The corset of my dress was tight and possibly a little off. Okay so it was definitely a little off. The girls were being pressed against something and it certainly wasn’t the part of the bodice they were supposed to be laying comfortably in. I should have probably stopped. Should have gone to the ladies’ room to adjust them, and powdered my nose or whatever the hell it was that seventeen year old girls did in the bathrooms on prom night besides pee.
But no—I keep walking toward the end of the hall because curiosity got the best of me.
And…my boyfriend, who was just named Prom King, was missing in action for the last thirty minutes. And no, I wasn’t named his Queen. But that’s okay, I wasn’t expecting to be. Troy and I weren’t on the same popularity level, in fact, I was quite surprised that my crush had finally asked me out three months ago.
I was overly excited to tell him that tonight was the night for us. He’d been patient with my cautiousness of having sex. But I wasn’t ready and still wasn’t sure I was, but it was prom—and I wanted to savor every magical moment.
Including losing my virginity. And who better than Troy Hartman.
I heard his voice. Or rather a grunt from the end of the hall and wondered if he was hurt or something. Maybe graduation and leaving a place where he’d always felt like the King was affecting him more than I’d even imagined—for someone like Troy.
I treaded carefully and quietly. To avoid startling him. When I turned into the alcove at the far end of the hall, I found him and that’s when my heart stopped.
His pants were down and around his knees, his arm was stretched out in front of him, palm flat against the gray tiled wall.
And his other hand—a strong, tightgrip around long dark hair whose face was buried at his groin.
But I didn’t need to see her face. The knee length, off shoulder silver dress she wore told me who it was.
His Queen.
My stomach churned with every light thrust he was giving her. Every sound of pleasure from his deceitful throat. He let out a curse and whispered her name—Gina.
Not that it mattered who this was…I was just thanking God at that moment, it wasn’t me.
But at least it was Gina Malone. She made sense. Her social status, the money her family had, the dark straight hair that was always silky and perfect, compared to my untamed waves.
Pretty things.
That was all the kids at East Brooklyn High cared about; Pretty people and the pretty things they had. I thought I was a pretty person who might not have had pretty things—but I had him.
Until I found him here.
My mouth was open but there was no sound, not even a squeal, nothing but pure silent horror before I cursed and ran in the other direction.
The exit.
I ran as fast as I could, tears streaming down my made-up face, until I crashed into someone—
I looked up.
Troy?
No. How could he have gotten in front of me so fast?
I flipped around to find my boyfriend—still where I’d just found him…with his pants down.
Then turned around to face someone who looked just like the guy who broke my heart. Their suits for the night were as identical as they were.
That’s right—August.
August wore his suit loose, his hands gripped my arms, steadying me. Before he could manage any combination of words—August was never good at that—I broke free of his warm hold and raced toward the double doors.
“Harper stop.” Their voices were nearly identical too, so I couldn’t tell which one it was.
But it didn’t matter.
“Go to hell,” I whispered back before pushing the doors open and getting as far away from that building as possible.
