Which Tommy," I said, hoping there was another one in town I didn't know about.

"Your star pupil," he said, rolling his eyes. "Tommy Slade."