Virgin 4 Life

Chapter 13

I reach the park at exactly six, my burgundy dress feeling like armor and exposure at the same time. The fabric clings to places I usually hide, and I keep tugging at the hem even though it won't get any longer.

Caleb's car is already there, black and dangerous in the fading sunlight. I slide into the passenger seat, and his scent hits me immediately—leather and cologne and something distinctly him that makes my pulse race.

He doesn't say anything at first, just looks at me. His eyes travel from my attempted smoky eyes—probably smudged by now—down to where the dress rides up my thighs. The silence stretches until I want to scream.

"So you finally had a successful wardrobe change." He starts the engine, the car purring to life. "It suits you. The good girl disguise was getting old."

I want to argue that it wasn't a disguise, that the cardigans and long skirts were the real me. But were they? Or were they just my father's idea of who I should be?

"Why didn't you go to Amber's party?" The question bursts out before I can stop it. "Thought you were excited about her hot tub."

He shrugs, pulling onto the main road with practiced ease. "Wasn't in the mood for drunk teenagers and chlorine."

He glances at me, and something shifts in his expression. "Hungry? There's a decent burger place on Route 9. Then we could hit the drive-in. They're showing some horror double feature."

"A drive-in movie?" I can't hide my surprise. This sounds suspiciously like an actual date. "That's almost... romantic."

His laugh fills the car. "Did you think I only do horny bad boy? I have depths, Virgin Mary. Layers. Like an onion."

"Did you just quote Shrek at me?"

"Maybe." His grin is different from his usual smirk. Softer. "Problem with that?"

We drive in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the town blurring past. I gather courage like armor before asking, "What's your mom like? You mentioned she drives buses, but I've never seen her around."

His jaw tightens, hands gripping the wheel harder. "She exists. She works. We coexist in the same house. That's it."

"That's not really an answer."

"It's all you're getting." His voice carries a warning, but then he glances at me. "What about your mom? You only ever mention daddy dearest with his rules."

The question catches me off guard. I shift in my seat, the leather squeaking. "She left when I was twelve. Couldn't handle Dad's need to control everything—her clothes, her friends, her thoughts. She lives in California now with her new family."

I stare out the window, watching streetlights begin to flicker on. "She sends a Christmas card every year. Picture of her new kids, all blonde and tan and perfect. Like she's showing me she could be a mother, just not mine."

I expect him to mock me, to make some cruel joke. Instead, he just nods. "People leave. It's what they do."

"Is that why you won't let anyone close? Because you think they'll all leave eventually?"

He gives me a look that could cut glass. "We're not doing therapy, Evie. We're getting burgers."

The drive-in is packed when we arrive, minivans full of families, couples in various stages of groping. Caleb parks toward the back, far from the wholesome family crowd. We eat burgers and fries in comfortable silence, grease dripping down our fingers, and for a moment it feels almost normal. Like we're a real couple on a real date instead of whatever twisted game we're playing.

When the movie starts—some slasher film that would give me nightmares for weeks—Caleb pulls me across the console.

"Scared already?" he teases when I jump at the opening kill.

"No," I lie, then nearly scream at the next death scene.

He laughs, actually laughs, and pulls me into his lap. My back pressed against his chest, his arms around my waist, I can feel every breath he takes. His heart beats against my spine, steady and real.

Halfway through the movie, when the final girl is running through the woods, his mouth finds my neck. Not aggressive like at school, but slow, deliberate. His lips trace patterns on my skin while his hands slide up from my waist.

When he cups my breasts through the thin fabric, I gasp. He rolls my nipples between his fingers, and I arch against him, my body responding without permission.

"Someone could see," I whisper, but I'm already spreading my legs, the dress riding up to my hips.

"Let them." His voice is rough against my throat. "Let them see how desperate you are for me."

My body burns, every nerve ending screaming. Without thinking, driven by pure need and the darkness that hides us, my hand reaches back between us. I find him through his jeans, hard and pulsing.

He groans against my neck, the sound vibrating through me. I feel powerful for one glorious second, making Caleb Voss lose control. My fingers trace his outline, feeling him throb under my palm, and I'm suddenly aware this is the first time I've ever touched a guy like this.

Reality crashes in like cold water. I'm touching a penis. In public. I'm being exactly the kind of girl my father warned me about, the kind who lets boys use her in cars at drive-ins.

I yank my hand away like I've been electrocuted.

Caleb chuckles, but it's not mean. "No matter how you dress a virgin, she remains the same." His voice is calm but edged with heat. "Even though your insecurity is a turn-on, you clearly still lack confidence in your actions and desires."

He turns my head to look at him, that infuriating grin in place. "The exam was failed, excellent student. You're sent for a retake."

"What, again?" Frustration and embarrassment war in my chest. "This is getting ridiculous."

"You're not ready to fulfill the condition yet." His thumb traces my bottom lip. "But progress is evident. Keep up the good work."

"Oh, come on..." I start to complain, but his grin widens.

"Go ahead, continue. I'm enjoying this."

"Well, I won't say anything!" I turn back to face the screen, crossing my arms like a child. "Let's just watch the stupid movie."

He laughs again, pulling me tighter against him, his chin resting on my shoulder. "Whatever you say, tutor."

On screen, someone's getting brutally murdered, but all I can focus on is Caleb's heartbeat against my back, his arms around me like I'm something precious instead of just a game.

This feels dangerously close to something real. And that terrifies me more than any horror movie ever could.