AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That's what I wanted to hear. That you had a reason to stay.”
Her grin said it all. “I don't want to stay because of Tanner. I want to stay because they have the best mathematics program in the country. Why leave the best when I don’t have to?”
“I agree. I just think it's a happy coincidence that it also happens to be where the best college quarterback in the country needs to be, too. I’m so glad you found someone like him. He really is a lovely boy.”
I cringed at the word boy. Tanner wasn’t a boy. He was a man. He was my rock and having him by my side made me feel like the luckiest girl alive.
“How would you know?”
“From everything you've told me, and I know you. You wouldn't waste your time with a guy that you didn't see a future with, so I'm happy for you.”
I guessed she was forgetting about Connor, but we all made mistakes, and I was never as serious about Connor as I was with Tanner. Losing my virginity to him was a conscious choice because I felt like there was more between us, and I wanted to explore it.
“Thanks mom.” I gave her a smile, not knowing what to say, but feeling my cheeks heat. She wanted to see me happy in case something happened to her, but she still didn't realize that my happiness didn't just depend on a guy, or what school I went to. It depended on her health, too.
The loud chime of the doorbell rang through the house.
“Stay there, mom. I’ll get it.” I placed my laptop on the coffee table and flung the blanket over the arm rest before strolling to the door in my PJ’s. I had to admit, being home with my parents wasn't so bad. Supporting my mom through her recovery had been one of the best things I could have done, and at least with this suspension, I was able to focus solely on her and no one else.
When I opened the door, I gasped because it wasn’t a delivery driver like I expected.
“Tanner? What are you doing here?”
I nearly tripped out of the door because I was rushing to him so quickly. Luckily, I had his warm embrace to catch me.
He held me tight, and I grappled onto his back, feeling every muscle just to check he was real, and I wasn’t dreaming. Being home had been great for my mom, but it was only now that I was wrapped in Tanner’s scent that I realized just how much I missed him.
“Hey, Teach,” he chuckled, nuzzling into my neck and sending shivers down my spine. “I missed you.” He left a kiss at the base of my neck, and I squeezed him tighter, not ready to let go of him. “But seeing you here in my high school jersey has got to be the highlight of my life.”
I pulled away from him, looking down at the Lakeside jersey, and smiled bashfully.
“Yeah, I, uh, may have borrowed it one time when I was cold at your house.” It was a lame excuse because I had plenty of opportunities to give it back. I just never wanted to.
“Gotta say it's really competing against those skirts and socks over what I like to see you in more.”
“Maybe one day you’ll be lucky enough that I'll wear both.”
He clutched his heart, throwing his head back with a sigh. “Do you really want to give me a boner in front of your family?” He mumbled out, and I pushed him on the shoulder, knowing he was joking, but he grabbed me, hauling me in for another hug.
“Aster, who's this?” Dropping my head to Tanner’s chest, I wanted to zip myself in his letterman jacket and disappear because I'd never introduced either of my parents to my boyfriend before, and here my dad was, finding me snuggling one.
Swallowing, I moved far enough out of Tanner's hold that I could see my father and pointed at my boyfriend.
“This is Tanner.”
As per usual, Tanner took meeting my father in his stride, holding out his hand and accepting my father's as though he were any other person.
“It's nice to meet you, Sir.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” I could hear the hesitance in his voice, which was only solidified by his suspicious look. My dad knew what went down with the school, so I wasn’t surprised that my father would be suspicious of anyone from Covey U coming all the way here to see me. Hell, I felt suspicious about it too sometimes. But I knew I was wrong, because every time I looked at Tanner, it felt right.
My dad dipped his chin, looking at Tanner sternly. “I hope you aren't part of this whole mess my daughter’s caught up in?”
“Dad!”
“I’m not. I’m one of the many people on her side.”
His voice was strong and dripped with honesty. I had no doubts that Tanner had been fighting for me on campus, but it didn't instill the same hope on my father's face. I did some things wrong, and I should be punished for it. It was just a suspension was a pretty damn hard pill to swallow when the guy who actually did the cheating and created the false rumors about me was still on campus, going to practice and living his life like normal.
