Free The Secret 00.5 The Prelude of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen Page B

laughs. “You did, last weekend at your party.”
    He shakes his head, causing strands of his blond hair to fall into his eyes. The moonlight and the headlights highlight his aqua eyes, making them look hauntingly beautiful. If I could have a day where I could draw whatever the hell I wanted to, I would spend hours drawing his eyes.
    “I never said I slept with her. You just implied it the next morning when I snuck into your room, and you told me you didn’t want me in your bed when I still smelled like skank.”
    I frown as I remember. “But you never denied that you did.”
    He shrugs. “I never said it was true, either.”
    Don’t ask it. “Is it true?” Damn mouth.
    The corners of his mouth threaten to turn upward. “What would you do if I said yes?”
    “Nothing.” Deep down, though, I know it would annoy the hell out of me, even when I’m drunk. Maybe even more so in my intoxicated state.
    He hesitates, his eyes fastened on me, and the intensity dripping from him is unnerving. “Well, I didn’t. In fact, I didn’t even kiss her.”
    I eyeball him over, trying to tell if he’s lying. He rarely lies to me, though, and never about the girls he hooks up with. The fact that he hasn’t slept with Ditzy makes me stupidly feel better.
    “You flirted with her, though,” I point out, though it’s a moot point. Flirting doesn’t matter to Micha. He flirts with everyone, even the sixty-year-old check out lady at the grocery store who smells like cat food.
    “So what?” He crooks an eyebrow at me. “I’ve already told you time and time again that I’m just passing time until you finally come around. Sometimes, I get bored and need to flirt.”
    I fight back a smile. I shouldn’t be glad about this.
    Stop it. STOP.
    My smile’s breaking through.
    “Don’t smile, pretty girl,” he teases as we reach the front of the crowd. “It’ll ruin your I don’t give a shit facade.”
    “Hey, you promised not to call me that tonight,” I remind him in a lame attempt to sidetrack the conversation.
    “I’m not forgetting your jealousy that easy,” he retorts, his lips tugging into a sexy half-grin.
    I chew on my thumbnail as I take in the cars parked around us, refusing to focus on him. There’s Danny’s 1971 Dodge Challenger, Mikey’s 1968 Camaro, and Benny’s 1970 GTO, which I’m secretly in love with, though I’ll never admit it to Micha, because it’ll hurt his feelings.
    “So, tell me this.” Micha steps up beside me and sketches circles on my upper arm as he stares at the line of cars across from us. “Why does the idea of me sleeping with her bother you so much?”
    “Because she’s not good enough for you,” I say truthfully with a shrug. Then I casually reach over and steal the bottle of vodka from his pocket.
    He gives me a suspicious sidelong glance. “Who is good enough for me? You?” He’s joking, but it triggers a hidden nerve. I think about how I’m about to bail on him and our plans in a month, just leave him in this dump of a town.
    It feels like invisible fingers have wrapped around my throat. “No, Micha, not me.” I slip out from under his arm. “I’m in no way good enough for you.” I back through the crowd, my heart throbbing in my chest. “I’ll be right back.” I reel around and run back to the car.
    After I hop into the backseat, I unscrew the cap from the bottle and take a few sips before resting back. One day, and hopefully soon, Micha is going to realize just how amazing he is and start looking for girls who have substance instead of girls like Ditzy. Then these little moments in this town—with me and everyone else—will just be moments that he’ll eventually forget about.
    I’ll become a fading memory along with everything I did. Even when I break my promise to him.

 

Chapter 6
     
    Micha
     
    I said the wrong damn thing. I knew I did as soon as I said it, but I get so sick of her thinking that I’m still sleeping around with everyone, because I’m