One Trip Around the Sun (14 page)

He looks at his phone and then up to me. “That’s in ten minutes.”

I frown. “Sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for.” He quickly pecks my lips. “I’m outta here, guys. Later.”

He turns and grabs my hips to help me off the truck. I’m not sure why—maybe because I know this is my last contact with him since we need to hurry—but I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. He slides my bottom to the edge of the tailgate, and then his hands move up my body until they tangle into my hair. He slams his mouth against mine, kissing me hard and fast. I don’t know how, but everyone here seems to disappear. Even though I’m so shy, I don’t care about what anyone thinks when I’m with Brady. It’s refreshing really.

That is, until I hear Josh London’s voice. Everyone knows that Brady and Josh can’t be in the same room without going at it.

“Well, if it isn’t Captain Save-a-Ho.”

Suddenly, there is silence—and then chaos.

Brady drops me to my feet and pulls away from me so fast that I can’t grab him. Instead of jumping in between them, the guys standing around jump back, giving Brady and Josh room.

Just as Brady is about to land a punch, I scream, “Brady!”

He stops midair, and instead, he grabs Josh’s shirt before dragging him over to me.

I lean back, away from them, as they approach me. “Brady! Stop, please!”

“Apologize to my girl, motherf—Josh.”

When Josh doesn’t speak right away, Brady shoves him closer to me.

“Sorry,
Reese
.”

Brady puts his mouth near Josh’s ear and grits his teeth. “Do not ever speak her name again.”

Brady shoves Josh away from us and quickly leads me up the path to his car without speaking a word.

The car ride to my house is tense. I don’t know why Brady reacted the way he did. I mean, I know Josh’s comment was rude, but that scene had nothing to do with me. Josh made that comment only to get under Brady’s skin.

“What was that about?” I say softly.

Brady lets out a long breath. “I’m sorry. That’s not me, Reese. I’m not violent.” He looks at me, exasperated. “I mean, outside of boxing and the fights, but that’s different.” He looks back at the road and chuckles, knowing that his comment was not quite the truth. “One night at The Pit, I walked up to my car, and Josh had Mad—” He stops himself.

I know he was getting ready to say Maddie. She and Josh went out all through high school until they just broke up a few months ago. Brady and Josh used to be really close friends. Coincidentally, when Josh and Maddie broke up, Brady and Josh became enemies. I heard that Brady and Maddie had been messing around, and Josh had caught them.

Brady continues, “Josh had his girlfriend pinned against his car. She didn’t want to be there, Reese. I stood there and watched for a few minutes because I honestly could not believe that he would do that.”

“He was raping her?” I say, mortified.

“No, it didn’t go that far, but she was asking him to stop and trying to squirm away from him. He just kept her pinned there, touching her.” Brady shakes his head, disgusted with the memory. “To make a long story short, I pulled him off of her, roughed him up, and took her home. I hate when he’s anywhere near me. He makes me sick.”

Brady is passionate, and I like this side of him. The glow of the streetlights bounces off his face as we enter town. He becomes more attractive to me every moment I spend with him.

“Good thing you were there.” I reach across and place my hand on his thigh.

He looks down at my hand and then briefly at me before looking back at the road. Placing his hand over mine, he rubs his thumb over my knuckles.

As we pull into the driveway, I unbuckle my seat belt and reach for the door. I’m twenty minutes late already, so I have no time to waste.

“No, no, no! This is still a date. Stay put, please.” He flies around the car and opens my door for me. Then, he shuts it as I step away from the car.

“You seem to be one of a kind, Brady.”

I mean, seriously, what high school guy opens doors on a date?

“My mother just taught me manners, and she would kick my ass if I didn’t use them.” He walks to the door with me while holding my hand.

He nervously looks at me. “I just want you to know, for future reference, that, um…you call the shots. You say the word, and it stops—or starts. I mean, I think I’m smart enough to tell when you’re not feeling it. I just don’t want you to think that you have to do anything you don’t want to. And since you’ve never done…
it
, you might start doing something, but if you
ever
want things to slow down or stop altogether, just say the word. I mean that for whomever you’re with, but, um…I hope it is me.” He blows out a long breath. “Okay, so I’m rambling now.”

One last time, he kisses me, and it’s soft and sweet. Even a simple good-night kiss from him has my toes curling.

He gets in his car and pulls out of the driveway. I use my key to get into the house. When inside, I turn and see Brady waving from the street.

I walk through the kitchen and into the family room where my dad is asleep on the couch. Surely, he wasn’t waiting up for me. I tiptoe up the stairs and crash onto my bed, ready again for sweet dreams of Brady Fisher.

I wake up on Sunday morning and make my way downstairs.

My dad is sitting at the table, drinking his coffee and reading the paper. “Did you have a nice time last night?”

I pour myself a cup of coffee and sit across from him. “Yeah, I did. Hey, were you trying to wait up for me last night?” I smirk.

He lowers the paper just so his eyes peek over it. “Uh…yes, smart-ass, I was. When did you get home? And when did you start drinking coffee?”

I give him a confused look. “A little after midnight. Sorry. I started drinking coffee when a Starbucks opened in town. That was, like, three years ago, Dad.” I grab a banana out of the basket on the table.

“Oh.” He stares at me like he’s inspecting me.

“What? You’re kinda creeping me out.” I look down at my banana, peeling it further, and then I take a bite.

He chuckles and looks away. “Nothing. You’re just growing up.”

“Yeah, Dad. It’s a hazard of the occupation.” I stand and make my way to the garbage to throw my peel away.

“What are you doing today?”

“Going to the gym and then homework.” I so want to ask him what his sudden interest in me is, but I refrain. This is a complete turnaround, and I’m not sure what to think of it.

Instead, I leave him sitting at the table with his coffee, and I climb the stairs to get dressed for the gym.

I have my earbuds in, and the music is as loud as I can get it. I run across the street and through the alley toward the gym.

Walking in, I immediately spot Brady at the counter. Two girls are flirting with him. Jealousy floods me, and I hate the way it feels. He isn’t doing anything wrong. I mean, he hasn’t even asked me to go out with him. We’ve only been on one date, and that doesn’t mean that we’re exclusively dating. I smile at him and move to pass by as quickly as I can.

He has a different idea though. “Hey, baby, come here. I have something for you.”

I make eye contact with him, confused, and walk to him. The girls look at me and then at each other.

“Close your eyes.” He raises his eyebrows at me.

I close my eyes, and instantly, I feel his soft lips on mine. I moan into his mouth. I want to cry really. I feel so full of…I don’t even know what. Whatever it is, I fucking love it.

I put my hands on Brady’s chest and let them slide down his abs as I relax into his embrace. The girls huff and rush off, hopefully never to return. I know that won’t be the case, but a girl can dream.

“Mmm…so good.” He pulls away and narrows his eyes, looking down at me.

He quickly pecks me on the lips one last time just as the tone on the front door sounds, and his mom walks in. He slides the cooler open and hands me a bottle of water.

“What are you doing today?” He pretends to be busy for his mom’s sake.

“Lots of homework. You?”

“Work until five and then homework.” He grabs some towels, and I follow him over to a shelf where he sets them down. “Call me if you get time.”

“Okay. Same to you.”

He nods his head, and we go our separate ways. We make eye contact a few times, but other than that, nothing else happens.

But I want something. I want another kiss.

Monday at school, Brady and I go to classes just as we did the week before. We sit in the same seats as we did before, and we hang out with the same people as we did before. The only difference is that Brady is more affectionate with me. When he’s near enough to touch me, he does. It’s nothing obnoxious. He just sweetly caresses my arm or brushes against me.

At lunch, he sits in his spot, and I sit in mine, only we both push our chairs back so that we’re side by side. We talk and laugh, and it doesn’t take long before our respective tables are talking back and forth, interacting as one.