Falling for Fallon (Oak Hill 2)

But Fallon was like a challenge.

And I didn’t like to lose.

The sound of her moaning in my passenger seat caused every single cell in my body to explode. I slowly inched my head over to her and all but salivated at the mouth. “Is it that good, Fallon? My God.”

Fallon whipped her head over to me and smiled naughtily. “You have no freaking idea.”

I couldn’t help but feel my cheek lift. “So, why can’t you have tacos all the time? I love pizza, and I have it at least three times a week.”

Fallon turned her attention away from me, staring out the window at the blurring cars and houses that we were passing.

I’d taken her two towns over, closer to Oak Hill, to grab her some tacos

from this little shack that Ivy had introduced Dawson and me to. We (I) most definitely needed some food to get through dress shopping.

What the hell was I thinking asking her to go get a dress? I was a fucking dude; I didn’t like shopping. I was still wearing t-shirts from my high school years. I was a simple man, avoiding malls and those frilly boutiques that lined the streets of my hometown, because the thought of shopping made my skin crawl.

And here I was, excited as hell to shop with this chick.

Maybe I was just happy to rub her almost-fiancé’s face in the fact that she was going to rebel against his demand of her not wearing red. The words he spoke to her…

I cracked my neck again, hearing a pop. My heart began to ricochet against my ribcage at the thought.

God. I should have fucking decked him in the face.

That would have taught him a quick lesson on how to talk to her.

“Well…” Fallon had finally said. “So, you know my family is wealthy. Right?”

I chuckled, flipping on my blinker. “Yeah, I kind of got that from the fucking mansion. What is it that you live in? A guesthouse type of thing?”

She laughed the softest laugh, and it did something to my chest. It felt like my heart had skipped a beat. “Yeah, it’s the guesthouse, but it’s mine until… well… until I get married.”

“I know I said I wouldn’t ask again, but it’s hard for me to wrap my head around the idea of you marrying someone you don’t love. I mean, I know it happens a lot, but…” I paused, glancing over at her flushed face. “You don’t love him, right? Otherwise, I’m gonna have to turn this car around and take you back.” I chuckled to relieve some of the tension I was feeling.

“No! I don’t love him.”

See? There wasn’t a word in the English language that could describe the confusion I was feeling.

“Then why? Is there some type of blood oath that says you have to marry this man or else you die? Or someone dies? I don’t get it.”

Fallon’s entire body stilled. I kept moving my eyes from the road to her. I did that so many times I actually started to wonder if she was still breathing.

Finally, I heard her sigh. “Honestly…” She paused. “It kind of is life or death, Emmett. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing it.”

I didn’t say anything until we were pulling up in front of the dress store that she’d put into my GPS a little while ago. I parked my car on the side of the road and turned the ignition off. Fallon crumpled up her taco wrapper, brushing the crumbs off her shirt, and then finally got the nerve to look over at me.

My eyes drove into her small, heart-shaped face. “Are you in danger, Fallon? Are you… a part of the mafia or something?”

A gigantic smile formed on her face, and then her shoulders started to shake from silent laughter. “No!”

I huffed. “Well…” Then I chuckled, placing my gaze out the windshield and noticing all the shoppers strolling by with bags in their hands. “I don’t have a whole lot to go on, so I’m a little confused and conflicted. I’m half expecting the hotshot to pull up behind us in a sleek, black Escalade and point a gun at my head for hanging out with you. I’m just confused.”

Fallon’s small nostrils flared. Her lower lip trembled slightly, and I started to panic. Jesus. I’d only been around her three times, and somehow, I’d already managed to bring her to tears. “Fallon.”

She stopped me. “I… my life is just different than yours. Than most. My family is…”

Silence stretched around us. “You have a lot of secrets, Fallon.”