Anywhere With You (10 page)

“Liam.” That’s all it takes. Her saying my name like I am all that matters in her world, instantly my anger releases just as fast as it came on. Her soft voice and soft hands instantly, calming me. I cup her face with my free hand and kiss her, just a chaste kiss, but it has to happen. I rest my forehead on hers, “Let’s get that ice cream.” I pull away and lead her out to the car.

We go through the drive thru at Dairy Queen for ice cream and then drive to a nearby park to eat it. We all sit around the picnic tables laughing and talking. I am having so much fun, I don’t want to drop the girls back off at their dorm. Allison however is driving home to see her Gran tomorrow so she wants to get an early start. I am bummed but understand. I know how important her Gran is to her. We walk the girls to their dorm and remind them to lock the door. I don’t get any more kisses but Aiden and I both get hugs from both of them. At this point I will take what I can get. I am starting to wonder if any amount of Allison Hagan will ever be enough.

When we get back to our apartment, I thank Aiden for getting the girls together with us and head to my room to shower. I am lying on my bed staring at the ceiling, thinking about Allison of course when Aiden walks in. “Hey man,” I greet him.

“Hey, you turning in?” he asks me. Okay something is up.

“Trying,” I reply honestly. He knows that this thing with Allison is tearing me up inside.

“Listen man, I watched you tonight, you’re different with her. Hell, all week you have been different, blowing girls off, not getting together with the guys. I can tell that you’re really into her, and well I just want you to know that if you’re serious, I’m good with it.” He pauses to gauge my reaction of course I am speechless. “She really is just like my little sister, she’s been through a lot and I want to protect her,” he shakes his head. “But the way that you look at her, I have only ever seen that look one other time in my life.”

“Really and when was that?” I know how I look at her, like she is the most precious gift on the damn planet. I’ve tasted those lips and been subjected her hugs. No one compares to Allison.

Aiden waits for me to look at him. “My parents. You look at Allison the same way that my parents look at each other. Their love is deep and genuine, I see that when you look at her. Protect her and don’t rush her, man, she deserves that and more.”

I nod my head. “I would give her the world if I could” There is no need for me to elaborate. Aiden knows that I am struggling with my feelings for her. Even so, he just gave me his blessing. Now it is up to me to decide what I am going to do with it.

Aiden nods and then turns and leaves me with my thoughts. I lie awake in bed for hours just thinking about life, football and most of all, Allison. Can I fit a serious relationship in with all the other craziness of senior year, football and the draft? Can I handle not having her in my life? I can feel the answer beating in my chest, but admitting it is a whole other feat. That is the question running through my mind as I drift off to sleep.

The last two months have been a whirl wind. Hales and I have settled into a nice little routine with school and sharing space. We have spent a lot of time hanging out with Aiden and Liam, just as a group of friends. There have been no more kisses, but I do hug him hello and goodbye each time that I see him, just like I do Aiden. It’s hard to see him so much and not be with him. At least I don’t have to watch him date. Neither Aiden or Liam have been on a date since school started, well not as far as Hailey and I know of anyway. Hailey and I really haven’t dated either. She went out on a date with that Todd guy when school first started but they haven’t gotten together since then due to their schedules. It could also be because Aiden and Liam always get to us first. I can’t help but wonder if Aiden doesn’t have a little crush on Hales, I know she does him. I need to keep an eye on those two.

It’s Friday night and Hales and I are staying in. Aiden and Liam are at a mandatory football meeting. Next Friday is the first game of the season that also happens to be a home game. Their coach always has a big gathering at the field just him and the players the week before, to discuss goals for the season.

“So, Todd just texted me and wants to go out tomorrow night. I was thinking that maybe you could come with and double with his friend Jason?” Hailey asks me.

“I can’t, I’m going home this weekend to spend some time with Gran.”

“Please Allie, you can leave early Saturday morning to go see Gran. Please, pretty please?”

“Fine,” I say with a sigh. “What is this Jason guy like anyway?” I ask her.

“He’s H-O-T! That’s what he is,” she laughs.

“Okay, so he’s hot, does he go to Duke with Todd?”

“Yeah, he does.” She pauses to collect her thoughts, “They both used to play football in high school and played against Liam. He really doesn’t like either one of them. I don’t really know why, he never said.”

“Great!” was my reply. I don’t want to piss Liam off. I want him to want me. Of course, I’m not going to admit that out loud. The last few months we have flirted endlessly and the four of us are now a package deal, but we are all just friends, siblings hanging out. There have been no more kisses.

“It’ll be fun, trust me. Just four people hanging out having a good time. I’ll text Todd and let him know. I think we’re just going to go to The Warehouse, you cool with that?” she asks as her fingers fly across the screen of her phone.

“Um, do you know if Liam and Aiden will be there?” I question.

“Definitely not or else I wouldn’t go. I don’t enjoy my brother when he’s pissed off.”

“Ok then, The Warehouse it is. I just hope that Liam and Aiden don’t show up. “

“I talked to Liam earlier; they’re going to a party at Blitzen’s. I’ll text him just to make sure.”

This week has been crazy. This is my last year of college, football practice is in full swing and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Allison. I haven’t so much as looked at another girl these past two months. The memory of her pulled tight against me and the taste of her lips on mine is on constant replay in my mind. This moment is a perfect example, I should be focusing on this mound of homework sitting in front of me, but I can’t concentrate. All I see is Allison. My phone vibrates alerting me that I have a new message.

Hailey:
Hey big bro! How are your classes

Me:
Good, buried in a mound of hmwrk. Yours?

Hailey:
Good. diff from hgh sch

Me:
Yea. Also a hell of a lot more fun!!!

Hailey:
☺ what are you guys up to this weekend

Me:
Blitzen is having a pty. U

I am curious as to what she and Allison have planned for this weekend. However, I’m not sure that tidbit of knowledge is going to help my obsession.
What am I now, a fucking stalker?

Hailey:
not sure. Need to check with roomie

Me
: u can come with us Sat

Why the fuck did I just do that? I need to stay away from Allison get her out of my head. We have all been spending so much time together it is like my brain is set on the Allison show and it’s a twenty-four hour marathon. I’m still struggling with this attraction that I have for her. I thought maybe being around her would lessen the appeal, but it’s had the opposite effect. I only want her more. I need to hook-up with someone. Yes, that would get me back on track. The only problem with that is, all I see is Allison. I haven’t got laid since several weeks before I met her, not for the lack of available women. It seems everywhere I go there are beautiful woman flirting or passing me their numbers, even when we are out with Hales and Allison. Hell, for all they know we are two couples, but that doesn’t stop them. The only problem is that I find myself comparing each and every damn one of them to Allison. They don’t measure up.

Hailey
: tks but I want to go dancing.

Me:
u both b safe call if u need me. Don’t go hme with any losers

Hailey:
LOL! U guys too love you!

Me:
love u 2.

Aiden walks in. “Hey man, Blitzen just called and said that the pipes burst in his apartment. The party for tomorrow night is off. I told him he could crash here for a few days, you okay with that?”

“Damn, that sucks from him. Yeah, it’s cool the couch is his.”

“So, any ideas for tomorrow night?” he asks me

“No, but I need to go out!”

Aiden raises his eye brow at me in question, “Any particular reason?” He plops down beside me on the couch.

I point to the stack of books my lap and the coffee table. I don’t need to tell him that Allison is also embedded in my brain and I need to focus on someone else to stop it. He knows how wound up she has me.

Aiden laughs, “No shit, I feel your pain.” Choosing to ignore the fact that we both know Allison is the real reason.

“Let’s just go to The Warehouse,” I suggest.

Aiden nods, “Old faithful. Sounds like a plan.”

As soon as I walk into The Warehouse the next night, thoughts of that first night here with Allison and holding her close are front and center within my mind. I try to fight them off but I am losing that battle, slowly, painfully, as I relive every moment of that night. We push through the crowd to the bar and order a beer. Aiden spots Blitzen so we head towards the two tables he and several of our teammates have pushed together. Aiden and I sit at the end of the table and easily slip into the conversation about Friday’s practice. We are all chatting, drinking and having a good time when Mike, a defensive lineman, speaks up.

“Fuck, Mac, who is that hot ass chick with your sister?” he says as he tilts his head towards the dance floor.

I glance at Aiden as we both whip our heads around to see who he was looking at, even though we both knew who the “hot ass chick” is. My eyes instantly lock onto Allison and right beside her is my sister. I also notice that both of them are dancing very provocatively with two guys that I can’t stand. My temper flares as I stand up, and Aiden quickly follows. We don’t even speak. We know what we need to do to protect the girls. We are both fiercely protective of both of them. Aiden knows I hate Todd and Jason, I had told him the story freshman year after we played them. We won of course.

We approach the girls and Hailey immediately sees us. She stops dancing and flashes a worried glance towards Todd, the dickwad she is dancing with. Allison stops dancing as soon as her eyes find mine.

I am so angry I want to smash both of their faces in. Todd and Jason went to my rival high school and are total assholes. They are notorious for getting girls drunk out of their mind using them and then leaving them alone wherever they happened to be. Rumors has it that they raped a girl after their final game senior year, but the girl was so scared, she refused to press charges. Needless to say, they are scum in my book and now I have to watch my baby sister, who knows how I feel about them and my girl grinding up on them. Angry is not a strong enough word to describe the rage running through my veins.

Allison steps away from Jason towards me and I quickly grab her around the waist and pull her close. Hailey steps forward like she is going to stop me and Aiden grabs her and pins her to his side. She is pissed, I can tell, but she has nothing on me. Jason the fuckstick that he is, reaches back for Allison and grabs her arm and pulls.

“What the fuck, MacCoy, get your hands off my date!” he yells as he tugs on Allison’s arm.

“Date?” I look down at Allison with a questioning gaze as she stares wide eyed at Jason and then looks at her arm. I feel her tremble next to me.

“Get your fucking hands off of her, you’re hurting her!” I yell at him.

Hailey speaks up, “What the hell Liam, why are you going all caveman?”