“Ignore her,” Cam muttered. “She’s not worth it.”
“That’s the truth,” I sighed. “So,” I nibbled my lower lip “remind me why you two aren’t together?”
Avery and Cam looked at each other and laughed, “It would never work,” they responded at the same time.
“Right,” I nodded as I began balling up my trash and stuffing it in the paper bag my lunch had been in.
“Are we ok?” Nick leaned in next to me and whispered bringing me back to whatever had happened this morning.
“Sure,” I sighed. “I don’t have time for any more drama in my life.” I turned and pulled my leg up on the bench, folding it in front of me. “I only have one question.”
“Ok,” Nick swallowed a gulp of his Coke and watched me, waiting for me to continue.
“What is it that you want from me? I stared at him just waiting for a reaction.
“I don’t know, yet,” he placed his soda back on his tray and turned his body to face me. He was wearing a long sleeved under armor shirt today, dark athletic shorts, and a pair of flip-flops. My heart sped up just being next to him; I think he sensed the effect he had on me. “I want to see where it goes. I want to take you out…just the two of us and not a school party, a game, or anything. Dinner and maybe a movie?”
I nodded slowly as I let my eyes drop to my lap, “I’m not like the girls you date,” I mumbled.
“I know,” he reached and tipped my chin up so he was looking into my eyes. His sandy hair was blowing slightly in the breeze and his crooked grin grew as he watched me, “It’s part of your charm. I’m not looking for someone like the others. I want you.”
My eyes widened and I heard someone across the table suck in a breath. Nick’s eyes darted to his right before he slowly shook himself out of the daze he’d been in. “I’ve got to head back in. I’ve got to stop by the library before my next class.” He leaned closer as he lowered his voice, “Stop questioning my motives. They’re not what you think. I’ll meet you after school and give you a ride a home.”
“We have practice, you dummy,” Cam chimed in from across the table.
Nick’s head whipped to the side and he glared at his brother, “I’ll give you a ride home from practice then.”
“How come when I need a ride, you blow me off, but you’re offering her a ride without her even asking?” Cam grumbled as he balled up a napkin.
“She’s prettier,” Nick shrugged as he stood and began walking away.
“What a dick,” Cam muttered and Avery and I giggled.
I stared at Nick as he walked away. He had a nice butt and I wondered if those muscles were as tight as his arm muscles. As he disappeared around the corner, my head began filling with possibilities of what being Nick Sutter’s girlfriend would mean. Was that even something that I would want? Would he? Would being with him mean that Becca was going to torture me even more than she did now? Was this all an act or was he being honest with me? Should I even trust him?
“Hey,” Avery called, causing my head to snap up. “We’re gonna head to class. I’ll see ya later?” she picked up her tray as she gave me a concerned look.
“Yeah, sure,” I mumbled.
“For what it’s worth,” Cam smiled at me “I’ve never seen him like this,” he lifted a shoulder as he stood.
“Thanks,” I rolled my eyes. “I’ll see you at practice.”
“Later,” they both called as they headed back inside, leaving me with my thoughts.
Nick Sutter was slowly worming his way into my heart, and the scary thing was…I couldn’t seem to stop him. No matter how hard I tried, he always knew what to say or do to put me at ease. His good looks were dangerous, his reputation made me worry, but I couldn’t seem to stay away. I wanted to see where this was going to go. I wanted to let him in. I wanted to trust him and I wanted more than anything to ease the ache that seemed to permeate my body whenever I was near him. I only hoped that if I did open it, he wouldn’t shatter my heart in the process.
Chapter 4
Leah
Over the course of the week, Nick had been staying late at school and giving me rides home from practice every day. It seemed like everyone was happy about this, especially Cam. He’d realized over the last few days that his brother wasn’t going to be leaving him at practice anymore if I was there, too. It was fun, all of us hanging out, but I was desperately wanting some time alone with him. Tonight was our date and I was a nervous mess.
Excitement and nerves battled in my brain as I exhausted my body at the track. The more uptight I got, the harder I pushed myself. I was silently hoping that by the time Nick arrived at my door, I would be relaxed. So far, it wasn’t helping.
“Push it!” Coach Wilson yelled from where he was standing by the finish line. He had his stopwatch in one hand and his clipboard in the other. “1:01, 1:02, 1:03…” he called as my feet pounded the pavement. “1:05,” he shook his head when I crossed the line beside him. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as I paced in a circle, “What’s going on Leah? You’re never that slow.”
“I know,” I gasped for air. “I’m sorry.” I placed my hands on my head and closed my eyes as I tried to slow my breathing, “Give me a minute and I’ll do it again.”
“I think you need a break,” he turned to look at me with concern etched across his face. “We’ve got a week off before our next meet. I think you need to use that time to let your body rest. You’re pushing too hard.”
“I can’t,” I gawked at him. “I’ve got scouts coming from three different schools.”
“Leah,” he paused and shook his head “you’ve got another year before graduation, and with times like this, it won’t matter.”
Tears welled in my eyes and I shook my head, “It has to matter. I have to get them to look.”
“They will if you take a break and let your body have a day off. Stress effects performance…can’t you see that?” he gestured to the stopwatch. “Be a teenager for a few days…it’s Spring Break…relax…come back to track on Wednesday, ready to work, and we’ll get there.”
I blew out a breath, “ok,” I nodded “ok.”
Coach Wilson turned and stuffed his things in the equipment bag, “I’ve got to get home now. You enjoy your weekend, and relax for a change.”
“See ya,” I called wistfully as I began to jog my cool down laps.
ooooooooo
“Are you sure I look ok?” I turned toward Avery and held my arms out to the side.
“You look hot,” she grinned. “Nick’s gonna be tongue-tied.”
“I hope not,” I whispered.
“What?” Avery gasped and then flopped back on my bed in a fit of giggles. “Did Leah Carmichael just say she wanted to make out with a hot guy?”
I could feel the blush coming and I turned away from her. “No,” I muttered.
“Yes, you did!” She squealed as she pulled her legs up to her chest and rolled onto her side.
I shrugged as I fidgeted with the skirt Avery had insisted that I wear, “He’s a good kisser.”
“How good?” Avery suddenly sat up and began staring holes into me.
“Real good,” I grinned.
“I knew it!” She pointed at me. “You’ve made out with him! You did kiss him in the woods, you sneaky girl!”
“I can neither confirm nor deny that accusation,” I smirked as I chewed on my lower lip. “But really,” I sobered my face “you think I look ok?”
“Stop worrying,” she grumbled. “I picked it out. You look great. Where is he taking you?”
“Dinner, I think?” I moved over to sit on the bed beside her.
“But where?” she leaned into me.
“He didn’t say. He just said be comfortable,” I lifted a shoulder. “Maybe I should wear shorts,” I contemplated.
“No!” Avery scowled.
“I’m not comfortable though,” I whined.
“Just trust me,” she sighed. “Have I ever steered you wrong?
”
“Well…no,” I chuckled.
Avery had picked out a cotton floral skirt that was flowy and came right to my knees. This was not an easy task because of my height. I wasn’t super model tall, but at five foot seven, it was hard to find things that fit my long legs. I’d paired the skirt with a black cami that had a lacy edge, and a denim jacket was sitting on my bed for me to take later. I didn’t want to get cold when the sun set, but Avery kept telling me to leave the jacket behind so Nick could keep me warm. I wasn’t so sure that was a good idea, but having myself pressed into him again was quite appealing.
I’d left my hair down and just brushed it in soft waves. Pink lip-gloss coated my lips and just a touch of mascara to highlight my eyes. I borrowed some of my mom’s perfume and lotion so I didn’t smell like the locker room. I didn’t think I did, I mean I showered after practice, but I was teased all the time that I smelled like sweat.
“Stop worrying,” Avery nudged me. “You look like you’re getting ready to head to the gallows.”
“I just want tonight to go well,” I sighed.
“It will,” she smiled just as I heard the doorbell sound.
“Oh god, he’s here,” I groaned.
“So go answer it,” she pushed me toward my bedroom door.
As I descend the stairs, I heard my dad talking to Nick. “Come on in. She should be down in a minute.”
When I came into view, I watched Nick’s head slowly rise so his eyes could meet mine. I saw it the minute he finished taking me in. His mouth lifted on one side as it curved into a smile. His hands were stuffed in the pockets of the khaki shorts he was wearing and he was shuffling his feet.
“Hi,” he smiled at me.
“Hi,” I mumbled and then looked at my dad. “I’ll see you later?”
“Midnight,” he nodded, “and not a second later.”
“Yes, Sir,” Nick removed one of his hands from his pockets and stretched it out to shake my dad’s. “I’ll have her back in plenty of time. We’re not going far.”
I wrinkled my nose as I thought about the choices that weren’t far. There was the diner on the corner of town, or Dave’s Bar, and then there was Mike’s, a small burger chain down the street from my dad’s pizza shop. Then, of course, there was the pizza shop. None of those sounded very appealing, and I wasn’t really dressed for any of them.
“You ready?” Nick reached for my hand and caused me to jolt in surprise.
I nodded and laced our fingers together as he backed up and let me preceed him out the door. His truck was parked in the driveway, and as we moved closer to it, he leaned down next to my ear, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I jumped when I felt his warm breath on my neck.
He led me to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door. After I climbed in, he paused and placed his hand on my knee, “Something’s bothering you, I can tell. What is it?”
I shook my head and pressed my lips together tightly. He frowned and sighed as he stood there staring at me. At first, I thought he was going to push me to answer him, but after a minute or two, he backed up and closed my door.
I watched him jog around the front of the truck and climb into the driver’s side. He glanced at me and released a deep breath before muttering something to himself. I fidgeted in my seat for a minute before crossing my arms over my chest. Something was different between us tonight and I didn’t like it at all. I wasn’t sure if it was because this was really the first time we’d been alone, or if it was my nerves, but something was off with us.
“Where are we going?” My voice was small and timid as Nick drove through Pittsford and headed out of town.
“Dinner,” he shrugged.
“But…” I trailed off as I pointed to the sign that read, “Now Leaving Pittsford, We hope you enjoyed your stay”.
“Leah,” he sighed as he slowly shook his head “I can’t take you somewhere in town. I wanted this to be nice.”
“Ooookaaay,” I dragged out the word as confusion filled my head.
We drove down the highway for about a half an hour before Nick turned into the parking lot of Ellie’s. He parked, turned off the truck, and then angled his body to face me. He reached up and gripped the back of his neck as he paused, trying to say something.
“I wanted to take you somewhere nice. Pittsford doesn’t have much in the restaurant choices. If you don’t want to,” he waved at the building a few feet from us “then we don’t have to.”
“No,” I felt bad for making him question himself “this is nice.” I reached for the door handle and began to climb out. Nick jumped from his side and jogged around to where I was standing. He reached for my hand once again and led me into the restaurant.
Once we’d gotten inside, we were seated, and I began scanning the menu. Nick was sitting across from me, and the more I stared at the menu, the more he stared at me. This evening was nothing like I thought it would be. Conversation was clipped, he seemed as nervous as I was, and I couldn’t look at him. Every time I tried to make eye contact, I’d blush. I felt like a twelve year old on her first date with the boy she’d crushed on all summer.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Nick nudged my foot under the table with his.
I jumped so far I almost lifted out of my seat, “Nothing.”
“Please stop telling me that. I know something’s bothering you. Do you not want to be on this date? Is that it?” He reached across the small table we were nestled in and grabbed my hand.
“No,” I muttered.
“Then what?” He began caressing the back of my hand with his fingers. “This isn’t the same girl I’ve been spending time with all week.”
I turned my gaze away from his and looked at the floor, “I don’t know really.”
I wasn’t really paying attention to what he was doing, but he motioned to someone behind me, and a few moments later the server stopped by our table with a brown paper bag and the check. I frowned as I watched Nick pay the bill. He smiled at me, not offering any explanation, and then stood. He reached for my hand and grabbed the paper bag in the other.
“Come on,” he nodded his head toward the door. “I’ve got an idea.”
“Whaa?” I stood up and stared at him.
“Would you stop questioning me for once? Just trust me; I’ve got a plan,” he grinned, and began leading us back out to his truck.
ooooooooo
After leaving the restaurant, we drove back through town and before I knew it, we were pulling off the side of the road where we’d hung out at the party. I darted my eyes around looking for anything that might suggest that he didn’t bring me here for what I thought he did. My mind was racing with the possibilities of what exactly Nick had planned and I jumped when I felt him reach over and unclasp my seatbelt.
“We’re here,” he grinned as he leaned in and pecked my cheek. “Relax,” he chuckled as I stiffened. I wasn’t sure what he thought was so funny, but I had no intention of doing what it looked like he was planning.
He shoved open his door and rounded the cab to my side. After opening my door for me, he helped me down. “This way,” he motioned toward the back. He reached up, and released the tailgate before holding out his hand to help me up. “Make yourself comfy,” he pointed to where a sleeping bag had been spread out. I swallowed, when had he done that? “Here,” I jumped when he hopped up beside me and handed me a to-go box.
“Thanks,” I whispered as I took it from him.
“Oh my god,” he growled. He took the box from me and before I could figure out what his was doing, he grabbed my face with both hands and pressed his mouth to mine. His lips were soft, and as he nibbled at mine, the tension that had been building began to fade away. He broke the kiss almost as quickly as he started it, and as he stared at me, he chuckled. “Better?” He handed me my box back.
“Uhhh…” I glanced around looking at anything but him.
“You seemed like you needed that,” he smirked. “Now ea
t,” he pointed at my lap where I’d placed the box. “I don’t plan to sleep with you tonight if that’s what’s got you so worried.” He lifted his burger and snickered as he took a bite. “Stop thinking the worst of me.”
My mouth dropped open as his statement began to sink in. He hadn’t brought me here for sex? Well, why had he brought me here? We were out in the middle of nowhere on an empty road and the sun was setting. Soon, we’d be engulfed in darkness and have more privacy then either of us would know what to do with.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled as I picked at my salad.
“For what?” Nick looked up as he chewed the massive bite he’d just stuffed in his mouth.
“For thinking of you the same way as everybody else does. I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of someone’s judgment. I get it all the time. I didn’t mean to be like that,” I cringed as I looked out in the distance.
“Tell you what,” he grinned at me as he wiped his mouth and set his burger down. “I’ll stop listening to people about you if you do the same for me. I’m not as bad as everyone wants me to be,” he sat there with an expectant look on his face.
“Ok, deal,” I gave a quick jerk of my head.
“Besides,” he leaned in and began to whisper in a rough voice, “I don’t beat around the bush when I want something. If I wanted you naked, you’d know.”
I shivered as thoughts began to fill my head. Did I want that sometime? With him? Did I want whatever we were starting here to get to that point? If it did, would I go there? Could I give him that piece of me? Could I ignore all the things that I’ve told myself over the years about getting involved with someone? I’d always sworn that my career was going to come first. If I let Nick in, he could wreck everything. He wasn’t part of the plan, and this simple detour could cost me everything I’ve been working towards my entire life.
As my head spun, he chuckled, “Relax, Golden Girl, you keep shaking like that when I get near you and I am going to start thinking about it.”
Destined Page 4
