Kiss Me

PART I, chapter 9

- IX -

The next several weeks were really boring and filled with insane amount of homework. To top everything off, Mandy's daughter decided to give birth to twins somewhere in Canada, and Mandy had to leave almost right away. So besides homework and school, I also had to deal with doing my own chores. I was so busy that I almost didn't see Danny at all. He wouldn't call me or even talk to me at school. At first, it bothered me, but then I just shrugged it off, and when he finally called me on my new cell phone in the first week of October, I didn't even recognize his voice at first.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Homework," I said carefully. "How did you get this number?"

"I have my ways," he said solemnly. "When are you gonna be done?"

"I don't know," I said with frustration. "In a couple of hours... What do you want, Danny?"

"Come out at seven, I'll pick you up," and he hung up.

I put my phone away and sighed. The truth was that I was done with my homework twenty minutes ago. I just wasn't sure if I wanted to see him at all. His entire manner was so frustrating and annoying that at first, I decided to ignore him and stay home, but then I remembered his body and his soft lips, and growled. I went to the bathroom and stepped on my weight scale. It read 115, and I sighed again. I wasn't even close to my ideal weight goal, which I set at one hundred. Sure, I could squeeze myself into a size two right now, but who needs two if they can get a zero?

"I'll get to one hundred and I'll stop purging," I promised to my reflection in the mirror.

I started to get dressed, and then I was thinking about Tyler. In the past few weeks he would actually smile and talk to me. He even remembered my name. Every time he would talk to me, I thought that I wouldn't be able to control myself for long and just start kissing him right there. The kissing thoughts immediately brought back memories of Danny, and I realized how much I missed his half-smile, his mouth, and his arms around me. I gritted my teeth.

"You need to get laid, Palmer," I said softly and glanced at the clock.

It was almost seven and I went downstairs.

"Where are you going, Steph?" my Dad asked me, and I shrugged.

"Out," I said indifferently.

"When are you planning on coming back?" he asked, and his sudden interest annoyed me.

"I don't know," I shrugged again. "Late," I added, thinking that Danny and I had almost a month to catch up on.

He frowned.

"Well, how late?" he demanded.

"Midnight-ish," I shrugged, and he snorted at that in disbelief.

"I don't think so, young lady! You are coming home at nine-thirty, you hear me?"

"No, Dad," I said patiently. "I will not be home so early."

"Stephanie Madison!" he barked. "What did you just say?!"

I stared him right in the eye and gave him the best impersonation of Danny's half-smile. Danny would be proud.

"How's Mrs. Freeman?" I asked casually, and all the anger evaporated from his face like air out of a deflated balloon. "Does she still have that black thing that you like so much?"

He stared at me with horror, and I laughed.

"Relax, Dad," I said lightly. "Mum's the word... But speaking of Mom..." and I smiled at him again.

"Be safe out there," he muttered finally, and I nodded.

"I will. Later, Dad!" and I walked outside without looking at him.

Danny's car was waiting for me at the curb, and I slid in the front seat.

"Hey," I said casually and he took off without saying anything.

He drove to the same place behind the Needle and turned off the car. He was just sitting there, his hands on the steering wheel, his eyes looking intently at the darkness outside.

"What's up, Danny?" I finally asked him quietly and he looked at me.

"I can't wait to move out of my parents' house," he said and I winced. That was the last thing I expected for him to say.

"How come?" I asked and he shrugged.

"I can't stand them anymore," he said. "All that religious crap..."

"Your parents are religious?!" I stared at him in disbelief, and he laughed without much humor.

"Hard-core," he said softly. "I can't move out until I turn eighteen though... But after that," he looked at me and gave me his usual smile. "I am out of there in less than an hour."

"When is your birthday?" I asked, realizing that I never asked him that before.

"April fifth," he sighed.

"Mine is March thirteenth," I said without knowing why, and he nodded.

"I know," he said simply.

That didn't even surprise me. As he said, he had his ways. He sighed and got out of the car. I followed him. He stood there, hands shoved in his pockets, gaze intent.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly.

He shook his head.

"Nothing," he said quietly. "I hate my Dad," he said finally, and I blinked. "He is such a pretentious d**k that it's not even funny... Preaching about virtue and purity, and at the same time, I can't remember the last time his breath didn't smell of some cheap booze... And my mother is oblivious to everything... It's like she doesn't see anything or smell for that matter..." he squeezed his eyes for a second. "I can't stand it anymore..."

"My Dad sleeps with his business partner's wife," I said dully, and he looked at me. "And my mother has a boyfriend who is at least ten years younger than she is... And my brother is a computer game freak who doesn't care about anything if it doesn't come with a flying mount..."

Danny laughed.

"Your family is pretty f****d up as well..." he said and I nodded.

"Danny," I said and looked into his gray eyes.

"What?" he asked softly.

"Kiss me," I said, and when he pulled me towards himself, I realized how much I longed for him these several weeks.

He was as gentle as I remembered him. His mouth was a lot hungrier tonight though.

"God, Palmer..." he muttered. "I missed you so much..."

I realized that he didn't even hear himself speak, and I didn't say anything to that, but my head was spinning. Could Trisha possibly be right? He picked me up and sat me on the hood of his car just like three or so weeks ago. It was cold tonight, but suddenly, I didn't even feel it when Danny pulled off my shirt. He lifted me slightly and pulled off my jeans. I sat back down and yelped when the cold metal of the car touched my butt.

"What?" he asked breathlessly.

"My butt is cold," I said, and he laughed.

"Right..." He easily lifted me up in the air and threw his jacket on the hood of the car. "Better?" he asked when he sat me back down.

"Much," I muttered and unbuttoned his jeans.

Tonight we were both in frenzy, like two starving souls that finally found food and were afraid that it would disappear any minute. He entered me, and I cried out when it felt so good that I had tears in my eyes. We were breathing heavily and our rhythm was perfect, even though it was quite fast. I couldn't believe it when we came at the same time. Danny just held me in his arms, and I closed my eyes and pressed my face hard against his skin that smelled so good and familiar that for a few seconds, I almost believed I loved him. Finally, I pulled my face away from him and lightly ran my lips against his collarbone. He held me tighter, and I could feel him growing hard again. This time, he was much more thorough and slow, and I thought that I was going to lose my mind, when he finally stopped his teasing and gave me what I wanted.

...He drove me home at almost one in the morning, and then we just silently sat in his car. He held me in his arms and I felt so safe and comfortable that I didn't want this night to end. Finally, he sighed and pulled away from me.

"Go get some sleep, Steph," he said softly, and I blinked when he didn't call me by my last name.

"Okay," I whispered and kissed the hollow of his throat.

He moaned softly and laughed.

"Stop it," he said. "I don't want your Dad to come at me with a gun..."

I laughed at that and pulled away from him with regret.

"He won't," I said. "I am blackmailing him..."

"Good for you," Danny said so seriously that I laughed again.

"Night, Danny," I said and he kissed me gently.

"Night, Palmer," he said and started the car.

I climbed out and watched him drive away. I was surprised when he actually looked at me and smiled. I smiled back and went home. I opened my bedroom door and was shocked when I saw my father sitting by my desk.

"What are you doing here?" I asked sharply.

"We need to talk," he said quietly, and I rolled my eyes.

"Dad," I said, rubbing my eyes. "I am tired, I just wanna go to bed, okay?"

"Stephanie, I am worried about you..."

"Don't," I said lightly. "I am fine, really. And don't worry; I won't say anything to Mom."

"How long have you known?" he asked without looking at me.

I shrugged.

"For almost a month."

He gasped at that, and I smiled.

"Dad, don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. Just don't make me blackmail you again, okay?"

I pulled off my jacket, and an opened pack of Parliaments fell out of my pocket. My Dad's eyes flew wide open at that.

"Stephanie!" he hissed. "You smoke?!"

"Once in a while," I shrugged. "No big..."

"No big?! Are you kidding me?"

"Does Mr. Freeman know that you are screwing his wife?" I asked, and he jumped up.

For a second, I was afraid that he would hit me, but then he just sighed.

"This is how it's going to be from now on, isn't it?" he asked dully, and I shrugged.

"Pretty much," I agreed without feeling any remorse.

"Fine," he nodded. "Just please, Stephanie..."

"I won't say anything," I said, and he shook his head.

"That's not what I wanted to say... Don't do anything you'll regret doing later, okay?"

"Okay," I nodded.

"Please don't start doing drugs, Steph, please!"

I stared at him.

"Dad," I said slowly. "I would never do drugs!"

He nodded and relaxed a little.

"Okay," he said. "If you need to talk, remember, I am always here for you, okay?"

"Okay," I nodded. "Thanks, Dad... Good night," I added when he didn't move.

He sighed and walked out of my bedroom without saying anything else. I slowly pulled on my pajamas and went to bed without bothering to brush my teeth. I lay there for a while, unable to sleep, Danny's face bright and clear in my mind. Finally, I sighed and got out of bed. I opened my window and lit a cigarette. I didn't care if my Dad would smell it. I knew that he wouldn't do anything about it. Finally, I flicked the cigarette out of my window, went back to bed, and this time, I fell asleep almost immediately.