Free Silver Linings by Debbie Macomber Page B

crowned king and she was his queen. His beautiful queen. When he started fondling her breasts she let him. It felt so right and so good, and the endearments he whispered were as heady as any aphrodisiac. A little while later he slid his hand up her dress. Again, she stopped him, only it was far more difficult this time. She liked what he did to her, enjoyed this sensation of feeling desirable. Oh, how he wanted her. He was desperate for her, he claimed, his need so great that he was in pain.
    “Ryan,” she whispered, having trouble speaking. She drew in deep breaths in a valiant effort to end the lovemaking while she could. She held on to his wrist. “This is our first date…I think we should stop.”
    “Okay,” he whispered, kissing her again. “Anything you say.”
    His hands continued to work their magic, and as much as she wanted him to stop, she couldn’t make herself say the words. It was all so new and wonderful. She had some experience, but nothing like this.
    Coco had been a full participant of what happened next. He’d been gentle with her, and while they’d made love in the backseat of his father’s Mercedes, it hadn’t felt cheap or demeaning. He’d held and kissed her afterward and thanked her for giving herself to him, for letting him be the first.
    Later, once she was home, Coco hadn’t been able to sleep. She was blissfully in love, floating on a dream, rationalizing what had happened. Losing one’s virginity was a rite of passage, and a lot of the girls in her class had already given up their V-card. Ryan had made it as perfect as possible, and she loved him with all her heart. He’d made her feel like a queen just the way he claimed she was.
    Sunday in church she felt the first stirrings of regret, but she managed to convince herself that once she talked to Ryan any unease she felt would go away.
    She waited all day for him to call. When she hadn’t heard from him by late afternoon, she sent him a text, but he didn’t reply. He was busy…she was sure she remembered him saying something about being with his grandparents or his aunt or something and that he would be out of touch. He had said that, hadn’t he?
    Coco was busy herself, chatting with friends, reliving every minute of the dance, explaining that it’d been the most romantic night of her life. The big question she got was where she and Ryan had disappeared to following the dance. They’d received any number of invitations to parties and hadn’t made a showing at a single one. Coco was able to sidestep the questions, although she wished she had discussed with Ryan how best to answer. What happened with them was private and beautiful and something she didn’t want spread around school.
    Monday morning, she waited for him in the school parking lot. She felt a deep sense of relief when she saw him. He was with three of his friends. They laughed when they saw her.
    Laughed.
    Ryan gave a high five to each one as they strolled past her as if she were invisible.
    “Ryan?” she called, and raced after him. He ignored her completely. It was as if he hadn’t heard or seen her. And so she tried again. “Ryan.” She stood directly in front of him so that the only way to get around was to sidestep her.
    “What?” he demanded.
    Coco swallowed hard and didn’t know what to say. “I waited for you.”
    “So?”
    “I thought…”
    “I’ve got class,” he said, and left her standing on the steps leading up to the school, numb with shock and disbelief.
    Only later did she learn the awful truth. Having sex with her had been a bet, a challenge. She’d been known as a “good girl,” and when Ryan had boasted that he could have sex with any girl he wanted, his friends had dared him to try to get her in bed. All it took was a bit of attention and one date.
    Ryan and his sick friends acted as if they’d conquered Rome. Within a matter of minutes, Coco was convinced the entire school had heard about Ryan’s game. He’d claimed he