Battling Beckett

by T Christensen

  “Greer.”

  She stopped pushing on Beckett’s arms.

  “Look at me.” Beckett’s voice was soft but determined.

  Greer couldn’t do it. She just wanted to go. With her eyes firmly on the base of his throat, she gathered everything she had to demand.

  “Let me go, Beckett.”

  After a couple of seconds, that felt like two minutes, Beckett’s arms started to lower. She held her breath praying she would be able to leave without any more interaction. When his arms were at his sides she sidestepped, turned to face the door, twisted the knob and escaped to her room.

  Greer threw herself on her bed, her mind whirling. She thought about calling Lexi, but she needed to figure out what was going on in her head. Two months ago, she had come to the Dawson house with uncertainness, but she had been determined to make it work for her mom. Her mom who had given everything of herself to make sure she always felt loved and secured. All she had to do was live for one year in a new house and go to a new school for nine months.

  She thought Beckett despised her, now she was just confused. First, he pretended he didn’t know her. When he decided to acknowledge her, it was to treat her like crap. They had been in a peaceful truce, but how the heck had they ended up going to homecoming together?

  Honestly, she didn’t trust him. Unfortunately, when he was near, her body didn’t care and her brain took a back seat to what he made her feel. Which made her feel like another one of his conquests, but she couldn’t seem to keep her wits about her when he touched her.

  Greer hid in her room for the rest of the night and tensed when she heard Beckett’s movements up and down the hall. She vacillated between being upset that he didn’t care why she had left his room so abruptly and relieved that he didn’t stop and demand a confrontation.

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  Chapter 20

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  It was 6:10 am and Greer was ready to go. She really needed some coffee after her sleepless, restless night, but she couldn’t work up the gumption, okay guts, to go downstairs. She didn’t want to run into Beckett. Yes, it was ridiculous, because she still had to ride to school with him, but she needed every last second to gather herself.

  It took all night to wrestle with herself, but she had promised herself to talk with Beckett in the truck this morning. She wasn’t good at confrontation and as much as she tried to talk herself into avoidance, she couldn’t shut down the part of her brain nagging her to figure out what was going on in his head. Was he playing her? Why was he helping her at school? Why did he decide to be nice to her? Why were they going to homecoming? The questions were endless.

  The truck was the best place to talk so she didn’t have to be face to face with him. It afforded privacy, the conversation could only be for a limited time, Beckett had to keep his eyes on the road, and when they got to school Beckett had to go to practice.

  Six fifty-nine. Time to head down. Greer took one last deep breath and forced her feet to move. With each step, her heart beat harder against her chest.

  As soon as she stepped outside, she could feel Beckett’s eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him in his usual spot, leaning against the door. Greer rounded the front of the truck and heard him open his door to get in.

  Pulling herself up and into the passenger seat, she cheerfully said, “Good Morning.”

  After the door was shut and her bag was at her feet, he still hadn’t returned the greeting, so she looked up.

  “I thought maybe you were going to hide out in your room all day and miss school.”

  It came out raspy and the hair on her arms stood up while her heart stuttered. Darn it, why did he have to bring her cowardice up right away. She gave herself a mental shake, it was time to take the bull by the horns. She took a breath and let it out in one huff.

  “Why did you do that? Twice. Why did you do that twice yesterday? I’m not sure what is going on and I needed some time to figure it out, but I didn’t figure anything out.”

  One side of his mouth kicked up and he continued to face her, studying her. “Anything else or did you just need a breath?”

  Well, this wasn’t going at all according to plan. “Don’t you need to drive? Won’t you get in trouble if you are late for practice?”

  A full-on laugh. “Okay, Greer, we are going.”

  She breathed a sigh when he started pulling out. With his eyes off of her, it was easier to continue the conversation. “So, why did you do it?”

  “It. I wasn’t aware we did it.”

  Now, he was just being annoying. “Kiss, Beckett. Why did you kiss me at school?”

  “Phew, I didn’t miss us doing it.” He glanced over and she just glared.

  He sighed and shrugged. “Honestly, I just thought it would be the easiest way to get the message across that you are with me and no one should mess with you.”

  She ignored the disappointment twisting her heart and tried to think through his words logically. “Wouldn’t it have made sense for me to go to the dance with someone else and then whoever this is would know we are not together?”

  The teasing Beckett was gone. “No.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we would still be driving in together and eating lunch together. The doubts would still be there.”

  That made sense. “Okay. I won’t hold you to taking me to homecoming.”

  “We’re going.”

  She didn’t want to go because he felt a sense of obligation. “I think the kiss was enough of a statement and I appreciate it, but you can take who you want to homecoming. I know I’m not your favorite person.”

  The only sound was the road buzzing by and Greer got more deflated by the second. He could at least give her a pity, ‘that’s not true’. She bent down to get her earbuds out and as soon as she started to put them on, Beckett growled.

  “You’re growing on me. You are not as bad as I first thought.”

  Greer felt tears prickle her eyes, as she put her earbuds in. She hadn’t forgotten about asking about the second kiss, but she didn’t want to know the answer anymore. She had a feeling his answer would only give her another punch in the gut. When they pulled up and parked Greer slid out and started walking toward the stands. She heard Beckett calling out to her, but she pretended not to hear.

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  The rest of the day her focus was avoiding Beckett. If she knew Beckett would be waiting for at the end of class, she snuck out a minute early and went a different way to her next class.

  It was childish, but she didn’t know how to act around him. A part of her was grateful that he had been honest with her, but she was also hurt that everything he did for her was because of his dad.

  She liked Beckett Dawson, and he tolerated her. She liked that he protected his dad and despite herself, she acknowledged that she loved him walking her to class, protecting her.

  It was those stupid, head swimming kisses that were messing with her. For Beckett, it was just another kiss, but for her it meant something. She needed to screw her head on right and be grateful to Beckett, but not fall in lust with him.

  At lunchtime, she wandered around five minutes into the period before getting her food. When she got to the Dining Hall, she was relieved her plan had worked. There was one spot left at the table, which she slunk to. It was by a couple of the guys that were on the football team, but she didn’t know that well. They said hi to her and then carried on the conversation they were in the middle of.

  It was perfect until she could feel Beckett’s eyes burning a hole in her head. The pull to look at him was strong, but she resisted. He was sitting on the same side of the table as her, so she subtly moved with the people between them, so she could not see him. She ate quickly and then tried to figure out how to get Pepper’s attention away from Mark long enough to go with her to the bathroom.

  She felt like she was two years old asking her mommy
to go to the bathroom with her. It sucked. She felt safe walking in the hall, surrounded by people, but she wasn’t ready to face the bathroom by herself. Just walking by still caused flashbacks to happen and then her breathing would grow shallow remembering the fear that had paralyzed her body.

  There was no way around it. She was going to have to get up and walk to where Pepper was sitting. And of course, Pepper was sitting by Beckett. She thought about texting, but she didn’t see Pepper’s phone on the table.

  She heaved a breath in and stood up with her tray. After putting it in the appropriate place she strolled back over to where Pepper was sitting.

  “Hi, guys.”

  The words were barely out of her mouth before Pepper was asking her.

  “Greer, can you go dress shopping on Saturday?”

  Pepper was pleading with her like a two-year-old wanting a new toy. She did not want to go to the dance and Greer desperately searched her mind for something her mom might have mentioned that they were doing. Unfortunately, she came up with nothing. Before she could respond, Beckett did, “Nothing is going on with the parents, so she is good to go.”

  Her fake smile turned to a real glare when she swung her head towards Beckett. His smug smile made her hands curl into fists.

  “What? Just trying to help.”

  “I don’t need help, Beckett.” She gritted out.

  “Dude?” Mark quizzed Beckett in the man code.

  Beckett shrugged. “Just making sure Greer has time to get a fabulous dress for her fabulous date.”

  Her eyes narrowed. He wasn’t going to manipulate her into going either. “The dress I get will be worthy of my date.”

  She had not agreed to go with him, and the narrowing of Beckett’s eyes guaranteed he understood her meaning.

  “So, what time on Saturday?” Pepper’s bubbly question broke the standoff between her and Beckett.

  Greer didn’t know how to get out it. So, they worked out the plan and Greer agreed to call Lexi and fill her in on what was happening.

  During her last class, a brilliant plan came to Greer. She was going to ‘look’ for a dress, but would not find anything she wanted. When it was closer to the dance, she would tell her friends she wasn’t going. If she told them now, Greer knew they would fight her just as hard as Beckett. It would buy her some time to think of the best explanation of why she wasn’t going, without them trying to convince her to change her mind.

  Greer finished the day and work more relaxed since she had thought of a plan to gracefully exit the dance. She didn’t feel bad about Beckett. When he figured out she was serious about not going he could easily find another date. She may not be happy with him trying to manipulate her, but she didn’t want to fight with him either.

  What she had forgotten, was that as determined as she was to not go to the dance, Beckett was equally as determined she would go. He played the ace card as they sat down for supper.

  “Do either of you have plans this weekend?” David asked as he continued to devour the roast beef, carrots, and mashed potatoes with gravy.

  Greer had been silently laughing at David’s awe over what she thought was a basic meal. When he had sat down and seen everything, his eyes grew big and he had looked over at Vivian with stars in his eyes. “I haven’t had this in years, sweetheart. It looks and smells heavenly.”

  Before she could speak up, Beckett was casually saying, “The guys and I are going to get measured for our tuxes for the dance.”

  David nodded. “I think it is time to get your own tuxedo and a couple of updated suits. Mind if Vivian and I come to get it all done?”

  The smirk that appeared on Beckett’s face knotted her stomach. He looked over at Greer before turning back to the parents and casually saying, “Greer is going dress shopping with Pepper and Lexi, so I just assumed Vivian would rather go with them.”

  All eyes turned to her and she froze. Her mom was a mixture of excitement and hurt. “Greer, how come you didn’t tell me you were going to the dance?”

  She wanted to kill Beckett, but concentrated on her mom. “I’m only going with Pepper and Lexi to help look, Mom.”

  “Oh, so you already have a dress to wear when I take you?”

  Both Vivian and David stopped eating and were looking between them. That didn’t stop her from shooting a glare over at Beckett, he needed to shut up!

  “Mark asked Pepper and Lexi is going with Jason,” Greer told Vivian, hoping to distract her with the Lexi news.

  “Your first dance and you get to go with your best friend. Why wouldn’t you shop with Lexi and Pepper?”

  Vivian’s questioning, confused eyes turned to her and she could feel her resolve to not go, weakening. She mumbled. “I haven’t fully decided if I’m going yet.”

  “I keep telling her we’d have a good time.” For once Greer was happy Beckett was talking. It covered up the awkward silence between mother and daughter.

  “You are going as friends?” David sat back in the armchair with his hands stapled together as he studied Beckett.

  Beckett’s rolled his eyes and turned to me. His actions appeared laid back, but the intensity of his eyes belayed his appearance. “What do you say, Greer? Are you going to be my date?”

  With three different sets of eyes on her, she crumpled. “Yeah, I’ll go with you.”

  Her mom clapped her hands and her face was radiant. “Do you know where you’re going to look for dresses?”

  She chatted with her mom, but she could feel Beckett’s satisfaction from across the table. Her blood was boiling, she did not like being manipulated and outmaneuvered.

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  Chapter 21

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  Dress shopping day had arrived. Despite herself, Greer felt excitement building. She was finally going to a dance and doing everything leading up to it.

  It was all Pepper and Lexi talked about. Lexi talked about Jason almost as much as the dance itself. He called Lexi every day and they texted constantly. Greer was happy for Lexi, but she couldn’t help but feel a little jealous as well. Lexi was going to her first dance with someone she liked. Greer was going with Beckett, after being manipulated and coerced into it.

  Despite her mixed feelings, she was determined to enjoy the day with her girls. She bounded into the kitchen, excited to get the day started. She went straight for the fridge and grabbed some grapes.

  “Excited?”

  Greer jumped and turned around with her hand over her heart. “Geez Beckett, you scared the crap out of me.”

  Beckett sat at the table with his damp, finger combed, hair, wearing a t-shirt and board shorts, eating cereal. “Are Pepper and Lexi coming here or are you meeting them somewhere?”

  Greer closed the refrigerator door, thankful he had let his initial question go. She leaned against the counter and plucked a grape. “Pepper is picking me up and then we are going to get Lexi.”

  “Why didn’t they just spend the night?”

  Greer felt the knots tighten at the attentive way Beckett was studying her. It was like he knew she had no intention of ever inviting friends over again, but wanted to see if she would admit it.

  She busied herself getting a glass of water. “I don’t know.”

  She took a drink, hiding behind her glass. Beckett kept studying her and she grabbed her phone praying there was a text from someone. When she saw the time on her phone said 9:00 she raised her head back up.

  “What are you doing up?”

  “Tux shopping.”

  More charged silence. She pretended to be absorbed with her phone, praying Pepper would text that she was here.

  “Tell me your dress color so I can get the right color corsage.”

  Her head shot up and met his steady gaze. “You don’t need to do that.”

  His jaw tightened, he laid his spoon down by the bowl, and her heart took off. Her head cranked up as he straightened from his cha
ir and steadily walked to her at the counter. She swallowed and tried her best not to look like a deer caught in headlights.

  His hands come down on the counter behind her and her head tilted even further to keep him in her sight. She bit the inside of her lip to stop any blurting and betray her nervousness and excitement her body was trying to grapple with.

  “Are you paying attention, Greer?” Was his deceptively softly, spoken question.

  The hairs on her arms stood at attention. Everything in her was telling her to press closer, but she desperately tried to listen to her short-circuiting brain. “Yes.”

  Shoot, why did that come out so breathless? She curled her hand tighter around her phone and forced the other to remain on her thigh, and not move to Beckett’s chest.

  “We are going to this dance together. I will get you a corsage, buy you supper, buy your ticket, and pay for the limousine. Your job is to get a dress and have fun.”

  “You’re getting a limo?”

  “Yes.”

  “Aren’t they expensive?”

  She swore she actually heard Beckett growl, but she wasn’t sure because the next thing she knew his lips were on hers. She opened her mouth to gasp, and Beckett intensified the kiss. The short-circuiting in her brain took over.

  All she could focus on was Beckett. How his lips were steadily demanding more and more from her, where his hands came to the small of her back, how he stepped forward, how every time a part of his body came in contact with hers, she wanted more.

  She was lost in a world of sensation and craving more. In the next moment, everything was gone. Greer swayed toward what had been abruptly taken away from her. Her eyelids slowly slid open to see Beckett sitting back down at the table and pick up his spoon.

  Then she heard it. Steps moving toward them. The next second, David Dawson walked in, looking at his phone, and murmured, “Morning.”