In the Dark (The Rules #2)(22)

I say nothing. I don’t know how to respond. My breaths come in jerky little gasps and I realize…I’m excited. Aroused.

At the thought of what he’s offering. Of what he wants to do to me, how easily he says the word f*ck, talking about how he wants to be inside of me. There’s no denying Gabe wants me. And I want him too. Despite my virginity and the promise I made to myself that I would get through school and graduate before I focus on my dating life.

He’s the first guy who’s ever made me feel this way. Like I’d throw caution to the wind and let him do whatever he wants to me and damn the consequences.

I’m not that girl. I’m cautious. Careful. I plot and plan and do what I’m supposed to. I don’t make waves and I don’t cause trouble. One look from Gabe and I want to cause all sorts of trouble.

But only with him.

“Who says we can’t have a summer fling?” I finally ask, causing his head to jerk, his gaze meeting mine once more.

“What do you mean?” He sounds wary.

“Well.” I take a step toward him. Then another. As if he has gravitational pull and I can’t resist him. “Do we have to have actual…intercourse?” Ugh that word. Sounds so formal but I can’t say f*ck to Gabe. That’s so crude. “In order to fool around and have that summer fling?”

His eyes widen and I think I’ve shocked him, which is kind of fun. He didn’t expect me to say that. “What are you saying?”

“I think you know what I’m saying.” Okay, I can’t believe I just said that. Who am I? Seriously, what am I doing, offering to be this guy’s summer fling. “Just…no actual sex.” Yeah, I’ve turned into one of those types of girls. But why? What is it about this guy that does me in so quickly? He’s gorgeous. Funny. Nice. He seems in to me, which blows my mind.

Is that it? He likes me so I think I should jump the first attractive man who’s into me before I turn him off with all the virginity talk? Am I desperate?

Sort of.

Crap. I don’t like thinking I’m desperate.

“What? So you’ll do everything else but the actual deed?” He shakes his head, disbelief written all over his expressive face. He opens his mouth, like he’s about to say something but I cut him off, scared to hear what that might be.

“Never mind. Forget it. Forget I even offered.” The words fall out of me in a rush and I clamp my mouth shut, just as he does the same. He stares at me.

I stare at him.

Then, without another word, he walks past me, through the bedroom, through the house…

And he leaves me without another word.

Chance. Blown.

My sexually adventurous summer?

Officially over.

“Being rejected sucks,” I huff out, surprised I can even speak what with how freaking exhausted I am.

Meanwhile, in other irritating news, Sydney is jogging beside me like it’s no big thing. Not breaking out in a sweat, not sounding out of breath, nothing.

I hate her.

Not really.

Sydney sends me a sideways glance. “Tell me all about it,” she mutters.

That wasn’t the reply I was expecting. I increase my pace to keep up with her. She’s tall. Not as tall as her gorgeous brother but she has legs almost as long as my entire body, which means her stride is long. “Who’s rejected you?” I pant out when I catch up with her.

Another look from Sydney, this one saying, give me a break. “Pretty much every college I applied to this year.”

I knew she was younger than me but didn’t know exactly how much. “You just graduated high school?” Oh God, I’m getting a cramp in my side. Probably from all the water I drank earlier when we took a short break. Doesn’t this girl ever tire out?

“Yeah. And my mom pressured me to apply to like, every Ivy League college there is out there. So I did, filled with the confidence that at least one of them was going to accept me. None of them did.” She shakes her head, her disappointment palpable. “Not a one.”

Ouch. That sucks. I had to stay in California. Knew I couldn’t get a full ride and without it, I can’t afford the out of state fees. “So what are you going to do?”

Sydney finally comes to a stop and I’m so relieved I almost fall over. I’m trying to be good with this brand new exercise regimen I came up with to distract me and it’s so hard. Like extremely hard.

Especially when all I want to do is wallow in bed and reenact what happened with Gabe and I last night. Talk about a mess…

“I’m going to community college for the first year and then I’ll transfer.” The look of misery on Sydney’s face is unmistakable. “One more year with my parents and then I’m free.”

“Are they that bad?” I ask gently. I glance around the mostly deserted beach, wondering where everyone is. Considering it’s barely past eight in the morning, I figure a lot of them are still in bed or already at work.

Sydney actually snorts. “They’re worse. Didn’t my brother tell you?”

I keep my face purposely blank. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Please.” She rolls her eyes. “You fell prey to his charms. You all do eventually.”

I can feel myself visibly bristle, my imaginary feathers ruffled like a pissed off bird. “I didn’t fall prey to his charms.”