38. Montana

We had to leave. And quickly.

He had to find Anya and I had to return to my duties, but I didn’t want to leave. I never wanted to let go. As the throes of pleasure ebbed away, I began to notice things I had not until now. First, I registered the delicious warmth of the sun shining down on us. And I started to hear sounds. They were some distance away, but the voices were approaching.

I looked up to him then.

“It”s time to head back,” he said.

He found my jeans and opened them up at my feet for me. It was a caring and endearing gesture. After pulling them up, I allowed him to button me up. I watched him the entire time. His eyelashes were so long and lush I wanted to touch them, but that would be too affectionate. He looked up and smiled at me, and my poor little heart skipped several beats.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Do I reek of sex?” I asked anxiously.

He grinned. “Yeah, but it suits you.”

I frowned. “That was not what I wanted to hear.”

“Don’t sweat it, Montana. Claim it. It’s nobody’s business but ours.”

We started to head out when I heard a knock on the door. My heart lurched. What if that was my dad? I was too jittery. I felt like a criminal, and the anxiety felt like it was corroding my bones.

But whoever was outside didn’t insist. Footsteps walked away. I sighed with relief.

“Do you want to leave first?” I whispered my gaze on the door.

“No, you should go first,” he replied. “Unless you want to lock the doors.”

“No, I’ll come back and lock them in a little while.”

“You’re the boss,” he said.

“Okay. See you,” I said and began to turn away from him, but he caught my hand and twirled me around to face him. He slid his hand around the small of my back and kissed me. Bad move because I had just begun to think clearly, but here I was again struggling to be coherent.

My phone began to ring then, and I drew back with confusion and panic. I saw that it was only Pearl.

As I dismissed the call I wondered why she was looking for me. I also noticed that thus far, I’d had two missed calls from my dad, and that was alarming to say the least. One from Kelly and two from Pearl. Now I was certain that our absence had been noticed.

I tried not to feel too panicked though. I had done nothing wrong. Nothing I wouldn’t do again given the same opportunity. If they assumed we were fucking because we disappeared, so be it. After all, it was true.

With one last look at Cole and a tight, awkward smile I headed out, ready to face the worst. The second I unlocked the door and went out, I spotted a very familiar face waiting for me. Pearl was leaning against the wall and leisurely scrolling through her phone. There was no doubt she was aware of what had happened inside because she was looking at me, her head cocked and a look of wonder in her eyes.

“Really?” she asked.

I was nervous but also amused by her disbelief. “Really what?”

She looked at the door I had hastily closed behind me, then she shook her head and walked with me. We didn’t say a word to each other, but just before we joined everyone else, I pulled her aside. As far as I could see there weren’t any pitchforks waiting for us, and everything seemed exactly as I had left it. But I had to be sure there weren’t any devastatingly unpleasant surprises awaiting me.

“Was there … I mean, why were you waiting there?”

“You disappeared,” she said simply.

I nodded. “And.”

She tried to hide a smile. “Cole Swift disappeared as well.”

“Okay.” My heart was pounding.

“If even I noticed this, what do you think about everyone else? Especially all those hyenas who are stalking him.”

Even though it felt as though I’d just returned from another world and lifetime we hadn’t been gone very long. Taking in a deep breath, I released it slowly. “Did anyone hear? Did we draw anybody’s attention?”

“Why do you think I am waiting for you?” she asked.

I was confused. “What do you mean?”

She lifted her hand and tapped the back of my head. “Kelly ordered me to disappear as well, you moron. That way anyone curious could conclude that he went to the bathroom or something, while I was with you the whole time.”

I felt so relieved, I nearly fainted from it, but as the true implications of what my friends had done for me dawned on me, I felt so grateful I wanted to hug Pearl tightly. And that was exactly what I did.

“You should have at least warned me beforehand to cover your tracks,” she scolded. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? At school, especially? Your dad could have gone to the storeroom.”

I really didn’t know what to say in response to this. I felt like a complete mess. I was a complete mess and it was all his fault.

“You”re smiling?” She pinched me.

“Hey,”’ I cried out.

“What are you smiling about?”

“I’ll be right back,” I said, and turned to go, but she caught my hand and stopped me. “You have got to be kidding me. You”re going back for more. That’s just neurotic This lot are gonna figure it out and the whole town’s going to be gossiping about you and him.”

“I’m not going to him. I need to use the bathroom,” I explained and hurried away, only to bump into a man who was heading towards the sheds. There was a gorgeous smile on his face and he looked so good, as though he had taken a warm towel to his face and body, even though there was no warm towel in the storeroom. Insatiably, I inhaled his scent.

“Are we in trouble?” he asked.

His voice broke the spell and I realized where we were and how many eyes were probably on us. I retreated back from him. “I don’t think so.”

“Good.” He nodded courteously, then passed me by.

The perfect stranger. I couldn’t help but watch him as he walked away.

A handkerchief suddenly appearing underneath my chin startled me. “What the …?”

“You’ll need this to wipe off your drool. How absolutely neurotic of you. This is all my fault. I created a fucking monster.”

I cracked up at her words and took the clean handkerchief because I would most definitely need it. I tried to stop myself, but I couldn’t help casting one last long look at him before turning and heading off to the bathroom.

I cleaned myself up, but to be honest, I was almost reluctant to do it. I wanted to keep his scent on me. Everywhere I touched was a very vivid and poignant reminder that he had touched me there. The constant flashback made me feel as though he was right there with me. I was well aware I had to get myself back together, but before I could the bathroom door was pushed open, and a group of females headed in.

”Is she here? You said she was here. Montana!”

”Yeah, I’m here.” I sighed. I had done something crazy. Something even Kelly would probably think twice about doing. So, of course, I had become worthy of gossip and conjecture. I hoped this little tidbit about my behavior would not get to my dad.

”Ow!” Kelly yelled as soon as she saw me. “Just look who’s been buttering the biscuit in the school store room! Ha, ha, the student has become the master.”

“Honestly, Montana,” Natalie exclaimed, but she was giggling too.

”Keep your voices down,” I said, but they ignored me.

”You should have taken your own advice,” Kelly taunted. “Your moans and screams were audible throughout the entire school grounds.”

At hearing this, my soul left my body. I turned to Pearl in horror. I could always trust her to tell the truth. “Is that true?”

”Stop scaring her, Kelly,” Pearl scolded.

”Not true, Montana,” Natalie consoled gently. ”We only know because Pearl told us and she only heard because she had her ear stuck to the door of the storeroom.”

Grinned with relief I tossed the handkerchief away and headed over to the sink.

”Hey! That”s mine,” Pearl complained.

I looked at her with surprise. ”I used it to clean my Minnie. You want it back?”

She made a face and recoiled. ”If it’s been on your Minnie, I guess not.”

I focused for the next several seconds on properly lathering up and washing my hands.

”Is he really that good?” Natalie asked.

”Look at her face and skin,” Kelly said. ”She”s flushed and red everywhere. What exactly does that tell you?”

”Okay, anyone could walk in now, you guys. Please stop,” I begged.

”We’ll stop when you tell us how this secret affair is progressing. I mean, where is it headed? What are his concrete intentions towards you,” Pearl asked.

”It’s not heading anywhere,” I told her airily. ”It’s just casual with us. Just a fling.”

”Casual? Fling? Are you crazy? This is your first guy. You’re going to be bawling and horribly sad for a very long time if you’re not careful.”

”I feel really bad ... actually,” Natalie said, “we all feel bad because we more or less pushed you into this. The last thing we want is for you to get hurt. The first cut is hard, honey. Be careful.”

”I won”t get hurt. I have it all under control,” I assured with a confidence I wasn’t feeling. I gazed at my worried friends through the reflection in the mirror as they considered my response rather than the relief, they just really seemed to become even more worried.

“Why can’t I just enjoy this thing without thinking too hard?” I asked.

“Didn’t your dad invite him over for dinner a few days ago?” Kelly asked.

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

“It seems to me Papa thinks it’s more serious than you do,” Natalie observed.

“My dad has no idea I’ve been with him,” I scoffed.

“I think you give your ole dad too little credit. Tell me, did he disappear a few times over dinner?”

I scowled. Holy Heck, Kelly was right. First, he disappeared into the cellar to look for a wine bottle we didn’t need, then he retired to bed early.

”Did you fuck him in Papa’s house?” Kelly mocked. She could barely contain her amusement.

“Of course not.”

She shrugged. ”No need to be so offended. You just did so in school so your home is fair game.”

“If you ask me, both of you seem to be immensely out of control,” Pearl said.

I didn’t even argue this because she was absolutely right, but it didn’t feel good to admit to it, so I just remained silent.

Pearl came close then and held my hand. ”What do you really want from him, babe?”

I thought about this question. He was exquisitely handsome, the chemistry was amazing, and I had big feelings for him, but I knew almost nothing about him. What I did know was concerning. There was something he wasn’t telling me. But even acknowledging the fact he was hiding something from me caused me pain, which proved the girls’ point that I was already in too deep.

”I don’t know yet,” I replied honestly. ”But I see where you guys are coming from. I’ll be more careful. I won’t just blindly fall head over heels with him until I know whether he’s gonna hang around for a bit.”

Pearl smiled. ”And that”s why we’re here. We’re not just here for these juicy details.”

”Sorry, but I’m only here for the juicy details,” Kelly said.

I laughed. Sometimes closed-minded people said nasty things about her, but to me, she was funny and had a heart of gold.

”You can tell us later. We should all go back. And don’t worry, Montana. No one will guess,” Pearl said.

”No one will know?” Kelly mocked. “She”s still so flushed she looks like a fucking lobster. Anyone with half a brain will take one look at her and know she’s been getting royally fucked when she should have been watching their kids.”

”Their kids are all busy having a great time. No harm has come to any of them as a result of me getting, as you so charmingly put it, royally fucked.” I ran a hand through my hair. ”I have no regrets.”

Kelly came closer. “Just give us one juicy detail to keep us going. Where did you do it?”

“Against the window.”

“The one with the mountain range view?”

I nodded.

”Ooh, niiiiiceee,” she approved.

“Yeah, it was nice. Very nice.”