Page 21 of Mutual Obsession (Rivals of Blackthorn #2)

- TEN YEARS AGO -

I don’t even want to go to fucking prom, I think to myself as I pull on my suit jacket, not bothering to look at myself in the mirror.

Three weeks ago, it was a completely different story. I was so excited about going, because me and Jake were going together—as friends, obviously—but still, it was going to be just the two of us.

Marcus is being forced to go with the daughter of one of Maximus’ friends, and Jake has been avoiding Haley since that night at the club. I haven’t asked anyone, and when he found that out, he said we should go together, since he didn’t have a date either.

My stupid heart jumped at the chance, and I hate how fucking giddy I felt. I should have known something would ruin it.

Jake came back to school after spending the weekend with his family, and he blew all our plans out of the water. He informed me he was taking a girl called Tahlia to prom. She’s the year below us, and his parents had set him up.

Feeling almost betrayed by him, I kicked off. I tried to make it seem like I was angry, because I was the only one left without a date, but I knew he could see through my lies. He knew I was hurt. I wanted to go to prom with Jake, even if everyone just saw us as two mates with no dates.

My initial reaction was to insist I’m not going to prom at all, and that lasted for a good few days, until Marcus wore me down. He informed me that his date, Kate, has a sister called Maya, who is two years below us. He arranged for her to be my date.

Obviously, I declined. In fact, I shouted and swore, not so politely informing him I could find my own date if I wanted one. In the end, I knew Marcus wouldn’t back down, so I gave in. I put on the suit, and I made my way down to the car, where Marcus was already waiting.

“You scrub up well,” he tells me when I reach him.

“Thanks, so do you.” He gives me a look that makes it clear he already knows that, and I roll my eyes at him—cocky bastard.

We pick up the girls and make our way to school, where the prom is being held. Maya is wearing a long midnight-blue ball gown with sparkly stones across her chest and waist. It’s pulled in at the top, almost like a corset, giving her a nice shape, before poofing out at the bottom.

There’s no denying she looks lovely, and I tell her that, but I’m not even remotely attracted to her. As she’s two years our junior, she looks just a little too young for me. But she’s easy to talk to, and we get on fine. She’s just not who I really wanted to go with, and I feel sorry for her.

I make the most of it by doing all the things a good date should do.

I get her a drink, talk to her while we’re in the line for the buffet, I laugh at her jokes while we’re eating, and I give her my attention as best I can.

I do my best to stop my eyes from wandering to where Jake is dancing with Tahlia.

We’ve been at the prom for about an hour when I realise that Maya doesn’t seem all that interested in me either. Her gaze keeps wandering in the same direction as mine, before quickly flicking away. I recognise something in her that I’m trying to hide in myself.

“You don’t want to be here with me, do you?”

Maya looks startled, and a little ashamed, as she shakes her head, looking very apologetic. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s someone else?” I follow her line of sight to where a girl from my year is sitting, staring straight at us.

“We couldn’t come together,” she admits, and I don’t need her to elaborate. It’s a story I know all too well.

“You should ask her to dance,” I tell her, and her face lights up.

“Really?” she asks, her eyes wide and hopeful.

I give her a smile as I nod. “Of course. You should be with the person you want to be with, no matter what anyone else thinks.”

She leans over and presses a kiss to my cheek. “Thank you. You should probably take your own advice.”

Before I can ask her what she means by that, she springs up out of her seat and runs over to the girl she’s been watching since we arrived. They pull each other into a big hug, and I have to look away.

At least someone gets to be happy tonight , I think to myself.

As Maya pulls the girl onto the dancefloor, I see Jake dancing with Tahlia, his arms wrapped around her as she rests her cheek on his chest, and I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut.

I force myself to look away, and find Marcus dancing with Kaya. Just a few feet away, I see Chloe dancing with her date, though she’s not looking at him. Her eyes are fixed on Marcus, and I’m sure the pain I see in her gaze is a mirror image of mine.

She thinks she hides her crush well, but I see her. We’re both watching the people we like, but can’t have, dance with someone else. I feel her pain, as it’s the same as mine. How Marcus and Jake haven’t noticed her crush is a fucking mystery, because it’s clear as day to me.

It’s not long before Marcus and Jake—and their dates—return to the table for a drink. I push my feelings aside and join in with the conversation. After quickly downing a glass of water, Tahlia demands that Jake take her dancing again, but he waves her off.

“You’ll have to dance by yourself for a bit. I want to enjoy my drink,” he tells her, completely ignoring the pout and puppy-dog eyes she throws his way.

“Fine,” she strops, wobbling on her heels as she stands. “But you’ll join me soon?” Her voice sounds hopeful, and Jake’s non-committal response crushes her slightly.

“I’ll dance with you,” says Kaya, sounding cheerful. “You can come too, Marcus?”

“That’s a great idea, you two dancing together,” Marcus adds. “I need to talk to Ben over there.” He points to a group of guys at another table, who are waving him over.

Both Jake and I look at each other, shaking our heads as we try to keep from laughing. Marcus hates Ben, but he’ll do anything to get out of dancing again.

The girls wave as they walk away, and Marcus looks annoyed. “I’m going to have to actually talk to those arseholes, aren’t I?”

This time, I can’t hold back my laughter. “Yeah, you are. Couldn’t you have come up with a better lie?”

“Obviously not, dickhead,” he snaps, scowling at me as he reluctantly gets up.

“Good luck,” Jake adds cheerfully, earning him a death glare from Marcus.

“If I’m not back in five minutes, come and rescue me, Miles.” I try not to laugh at how fucking desperate he sounds.

“No promises,” I reply, and he flips me off as he heads towards Ben’s table, grumbling and cursing under his breath.

Me and Jake are left together, laughing at how unhappy Marcus looks. Once our laughter has died down, it’s like we both realise that we’re finally alone, and we shuffle our chairs closer.

“How’s your night going?” Jake asks, and I can tell he’s looking around for my date.

I put on the best fake smile I can manage and lie. “It’s been good, thanks.”

“Where’s your date?”

I consider lying, but what would be the point? I let out a sigh. “She’s gone to be with the person she really wanted to come to prom with, but couldn’t. I think they’ve snuck off, so they can dance with each other where nobody is watching.”

Jake nods like he understands, before suddenly springing to his feet. “Come on.”

He starts moving towards the entrance to the hall, and for some reason, I follow him. “Where are we going?” I ask when I’ve caught up to him.

He waits until we’re in the corridor outside of the main hall, then he steps closer to me, a big smile on his face. “That sounds like a great idea.”

I shake my head, more than a little confused as Jake continues on, until he reaches the end of the corridor. He then pulls me into an empty classroom and locks the door behind us.

We’re close enough to the prom to still hear the faint beat of the music, and when Jake holds his hand out to me, I freeze. My heart is beating out of my chest, and I struggle to catch my breath.

“Dance with me. Just for tonight, let’s pretend,” he says, and I melt under the intensity of his beautiful chocolate eyes.

As I reach out to take his hand, I hope he can’t see how much mine is shaking. If he does, he doesn’t say anything. He simply laces our fingers together and pulls me close.

When we’re so close that our bodies are touching, he wraps his arms around my neck, and I don’t hesitate to grab hold of his hips, partly because I want to make sure he can’t pull away. Mostly, I just want to feel his body beneath my fingertips, where he belongs.

We sway to the distant beat of the music, not saying a word as we stare at each other, finally showing the emotions we’ve spent so long trying to hide. In that moment, I let him see just how much he means to me, and I’m shocked when I see the same expression reflected back.

His breath flutters over my face and I’m enveloped by Jake’s scent, making me feel more at home than ever before. I rest my head against his shoulder, and he presses a kiss against my forehead, which sends a shiver down my spine.

One song blends into the next, and we hold each other close, not wanting to let go. With each beat of my heart, Jake seems to embed himself deeper into my soul. His touch, no matter how innocent, sets my body on fire, and desire shoots through me.

I can feel him getting hard too, responding in the same way I am, and the longer we hold each other, the more difficult it becomes to ignore. When I finally lift my head off his shoulder, I see Jake’s eyes are dark with lust, and I can’t help myself. I lean forward and capture his lips with mine.

I’ve never kissed another guy before, and I’m surprised by how soft his lips are. That’s the only thought I’m able to have before Jake kisses me back and I lose all good sense.

What starts as a sweet, experimental kiss quickly becomes something that is all-consuming, and I can feel his passion bleeding into my skin with each frantic touch.