Dating: For the Block

by Stephanie Street

  “All meat on one side and all veggies on the other. Yum!” She glanced up at me, a worried expression on her face. “What kind do you like?”

  “Veggie,” I replied.

  Mia breathed out a sigh of relief. “Oh, good. There for a minute I thought they got the veggies for me.” She reached into the box and grabbed a piece of veggie pizza, setting it on the plate in front of me.

  “Are you kidding? I grew up with a single mom. I hate meat on my pizza.” That wasn’t entirely true, but mostly. I absolutely hated pepperoni, but could handle bacon and chicken.

  “I grew up with a single mom, too. But she didn’t like pizza, so usually when I had it I was here. With Dad,” she explained as she loaded her plate with two pieces of meat pizza.

  “Who, let me guess, only gets meat on his pizza.” Since she served the pizza, I got out two sodas from the ice and popped the tops before giving her one.

  “Exactly,” she said around a mouthful of pizza.

  “We make quite the pair, don’t we?” I said with a laugh.

  Mia laughed, too. “I’m just glad Piper and Tierney remembered what kind of pizza I like.”

  “At least, it doesn’t have pineapple on it.” I exaggerated a shudder.

  “Oh, gross. I hate pineapple!” Mia picked up her soda and took a long drink. “Ahh. I was hungry, too, I guess.”

  “We worked hard today.” And we had. But it was so worth it. I hadn’t seen my mom smile like that in- well, ever.

  Mia nodded her agreement and continued to inhale her dinner. Over the next twenty minutes or so we ate and talked while completely avoiding the elephant in the room- the fact that our friends had tried to set us up on some romantic dinner.

  It wasn’t like they’d failed. The room looked amazing. The food, while a bit unimaginative, was good, too. The music was familiar and appropriate. All the things we’d tried to do for Mom and Coach Tillman. The only thing missing? Well, it wasn’t a spark. A fire hose would be worthless against the sparks I felt whenever Mia was anywhere near me and tonight was no exception. It had taken a mountain of self control not to kiss her in the hall before we ever stepped foot in this room. But I couldn’t do that. Not after the arguments and accusations. We had to work all that out first and then, maybe, hopefully, we could move forward.

  Once we were finished eating, I rose from my seat and held out my hand. “Would you like to dance?” We were in a candlelit room with perfect music playing. I’d be stupid not to take advantage of this opportunity.

  Mia smiled, glancing down at my hand before looking up to meet my eyes. “Now? In here?”

  I nodded. “Sure. Why not?” I was going to be so disappointed if she turned me down now. There might be sparks on my end, but there was only one way to make sure she felt them too, and that was to get close.

  I wiggled my hand between us and lifted a brow.

  “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she whispered under her breath, but she did take my hand.

  Feeling euphoric, I drew her close, wrapping my arms snug around her waist in a classic high school dance hold. I wasn’t a bad dancer, but that wasn’t what this was about. I didn’t need to impress her with my dance moves, I needed to prove to her that she was safe with me. That I was serious about her and only her.

  With only a slight hesitation, Mia lifted her arms around my neck.

  My entire being sighed with relief to have her so close. Was that what it was like to be in love? Twitchy when she wasn’t around and settled when she was by my side. Because that was what I felt when I was with Mia.

  The music played but all my attention was focused on the girl in my arms.

  Suddenly, we weren’t quite close enough. Dipping my head, I breathed deeply, my nose pressed against the skin at her neck. She smelled amazing, like strawberries and sunshine. Moving my nose along the length of her neck, I wished I could breathe her completely into myself.

  “You smell so good,” I murmured close to her ear.

  “So, um, so do you,” she whispered unsteadily.

  I wrapped my arms more securely around her until we were hugging more than we were dancing. “Mia,” I groaned.

  “Gray,” she returned, tipping her head until it fit in the hollow of my shoulder. If I changed course, just a few inches, our lips would meet.

  But not yet.

  Not yet.

  Her hands found their way into my hair and I knew the battle would be shortly lost. “I want to kiss you.”

  “What are you waiting for,” she asked breathlessly.

  Pulling back slightly until I could see into her eyes, I set our bodies in motion again. “I don’t want to mess this up, Mia.”

  “How could you mess anything up?” Her eyes darted to my lips. I wanted to lean down and take her lips with mine, but I didn’t want to kiss her until we’d cleared up the misunderstandings between us.

  “Because I don’t want this to be fake. I don’t want to kiss you and then tomorrow we ignore each other like it never happened.” I took her face in my hands just like I’d done in the hall. “I think I’ve fallen for you, Mia. I think I’ve fallen hard. I couldn’t stand it if I kissed you now and then had to pretend it never happened, that it didn’t mean anything. Because if I kiss you, it will mean something to me.”

  The room was quiet once I stopped talking. The playlist must have been between songs. Otherwise, I might not have noticed the next one that played.

  We listened for several seconds and then both busted out laughing as we fell into each other.

  “Oh, my gosh. I’m going to kill Mateo,” I laughed into her hair.

  “Who has ‘Kiss the Girl’ on their phone?” Mia’s body shook as she giggled.

  It wasn’t even a cover. It was the one from the movie The Little Mermaid, sung by Sebastian, the crab.

  “Obviously Mateo. I bet he downloaded it special. Just for us.” In fact, I was sure of it.

  “That’s pretty funny,” she said. “And sweet.”

  And just like that, I wasn’t laughing anymore because as the song said, I wanted to kiss the girl. Mia’s smile faded as she watched me closely before speaking.

  “We fight all the time.”

  “It’s gonna be so fun making up.”

  “Be serious, Gray.”

  “I am. In fact, I might pick fights with you just so we can make up. Plus, you look really gorgeous when you’re mad at me. Your cheeks get all red and your eyes flash. I love it.”

  She tried not to smile. “That’s wrong on so many levels.”

  “Probably,” I agreed. “But it’s true.” I lowered my head until my mouth was just beside her ear. “You really are beautiful when you’re angry.” I tugged on her earlobe with my teeth. I’d never done anything like that before, but it was there and I had this urge to bite.

  “Grayson,” she breathed.

  I let go of her ear. “Do you want to give us a shot, Mia?” I kissed the soft place just below her ear.

  “I can’t think straight when you do that.”

  “Good.” That’s what I wanted to hear. Sparks. We had loads of them.

  “Gray.” The tone of her voice had me lifting my head and looking into her eyes.

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m sorry I thought those things about you.” She lowered her lashes. “I don’t anymore. I’m not really sure I ever did. It just was easier to believe than to put my heart out there and risk it getting hurt again. I just wanted you to know that.”

  And that was it, the last twitch shuddered to a halt. I was settled. With Mia.

  I didn’t wait this time. I didn’t hesitate. My lips crashed into hers then slowed. Excited as I was, I wanted to savor it. I wanted to sear this moment into my memory. My first real kiss with Mia. Her lips were soft and moved against mine like I remembered, but this was different. I didn’t wonder if she wanted to kiss me or if she was just following along for the benefit of others. This time I was completely focused on the way her hands played with my hair at the
back of my neck and then moved down over my shoulders to my back.

  “Mia,” I breathed against her mouth before kissing her again.

  “Hm-mm.” A throat cleared behind us.

  I lifted my head in a daze. “Coach?” I’d forgotten we weren’t the only ones in the building.

  In the doorway, Coach stood with his arm around my mom, looking perplexed. “I thought you said you guys were pretending?”

  I glanced at Mia. Her cheeks were as red as mine felt. “Um-” Actually, I had no idea what to say to that.

  “Come on, Dennis.”

  Yes! Saved by The Mom.

  “We can grill them about this later. I don’t want to ruin our night.”

  Doh! I winced. That didn’t sound good at all.

  Coach glanced at Mom then back at us and then at Mom again. “Yeah, okay, honey. Whatever you say.” With his arm around her waist, Coach led Mom back out of the room. “Don’t forget to clean up before you guys leave!” he called over his shoulder.

  “Oh, my holy heck. What just happened?” Mia put her hands on her flaming cheeks.

  “We just got caught making out by your dad.”

  We both started laughing.

  “Goodness sakes. How embarrassing!” Mia giggled.

  “No kidding. Although, I’m glad they caught us and not the other way around.” I caught her around the waist and drew her toward me.

  “Grayson, you know what this means, right?” she asked with all seriousness.

  I shook my head. “No, what?”

  “You might just become my boyfriend and my brother!”

  24

  Grayson

  Six months later it that’s exactly what happened. Walking Mia down the aisle was a surreal experience. We were only eighteen, but her dad asked me to be his best man at the wedding and my mom asked Mia to be her Maid of Honor. As we watched the ceremony take place that would make my girlfriend my step-sister, I had to laugh. Our worst nightmare had come true- but also our greatest wish- for our parents to be happy.

  And if there was one thing the last six months had taught me, it was that Dennis was madly in love with Mom. She would tell you I was the best thing to ever happen to her, but I knew better. Coach was and that was okay. It was more than okay, it was just what Mia and I hoped for when we planned that date all those months ago.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride!”

  Coach didn’t need any encouragement. The guys from the team hooted from the congregation as Coach kissed Mom, dipping her backwards until her long blonde hair swept the ground. I met Mia’s gaze and rolled my eyes, thankful that our time living with our respective parents was over. It had been a constant battle, finding privacy to have a little alone time with my girl. If we weren’t stumbling in on them doing the same thing, it was them finding us.

  Coach finally pried his lips away from my mom’s and the hoots quieted to a respectful clap.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Tillman, everyone!” the minister called and Coach lifted their clasped hands, along with Mom’s bouquet, in the air much like he’d done with the State Championship trophy back in March.

  The happy couple began making their way back down the aisle. I hurried to the center of the stage we were standing on to meet Mia. She hooked her hand in the crook of my elbow and smiled. By the way she smiled, I knew she could see the way my eyes worshiped her. I’d never been more happy in all my life.

  “It’s done, Brother,” she teased, making me cringe.

  “That is never going to be okay, so stop saying it,” I muttered out of the corner of my mouth.

  Mia laughed. “Just because you can’t accept reality doesn’t make it any less true, Gray.”

  “Fine. But let’s not talk about it. Ever.”

  Mia sighed. “It’ll be such a fun story to share with our grandchildren.”

  Reaching out, I poked her side. “Still not funny.”

  “Oh, it’s funny, alright.”

  We stopped at the end of the long aisle running down the middle of the church. Mom and Coach were taking a limo to the hall where the reception was being held. Mia and I had her truck. I knew we should stop and mingle with the other guests, but all this talk about being step-siblings had me freaking out. I needed to remind her that she was my girlfriend.

  “Grayson! What are you doing?” she squealed as I pulled her away from the wedding and out into the summer sun.

  “This,” I murmured just before our lips touched and I kissed her until we were both breathless. “I love you, Mia.” And then I kissed her again.

  Mia and I decided to stay in Indiana to go to school. Her mom was still in Alaska and expecting a baby by the end of the summer. The new little brother was completely unplanned and a surprise, but Mia was excited and so were her mom and Mark. We had plans to visit them over our fall break from classes.

  Mom moved in with Dennis after the wedding. All I knew, I was glad I had an apartment close enough to home that neither Mia nor I would ever have to say with them over school holidays. Ever. In fact, I was sharing an apartment with Noah and Mia had moved in with Tierney just down the street. It was perfect.

  Mia finally convinced me to go see my dad, the biological one. I told her I’d only do it if she came with me. Of course, she did. It was uncomfortable and awkward, but I got a college education out of it in the form of a trust fund. I only agreed to take it if he’d agree to pay off Mom’s student loans as a means of making up for never paying child support all those years. He didn’t even bat an eye, just handed me a check. All I could think was how much we’d struggled all those years and he wrote checks for hundreds of thousands of dollars without pause.

  He wanted a relationship.

  We were working up to it.

  For now, I just wanted to go to school, spend time with my girlfriend, and meet the guys for the occasional game at the neighborhood court. Someday, I wanted more. I glanced at Mia. She was at my apartment. Classes hadn’t started yet, so she was soaking up all the Netflix she could before August. Yeah, someday, we’d have more. I knew without a doubt Mia was my future. But for now, we were good.

  No, we were amazing!

  The end.

  Check my Facebook page or Instagram feed for updates on the Eastridge Heights Basketball Players Series.

  Author’s Note

  If you liked Dating: For the Block, please consider leaving a review. Author’s love to hear feedback! If you have a comment about structure or typos please contact me via email at stephaniestreetauthor@gmail.com rather than leave a negative comment. I can always revise the manuscript but the negative comment stays forever!!

  Thank you so much for reading my book!

  Best regards,

  Stephanie

  Find Stephanie Street

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  Also by Stephanie Street

  The Perks Series

  The Perks of Dating You

  The Perks of Hating You

  The Perks of Kissing You

  The Perks of Waiting for You

  Eastridge Heights Basketball Players

  Dating: One on One

  Dating: On the Rebound

  Dating: For the Block

  Dating: For the Assist

  Standalone YA Books

  Save Me

  Us at the Beach

 

 

 
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