Here Comes the Light (Cambrooke #1) (3 page)

Hudson’s arms are around me before I can even shut my front door. “I couldn’t wait for school to be over today.” He moans as he kisses me. “I just wanted to get my arms around you.” He says between kisses. We make our way to the couch with our lips still attached. Kissing I like, kissing is comfortable. It’s everything else that scares me.

As he lowers
me on the couch his hand inches up my shirt. I normally let him at least that far, but today I am not feeling it with the recent pressures of everything I slide my hands up his chest he moans like this is a good thing and is surprised when I push him away shaking my head.

He holds his hands up in the air. “What the heck, Miley? We been together for two years, I don’t know what your deal is.”

“I am not ready, I’ve told you.” I sit up and slide away from him onto the other side of the couch.

Hudson lets out a sigh as he lowers h
is face into his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. “I know, but I just, I just need to show you how much I love you.”

“Show me you love me by waiting for me.” I say pulling my arms across my stomach.

“I have been doing that.” He turns his face towards me and gives me his puppy dog looking eyes that make my heart melt.  “When are you going to be ready? I mean you haven’t even hinted around.” Am I making him wait too long? I mean it has been two years. I love him and I just want to see him happy.

I lean towards him and wrap my arms around his middle.
“Prom night.” I whisper in his ear. He turns his face towards mine, our lips nearly touching.

“What?” he says all huskily.

“I’ll be ready prom night.” I speak now barely above a whisper.

“Seriously?”
A smile spreads across his face as he reaches his hand up to my cheek.

“Yeah.”
I breathe out, despite my mind screaming no. He gently presses his lips against mine with a smile behind the kiss.

Chapter 3

“D
o you love him?” Nova asks as she leans forward close to the mirror and gently strokes the eyeliner pencil across her eyelid while making an ‘o’ shape with her mouth.

I hesitate before responding with a quiet “yeah.” She turns
her freshly marked eye towards me, looks me up and down then shrugs.

“Well if you love him then I say go for it, but you know when I give you a hard
time for not being a virgin, I’m only teasing.” She turns back to the mirror to add liner to her second eye.  I never knew Nova felt this way before. “You know, at least you’re in love, which is more than I can say for my first.” I remember that, we were freshman, invited to a senior party because of our cheerleader status.  The next thing I knew Jess and Nova both disappeared on me. I sat quietly in a chair against the wall alone. It was the first time Hudson spoke to me so the night wasn’t a total waste. Nova appeared out of a bedroom with a senior her hair was a disheveled mess and a grin spread across her face.  I remember he never spoke to her again after that night. It didn’t seem to bother her though because the next party there was another guy then another. “I respect you for waiting.”

I love Hudson, but am I
in love with him? I have to be right? We wouldn’t keep getting back together if we weren’t in love. Nova bounces over to my door where our dresses hang. I slide to where Nova was and do the whole lean forward and make an o with my mouth as I put on my mascara and eye liner. My hair is on top of my head in big curlers.

Have I made a mistake in telling Hudson I would finally go through with it?

Jess comes barreling in my room in her skin-tight-barely-there-red dress, her hair and makeup already done. “Hey, hey girls ready for tonight?”

I turn to look at her with only one eye done. “Not really.” I
bite my lower lip. “I am nervous about the after party.”

Jess giggles as she takes a seat on the bench beside me.
“Miley,” she tilts her head with a small smile as she begins to pull the curlers out of my hair. “Just get a couple of drinks in you and you will be fine.”

I nod as I take in a deep nervous breath. When Jess is done with my hair I finish making up my other eye.
I slip on my short strapless purple dress-the dress Jess picked out for me.  I stand in front of the mirror and look at myself. At least it isn’t skin tight like Jess’s dress.

“Wow, Miley, you look great.” Nova gushes, “Did you lose some weight?”

“Yeah.” I smile that someone recognizes it. “I reached my goal.”

“I don’t know how you do it.” Nova shakes
her head as she stands behind me in her blue gown with no back. “I like my cookies, burgers and fries too much.”

“She still has thunder thighs.” Jess chimes in glaring down at my thighs. My gut twists
and now I wish I would have gone with a longer gown.

The prom committee-
which I wanted to be part of but Jess insisted it was for the students that are beneath us- went above and beyond to make prom an unforgettable experience. That is the theme this year, unforgettable. The decorations are elegant and make the ball room look like something out of an old move. Silver and Black balloons make an arch at the entrance it is like stepping into a time warp.

Hudson’s hand squeezes mine
and he smiles that knee melting smile at me. I almost forget about the after party when he does this. Jess had me drink a glass of champagne in the limo. It was horrible tasting but at least the butterflies are gone from my belly. I look up at my gorgeous boyfriend as he leads me to the dance floor. His arms wrap completely around me as he pulls me as close as he can. I slip my arms around his neck and rest my head on his shoulder.

“Have I t
old you how hot you look tonight?” his voice is husky as he whispers in my ear.  I just nod. Yeah he told me when he picked me up then again in the limo as his hand inched up my bare thigh. Of course
he
would like this dress.  He bends his head down and presses his lips against mine and his hands travel down my back.

He finally disconnects his lips from mine then wh
ispers in my ear again. “I already have the room key, we don’t have to wait until after prom.” And there it is.

I sigh, “Hudson, can we just not enjoy prom first?’

“Yeah,” he quickly says as he kisses my temple. He leans back just enough to look at my face and his grin is wide. “That’s fine.” His embrace around me grows tighter and he presses his lips against my neck. Normally this would send goose bumps all over my body, but I am too nervous about tonight.

“Hudson, don’t do that here.” I shrug his mouth away. He looks at me with his
incredible smile again. How can I possibly say no to him tonight? He looks like a little kid on Christmas morning and that Tux… he looks amazing in that Tux.

“So how is it going?” I ask Nova as I lean in close to her. Ethan did come through; he got Coby to ask her to prom.

“He’
s kind of quiet tonight.” She says as she rests her elbow on the table.

“Huh.” Is all I reply as I watch Hudson and
Coby walk into the boys’ bathroom. I know what they are doing. Guys only go to the restroom together at these things for one thing, to drink.

“How is going for you?
Still nervous?” she asks bringing me out of my thoughts.

“Something
like that.” I say swirling my drink around in my hand. “I promised him, Nova.”

“Do you think you guys will end up married?” Nova asks. That is an odd question coming from her who has barely ever had a second date with a guy.

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “I mean when I imagine my future, it is with him, but we still have college and everything. Who knows what will happen.” I sigh, “But if I don’t go through with tonight I figure he will break up with me for good this time.”

“Why do you think that, Miley?” Nova asks leaning closer to me. “He loves you, you know that? Why do you think he is so jealous of you?”

“I don’t have a clue.”  Blonde curls fall in my face when I shake my head. I gently push them behind my ear.

“All the guys want you Miley, not Jess and she knows it. That is why she is always making those comments to you because she is insecure around you. You have no clue how pretty you are.” she says casually leaning back.
“Don’t let Jess or Hudson pressure you. You are better than that.”

“Why do you think…” this is going to so
und absurd coming out of my mouth. “…all the guys want me?” I hold a hand to my bare neckline.

“Miley like I said you are really pretty and if you realize that Jess won’t be able to control you anymore.” My head is spinning now. What in the world is Nova even talking about? Maybe she had a little too much to drink in the limo.

The butterflies return
to my stomach upon our arrival to the suite above the dance. There is already a large crowd squeezed in here. Nova and Coby have a room connected to Jess and Ethan’s and the door in between them is standing wide open. I am still in my dress and Hudson in his tux although his jacket is now around my shoulders. At least I won’t be alone with him right now. Our room is across the hall Jess thought it be the appropriate thing to give us the private room since tonight is my first time. How thoughtful of her right?

Hudson grabs a beer as he drapes the other arm around my shoulders. I can see the excitement and anticipation in h
is eyes. “Hey I will be right back.” I say as I duck under his arm. He nods as he turns to some football player and begins to talk about ball.

I
find Nova, to my surprise Coby isn’t anywhere near her, but I don’t see Jess anywhere.

“Hey.” Nova smiles with a slight slur as she holds up the beer can.

“Have you seen Jess?” I ask her as she pours some liquor in a small glass with her free hand.

“I think her and Ethan went across the hall to your room for a little privacy.” Nova wiggles her eyebrows. “If you know what I mean.”

I cringe at the thought of Jess and Ethan rolling around in the sheets I am going to be sleeping in, not to mention losing it in. “She told me she would help me relax tonight.”

“Really?”
Nova tilts her head sloppily to the side and holds up the little glass. “Here, take a shot.” I take the glass out of her hand and tip my head back. Even though I have never done this before myself I been at enough parties to know what to do. The liquid burns my throat as it slides down. I gag.

I
hear Jess slow laughter. “Light-weight.’ She says as I turn towards her she is now changed into a pair of skinny jeans I think she painted on and a halter top that leaves little to the imagination. “Miley.” She smiles at me. “Let me get you something you can handle.” She hooks her arm around my neck and looks at Nova. “You know Miley doesn’t drink much. We need to take it easy on her.” Jess leads me to the little table in the corner where she pulls a bottle of some kind of juice out of the mini-fridge and mixes it with liquor.

I take the cup from her and drink barely tasting the alcohol. “Hey this
is
really good.” I say surprised as I look at my cup. “Where did you learn to do this?”

She rolls her eyes and flips her hair over her shoulder. “Uh, hello, step mom is a bartender.” I nod. She pulls her arm around my shoulder
again. “Don’t worry Ethan and I didn’t do anything in the bed.” She chuckles with a wide smile.

I wrinkle my nose.
“Eww.”

“You might want to stay away from the bathtub though.”
She giggles more as I close my eyes tight trying to erase the image from my mind.

Jess keeps the d
rinks coming as fast as I drink them. I feel light when two arms wrap around me from behind I don’t have the reflexes to react luckily I smell Hudson’s awesome cologne. He kisses my neck and this time I tilt my head further to the side to give him more access. I let myself melt back into his arms.

“Dude, you need to take her across the hall.” I hear an obnoxious football player laugh.

“C’mon, Miley.” He whispers softly in my ear as he pulls on me. With his help I make it to our room.

“How much
have you had to drink?” he laughs before devouring my mouth with his.

“A couple.”
I manage to say in between kisses before he leans me back onto the bed.

I sit up suddenly sober. I don’t remember doing it, but I know we did. Hudson  jumps into his pants and pulls them back on.