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Fallon

“W e’re here,” he announced , slowly sliding his finger down my thigh, tapping my knee. His voice changed again–more playful.

I glanced around, taking in the scene of a creepily lit parking lot. Lights flickered around in the dark and the shadowed silhouette of the back of a building in front of me convinced me again that he might try to kill me. This guy was always taking me out to secluded and almost frightening places. “I knew you’d murder me eventually,” I sighed.

His laughter was warm and genuine—unlike the parking lot we sat in. He climbed out of the car in one smooth motion, the creak of the door breaking into the silence of the night.

He opened my door. Odd , but gentlemanly. I didn’t want to leave the warm, safe car to meet my demise, but the cold air spilled in. The fresh air mingled with his cologne and bashed me in the face with fresh and warm smells at the same time. He was lucky he smelled good.

A hand appeared in front of me, urging me to get out.

“After you.” His naughty grin reappeared, and his eyes changed back to their normal mischievous glint. He was laying down the charm like it was molasses. If I had a choice, I would have stayed in the car.

Conceding, I took his hand firmly. No softness for him . I tried not to focus on the firm grip he had, or the warmth of his fingers while he pulled me out of the car and laced his fingers with mine. Handholding? For Brent Vaughn?

I forced myself to think about the night air being cool against my neck and the faint scent of trees around us. Not on the warm feeling in my stomach. No, I listened for distant hums of cars and life around me instead of the man who had me out here all alone. Not the nervous energy I had brewing or the way he was looking at me.

Why did he look at me that way?

“You wanted to haul me here in my pajamas?” I asked, definitely not focusing on the fact that we were holding hands and walking quickly toward this dark building.

“Yep,” he replied coolly, gripping my hand a bit tighter.

“Where are we?” I fidgeted with my necklace with my free hand, wondering what awaited us inside.

He flashed a teasing smile over his shoulder. “You’ll see.”

The building was dark—like, dark, dark. It could have been abandoned for all I knew. Confusion washed over me as I wondered what the hell plans he had made for the night. The door creaked open, revealing a too dark hallway.

The entire place was pitch black.

I’m so dead for real this time. Kelly, I am so sorry.

I thought I smelled...popcorn?

He dragged me through a series of endless and dark hallways while our shoes squeaked on linoleum. He stopped to present me with a final door and opened it to reveal an empty ice-skating lobby with a single flickering light.

The door to the rink opened and even cooler air washed over me. Nostalgia crept up and for a moment, I could vividly remember my mom.

The vast open space waited for me. The ice perfectly smoothed by a Zamboni awaited.

I felt like I was home for a moment.

Brent broke the silence. “Just the two of us here tonight.”

“I guess I’m too embarrassing to be seen with you around other people.” I let a smart-ass remark slip while I took in my surroundings. It happened when I wasn’t paying too much attention to someone talking. I was focused on the feeling of good times.

The smell of a skating rink stayed the same no matter which rink you went to. They all just felt the same. And I felt like I was a kid again with my mom.

God, how I missed her.

“What’s your skate size?” He brushed off my remark. Nothing could break that iron ego of his.

“It’s been a while. Maybe a six, maybe a seven.” I shrugged.

He disappeared into the hallway without another word. I almost didn’t notice with how entranced I was in the space.

Part of me wondered what his angle was. Out of all the girls he could possibly set his sights on, why me? It wasn’t like I was some standout girl on campus—-just another face in the crowd, blending in without much effort. Maybe some people wondered if I got in on a scholarship if they didn’t know my name, and that was fine by me.

I thought back to the first time I saw him—or thought I did. He was goading on that fight in his front yard like some typical bad boy movie cliche. I didn’t think he truly noticed me, but with those looks he gave me, it was confirmation enough. Then, the campus wide back to school bash where he lurked in the shadows until I stumbled outside. The cigarette he gave me led to me willingly getting on the back of his bike for a night out.

It wasn’t like me to do that. Not to mention Garrett. Two men vying for my attention? Wild. One of them asked me to be their girlfriend, yet I was out with the other one.

So unlike me.

But Kelly encouraged adventure and hot guys.

I just didn’t think a hot guy would include the notorious campus playboy, Brent Vaughn. He was a use her and lose her type of guy.

The lights flicked on with a loud hum and my thoughts dissipated.

“Miss me?” His voice came from behind, dripping with the same charm that he wielded like a weapon.

I grabbed the skates from him forcefully and plopped down on a bench to try them on. No way was I giving him the satisfaction of a response. He was far too cocky in his confidence. He played the cool guy routine way too hard—there was no way girls fell for it.

If they did...ew.

“Let’s see what you’ve got.” He stepped out onto the smooth ice, gliding backward with an ease that felt more like a taunt.

I took my time easing onto the ice and found my footing as if it was only yesterday I was on the ice last. Despite bouncing from hobby to hobby, I always went back to skating. Sitting still was never really my thing.

The sound of the blades slicing the ice felt like a lullaby from home. It reminded me of Mom. She always encouraged me to try anything that caught my eye and even joined in on some lessons despite her complete lack of coordination.

I started off slow to let the rhythm of the blades on the ice calm my nerves. I could feel his eyes on my back as I made my rounds to shake off the residual tension. I wondered what we were doing here tonight. What we were doing here together. What were his intentions?

“I think I’m warmed up,” I called out across the rink. I shrugged off the anger and frustration that had been my life lately. The ice was working its magic . Depending on how Brent behaved, staying calm could still have been an option.

He was still there, watching me from the sidelines. The expression on his face—the cool guy look—wasn’t there anymore. Was that a curious look painted on his face?

Whatever it was, it made me feel weird.

What did he want from me?

It didn’t take him long after I slowed down to push off and skate directly toward me. His movements were practiced like he spent a lot of time on the ice. Pretty funny for a baseball player if you asked me. The way he moved on the field and the ice screamed athlete. That, and major confidence—well, cockiness. He had that way about him.

“Someone is full of surprises,” he said on his way over.

“Am I?” Facing him, I pushed off to skate away from his approach. I knew his intentions with me, and I wasn’t going to let him get there.

He leaned into his movements to try to catch up. “I didn’t take you for a pro.”

“My mom let me take lessons.” I pulled myself into a small spin to divert my path away from him. “I was encouraged to explore my own interests in life. She even joined me a few times for my lessons.”

“She sounds great.” His voice dropped lower–softer than his usual tone.

“She was.” He matched my pace, gliding up next to me. I looked up at him for once, meeting his softened eyes. “What about you? You’re a baseball guy. I didn’t think they were too good on the ice.”

“I am a baseball guy, but there’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

“Care to elaborate?”

That arrogant ass smile came back, lighting up his face. “Question for a question?” He shifted to skate backwards, taking my hands in his.

“Is this how you usually impress girls?” I challenged.

His eyes focused on mine. “Only the ones who won’t fall for my boyish charm.”

I rolled my eyes. “You think you’re so smooth, Brent.”

Ignoring my comment, he pondered within himself for a moment. He took the question for question game seriously. “What is the biggest secret you’re keeping?”

He thought he was so funny, didn’t he? “Nice try, buddy.”

“Had to try,” he shrugged.

It was my turn. “What is it you want, Brent? Like, in life or anything else?”

The pace between us slowed down like I caught him off guard. “Do you think about this a lot?”

“If I have to answer, you do too.”

He nodded.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “I think about what my mom wanted for me before she died. About my best friend, Kelly, moving on with her life at some point. Where I would be after that and what it is that I want for myself in the future.”

It wasn’t a lie. I did think about it a lot. What would happen when Kelly moved on? I never made extra friends or found any stability in being by myself. My mom left me her entire empire and I had no idea how to handle that.

Brent picked up the pace again and I caught a moment of his eyebrows furrowing. He was searching for the answer. “What does Brent Vaughn want? For so long, I think it’s been about living up to my grandfather’s expectations. I think a simple answer to my endgame question is to be free to make my own choices.”

I poked him. “Is that why you’re so broody all the time?”

“Ah, ah.” He waved his finger at me, eyes flashing with intensity. “My turn. What do you really think of me, Fallon?”

“Hmm.” I tapped my finger to my chin. “I think you’re a big oaf.” Laughing, I skated away from him.

My feet were tired, but I persisted in skating a few more rounds. Question for a question died out into silence, and I watched him in the comfortable ambiance of the music that played in the background.

I plopped onto a bench and pulled the skates off. My feet burned. The last time I was on the rink was far too long ago. It made me feel good to be back out here–my mom would have wanted me to.

Then again, I didn’t feel like I truly knew everything about my mother. She kept a lot from me and left me with things I wasn’t aware of.

Brent sat beside me and leaned into my shoulder. His chin dipped low, brushing my ear. “Hungry?” Shivers ran down my spine. His tone was far too sensual for the question he just asked.

I pulled back and eyed him.

He clapped a hand to my thigh. “Let’s go, Blondie.”

We drove away from the rink and into the darkened sky. I caught him looking over at me from the reflection in the window multiple times. It still confused me as to why he was showing such interest in me. I wasn’t special in any way.

And putting this much effort into sleeping with someone? Weird .

Brent chose the place to eat. A drive-in fast-food joint and I was ready to order the entire menu. After his little kidnapping stunt, a scant breakfast, and skating around for a while, I was ravished. I went for two fully loaded double cheeseburgers, a large tray of tater tots, onion rings, and a chocolate peanut butter milkshake.

When I broke the trance, I had with the menu while ordering, I saw him looking at me more amused than ever.

I stifled a laugh. “What? I told you I was hungry.”

He matched my order with a laundry list of his own and looked over at me. “Can’t have your tiny ass out eating me.”

The neon lights mixed with the moonlight across the dashboard as I got cozy in the passenger seat. The atmosphere between us felt changed in a way. Maybe it was the food being delivered, maybe it was something about astrology. I didn’t know.

He leaned over to lower the music. “Can I be honest?”

Suspicious. “Sure.” I’d already eaten half of my first burger before he’d even eaten more than a few fries.

“I have never seen someone your size eat so much food.” His tone was light and his eyes were curious. It was like he was sizing me up–if it wasn’t him, I’d assume it was someone trying to get to know me.

But it was Brent. His reputation stated that he had ulterior motives.

I shoved an onion ring into my mouth and chewed it slowly. “I didn’t have much for breakfast before someone came to my house and rudely kidnapped me. Can you believe they were trying to take me in my pajamas? Not cool.” The last of my burger was inhaled before I crumpled up the wrapper and tossed it into the bag.

My second burger came out immediately. I didn’t lie; I was so freaking hungry.

He started in on his burger. “Wow, the audacity of some people.”

We had a genuine laugh between us. There seemed to be more and more of them coming as I spent time with him. It made me wonder when he’d try to take my pants off.

Internally, I smacked myself on the forehead. Stupid, stupid. You should be out with Garrett right now. You are playing with serious fire right now. Oh God, what would my mother think of me?

“So,” he turned his body as much as he could in the car to face me completely. “Besides food, what else do you enjoy?”

Was he really asking me questions like it was a genuine date? Odd . I took a sip of my shake to buy myself a few seconds. “Music. My hobbies. Good company.”

“Good company? Like me?” There he went again, smiling like it was his strongest weapon.

I sighed dramatically. “You wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the whole kidnapping thing. Don’t let it go to your head, Mister Big Ego.”

He leaned back to get comfortable. “I wouldn’t dream of it, babe.” A small tilt of his head had him looking at me again. “How many boys are you currently torturing other than me? I think I know of one other, but you’re such a little man eater.”

I focused on my milkshake in my hand. That was awkward considering I’d never slept with anyone and could count on one hand how many people I kissed for real. It was one. “Says the womanizer.”

“Touché.”

“How many women are you teasing?” If he wanted to play, I could play.

“She’s such a feisty one, isn’t she?”

I glared at him. I could be feisty. I bet there was a tutorial online about it.

“Lucky for you, you don’t know the first thing about me.” I dipped my tater tot and popped it in my mouth.

He eyed my choice of condiment. “I know you prefer honey mustard now. I know that you’re a good ice skater. You’re incredibly shy. You touch your necklace when you get nervous. Which, around me, you always are. Shall I go on?”

My milkshake was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world.

“I didn’t hear a rebuttal. I rest my case.”

Then, my tater tots became the most interesting thing. “Why do you have such a reputation?”

“Because people love to talk. They love drama and things that don’t bring light to their own shitty lives.” He pulled the straw to his soda up to his lips, challenging me to continue the conversation. “Why do you care so much about my reputation?”

I think he liked throwing me off kilter. “Who said I cared about it?”

“You did. Come on, do you really think I can’t tell your heartrate is hammering in your chest?” He leaned in, stroking his finger up my neck to my jawline. “That I can’t see the suspicion behind your eyes? Or that you’re curious about what it would be like with me? Maybe... you secretly like my reputation.”

His hand deserved the smack I gave it before quickly adjusting myself in the seat. “No.” Maybe . Heat quickly rose to my cheeks, and I avoided eye contact. “And that’s more than enough.”

“I already got my answer. Last question: where do you want to go next time?”

Next time?

Was this man trying to court me?

Not only was I asked to be someone’s girlfriend, but I was also now being asked out on a date by the type of man I swore I would stay away from.

What would my mother think of me?

That was a question, and I had to answer it per the rules we set indiscriminately. “I’ve never played baseball.”

Something lit up his face. Excitement? Surprise? Both?

He took my free hand in his and brought it to his lips. “I thought you’d never ask. I’ll show you how to play baseball so well, you’d be sought out by the MLB.”

“You won't be the star of the team after I’m done with you.”

I ate everything I ordered with ease and tucked away the trash into the bag. It was a habit to ensure I never made a mess anywhere. A habit I picked up in the name of self preservation.

There was a small moment of softness he had when I looked up. He pulled my hand into his and gently clasped them together. “Ready to go?”

All I could do was nod. Inside the car felt far too comfortable. The music too well picked. If I wagered to guess, he wanted to woo me before trying to get me into bed. The ‘why’ question still lingered in my mind. Especially when he started tracing circles on my hand with his thumb.

After what I imagined was wrestling with the thought to kidnap me again, he put the car in drive, choosing the long way home. I leaned against the window to enjoy the cast of fleeting lights on my face.

“Falling asleep again on me?”

“It’s been late each time you dragged me out,” I mumbled. “You can’t blame me for being tired.”

“You know, they say if you can fall asleep in someone’s presence, that means you’re comfortable with them.”

That had to have been the funniest thing I’d heard all year. “Guess you’re cozy with a lot of girls, then.”

“Fucking and sleeping are different.”

I kept my eyes closed with my face pointed at the window. There was no way I needed to see his expression to know I struck a chord. The big, bad playboy got offended when it came to relationships.

That information would be useful in my back pocket.

“Ah, yes. One requires a certain level of deepness.”

Despite his irritation at my response, I felt an odd sense of ease like the first night on the back of his motorcycle. Minus the wind.

The car stopped at the curb and we both looked at the glowing porch light. The shiny beacon told me Kelly was home.

Brent put the car in park and turned to me. “Does the light mean that your friend is home?”

My eyebrow perked up on its own. “It means that it’s too dark for me to be outside.”

A deep chuckle escaped him before he leaned in closer. “How about a kiss before you go in then? Over here since she interrupted us last time.” He nodded over in the general direction of my house.

He was amusing, I’d give him that. He also made me roll my eyes a thousand times per conversation. “You’re something else.”

“You wound me.” He grasped his chest in a dramatic way. Like he’d been shot.

His ego probably took a few hits when he was with me.

“Oh, you’ll be fine.” I slapped his shoulder.

He persisted, leaning over to me and making his lips pucker. It was funny to watch happen in real time. The infamous playboy begging for a kiss? Peak comedy .

I placed my finger to his lips. “I’ll think about it.”

“Fair enough.” He pulled back, wasting no time on getting out of the car and getting my door open in record time. He offered his hand and walked me to my door.

Again .

At the front door, he looked down at me. “Night, babe,” is what came out of his mouth while he grabbed my face in his hands. Then, this insane man kissed my forehead .

I blinked.

“See you around, Blondie.” His tone was the usual nonchalant, irritating one. I had no time to respond to that as he marched his way down the path and back to his car. Clearly pleased with himself.

The door opened to reveal Kelly glaring at me again. “Spill. The. Beans,” she said, pulling me inside.

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