My cheeks are giving me away. And besides, I’m not into lying to my mom about stupid shit like this. So, after a moment, I finally say, “Yes.”
19
AROUND TWELVE THIRTY, I HEAR A KNOCK AT THEfront door. Mom’s taking her postlunch nap, so I tiptoe to the door before whoever it is starts with the doorbell and disturbs her. When I look through the peephole, steely gray eyes stare back.
My heart immediately begins a manic drumbeat. I don’t want to tell him I have to quit the team. I don’t want to tell him that Cop Dad thinks he coerced me. I don’t want to do anything but go back to exactly the way things were when he kissed me.
Sucking in a deep breath, I pull open the door.
His freshly washed hair is curling at the edges, sunglasses atop his head. A polo, khaki shorts, and boat shoes round out the look.
“Hey.” He kicks up a half smile when he says it, but immediately I see his eyes aren’t in it.
“Hey.” I force myself not to glance away. If I can look a fire-breathing coach in the eye, I can look this boy in the eye after kissing him and then vanishing behind a wall of absence and silence.
He unhooks a hand and pushes a lock of hair from my face. I amsoglad I showered.
“When you didn’t show up for weights, I texted you. And when you didn’t text back and never showed, I bribed Rogers to find out where you lived. But it turns out he has the wrong address.”
Oh shit. We hadn’t moved into Danielle’s yet when Jake and I were still a thing.
My mouth drops open, but Grey’s not done. “But I’m buddies with the varsity soccer captain, so no worries.”
A smile twitches at the corners of my mouth. “You’re persistent.”
“You weren’t answering. And after last night, I just wanted to make sure nothing weird happened.”
There’s a lack of certainty in his eyes for the first time since we met, and before I know it, my arms loop his neck, lips to his. The sharp scent of boy soap hugs my body, and for a split second, I feel like maybe the last twelve hours didn’t happen.
“So… not weird?” he says when I pull away.
“The new normal?” I suggest.
“I like that.” Grey smiles, light reaching his eyes, the serious lines disappearing in a flash and bang.
But then we fall silent. The rest of the new normal needs to be discussed—but I don’t want to start.
Grey touches my face. “I ran into Ryan on my walk over.” He motions down the street to Jesse’s house. “He told me why you weren’t at practice.”
“Everything?”
He sort of pulls away. It’s subtle, but it’s there.
“I don’t know. What’s everything?”
I frown out onto the street. I want to take him inside, but I know that won’t go over well if someone comes home or Mom wakes up. Better they see us on the stoop, as if I’m turning him away.
“My parents didn’t know about football. I was going to tell them, but I chickened out. And, well, the news got to them before I did.”
“That happens when you’re a badass who throws three touchdowns in twenty minutes.” He knocks me on the shoulder and I almost smile again. But the truth keeps the frown steady.
“Yeah, well… I’m paying for that badassery. Grounded—no phone, no computer, no car—for the rest of the weekend.” I raise my eyes to his. “And no more team.”
Grey’s mouth sets into a line. If Ryan told him this part, he probably didn’t believe it. “That’s bullshit.”
“It’s reality.” I suck in a deep breath. “It doesn’t matterthat I was good or that I enjoyed it or that the team needed me—”
“Needsyou, Liv. Present tense.”
