Kiss and Break Up (Magnolia Cove, #1)(31)

I smirked, then shut the door. “Bye, Dash.”





Peggy



Coughing, I doused my hair in another layer of hairspray, then shoved the can down on my dresser.

I’d donned my aqua green tutu and paired it with an off-the-shoulder, ripped white T-shirt.

A text came through on my phone, and I picked it up, smiling.



Byron: one hour. :D



Me: 59 minutes :D :D



Gone was my fear of seeming too eager beaver, and in its place, excitement brewed steadily, keeping an almost permanent smile on my face. I wondered whether we’d sneak out, like Byron had said when he’d called me last night. “Find our own place to party,” he’d said in a tired yet oh, so sexy voice.

While I wasn’t ready to hand over my V-card to him just yet, I felt more than ready to try all the things Dash and I had tried. I was confident it’d feel just as good, just as exhilarating, breath stealing, and daydream worthy, and maybe even better.

Dumping my phone, I selected some silver hoop earrings and put them on as I tried to keep my feet from dancing on the spot. The window beside my bed was cracked open to help with the fumes, the breeze drifting off the creek stirring the lace curtains.

Dash had been quiet on the way to school this morning, and I’d gotten a lift home from Daphne after he’d texted me to say he was bailing early due to a headache. I’d asked if he was okay but hadn’t gotten a response.

I was about to text him again to check when the wooden floorboards creaked with Mom’s footsteps. My heartbeat stalled, then exploded, booming erratically. She was supposed to be at Phil’s for dinner.

“Peggy,” she said, more of a sigh than a greeting, leaning into my bedroom. “Take the earrings off. You’re grounded.”

My hands fell, my heart still rioting. “What?”

“Don’t you raise your voice at me. I said you’re not going. Now get changed.”

Dazed, I just stood there. I’d asked if I could stay at Daphne’s last night, and she’d said yes instantly. I’d slept over at Willa’s plenty of times, Daphne’s a few times too, and never once had she questioned it. Hell, she’d never once said no, so it wasn’t even a matter of asking anymore, and more about letting her know what my plans were.

“I don’t understand,” I said the thought aloud.

“Wade’s party?” Her brow rose sharply. “I wasn’t born yesterday, sweetheart.”

I groaned, yanking off my earrings. “Mom, I wouldn’t have—”

“You should’ve just asked me like last time.”

“I didn’t think you’d say yes to another party, not this soon,” I pleaded, feeling my eyes water.

Her own softened marginally. “I guess now you’ll never know. Now strip and wash the makeup off. You’re grounded for a week.”

A week was pretty good, I thought, considering. But I’d only ever been grounded once before, and that was when Dash decided I should try some pot during last Thanksgiving break outside near the creek.

I should’ve known that wouldn’t have been easy to hide, seeing as I’d laughed my ass off over nothing for an hour straight, ate everything in sight, then vomited it all up.

I hadn’t done it again since.

I sighed, the sound a pitiful gush of air, throwing my arms around my body like a six-year-old who didn’t get her own way. “This is so not freaking fair.”

“Heard that.”

I scrunched my nose, then yelled, “How’d you find out anyway?”

It took her a minute to respond, and I yanked off my skirt, throwing it into the corner of the room. “It’s Magnolia Cove, Pegs. You think you kids are the only ones who gossip?”

Touché.





“We’ll figure something out. Your birthday is soon right?” Yelling ensued in the background. “Mark, you fucking psycho, how you doing?” Laughter reached my ears, and I started swinging my legs up in the air on my bed. “Right? It’s bomb as fuck. All right, later. You there, Peg?”

“Yup.” I couldn’t exactly go anywhere else. For a whole week.

“Sorry, haven’t seen that idiot in ages. He goes to the public school.”

Great, so not only was there a party I couldn’t attend with my new boyfriend, but it was potentially one of the biggest parties to happen this year. I faked a yawn. “You should go, have fun.”

“I am,” he said, swallowing something, likely alcohol. “Wish you were here. I can’t believe you got found out.”

“I know.”

We made plans to talk tomorrow, and I hung up before chucking my phone to the end of the bed. I’d texted Daphne earlier, telling her our plan had been thwarted. She wanted to know how, and I told her gossip. It didn’t sound like she believed that, but at this point, I didn’t really care.

I switched on the Xbox, but no one was online. Playing with a bunch of strangers was fine, though not as fun. I switched it off ten minutes later and went in search of a snack.

I was in bed before ten, wanting nothing more than to sleep this night off so I didn’t have to think about Daphne, Willa, Byron, and probably Dash having fun without me.

Around midnight, I was almost asleep when the sound of cussing followed by a hard body came through the window. “Dash?”