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Authors: Ashley Andrews
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neither.”
His smile was so charming that her stomach flopped. Somehow it made everything worth it, even if it hadn’t gone exactly as she had planned.
Then his smile disappeared, and so did their eye contact. “This sounds so lame. You probably think I’m just making excuses for having bad breath or something.”
“No, I don’t,” Farrah said, leaning forward and hugging him. That should be okay, since they had done it so many times before. “I actually think you’re being really sweet.”
His arms went around her somewhat belatedly, as if he had wanted to make sure she didn’t regret what she was doing before he responded. She heard more than felt the soft kiss he planted on the top of her head. It made her whole body pleasantly warm, even though a part of her still wanted to feel it on her mouth. However, she didn’t want to do anything that would make him uncomfortable. It that meant having more moments like this and less governed by lust, well…
When it was phrased like that it sounded like she got the better end of the deal.
His wings moved, rubbing lightly against her knuckles. It was all it took to remind her: “Hey, were you planning on going to prom this year?”
“Prom?” Then Neal seemed to catch on to the change of subject. “Well, I originally thought I would, but now I’m not so sure since I’m apparently part-avian and all,” he said half-jokingly. “That would be hard to hide.”
Farrah pulled away just enough to see his face. “I think you should find a way to go anyway. It’s your senior prom.”
“Yeah, but I was never all that into dancing anyway, and you know my wings. They’ll probably bust free of my rent-a-tux and give everyone nightmares.”
“I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but I still think you should try—I don’t know. Use me as an excuse or something. Say I don’t want you dancing too close to anybody because I’m possessive.” Anything to stop him from losing one of the highlights of being a senior to circumstances he couldn’t control.
He shook his head. “Avoiding everyone on the dance floor will be too big a hassle.”
“It won’t be it it’s something you want to do.”
“But that’s the thing: it’s not that big of a deal to me. It’s not even a deal at all, just something I thought I’d do to pass the time.” Then he gave her a Look. “And if you can harass me about prom, can I harass you about telling your parents? At least let them know I exist, you know? I mean it; I’m sick of my house—I want to see yours for once.”
She knew he was trying to guilt trip her, but the problem was that it was working. Farrah looked away. “I know, but it—it all feels connected. Saying that we have any kind of anything feels like walking around with the wings totally exposed. I know it’s not, intellectually, but at the same time I—I can’t seem to separate it, and it’s not you I don’t want to talk to them about. They’d like you just fine, I know they would, but what if they see how I am now and they can’t stand me anymore? What if my relationship with them just—falls apart? That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Farrah supposed it wasn’t, but that whole rant felt like the most she had ever said at one time. It felt like the whole of her secret thoughts were exposed for the whole damn world to see. The only comfort she had was that Neal gave her his undivided attention as he listened, and while she probably deserved it he didn’t seem inclined to laugh or criticize.
“It sounds like your folks are more conservative than mine,” he said. “But it’s not fair to lump me and wings together like we’re the exact-same thing, either. I didn’t give them to you, I just happen to have them.”
“I know, and I feel terrible,” she groaned, burying her head into his chest. “I’m a total bitch, aren’t I? I didn’t even try and I’m bitchy.”
Neal took a moment to collect his thoughts, but in the meanwhile he let out a
His smile was so charming that her stomach flopped. Somehow it made everything worth it, even if it hadn’t gone exactly as she had planned.
Then his smile disappeared, and so did their eye contact. “This sounds so lame. You probably think I’m just making excuses for having bad breath or something.”
“No, I don’t,” Farrah said, leaning forward and hugging him. That should be okay, since they had done it so many times before. “I actually think you’re being really sweet.”
His arms went around her somewhat belatedly, as if he had wanted to make sure she didn’t regret what she was doing before he responded. She heard more than felt the soft kiss he planted on the top of her head. It made her whole body pleasantly warm, even though a part of her still wanted to feel it on her mouth. However, she didn’t want to do anything that would make him uncomfortable. It that meant having more moments like this and less governed by lust, well…
When it was phrased like that it sounded like she got the better end of the deal.
His wings moved, rubbing lightly against her knuckles. It was all it took to remind her: “Hey, were you planning on going to prom this year?”
“Prom?” Then Neal seemed to catch on to the change of subject. “Well, I originally thought I would, but now I’m not so sure since I’m apparently part-avian and all,” he said half-jokingly. “That would be hard to hide.”
Farrah pulled away just enough to see his face. “I think you should find a way to go anyway. It’s your senior prom.”
“Yeah, but I was never all that into dancing anyway, and you know my wings. They’ll probably bust free of my rent-a-tux and give everyone nightmares.”
“I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but I still think you should try—I don’t know. Use me as an excuse or something. Say I don’t want you dancing too close to anybody because I’m possessive.” Anything to stop him from losing one of the highlights of being a senior to circumstances he couldn’t control.
He shook his head. “Avoiding everyone on the dance floor will be too big a hassle.”
“It won’t be it it’s something you want to do.”
“But that’s the thing: it’s not that big of a deal to me. It’s not even a deal at all, just something I thought I’d do to pass the time.” Then he gave her a Look. “And if you can harass me about prom, can I harass you about telling your parents? At least let them know I exist, you know? I mean it; I’m sick of my house—I want to see yours for once.”
She knew he was trying to guilt trip her, but the problem was that it was working. Farrah looked away. “I know, but it—it all feels connected. Saying that we have any kind of anything feels like walking around with the wings totally exposed. I know it’s not, intellectually, but at the same time I—I can’t seem to separate it, and it’s not you I don’t want to talk to them about. They’d like you just fine, I know they would, but what if they see how I am now and they can’t stand me anymore? What if my relationship with them just—falls apart? That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Farrah supposed it wasn’t, but that whole rant felt like the most she had ever said at one time. It felt like the whole of her secret thoughts were exposed for the whole damn world to see. The only comfort she had was that Neal gave her his undivided attention as he listened, and while she probably deserved it he didn’t seem inclined to laugh or criticize.
“It sounds like your folks are more conservative than mine,” he said. “But it’s not fair to lump me and wings together like we’re the exact-same thing, either. I didn’t give them to you, I just happen to have them.”
“I know, and I feel terrible,” she groaned, burying her head into his chest. “I’m a total bitch, aren’t I? I didn’t even try and I’m bitchy.”
Neal took a moment to collect his thoughts, but in the meanwhile he let out a
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