Overcome (29 page)

“Well…” he looked at Colten for a little bit of help. Colten just shrugged. Carly sat on his lap. Bree, who stood directly in front of him, blinked her big chocolate eyes up at him, waiting for an answer.

“He wasn’t going to. This was supposed to be a brother’s night, but Declan got a call from his girlfriend.” Isaac said as he continued to play his game and if Bree wasn’t there Garrett would have smacked the back of his head.

“Miley isn’t Declan’s girlfriend.” Garrett corrected him.

“Miley Davis? She’s a bitty.” Carly chimed in as she reclined back onto Colten. He mumbled something in her ear to get her to giggle, his hand sprawled out on Carly’s stomach.

“You can’t leave him here.” Bree was still on that subject.

“Well,” at a loss for words, he stared at Colten, who was still no help spending all his efforts flirting with Carly. The doorbell chimed. He was somewhat relieved for the interruption. But what was he going to do now?

He grabbed the money off the counter. He couldn’t leave with them and look like a jerk in front of the only girl he ever wanted to impress. But if he didn’t go he wouldn’t get to see her anymore tonight.

He paid and thanked the delivery guy before making his way back to the living room with the boxes. “All right, Zeke, dinner is here.”

Bree sat on the floor with Isaac playing the game along with him. Garrett didn’t understand when he stepped back into the room how that happened so quickly. “I didn’t know girls could play.” Isaac said. “Miley can’t,” he added.

Bree giggled, warming Garrett’s insides. “My step-brother has this game. We play it all the time.”

Garrett glanced over on the couch long enough to catch Colten groping Carly. “Dude, my little brother is here.” He threw the stack of napkins at Colten. He chuckled and pulled away leaving Carly all giggly. “You guys want some pizza?”

“Pizza sounds great.” Bree said. Well at least he did that right tonight.

Chapter 2

Garrett sat with his arms crossed and stared at the clock. Pastor Jack was taking his time tonight. All Garrett heard was the same mumbo jumbo he had been hearing all his life. He just wanted to get out of there, go to Colten’s and head to the party.

Garrett slumped down in his seat and let all the air out of his lungs.  How many times does he need to hear Jesus loves him? 
Yeah, whatever
.  Garrett’s leg bounced when Declan sat beside him all interested in this bull. 

              Declan laughed at Pastor Jack’s lame jokes, his lip curling back crookedly over one side of his teeth. He let out a quiet snort, elbowing Garrett in the ribs.  Garrett wanted to punch him for being such a dork.  He glanced back at the clock. 
When will this guy stop talking? 

His eyes traveled the room at all the people that bought this, gazing up at the pastor hanging onto his every word like he was God himself, when he spotted his dad glaring at him. Garrett took the warning and slowly turned his head back to face the pastor.  Declan chuckled at another one of those lame jokes. He figured if he had attitude his dad wouldn’t let him go to Colten’s, and he wanted to go to Colten’s since he might see Bree.

****

Colten pulled in front of the white ranch style house and honked the horn. “Go ahead and climb in the back.”

“Aren’t you going to go to the door?” Garrett motioned toward the house.

Colten laughed as his hand rested on top of the steering wheel. “No.” he laughed with a head shake. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Right,” Garrett said climbing into the backseat.  Getting situated, he tried to figure out what to do with his long legs in the small space of the extended cab. That was when he heard the giggles and looked up at Carly and Bree prancing toward the truck.  One thing he couldn’t complain about the small quarters he was forced to sit in was that it would mean he would be closer to Bree. He hoped to make a better impression tonight since he kind of blew it when he was going to abandon his brother.

The giggles were louder when the door opened. Bree climbed in first with Carly holding the seat forward for her.  He could see right down her shirt when she was bent over climbing in. He knew he should look away, but he didn’t. He was just thankful it was dark and it wouldn’t be noticeable that he was blushing.

She flopped back into the seat right beside him. Immediately he could smell vanilla.

“Hi,” he said, cursing himself silently for being such an idiot.

She barely looked his way and gave him a quick, “Hi,” back before looking out the window.

Colten smashed his lips onto Carly’s as soon as she sat down. A little forward for someone who was not his
girlfriend.

“The party is at Lewis’s tonight. Hudson just left to get a keg,” Carly said as she slid close to Colten.

“Only one?” Colten whined.

“I don’t know how many they’re getting. I just know he went on the beer run.” She stated as she tossed her curly blond hair behind her, almost smacking Garrett in the face.

“So how… how are you?” Garrett asked Bree. He couldn’t think of anything else to say to her.

“Fine.” Bree said, still staring out the window.

Garrett slid his sweaty hands down the front of his jeans. “Isaac was impressed with your video game skills.”

“Yep.”

Garrett bit his bottom lip. What could he say to her to get her to even look his way?  He wore his black Cambrooke Raiders tee shirt and his white Ohio State hat. He had never given much thought about girls before her. It had always been football and church.

Colten was the one always chasing girls, but never for a relationship. The closest relationship Colten had been in was whatever this crazy thing he had going on with Carly.

“You like football?” he asked.

“Not really.” She mumbled he could hardly hear her over Carly’s screeches in the front. He had no clue nor did he want to know what Colten was saying or doing to her to get that reaction.  Bree’s back faced him as she looked bored out the window.

The sound of the music escalated through the speakers as Carly whooped from the front waving her hands in the air and singing along with the women-degrading rap music.  Garrett cringed at the words being spoken about girls and Carly was all into it. Colten just laughed and shook his head.

Garrett was familiar with this song only because of Colten. He wasn’t allowed to listen to music like this at home. He didn’t mind that rule much.  It was the other ridiculous rules that bothered him. Like not being able to have a girlfriend or go watch certain movies with his friends. Those were the rules that bothered him.

He needed something to busy himself because when the rapper started to talk about the size of a girl’s chest he found it extremely uncomfortable to be sitting beside Bree. Carly shrieked from the front seat and swatted Colten’s hand away from her own chest with a laugh.

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. This had to be the most uncomfortable ride anywhere ever. He pretended to check his cell when it slipped out of his hands. He grasped the air as his it tumbled just grazing the tips of his fingers. It plummeted right in between Bree’s legs.  Of all the places for it to land, why did it have to be there?

“Real smooth,” She rolled her eyes as she held the phone out to him. “Sorry you aren’t getting a feel.” She gave him a sarcastic grin.

His eyes widened and his heart sped up. Why did she think he was trying to do that? “I wa…”

“Just take your phone.”  She waived the cell under her short pink fingernails.

His heart nearly skipped when his hands grazed her silky smooth hands retrieving his phone. Colten finally pulled his truck in behind an old station wagon and turned the engine off.

Garrett couldn’t believe the cars that littered the driveway and yard. The brick two-story home was going to be trashed after this. He watched as teenagers poured into the house.

Colten and Carly hopped out before Bree and Garrett could. “Get me out of here.” Bree said exasperated to Carly.

“He’s cute.” Carly said like Garrett couldn’t hear. As much as he wanted to stick around and hear the rest of the conversation, he didn’t feel like getting his hopes crushed just yet. He hopped out of Colten’s side.

“She hates me.” He mumbled to Colten as he shoved his phone back in his pocket.

“So what? You’re starting running back this year; you can get any other girl you want.” Colten motioned his hand to the party like he was displaying a prize on a game show.

“But I actually like Bree,” Garrett said.

Colten reached into the bed of his truck, pulling out a square, aqua cooler.

Carly and Bree were almost to the house when Carly let out a loud giggle and jumped on Coby Jenkins back.

“Dude, you just need to get laid.”

“No I don’t.” He let out a nervous laugh. “Look, I accidently dropped my phone in her crotch and she thought I did it on purpose to feel her up.”

Colten leaned back his head and let out a roaring laugh as they strode across the lawn. “That is awesome. I’m going to have to try that move sometime.”

“It wasn’t a move. It was an accident.” Garrett said as he pushed the bill of his hat down before striding into the house. 

The volume of the music shook the pictures hanging on the wall. At least Lewis had some gap-toothed embarrassing photos on his walls as well.

“Get out of our way, Light.” He heard that jerk, Hudson from behind him. He turned back and glared. Hudson and one of the sophomores from the team were lugging in a keg.

“Yo, Miller. Kegs here!” Someone shouted from the crowd. Everyone seemed to part like the red sea when the words were heard over the loud music as Hudson and Jake made their way through.

“Hey, I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.” Paige’s voice filled Garrett’s ear. Her lips brushed his lobe. 

Garrett had to lean his head back when he turned toward her or else his mouth would have been planted on hers.

“Paige.” He nodded as he took a step back, nearly knocking over a couple making out.

“Hey, watch it, Light.” His teammate barked at him.

“Why don’t you find a room?” He growled back at him as the couple eased down the hallway.

He didn’t figure she’d be gone when he turned back around like he hoped.

“Need me to get you a drink?” Paige blinked her over-shadowed eyes up at him while grazing the front of her body against his.

“Sure,” he said, just wanting the break from her. He hadn’t even been there for twenty minutes and he was ready to leave.

He scanned the room trying to figure out where Colten had gone. “Garrett Light, to what do we owe for your presence here tonight?” Lewis slapped him on the back with a smile so wide he looked like a cartoon character.

“I rode with Colten, have you seen him?” Garrett shoved his hands in his pockets.

Lewis stood just a couple inches taller than Garrett. His close-cropped hair was hidden under his Raiders cap that was on backwards.  His chest was wider than Garrett’s as well. Lewis, like Hudson, thought that he was God’s gift to women and the game of football.

“Nah, man.” Lewis shook his head as he stared out on his party. “You gonna finally get some from Paige tonight?”

“What?” Garrett asked.

“Listen, man. I usually keep my bedroom locked up at these things, but if you want to occupy it for a little bit I’ll let you have it.” He nudged him with his elbow and wagged his eyebrows.

“No, no thanks.”  Garrett’s eyes scanned the room again.

“There you are.” Paige’s squeaky voice said as she shoved the red solo cup at Garrett. Her blond ponytail swayed as she pushed herself up against Garrett like she was his date. Why did everyone think this? He came here with Bree.  “Let’s go swimming.” She shrieked.

“I… I don…” Paige pulled him through the full house, his cup of beer sloshing all over his arm. She led him out the glass doors overlooking an in-ground pool. The water was already filled with half naked teens. The girls squealed like little pigs as they were splashed and pulled in.

Paige stepped out on the stone patio before she let go of Garrett. Her hands pulled on the bottom of her shirt whipping it over her head.  His eyes bugged out of his face before he quickly looked away. She was in a bikini top, but it didn’t cover much. He heard her zipper; even though he guessed she was in bikini bottoms he didn’t feel comfortable watching her strip.

“Well let’s go.” She gripped his hand and began to tug again.

“I’m. I’m alright. I don’t want to swim…just yet.” he said holding his beer up.

Her smile grew and she giggled. “Well all right, but you wait here for me, okay?”

“Yep.” He nodded as he leaned against the scratchy brick wall. There wasn’t much light just a small porch light and the moon shining on the pool.

“Hey, Garrett!”  He heard Carly’s shrill voice echo above the splashing pool water as she stumbled toward him. She tried to balance herself against the wall.

“You seen Colten?” he asked as he took a sip of the bitter beer.

She placed her hands behind her back flat on the brick, “Nah, I think he is in the middle of that orgy in the pool,” she laughed.

Though Garrett knew she was exaggerating about the orgy, it
was
close to being one. 

“That doesn’t bother you? Colten with other girls?” He asked as he kept his gaze on the pool. Paige was now on the shoulders of another football player.

“We’re just friends.” Carly answered a little too quickly. The response wasn’t what Garrett expected. He turned to look at her. “Why did he tell you different?” she asked, her tone a little softer now and her head was leaned back against the wall.

“No. You just…you two seem like a couple.”

“Well, we aren’t.” she snapped before she looked away. “Breanna Rae Morris!” Carly slurred at the top of her lungs. His gaze turned from Carly to Bree, who moved gracefully through the crowd, dodging the drunken teenagers like some sort of champion skater. Clearly this girl had avoided the stale beer. He couldn’t keep himself from staring at her long, slender legs in those shorts.  “See my bestie, isn’t she beautiful?” Carly laughed as she flung her arms around Bree.

Bree’s long lashes fluttered over her round chocolate eyes as she peered up at Garrett. “I think Carly’s had a little too much to drink.” He responded.

“No, no, no.” Carly’s hair smacked Bree in the face as she swung her head back and forth.  “You see I have this wonderful idea. Bree, you’re my bestie, Garrett…” Carly reached a sloppy hand that gripped the beer, smacking it against his chest. “…is Colten’s bestie and well Colten is my best friend with benefits.” She winked at Garrett. “So then you two should at least be able to be friends, right? I mean look at him, Bree.” Garrett nodded uncomfortably as he looked up at the sky. “He is hot, isn’t he?” Carly slurred before a low rumble erupted from her throat.

“All right, Carly, I think I need to find you somewhere to sleep it off.” Bree ignored her statement while holding up Carly’s weight and looked at Garrett apologetically, “I’m sorry, I have to get her somewhere before Hudson sees her like this.”