by A. A. Davies
“Really?” A blush flashed on her cheeks, but she didn’t move her attention off me for a single second. She was captivated by me, just like I was with her.
“Yeah.” I pulled her closer to me, our bodies so close to touching it was almost torture. “So?”
She bit down on her bottom lip, and this time instead of imagining pulling her lip from between her teeth, I placed my thumb on her chin and pulled it away. The tips of my fingers stretched into her silky soft hair, and I wished I could grab it and pull her to me, but it was too soon. Too much all at once.
I had to move one step at a time, and this was the first step of many.
“Yes,” she sighed, the word flowing on the air to me. “I’ll go out with you.”
My lips spread into the biggest grin causing my cheeks to hurt at how wide it was. “Thank fuck for that.” I pulled her toward me, closing the distance between us as I dipped down and placed a kiss on her cheek. “I think we should get out of here real quick,” I whispered in her ear. My attention moved back to Troy who was watching us with narrowed eyes. I didn’t wait for Sage’s reply before I pulled her to the passenger side of my car and opened the door for her.
I purposely walked by Troy to rub it in just that little more then slipped into the driver’s side. Nobody moved from around my car as I turned the engine back on. “Belt,” I growled at Sage, flicking mine on at the same time. “Hold tight,” I warned her, then revved the engine so much that smoke came from my tires. An opening appeared right in front of me and I didn’t waste another second to get the hell out of there.
Goosebumps Everywhere
Sage
My stomach rolled as I heard the telltale sound of his engine coming down the street. Nerves flowed through me, but they weren’t the bad kind. These were the good ones. The ones that told me whatever was happening between us would change everything. The ones that told me to take a chance on something.
His tires squealed to a stop and I shook my head with a smile on my face as I opened up the passenger door. “How many tires do you go through each month?” I asked, clicking my belt on like he always told me to.
“Dunno.” He shrugged and pulled his sunglasses down his nose, just enough to show me his eyes. “Depends how many people I have to race away from.”
I tilted my head to the side, not able to stop the small smile lifting one side of my lips. “And how often do you have to do that?”
“Only when I go to the rivals to get my girl.”
I laughed, remembering when he picked me up from school a couple of days ago. We hadn’t gone anywhere but him taking me home afterward, but it was enough to show me he wasn’t messing around. I hadn’t been sure whether he was serious about taking me out on a date, but the five-minute drive to get from my high school to my house proved more than enough.
He’d come to the school alone, knowing he wouldn’t go unnoticed. I’d never had anybody do anything like that before. The most attention I’d ever had was from my junior tutor back when I was a freshman, but even then, all he’d wanted to do was get between my legs. I hadn’t known better then, but now I did. It had been a lesson well learned; one I wouldn’t forget anytime soon.
Storm’s hand reached over and landed on my knee as he pulled away from the curb in front of my apartment building. My body wasn’t sure how to react. I went hot and cold, not knowing what temperature to finally land on, and in reaction, goosebumps spread everywhere, even behind my ears.
How could one simple touch from him have such an effect on me?
“Where are we going?” I asked as he crossed the bridge back to his side of town. I needed to distract myself from the way I was feeling, but that didn’t mean I moved my attention off his hand on my bare skin. Thalia had once again told me what to wear for this date. I hadn’t had any choice in it, but luckily, she’d picked from my wardrobe, pairing things I never would have.
I ended up with a flowing wrap around skirt that tied at my hip, and a light green tank top, paired with my faux leather jacket, and of course my trusty combat boots. I grasped the jacket tighter, hearing the crunch of the material, and cringed. I bet Storm had never worn faux leather in his entire life.
“I know a great place,” Storm said, and I turned to face him, frowning. It took several seconds for me to remember I’d asked him where we were going.
My nerves were running rampant now, but not because of him. Instead, it was because of me. What if they could smell the poor on me as soon as we walked inside the place? What if we ran into anyone he knew? Would he tell them I was from across the bridge?
My breaths came faster as he pulled up outside what could only be described as a fancy burger joint. It wasn’t much different to the one on our side of town, the only difference were the glistening windows, the clean outside, and the sports cars lined up right in front of it.
“Fuck,” Storm muttered under his breath. His attention moved out of the window. “I didn’t realize they’d be here.”
“Who?” I sat up straighter, causing his hand to move higher up my leg as the slit in my skirt opened a little more.
“My teammates.” His nostrils flared, his gaze flicking from me to the cars where people were getting out of three of them. All looked nearly as tall as Storm, wealth dripping off the clothes they wore and the way they walked.
“We can go,” I whispered, swallowing. “If you don’t want them to see me—”
“What?” His head whipped around, his hand tightening on my leg. “Why wouldn’t I want them to see you?”
“Because.” I raised a brow. “I’m not stupid, Storm.” I huffed out a breath, feeling all the insecurity bubbling up. “I’m not like them.” I waved my hand at him. “Like you.” I snorted, trying to pull back from him. “This was a bad idea.” I pulled the passenger door open and pushed out of his sleek car.
“Sage?” his voice called, but I was on a mission. I wasn’t going to stick around as he told his friends he was with someone from over the bridge. I wasn’t a charity case. I never would be a charity case.
“I’m going home,” I told him, not bothering to turn. I was overreacting, deep down I knew that, but I couldn’t stop myself. If I walked away now, then I wouldn’t get hurt. My logic seemed sound to me in that moment.
I heard footsteps behind me, a couple of deep voices shout Storm’s name, then a hand grasped my wrist, halting my escape. “Sage,” he ground out, his deep voice hitting me in places I never thought possible. “You’re not going home.”
“I am.” I didn’t turn to look at him, too afraid at what I would see in the reflection of his eyes.
“No, you’re not.” He twirled me and wrapped his arm around my waist to keep me in place. His palm smoothed on the side of my face, bringing my gaze up to meet his. “What was that?” he asked softly.
“What was what?”
“That.” He tilted his head toward his car where several people were standing, watching us in fascination. “You ran.” His dark blue eyes didn’t move their attention off me, probing for answers I wasn’t sure he wanted to hear.
“I’m not like them, Storm. I’m not like you.” My shoulders drooped as I was honest with him. I’d never been totally honest with anyone about how I was feeling, but there was something about the way he was looking at me that had the words flowing from my mouth without me even realizing. “I’ll never be like the girls at your school.”
“I don’t want the girls from my school.” He stepped closer, his chest pressing against mine. “I want you.”
My breath halted, my eyes glassing over. “I…” I wasn’t sure what to say. No one had ever been so open with me before. It was scary, but intriguing all at the same time. My brain didn’t know how to react. Should I have continued to walk away and give in before anything really started? Or should I take a leap of faith and dive head first into the unknown.
Storm bent at the knees, bringing his face level with mine as he whispered, “From the second I saw you sleeping on that bed, I
haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, Sage.” He paused, his tongue coming out to swipe at his lips. “I want you, Sage. Just you. No one else.”
I bit down on my bottom lip, my stomach churning as he groaned in response to my movement. I wasn’t even aware I was doing it until I heard his reaction. And that was all I needed to spur me on and take a chance. “Okay,” I whispered, flicking my gaze between his eyes and his lips. “On one condition.”
“Anything.” He pushed closer, his arm wrapping around my waist and holding me tight against him.
“Kiss me.”
He answered me with his lips, but not with his words. His mouth pressed against mine, soft and gentle to start with, but as I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck and pushed my fingers into his light-brown hair, he pressed harder.
His tongue swiped along my bottom lip, demanding entry, and I gave it to him. I gave him all of me. Everything fell away as our tongues danced to a beat only we could create. He branded me with one single kiss, and I knew I’d never be the same.
Not after this.
Not after him.
A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words
Sage
I looked at the picture of me and Storm, the smiles on our faces and intensity in our eyes almost too much to bear. I’d never experienced anything like it, and I wasn’t sure I ever would again. Thalia had snapped it when Storm had taken us to one of the Lakemere Prep parties last weekend. She said we looked like we were obsessed with each other, and I had to agree. There was just something about Storm that had me enraptured with everything he did.
It had only been ten days since our first date, but we’d been almost inseparable since then. I’d met most of his teammates, and not one of them cared that I was from the other side of the bridge. Maybe my insecurities were all inside my head?
I shrugged at myself, not caring. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought about us. What mattered was what we thought.
“Sage?” Mom shouted, and I squealed, scared that she’d see what I was looking at and ask questions. “Dinner is here.”
There was a time when I shared everything with my mom, but over the last couple of years, we’d grown apart. Maybe it was because I was in the midst of high school, or because she was working more and more hours. Either way, we weren’t as close as we used to be, and the last thing I wanted was to tell her about Storm on the first night we had together in over a month.
Mom walked into the kitchen, a smile on her face as she held up the white bag full of our food. She’d promised us takeout two weeks ago, but yet again, that had fallen through because she’d had to go in and cover someone else’s shift.
“Smells delicious,” I said, locking my cell and pushing it into the back pocket of my jeans. It vibrated and my fingers tingled with the need to see if it was Storm, but I managed to stop myself. He knew I was spending some time with my mom, and he had an extra practice at school then a meeting with his coach. But what if something happened? What if he needed me?
“Hello?” Mom waved her hand in front of my face. “Earth to Sage.”
I blinked, shaking the thoughts from my brain. “Sorry.” I chuckled, trying to act easygoing, but all I wanted to do was check my cell.
“It’s okay, sweetie.” Mom smiled the same small smile she always did. “You’ve got a lot going on with school, huh?”
I nodded, deciding blaming schoolwork for my brain being somewhere else and not here was the best way to go. “Yeah.” I opened several of the takeout boxes, chose what I normally ate, then sat at the small table that separated the living room and kitchen. We always had four chairs around it, but we never used more than two.
It had been me and Mom against the world for as long as I could remember.
“I get it.” Mom sat next to me, digging into her food. “I remember what it was like to be a high school junior.” She placed her hand over mine. “It won’t be long until you’ll be leaving for college.”
“I know.” I placed some food in my mouth, trying to keep myself occupied. I didn’t want to think about when school would be over. I didn’t want to think about in a few months when this year would end and Storm would leave.
He’d already told me about the scholarship offers he’d gotten, and almost all of them would mean he’d leave the state. I may have only met him two weeks ago, but there was something in my gut that told me we were at the start of something special. Something that only happened once in a lifetime.
“Don’t look so sad,” Mom said, tying her light-brown hair in a messy bun. “You’re gonna have an amazing time at college. You’ll have adventures you never thought possible.”
“I know.” I looked down at my food, feeling my cell vibrate again. I shook my shoulders, needing to get out of the frame of mind I found myself in. “I’m excited,” I said, putting some pep into my tone as I stared up at her.
The dark circles under her eyes paired with her yawn spoke of how exhausted she was, yet she was still trying to spend time with me. It wasn’t easy being a single mom, but she’d tried as hard as she could, and the least I could do was spend some real time with her.
I smiled at her, leaned back in my seat, and asked, “What was it like when you went to college?”
Her lips slowly lifted, her eyes glassing over with memories. “Insane.” She laughed, picked her fork up, and side eyed me. “Totally insane.”
I Need Your Help
Storm
I flicked my wrist, feeling the rough material of the basketball scrape against my fingers then bounce from the tips. It flew through the air, but I didn’t need to keep looking to know it would make its way into the middle of the basket.
I’d practiced the exact shot thousands and thousands of times. The first time I made it was when I was six years old in my backyard, my dad at my side, cheering me on.
It was different now though. There wasn’t a celebration when it whooshed through the basket, instead it was a given, viewed like a person walking down the street. It wasn’t the pressure of making the shot that flowed through me every time I lifted my arms to make it, but the pressure to not miss it. My team and coach relied on me to make the shots no one else could, at least not over and over again like I could.
“Storm?” a deep voice called, and I whipped my head around to Coach who was on the sideline, his clipboard in hand and his red well-worn cap on his head. He’d been wearing it every day for as long as I could remember.
“Coach,” I greeted, jogging over to him.
“How’s the shoulder?” His gaze flicked to my shoulder that I’d had taped up at the start of the week. It was only a niggle at the moment, but I knew how fast it could become more than that.
“Feels good.” I rolled my shoulders back as if to show him I was good.
“Make sure it stays that way.” He held the clipboard in the air. “Big game tomorrow.” He didn’t need to remind me of the game. Lakemere may have been our rivals, but they were nothing compared to the second highest team in the state, Douston Prep. They had the same resources as we did, and some wicked players to boot. Too bad for them that they would stay second.
“I know, Coach.” I stood to my full height, taking the pressure on my shoulders yet again. I was used to it, had been since I made my first basketball team when I was a kid. “We’ll beat them.”
“Good.” He raised a brow. “Keep the boys in check. Last thing I need is for one of them not able to play because of their grades.”
I knew exactly who he was talking about. Cory hated schoolwork and did everything and anything not to do it. He was the second-best player on the team, and also the guy I relied most on when we were on the court. “On it,” I told Coach.
He grumbled something under his breath then blew the whistle to signal the end of practice. Everyone gathered around him, listening as he told us the schedule for the game tomorrow, but my attention was on Cory. I knew he was struggling to keep his grades up, and without the minimum GPA Coach specified, he would
n’t be able to play. He needed help, and luckily for him, I knew the right person for the job.
As soon as Coach finished talking, we all headed back to the locker room. I made a beeline for my locker, pulled my cell out, and shot off a message.
Storm: I need your help.
Sage: Okay. Doing what?
Storm: Do you tutor?
Sage: Yes…
Storm: Good. I’ll pick you up Saturday at 2 :)
Nothing To Stop Us
Storm
I could hear her voice from the other room as she tried to explain to Cory how to work out a math equation. Even talking about a subject that I hated, I couldn’t help but be enthralled with her tone and the patience she had with him.
“I don’t fuckin’ get it,” Cory groaned. “I’m gonna fail.”
“No, you’re not,” Sage told him. “You got that one right. You’re just stuck inside your own head.”
I grabbed three bottles of water from my refrigerator and headed into the living room that looked out onto the pool in the back yard. Sage glanced up at me as soon as I stepped inside the room. Her smile shot across her face, her gaze not moving off me as I came closer to her.
“You’ve been at it for three hours now,” she said to Cory, but she wasn’t looking at him. When we were in a room together, there may as well have been no one else with us. I only had eyes for her. “Maybe we should break for the day.”
“Thank fuck.” Cory cracked his knuckles. “My head is spinning from all this schoolwork.”
I laughed and threw a bottle of water at him then sat next to Sage on the sofa. My arm wrapped around her shoulders as I pulled her toward me and handed her a bottle too. “If you actually attended your classes then maybe you wouldn’t have to do schoolwork on a Saturday.”
