“Wish I could, but I can’t. I’m tutoring in the morning, and then working an eight-hour shift. Next time?”
“No problem. I’ll get you out there one of these days.” Drew bumped my fist.
“I should go,” I said, turning toward Carly. “It’s getting late and I don’t want to piss off your dad.” This fucking guy was definitely cockblocking me at this point. His mere presence was enough to stop my hands and dick from exploring Carly’s body.
“I told you, he’s a giant cupcake,” Carly repeated.
Seeing the look on my face, Drew said, “Yeah, you should probably go.”
I knew he wasn’t a cupcake. More like a protective father who would kick my ass up and down the street if I touched or hurt his daughter.
“Drew …” pouted Carly.
“What? It’s true. Don’t think for a second that Dad wouldn’t have tried to kill him if he’d been the one to find you guys on the couch.” Drew laughed, and Carly reached around to slap him.
“Let it go already,” she fumed.
“I can’t. It’s too damn funny.” He stood. “I’m calling it a night. Catch you guys tomorrow,” Drew said, leaving us alone.
I gave Carly a quick kiss goodnight and then left.
Chapter Nineteen
Carly
Summer was flying by. It was already the last week of July. When I wasn’t sunning with Becca at the pool, or hanging out with Gavin, I was practicing with the band. Once again jamming on purplicious. We practiced every night and with only one week remaining until the Summer Jam, we had to be at our best. Actually, we were all confident that we had a shot at winning the whole thing. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself, but our sound was different from what everyone else was playing. I was nervous as hell, but I knew I wouldn’t crash and burn like the night we performed at the party. I wasn’t that girl anymore.
“That’s a wrap,” shouted Ed, hitting the drum after an amazing session.
We always ended practice by 9:30 sharp. His parents threatened to not let us use the garage if we so much as went a minute past. Ed said the neighbors were beginning to complain. He always joked that someday in the near future, his neighbors would be able to brag to all their friends how they’d once lived next door to a famous drummer.
I finished packing my stuff and pulled out my phone to text Drew. He was picking me up tonight. Usually Gavin did, but his mom needed her car, and he an early morning appointment to visit a college. We made plans to see each other tomorrow instead. I sighed as I carefully put purplicious in its case. I missed Gavin already. Most nights we hung out after rehearsal.
My phone buzzed and I read Drew’s text, my anger bubbling. I wanted to throw the phone against the wall. I’m going to kill him for this. Something had come up and he wasn’t coming to get me. That something probably had a name.
“Hey, Nathan … do you know if Becca’s on her way?” I asked. She wouldn’t mind giving me a ride home. I was surprised she wasn’t already here. She came to almost all of our rehearsals.
“She’s not coming. She just sent me a text saying that she got too much sun at the pool today.” I must’ve reminded her three or four times today to reapply sunscreen. He held up his phone, showing me the picture she’d sent him of her burn.
“Ouch! I kept telling her she’d had enough,” I said, stifling a laugh.
Suddenly, my face fell. If Becca wasn’t coming, there went my backup plan. I was stranded with no ride home.
“Is everything okay?” Nate asked.
“Yeah,” I shrugged. I didn’t want to bother him. I’d figure something out. Too bad Connor had already left. I could have asked him for a ride. We could’ve talked shop. I had a new idea I wanted to run by him.
“Where’s Gavin? Isn’t he picking you up tonight?” Nate asked.
“No. Your mom needed her car. Drew was supposed to, but he can’t make it. I was going to—”
“Walk home?” He raised his eyebrows. “You live miles from here and it’s dark.”
His over protectiveness was sweet. “No,” I reassured him, “I’m going to call Gavin to see if he’d mind if I walked over and hung out until either Drew could pick me, or his mom returned with her car.
“I’ll give you a ride. Gavin and I live at the same address, remember?” he said with a laugh.
“Sure, that’d be great. I’ll let Gavin know I’m on my way over.” I pulled my phone out.
“No, don’t do that,” Nate said, grabbing my arm. “Surprise him.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, tucking it back into my pocket, a little confused by Nate’s tactics. “Are you sure you don’t mind? Did you have plans to go out with the guys tonight?”
“I had plans with Becca, but those fell through. I was just going to go home and chill.”
“Okay. Thanks.” I grabbed my case and followed Nate to the car.
As soon as I climbed into the passenger seat and closed the door, Nate began talking. “I’ve been meaning to tell you how happy I am that you’re back with the band and how talented I think you are.”
“Thanks,” I said, feeling my cheeks warm.
“What you do on the fiddle is hot.”
Assuming he was just teasing me like he always did, I turned to give a witty comeback, but the look on his face stopped me. He was staring at me like he wanted to be more than friends. I shook my head, thinking I had to have it wrong.
“I like the new-age country thing you got going on, with the cowboy boots, skimpy sundresses, and big straw hat. You’re really rocking it.”
“Thanks,” I said, feeling awkward.
“I can’t get the sound of your voice and new look out of my mind. You’re all I think about.” Before his words even registered, he was on me, kissing me hard on the mouth, tongue thrusting.
I didn’t know what to do. I was completely shocked. I did the only thing I could. I didn’t kiss him back. I put both my hands on his chest and shoved him hard until he stopped. I thought I was going to be sick. Nate was Gavin’s brother, and not to mention, my best friend’s boyfriend.
“What the hell was that, Nate?” I said, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “I trusted you.” I felt like bursting into tears. How am I going to explain to Gavin that his own brother tried to get with me?
Nate slid back into the driver’s seat. “I’m sorry.” He rubbed his hand across his forehead. “Your music is like a drug—it makes me think and do crazy things. It consumes me. I know it’s not an excuse, but it’s true. I’ve felt this way ever since you auditioned.”
“Are you high?” I said. I’d never seen Nate do drugs, but right now, I thought he was experiencing a bad trip.
“No!” he said, anger in his voice.
“Then how could you do that to me? I’m dating your brother! Remember him? He’s going to be pissed when he finds out that you kissed me.” My hand was on the door handle and I was ready to bolt. I didn’t even want to look at Nate again.
“You’re not seriously planning on telling him, are you?” he said, looking like he finally regretted what he’d done.
“I have to tell him. Becca too. She’s my best friend and I’d never keep something like this from her.” I wasn’t looking forward to either of those conversations. It was going to be difficult to find the words to explain something like this. “God, what were you thinking?” I let go of the handle as the enormity of the situation hit me. What if they think it was my fault? Could I lose one of them? Or possibly both? We sat in silence for a minute, my heart pounding loudly in my chest.
“Okay. How about this … I’ll tell them both, since it was my fault, but not until after the Summer Jam. It’s only a week away and I don’t want my fuck-up to get in the way of everything we’ve all worked so hard for. It wouldn’t be fair to the guys.”
“I think we should tell them now,” I argued. I couldn’t imagine living with this secret for a whole week. I’d be sick to my stomach. Plus, how was I supposed to look either of them in the eye,
knowing I was keeping this from them?
“No. I’m taking you home. Gavin’s not expecting you anyway. You should sleep on it. I’ll call you tomorrow and you can let me know what you’ve decided. If you still want to tell them in the morning, you can. I won’t stop you.”
I couldn’t really see any harm in thinking it over for the night. It would give me a chance to plan out what I would say. “Okay,” I agreed, reluctantly.
As soon as Nate pulled into my driveway, I jumped out of the car. I ran up to my room and climbed into bed. I didn’t even bother to wash my face or brush my teeth. I tossed and turned all night. I didn’t know what to do. On one hand, I wanted to tell Gavin and Becca right away. But on the other hand, I could see putting it off. I really wanted to win the Summer Jam Contest. It was my one opportunity to prove to myself that I had changed, and that I could perform in front of a crowd without panicking. My voice was unique, strong, and the fiddle was a part of me like never before. I couldn’t wait to show the world what I could do, what Karma could do. It wasn’t my fault Nathan was a jackass.
By morning, I’d convinced myself to wait. I hadn’t kissed him back and there was no way he’d ever try anything like that again. I shivered, remembering how awful it had been. It felt creepy, like being kissed by my own brother. I loved Gavin and I didn’t like the idea of keeping this from him, even if it was only a week. I hoped he’d understand why we hadn’t told him sooner. I refused to even consider the possibility that I might lose him. Becca and I had been friends forever, so I was sure if anyone would understand why we waited, it would be her.
Chapter Twenty
Gavin
I was in the passenger’s seat of my mom’s car, gazing out the window. We were on our way home from visiting the University of Buffalo and D’Youville College. They both had good pre-med programs, but were as different as day and night. The University at Buffalo was a huge campus with thousands of students. It was a public university and more affordable. D’Youville had an intimate setting and small class sizes. It had a price tag to match. Financial assistance may or may not be an option. Even though I wasn’t about to take money from my parents, they made too much money for me to receive aid. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I wanted the price of the public university with a private school setting.
“Gavin, you’ve been so quiet. Tell me what you thought of the schools. Which did you like better?”
“College is so fuckin’ expensive.”
“Gavin, watch your mouth.” My mom looked pissed. She hated foul language.
“I thought it was appropriate in this situation.”
“You don’t need to worry about money.” She reached over and patted my knee. “All you need to worry about is getting good grades. The rest is my job.”
I faced my mom. “I’m paying, or I’m not going.”
“Be serious, Gavin.” My mom gripped the steering wheel tightly. “No one expects you to do it on your own. Your dad and I are more than willing to help out too.”
“I’m not taking a dime from that bastard, and I’m not about to burden you. I’ll take out loans if I need to.” My voice filled with determination. I knew my dad could more than afford to send me anywhere. He was an orthopedic surgeon and was swimming in cash. And my mom was a pediatrician. She didn’t make a ton of money, but she did okay. But I refused to take money from either of them.
She took her eyes off the road for a second and threw me a look. “I’m not going to argue with you about this right now. We’re your parents and that’s not going to change. Just because your dad and I aren’t together doesn’t mean we’ve stopped taking care of you. We’ll figure this out. College is a big decision. It affects the rest of your life.”
“I know.” I wasn’t about to carry guilt around if I let either of them help me, which is what would happen. I’d go to college, but it would be on my own terms and with my own money. My mind was made up.
“Don’t forget these schools aren’t your only choices,” My mom’s voice was upbeat. “Next week you’re visiting University of Rochester and St. John Fisher. Both excellent schools right in town.”
Living at home would save money. And there was Carly to consider. I’d heard her mention The Eastman School of Music. It would be great if were in the same city and not 60 miles from each other. I knew it would hurt to be far away from her. I planned to talk to her and see what she thought. College was a huge decision.
In the end, no matter what I decided, I wasn’t going to accept my parent’s help. This was my life, and I’d do it my way.
Chapter Twenty-One
Carly
Becca called to say that her body was still too crispy to hang out at the pool, so we made plans to go to lunch and start our back-to-school shopping. I couldn’t believe summer was halfway over. It felt like just yesterday we’d finished our last final and were making our way to the pool, determined to make this summer the best one ever. And it was—right up until Nate kissed me last night.
I jumped in the shower, got ready, and threw on a blue sundress. I sat at the edge of my bed to put on my cowboy boots. I picked up one, and then let it drop to the floor. Becca bought these for me. She’d stood by my side through it all—my mom dying, my dad being gone all the time, my first crush, my first recital, my first kiss. I had to tell her the truth. I pulled the boots on, promising myself I’d tell her as soon as I got in the car. I could hear Becca honking in my driveway so I grabbed my purse and rushed out.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” I asked, getting into the car. I couldn’t look Becca in the face. I kept my eyes on her shoulders and immediately noticed how red and painful they looked.
“It doesn’t hurt as much today, but last night was terrible. My skin felt like it was on fire.” She paused to hit a song on her iPod. “I felt better last night as soon as Nate sent me this song. Listen to the words. He’s so sweet. No wonder I’m madly in love with him.”
The song was “Beautiful Soul” by Jesse McCartney. It was about a boy who loved a girl because she was beautiful and promised that if she’d only give his love a chance, he’d be forever faithful and give her everything in return. I laughed inside at his ironic selection. Just last night, he kissed me. I watched her face as she listened to the words through the speakers; she really was in love with Nathan. Not the kind of love she fell in and out of, but the real kind. Her smile flooded her entire face and she seemed different. Happy. Shit! How am I supposed to tell her now?
We arrived at the mall and headed for our favorite stores. Becca noticed I was quieter than usual, but I used the excuse that I didn’t have a lot of money to spend and was too busy raiding the sales racks to talk. She laughed and helped me find a few more sundresses to add to my growing collection. My anxiety grew when Becca came out of the dressing room wearing a pair of skinny jeans and asked me what I thought. Telling her the truth about Nathan was going to be harder than telling her the jeans she was trying on made her butt look big. I sighed. I would tell her when we took a break from shopping.
Finally, we wandered toward the food court. I ordered a chicken sandwich from my favorite sub shop, but once I sat down, I realized I wasn’t hungry. I sat quietly at the table, picking at my lunch, hoping she wouldn’t notice I wasn’t actually eating it.
Becca sat across from me talking the entire time about Nathan. “I wonder if we’ll see each other every day like we do now, or if he’ll be too busy to hang out once his classes start?” She frowned, picking at her lunch. “I’ll have to scour my magazines for advice on how to keep my man happy when we’re apart.”
“I’m sure you’ll come up with something. You always do.” I should tell her now. This is my chance. I took a deep breath. “Becca?”
“Yeah?”
“I have to tell you—”
“Shit! Don’t look now, but Gillian and Marlena are here. Are they stalking us? They always show up wherever we are,” she grumbled. Great. Just what I need—another interruption. I’m trying to tell Becc
a something really important here! They are the last two people on earth I want to see. My stomach dropped to my feet.
Of course they spotted us and couldn’t resist coming over to our table. I hadn’t seen Gillian and Marlena since Drew and Gavin threw them out, and I knew they were waiting for the right moment to initiate payback. I hoped it wasn’t going to be today. I already had enough on my plate.
“What have we here?” Gillian said. She glanced at my bags and snickered. “Back-to-school shopping at the Salvation Army, huh, Carly?” Gillian knew they were my bags because Becca was almost as rich as they were, although she didn’t go rubbing it in other people’s faces. Gillian would never be caught dead wearing clothes from the stores I shopped at.
“I like to keep an open mind,” I said, not letting them get to me. I had bigger problems. This was the first time Becca had seen me speak up, and she looked pleasantly surprised.
Gillian turned to scrutinize Becca. “I see why you aren’t at the pool.” She stared at Becca’s sunburn, smiling. “You might want to buy some sunscreen while you’re out.”
“Hilarious,” retorted Becca.
I opened my mouth to defend my friend, but like always, Gillian got the last word. “We’re off to the pool now. Guess we won’t be seeing you.” They spun on their heels, blatantly proud of who they were—obnoxious bitches who thought their shit didn’t stink. I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Gillian wasn’t going to try to get back at me. They’d taken two steps when Gillian called over her shoulder, “I’ve got my eye on you, Carly. I haven’t forgotten it’s your fault that I was publicly humiliated on Facebook. I’m going to get you back for that.” She turned and walked away. I guess I was wrong. Gillian had no intentions of leaving me alone. She was just waiting until she could make the greatest impact.
I looked down at my half-eaten lunch. “I’ve lost my appetite.” I pushed my plate away. Not that I had one to begin with. My appetite wasn’t the only thing I’d lost. I’d also lost another opportunity to tell Becca the truth.
Summer Love (Senior Year (Vol. 1)) Page 18
