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He looked down at me, and I knew what he wanted. Knew so completely when I looked at those soft eyes and soft lips that I stepped closer.
“If you say green,” he said, dropping his voice low, “I’m gonna bend down and kiss you in front of everyone.”
I grabbed him by the front of the jersey, yanking him down hard, startling a grin out of him.
“Green?” he asked me, double checking, and I shook my head.
“Grey. Better than green. All the way up.”
I tilted my head up and met his kiss, matched it, giving what he gave, soft at first, and then demanding more, kissing my fucking boyfriend until my lips were raw and my head was spinning. And then kissing him some more.
* * *
“Yo, lovebirds. Coming to Walker’s party, or you just gonna stand here and make out all night?” Ellis demanded, interrupting us, maybe a minute later, maybe an hour, maybe I didn’t care because it would never be enough no matter how long Caleb had his lips on me. “Oooh, jersey bunny,” he said, looking Caleb over when we broke apart. “Must be serious.”
I rolled my eyes but could help but grin a little. “Does Walker actually want a party, or you're just throwing one at his house?”
Ellis looked fake-offended, but it morphed into actually offended. “I'm sorry, did you see thatpass?Did you see uswin?Or were you sleeping under a pile of Ollies? The boy is desperate for some kudos. Right?”
Walker came over from another group of guys slapping him on the back and punching him in the arm and generally telling him good job. He looked exhausted, but nowhere near as rough as he’d looked all week.
“Yeah, come if you want. My parents aren't home so… might as well take advantage. I’m not inviting everyone, but…” He shrugged. “You know how that goes. You guys should come by though. Unless you’re busy.”
I looked up at Caleb who was waiting for my answer, because he’d do anything I wanted, I fucking knew it. Part of me really wanted to show him off in that jersey, make sure everyone at school knew who belonged to who and what was what, and by the way I’d snagged the hottest guy around so fuck yourselves. But the other half really wanted to take him home and celebrate in private. Show him my appreciation over and over until neither of us could move. Hold him tight and make sure he knew I was never going anywhere. That he was the only thing I’d ever really needed.
“Um. Maybe later,” I finally told them, and they laughed.
“Yeah, okay, we won’t wait up,” Ellis said. “Get the fuck out of here and get your study on.”
“For once, I think he has a great idea,” Caleb told me, leaning low, slipping his hand into mine, exactly where it belonged. “Let’s go home.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Coming home felt different, not gonna lie. I was so much lighter, a million things off my shoulders that had been there every time I walked into his place, and without them there, not stressing over the game, or my test, or what was wrong with Walker, or what my mom was up to, or my own stupid feelings, everything felt so fucking bright, felt like a goddamn party.
When Caleb bent down to kiss me, grabbing me under the ass and hoisting me up, like maybe I’d taught him a thing or two about moving bodies around because he did it with no complaining this time, I just laughed and let him. Enjoyed being tossed around by my huge fucking boyfriend wearing my jersey when he walked me down the hall and threw me on our bed.
No fucking way were we making it to Walker’s party. But there’d be other parties.
I stretched out and waited for him to climb on top of me, and then pushed back up on my elbows when the bed stayed empty.
“I got you something,” he said, getting down and flipping up the corner of the blanket, reaching underneath the bed. “A present. For passing your test.”
I tried to laugh, but it barely came out. A fucking present. I mean, sure, that tracked, but Jesus, this guy. Still, I was curious.
“How did you know I’d pass?”
He looked up at me and grinned. “Because I’m your fucking tutor. Come here.” He patted the end of the bed. “Close your eyes.”
For a second, I hesitated, just because that’s how I was built. Sure, I was taking that apart, piece by piece, but that didn’t change things overnight.
Still. I was tired of fighting everything that made me happy, even if it made me uncomfortable too. He liked taking care of me, liked spoiling me, and I liked letting him. It could work itself out.
I inched myself to the edge of the bed, sitting up straight with my feet on the floor, and waiting with my eyes closed until he put something on my lap. A box— big but not too big, heavy but not too heavy— and I knew exactly what it fucking was.
“Okay,” he said, and when I opened my eyes he was sitting there on the ground in front of me, looking up hopeful, like there was anything he could ever give me I wouldn’t be in love with. But this.
I looked down at my lap. “You bought me shoes.”
