Avery Stanton. She’s always been untouchable to me, but now our best friends are dating and we’ve been thrown together, and I can’t seem to stop touching her. I don’t want to stop touching her. I was so close to leaning in for a kiss; I wanted to taste her lips.
Brad and I have been friends since we were five. We both started out in peewee football and we’ve been close ever since. So when he tells me that it’s eleven, I know what he’s thinking. We have an hour before the girls have to be home. That gives us roughly forty-five more minutes with them, and we don’t want an audience. I never imagined that this is how tonight would end up, but I can tell you I’m fucking ecstatic that it has.
I don’t move from my spot where I stand between her legs, hands resting on her thighs as Brad tells everyone it’s time to pack it up and head home. There’s a little grumbling, but if Coach finds out we’re out past curfew it’ll be sprints for the entire next week at practice. Not to mention I’m technically out with his little sister.
“Why so early?” Harley asks from her spot beside Avery on my tailgate, Brad resting between her legs, his back to her front.
“Because I have just under forty-five minutes left with you tonight and I don’t want these others here,” he says, not turning to look at her.
Harley wraps her arms around him and rests her head on his shoulder, a smile lighting her face.
I turn my gaze back to Avery to find she’s watching me. I run my left hand up her thigh and grip her hip, gently tugging her closer, I want to be close to her. I don’t know what this night is, but I want as much of her as she’s willing to give. Tomorrow I could wake up and this could all be a dream.
“Where are you all staying tonight?” I ask her.
“My house. Harley is spending the night.”
“You live, what, fifteen minutes from here?”
“About ten, but it’s better safe than sorry.”
“Finally,” Brad says as Rod’s truck pulls away. He was the last one to leave. “Now we need some tunes. I think I need your help,” he tells Harley, lifting her off the tailgate once again. They turn the radio on in the truck and roll down the windows. But they never come back. I hear them talking near the front of the truck, but I block them out. Avery deserves all of my attention and she’s going to get it.
Reaching up, I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her blonde locks are like silk against the rough pads of my fingers. “You coming to the game tomorrow?” I ask her.
“Yeah, Harley and I go to all the games.”
“Who are you going to be cheering for?”
“Well, Harley bought us face paint, so I’m guess we’ll be adorned with Brad’s number.”
I don’t like the sound of that. She should be wearing my number. I’ve had girls do it before. Hell, half the underclassmen do it. I’ve never asked a single one of them to do it for me, of course. They do it to get my attention, or hell, maybe they really are fans.
“You wound me,” I say, wrapping both arms around her and holding her close where she sits on my tailgate.
“What? You know of someone else who would want me to wear his number? Is it Rod? You know, he held the door for me the other day and I thought he was just being nice, but maybe I was wrong,” she says with a straight face.
“No,” I reply, my voice low and firm. I take a breath, masking my emotions. What the hell is wrong with me? “I’m thinking you would look damn good with a number seventeen right here.” I kiss her cheekbone. She sucks in a breath as soon as my lips make contact.
“Y-you do?” she asks shyly, quickly losing her bravado, her big blue eyes staring back at me.
“I do. You think you can do that for me?”
“I don’t know—”
I cut off her reply by softly pressing my lips to hers. “Please,” I whisper, only pulling away so the words can pass my lips.
“I can do that,” she agrees.
“What are you doing after the game?”
“I don’t know yet. We’ll either end up at her house or mine. We usually stop and eat after.”
“The four of us should do something.”
“We won’t have much time. My curfew is still midnight.”
“Doesn’t matter if it’s ten minutes, as long as I get to see you after.” She smiles up at me. “Can I see your phone?” Reaching into her back pocket, she holds it out for me. “Code?” I ask. She takes it back, types in the code, then hands it to me. I quickly add myself as a contact and then text myself before handing it back to her. “You have my number now, so call me and we’ll meet up.”
“Okay.”
“It’s a quarter till,” Brad says as he and Harley join us again, their arms wrapped tightly around one another.
“Let’s get you two home. Don’t want you getting into trouble.” I lift Avery from the tailgate and take her hand, leading her to the driver’s side of my truck. I open the door for her and without hesitation she slides in. Following after, I place my hand on her leg, pulling her as close to me as I can get her. Brad and Harley climb in the passenger side and I head back toward Brad’s. This trip back is different. I take it slow, wanting to keep her with me as long as possible. From the way Brad and Harley are burrowed together stealing kisses, I know they agree. I’m not sure what Avery is thinking, though I don’t really care as long as she’s thinking about me.
Pulling into the driveway, I turn off the ignition but make no effort to get out of the truck.
“We really need to go,” Avery says, glancing at the clock on the dash.
Reluctantly, we all climb out and Brad and I walk them to her car. “Be careful, and I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say, holding her hand while we stand next to her open door.
“We always are, and I’m looking forward to it. Good luck tomorrow.”
Her blonde hair is shining in the moonlight. It’s literally hard to breathe seeing her like this. Leaning in, I kiss her softly. “Good night, Aves.”
“Good night,” she whispers before climbing into her car and shutting the door.
Brad and I back away at the same time, our eyes not leaving her car until they’re out of sight.
“Dude? You and Avery?” he asks.
I shrug. “Not sure, really. I told her the four of us were getting together tomorrow after the game. I assumed you would be good with that.”
“Hell yeah, another night with my girl.”
“Is she your girl now?”
“Yeah, we cleared that up tonight. I’m officially off the market. By the looks of it you will be soon.”
“Don’t need the distraction.”
“What the hell ever. You and I both know that if Avery Stanton is willing, you will let her distract the hell out of you.”
He’s right. I told myself no distractions, but Avery’s different. She’s worth… everything.
Brad and I head inside, him to his room and I to the guest room, which is where I always sleep. As I lie here replaying everything about tonight, I have this sudden urge to make sure she made it home okay. Grabbing my phone, I send her a text, hoping like hell I don’t wake anyone in the house.
Me: You all make it home okay?
Aves: My #17, really? LOL. Yeah, we made it right at midnight.
Me: You like that? Good, I’m glad.
Aves: Depends. Are you?
Me: If you want me to be.
Aves: Only time will tell. Good night #17.
Me: Good night, beautiful.
I’m out of my league here and we both know it, but I’m a selfish bastard. I fall asleep with thoughts of kissing her. Best damn distraction imaginable.
I wake to the smell of bacon and my stomach grumbles. Brad’s mom is one hell of a cook and always makes sure we’re fed well, especially on game days. Grabbing my phone, I see that it’s just before nine in the morning. I pull up my text messages and read over my exchange with Avery last night just to make sure it wasn’t a dream.
Me: Morning.
Aves: Morning. You ready for today?
I don’t know that I’ve ever been with, dated—hell, even met a girl—who cared about me being ready for a game. Everyone up to this point has just wanted to hang on my arm, cash in on the popularity that comes with being the star quarterback in our small hometown.
Me: Do I still get to see you after?
Aves: Yes.
Me: Then I’m more than ready for today.
Aves: Kick ass, #17.
Climbing out of bed, I make a stop at the bathroom before heading downstairs. My nose is leading me to the bacon. “Morning, Mom,” I say to Brad’s mom. She’s been the one and only mother figure in my life.
“Dylan, are you hungry?” she asks, setting a huge plate of bacon on the table.
“How long have you known me?” I reply, making her laugh. “Brad still sleeping?”
“How long have you known him?” she fires back. “If I had my guess, he spent most of the night on the phone with Harley.”
“You’re probably right.”
“And what about you? No late-night talks with Avery?”
I shrug. “I texted to make sure she made it home okay, but no late-night talks. We’re not dating. Last night was the first time I’d ever hung out with her.”
“She’s beautiful. They both are.”
I just nod.
“Mom, you know bacon wakes me up,” Brad says, joining us in the kitchen. He stops to kiss her cheek, then takes a seat next to me at the table. “Dad home?”
“No, he’s at the hospital. Got called in for a consult this morning. He said to tell you that he would see you at the game later.”
“Thank you for breakfast, Ann,” I tell her when she sets a plate in front of me. She runs her finger over my head affectionately just as she does with Brad when he tells her the same.
“What are you boys doing after the game?” That’s just Ann, always involved. Her husband, Jack, is too. My dad, Gary, does the same.
“I need to check in with my dad,” I say, realizing that I made plans last night and didn’t run them by him. He’ll be fine with it, I’m sure, but his rule is check in so he always knows where I am and who I’m with.
“Taking the girls out,” Brad says around a mouthful of pancake.
“Doesn’t leave you much time. Those girls deserve a proper date,” she scolds us.
“We know, Mom, but it’s impossible on game days,” Brad counters.
“We girls have to stick together.” She laughs. From what I remember and from the stories Dad has told me, this is exactly how my mom would have been.
“Can we come back here? Start a fire in the pit?” Brad asks.
“Sure. Hey, I’ll even pick up supplies for s’mores.”
“Mom, we’re seniors in high school. We’re over s’mores.”
“That’s what you think, Mr. Know It All. Trust me, the girls will love it.”
Brad looks to me for approval.
“I’m out of my element here, man. Never really cared about impressing anyone before. With Avery, I’m willing to take all the advice I can get.”
He nods slowly. “Yeah, you might be right. Thanks, Mom.”
“It’s all about the romance, Bradley.” She grins.
“Ugh, okay enough of that.”
Brad might not want to hear it but I do. I need to do something to stand out from the others. This is Avery Stanton, the untouchable of Montgomery High, and she’s interested in me. At least I hope she is.