He kept moving, burying his face into my neck as he came, wrapping me close, holding me tight as he rode out his orgasm. We stilled, wrapped around each other, our bodies slick with sweat, still joined. Neither of us moved, too sated to break our connection.
“I love you,” I whispered into his ear. “I love you so much, Ronan.”
His arms tightened.
“I am never letting you go,” he vowed. “You are everything to me, Beth. I love you, little bird.”
I snuggled closer.
That was all I needed.
* * *
I was still smiling as I stepped off the bus the next afternoon. I hadn’t stopped smiling all day. Ronan had spent the night, and in the early morning, I had followed him up the stairs to let him out the side door. Outside, Liam had Paige wrapped in his arms, kissing her goodbye. They were as surprised to see us as we were to see them, but Liam gave Ronan a high five as he went by, and I disappeared back into the house, trying not to laugh.
When Paige came inside, she poured a cup of coffee and sat across from me, not saying a word. Then our eyes met across the table, and we both started giggling.
It was a great way to start the day.
My phone rang, and I answered. “Hello.”
“Hey, little bird. Home yet?”
“Almost. What’s up?”
“Nothing. Wanted to hear your voice, check on your day.”
“It’s been a good one.”
“Yeah?” His voice dropped to an intimate growl. “Any particular reason?”
I began to answer when I saw Evan sitting on the front step, Paige beside him. Her arm was around his shoulders, and his head was down. I began to hurry, crossing the grass, the dried twigs from the tree breaking under my sneakers. Paige looked up, sad, and Evan lifted his face. His lip was cut and bloodied, his eyes swollen from crying.
I made a funny sound, and Ronan’s voice became concerned. “What’s wrong? Beth—what is it?”
“I have to call you back,” I breathed. “Evan,” was all I said, hanging up and kneeling in front of him.
“What happened?” I asked. “Did you have an accident? Why didn’t the school call me?” I pushed back his hair, shocked to see a bruise by his temple as well.
He pushed away my hand and held the cloth back to his lip. “I fell,” he said sullenly.
I met Paige’s eyes and saw the subtle shake of her head.
“Evan,” I said firmly. “What happened?”
“Can we just leave it?”
“No,” I snapped. “We can’t. Did you fall, or did something else happen?” I covered my mouth. “Did those kids who were picking on you do this? Did someone touch you?”
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he nodded. “Yes.”
* * *
Ronan
I made it to Beth’s as fast as I could, cursing all the traffic around me. I drove like an asshole, not caring if I got a ticket, but I was grateful I didn’t. I pulled up to her house, seeing her and Evan on the step. He was leaning against her shoulder, and her arm was wrapped around him. I shut off the engine and hurried over, dropping to my knees in front of them.
“What happened? Bud, are you hurt?”
He looked up, pain and embarrassment in his expression. His lip was cut, and a bruise was forming on the side of his mouth, plus one on his temple.
I had him follow my finger and asked him a bunch of questions. He seemed fine other than the cut and bruises.
“What happened?”
“I fell.”
I looked at Beth, knowing there was more to the story.
“He fell,” she acknowledged. “But he had help.”
“Tell me,” I demanded.
He sighed, shuffling his feet and looking down. “We were in class and talking about the BAM project. We were discussing different aspects, and Mr. Humphries said something I knew was wrong, so I spoke up. I told him why he was wrong. I said exactly what Paul had told me. Mr. Humphries asked how I knew such technical information, and I told him that I’d met Paul and all the BAM guys and talked to them. He was excited and asked some other questions, and it was good, you know? To be able to answer in class and know what I was saying was right.”
I nodded, knowing how much that would mean to him.
“Anyway, after school, some of the kids called me names. Said I was lying about meeting the BAM men. I told them I wasn’t. I told them my sister was dating someone in the new company. They pushed me around a little and called me a liar again.” He huffed. “I got angry and pushed back.”
“Did they hit you?” I asked.
“No. They’re too smart for that. They picked on me and moved before they got noticed. But as I turned to walk away, someone yanked my crutches out from under me and I fell. I hit my face on the cement.”