“Is it shitty to say I never would’ve known? You’re always so fucking bright unlike me. I haven’t had the best relationship with my dad, but I know he wouldn’t lay a hand on me or my siblings. He’s a good man, we just butt heads.”
I glance at Mascen, allowing the car to crawl forward another inch. “That’s because you guys are too similar.”
“Trust me, we’re not.” He snorts like the idea is ludicrous.
“Maybe not in obvious ways, but what do I know? I’ve only met your dad a few times.”
He must decide to change the subject, because out of nowhere he says, “You and Vanessa looked cozy the other night.”
I know he means at Harvey’s. We definitely were heavier on the PDA than we’ve ever been, because now it’s different. Before I was always hesitant to push her for too much beyond the role I had bribed her to play.
“Things changed with us.”
“In Greece?”
“Yeah.” I lean around the steering wheel, trying to see if there are blue lights in the distance, but nothing. Apparently, we’re still far from the crash site.
“You slept with her.” It doesn’t escape my notice that he framed it as a statement.
“I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Since when?” he accuses with an amused uptick of his mouth.
Glowering at him, I bite out between my teeth, “Since Vanessa.”
He throws his head back and laughs, clapping his hands. “You’ve got it bad.”
“You’re one to talk,” I grumble under my breath. “Look at you and Rory.”
Where Cole and Zoey are a peaceful, humble sort of love, the one Mascen and Rory shares is a loud cacophony. I don’t know what that makes Vanessa and me.
“Yeah, yeah,” he chants, dismissing my words. “I know.”
A look crosses over his face, one of stupid carefree love. It’s funny to see on his normally rigid face. But I guess that’s what love does to us—turns us into fools.
Silence fills the car for a good long while, the car barely crawling forward.
Mascen grows more agitated by the second, his knee bouncing so hard the whole car shakes. “We’re going to miss the fucking game. I told Coach to cancel the stupid interview, but he wouldn’t listen and now look.” He points an angry finger at the unmoving traffic. “This is insane.”
“I can’t make it go faster.” He levels me with a glare and reaches for the handle. “What are you doing?” I’m aware I sound like a panicked child being abandoned by his parent, but I don’t care.
“Walking.”
“You can’t walk all the way there!”
He leans back in the car. “I can try.” He slams the door shut.
I quickly roll down my window, sticking my head out so I can yell after him. “Come back, Sweetums! I’m sorry! We can work this out! I promise to do that tongue thing you like later!”
He gives me the finger over his shoulder.
We don’t make it to our game.
36
Vanessa
I’m supposed to be working on my final term paper for one of my many public relations courses—for this paper we were each given a scenario and have to lay out in explicit detail how we would handle this particular mishap—but it’s kind of impossible to type with Teddy’s head in my lap, despite my computer propped on a pillow.
Forgetting my paper for the moment, I brush my fingers through his soft brown hair.
“It was a disaster. We didn’t even make it to the game. Mascen’s pissed, Coach is pissed, and fuck it, I’m pissed too. We only have a few games left this year and then it’s over. Onto … onto whatever it is that’s next.”
“Have you thought more about what you want to do?” I pick up the plastic bag from the bed, plucking a snickerdoodle cookie from it. Apparently once Teddy got back to campus after the disastrous attempt to get to the game, he started stress baking.
He’s quiet, unusual for him. I continue to run my fingers through his hair and his eyes grow heavy. Just when I’m certain he’s fallen asleep he says, “I have some idea, but it’s going to sound crazy.”
“Teddy,” I stifle a laugh, “you’re already the craziest person I know, so it would take a lot to surprise me.”
He wiggles on my bed, adjusting his head in my lap. He looks up at me, green eyes bright with excitement, and his jaw stubbled with several days’ worth of scruff. “I think I want to move to New York City and buy a food truck but focus on pastries and sweets. Mostly cookies, obviously. Just like you suggested. The more I think about it the more I like the idea.”
“I think that sounds amazing.” I beam down at him, brushing his hair off his forehead which I then kiss. “I’m brilliant, after all, so why wouldn’t you listen to me?”
Reaching up, he grabs a piece of my hair twirling it around his finger. “I know you’ve mentioned doing PR in the city before, and I thought you might want to live with me.” He clears his throat. “You know … more economical.”
Shocked doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel. Yes, what Teddy and I have has morphed into more, but we haven’t even said I love you yet, and he’s talking about moving in after graduation? The idea should scare me more than it does, but I can see it working.
“Maybe,” I hedge, not wanting to commit to anything since I don’t even have any job prospects lined up.
His warm hand cups my cheek, gently tugging my chin down to look at him. “Let me make something clear to you. I don’t want this to end after we walk across the stage.”
“Why? Why me?”
“I’m not following.”
I sigh and he sits up, turning to face me. “I mean, you could’ve had any girl you wanted at any point in time. What changed? Why am I different?”
“You’re different because you’re you.” I start to tell him that’s not a good enough answer for me, but he goes on. “You see me for me. You’ve never looked at me with dollar signs in your eyes. You haven’t used me to climb the social ladder. If anything, I used you, in the beginning at least. With you I can be my true self. I look at you, and I see everything I didn’t know I wanted. A future that actually means something.”
“Teddy.” My throat closes up with emotion, and I hate myself for showing that vulnerability. But I know he won’t judge me for it.
He sets my laptop with the pillow on the floor, his eyes intense and full of promise. He climbs over me, and I lie back.
His mouth descends on mine, the taste of cookie on his lips from one he ate earlier. He kisses me slowly, but deeply. I feel it all the way down to my toes.
He takes his time, undressing me slowly like I’m sort of precious present. And then he hovers above me naked himself but doesn’t push inside me.
“Beautiful,” he murmurs before capturing a nipple between his teeth with a tender love bite. He licks and sucks his way to my other breast, giving it the same attention.
When he finally sinks inside me, we both exhale a long moan.
He makes love to me slowly, showing me with every movement, every kiss, that what’s between us is real. Even if neither of us has said the words, the love is undeniable.