The Price of Falling

Chapter 18

I was lying on my stomach with my feet up in the air, facing the end of the bed. The first book on my summer reading list was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I had read the entire Harry Potter series before, but for nostalgia's sake, I decided to read them again before going off to college. I was just getting started on the third chapter when my phone buzzed beside me. When I glanced at the screen, Conner's name was there.

Where'd you go? his message said.

To my room. I responded simply.

Which one? he asked. I contemplated for a moment whether or not I should tell him which room I was in. By the time I decided not to tell him, I heard a knock on my door. I got up and walked over to the door. I expected to see Molly when I opened it, thinking that she was the only person that really knew where I was staying. But instead, I looked up into a pair of eyes the color of steel.

"What are you doing up here, Griffin?" Conner said. His voice was deep, and any other girl would have melted right there in front of him. Not me.

He had one arm up, leaning himself against the door frame. I answered him, "Reading."

"What are you reading?" he took his arm down and stepped into my room uninvited. What was with this guy and walking into places without being invited in?

"Nothing," I replied.

"Liar," he said, walking over to my bed and looking down at the tattered copy of my favorite childhood novel. He grinned as he picked the book up and dropped it back onto the bed. I closed the door, which in hindsight could have either been a very good or very bad thing.

"It's really none of your business what I'm doing," I said, curtly. Conner took a step toward me. Why was I always getting into situations like this with Conner? Oh, wait. I wanted this.

"Aw, don't be like that, Griffy," He pretended to pout. He took another step toward me and I stood my ground.

"Shouldn't you be with your girlfriend, Conner?" I said, trying to throw him off, and maybe get him out of my hair. I was already embarrassed that he had brought another girl. There was no way I was going to be alone with him when his Ashley was right downstairs.

"Oh, yeah. Maybe I should get back down there," he said with a smirk. He ran his hands through his hair. Another unexpected pang of jealousy hit me in the gut. I let out a breath that I wasn't aware I had been holding. I turned away from him and put my hand on the door handle. If he wasn't going to leave voluntarily, I would make him. Somehow.

"Just go back downstairs," I said. But before I could turn the door handle, his hand was over mine, removing it.

"She's not my girlfriend, Griffin. I was just fucking with you," a laugh escaped his lips. A beautiful laugh it would be, if the person it was coming from weren't so infuriating.

"What do you mean?" I asked. He wasn't really going to try this excuse, was he?

"She's my cousin. Her name is Ashley Price." When he said that, it was my turn to laugh.

"Okay, right. Like in every teen movie. It's always the cousin," I said rolling my eyes. Conner took my hand in his and twirled me around to face him. He was much closer than I thought. My breath caught in my throat, and I looked up at him. He looked frustrated.

"I'm serious, Griffin. Ashley just finished her first year of college, and she's visiting us for a couple of weeks. She wanted to meet my friends," Conner said, clearly exasperated. Why was he annoyed? "I wanted to talk to you about our ... arrangement."