Stalk Me

“I don’t need anything else, Mom. These earrings are plenty. Plus the party. I’m sure it’s costing a lot. I’m sorry I asked for so much. I think I got a little carried away.”

“Keatyn, I think it’s fine you got a little carried away. It’s your seventeenth birthday. Lots of kids here have parties like this every year. This is the first big party we’ve ever had. And you never go crazy shopping. Although I swear you have more bikinis and shoes than anyone I know. Just enjoy it, okay. Forget about all the security, eat cake, and dance all night with your friends.”

“I will. Thanks, Mom, for everything.”

Mom nods as I run down the hall, through the entry, and back to my wing of the house.

I take a deep breath and open my bedroom door, expecting to dazzle him.

“That dress is awfully short,” he says.

“I, um—does that mean you don’t like it?”

“I mean, you look nice. Is it maybe a little skanky?”

“No! It’s longer than the one you picked for me to wear to di

“I’m sure it was. Those the amazing shoes?”

I hold up my foot, so he can see the shoes up close. “Yes, aren’t they adorable?”

“What’d they cost?”

I sigh. “It doesn’t matter.”

“So, I just realized I forgot my wallet. I’m go

“Okay,” I say, holding back tears.

Is it bad that I’m half wishing he’d just stay at his house? He was supposed to be dazzled by my dress, not think I look like a skank.

The boy who likes all of me.

8:10pm

Although I had fun hanging out with Vanessa and RiA

I’ve been pretending that my life could be perfect.

That I could have it all.

But I’ve been lying to myself, I realize, as my two formerly separate lives come crashing together right before my eyes.

And it has nothing to do with Vanessa and RiA

Cush.

When I opened the door, he gave me a grin so big I could see those dimples. Then he stood there and stared at me.

“You look amazing, Keatyn.”

I stared back, because I couldn’t seem to move. I could only stand there and look at him.

After a few awkward moments, he takes a step toward me, wraps me in a big hug, and kisses both my cheeks. Then he gently pushes me away from him and looks me up and down again.

“I’ve missed you,” he says sincerely. “And I owe you a big apology. The stuff I said, blaming you for what Mandy did. I was upset. Not thinking straight. I’m really sorry. I know it wasn’t your fault.”

“I still think it was kind of my fault, but I completely accept your apology. I’m sorry for what I said too.” I smile and look him over. He looks different. “You’ve grown or something.”

“I have grown. I’m almost six-two. And I didn’t have anything to do this summer besides work out, so I’ve bulked up.”

I look at his shoulders. He’s always had a nicely toned body, but now he looks even more buff, and it looks very sexy on him. Part of me wants to drag him back to my room, rip off his shirt, and see those new muscles up close and personal.

He looks around. “Am I the first one here?”

I nod because I don’t know what else to say.

He flashes me his sexy grin. “Good. I want you to open this now.” He opens the door back up, grabs a gorgeously wrapped present off the step, and hands it to me.

I lead him into the living room, where we both sit down on the couch. I pull the bow off the package, rip the paper off, and read the box. “Golden Goose?”

Did he really buy me Golden Goose?

He shrugs, but his blue eyes twinkle with excitement. “Keep opening it.”

I open the box and pull back the tissue. Nestled inside the box are the most gorgeous brown cowboy boots I have ever seen.

“Since we’re doing our own thing this year, I thought you should have some boots that wouldn’t try to kill you,” he says sweetly.

Tears immediately spring to my eyes as I remember the day he carried me to the locker room. The day he unbuckled my shoes and rubbed my feet.

I lean in and kiss him.

Right on the lips.

“God, I missed you,” he says, then kisses me deeply again.

“I missed you too,” I say, suddenly realizing that I have.

He holds my chin in his hand and looks sincerely at me. “You’re kissing me. Does that mean you’re done with the surfer? That you’re ready to have a great year together?”

“I, um, I told you he’s my date for the party.”

“Keatyn, you don’t kiss someone like that if you’re in love with someone else.”

He slowly caresses my face, tells me how much he missed me, and how bored he was this summer without me.

But I’m sort of lost in my own thoughts.

This party was supposed to be about bringing my worlds together, but Brooklyn doesn’t seem to want any part of my world.

He only wants me when I’m in his.

And if I’m really honest and thinking with my head instead of my heart, I’m pretty sure we don’t have a relationship. That this summer meant a lot more to me than it did to him. How can you tell a girl that you love her and that it’s cool that you can chill together in the same breath? And how do you tell her that right after sex? How could you even consider not going to the birthday party of the person you are supposed to love?

I stare into Cush’s gorgeous blue eyes.

Cush.

The boy who likes all of me.

The girl who likes to dress up as much as she likes to be casual. The girl who likes to go to expensive restaurants just as much as she likes shacks on the beach. The girl who is as happy getting a pedicure in a posh spa as she is ru

Cush is excited about school because he wants both of us to be everything we are, not what people think we should be. The boots he gave me are exactly like who I want to be. An expensive brand, but comfortable and casual. They totally symbolize me.

Actually, they symbolize us.

Everything we could be.

Together.

He kisses me again, and I feel like I’ve finally figured out exactly where I belong.

“Out of all the things you could’ve gotten me for my birthday, what made you pick these boots?”

“I know how you love your shoes. Look at these gorgeous shoes you have on tonight.” He runs his hand down my leg, grabs my ankle, and appreciates my shoes. “I thought these boots looked like you. They’re classy and expensive, but still comfortable and carefree. I know it's probably not appropriate for me to say this, but I want you to know. I didn’t even kiss another girl this summer. I still love you, Keatyn. I really do.”

We lean our heads together and his lips find mine. His kiss is soft and sweet, but there’s fire behind it.

And I can’t help it. I want to feel the burn.

“I asked Brooklyn to be my date tonight,” I say softly.

“I know. I wasn’t allowed on Facebook over the summer, but I checked it today. I heard you’ve been pretty unplugged this summer, but I thought if you were going out with him you would’ve posted it.”

I start to get tears in my eyes again and shake my head.

“We’re not going out. We’re just . . . I don’t know. He says he loves me one minute, and acts like what we have is just chilling the next. He didn’t want to come to my party. I had to guilt him into coming.”

He runs his hands down both my arms slowly and ends up holding both my hands. “Keatyn, I wouldn’t have missed your party for anything.”