Without You (7 page)

I smiled and raised my eyebrows. “See? Nothing to worry about. Luke is not going to try anything with Libby. Will, we’re wasting time.”

I turned and got out of his truck. I began walking around the front, only to see Will still sitting in the truck.

I laughed and opened his door. “Now what?”

He looked down at me. “We have to go buy condoms.”

My smile vanished.
Oh, holy hell.

Will parked in front of the Script Shoppe Pharmacy. He looked at me as I looked at him.

“Now what?” he asked as he glanced back at the pharmacy.

“Well, you just walk in and buy some.”

Will snapped his head over at me. “
Me
? Why do I have to be the one who buys them?”

I glared at him. “You’re a guy. Guys buy condoms.”

“A guy who wants to see the next day’s sunrise doesn’t buy condoms in his small-ass town where his girlfriend’s father has already threatened him in more than one way.”

I laughed. “Will, what do you think is going to happen? They’re gonna call my dad and tell him you bought condoms? They probably don’t even know we are dating.” I moved my head down to look into the store’s window. “Look, Katy Polk is working. She isn’t going to say anything.”

“Then, you go buy them if you are so confident.”

I shook my head. “Fine. I’m gonna do my thing then.”

“What? What does that mean, Lex? You’re gonna do your thing?”

I smiled as I opened the truck door and jumped out. “Piece of cake.” I walked up to the entrance and pushed the door open.

Katy looked up and smiled. “Hey, Alex!”

I waved and said, “Hey, Katy!”

I started to make my way to where the condoms were displayed. I walked up and looked at them. “Holy crap,” I whispered. “Why are there so many? What the heck?”

“Why, hello there, Alex. Do you need some help this evening?”

I closed my eyes and silently prayed to God that I was not hearing Mr. Bell’s voice. I opened them and turned to see the pharmacist standing next to me.

“Um…Mr. Bell…well, I, um…” I turned to look back at the wall of condoms. I didn’t mean to say it out loud, but I couldn’t stop it once it came out of my mouth. “There are so many. What’s the purpose of each?”

Then, Mr. Bell kicked into his pharmacist talk. It was like he was talking to me about cold medicine, for Christ’s sake. I just stood there, frozen, unable to move as he pitched condoms to me.

Where is the closest rock?

“Now, most of these are about the same. It depends on what you and your partner are looking for.” He picked up a box labeled
Magnum Ribbed
. “These, for instance, have a spiral effect for extra stimulation.”

Dying. I’m slowly dying.

He set that box down and picked up the one next to it. “The Trojan Ecstasy is all about comfort. The shape gives you a more natural experience.”

I quickly looked around and saw Katy laughing her ass off behind the counter at the front of the store. My mouth dropped open, and she laughed even harder.

“The Trojan Bareskin is forty percent thinner. Again, it’s for a more natural experience.” He set that box down and picked up another one. “The Magnum Fire and Ice is probably more popular among the younger folks.”

What did I do in my life to deserve this? Really, what?

“The Fire and Ice has a dual action that provides a warm and tingling sensation to both partners.”

Oh. My. God. He didn’t just say that.

I quickly reached out and grabbed the Trojan Ecstasy condoms. “These are fine, Mr. Bell. They’re for Grace anyway. She’s a natural kind of girl.” The moment it came out of my mouth, I knew I would be in deep shit with Grace.

Mr. Bell smiled and nodded his head. “How are your parents?”

Awkward.
I swallowed hard. “They’re doing great.” I looked down and whispered, “My father though…if he knew what I was doing, he might have a heart attack.”

When I glanced back up, Mr. Bell smiled and nodded his head. “Tell everyone I said hello. Be safe, Alex. That goes for, uh…Grace, too.”

I tried my best to smile. “Yes, sir.”

I watched as he walked through the door. The pharmacy was closed.

Why in the hell was he even here?

I closed my eyes and shook my head. I quickly turned and made my way up to Katy, who was still giggling. I put the condoms down, and when I looked out the window, Will was gone. His truck was there, but he was gone.

What in the hell?

I looked back at Katy, who shrugged her shoulders. She looked out the window and then quickly rang up the condoms. She then grabbed a few bags of chips, put them all in a bag, and threw in some flyers.

“Oh, Katy, I didn’t want the chips, and—”

“Alex?”

No. No, no, no, no!

I gave Katy a look of horror as I heard my father’s voice coming from behind me. I smiled and turned around. “Daddy! Oh, hey.”

He smiled and tilted his head. “Where’s Will?”

I looked back out the window, and Will was crawling over his seat and getting into the backseat.

“Um…”

“Didn’t you say he was still at the party, Alex?” Katy said.

I looked back at my father. I’d never lied to him before. “Grace was craving potato chips, so—”

“She borrowed Will’s truck. How are you, Mr. Mathews?”

My father glanced down at the bag in my hand. I was shocked my hand wasn’t shaking as I stood there and tried to seem normal.

He looked up at Katy. “I’m doing good, Katy. How are your parents?”

“They’re good. What can I help you with tonight?”

He looked back at me. “I’ve had a terrible headache the last two days. I need more Advil.”

My heart hurt, knowing that my father wasn’t one hundred percent happy about Will and me. I looked down and then back up at him. He smiled and winked at me.

“I’m sorry, Daddy.”

He walked up to me and placed his hand on the side of my face. “Go have fun, Alex. Be safe, baby girl. Don’t be out too late.”

Oh God, the guilt.
“Yes, sir. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” I turned and looked at Katy.

She winked at me and motioned for me to go.

I walked out of the drugstore and almost went to the passenger side of Will’s truck. Instead, I opened the driver’s door and climbed up. I threw the bag into the backseat.

Will cried out, “Shit. Ouch! What in the hell is in the bag?”

“I don’t want to talk to you right now, William Gregory Hayes. Not right now.”

I started the truck and began backing out. I looked over and saw my father leaving and heading to his truck. I silently thanked God that Mr. Bell hadn’t come out to talk to him.

“It’s safe to come out now,” I said as I shook my head.

Will crawled over the seat and started laughing. “When I saw your dad’s truck, I just ducked down. Can you imagine if he had walked in while I was in there, buying condoms?”

I slammed on the brakes.

Will shouted, “Shit! Lex, what are you doing?”

“Seriously, Will? Mr. Bell stood there and gave me a rundown on the different types of condoms. If my father had walked in two minutes earlier, I would have been the one getting caught buying condoms, and then my father would have killed both of us!”

Will looked at me and then busted out laughing. I rolled my eyes and floored the gas. The more he laughed, the more I attempted to hold my laughter in.

By the time we drove up to Will’s house, he had been laughing hysterically for a while, especially after I’d told him how Mr. Bell described each condom.

Will jumped out of the truck, opened the back door, and grabbed the bag. We met in the front of his truck, and his smile faded as he searched my face.

He placed his hand on my face and whispered, “I love you, Lex. I don’t want to do anything you’re not ready for.”

My heart slammed in my chest, and I realized I’d been holding my breath. I slowly let it out and smiled. “I love you, too, Will. I’m not going to lie and say I’m not scared ’cause I am, but I know in my heart that I want this more than anything.”

Will smiled again as he leaned down and gently kissed me. He took my hand in his and slowly led me to his house. The moment we walked inside, my heart began racing, and my head was spinning.

Will walked us upstairs and stopped outside his bedroom. He turned and leaned back against his door. “Tell me what you want, Lex.”

I looked into his eyes, and my heart instantly began to speed up. I knew what I wanted. I knew what I needed. “You. I want you, Will.”

I never thought I’d experience the feelings I had at this moment. The moment Lex said she wanted me, my heart ramped up into overdrive.

I need to make this special for her.

Lex looked calm, too calm.

She walked up to me and pushed her body into mine. “Please don’t make me beg, Will.”

Oh. Dear. God.

She brushed her lips against mine, and it didn’t take long before I was lost in her kiss. What started out as soft and gentle turned passionate and hungry. I reached for the doorknob and opened the door to my bedroom. Before I knew it, I had Lex on the bed, and we were kissing like we’d never kissed before.

“Jesus, Lex. I’ve never felt this way before,” I whispered when I finally broke our kiss.

She closed her eyes and then opened them again. She had the most beautiful blue eyes I’d ever seen. Her brown hair was lying against my pillow, and she looked sexy as hell.

“Will, my body is aching for you.”

I swallowed hard and sat up. She looked at me, confused, as she sat up, too.

“Lex, before we do this, I want to do something. I mean, I want to give you something.”

She smiled that sweet smile of hers, and my heart melted. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. Leaning back, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ring box. I took a deep breath and looked at her. She was staring at the box. She slowly looked up into my eyes. She seemed scared. I knew she was probably thinking it was an engagement ring, but we weren’t ready for that right now.

I smiled as I opened the box, revealing the promise ring my mother had helped me design. The ring meant the world to me because not only did my mother help design it, but my grandfather had made it. He had taken up making jewelry after he retired, and he had made a successful business out of it.

“Lex, I want to give you this promise ring as a symbol of my love and my commitment to our future together. I want you to know that when we make love tonight, when I take you as mine, I intend on making you mine forever.”

Lex let out a small sob and quickly wiped away the tears rolling down her face. She looked into my eyes and whispered, “It’s beyond beautiful.”

I reached for her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. The ring was white gold with four small round diamonds framing the center diamond. The band consisted of two rows of diamonds that formed an infinity symbol on each side.

Lex started crying harder as I pulled her hand up. I kissed the back of it and then the ring.

“My mother helped design it, and my grandfather made it. This ring was made especially for you, sweetheart. I hope you like it.”

“Will, it’s the most beautiful ring. I love it!” She threw herself into my arms and held on to me tightly.

My heart was soaring, and I knew I had set the tone for what I hoped would be the most amazing night of her life.

I pulled back and looked into her baby-blue eyes. “I love you, Lex.”

The left side of her mouth moved up into a smile. She pulled her T-shirt up and over her head, and it felt like all the breath had been knocked from my body.

“I love you, too, Will.”

I stood up and dropped the box onto the floor. I reached for her hands and pulled her up into a standing position. When I reached down and touched her stomach, she jumped slightly. I moved my hand down and began to unbutton her jeans. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest that it echoed in my ears. I was sure Lex could hear it.

I dropped to my knees. She held on to my shoulder while I pulled her shoes off. I reached up and began removing her jeans. I looked back up at her body and let out a moan. She was wearing black lace panties that matched her bra.