Page 149 of Breakaway Hearts

I wait until my sister leaves before taking Maddie’s hands.

“We don’t have to go,” I tell her. “We can stay here, order pizza, and I won’t mind at all.”

“You just want to get me out of my dress,” she calls me on it, but we both know there’s a lot more to it. “Pineapple, right?” she reminds me of the code word I figured we should have. Just in case.

“Say it and we’re gone,” I agree.

“We don’t have this many athletes at school,” Maddie says as soon as we walk into the banquet hall.

“Intramural athletes are invited as well,” I explain. “And I think at least three sports have added women’s teams since I started.”

She’s subtly taking deep breaths as she scans the room, so I take her hand.

“Pineapple?” I ask.

“No, this is…I think there might actually be more girls here than guys.”

She’s right. The teaching staff is still predominantly male, but I’d say athletes are half and half, and there are definitely more female dates. Not all of them with guys.

“Do you want me to introduce you to people, or just head to the table?”

“What would you normally do?”

I sigh, looking around. I would probably hit the bar and catch up with the guys who’ve congregated there, then hang out at the table with whoever comes by. But I’m not alone tonight, and I both want to show off the beautiful woman who agreed to come with me, and have an excuse to hold her close for a bit.

“May I have this dance, Miss Finch?”

“That’s what you would do if you were here alone?” She raises an eyebrow. “Find someone to dance with?”

“No, but I’m here with the sexiest woman at Wynchester, probably in the entire world, and I very much enjoy dancing with her.”

She looks at me like I’m ridiculous, but still takes my hand and lets me lead her to the dance floor, where there are maybe three other couples, two of them very old, and one of them not so much dancing as making out to the beat. As soon as I take Madison in my arms, they disappear and it’s just the two of us, her body pressed against mine. It was a selfish suggestion, to be closer to her, but she also relaxes when I hold her, like maybe the outside world disappears for her too, or at least she doesn’t have to think about it.

“What’s wrong?” I ask when she adjusts her position a few times within a minute.

“Nothing.” She sighs, but I look at her like I’m not buying it, so she admits, “I thought it would be nice to put my head on your chest or something stupid, but your sister worked so hard on my hair and I don’t want to ruin it.”

I don’t mean to, but I burst out laughing.

“You’re adorable, you know that?”

“I have never been called that,” she argues.

“Then the rest of the world doesn’t know what they’re missing out on.” I kiss her on the forehead when the song ends. “Are you good with one introduction?” I ask her.

“Sure,” she says with an uncertain smile, but she nods when I study her.

“Coach Benson,” I say before he leaves the dance floor.

“Brooks,” he acknowledges.

“I’d like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Madison Finch.”

He looks at her, and for a second, I’m worried he’s holding a grudge about the game I ran out on.

“You sure you want to put up with this knucklehead?”

He must have picked up on her nervousness, because she laughs at this. “He has his moments,” she tells him.