Page 14 of The Cheerleader is Off Limits

Does he know how old YOU are?

Me:

Of course not, I told him I was twenty-one and starting my freshman year at Towson.

Delaney:

Well if you want to hang out with him, you should be able to keep the lie up for a while. Your car got here yesterday. Just meet him out or go to his place once you’re sure he’s not going to murder you. He’ll never know you’re about to start your senior year of high school and only nineteen.

I internally groan, remembering that my first order of business tomorrow is to go to the MVA to get officially licensed to drive here, and from what I’ve heard, it’s absolute hell. I look up just in time to see him walking toward me, and our airline is calling for boarding.

Me:

He’s back from the bathroom, and we are about to board. See you in a bit!

Delaney:

Okay, yay, safe travels!!Love you!

While I wasn’t excited about returning to public school in the States, I was thrilled to spend my senior year with my cousin. While we are almost two years apart, we’ve always been more like sisters than cousins even when thousands of miles separated us. Even while I was traveling with my parents, we remained close, talking as much as we could between letters when we were young to emails and video chats when we were young teenagers to texting and daily FaceTimes as we got older.

“Hey, we are about to board,” I say, standing up and pulling my backpack on. He nods, doing the same and reaching for his small carry-on suitcase.

It’s an airline that allows for open seating, but I’m wondering if River will opt to sit next to me or if he’s had enough. I’ve been told on more than one occasion that I can be “a lot,” but it hasn’t inspired me to change myself, only to change their place in my life. I scan my ticket to make my way onto the runway when I hear him a step behind me.

“You know you travel really light for someone coming from a completely different country.”

I giggle just as we make it to the plane. “I checked two massive suitcases, and I shipped a lot of things ahead to my aunt’s house.” I turn to tell him, and he nods in understanding.

The flight attendants at the front of the plane smile and nod, welcoming us onto the plane, and I begin to make my way down the aisle when he speaks up again.

“Where do you want to sit?”

Fuck yes.I internally cheer and smile to myself before I turn my head to speak over my shoulder. “Is the middle area okay with you?”

“Works for me.”

I find a row and slide into the window before looking up at him. “Oh, do you want to sit here instead, and I can take the middle seat?”

He puts his suitcase in the overhead compartment and slides in next to me. “No, this is fine. This way, you don’t have to worry about some creepy guy sitting next to you trying to flirt with you the whole time.” His brown eyes are warm and heating me all over with just a look, and I take another long second to study his gorgeous face.He was seriously so stunningly handsome it was fucking distracting. I meant what I said about not being able to focus if he were my teacher.

“Oh. But I don’t have to worry about you?”

“You do not find me creepy.” He smirks, and I can’t help the smile that finds my face as we both sit down.

“How are you feeling after the gummies?”

“Great.” He narrows his eyes at me in question. “Why do you ask?”

“Your eyes are just a little glazed, and you basically said you planned to flirt with me for the next hour and a half.”

He blinks his eyes a few times. “I did not.” He snorts before he scratches the scruff on his jaw, reminding meand my vaginathat it’s one of my favorite sounds. “Did I?”

I giggle. “You’re funny.”

As if he’s having a moment of clarity, he responds, “Well, fuck. How strong were they?”

“What happened toif you can handle it, I can handle it?” I ask him mockingly.