I bent down to kissed her forehead. My eyes focused on the beauty in front of me. The mass of sunshine colored hair was hanging loose and sprawled out against her comforter from our fall. Her lips were slightly parted, and her thick eyelashes were enhanced by black mascara. She thought I’d saved her, but the truth is, she’d saved me, too. And she’d been doing it for years. I had the strength to help her get through her tough time because she’d helped me build my own through the years.
I twisted a tendril of her hair with a finger and leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips, but she grabbed the back of my head, and smashed her lips into mine. Her tongue shot into my mouth, and she slid her hand down to my back, pulling me into her. I chuckled against her lips, kissed her cheek, and pulled away.
“As much as I’d love to stay in this bed for the rest of the day with you, we need to get going, babe,” I said, lifting up and grabbing her hand to bring her with me. “Rain check?”
“We’re going to be together for a week without my parents, I’m guessing there will be many rain checks,” she said, running her hands through her hair.
I was trying to take it slow with her, but she wasn’t making it easy. She’d sneak into my bedroom late at night and torture me until I couldn’t resist. The feel of her skin was intoxicating, leaving me with a hangover every morning, and the taste of her lips drove me wild. But we still hadn’t had sex. We’d been close a few times, and she’d get pissed when I’d pull away, but I wasn’t going to let our first time be a quickie while we worried about being caught.
At first, I was terrified that her parents would find out and throw my ass out onto the streets, but I had a feeling they knew what was going on. Sometimes Tessa would fall asleep, and we’d end up in each other’s beds the next morning, but they never said anything.
“I still don’t get why I’m not allowed to go,” I heard Derrick say when we reached the bottom stair, bags in tow. He and Tessa’s parents were both standing in the entryway waiting for us.
“When you’re older, then come talk to us,” Darryl said. “Until then, you’re not going anywhere without adult supervision.”
“Dawson’s an adult. He can be my chaperone,” he argued, looking at me for help. I loved the guy, but there was no way I was playing babysitter on this trip.
“Yeah, not happening,” Tessa said, breaking his heart for me and ruffling her hand through this hair. “Let me know how much you want me hanging around when you have a girlfriend.”
“A girlfriend? He already has two,” I said. Derrick’s eyes got wide, and he flipped me off.
Their parents laughed and Tessa eyed me skeptically. “I knew you were going to be a bad influence on him,” she joked, her eyes turning back to her brother. “You keep following this guy’s advice, you’re in for a bad ride.”
“What?” I asked, feigning innocence. “I give kickass girl advice. I landed you, didn’t I?”
“That was just luck,” she replied, shaking her head, and I winked.
“He really does,” Derrick said, jumping to my defense.
“The fact that he has two girlfriends states otherwise,” she said.
“Do you have everything you need?” Darryl asked.
We nodded. “Yep,” Tessa chirped. “The GPS is in my car, and I also brought a few maps, so we should be good to go.”
“Maps?” Derrick asked. “Do people even know how to read those things anymore?” He looked over at her. “Do you even know how to read one?”
“I’m sure it can’t be that hard,” she replied. “If the GPS dies, or the car gets stolen, we’ll know where we’re going.”
“Riiiiight,” he drew, and she rolled her eyes at him. “I’d think if someone is stealing the car, they’d probably take your bags too,” he pointed out and Tessa glared at him.
I’d been staying with the Bensons’ for almost four months, and I hadn’t heard from my mom once. I didn’t go back to get the remainder of my things and she’d shut my phone off. Luckily, I was old enough to start my own plan. I still kept up with my guys’ days with Derrick, even though I saw him everyday. We’d go play ball, see a movie, or get something to eat. He’d tell me about school and usually ask me for girl advice, hence how I knew about the two girlfriends. It made me feel good that he was confiding in me.
They followed us outside. “You kids be safe,” her mom said. “Keep us updated every few hours and let us know when you’ve made it there. If you start to get tired, don’t push it, stop at a hotel and get some rest. You have all week to get there.”
We nodded, telling them goodbye, and giving hugs before I tossed our bags into her car.
“I can’t believe this is our senior spring break,” Tessa said, snapping her seatbelt across her body. “This is definitely not how I’d imagined it.”
I shook my head in agreement and grabbed my sunglasses from the visor. There was no way in hell I would’ve thought I’d be dating Tessa and we’d be heading off to Florida alone. Damn, things had really changed.
“Are you excited?” I asked, twisting the keys in the ignition and starting to head down the road.
“Yes and no,” she answered, sinking back into her seat, and I felt the mood shifting.
“No?” I asked. “Why no?”
“I’m nervous,” she said, her voice trailing like she was lost in thought. We’d been talking about this trip for the past month, and she’d never mentioned being nervous.
“Baby, you have nothing to be nervous about,” I said.
“Daisy has this new life,” she said timidly.
Daisy was still living in Atlanta, but they talked on the phone a few times a week. Tessa had nothing to worry about, but I could also understand why she was worried. She didn’t have very many girlfriends. In fact, she didn’t have any in our town anymore. I’d tried getting her to join clubs, but she didn’t want to be around the people who’d threatened and turned their back on her after the party incident. I didn’t blame her. She tried to play a front like it didn’t affect her much, but I knew she couldn’t be okay with hanging out with me and the boys all the time.
“What’s wrong with that? You’ve got a pretty good new life, too. You both have changed,” I said.
“I’m scared there’s no room for me now. She has all of these new friends, and I’m just sitting here with nobody.”
“You have me,” I said, merging onto the interstate and picking up a steady speed.
“Boyfriends don’t count.”
“Oh baby, I beg to differ,” I said, winking. “I’d like to think we count for a lot.”
“Anyways,” she drew, wanting to keep the conversation serious. “I don’t know if she’s going to be like the old Daisy. I know I’m not exactly how I was before. Her new boyfriend is the complete opposite of Tanner. I mean, the complete and total opposite.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing.”
“He’s the son of a porn star or something and basically lives in a mansion by himself. What if I’m not interesting enough for her? I’m this small town girl from Indiana and now she’s hanging out with all of these rich kids from a big city whose parents have sex for a living.”
“Daisy will always be your best friend. Sure, she has some new friends, but you’ve got seventeen years on them. It’s pretty damn hard for someone to compete with that.”
“I guess you’re right,” she mumbled, grabbing a bottle of water from the cooler in the back seat and a plastic bag. She set the bag on her lap and drug out smaller bags of potato chips, cookies, and candy.
“You know we’re only going to be on the road a few days,” I joked, watching her open a bag and pop a Sour Patch Kid into her mouth. She then grabbed another, leaned forward, and dropped one into mine. My mouth puckered at the sour taste before swallowing it.
“It’s a road trip. You can’t have a road trip without the necessities,” she informed me, taking a swig of water and then biting into a cookie. “With that being said, I think it’s time for a jam sessio
n.” She grabbed her iPod from the glove compartment and plugged it into the radio. Taylor Swift came streaming through the speakers, and I looked over at her grinning face as she started to sing along.
“Uh babe, I thought we were having a jam session?” I asked.
“We are,” she said, looking up at me confused. “What the hell do you think this is?” She pointed to the radio. “This,” her finger went to herself dancing goofily, “is a jam session.”
“A jam session with Taylor Swift? I’m not a twelve-year-old girl. I can’t jam out to Taylor Swift.”
“That’s awfully mean to Taylor,” she said, frowning. I kept my stare on her, and she rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she said, frowning while she changed the song.
“One Direction? Really?”
“First, I’m surprised you actually know who they are. Secondly, you said you couldn’t jam out to Taylor. One Direction are boys. You can relate.”
I snatched the iPod from her hand. “You just eat your snacks and let me be the DJ.”
She saluted me and popped another Sour Patch Kid. “Fine, but please, no honky-tonk music.”
I chuckled. I was a country music guy. “I’ll keep it main stream for you, babe.”
“Thanks, there are only so many songs I can take about Old Blue sittin’ on the front porch while a guy strums his guitar before I throw myself out the window and onto the freeway.”
I hit the playlist I’d created on her iPod and put it on the same song I’d listened to after she had her anxiety attack, Blake Shelton’s “Mine Would Be You.” Every time I heard the song, it reminded me of her. She was my favorite everything. She was every high in my life. I’d experienced the majority of my lows with her, but she brought me back up, making me feel like I was on top of the world because she loved me.
“I actually like this song,” she said, lifting her bare feet up onto the dashboard and moving her head to the beat.
“Why does it feel like we’re driving across the planet?” Tessa asked, groaning and flipping through playlists we’d already listened to a dozen times. “I’ve already finished two books on my Kindle, and I’m about to go stir crazy.” She grabbed her hair at the nape of her neck and braided the yellow strands loosely, letting it fall over her shoulder when she finished.
I honked my horn and flipped off the car edging their nose in front of me and cutting me off. The interstate was backed up with cars heading south, just like us.
“Looks like we’re almost here,” I said, pointing to the GPS screen with a blue dot in our location as it told me where to go. “And quit being so anxious, you make me anxious.”
“You get anxious when I get anxious?” she asked, looking over at me and tilting her head to the side.
“Unfortunately, my emotions seem to reflect off of yours.”
“Really?”
I nodded. I read off every emotion she felt. She’d get distressed, and I’d find myself fidgety with worry the rest of the day. My nerves would be ticking endlessly wondering what she was so uneasy about. She’s get sad, and I’d instantly get worried that it was about me or she was falling back into depression.
“Sorry, that’s probably not very fun for you.”
“Eh, not really.”
She opened her mouth to say something else, but she stopped, as her eyes got wide. I pulled up to the driveway the GPS was directing me to and drove forward. “Are all of these kids freaking loaded?” she asked, gawking at the monster of a house sitting off of the street in front of us.
I eyed the place through my windshield and parked behind an SUV sitting in front of the garage. Two large, white columns rose from the ground to the second story of the house, creating a large porch. Tall, uncovered windows made up the majority of the house, along with stucco and concrete. A massive front door sat in the middle, looking tall enough to accommodate a family of giraffes.
“Sure looks like it,” I said, moving my attention away from the house to her. She’d suddenly turned into a nervous wreck. She fiddled with her bracelet until it fit perfectly against her scars. I leaned into her, the center console hitting my side, and brushed a strand of hair from her face.
“Baby,” I said, kissing her chin. “If you feel uncomfortable or want to leave, let me know. We’ll find somewhere else to stay or go home, whatever you want.” Her full, supple lips smiled lightly. “I want this smile to stay here at all times.” The smile grew an inch, and I kissed it. “And a bikini if that’s okay.” She pushed my side and let out a tiny laugh.
“Let’s do this,” she said, grabbing all of the food on the floorboard and tossing it into a plastic bag. I waited for her to grab the door handle before getting out of the car.
My feet hit the cement at the same time the front door flew open, and Daisy came strutting down the driveway. Only a bikini covered her small frame, and a black wrap was attached to her waist. She smiled brightly as she finished her strut with a skip before reaching the car. She looked happy and that made me happy. She wasn’t the broken girl who’d taken off because she couldn’t handle the real world anymore.
I spotted the guy who’d taken her to the hospital hot on her heels and checking her ass out in the process. He loved her, I was sure of it. I’d apologized for my asshole behavior when Tessa visited her on Christmas, but I still felt bad.
I grabbed our bags, feeling the humid and sweltering weather as I set them down onto the ground, and Tessa circled around the car.
“Hey guys,” Daisy greeted, her hands resting on her hips. “How was the drive?”
“Traffic sucked,” Tessa complained, joining us. “But we had plenty of Taylor Swift to keep us trekking.”
The guy behind Daisy laughed. “I feel for you, bro,” he said, shaking his head.
Daisy pulled Tessa into a tight hug. “I’m so glad you guys came,” she said.
“Us, too,” Tessa replied, she released Daisy and scooted to my side, like I was her personal security blanket.
“And this is Keegan,” Daisy said, pointing to the guy before whipping her finger to face me. “Oh wait, you guys have already met, but I figured a formal introduction might be necessary, but with no punches, please and thank you.”
“She’s a troublemaker,” the guy said, chuckling as he wrapped his arms around Daisy’s waist. Tessa was right. He was the complete opposite of Tanner. His dark hair was covered in a baseball cap, and I noticed a tattoo on his side.
He grabbed Tessa’s hand, shaking it, before doing the same with me. “It’s nice to finally meet you guys,” he said, looking at me “Sorry about that shit at the hospital. We’d had a long and stressful drive. I think everyone was on edge.”
I shook my head. “No worries, I would’ve done the same. I was being an ass, and you probably should’ve punched me for it.” Shit, I wanted to punch myself for it. I didn’t like to act like an asshole to girls. I wasn’t into that shit.
“You had every right to be,” Daisy said, coming to my defense and blinking up through the bright sun. “I handled the situation badly. I was a being selfish brat.”
“Uh no, he doesn’t have any right to let his asshole tendencies come out,” Tessa argued. She wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head in the crook of my neck. She wasn’t pissed at me anymore, but she still wanted to make her point.
Daisy eyed us, raising a brow, as a smile spread across her face. I knew she wasn’t going to be against me dating Tessa. She’d be Team Dawson all the way.
“Come on, girl,” she said, grabbing Tessa’s arm and pulling her away from my hold. Keegan stepped forward, grabbed a few bags while I grabbed the others, and we trailed behind the girls to the house. “I’ve got people I want you to meet.”
I sucked in a breath watching Tessa’s pace slow and she looked back at me with apprehension. Tessa didn’t like meeting new people. She was just learning to adapt around the people she was close with, she needed some extra time before making new friends. I nodded, letting her know she’d be fine, and she nodded back.<
br />
We walked through the front door, then a large foyer, and stopped in the living room to find three people sprawled out across a couch. A girl was tucked at the end and focusing on the phone in her hand. The other was laughing, as she lay halfway on top of a guy. The girl in the corner screeched when she noticed us, jumped up from the couch, and grabbed the other girl’s hand, pulling her off the guy’s lap.
“Fuck Gabby, forewarn a guy before you do that shit,” the guy said, grunting and holding his gut.
The girl laughed as she drug the other one up to us as the guy raised up, ran his hands down his swimming trunks, and shook his head.
“This is my friend, Gabby,” Daisy said, pointing to the short, tan girl who had been sitting by herself on the couch. “And this is Cora,” she added, pointing to the other, red-haired girl.
“And this is my boyfriend, Lane,” Cora said. The guy scratched his head and raised his chin our way.
“I’m Dawson, and this is Tessa,” I said, talking for both of us. Tessa wasn’t weak, but I was helping her out and putting less stress on her.
“Are you guys dating?” Gabby asked, her eyes skimming down me. “Because girl, he is fine.”
Tessa laughed as she nodded. My hand reached out to grab hers, and I squeezed it tight.
“I knew it,” Daisy shouted, jumping into the air and pointing at us. “Although, I’m a little mad you kept it from me for so long.”
“He’s living with me,” Tessa pointed out, like it was obvious.
When I’d first moved in, I’d planned on getting my own place as soon as I saved up enough money. I’d felt like a bum living with my girlfriend’s parents, but now, it felt like home.
“And sneaking into your bedroom at night?” Gabby asked.
“Leave her alone, Gabby,” Cora warned. “You’re going to scare her off.” She looked at us. “Sorry guys, she doesn’t have a filter.” Gabby smirked proudly. “Let me show you your room. I’m sure you guys want to get settled.”
Revive Me Page 24
