Loving The Bad Boy

A Few Uninvited Guests

"So, I guess this is where I stop?"

I flushed furiously, feeling horribly embarrassed for having to ask Reed to drop me off a block away from my house. My mother would lose whatever was left of her sanity, however, if she saw me return home hours past my curfew on the back of Reed's motorcycle. Of course, I would have to reveal to her that I was, in fact, out with Reed, but at least this way I would be able to spare her the details.

"Yes. I suppose. I'm truly sorry Reed-"

"Naw. It's alright. All the good parents don't like me. Hell, even Hayven Macafee's folks didn't want me hanging around him."

I still felt horribly guilty for asking this of Reed. I'd had a wonderful time with him, and it seemed a horrible injustice to ask him to end the night like this.

"Perhaps, with time, you will grow on my mother and she won't view your presence as...warily as she does."

Reed let out a small chuckle, shaking his head as he swung his leg up off the bike.

"Yeah, well I wouldn't hold my breath as far as that goes. I mean, it's not like she doesn't have a point."

I raised my eyebrow at him as I followed suit, awkwardly maneuvering off the bike and making a futile attempt to brush myself off.

"And what exactly do you mean by that, Reed?"

Reed shrugged, making a casual motion to himself with his hand.

"Well, I mean, c'mon Liz. Look at me. Piercings. Skinny Jeans. Tattoos. I'm not exactly what most parents hope that their daughters will bring home. I'm more like the kid they don't want to be caught walking the streets alone with after dark And..well..I do a lot of shit that they'd probably worry would rub off on you or something."

I pursed my lips, feeling quite troubled by what Reed had just said.

"Then they'd be wrong, Reed. You've been nothing but a perfect gentleman to me this whole night."

Reed looked down at me, the widest grin I'd ever seen spreading across his face.

"Me? A gentleman? That's one I've never heard before. You really should be careful, though, saying shit like that to me."

I frowned slightly, not understanding the meaning behind his warning.

"And why is that?"

"Because." Reed said, stuffing his hands into his pockets and flashing me a devilish smile. "See, there's kind of something I've been wanting to do all night, but I'm not really sure how you'd take it. And, well, when you say shit like that, it only makes me want to do it more. But, I mean, at the same time, doing it might just totally contradict what you just said anyways. You know?"

My brows creased slightly as I stared up at him, completely confused. "No. Not really."

Reed bit down on his lip, his eyes meeting mine. "Well, maybe it would just be easier to show you..."

Beep. Beep.

Frowning, I glanced downwards, breaking eye contact with Reed and pulling out my cell phone. Oh my. This was the 17th missed call from my mother tonight. I would be lucky if she hadn't called the cops and sent out a search party for me by now.

"I really should get back before my mother decides to do something more drastic than just call my phone every ten minutes."

Reed cleared his throat, an odd expression flashing across his face as he nodded.

"Yeah. That'd be good. Just, ah, let me walk you to your house. I'll stop far enough away so she won't be able to see me in the darkness. I just don't want you walking all that way in the dark tonight alone."