by Amber Garza
I snorted, his words breaking through the trance he’d had me under. “Yeah, right. There is nothing pretty about me in this monstrosity.” Cringing, I peered down at my marching band uniform.
“I didn’t say beautiful. I said gorgeous. And I meant it.” The sincerity in his eyes made me clamp my mouth shut, closing in the sarcastic remark that threatened to come out. When I dared to peek around us, I saw that the field had pretty much cleared out. The band had made it off the turf, and the football team was just filing out of the locker room. Everyone in the bleachers were watching us. I froze. “Let them stare.” Holden’s hand curved further around my face, and he moved closer. So close I thought he might kiss me. His warm breath fanned over my flesh. “I want them to know how I feel. I like you, Chloe. It never mattered to me that you were in band. I want to be with you, and I’m not going to let our social status get in the way of that. Are you?”
Well, when he put it that way, how I could I refuse?
Besides, he was right. He’d made it clear that he liked me from the first day we met. It was me who’d let our labels get in the way. My lips twitched, curving upward.
“I like you too, Holden.”
A grin leapt to his lips, and he stepped even closer.
My pulse quickened. “But I’m not kissing you in front of all these people.”
“Fair enough.” He winked, dropping his hand. “I can wait.”
“We’ll take things slow?” I may have liked him, but I hardly knew him. And I still had some reservations about the whole thing.
“As slow or fast as you want. You make the call.”
My cheeks colored. “I meant with our relationship…not, you know, sexually.” God, did I just say the word ‘sexually’ to Holden Reece? “Although, I do want to go slow with that. I mean…” I was making this worse. Why couldn’t I shut up?
“Relax. I knew what you meant.” He grabbed my hand, and I noticed the team had taken the field. “Let me walk you off.”
I nodded, acutely aware of all the eyes on me. Every single player was staring at me, wide-eyed. Not to mention the cheerleaders were having a free-for-all. Some of them smiled with a giddiness I’d never possessed, but one of them looked outright pissed. I shuddered, grasping tightly to Holden’s hand. I wished I didn’t have my gloves on. It would be nice to feel his skin against mine.
“Wait for me. We’ll talk after the game,” Holden said when we got to the edge of the field.
“Okay.” My head swirled. This was all happening so fast. A half hour ago I was angry with Holden. I wanted nothing to do with him. Now I was holding his hand and agreeing to wait for him after the game.
He smiled before releasing my hand and racing back out onto the field. My chest heaved with each breath as I watched him. It all felt so surreal. Had he really met me out on the field, touching my face and saying sweet things in front of everyone? He’d proven to me that he didn’t care what others thought, and that spoke volumes.
I felt someone watching me, and I turned. Preston was standing a few feet away, his expression dark. I smiled, but he didn’t return it. Instead, his gaze slid past me, honing in on Holden. Then he shook his head and stormed off angrily. My chest tightened. Had Holden really done what I asked of him? Had he really proven that he wasn’t a bully?
Thinking of all I’d witnessed between him and Preston, I wasn’t sure. I caught him out on the field, and my heart soared. The guy I’d gotten to know wasn’t a bully. I was sure of that. And I was starting to like him….a lot. No one had ever treated me the way he did tonight. I didn’t want to walk away from that. In fact, a part of me wanted to jump in with both feet. To see where this would lead between us. My parents were right. I spent too much of my time trying to save everyone. It was how I got mixed up in my last relationship. But I didn’t want to do that right now. For once, I wanted to do something just for me. Was that so wrong?
“Oh, my god.” Jasmine approached. “Did that seriously just happen?”
Gianna stood next to her, mouth gaping. “That was like something out of a movie.” She clutched her chest and sighed heavily. If playing music didn’t work out for her, she could take up acting.
“What did he say to you?” Jasmine nudged me.
I stared out at the field as Holden made another throw. “He told me he liked me.” The words tasted good on my tongue. I liked the way they felt as I tossed them around.
“No way!” Gianna shoved me in the shoulder.
“Way,” I responded.
“What did you say?” Jasmine asked pointedly.
“That I…” I paused, suddenly wishing we could have kept the moment private. Sure, it was awesome the way Holden declared his feelings for me in front of everyone, but now I wanted to hold the moment close. To ponder it on my own. To replay it over and over in my mind. Not share it with the whole world. But I knew they’d never stop asking if I didn’t tell them. “I said that I liked him too.”
“This is epic.” Gianna swooned.
And she was right. This was epic. I smiled. “Yeah, it kinda is.”
After the game, I changed out of my uniform and slipped into the yoga pants and tank top I’d been wearing when I’d arrived. If only I’d known where the night would lead, I would’ve chosen something cuter. But how could have I known what Holden had planned?
“You and Holden, huh?” Preston intercepted me on the way out the door. I held my purse in one hand and my instrument in the other. Sometimes I rode with Jasmine to the games, but I was glad I had chosen to drive myself tonight. Once I dropped this stuff in my car, I had planned to wait outside of the locker room for Holden.
“Yeah,” I answered.
He shook his head. “And here I thought you were different.”
“This doesn’t change anything, Pres. I’m still your friend.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” With nervous motions he pushed his glasses up his nose.
“Don’t get what?” My gaze flickered to the clock on the wall, my heart seizing. I needed to get out of here quick. I didn’t want Holden to think I left.
Preston followed my gaze. “Nothing. Never mind. Go be with Mr. Superstar.”
Clearly he was upset, and I knew I should’ve stayed to chat it out, but I didn’t want to miss my opportunity to meet Holden. I’d made him a promise, and I planned to keep it. “We’ll talk later, okay?” I flashed him an apologetic look as I moved around him. Then I hurried to my car and dumped my stuff inside. I shoved my keys and phone into my pocket and then ran to the locker room. By the time I reached it, I was out of breath. Leaning against the fence, I allowed the cool air to skate over my skin as I calmed my breathing.
“You waited,” Holden’s voice startled me.
I turned toward him. “You told me to.”
“I wasn’t sure you would listen.” His nearness caused my knees to soften. He’d changed into jeans and a white t-shirt that clung to his muscles. His hair was damp, his face flushed. Man, he looked so good. “You don’t strike me as the obedient type.” One side of his lip curled upward in an amused expression.
“I’m not.” I stood up taller. “I do what I want. Not what I’m told. Is that going to be an issue?”
His gaze locked with mine. “Not at all. It’s one of the things I like about you.”
I smiled. “Good answer.”
“I’m full of ‘em.” He leaned into me. “But they’re not just words. I mean what I say.”
“I’m starting to get that.”
CHAPTER 15
Holden
I wasn’t sure my plan would work. The look on Chloe’s face when I first started walking toward her freaked me out. It was definitely not a thrilled look. But the minute I touched her face I knew I had her. The way she melted into me told me all I needed to know. And it was awesome. The best feeling ever.
It was worth all of the teasing I got the last half of the game. I swear, I thought Ryan would never let up. But it didn’t matter. I meant what I said to Chloe.
I liked her, and I didn’t care what others thought.
And now she stood in front of me leaning against the fence, looking like an angel in her pastel tank top and pants so tight they left nothing to the imagination. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and the strands danced behind her head in the slight breeze, almost creating a halo-like effect. I wanted to kiss her so bad, but I knew I should wait. She’d only just admitted she liked me. I didn’t want to push my luck. It seemed I was always screwing up when it came to her, and I wasn’t sure I could afford another one. There were only so many grand gestures I could come up with.
“My parents are expecting me home soon,” she said, and my heart sagged.
But I brushed it off, waving my hand in understanding. “I get it. I’ve got a strict Mom too.”
“Mom, huh? That’s funny. It’s opposite for me. My mom’s pretty lax, but my dad’s super strict.”
Her words hit their mark. I bit my lip. “Yeah, well, my dad’s not around so…” Reaching up, I nervously rubbed the back of my neck. Why had I said anything? It was just an innocent comment. Something she said to fill the silence. Not so I could pop off with something intimate and personal, ruining the whole moment.
“I’m sorry,” she said with so much sincerity it almost broke me.
No way was I going down that road tonight. No, tonight was about wowing her with my charm. Tonight was about fun. “It’s okay. I know something that will make me feel better.”
“You do?” She cocked an eyebrow, and damn if I didn’t think it was one of the sexiest things I’d ever seen.
Reaching forward, I curled my fingers in the chain links of the fence right next to her ear. Then I bent forward until my lips almost touched her cheek. She shivered, and it gave me a sense of satisfaction. I held her gaze. “Go out with me.”
“When?” A puff of air met my face.
“Tomorrow night.”
“What time?” Her eyes sparkled.
“I’ll pick you up at six.” I inhaled her sweet scent, my insides having a freaking party. I wanted nothing more than to lean forward a bit more and satisfy my curiosity by pressing my lips to her soft skin. But I held off, showing restraint.
“It’s a date.”
I shoved off the fence. “It sure is.”
When I got home, the house was dark. Silence wove around me as I stepped inside. The only light came from the kitchen. I assumed Mom had left it on when she went to bed, until I heard noise from inside – the rattle of a cup, the pull of a drawer. Inching forward, I poked my head inside the kitchen doorway. It was dimly lit, only the light from the stove illuminating the room. James’ back was to me, his elbow moving as if he was stirring something.
I walked into the room. James must have heard my footsteps because his head jerked, his neck craning.
“Where were you tonight?” I asked, my tone hard.
James spun around, leaning back against the counter. He held a mug in his hand. Steam rose from it. “Sorry I missed your game, bud.”
I winced. Seriously, I hated when he called me ‘bud.’ Did he think I was ten or something?
“I had a long day at work, so I stayed home,” he continued. “Needed some quiet time.”
“Long day at work, huh?” I glared. “You’ve been having a lot of those lately.”
“Is there something you want to ask me?” He threw me a challenging look.
I knew I had to tread lightly. Mom would kill me if I got into fight with my new stepdad, so for her sake I’d keep it civil. “Just find it odd, that’s all. It seems that the numbers will still be there to calculate in the morning.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that,” James replied dryly, running his free hand through his salt and pepper hair.
“To me it’s pretty simple, actually.”
“It is?” He raised his brows in bemusement.
“Yep. When I see my mom sitting alone every night on the couch it becomes pretty damn simple to me.”
“Holden,” his voice had softened. Gone was the amused expression, replaced by one of grave concern. “I would never do anything to hurt your mom. I’m not--”
I held up my hand, not wanting to hear him say the words “like your dad.” I knew he wasn’t like my dad, but I also didn’t want him waltzing in here acting like he was so much better than him either. I knew it didn’t make sense. Most of the time I hated my dad, but deep down I knew I loved him. And it’s not like it had always been bad. We’d had good times. At one point Mom and Dad were happy. Plus, Dad’s the reason I love football. I knew the way I felt about my dad was messed up, but I guess that was the curse of having parents. Even when you hated them, you loved them. Even when you wanted not to care, you did.
And even though you’d told your dad to go to hell, what you really wanted was for him to come home.
CHAPTER 16
Chloe
“Where is he taking you?” Jasmine asked.
“He didn’t say.” Holding the phone to my ear with my right hand, I perused my closet with my left. My fingertips brushed over an array of tops, skirts and dresses. It landed on the floral dress I wore to Cole’s graduation, and a stab of sadness shot through me. If Cole were here he’d give me so much crap about dating Holden. He’d probably be in here right now teasing me, tossing out ugly outfits and daring me to wear them. Cole and I had always been pretty close, but we grew apart his last year of high school. And now that he was in college, I hardly ever heard from him. I’d called a few times, but when I got him he sounded distracted, so I’d stopped trying. But the truth was that I missed him. Releasing the dress, I touched the next hanger.
“Ooh, a surprise. Those are the best!” Jasmine squealed. “You do realize that Gianna and I are totally living vicariously through you now, so you have to share all the details with us.”
I giggled. “Well, maybe not all. I am a lady, you know.”
“You’re so gonna kiss him tonight, aren’t you?”
I stepped back from the closet, my cheeks warming. I hadn’t really planned on kissing Holden, but now that she mentioned it I could think of nothing else. I remembered the way his hand felt on my cheek, the intensity in his gaze when he stared into my eyes. Kissing him didn’t sound so bad, actually. In fact, it sounded kind of awesome.
“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Jasmine prodded.
Shit. How long had I been standing here mute?
“No,” I lied. “I’m trying to figure out what to wear.” A closet full of clothes and nothing seemed right for tonight. Of course it would help if I had some direction. “Jazzy, I gotta go get ready.”
“All right.” I could hear the disappointment in her voice. “Call me later.”
“Okay.” I hung up with her and went into my text messages. Then I shot off a text to Holden asking him if I should dress casual or not.
His response came quickly.
Holden: You’re not going to wear your bikini?
I stared at the screen wondering if he was serious. Was he taking me swimming? Or to the spa? My heart sank. I was hoping for something more original than that. My phone vibrated in my hand, another text appearing on the screen.
Holden: Just kidding. Casual’s fine.
Whew. Thank god.
Me: OK.
After tossing my phone on the bed, I stepped back to my closet. I took down a black and white striped long ex-boyfriend tee and my skinny jeans from their hangers. Once I got dressed, I added hoop earrings and my black flats. Then I fixed my hair in large loose curls that fell down my back. Remembering how much Holden stared at my lips that first time he’d seen me in my band uniform, I decided to wear my red lipstick. I wondered if it would make him kiss me. Just the thought caused a swarm of butterflies to flutter in my belly. Taking a deep breath, I lined my eyes in black eyeliner and ran black mascara over my lashes. When I finished, I heard a distant knock at the front door. Shaking out my hands, I assessed my reflection in the mirror. For a moment I waffled back and for
th with the lipstick wondering if it was too much, but then Mom knocked on my door.
“Come in,” I called.
The door popped open, Mom’s head peeking in. “Holden’s here, honey.” Her eyes widened. “Wow. You look so pretty.”
“It’s not too much?” I bit my lip, red staining my white teeth. Crap. Why had I done that? Leaning toward the mirror, I wiped it off with my fingers.
“He’ll love it.” She smiled. “Then again, from what I’ve seen I think he’d love how you look no matter what.”
No one was more shocked than me when Holden approached me on the field during the game. Well, no one except my parents. And certainly no one more than my dad. According to Mom, she practically had to hold Dad in place while Holden “accosted” me on the field. “Accosted” would be the word Dad used, of course. But Mom thought it was sweet and romantic. When male voices floated from downstairs, I stiffened.
“I better go save Holden from Dad.”
“Not a bad idea,” Mom agreed.
I snatched up my cell and purse and headed downstairs. Mom’s hand gently touched my back as I passed. She was the one who had held me when Ethan broke up with me. Honestly, she’d never been Ethan’s biggest fan. But I could tell she was already a fan of Holden. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Holden’s head bobbed up, his eyes catching mine. His hair fell over his forehead, his dark eyes striking. His hands were shoved into the pocket of his jeans, the grey shirt he wore showing off the definition of his muscles. I sucked in a breath. It was safe to say that I was a fan of him too.
“You look amazing,” he said when I approached him.
Dad stood over his shoulder with a stern look on his face. My stomach clenched. I threw Mom a pleading look and she maneuvered around me to stand next to Dad. She placed a soothing hand on his arm and grinned at me.
“You two have a fun time,” she said.
“Thanks.” I glanced at both her and Dad before making my way to the front door.
