My face heated, and I wanted the floor to swallow me. Ace put his hand on my back and dipped his head, speaking into my ear in a low voice. “What is he talking about?”
“Nothing. He’s crazy.”
Dre rolled his eyes. “Fine, I’m full of it, whatever.”
Ace pulled me around to face him and lifted his eyebrows, waiting.
“Okay,” I relented. “I might have, kind of, drawn a picture of you. It was just from my imagination,” I added, shooting a dirty look at Dre. “It was a moment of weakness. And if Dre had respected my privacy—”
Dre finally seemed to feel a flicker of remorse. “I didn’t think you’d mind me looking. You’re always showing me your drawings. Hell, you put half of them on your wall.”
He was right. I generally didn’t hide my art. I didn’t get self-conscious about it. I’d been drawing and sharing my whole life.
This was different, obviously, and I wished he hadn’t teased me about it in front of Ace, but I could tell he didn’t mean any harm. He’d walked in to find us in bed; of course he’d think it was fair game.
“Did Jonas see that?” Ace asked, breaking into my thoughts.
“Fuck no,” I exclaimed. “I drew it after that.”
“Oh, really?” Ace inexplicably grinned.
“Yeah, really. Why do you look so happy?”
He shrugged. “You were pretty cozy with Jonas that night, and then you turned down my invitation to a party but went to one for him, so…”
“Only because I thought he was the secret admirer!” I hit Ace in the gut, but dang, the boy had abs. He didn’t even flinch. “You could have told me and saved us both some time.”
Ace’s smile turned pained. “Yeah, I’m sorry. My head was a confusing place for a while.”
“Do you two need a moment?” Dre joked.
I started to say no, but Ace nodded. “Yeah, actually… Benji, walk me out? I really do have to get to work.”
As we started toward the door, Dre called out, “Hey, does this mean there won’t be any more candy? I could use some kisses.”
“Find your own admirer,” I shot back.
“No sympathy,” he said with a tsk.
Ace shut the door behind us, then pushed me against the hallway wall and kissed me. “I’m sorry I took so long,” he murmured.
“It’s okay,” I said, breathless with happiness. “You got there in the end.”
He smiled. “Yeah, I think we both did.”
“Tomorrow night?”
He nodded. “We’ll go on a real date and then…”
“Then?”
“You’re showing me that sketch,” he said.
He kissed me again before I could object, then left while I was still too disoriented to argue.
13
Ace
I met Benji outside his dorm, feeling jittery in my newest pair of dark jeans and my nicest T-shirt, which probably wasn’t saying much. My closet was mostly all faded jeans, basketball shorts, and track pants. When I graduated, I’d need a whole new wardrobe, but I didn’t have the cash to worry about it now.
Our practice date had been pretty casual — and I’d told Benji to just dress comfortably for the date — but this felt different. I wanted today to be special. The real start of Ace and Benji.
Fuck, it still sounded so weird. And if it sounded weird to me, then how would it sound to Jeremy or Benji’s parents?
Steady, Ace. Those are problems for another day. You’ve made your choice.
I was sweating like a bastard, even though it was a bit nippy with a brisk wind ruffling my hair, ruining my perfect look. I’d avoided hair paste because I wanted Benji to run his fingers through my hair and feel turned the fuck on, not get tangled in my glued-together strands.
The things I did for a cute guy. Who knew? I sure as fuck hadn’t guessed it a few short weeks ago, even if I had been bi-curious for a long time. I felt more amped up about this date than any that had come before.
When Benji walked out, I knew all my effort was worthwhile.
He’d taken me at my word, dressed in his customary jeans and hoodie—though he’d changed up the black one with the white applique design for a green zip-up number that made his eye color pop. It was unzipped, showing that tight KC Chiefs shirt I’d seen on him the night I showed up at the dorm unannounced. Damn … the way that shirt hugged his slim body? Good thing he had the hoodie as armor or I might have to drag him into the bushes.
Despite being well into fall, the sun shone brightly, throwing sparks off Benji’s red hair. God, I loved the color — somewhere between a bright, new penny and a fiery sunset. Paired with his green eyes, everyone else looked drab and colorless in comparison.
“Hi,” he said, smiling shyly. A hint of color in his cheeks and his inability to meet my gaze told me I wasn’t the only nervous one here.
“Fancy seeing you here,” I teased as he walked up to me. When he was close enough, I grabbed each side of his hoodie, spreading it and smiling my appreciation. “Did you see me eyeing you up the last time you wore this?”
“Uh…” He laughed, ducking his head.
“You did, huh? You’re not as oblivious as you wanted me to believe.”
He glanced up through his lashes, squinting a little from the sun in his face. “I thought it was my imagination at the time.”
“And now?”
His lips quirked. “Now, I figured it couldn’t hurt to wear it again and see if it maybe it wasn’t my imagination?”
“Good idea. I approve.”
As more red flooded his face, I bent my head and dropped a kiss on his cheek, just to feel the heat.
“Ready to go?” I asked.
He nodded, turning with me as we headed down the sidewalk. “Where are we going for this date?” he asked.
“Figured we could go back to where it all started—for me, anyway. The ice cream parlor.”
His brow creased. “How did it all start there?”
Feeling a little shy myself, I reached for his hand, entwining our fingers. “We were there the first time I started to really think about how I felt about you.”
“Not the night I got stood up?” he said in disgust.
“Um, maybe. Is that bad?”
He groaned. “I was in such a bad mood that night.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I know. But that wasn’t your fault.”
He squeezed my hand, shaking his head in disbelief. “Pretty sure I was no fun that night, but whatever you say.”
“Maybe I don’t need you to be fun,” I said, squeezing his hand. “Maybe I just need you to be you.”
The smile that spread across his face was gorgeous.
“You’re a real charmer, you know that?”
“I’ve heard it once or twice,” I joked.
Holding his hand reminded me of our practice date. Our real date wasn’t so different. We were wearing jeans, walking downtown together, holding hands…
But there was an added anticipation simmering through me, tempered on by the eddies of guilt that washed through me every so often.
Tonight, when the date ended, we’d kiss like I’d wanted to last time. We’d more than kiss, going by the looks Benji was giving me. I’d take him back to my room and finally get naked with him.