Summer Love (Senior Year (Vol. 1))

by Marysue Hobika

  “Okay, who needs a ride?” Several people called out all at once. I looked at Gavin and he nodded. “We’ll do it in shifts. We can drive three at a time. Once those three are safe, we’ll come back and get three more until no one is left.”

  It took us five trips to transport everyone who needed safe passage home. It was really late and I was physically and emotionally drained when Gavin pulled into my driveway and parked.

  I leaned over and looked him in the eyes. “Thank you, for everything. I couldn’t have gotten through this night without you.”

  “You were awesome.” He brushed the hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear. “You were so brave and so sure of yourself, standing up for what you believe in. Your friends are lucky to have you. You’re so different from the girl I first met in chemistry.” He took a breath. “I’m so sorry about your mom. Her death was tragic and senseless. I didn’t know.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. I should’ve told you. I thought you might have heard it at school. Everyone pretty much knows about it. It was a long time ago, though. My dad has always protected us from it. He only ever focuses on how much my mom loved us. That’s why I don’t talk about how she died.” I paused, gathering my thoughts. “However, I realized something important tonight. I do need to talk about it. I need to take action so that other innocent people don’t suffer the same fate. No one should ever drink and drive. We have that rule in our house. If one of us is in trouble, we call someone to come and get us—no questions asked. That’s why Becca called me tonight. It makes sense that Brady would have the same rule in his house too. I’m still not sure if it was necessary for him to throw his keys in the lake,” a faint smile broke across my lips, “but I understand why he did it. I know some schools have a SADD chapter, but our school doesn’t, and it should. I’m going to see what I need to do to set one up. I can’t bring my mom back, but maybe I can save someone else’s mom.”

  Gavin gently ran his fingertips along my jaw. “You’re beautiful, Girly,” he said.

  “Thank you.”

  Gavin walked me to the door. It was really late and Drew was home, so he didn’t come in. Holding my face in his hands, he dipped his head and gently kissed my lips. It was a long, passionate kiss. Tonight had brought us closer together. My heart belonged to Gavin and always would. I breathed a sigh as his mouth trailed down my neck, branding me. He moved his lips back to mine and we shared another earth shattering kiss before he pulled away.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, walking to the car.

  “Night,” I said.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Gavin

  Nate was standing at the kitchen counter, cracking eggs into a bowl when I entered through the back door. Breakfast food was his preferred late-night snack. “Some night, huh?” he commented.

  “Yeah, it was fucking crazy.”

  “Did you know about Carly’s mom?” Nate asked.

  “No,” I said, sitting down at the counter across from where he was cooking.

  “You want some? I’m making more than enough.”

  “Sure.” I remembered that the last time Nate offered me eggs was before our dad moved out. Nate and I were best friends then. We used to talk about girls, parties, and school. It was amazing how my parents’ divorce changed everything, even though they both promised it wouldn’t. Nate and I were getting back on track, but it wasn’t like it was back then, and I didn’t know if it ever would be.

  Nate dumped the eggs on two plates and added two slices of toast to each. He passed one to me and sat down on an empty stool.

  “Did you know Brady’s uncle was involved and that’s why he had it out for Carly?” I asked, returning to our conversation.

  “No. I’d been trying to figure out Brady’s problem for weeks. All the other guys had liked Carly right from the beginning, but he was always giving her a hard time. There’s no way I’d ever see that coming.”

  “Nobody could. Not even Carly. I think Brady kept that locked up for a long time,” I sighed. Tonight, I witnessed firsthand the damage caused by keeping your feelings bottled up inside.

  We ate in silence for several minutes, each starring down into our plates. I was the first to speak. “I’ve been trying to come up with a plan to get Carly to rejoin Karma. Now that Brady isn’t a problem anymore, she might go for it.”

  Carly missed Karma, even though she’d never directly admitted it. It was painful to watch her cut music out of her life on a daily basis, as if the reminder of what happened on stage and the conflict with Brady hurt too much. Her constant humming ceased, which told me she was aching on the inside. I loved her, which meant her pain was my pain. I even noticed that when she rode in the car, she’d switch off the radio. She wasn’t interested in asking me about my recent adds to my iPod. Whenever the topic of music came up, sadness crept into her eyes. I would do anything to make that look and those feelings go away.

  “I have an idea,” Nate said. “Can you bring her over to Ed’s garage tomorrow night around seven?”

  “Sure.”

  “Excellent,” Nate said, cracking a smile between egg slurps.

  Tonight Nate and I reached a milestone. We shared eggs like old times and came up with a plan to get Carly back in the band, putting me in a good mood. I contemplated asking Nate about our new sister. I knew he’d already seen her a couple of times, and I was beginning to get curious about her. I searched for the words, but then I chickened out like a big pussy, deciding I’d had enough excitement for one night.

  “Thanks for the eggs, Nate.” I slapped him on the back and got up to rinse my plate.

  “Dude, what the fuck … I cooked. You gotta clean my shit up too.” He handed me his empty plate. That was the rule—when we sat down together as a family to eat, the cook received a cleanup pass.

  Nate stood. “See you tomorrow, bro. Remember, Ed’s garage, seven o’clock.”

  “Got it.” I loaded the dishes and washed the frying pan before heading upstairs to crash.

  ***

  Unfortunately, I had to borrow my mom’s car again, with the plan to pick Carly up at 6:45 p.m. My goal was to have my own car by the end of the summer. With the money I’d made tutoring and at Trader Joe’s, I’d have enough to buy a cheap whip. I was tired of always depending on my mom.

  I wasn’t supposed to tell Carly where I was taking her, which proved to be difficult. She pestered me as I waited for her to finish getting ready. I wouldn’t answer, and she was getting frustrated. When we were set to leave, I pulled her against me, staring into her deep brown eyes. “Do you trust me?”

  “Of course I trust you, Gavin.”

  “Perfect,” I replied. “I think it will make you happy.” If it didn’t, I was fucked. But as they say, there was no shame in trying, and I definitely condone that statement based on my relationship with Carly.

  “Okay,” she nodded.

  “It might be better if you put this on,” I said, pulling out a bandanna. If I didn’t blindfold her, she’d easily recognize the way to Ed’s house.

  “It was a good surprise the last time.” She turned her back to me and I tied it over her eyes.

  Fifteen minutes later we pulled into Ed’s driveway. I walked around and opened the car door for her. “Can you guess where we are?” The air was thick with humidity and the sound of a guitar blended with a mass of muffled voices.

  “Yes,” she said. A smile lit up her face.

  “Where?”

  “Ed’s.”

  “Yes. Are you okay with that?” I asked, removing the bandanna and looking into her dark brown eyes.

  “Are you going to stay?” She was worrying her lip between her teeth again.

  “I was planning on it. Unless you don’t want me to.”

  “I want you to stay. I do better when you’re by my side.”

  “Then I’m not going anywhere. Ever.”

  I grabbed her waist and pulled her close. Pushing her up against the car, I felt the same sexual rush I�
�d felt both in the kitchen and the pool. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I momentarily forgot why we were here. Truth be told, I wished we were in my bedroom. I licked her bottom lip that she was always biting, and ran my tongue across the front of her teeth, sliding my tongue in her mouth. She moved her hands down my back, sending heat surges through my body, especially my cock, which I was sure she felt. I honestly didn’t care, but remembering we were in Ed’s driveway, I decided it was best to separate. If those guys walked out of the garage and saw me standing there with a massive boner, they’d never let me live it down. (Mostly because they’d be jealous.) Not that I really cared if they saw, but I didn’t want to embarrass Carly. I must’ve inherited a sixth sense because not thirty seconds after pulling away, I heard the voices in the garage grow louder.

  “You ready, Girly?”

  “Yeah,” she said. “And afterward, I’m ready for something else.” Did my ears deceive me, or was Carly hinting at the fact that she was ready to have sex? Either way, this was her night, and I was glad to play second fiddle at her party.

  “Okay, let’s do this.” I grabbed her hand and led her toward the garage.

  “Wait, I don’t have my violin.” Sudden panic flashed across her face as she tugged on my hand, pulling us in the opposite direction.

  I grinned. “Don’t worry. I have it under control.” I walked her back to the trunk, popped it open, and revealed that it was safely tucked inside.

  “How’d you do that?” she asked, looking at me like I was a magician.

  “Drew,” we answered at the same time.

  Drew and I bonded the night I helped him dispose of Gillian and Marlena, so when I needed him to do me this favor, he came through.

  She reached in and lovingly grabbed the case. I could see the calm and confidence it brought her. I knew then that everything would be fine.

  I tapped on the garage door and pushed it open. A sense of déjà vu washed over me. I quickly pressed the pause button and told myself that tonight wouldn’t be like the last time. I believed in Carly and her talents. There would be no reason to act like a jerk tonight. When we walked in, the garage erupted in cheers. Carly’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. Seeing her reaction already made this night memorable. With that in mind, we still had one obstacle to overcome.

  Brady tentatively approached. “Carly, I owe you an apology. I … I’m sorry … I was a complete asshole to you. There’s no excuse for how I treated you.” He had a hard time looking Carly in the eyes. She reached out and lightly touched his arm.

  “I know.”

  He cleared his throat and looked around the room where the guys were obviously waiting for him to say more. “We’d love it if you’d reconsider and join us again. We’ve all missed you. Karma hasn’t been the same without you. You are Karma.”

  “Fuck, yeah!” Ed yelled from across the room, punctuating his sentiment with a signature cymbal crash. Carly burst out laughing, and the sweet sound filled the air, erasing any lingering tension. Her laugh was contagious and soon everyone was cracking up.

  “Is that a yes?” Nate asked.

  The room was still and everyone’s focus shifted to Carly. I knew she didn’t like this much pressure, but the night hinged on her acceptance of Brady’s offer.

  “Yes,” she beamed.

  Connor was the first to run over and gave Carly a quick, friendly squeeze. “Glad you’re back. We really did miss you. Quality hasn’t been the same since you left.”

  “I’ve missed you guys too.”

  Everyone took a turn giving Carly a hug. I thought maybe I imagined it, but it seemed to me that Nate held on to her a little longer than anyone else, which reminded me of the talk I needed to have with him. The one where I set him straight about keeping his roaming eyes and hands to himself. Carly didn’t seem to notice anything weird in his behavior, though, and went to get her fiddle. She walked by me on the way, reaching up on her tiptoes and planting a kiss on my lips.

  “You were right. I did like this surprise. Thank you, Gavin.”

  “You’re welcome, Girly.” I kissed her on the forehead and then sent her on her way. The guys were anxiously waiting to start their set. Carly rushed around and finally took her position on the makeshift stage next to Nate. I made myself comfortable on one of the worn couches to watch.

  “Okay, everyone. Time to get serious,” said Ed, clanging the cymbal. That guy and his fucking cymbal. Sometimes I wanted to shove it somewhere else. I didn’t know how anyone took Ed serious when he was always doing that. He stopped the cymbal from vibrating and continued. “The Summer Jam Contest is only three weeks away and we’ve got our work cut out. Everyone ready to rock?”

  The unanimous response was yes. They started right in.

  They practiced for over two hours. I didn’t know what happened the night of the concert because I wasn’t there, but tonight, Carly possessed all the confidence in the world. Her voice was strong and beautiful, never once wavering. When she played the violin, or as she liked to call it now, the fiddle, it was as if it were a part of her. I watched the faces of the guys and saw them each fall a little bit in love with Carly. Her music, like her personality, did that to people. She was like a siren, casting a magical spell on those around her. The funny part was, I didn’t think she realized the power she had.

  After Karma had finished for the night, I drove Carly home. Like any gentlemen would do, and certainly a guy in love, I walked her to the door. What I didn’t know was that this wasn’t like any other time I’d walked her to the door. This time, her dad was back from his latest business trip and she invited me in to meet him. Nervously, I brushed the hair out of my face. What would he think of me if he found out that I’d spent the night on his couch once with his daughter because she didn’t like to be alone when he was out of town? More importantly, what would he think of me if he knew I’d been engaging in sexual endeavors with his daughter?

  Carly opened the kitchen door and made her way through the house to the office where her dad was busy on his computer. She knocked lightly on the glass of the French doors and then pushed her way in. Her dad smiled when he looked up and saw her, then frowned when he noticed that she was holding my hand. But I didn’t let go. I wanted everyone to know Carly was mine, including her dad.

  “Hi, Dad,” she said. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

  Without getting up, her dad studied me. I could feel his sharp disapproval in my gut. I tried to see myself through his eyes. I probably looked like a punk to him with my shaggy hair, torn jeans, and black T-shirt. The edge of my tat was even showing. I didn’t look like the clean-cut boy he probably wanted his daughter to date. After what felt like an eternity, but in reality was only a second, he said, “Nice to meet you. I’m Mr. DeWitt.”

  I reached my hand out to greet him, “I’m Gavin. Nice you meet you,” I said.

  “So, you’re the one dating my daughter?”

  “Yes,” I replied, brushing the hair out of my eyes again. Even sitting down, he looked like a big dude. I could see where Drew had inherited his build.

  Carly jumped in. “Dad. Gavin and I were lab partners last year.” I could tell he was having an internal war, but without hesitation, the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. It was evident that Carly had him under her spell, just like she had me eating out of the palms of her hands.

  “I have good news,” she beamed.

  “You do?” said Mr. DeWitt.

  “Yeah. I’m back in the band.”

  He looked pleased. “That’s wonderful. I know you’ve missed it. It’s been too quiet around here.”

  “Gavin helped me change my mind.”

  Mr. DeWitt gave me a second look, more thorough this time. “Good,” he nodded his head in approval. “Does this also mean you’ve changed your mind about canceling your senior recital?” He asked Carly.

  “Yeah, but it’s too late. I’m sure the café is no longer available.”

  The corners of Mr. De
Witt’s mouth turned up. “I never canceled. I held out, hoping you’d change your mind.”

  Carly hugged her dad. “You’re the best.”

  “I try.”

  “We’re going to hang out and watch a movie. Is that okay?”

  He nodded.

  “Thanks. Glad you’re home.” Carly kissed her dad on the head and skipped out of the room, dragging me along with her.

  I flopped on the couch next to Carly and let out a sigh. “That was awkward,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

  “My dad is cool. I know he looks intimidating, but he’s really a giant cupcake,” she said.

  I chuckled. I remembered her calling Drew a giant teddy bear. Like father, like son, I guess.

  “What is a senior recital? I heard your dad mention it.”

  She explained what it was. It reminded me of a portfolio that an artist would have. However, I didn’t have one, because art wasn’t my major. Drawing was my hobby. She also confided that Connor was helping her compose a song and they’d met a couple of times to collaborate.

  I stayed just long enough to watch a movie, and made damn sure to keep Carly at a safe distance I thought her dad would approve of. After the movie, she walked me to the back door where we bumped into Drew.

  “Hey. How’d it go tonight?” he asked, smirking.

  “Great,” she smiled, her face radiant. “I know you had something to do with it.”

  “All I did was sneak your violin into Gavin’s car,” he said.

  “Well, thanks.” She hugged him.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “What did you do tonight?” she asked.

  “Not much. Lucas and I played Xbox. I crushed him.”

  “Nice,” said Gavin.

  “Hey, I’m glad you’re still here. I wanted to ask you if you were free to play a pickup game at the park tomorrow. We’re one short.” He’d asked me once or twice before, hinting at the fact that I’d be a great addition to the team next year. Actually, the more I hung out with Drew and his friends, the more I liked the idea, but I still wasn’t ready to commit.