Sorry I've been really busy guys. I'm trying to find an agent that will publish my novel which is a lot of work for someone as lazy as I am. I'm trying to upload a chapter each month only because it's been an ongoing fanfiction for two years which is pretty bad.

Anyways, enjoy this chapter!

-Fawnlin

Chapter 14: Ring of Fire

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Lars POV

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Sadie's mouth was hanging open and for a moment I couldn't tell if she liked it or not. Or like a fucking idiot that I was, I had assumed too much.

I cracked a smile and scratched the back of my neck. "You wouldn't think it, but those books you read are actually very informative." She finally closed her mouth and I could tell she was taking everything in. "I mean, I can't get a six pack overnight like Fabio but I got the candles and the Christmas lights."

"Love is a burnin' thing… and it makes a fiery ring."

"Lars… it's…" Sadie fell quiet as she walked toward the table.

"Bound by wild desire… I fell into a ring of fire."

My palms were sweating as she looked over everything and suddenly I felt like I was back in the dentist office and I was getting an oral examination.

When was the last time you flossed? You gums are bleeding.

Were you even thinking when you put this together? It looks like a mess.

"I had to cut the corners on a lot of things." I quickly interjected when her eyes met mine. "It's not a real table, see?" I proved my point by pressing down on it. The ping pong table groaned and collapsed onto the ground with a crash. Sadie screamed and I leapt back as the wine glasses shattered in the middle of the heap.

We stood in silence as Johnny Cash crooned on the speaker.

"I fell into a burnin' ring of fire… I went down, down, down… and the flames went higher. And it burns, burns, burns… the ring of fire… the ring of fire…"

Sadie let out a giggle and I whirled around, surprised. She began to laugh harder and I felt myself grin. "I'm so sorry-" she stopped to laugh again, her cheeks beautifully flushed. "I know I shouldn't be laughing-" I began to laugh with her. "It was so beautiful-" We sat down on the ground laughing at the mess on the floor.

I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed. "I think someone broke it at the party… I really shouldn't have done that." I sat against the back of the couch and stretched out my legs.

Sadie moved and sat beside me. I tried not to think about how close we were sitting. "It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen, Lars."

"What? The table?"
"Yeah… and how it fell in a split second."

I laughed again and leaned my head back. "I think this just proves those books are completely fake."

She nodded. "I didn't think you would read the book." Sadie leaned her head on my shoulder and I smiled.

"I give it a four out of ten," I replied. "It was so fake I could have called it a fantasy book and not a romance book."

"What!" She moved her head away and I immediately regretted what I said. Instead, she smiled and settled back against me. "You know it's a solid six."

I could smell the nice shampoo she used, and I was damn grateful I remembered to take a shower before she showed up. The last thing I wanted to smell like was donuts and cigarettes. "Settle on a five out of ten?"

"Deal."

I smirked and exhaled. "Well, I suppose I'll just tell you what I had planned since hell decided to break loose and I ruined everything."

"Don't…" she began. I looked down at her and she smiled up at me. "I think this was absolutely perfect."

"Fuck up and all?"

She hesitated to say it and I grinned. "Fuck up and all," she finally whispered.

We sat in a nice silence, listening to more Johnny Cash songs. I held my breath as I moved my hand towards hers. I wondered if she could tell my heart was trying to make an escape through my rib cage, or if she was unaware of the pounding in my ears.

She didn't seem to mind holding my hand, or if she did, she didn't say anything about it. Immediately I began to wonder if my hands were sweaty. I shouldn't have held her hands! God I was such an idiot.

"We should probably blow out that candle before it burns the table cloth." Sadie pointed to the last candle that survived the fall.

I rolled my eyes when Ring of Fire came on again. Damn irony. Sadie softly hummed the beginning of the song and I smiled.

"Let it." I sighed and stood up. I quickly wiped my hands on my jeans, hoping they weren't clammy. "Sadie Miller?"

"Yes?"

"If I promise to keep you away from the broken glass, will you dance with me?"
Sadie's smile was priceless, and I wish I could have taken a picture of it. It was the kind of smile that warmed up your entire body, the kind of smile that I would love to see the rest of my life. Seeing her smile made me feel selfish, like I was the only one who should ever be able to see it. And God damn it, if Ronaldo ever came between me and that beautiful smile, I'd probably put my fucking foot up his ass.

She nodded and made a soft mhm noise.

I held out my hand and helped her to her feet. I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I had never slow danced with a girl before but I wanted this night to turn out. It wasn't the right song to do it to, but I didn't care. So, because I was too big of a fucking coward to back out now, I put my hand on Sadie's waist.

I tried not to think of what I normally thought late at night when I was jerking it. Or what I thought of when I was with Abby.

Instead, I thought of the music. That stupid book. The broken glass shards beneath our feet. I thought of Sadie's shampoo and how good it smelled. I thought of how much I loved kissing her. How much fun she was, even on her uppity you're-late-to-clock-in days.

Sadie put her hand on my shoulder and I began to sway to the music slowly. She grinned, her cheeks flushing redder than I've ever seen them. I have never seen anything so amazing in my entire life.

"I don't want to step on your toes," she murmured, her eyes watching our feet.

"I wouldn't care if you did. I might accidentally step on yours."

Sadie laughed and I felt my legs buckle. "This is so much better than going to watch Jaws at Ronaldo's."

I held back my snarky comment about fucking Ronaldo and his stupid prick-face. But I was damn proud I could at least make it worthwhile for her. Maybe I wasn't such a fuck up after all.

"The taste of love is sweet… when hearts like ours meet."

She rested her head on my chest and I felt like a fucking moron as my thumping heart gave me away. I wanted to tell her that I loved her. I wanted to tell her I should have known it earlier.

"I fell for you like a child."

Slowly, I spun her out and she grinned as she swirled underneath my arm before I pulled her back. And her beautiful eyes were watching me again, and her lips looked so full.

"Ohhhhh, but the fire went wild."

I released my hold on her hand and I brushed the blonde curls away from her face. I wish I had hours to spend, just playing with the silky strands.

"I fell down into a burnin' ring of fire. I went down, down, down, and the flames went higher."

I knew I wasn't good enough for Sadie. Nothing I could do would ever make me worthy of her. She was smart, funny, and beautiful. I knew she had ambitions and goals. I knew she wouldn't stay in this shit hole of a town, and would probably leave to go off to college. Sadie was so amazing, she'd probably have every guy on campus fall in love with her. Some bastard that was the walking incarnation of Fabio would come along and give her everything she ever wanted. She would leave us all behind, and we'd just be a memory to her.

But I wanted this moment now. I wanted to be with her before she left forever. Before she left me forever.

"And it burns, burns, burns…"

This time when I kissed Sadie, it wasn't when we were drunk, or stranded on an island. It was just Sadie and me. It was incredibly soft, and nothing like our other kisses. This kiss told me I still had time with her. It told me that everything I had done in the past weeks were behind us. It told me that even though I broke my ping pong table, and probably burned the tablecloth, that I actually impressed Sadie. All my fuck ups had actually done some good for once.

It told me that Sadie-fucking-Miller didn't just like me as a friend.

"The ring of fire."

She deepened the kiss and I was fucking lost. I buried my hands in her hair and she pulled on my shirt. I have never felt so fucking energetic, jaded, starved, and satisfied in my entire life. Our tongues clashed and we bumped into the couch.

It had felt like it had been centuries since I had kissed her, and we were finally making up for the lost time. Sadie's fingers tangled themselves in my hair and I moved my lips away from hers. She moaned as I brought my lips to her neck, her breathing coming out in gasps. I had always imagined what it would be like to hear Sadie moan, but nothing prepared me for it. I felt myself growing rock hard as I sucked on her soft skin, biting gently, going crazy on the soft moans I elicited from her.

When she whimpered, I captured her mouth again. Her lips were so soft, so inviting. I could never get enough of this.

We separated, gasping for air. She looked completely dazed, her lips swollen. I smirked. "Sadie, you're going to be the death of me," I whispered, hoarsely.

The smile she gave me this time was nothing I could explain. It was like she knew what fantasies I had in my head-like she knew what I had done to her in my dreams. She fucking smirked at me. "Just kiss me," she answered.

I fervently kissed her, holding against me, and feeling every wonderful curve she had on her body.

"The ring of fire."

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And that ends chapter 14. If you couldn't tell already, I'm a huge fan of Johnny Cash. He's tattooed on my thigh. Like I said in the chapter prior, I hate writing fluff, so the only way I could end it is by having it crash down (literally) and go on from there.

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As always…

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-Fawnlin