Free Madison's Quest by Jory Strong

might have leanings in a bi direction was for Tyler to make a move.
    He swallowed, pulse speeding, his chest tightening as fear
returned with thoughts of taking that risk.
    “Want to play some more music?” he asked.
    “Sure.”
    He wasn’t as passionate about the guitar as he was his art,
but it didn’t leave anything incriminating behind for snooping Maguires and
Montgomerys to find.
    It was a good way to escape temptation—except the feelings
he’d had earlier returned, deepening with each song he and Madison did. It felt
right, natural, as if they’d always played together, as if they always would.
    It was almost two in the morning when they finally stopped,
setting their guitars aside, standing, exchanging a glance, her obvious exhaustion
helping to maintain his self-discipline while allowing him to rationalize
stepping forward, touching his lips to hers, giving her a kiss that flooded him
with longing but at the same time was brief enough not to allow the desire for
her to consume his caution.
    “See you in the morning,” he said.
    Her palm settled on his chest. His heart pounded against it.
    For a long moment, their eyes met and want shimmered between
them. It was like standing at the edge of a precipice, both of them aware of
how risky and dangerous that drop was.
    Her hand fell away from his chest. She leaned in, brushed
her mouth against his. “It’s already morning. See you in a little while.”
    She disappeared into the guest room. He went to his own,
imagining her slowly peeling off her clothing, allowing himself to slide into a
fantasy where he joined her in bed. That fantasy morphing into a dream where
Shane was also there.
    * * * * *
    “Are we still going to do this?” Madison asked, heart
thundering, her arms tightening around Elijah’s waist.
    She wanted to. They both did. But they were going to end
up in trouble.
    Probably. Maybe.
    Eli had a better chance of getting away with it than she
did. For one thing, his parents didn’t care so much about what he did, as long
as they didn’t have to miss work.
    Guilt crept in at the prospect of causing her parents
worry and at disappointing them.
    They don’t have to find out, she told herself. They weren’t
good about checking the message machine. All she had to do was get to it first,
erase the call from the office saying she’d been reported absent from school…
    She rubbed her cheek against Eli’s and inhaled the scent
of his shampoo. She loved him so much, couldn’t imagine not being with him.
They were perfect together and had been since he’d shown up at school after his
dad got a promotion and transfer to Richmond from Jacksonville, Florida.
    “We’ve wanted to hear Smash forever,” she said. “They
probably won’t be anywhere close for a while. And besides, what’s better than a
beach concert?”
    “You sure you want to skip?”
    “Positive.”
    He kind of huff-sighed, making her hair fly. “I hate it
when you get grounded.”
    “Me too.”
    It seemed like it happened a lot more often lately. Jam
sessions got going and no one wanted to quit. The guys would get excited about
one of her songs and they’d start tinkering with it. Then sometimes one of the
other band members or some of their friends passed around a joint, and that led
to a private make-out session. Not that just being with Elijah wasn’t enough to
make her want to get naked and do it.
    Elijah nuzzled his way to her mouth.
    She melted against him.
    They could kiss forever, but this one had to be short.
    The school bell rang.
    Other couples broke apart in the parking lot.
    “Let’s go,” he said, and they slid into the black MINI Cooper
his parents had given him.
    The guilt returned as they sped toward Virginia Beach.
    She wished her parents would chill. She wished they’d
stop bugging her about her grades. Music was her future. Music and Elijah.
    They’d see. It’d turn out okay.
    One day the band they were in—not the current one—was
going to pack