Drew

Our team had crushed the competition. It was a great game. An epic win. My adrenaline had me riding a high after the game and it showed no signs of abating even now as I drove my jointly shared clunker to the diner where the rest of the school would be waiting.

Well, maybe not the whole school, but a lot of it.

And Veronica. She would be there.

That was why my adrenaline was still pumping. This was it. No more procrastinating. I was going to inform her that I’d been wrong before about being friends.

No, that didn’t sound right. I did want to be friends, but I also wanted to be more than that, too.

But what if I screwed everything up by telling her that?

That was a risk I was just going to have to take, I decided as I slammed the car door shut behind me. I smiled and waved to the students and team family members who shouted out to me as I walked into the diner. Apparently the wait was a long one if crowds of people were mingling outside waiting for a table.

The team would have one reserved though—or at least, some nice friends and family would have made sure one was free for us, since the diner didn’t exactly do reservations, just like it didn’t do h’orderves or cocktails. It was a diner, in the most classic sense of the term. All the food was greasy, the silverware was dirty, and the menus looked like they hadn’t been changed out since the Reagan administration.

I searched the crowd as I walked in, trying to spot Veronica without being too impolite to the people who were trying to talk to me.

No Veronica. I tried not to be too disappointed. I mean, this diner was hardly the romantic spot of my dreams to be asking a girl out.

Especially not a girl who I really liked. I spotted Alex waving to me from a table in the back and gave him a nod. Then I continued to look around even as I slowly made my way back there.

I was stalling. I was totally, lamely stalling because I didn’t want Veronica to come in and see me with the people who were mean to her. And I didn’t want to have to make my excuses to a group of people so I could run to her side the moment she appeared…

So yeah, I was totally stalling.

The stalling paid off. There she was, at a little corner table—barely a table at all. Her head was bent over a menu and she was nearly hidden by the cascade of hair that fell in front of her face.

I headed in her direction even as my jealous gaze latched onto the guy sitting across from her. Tall and lanky, he had shaggy hair and a T-shirt with some band logo.

He looked about as out of place here surrounded by these baseball players and cheerleaders as I’d probably look if I went to a heavy metal show.

Who the hell was this? Had she brought a date to my game?

That was just all sorts of wrong. Granted, she might not have understood what I’d meant when I’d asked if she was coming tonight, but that was beside the point. An angry possessiveness had me picking up my pace, weaving around people and ignoring their attempts to talk to me.

She was mine.

I don’t know how this happened and I can’t explain why. All I knew in that moment was the acute, almost panicky realization that she was mine. At least, I wanted her to be. Just like I wanted to be hers.

I’d never felt like this before. Not even with April. Definitely not with April.

This went beyond having a crush or being attracted. This was like friendship plus longing plus attraction… It was intense.

I didn’t even notice anyone else in the diner. All I could see was Veronica and her date. I needed to get to her, talk to her. I had to make her see that I cared about her and that we belonged together.

And I had to do it now, before it was too late.

I sidestepped a senior who was blocking my path in the crowded aisle and took another step in their direction. As I did, the guy at her table lifted his head and looked in my direction.

Trent Burton.

I stopped in my tracks for one second as relief washed over me. Trent, Ronnie Smith’s best friend. Maybe I wasn’t too late, after all.

Thank God.

A waitress trying to get past me brought me back to reality and I headed toward them again, studiously ignoring the shouts from Alex, Tina, and some others I had no interest in talking to.

Trent spotted me and nudged Veronica. She looked up at him and then over to me.

She smiled. I don’t think it would be overkill to say that time stopped in that moment. Her smile was everything. It was sweet and teasing and shy and confident… it was everything I loved about Veronica.

It was strength and vulnerability, it was refreshing honesty and a sharp kick in the ass, it was uncertainty about her own beauty, but an innate confidence that was sexy as hell. It was genuine and pure, and a complete and utter lack of insincerity.

I freakin’ loved that smile.

I loved it so much I finally stopped overthinking. I stopped worrying about how she would respond, and I manned up.

Coming to stand by her table, I met her smile and nodded toward the front entrance, where a group of people clogged the doorway. “Can we talk for a sec?”

Oh man. There was something so freeing about saying those words. This time I wouldn’t choke. This time I would spit it out.

Will you go out with me?

Maybe it was the post-win buzz but I had the kind of confidence that could make a man fly. I could sure as hell ask out the girl of my dreams. She cast a quick glance to Trent, who I nodded to as well to avoid being rude. But honestly, I had no time for playing catch-up with a former classmate. I had to do this while I still had the nerve.

He didn’t do much of anything in return, just stared at me like I was from another planet or something. Apparently Veronica took his silence as an okay because she got up and led the way toward the exit.

All eyes were on us, but it couldn’t be helped. Well, it could. But that would mean putting this off even longer and that was not something I was willing to do. She sort of hesitated halfway toward the door, turning back to give me a questioning look but I just shoved my hands into my pockets and nodded toward the door.

She turned to keep walking but it was obvious she was confused, and who could blame her? I was the one who’d spelled it out that I’d wanted to be friends. So why did I need alone time with her now when I was supposed to be hanging with my teammates?

My mind went back to the weekend before—more specifically the conversation we’d had as she’d inhaled her pizza.

God, I could kick myself now for how much I’d told her. She must think I was some commitment-phobe. Or maybe she thought I was still heartbroken over April.

Somehow I needed to explain to her that I wasn’t still hung up on April and I don’t think I was ever really heartbroken. Hurt? Yeah. Her timing had sucked, and so had her inconsiderate choice of guys to move on with. Lee was just as much to blame for that one. But heartbroken? No. I would have had to have been in love to have a broken heart and I’d never loved April.

It was too soon to say I loved Veronica, but I knew without a doubt that what I felt for her already was on a whole different level than anything I’d felt before.

That thought made me nervous. For the first time since the game ended, my rush of adrenaline-fueled confidence faltered.

I liked her too much. How was I supposed to explain all this? Words had never been my strong suit. I was an action man. I was physical, not philosophical. I didn’t know the first thing about saying romantic things or—

She came to a stop outside the door to the diner and I bumped into her from behind. Clearly I wasn’t even physically capable around her. Man, this thing I felt around her was messing with my head in a major way if I couldn’t even walk properly.

She gave me another questioning look as she crossed her arms and huddled in on herself.

It was a typical fall night, brisk and windy now that the sun had set. She was only wearing a T-shirt and I slipped off my jacket and handed it to her.

“Thanks.” She shrugged into it before tilting her head to the side in a silent question. What are we doing out here?

There were still too many people around, and no one would leave me alone. Voices kept calling out to me. Hey man. Good game, Drew. You da man, dawg.

I grabbed her hand and pulled her around a corner so we were out of sight. Only then could I breathe easily. This would be hard enough without an audience.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, I, uh—” Oh hell, I should have planned out a speech beforehand. “Remember last weekend when we were talking over pizza?”

She nodded and I could see confusion in her eyes. Where exactly was I going with this?

Excellent question. Once again I was doing a phenomenal job of beating around the bush. I tried to focus. I needed her to understand that I no longer had those hangups, not when it came to her.

“I said some stuff… I mean, I know I told you about my ex and—” Ah hell. I was no good at talking.

Her eyes widened in surprise as I cursed under my breath. Then I reached out to her, pulled her close, and kissed her.

She was warm and wonderful in my arms. That clean citrus scent overwhelmed me and the feel of her body pressed against mine was more perfect than I could ever have imagined. Her lips were soft and lush beneath mine.

But she was frozen, a statue in my arms.

After a moment of stunned stillness, she responded. Hesitantly at first, but oh so sweetly. Her lips moved against mine and I couldn’t hold back. The rest of the world disappeared as I kissed her with everything I had. This was just about her and me, and everything I was trying to tell her that I couldn’t say with words.

I like you. I want to be with you.

Her lean, perfect body fitted against me like we were made to come together like this. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I tightened my grip on her waist.

If I could, I would never let go.

She felt amazing. Even better than I’d dreamt. And if I was being honest, I’d been dreaming about this moment since Veronica Smith fell into my arms that first day of school.

Her lips were sweet and warm beneath mine, and she met each kiss with the same intensity and passion. She felt it too, just like I knew she would.

Well, I hadn’t known she would, but I’d hoped. I was lost in the moment, my every sense focused on Veronica—the way she felt pressed against me, the way she made those sweet little moaning sounds in the back of her throat the kiss grew more intense.

When a car door slammed next to us I barely noticed. “Wow, way to put on a show.”

It wasn’t until that familiar voice spoke right next to us that I drew back from Veronica in shock. Veronica gazed up at me with wide startled eyes at the interruption.

No, it couldn’t be.

I turned to find April and a couple of her friends getting out of a car nearby. She wore a calculating smirk that I knew well.

My stomach fell as I realized that not only was my ex here, but she was looking for trouble.

I felt Veronica’s arms untangle from around my neck as she pulled back from me. I wanted to stop her. I didn’t want to lose that connection. Not yet, not until we’d had a chance to talk.

But she was turning away from me, watching April and the others as they drew near.

“Don’t stop on my account,” April said. Her eyes were firmly fixed on me, and for that I was glad. I could deal with April, but I didn’t want Veronica to have to.

I held on to Veronica’s hand, even though she didn’t return my grip. If anything, she seemed to be trying to tug away from me.

April was right next to us and her smirk was knowing, her gaze filled with unpleasant laughter. “Although,” she said slowly, teasingly. “Something tells me that whole performance was for my benefit.”

She continued to ignore Veronica as she leaned in to me, her hand on my arm as she leaned against me like we were still a couple. “You saw us pull up, am I right?”

It took me a second to understand what she meant. She thought I’d been kissing Veronica to get back at her. That I was trying to make her jealous or something.

I shook my head. Of all the egotistical, ridiculous—

“I’d better go.” Veronica twisted her hand out from mine and started backing away.

When I met her gaze, my heart fell into the pit of my stomach.

No. No, no, no. This could not be happening. She couldn’t actually believe that I’d done that to—

“Veronica, don’t go,” I called out, not caring that April and her friends were watching us with avid interest.

Veronica’s steps faltered as her eyes locked with mine.

“Veronica,” April repeated, openly assessing Veronica like she was a bug under a magnifying glass. “Wait a second…Ronnie?”

April’s voice was filled with unkind laughter as she turned to her giggling friends. “Ronnie Smith?” She whirled around to face me. “You were kissing Ronnie Smith?”

Their laughter was cruel and I saw the hurt and humiliation that was written all over Veronica’s face. I needed to make this right, but I had no idea how.

“Veronica,” I said, but when I took a step in her direction, she spun around and walked away from me.