CHAPTER 3
Max
O ver the years, it had become a tradition for everyone to head out to the Point after a home football game. It was just far enough from town where the locals wouldn’t give us a hard time for being loud and unruly. The guys would set up a bonfire out on the beach, and everyone would spend the night partying by the fire. After another big win, Brody and I headed out to meet the others, and by the time we got there, the fire was blazing and the music was blaring. Brody had barely parked the car when Penny came rushing over. She was still wearing her cheerleading uniform, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a bright, red bow. As soon as we got out of the car, she jumped into Brody’s arms and wrapped her own around his neck and her legs around his waist. “I thought you’d never get here. What took you so long?”
“I’m sorry, baby. I had to make a quick stop.” With Penny’s body still clinging to him like a fucking chimpanzee, he reached inside the car and pulled out a four-pack of wine coolers. “I thought you might want a few of these.”
“Oh my God!” she shrieked as she hopped down and took one of the drinks from the pack. “You are too good to me, Brody.”
“I do what I can.”
I grabbed a beer from the cooler, then followed Brody and Penny over to the fire. We hadn’t been standing there long when Alexa, Penny’s best friend, started walking in our direction. I took a long slug from my beer, trying to brace myself for her arrival. Alexa was a beautiful girl with large, perfect breasts and a tiny waist. Most guys would jump at the chance to hook up with the head cheerleader, but I had no interest in her.
She used her hand to flip her long, blonde hair over her shoulder as she batted her eyelashes and gave me her sexiest smile. “You played a great game tonight, Max.”
Even the sound of her voice got under my skin, making it difficult to hide my distaste for her. “Thanks, Alexa.”
“You’re the best one out there. I just love watching you play.”
“I’m far from the best, Alexa, but thanks anyway.”
“I think it’s sweet that you’re so humble about it. Most guys would be throwing it in everyone’s face how they’d scored three touchdowns in one game.”
“I didn’t do it by myself.”
As she continued to babble on and on, I took another drink of my beer and looked out into the crowd. Just when I didn’t think I could take any more of Alexa’s incessant yapping, I spotted Harper and Natalie standing a few yards away on the other side of the fire. They were talking back and forth, and I found myself staring at Harper as she laughed at something Natalie had said. I couldn’t help myself. I was stunned, unable to move or think, like I was caught up in a spell as I stood there watching her. I had no idea when or how it had happened, but she had changed. Harper was no longer the kid with scraped knees and pigtails who I teased and tormented on a daily basis. That kid had been replaced with a beautiful girl with dark hair that flowed down her shoulders, blue eyes that sparkled by the light of the fire, and a body that filled out her cheerleading uniform in a way that crowded my mind with thoughts I had no business thinking. She was Brody’s little sister. He was like a brother to me, but that didn’t stop me from heading in her direction.
As soon as I reached them, Natalie looked up at me and groaned, “Hey, Max.”
“Hey, Red. How’s it going with you two?”
“Fine, I guess. It would be better if Harper would stop being stupid.”
“I’m not being stupid, Nat,” Harper argued. “Now, drop it.”
“There’s no reason for you to get your panties in a wad,” Natalie argued. “I was just trying to help.”
“Thanks, but you’re not helping,” Harper snapped back as she rolled her eyes.
While I was amused by their little argument, I had no idea what they were talking about. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on here or am I supposed to just guess?”
“You know Homecoming is—” Natalie started.
Before she could continue, Harper stopped her by hissing, “Nat!”
“What? I was just going to tell him that we have Homecoming next week.”
“Yeah? What about it?” I asked.
“You know how the cheerleaders have escorts to walk them out on the field before the game?” Natalie asked as Harper stared daggers at her. “Well, Tanner is walking me out, and I was telling Harper that she should ask—”
“Can we please not talk about this?” Harper cut in as she crossed her arms. So damn cute.
I looked over to her and smiled as I asked, “Who are you thinking about asking?”
“No one.”
Natalie put her hands on her hips as she turned to me. “I told her she should ask Luke Mansfield.”
“I’m not asking Luke. We’ve barely said three words to each other all year. He would think I was an idiot,” Harper grumbled.
Luke was a good enough guy, and I had no doubt that he’d jump at the chance to escort her. Maybe, I should’ve encouraged her to talk to him, but I didn’t. Instead, I said, “I’ll do it.”
Harper’s eyes widened with surprise as she mumbled, “What?”
“I’ll be your escort.” Both girls stood there staring at me like I was talking out of the side of my head. “I mean, if you want me to. Either way, it’s no skin off my back.”
I was trying to play it cool, like I didn’t really care, but the fact was, I did. By the way she was looking at me I wasn’t sure she felt the same way, so I was relieved when she finally replied, “Really?”
“Yes. Really.”
“Oh, okay.” She smiled nervously. “Thanks. That would be great.”
Natalie’s eyebrows furrowed as she stood there studying me. I couldn’t figure out if she was pissed that I’d ruined her plan for Harper to hook up with Luke or if she knew I had my own selfish reasons for volunteering to be her escort. Ignoring her, I said, “I’ll call you, and we can work out the details later.”
“Okay.”
Natalie was still glaring at me when I heard Brody calling out to me. “Yo, Max! Get your ass over here.”
When I turned in his direction, Brody was sitting on a piece of driftwood with Penny in his lap, and Alexa was sitting next to them, watching me as she waited on my return. Knowing Brody would just keep bugging me until I came back, I looked back over to Harper and said, “I guess I better get back over there.”
“Okay.”
I gave her a playful wink and said, “Stay out of trouble, Freckles.”
“I’ll do my best.”
No sooner had I left, I looked over my shoulder and found Harper staring back at me. There was something about the way she looked at me that filled my chest with an unexpected tightness. That feeling stayed with me as I headed over to Brody. As soon as I reached him, he held up his empty beer and said, “Looks like it’s time for another beer run.”
He lifted Penny out of his lap and started towards the car. As I followed him, Alexa slipped her arm through mine and smiled. I stopped dead in my tracks. I had every intention of blowing her off, but when I turned to look at her, I noticed Harper standing just a few feet away. The smile she was wearing earlier was gone, and her eyes were filled with hurt as she watched Alexa inch closer. Before I had a chance to set Alexa straight, she wrapped her arms around my waist and purred, “What’s the hold up, baby?”
“Fuck.” I pushed Alexa off me. Knowing I needed to set things right, I looked back over to Harper, but she was no longer there. I quickly glanced around the crowd, but she was nowhere to be found. I wanted to go after her, but in Brody’s drunken state, there was no way I was going to let him drive.
Having no other choice, I walked over to the car and took the keys from Brody’s hand. “I’m driving.”
“That’s good with me.” He snickered as he climbed into the backseat with Penny.
I hadn’t noticed that Alexa had joined us until I closed the door and found her sitting next to me. I knew then she wasn’t going to be an easy one to shake. I glanced in the rearview mirror, hoping to find some backup, but quickly realized I was out of luck. Brody and Penny were already going at it, and neither of them had a clue about the clusterfuck of thoughts that were racing through my head. As I started the engine I looked over at Alexa, and knowing she was one problem I could do without, I decided it was time for us to have a talk.