Read If I Fall for Free Online

holding my hand as we made our way to the front steps. His hand was warm and strong and I tried not to fixate on the feel of his fingers entwined with mine. He pushed open the front door and strolled inside, pulling me with him.
    The house was packed with people, most of them older. I stood in the front hallway, my arms folded across my chest as I surveyed the scene. People milled around a keg set up in the kitchen, red plastic cups in hand. A few kids lounged on the brown leather sofas in the living room, smoking and drinking. One guy leaned over the coffee table, his face pressed against the wood. I squinted my eyes and made out a faint line of white powder dusting the surface, a line that was disappearing as his nose skimmed along the polished mahogany. I looked away. This wasn't the kind of party I'd envisioned and I suddenly felt uneasy.
    “Come on,” Aidan said.
    He pulled me toward the kitchen. A few people called out greetings to him, eying me curiously. I tried to meet their gazes, to offer a smile, but my stomach felt like there were grasshoppers jumping around inside. I was way out of my league.
    Aidan scanned the counters. “Any Jello shots left?”
    Bags of chips and discarded cups littered its surface. One had tipped over and a puddle of beer dripped slowly to the wood floor below.
    Scotty, the birthday boy, grinned and tucked his brown hair behind his ears. “Dude, I saved some just for you and your woman. In the fridge.”
    He brushed past me and pulled open the stainless steel door. He removed a plastic cafeteria-type tray loaded with paper Dixie cups, all of them filled with red and orange Jello. “Here you go.”
    Aidan took it from him and set it on the counter. He picked up a cup and handed it to me. “Want one?”
    I took it. “What is it?”
    “A Jello shot. Tastes a hell of a lot better than beer.” He held one to his lips and the red gelled liquid slid out. “Try it.”
    I didn't even hesitate. I needed something to relax me, to make me feel comfortable. I followed his lead and held a cup to my lips. I braced myself as the gel pooled in my mouth.
    It tasted like cherry Jello.
    “ It's good,” I admitted. I set the empty cup on the counter. “What's in it?”
    He shrugged, handing me an orange one to try. “Probably a little vodka.”
    Whatever it was, it didn't taste anything like the bitter beer from last weekend. I finished the second one and reached for another.
    A girl's voice sounded behind me. “Megan?”
    I turned around. Desiree Young, my lab partner in biology, stood next to me.
    “ What are you doing here?” She didn't bother to hide her astonishment.
    She'd dyed her hair between class this afternoon and the party; pink streaks shot through her spiky platinum hair.
    “Um, I'm here with Aidan.” I motioned to him.
    She nodded her head at him in greeting. “Wow. I didn't even know you guys knew each other.”
    Aidan grinned. “We hooked up last weekend. At the beach.” He reached for my hand and squeezed it.
    I started to protest his choice of words but stopped.
    Desiree smirked. “Huh. Well, have fun. Keep him in line.”
    He kissed the top of my head. “That's why she's here. Keeping me in line. She's a good girl, Dez. She's exactly what I need.”
    I turned to look at him. “I'm what you need?”
    He grinned, a smile so wicked it almost scared me. “Absolutely.” He pushed another shot in my direction. “Bottoms up.”
    I took it from him and gulped it down. That light, giddy feeling from the bonfire was creeping back and I welcomed it. Getting drunk apparently suited me just fine. Within minutes, I was laughing and smiling. I didn't think of my mother, passed out in her bed after her own drinking binge, nor did I think of the house I was losing or the dad I'd already lost. I concentrated instead on the boy standing next to me, his arm wrapped possessively around my waist as he talked and drank with the people around us.
    We stayed downstairs, stationed at the bar