Dare You to Fall for the Catcher

by Lacy Andersen

  Did I really like Jayden?

  He was sitting too close for me to think. I needed space. Hopping up from the steps, I paced in front of him on the sidewalk, the gears in my head turning. It was too hard to make sense of anything, so I just let the thoughts spill out of my mouth.

  “You—” I stopped pacing and pointed accusingly at him “—have been a pain in my side for years.”

  He frowned and leaned back on the steps, looking frustratingly handsome with his hair falling onto his forehead. “So...is that a no?”

  I huffed as my mouth bobbed open and shut. “No...”

  A hint of a grin returned to his face and he sat up again. “So you do like me?”

  “Not so fast, Romeo.” I held up the palm of my hand toward him. “You and I have never gotten along. We compete constantly. You insist on calling me Amanda, even though I’m pretty sure you know it kills me. And we’re just about as opposite as two people can be. Why would you even want me to like you?”

  He was up from the steps in a flash and standing in front of me. I blinked up at his face in surprise, taking in his cocky smile as he took another step toward me.

  “Are you saying I drive you crazy, Amanda?” he asked.

  The brief burst of frustration inside of me fizzled as soon as he took another step, effectively erasing any space I had left to think without his grinning face and his entire personality swallowing up my rational thoughts.

  “M-m-maybe.” I retreated a step backward into the grass.

  “That’s good to know.” He bit his lower lip and nodded, claiming the space between us once again. “You know, you drive me crazy, too.”

  I was pretty sure we weren’t talking about the same type of crazy, because the dark, smoldering look he gave me about made my knees shake. I couldn’t take it anymore. Spinning on my heel, I walked a few steps away and then turned back to him, desperation boiling up in my gut.

  Here he was, putting me on the spot. Being all sweet and then interrogating me as if I were the suspect of interest in a crime. What was his game? To soften me up and then make me snap? To see if he could get me to admit to something that he would be able to use to torture me forever? I wasn’t having it.

  “You can’t just go around saying those kinds of things to me.” I planted my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes at him. “It’s not fair.”

  His lips twitched as if he found my frustration funny and he took two more steps in my direction. “Okay...fine. I won’t say anything else unless you want me to.”

  He made a zipping motion across his lips, his eyes twinkling. I shook my head and frowned at him. Even in the low light, I could see his gaze flicker down to my lips and pause for a long moment, before returning to my eyes. A hungry sensation passed over me and I tried my best not to pay any attention to the inferno he’d lit inside my body.

  “You know what? You’re not allowed to look at me like that, either,” I snapped, my cheeks blushing. “Just...stop. I can’t think.”

  He grimaced as if he were about to burst out laughing, but this wasn’t funny. He’d unraveled an entire string of questions that were bouncing around my head, demanding to be answered. I huffed and turned to walk away again, not sure where I was going.

  Anywhere but here.

  He grabbed my arm just as I passed by the oak tree and pulled me to a stop. “Mandy, wait. I’m sorry. I’ll do whatever you want. Just talk to me.”

  “Fine.” I crossed my arms tightly over my torso and looked up at him, my anger melting away into desperation and confusion. Jayden had been so nice to me lately. I wanted to believe that he was this new person, but I couldn’t help and worry that this was some kind of an elaborate setup. “But if this is one of your games, please don’t. I won’t survive it. Don’t tease me. Don’t make me say something I’m going to regret.”

  Sorrow flashed in his eyes. He reached up with his right hand and cupped my face, causing me to sharply inhale. The touch of his skin against mine was electric, sending little waves cascading down my neck and spine.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” His thumb traced a path on my cheek, leaving a scorching trail behind it. “When it comes to being around you, I’m an idiot. I say all the wrong things. And that only pushes you further away. Honestly...I think I do it because I’m afraid.”

  My eyes widened as I stared up at him, almost too nervous to ask the simple question in my head. “Why?”

  His lips quirked. “Because, there’s no way you could feel the same way as me.”

  It was like a belt had been strapped around my chest, making it hard to breathe. “And...how do you feel?”

  “You’re really going to make me say it?” He leaned down, touching his forehead to mine. His eyes closed, splaying his dark lashes on his cheeks. I resisted the desire to reach up and run my finger down the strong planes of his jaw as he chuckled softly. “Okay. Here goes nothing. I like you, Mandy Hale. I think you’re beautiful, and smart, and fierce, and totally out of my league. How’s that sound?”

  Stars seemed to burst in front of my eyes. Every cell in my body rejoiced at his confession. But even as the urge to move toward him returned, I took a step back, his hand dropping from my face.

  “But, you make fun of me, all the time.”

  The accusing tone was back. I couldn’t help myself. None of this seemed real. The sweet and caring Jayden I’d come to know over the last couple weeks was completely different from the image I’d built up of him inside my head.

  His eyes narrowed to slits and he nodded solemnly. “I’m a guy. We do stupid things.”

  “Are you sure? Are you sure that this is the way you feel? Maybe you hit your head during the game on Friday. Are you experiencing some kind of amnesia? This is me and you we’re talking about.”

  An incredulous smile appeared on his sculpted lips. “Yes, I’m a hundred percent sure. And no, I didn’t hit my head. But what about you? What do you feel?”

  I stared up at him in desperation, knowing that I could no longer dodge my own feelings. It had become clear over the last two weeks that I felt something more for Jayden than just irritation. There was something strong and magnetic between us. A force that constantly kept him in my thoughts. And when I looked at him, like I was now, those thoughts took on a warmth that made me want to dive down deep inside of them.

  Jayden was strong and kind. He connected with me on a level unlike any guy I’d ever known. I liked spending time with him. Whenever I wasn’t near him, I missed his teasing smile and his deep laugh. The hungry way he looked at me with those blue eyes made me tremble. And when I thought about the ways he’d been there for me the last two weeks, it was enough to make my heart break into song, as if this were some kind of Disney movie.

  I shifted my feet and grimaced at him in defeat, running my hands through my hair. “Ugh, Audrey is never going to let me live this one down. She’s so annoying when she wins an argument.”

  The light in his eyes changed. A disbelieving smile played on his lips. “Does that mean...?”

  I reached out and took his right hand. It was cold, compared to mine, but touching him still raised my body temperature. I ran my thumb over his skin, mentally noting every little callus and scar. No doubt, most of them were probably from playing baseball. I liked the silent story they told. Someday, I’d ask about each and every one of them. But for now, I let his fingers curl between mine and held them tight.

  “You’re really going to make me say it?” I asked, smiling up at him.

  Joy flashed in his eyes before he shut them and grimaced. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to wake up and find out this was all a dream. Don’t pinch me. Let me sleep. I never want to wake up.”

  My smile stretched clear across my face as I stared at him. He looked so vulnerable and cute. This was the Jayden I remembered from the game of Dare in sixth grade. The boy that had timidly taken my hand in a darkened closet and softly pressed his lips against mine. Nothing like the guy who’d teased me consta
ntly for so many years.

  I reached out and gently placed my hand against his cheek, feeling the rough bit of stubble along his jawline. His eyes snapped open, piercing me with a longing gaze.

  “You’re already awake,” I said softly.

  He swallowed hard, his chest rising with a deep breath. “I’m not so sure about that.”

  “If you were sleeping, you wouldn’t feel this.” I reached up to run my fingers through his hair. It was soft and fine, like the down from my pillow. I could touch it all day. And then, with a sudden streak of courage, I raised up to my toes and brushed my lips gently over his. “Or, that.”

  That little frown line appeared between his eyebrows again. There was a hunger in his gaze, just like in the dressing room earlier today. He placed his left hand on my hip and directed me three steps backwards with an urgency that had me scrambling to keep up. And when my spine met with the trunk of the oak tree and there was no place left to go, he reached up to softly finger the strands of blonde hair falling into my face.

  “Mandy?” His voice was hoarse and his gaze flicked down to my mouth, where it stayed. “Can I...?”

  Every bit of me wanted him. Wanted him touching me. Wanted to feel his lips on mine. I nodded to give him permission, the sound of my pounding heart filling my ears.

  Whatever was holding Jayden back up until this moment snapped like a puny tree branch. He sunk his hands into the hair at the back of my neck, claiming my mouth with his. I blinked in shock, but as my body began to respond to his, my eyes fluttered shut.

  Maybe I’d been wrong.

  Maybe this was a dream.

  Because the gentle and giving way Jayden was kissing me made my toes curl with pleasure. His lips moving against mine were incredibly soft, but insistent. He tasted slightly sweet and dark, like molasses waffles. The scent of his cologne filled my senses, reminding me of the first time he’d held me close on the bank of the Cascades.

  I couldn’t believe this was real life.

  Feeling a little braver, I slanted my mouth against his and Jayden groaned in approval, earning me a shot of warmth in my belly. My knees weakened as he loosened one of his hands from my hair and brushed his fingertips softly down my neck, making my skin flame. Somehow, my hands found their way to his shoulders. I loved running my palms over the hard muscles along his back and upper arms. I loved it even more when he shivered beneath my touch and wrapped one arm around my waist to pull me closer.

  The sound of our heavy breathing nearly drowned out the pounding of my heart. Still, the fact that I was kissing Jayden Paul had not escaped me. The passionate dislike I thought I’d held for him all these years had all too quickly morphed into a heated desire to feel more of him. To taste more of him. The thought of pulling away now was pure torture.

  I’d always complained that Jayden liked to torture me, but this was a torturous experience that I would be happy to relive day after day. And when he paused a moment for breath, I took advantage of the lull to deepen the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck. A low, guttural growl came from his throat as he fully gave into his hunger, pressing me up against the trunk of the tree hard enough that I could feel the ridges of the bark through the back of my sweatshirt.

  This was nothing compared to that innocent kiss in a closet. This was fire and gasoline, molten lava, and the hottest day of the summer all combined. Between then and now, Jayden had become a master of kissing. He kissed me with a confidence that made me blush from head to toe. And when we finally pulled apart, neither of us could speak for several seconds.

  “I should...” He pointed over his shoulder and then cleared his throat. “It’s getting late.”

  I nodded, my chest heaving as I tried to regain my composure. “Yeah. You should get home. And I should get back to my sister.”

  His eyes flashed as he stared at my face for a few seconds. Then bending down quickly, he captured my lips again in a brief and tender kiss that left me slightly dizzy.

  “Goodnight, Amanda,” he said, pulling away to give me one of his half-smiles.

  “Night.” I bit my lip, then tried and failed to hold back the grin I felt bubbling under the surface. Kissing Jayden Paul had nearly turned me into a puddle on the ground. I wanted to snort and giggle like a little girl. “Let me know when you get home.”

  “I’ll text you,” he said, walking backwards to flash me one last gut-warming smile.

  I waved at him as he slowly disappeared into the darkness, taking my heart with him.

  As much as I hated to be wrong, I was going to have to hand this one to Audrey. She was totally spot on.

  Turned out, I really did like that boy.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “You did what?”

  I cringed in the passenger seat of Trina’s car as Audrey shrieked in the back. Trina had picked us both up for a Sunday afternoon impromptu junk food run. After the events of yesterday, a sleepless night, and avoiding the mess that was my sister, I needed a little greasy fast food and my best friends.

  “We kissed.” I stuffed a fry in my mouth and followed it up with a gulp of Dr. Pepper so I wouldn’t have to go into detail.

  That kiss had repeated so many times in my head since then that it was starting to feel like a scene I’d memorized from a movie. Every touch, every sensation, every sound was cemented into my brain. Jayden had texted me a few times since then. First, when he finally got home last night—a full forty minutes after he left. And then, with cute little notes throughout the day. Every time his name popped up on my phone, I’d get a flutter and another reminder of that kiss.

  “I knew it, I knew it, I knew it.” Audrey bounced around in her seat, nearly dumping her milkshake. “You like him. You really do! You two are going to fall in love, get married, have babies, and die together sharing a bed in the nursing home. It’ll be so beautiful.”

  I shot Trina a questioning look as she pulled to a stop at a red light.

  “She just made Collin watch The Notebook last night,” she explained with an amused smile.

  “Ah, okay.” Now it was beginning to make sense. “Yes, I like him. But let’s not start planning our wedding, yet. Or our funeral...”

  “Fine, fine.” Audrey popped her head of curly hair between the seats and stared at me with crazy eyes. “When are you going to see him again? And more importantly, when can the three of us triple date?”

  “Ummm...” I stared wide-eyed out the windshield.

  “Oooh, and did he ask you to prom, yet?” She puffed her cheeks out and then blew out a big breath of air. “It’s only a couple weeks away. You’ll have to find a dress and order flowers and everything.”

  I tried to rub the tension out of my temples. It was nice that my best friend was so excited for me, but there were so many other things I had to tackle first before I even considered things like prom and triple dating. Plus, Jayden and I had barely confessed our feelings for each other. We were in the newborn stage of a relationship. I couldn’t really throw these things out on the table when we hadn’t even had our first real date.

  Audrey must’ve finally caught on to my distress because she groaned and sat back in her seat with her milkshake clasped in her hands. “Sorry, I’ll shut up now. I’m just happy for you.”

  “Me, too,” Trina said, shooting me a smile.

  “Thanks, guys.”

  I munched on another fry as we pulled up to my house. I hadn’t wanted to be gone for long today. Charlotte and I still hadn’t discussed what had happened last night. I’d been wrestling with the idea of telling Mom and Dad, but came up with no conclusion. This was their first Sunday off from the diner in weeks. It didn’t seem fair to ruin it, but it also didn’t seem right to keep something this big from them.

  “Good luck with your sister,” Trina said, putting the car in park. “Let us know how it goes.”

  Audrey sighed loudly and draped her arms over the back of the seat. “I’m not sure how you do it. If I had to be responsible for my little sister all the t
ime, I’m pretty sure one of us would end up dead. You’ve got the patience of a saint, M.”

  I wasn’t sure I agreed, but after I’d said goodbye to both of them, I tucked my chin and headed to the door with an extra bag of fries in my hands. I’d heard greasy food was the cure for any hangover. If Charlotte was going to sit through a parental lecture about her irresponsible behavior, then we needed a little peace offering to start it off right. The only question was who would be giving that lecture: me or my parents?

  But as soon as I stepped through the door and into the entryway, I had my answer. Mom and Dad were both scrambling to grab their jackets. They had their diner clothes on and freshly washed aprons. Mom shot me an apologetic smile as I jumped out of their way and then pulled me into a quick hug.

  “We’ve been called into the diner unexpectedly.” She heaved a heavy sigh and looked into my eyes. “I’m really sorry, sweetie. I know we haven’t been around much lately. I promise, we’ll make this up to you.”

  I did my best to smile at her. So much for their one day off this week. They just couldn’t catch a break.

  “It’s fine, really. I already grabbed some supper for Charlotte and we’ll just veg out on the couch watching chick flicks.”

  “Sounds like a girls’ night. It’s a good thing I’m leaving, then,” Dad said with a teasing smile. He kissed my forehead and then ran out the front door.

  Mom gave me one, last lingering look. She could read me better than anyone, so it was hard to keep a straight face. All I wanted to do was fall into her arms and cry about what had happened last night with Charlotte, spill about my feelings for Jayden, and have her comfort me about my ankle. But I couldn’t. Not when she already had enough on her plate to deal with. I held strong, meeting her gaze head-on.

  “Take care of your sister tonight,” she said, tweaking my cheek softly. “Poor thing’s had a headache all day. I think that girl spends too much time staring at that phone of hers.”

  I wished I could voice my real reaction to Mom’s assessment of my little sister. Headache. Right. The only thing Charlotte was suffering from was a hangover from her stupid life choices.