The Boy Next Door (8 page)

But it wasn’t Rory who answered. Instead, his mom’s voice said, “Hello?”

“Hi, Mrs Thompson,” Melissa said. “It’s Melissa Smyth. Is Rory there?”

“No. Sorry, Melissa. He’s gone into town to pick up his airline tickets.”

Melissa frowned. “What airline tickets?”

“Didn’t he tell you? He’s off back to Thailand at the end of the week. I can’t figure that boy out, I really can’t. One minute he’s going on about how happy he is to be home, the next he comes storming in here announcing he’s leaving again. And does he spare a thought for me and his dad? Of course not!”

Melissa’s heart thudded.

Rory was leaving.

Cold panic flashed through her.

Rory was leaving.

Dizziness made her head swim and she leaned against the wall, trying to calm her whirling emotions.

Rory was leaving and he hadn’t told her. She might never see him again.

No. She pushed that thought away. She couldn’t deal with that. Not now. Not ever.

She tried to speak but her voice came out as a dry croak. She pinched the bridge of her nose, took a deep breath and tried again. “Did he…did he say where he was going?”

“Sure. Tyler’s on the high street.”

“Thanks.”

Melissa hung up and closed her eyes as she tried to still the wild beating of her heart. For one horrifying second she imagined a future without Rory in it. Colorless. Dull. The last few weeks had been the most exhilarating of her life. She couldn’t go back to how it was before. It wasn’t an option.

Grabbing her keys from the table, Melissa ran from the house, climbed into her mom’s car and sped into town. She had to catch Rory. Make him understand. Perhaps if she talked to him she could stop him buying those tickets.

But when she arrived at Tyler’s Rory was nowhere in sight. Melissa sank onto a bench outside the store, desolation filling her heart. The summer sun hung high overhead but to Melissa the day seemed dark and cold. She considered calling Rory’s cell phone but knew he wouldn’t answer.

Where might he be? She had to find him. Had to. Where would he go if he was upset? It would have to be somewhere he felt safe. Somewhere with meaning.

Then she had it.

She scrambled back into the car and sped off. Close to Rory’s house she turned off the main road and left the car where the road became a track that curled up a wooded hillside.

Melissa scrambled up the hill and, as she neared the top, spotted the hollow pine trunk she remembered from childhood. She swung off the trail and pushed through the thick screen of vegetation at the trunk’s base. After scouting around for a moment she found what she was looking for: a thin, overgrown path that wound through the trees.

Heedless of the branches that tugged at her clothes and hair, Melissa plowed ahead, tearing free of brambles, dashing buzzing insects away from her face. Finally, the vegetation receded and Melissa found herself on a broad hillside dotted with tiny yellow flowers. The town twinkled in the valley below, sweltering in the summer heat.

Melissa looked around, taking in the scene. It was exactly as she remembered although it seemed smaller somehow. Ten paces away lay a sparkling pond. Dragonflies skimmed across its surface and bees droned in and out of the flowers growing round its edge.

Rory sat by the pond, looking out over the hillside.

All of a sudden Melissa was eleven years old again, up to her knees in that pond, net clasped in one eager hand, determined to catch more fish than Rory who stood by her side with his own net. Then, in a flash, he scooped up some water and splashed it over Melissa. She howled in outrage, flinging herself at him so they both crashed into the water, only to come up screaming with laughter.

The memory was so vivid it took Melissa’s breath away. Some of her happiest childhood memories were attached to this glade. Pond-dipping with Rory. Building a den from bits of wood scrounged from his father. Doing their best to hide the trail so nobody else would find the place. This place. Their place.

How could she have forgotten it? As she’d gotten older her priorities had changed. When she’d fallen in with Sarah and her cronies, it became uncool to hang out with that awkward, self-conscious boy from next door.

Instead of a companion, Rory became an object of ridicule. A geeky goody-goody who was so easy to manipulate it became a favorite past time of Melissa and her friends. After graduation Rory had ran as far away as possible; all the way to Asia. And who could blame him?

Sudden shame flooded through Melissa, making her cheeks burn. He’d returned from Thailand a different man, perhaps hoping that she’d changed too. But with her petty, cruel remarks yesterday she’d proven that she was still the spoiled, spiteful girl she’d been.

But I’m not,
she told herself.
I have to make him see that.

“Rory?” she said softly.

He glanced over his shoulder then picked up some pebbles and began tossing them into the still water where they disappeared with a plop.

“I’m surprised you remember this place,” he said after a moment.

“I’m a little surprised too,” she admitted.

She seated herself cross-legged on the grass at his side. “I was sure I’d end up getting lost and wandering round the woods all afternoon.”

Rory snorted. “Like you did when we were ten? How long were you out here? Six hours? And didn’t it throw it down with rain?”

Melissa scowled at him. “And who’s fault was that? We were supposed to be playing hide and seek, only you didn’t bother to tell me you’d got bored and gone home!”

A grin spread across Rory’s face. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

His gaze met and held hers. Melissa’s pulse quickened.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were going away?” she whispered.

“I was going to. I wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye.”

Melissa’s stomach tightened with dread. “So you’re definitely going?”

“My flight leaves Friday night. I’ve got a friend out there who can set me up with some bar work.”

“But you’ve already got a job!” Melissa blurted.

“You mean working for your father? He’ll be back in a few days and then I’m out of work. And what else is there to stick around for?”

“Me,” she murmured against a lump in her throat. “You could stick around for me.”

He looked at her sharply, eyes narrowing. “Yeah, good one.”

He may as well have slapped her. “I thought I meant something to you,” she whispered.

A flash of anger passed across his handsome features. “Don’t do this, Melissa. Please. I’m not going to play any more of your games.”

“It’s not a game.”

“It’s always games with you, Melissa. I should have remembered that.”

In sudden annoyance she grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at her. “Rory Thompson! Will you listen? You weren’t meant to overhear my conversation with Sarah!”

He snatched his hand back and climbed to his feet. “Of course I wasn’t. Because now I’m wise to your little plan, aren’t I? Sorry to ruin your fun, Melissa.”

She winced. It was all coming out wrong. Why couldn’t she find the words to make him understand?

“You know,” he continued, “the first time we made love by the pool I thought my dreams had finally come true. I thought maybe you’d finally begun to feel the way I have all these years. Why do you think I used to put up with Sarah’s taunts at school? For you, Melissa. I kept hoping that one day you’d come back to me.” There was real hurt in his voice now, so raw it made Melissa’s breath catch. “And the last few weeks have been amazing. But you were just playing, Melissa. Using me the whole time.”

“Rory, please listen to me—”

“No, Melissa. I’m done listening.”

He turned and strode away. Melissa scrambled to her feet. “You can’t just walk away!” Panic made her voice shrill.

He carried on walking.

“Rory, please! I love you!”

He froze. Slowly turned.

“What did you say?”

Now that she’d said the words everything made sense. She loved him. Of course she did. How did she not realize that?

“I love you, Rory,” she said again. “I think maybe I always have but somewhere along the way I forgot.”

He went very still. Conflicting emotions crossed his face. His voice was husky as he said, “Tell me this isn’t another of your games, Melissa. Please, tell me.”

She moved to stand in front of him. Tears pricked her eyes and her voice shook as she said, “It’s not a game, Rory. It’s the truth. The lie is what I said to Sarah because I’m an idiot who’s scared of standing up to her friends. It was never a game, Rory. Not for me.”

She forced herself to meet his eyes, willing him to see the sincerity in her gaze. Still he didn’t move. Melissa held her breath.

Slowly, he reached out and brushed a tear from her cheek. “It seems like I’ve been waiting my whole life to hear you say that.”

He bent and kissed her softly, his lips tender and warm as they caressed hers. Melissa closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Rory’s neck, pulling him close. After a moment his strong arms circled her, crushing her fiercely, protectively, against him.

Rory’s kiss grew more insistent. His tongue forced her lips apart and slid into her mouth, tracing the line of her teeth and then gently massaging her tongue. Heat began to build in her body. She returned the kiss with growing passion, wanting to taste every inch of him.

His hands swept down her back, sending goose bumps riding up her skin. He squeezed her buttocks and as he pressed himself against her she felt the hardness of his cock through his jeans. Warmth flooded her stomach. Wetness grew in her pussy, making her ache with desire.

Oh, how she wanted him. Needed him.

Rory’s kisses traveled down her neck and throat and Melissa threw back her head to help him. He cupped one breast in his hand, squeezing the nipple through the thin fabric of her t-shirt.

With a growl, Rory seized her top and lifted it over her head. Obediently Melissa lifted her arms and allowed him to toss the offending garment away. His deft hands reached behind and expertly undid her bra, exposing her breasts.

The cool breeze dimpled Melissa’s flesh and a stab of apprehension filled her at being so exposed. But all her concerns evaporated when Rory’s lips closed around her breast, sucking the rose-bud nipple into his mouth with enough force to make her moan. A deep, penetrating ache grew between her legs as arousal deepened, sweeping away all her inhibitions. She was ready for him. Oh god, she was ready.

She squeezed his cock, feeling how hard it was, like an iron rod yearning to pierce her. Moaning, Rory straightened and Melissa took the opportunity to yank his t-shirt over his head and toss it to the ground beside hers.

In the afternoon sunlight Rory’s body seemed to gleam a burnished bronze and the light played over the rippling muscles of his chest in a way that made Melissa’s mouth go dry.

She placed a hand over one pectoral, cupping the hard muscle as her mouth descended on the other, taking his nipple into her mouth and flicking it with the tip of her tongue. She was rewarded when Rory’s nipple hardened and a long, low sigh escaped his lips.

Melissa loved the touch of Rory’s body. His skin was so soft and warm, his muscles so hard and smooth. Arousal was making her dizzy. Hot stabs of delicious anticipation drenched her pussy. She wanted to push Rory onto his back and ride him until they both screamed out their ecstasy. But instead she laid tiny kisses across Rory’s chest then down to his navel. He shivered under her touch and goose bumps rippled along his bronze skin.

When she reached the waistband of his jeans she paused then gave him a mischievous smile before kneeling in front of him on the grass. Rory watched as she unzipped his pants and pulled them down.

His cock sprang free, standing proud from his body, hard and swollen with need. At the sight of it, Melissa smiled and licked her lips. Slowly, delicately, she ran the tip of one finger along the length of Rory’s shaft and then gently caressed the shiny head.

Rory drew a sharp breath through his nostrils, shifting his stance to steady himself. Melissa cupped his balls, massaging them softly before taking his cock into her mouth. Rory moaned and his hand moved from her shoulder to the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair as she took him deep into her mouth and slowly sucked, rubbing the tip with her tongue as she released him.

Melissa closed her eyes. This felt so good. The sun was warm on her back, the grass soft beneath her knees. Rory’s scent was all around her but best of all, he was groaning with pleasure as she sucked his cock, gradually increasing her tempo until he began thrusting in time to her movements, fucking her mouth in a hard, insistent rhythm.

“Oh god, Melissa,” he whispered. “You’re so god-damned good.”

The compliment sent a wave of satisfaction through her.

“But you’d better stop.”

He gently took her wrists and lifted her to her feet. He shot her a wicked smile. “My turn.”

Before she could say anything he put an arm around her shoulders, placed his other arm behind her thighs and swept her up into his strong embrace.

She yelped in surprise and then laughed. “What are you doing?”

“You’ll see.”

He carried her over to the pond and laid her gently on her back in the lush grass by the pond’s edge. Melissa lay still, letting him do whatever he wanted as, with deliberate care, Rory unzipped her jeans, gently pulled them down and tossed them aside. Her soft white panties followed until she lay completely naked under his gaze.

She resisted the urge to try and cover herself. Inside a voice was screaming,
you’re naked outside where anyone might see you!
But nobody else knew about this place. It was hers and Rory’s, like it had always been. So instead of feeling vulnerable it was strangely empowering. There was something immensely liberating about lying here with Rory, both naked under the summer sky.

Rory lay on his side next to her. His deep brown eyes roved over her body, drinking her in, and his thumb traced lazy circles around her navel. Melissa lay back, enjoying the sensation of the warm grass beneath her back and the tingling as Rory touched her skin. His hand moved lower, sweeping over her mound and then pushing into the soft wet folds of her pussy. Melissa gasped and arched her back as he found her clit and began to rub. Red hot shoots of pleasure radiated out from her enflamed bud, making her moan and pant.