Blue Love : Blue Valley High — Senior Year

by Mj Fields

  “So, you know how Jade and Tommy have their six-month rule?”

  Lucas laughs. “Yeah, I hear his countdown almost daily.”

  “I think we should pick a date. That way, there’s no pressure, but we know it’s going to happen.”

  “Okay.” He chuckles. “How about tomorrow?”

  Grinning, I say, “Tomorrow, it is.”

  He peeks put of his closet, eyes wide.

  “No, seriously. Let’s pick a date.”

  “How do you just pick a date, Tessa? How will that be at all romantic or spontaneous? You know, the stuff you girls like.”

  “Better get going. My mom will be at the house soon.” I start to stand, and he rushes the bed, pulls me up, and into him.

  “What’s an acceptable amount of time, Tessa Ross?” he asks, trying not to smile.

  Scowling, I look away. “I don’t know.”

  He pushes my hair away from my face and over my ear, and totally serious, he asks, “Do you need a date?”

  I look away and nod once. “Yes, actually. I think I do.”

  He grabs my face and tilts it so I have to look at him. “What are you thinking? Honestly, I want to know.”

  “Well, lots of things. Like maybe I need to know because I’m concerned you won’t be able to wait that long for me,” I say. “Or that you actually don’t want me.”

  “How can you think I don’t want you?” Lucas asks.

  “I don’t know.” I shrug. “Maybe because I’ve offered it up on a silver platter, as you said, and you turned me down.”

  “You were drunk, baby. I don’t want you to hate me,” Lucas whispers.

  “What if I said I want you now?”

  “I would kiss you like this.” He gently takes my face again and kisses my cheek then moves down my neck and up to my ear. He sucks my earlobe for just a second then moves down my neck again, across my collarbone, and up the other side of my face to my ear. “And then I would lay you down on my bed,” Lucas whispers, stepping forward so the back of my legs hit the bed. He runs his hands down my face, my neck, my sides, and he grabs my ass firmly but gently and lifts me, putting me in the center of his bed. Then he again crawls up from the end of the bed, reaches over his head, and pulls his shirt off.

  Nothing could drown the desire stirring inside me as a shirtless Lucas, now straddling my legs, leans down and kisses me softly on the cheek and whispers, “Your shirt would be next,” as he takes one thick finger and traces from my lower lip, down my throat, between my breasts, down my belly, that cages the butterfly fury, and runs it under the waistband of my jeans.

  I don’t want him to stop, but I know, God how I know, that if this moves any further, we’ll be late.

  I grab his hand, stopping it from moving any lower. “Lucas, my mom.”

  “And then I would hear that,” he grumbles and rolls off of me and to his side. “Yeah, we need to pick a date. This is going to kill me.”

  Laughing, we both slide off opposite sides of the bed, and Lucas walks to his closet to grab his bag.

  Once on the road, I reach over to grab Lucas’s hand.

  “Baby, my dick is stone, my balls blue, and you touching me right now isn’t going to help things to change by the time we get to the farm.”

  So, we ride in silence.

  Cresting the hill, I see Mom’s car.

  “Things relaxed, or should I pass and circle around?”

  “Your mom’s car flattened my proverbial tire. We’re good.”

  Pulling into the driveway, I ask, “Any ideas of when we should, you know?”

  “I have a question first.”

  “What’s that?” I ask, parking behind the barn.

  “I think we have the kissing thing down pat, wouldn’t you say? It’s two months today. Last night, we played. My finger actually toyed with your clit.” Lucas wags his brows.

  “Ew … that’s a gross word.”

  “Say it,” Lucas eggs me on. “Say clit, baby.”

  “I will not.” I try and fail to keep a straight face as he whispers clit over and over.

  “We were fucked up. We start over now.” He lets out a frustrated breath. “Two weeks kissing.”

  “I really like kissing you.”

  His voice huskier now as he looks at me, he says, “Me, too, baby, but there are other things that I want to do to you. Other places I wanna kiss you.”

  My heart begins to beat faster. “What and where?”

  “Your tits, baby. They are the most perfect I have ever seen.”

  “Sorry, that can’t happen. I already offered, and you turned them down. They’re kind of mad at you.”

  “Please tell them I’m sorry.” Lucas grins.

  I lift my shirt, exposing my new light blue, lacey front clasp bra. “Tell them yourself.”

  “Tessa,” he growls.

  “Don’t talk to me; talk to them.”

  He reaches over, and I slap his hand away. “You better apologize to them first. They are not those kind of girls.”

  “I’m very sorry, sorrier than you can imagine, that I didn’t take you up on your offer at the lake. You’re lovely, and I want nothing more than to touch you right now, skin on skin, nothing between my hands, my mouth, and you. May I?”

  Giggling, I pull my shirt down. “They accept your apology but want you to wait until Friday.”

  “I’ll take that.” He sits back in his seat and exhales.

  Mom’s upstairs when we walk into the living room, and she yells down to us, “Tessa, Lucas, come up here, please.”

  “Good luck,” Alex says, clearly annoyed.

  Mom is screwing something into the bedroom door when we walk upstairs.

  “These are door alarms,” she says. “At night, John will turn them on, and in the morning, he will turn them off.”

  Lucas nods. “Okay, Mrs. Ross.”

  I cross my arms. “What if we have to pee in the middle of the night?”

  “Well, the alarm will go off, honey. That’s kind of the point.” Smiling tightly, she opens the door then closes it. The alarm goes off then silences. “See? No big deal, right, Lucas?”

  “No big deal, Mrs. Ross,” he agrees.

  “Tessa, your dad filled me in on the details—all of them.” Mom seriously glares at me. “Lucas, I am sorry about everything you’ve gone through, I truly am, but please remember that Tessa is my daughter, and she means the world to me.”

  “Yes, ma’am, I will.”

  “All right, then. Tessa, you’ll come with me on Wednesday nights, understand?” she asks.

  After crying on her lap, and seeing her as she once was again, she deserves my respect, so I give it to her. “Yes.”

  “I’ll see you then.” She hugs me … and I hug her back.

  After she walks down the stairs, I realize I didn’t thank her, so I hurry down the stairs.

  Alex, standing by the archway, holds up his hand to stop me. Then he holds his finger over his lips to tell me to be quiet. So, we stand and eavesdrop, as we have a million times in our lives.

  “Do you know what you’re doing?” Mom asks Dad.

  “Do any of us, Maggie?” Dad’s voice is pained.

  I peek around the corner when Dad says, “Maggie,” and I see him grab her and hug her, and she hugs him back.

  A few moments pass, and then she looks up at him. “See you Wednesday.”

  She steps back and wipes at what I assume are tears then heads to the door.

  I try to will Dad to stop her, but he doesn’t.

  He stands at the sink and watches her leave through the window.

  I walk back up the stairs, fleeing the angst that is our family, to the greatest distraction I’ve ever had, maybe even greater than music, and lean in the room, where Lucas is hanging clothes on a portable rack that Mom and Dad must have set up when they set up the cot.

  I walk in and start pulling clothes from his bag.

  I shake my head when I see it’s a pair of black boxers.


  Lucas looks over his shoulder at me, and I toss them across the hall into my room.

  “What are you doing?” Lucas asks as he hangs a gray Henley.

  “New pajamas.” I grin then whisper, “I’m going to be in your pants tonight.”

  “What did you say?” he asks, laughing.

  “Do I really need to repeat myself?” I glance down at his groin and lick my dry lips.

  “Please, don’t,” Lucas pleads.

  “Fun killer,” I joke as I turn and reach back into his bag and pull out his white hat. I step up to him and put it on his head. “The first time I saw you, this was on your head. You look so hot in white hats.”

  “I thought I was an arrogant ass?”

  “You were, sometimes still are, but you’ve always been a lot of fun to look at.”

  I reach in and grab his cologne—Drakkar—take it to my room, and spray my bed. Lucas follows me in and flops on my bed. “This is where you sleep every night, huh?”

  I nod as I straddle him like he did me.

  His eyes widen, and he whispers, “I promised your father no hands.”

  I grind against him, as he did me a while ago, and he grabs my hips. I bat them away.

  “No hands, Mr. Links.”

  He puts his hands in the air and stands up, giving me no choice but to hold on. When I feel him hardening against me, I smile.

  “Down, girl … please.”

  I slide down his body, all the way to my knees.

  He steps over me and whispers, “You’re killing me, Tessa.”

  I follow him across the hall and grab his waist. “You said down girl. I was going down.”

  He takes my hands and slides them up his abs, kisses them, and groans. “It’s going to be a long three months if I’m fighting this every day.”

  He turns and kisses the top of my head, and I see a pained look in his eyes.

  “Does it hurt?”

  He looks at me and shakes his head. “Kind of.”

  “Well, how? What’s it feel like?”

  He looks up, amused, but when he looks down at me, he tells me straight. “Like … pressure and no explosion.”

  “What does the explosion feel like?” I grin.

  “Well, for me, it’s kind of like when you have to pee really bad and you have to hold it for a long time. That’s the pressure. And then when you finally go the bathroom, that feeling times twenty. Not sure what it feels like for a girl, though.” He runs his hand through his hair. “But I’m sure you’ll let me know”

  “Deal. So, next Friday, you get these.” I point to my chest. “And I get that.” I point to his erection.

  “Tessa, are you two done up there?” Dad yells up.

  “For now.” I shrug.

  Lucas closes his eyes and shakes his head from side to side.

  And something in his amusement reminds me I’m seriously out of my league.

  “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours now?” Lucas asks.

  Without thinking, I tell him, “I’m dirty when I’m around you.”

  He looks wounded.

  “I’m sorry, Lucas. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just feel like I’m ready to burst, like I can’t get enough, like I could eat you up over and over again. I’m scared that when we do it, it’ll be great. I mean, really great.” I take his hand. “But then what? The chase is over; we’ve had sex. I’m scared of that, Lucas.”

  He hugs me. “What happens after, Tessa, is love. You told me that, and I know it will be true with you. I love you, I want you forever, and I don’t want to share you with anyone. I want to make you smile for the rest of our lives. So, love is what happens, just a deeper version of what we have now.”

  My head spins as I smile against his chest. Lucas Links, a boy with a past, with the dirty dozen, who grew up without guidance, is the sweetest boy I have ever, or will ever, meet.

  “You know, Tessa, I’m scared, too,” he whispers against my head. “I’ve been with lots of girls, and even thought I was in love once, but it was nothing like what I have with you. I’ve never felt this way, ever, about anyone, not even my parents. You want what’s best for me. You’ve even hidden your hurt to allow me to shine. And I am scared shitless that you’re going to hurt me, too. But I won’t let that happen to us. I won’t ever give you a reason to doubt how I feel.”

  I look up at him and see nothing but the truth in his green eyes. At this moment, I can say one hundred percent that I trust him with my heart.

  “I’m sorry, Lucas. I will never doubt that again.” I reach up and cup his cheek. “Not ever.”

  The hunting crew began pulling in for the normal Sunday target practice as I pull a covered casserole dish from the cupboard then preheat the oven. I look over my shoulder and see Lucas leaning against the doorjamb.

  Pushing off, he asks, “Can I help?”

  “Nope, go shoot. I’ll be out when dinner is in the oven.”

  “That’s my girl.” Lucas grins. “Cooking me dinner; that’s so hot.” He kisses my cheek and asks, “You sure?”

  “Go!” I laugh.

  When he leaves, I push up my sleeves and get to work.

  I pull the roast from the fridge and run it under water, hoping to thaw it faster and loosen the wrapping. Then I grab potatoes, peel and cube them; and slice onions, celery, and carrots. I rinse the roast again, put it in the casserole dish, season it, add the vegetables, and then top them all with garlic before putting it in the oven.

  Twenty-minute prep. Ninety minutes to perfection.

  I wash my hands then go to switch laundry.

  Looking out the back window, I watch as Kendall and Jake play with Chewy. I also see that the lawn has gotten overgrown. There won’t be many more days that mowing will be possible. It also happens to be one of my favorite thinking chores, a place where I am totally alone with my thoughts.

  After throwing on one of Lucas’s sweatshirts, I head out to the shop then check the gas. I top it off then jump on the big green machine.

  Kendall and Jake take Chewy in, because the fool loves to chase the lawnmower, and then they run out to the barn to hang out with the guys.

  In a little over an hour, the lawn is mowed, and I have had my fill of the smell of fresh cut grass. I park the mower then head inside. It smells pretty amazing in here, too.

  I pull the casserole out of the oven and set it on top of the stove, trying to think of the last time that I wasn’t a ball of nerves with worry. It’s been months.

  Mom and I are finally getting along, and Lucas is here.

  I smile, thinking how I woke up in his arms this morning, and then we went to church together. Then I smile bigger thinking of the realization that I had upstairs as we unpacked his bag.

  Sure, things would be great if Mom and Dad were back together, and maybe if I read things right when I saw their exchange earlier, it may happen. But, right now, life is good.

  I turn and see Lucas leaning against the counter, smiling at me.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Guess.”

  “Is it about me?” he asks, walking toward me.

  Always.

  “You are very full of yourself, aren’t you?”

  “Just hopeful, I guess. You didn’t answer my question.” He hugs me.

  “Yes, it was about you.”

  “Good. Can I help with anything?” he asks as he steps back.

  I turn and open the cupboard to grab the plates to set the table. “Nope. I want to take care of you tonight.”

  And I do, very much so. I’m sure it’s been so long that someone has done that for him, if ever. He truly deserves it.

  Lucas pulls himself up onto the counter and watches me set the table.

  Then I open the casserole dish and check the temperature again.

  “Done?” he asks.

  “Yeah.” I toss the oven mitt onto the counter then head to the bathroom to grab a hair tie.

  When I come back out, I walk over to him and hit play
on the boom box. Pearl Jam is on.

  I walk back to the stove, grab a knife from the butcher block, and then I begin cutting up the roast.

  “Thing’s falling apart,” Lucas says, setting his chin on my shoulder.

  I grab a piece, blow on it, then hold it up for him. He closes his mouth around my fingers and sucks gently.

  I hook my finger and turn my head to kiss his cheek.

  My body begins vibrating as he caresses my finger with his tongue. Then he releases it and turns me as “Black” begins.

  “Dance with me?”

  I link my fingers behind his neck, and he grabs my hips as we dance.

  When the song ends, I step back. “Gotta get this cut up.”

  As soon as I begin, Dad, Alex, Kendall, and Jake walk into the house.

  “Tessa, you mowed that lawn and made dinner?” Dad asks, and I nod. “Feeling guilty about something?”

  I give him apologetic eyes for what I’ve done these past few months and for what I know I will do in the future.

  After dinner, I sit on the counter and take a million pictures as Lucas and Alex do the dishes.

  “What’s the deal?” Alex asks.

  “I’m pretty sure no one will believe it when I tell them that two of the football players taking Blue Valley to the championships do dishes at home.”

  Lucas shakes his head, and Alex rolls his eyes. Then I point out that they missed a few spots.

  As I’m distracting them, Kendall and Jake are busy sneaking clean dishes from the cupboards and setting them with the dirty dishes so they had more to wash.

  Alex eventually catches on and grabs the sprayer, soaking us all.

  After I change, I come back out and again sit on the counter, taking more pictures of them soaking up the water on the floor. Then it’s business as usual for a Sunday night—Kendall and Jake shower and get dressed for bed, and I iron clothes for the next day.

  Alex brings his down, and I iron them, as well, but when Lucas sits at the table with his, and I reach out to grab them, he surprises me.

  “No, Tessa. I’ve done it myself for years. I got it.”

  I take them, anyway. “I want to.”