Brock
“Hey baby.” My girl, my heart, the love of my life climbs into my beat-up old Ford pickup truck. Once she’s inside, I grab the back of her neck, pull her across the worn bench seat, and kiss her lips hard before pulling back. Her smile is like a beacon of light leading me to the promised land, and her cornflower blue eyes twinkle in the sunlight as she stares at me.
“Brock what is it? Is something wrong?” She worries her lower lip between her teeth.
I stroke her cheek with my fingertips. “No, nothing’s wrong. I just love you.” Pleasure fills me as I watch her lightly tanned cheeks turn an adorable shade of pink. Even after all this time, I can still embarrass her.
Ripley Brown and I have been together since our freshman year in high school—well, technically we did break up for a week the middle of our sophomore year, but that’s it. We were each other’s firsts, and if I have it my way, we’ll be each other’s lasts.
I pull into the parking lot of Aldridge High School where Ripley and I are seniors. In two days, we’ll finally be out of this place, and then in just a couple months, she and I will be heading to Western Illinois University. My girl is going to be studying elementary education and I’ll be going to school for law enforcement. We talked for a long time about our future and where we both wanted to go to school, and her parents have been great about it.
They know we’re serious about each other and her dad knows that after graduation, I plan on giving Ripley a promise ring. I worked my ass off this past year to be able to afford the ring I wanted to give her: a delicate gold band with her birthstone, a sapphire, and a little diamond next to each other. I really wanted to propose, but I know she wouldn’t want to get married until we both finish college.
I can wait.
I climb out of my truck and walk around the front end, helping Ripley down then wrapping my arm around her shoulders. At our school, it’s small enough that you almost know everyone. Sometimes it’s a good thing, and other times not so much, like last year when a rumor was started I had cheated on Rip with some girl I met at an away game. It wasn’t true; I’d never do that to her.
It all started because Jonah Mitchell is a rich asshole prick who thinks he’s entitled to everything, including my girl. Ripley is the only girl at school who is immune to his “charm”. Sure, she is nice to him—she’s nice to everyone—but he is always watching her, looking at her like he wants to strip her bare and do whatever he wants with her. We’ve hated each other since grade school, and I hate him still.
Once inside the building, we make our way toward our lockers, which are coincidentally right next to each other—thanks to Rip’s best friend, Kat. Every year, the friends switch lockers, and it was actually Kat who introduced us.
Through grade school and junior high, Rip and I went to different schools. It was two days after the first day of high school that I met her and fell in love. I was putting my backpack in my locker when I heard laughter coming down the hall. When I turned toward the sound, I felt myself freeze. Ripley was walking arm in arm with Kat, and she was smiling widely at the spastic red head. My breath caught in my throat, and my dick took notice. She hasn’t changed much since then. Her blonde hair hung down her back framing her face in wild, crazy curls, and her eyes were the softest blue, surrounded by thick dark lashes.
She was and still is a petite thing with subtle curves that do things to me, and it always brings out the need to protect her.
“Hey guys!” Speak of the devil. Kat races toward us, wrapping her arms around Ripley before letting her go and giving me a high five. “Only two more days then we’re out of this bitch.” She pumps her fist in the air, Ripley and I laugh.
“What’s up, James?” I feel my body lock up tight and turn to find Jonah and the asshole brigade. They’re your typical teen movie/teenage drama characters: rich boys who think they can do whatever they want. They hate me because I’m popular, captain of the football team, dating the hottest girl in school, and what they would call poor.
My family is lower middle class, for sure. My mom works full-time, and my dad works until he gets fired then moves on to the next job because he’s a drunk who loves to run his mouth. Everyone knows he beats us, or at least he used to beat me until I got bigger than him. Now he uses words instead of fists. He hits my mom, although she denies it and defends his shitty behavior. I’ll never understand why, and until she’s ready to leave, there is nothing I can do.
I shake off those thoughts. “What do you want Mitchell?”
“Oh nothing.” His eyes scan Ripley’s body and I want to pummel his face, but that’s exactly what the prick wants. He’s been trying to get me to lose my temper for a long time, but I refuse to let that asshole win. “What’s up Ripley? Looking gorgeous as always. You know if you ever want to come with me on my family’s boat, I’d love to take you out.”
I’m ready to pound him when I feel Ripley’s arms wrap around my waist and her lips kissing the underside of my jaw. I smile, knowing what she’s doing, and I attack her mouth right there in the hall, backing her up against my locker. She loves it when I pin her down or push her against the wall.
“When you’re ready to stop slumming, I’ll be here,” Jonah says loudly, and I hear him growl before walking away. Reluctantly, I pull away from her.
Her grin is wide and she’s got a hint of mischief in her eyes. “You’re so bad. I’m going to have to paddle your ass tonight,” I whisper against her lips.
Maybe I’ll drive her out to our spot and make love to her in the bed of my truck. It sucks because I don’t dare bring her back to my place, and her parents may love me, but they wouldn’t if they caught us doing it in her bedroom.
“Promise?” Ripley winks at me before opening her locker and grabbing a pen, then gives me another kiss before disappearing down the hall with Kat.
I feel someone move next to me—it’s my best friend Cale. “What’s up dude?” We exchange one of those half-hug, half-back-slap greetings.
“Nothing.” I look at my phone. “Running late?”
“Yeah, I couldn’t get my fucking car to start. Luckily my dad was still home so he jumped it. Where are Kat and Rip?” Cale’s got a thing for Kat, but is kind of shy around the opposite sex. He’s been really good about hiding his feelings for her, which is a good thing. If Ripley picked up on it, she would’ve already tried setting them up on a date. My girl is desperate to play matchmaker for everyone we know.
“They already took off toward Ms. Baker’s class.” I lean in close. “When are you going to talk to Kat? I don’t want you to miss your shot with her before she goes away to school.” Out of the four of us, she’s going the farthest—she’ll be attending USC and majoring in accounting. She’s a freaky math whiz.
“I don’t know. Every time I try to get her alone, it just doesn’t work. Maybe I’ll talk to her at Miller’s party.” One of our classmates is throwing a party the night of graduation. I honestly don’t want to go because someone will get drunk and then get stupid, and it’ll ruin it for everyone else.
Don’t get me wrong, I like to drink, but I don’t get all crazy with it because my dad’s an alcoholic and I refuse to become one too. Plus, I wouldn’t do anything that could jeopardize my relationship with Ripley.
“I think that’s a great idea.” I bump his shoulder. “Let’s go before we’re late.”
My leg bounces as I wait for this graduation ceremony to get over with. We’re finally graduating. I can’t wait to finally be away from my dad. Of course, I don’t want to move away from Mom, but she’s never going to leave him. I wipe the sweat from my brow and banish those thoughts from my mind. We’ve already been up to get our diplomas, and now we’re listening to the final speech before we can get the hell out of here.
Ripley’s parents are taking us out to eat after we’re done and they invited my parents, but my dad said no, which meant my mom said no too. Whatever—I’d rather not have his drunken ass there. You know things are bad when every night you pray for your own father to drop dead. I’ve got a lot of anger inside me, and that’s why I can’t ever hit Jonah, even if I want to. I’m afraid I’ll snap and there will be no turning back.
Kat taps me on the arm and I realize everyone is tossing their caps up into the air. I give her a smile and with a whoop, toss mine too. I spot Ripley as she comes running toward us, and I catch her in my arms. After spinning her around, I set her back down on her feet and kiss her quickly. When I pull back, a flash has me turning my head—my mom is taking our picture.
“Let me take one more,” she says with a smile.
Ripley wraps her arms around my waist and I wrap my arm around her shoulders. She snaps a couple more and then Ripley switches places with her. I wrap my arms around my mom, hugging her tight, and tell her, “I’m glad you came, Mom.”
“I-I’m so proud of you. My baby boy is a high school graduate, and next, college.” She kisses my cheek before taking her leave. I’m sure my dad told her when he wanted her home, and like always she does exactly what he says.
Ripley comes up and wraps her arms around my waist. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I am. Let’s go find your parents.”