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It’s a nice change. To see a girl full of life staring back at me. No matter what my reservations are regarding Maverick and me, or what happens, I’ll never be able to thank him enough for giving me back a little of my sparkle.
As I grab a purse, tossing my credit card and phone inside, he pushes my door open and leans against the frame. With his legs crossed at his ankles and his arms folded over his chest, the swirls of ink on his skin on display in the short-sleeved black tee he wears—despite the chilling winter temperatures outside—he looks the picture of perfect calm.
Apart from his eyes. The gray turns almost black as his pupils dilate when he runs them over me lazily, taking in every inch of my body before zeroing back in on my face. A smirk tips at his lips, and he swipes his tongue over the bottom one which sends heat spiraling through me.
“On second thought,” he says, pushing off the door. “Maybe we just stay in. You look fucking delicious in my clothes, and I’m still dying to know how you look out of them, maybe we can play a day of peek-a-boo.”
“Peek-a-boo with what, my tits?” I laugh, shaking my head and knocking his hand away as he reaches for the hem of my sweater. He still hasn’t seen me shirtless, and while I know at some point we’re going to have to broach that topic, I’m not nearly ready for that just yet.
“Why not?” He pouts like a child, and I roll my eyes, pushing him out of my room. I toss my bag over my shoulder and grab my keys from the kitchen counter as he ushers me out the dorm and into the hallway.
He threads his fingers through mine, weaving us through the early morning crowd as students wake up and make their way out for the weekend. A few people talk to Maverick when we pass them, but he only nods or rattles off a quick hello, never stopping to engage in conversation.
His thumb runs circles over the back of my hand, grounding me as he tugs me down the stairs and outside to where his truck waits on the curb. I shake my head as he stops outside the passenger door, peeling it open and gesturing for me to hop in.
He leans over, his hand brushing my chest and sending shockwaves through me as he clips my belt, and my nipples pebble instantly from the small touch. He smirks, dropping a kiss on the tip of my nose before he pulls back.
“I can do that myself, you know,” I tell him, pursing my lips, which he kisses next.
“I know.” He rushes round the front, sliding into his seat and turning the radio on as the engine rumbles to life. “But it’s way more fun when I do it.”
Pulling my phone out, I scroll through my notifications, chuckling at him. It’s most of the usual, my parents checking in, but weirdly, I find my thread with Maisie quiet, and the group chat usually bursting to life is without a single message sent since last night when Gray took great joy in sending pictures of his date . . . naked, riding his dick.
I shudder at the mental image again, groaning. Maverick chuckles when I tell him why, and he tells me I’ll get used to it. I’m not sure that’s something I’ll ever get used to, but the constant stream of texts and phone calls from them all is something I’m learning to look forward to.
There isn’t a dull day with these guys, and the friendships I’m forming are more than I could have ever wished for.
When we’re about twenty minutes into our drive, my stomach coils as we turn off the highway, heading somewhere I know all too well. I grip the seat belt, my knuckles turning white with how tight I’m clenching them. “Mav—”
“Do you trust me?” he asks, never taking his eyes off the road. He pulls his hand off the gear stick, grabbing mine and placing it on the shifter under his. His fingers move over mine, nudging them as he shifts into third.
“You know I do.”
“Then trust that I’m going to make this day amazing, and there won’t be any repeats of last time.” A frown plays on my lips, knowing that’s not a promise he can make, but as always, it’s like he can read my mind when he continues. “Even if you do happen to have a panic attack, I’m going to be with you the whole time. We go home when you’re ready, and not a second later. But I can’t stop thinking about that day in the hallway, and—”
“Which day?” I turn to face him.
“The day you told me to, and I quote, ‘Just let me live, Maverick.’” My heart aches at the sadness that lingers in his voice when he says the words, and I remember them clear as day.
I open my mouth, ready to tell him he is doing that, but he speaks before I get the chance.
“I want to give you that, Bumblebee. I want to give you every experience in life, and I want to see you live. This used to be one of your happy places, and I hope that I can make it that way for you again.”
“Maverick,” I breathe, my eyes blurring as tears spring to the surface. My mouth opens, choking on the words . “I, uh, I—”
He turns to face me for just a second, his lips turned up, and he winks, which sends my heart fluttering. “I know, babe.”
I try not to chastise myself, knowing he really is okay with me not saying the words, but it’s hard when all you’ve known in the past is someone who needed to hear everything, all your thoughts and feelings, no matter if they were true or not.
When we pull up to the theme park, Maverick slides easily into a spot. With the early hour, we get close to the front, and a roll of nausea threatens my empty stomach, but I swallow it down.
Closing my eyes, I blow out a deep breath, humming to myself while Maverick switches off the engine. His hand stays on mine, but he repositions us so our fingers are linked. Playing with mine, he starts a thumb war, which has me laughing before I can think better of it.
My eyes open, locking on the smug smirk sitting on his lips. “You’re distracting me.”
“Is it working?” My eyes narrow, but I nod as my lips twitch. He leans over, pressing a gentle kiss to them before pulling away and letting my hand loose. “Come on, Bumblebee. People to see, things to do. Let’s go.”
Maverick
