by GG Shalton
“Nice to meet you, sir,” I said.
His mouth opened in a grin. “Sir?” His eyes swept over me, and I felt a little exposed. “Make yourself at home. We have pizza in the kitchen, and if you want a beer, no one’s carding tonight.”
One of the guys laughed. “Jaxon, what kind of school do you go to now? There weren’t any girls who looked like that when I was there.”
My face must have turned three shades of pink. I noticed the girl sitting beside him kept glaring at me.
Jaxon frowned. “Do you need something, Ruby?”
Jake turned. “Stop gawking at her. Go get me another beer.”
The girl huffed and turned around. Jake turned toward me. “Sorry about that. She doesn’t know it’s rude to stare.”
Jaxon shook his head. “I thought you broke up with her.”
“I did, but Michelle is out of town.”
“Bro, you are only inviting trouble.” Jaxon tugged me toward a door on the side. “My room is this way.”
I followed him as I heard some of the people groan.
“Jaxon has all the luck,” one person said.
I tried to ignore them as he closed the door. I could still hear the music through the wall. “It’s a little quieter in my room. The hallway is closed off. My brother built this extra door to block out the noise,” Jaxon said.
We passed through another door and went inside Jaxon’s room. It was surprisingly clean given that he didn’t know I was coming over. He had paintings spread throughout his room, and I was fascinated by them.
A smile spread across my face. “Oh, Jaxon, you’re so talented.”
“Thank you. A lot of these are only half completed. They inspire me, so I hang them up thinking about how I’ll complete them one day.” He opened his closet and pulled out a T-shirt, then opened his drawer and took out some sweatpants. “Will you be okay in here? I’ll shower and be right back.”
I nodded as he left the room and closed the door. Looking around his room, I spotted a makeshift desk made of plywood and wooden boxes. His bed was big, with a fluffy black comforter and big black pillows. He had a TV in the corner with an Xbox on a shelf.
I sat in the desk chair, careful to not to look at the bed. I was uncomfortable being in his room. Despite the walls between the front room and me, I heard the music faintly and felt the vibrations from it. Occasionally, I heard a squeal or people yelling. It didn’t seem like an argument, but more like revelry. I breathed deeply as I took out my phone. I could smell him all over the room—a pleasant masculine smell.
I viewed more pictures from the camping trip. They went from a lot of nature shots in the beginning to kids being stupid in the evening. It looked like they’d started a bonfire. Paisley had pictures of her roasting marshmallows, and there was one of Gretchen on Dillon’s back as he carried her around the camp.
I heard the door open, and I looked up and saw Jaxon in the doorway. He wore a white tank and his grey sweatpants. I swallowed hard when I noticed his muscles bulging without the barrier of a sleeved shirt. His hair was wet but combed back, and he was barefoot.
“Hey.” He put his dirty clothes in the hamper. “Are you hungry?”
I shook my head. “Not really, I had pizza before you came to get me.”
He nodded as he walked by me and sat on the bed.
I twisted around in his chair. “Did you have plans tonight? I’m sorry if I put a damper on them.”
He lifted the corner of his mouth. “Most of my Saturday nights are like tonight. We work, then friends come over to party. We’re a bit isolated and the cops don’t bother us out here.”
“Does Bryce come over?”
He lowered his brow. “Do you want to see Bryce?”
I shrugged. “He’s the only friend of yours I know.”
He held up his face with his elbow. “Bryce isn’t here. But I can introduce you to some of the guys if you’re interested.”
I shook my head as I tried not to stare at him. I felt my nerves overwhelming me as I tried not to show any emotion to him lying across the bed in the sexiest pose I had ever seen.
“Do you want to watch a movie?”
I met his eyes as I tried not to tug on my shirt. “Sure.”
He used the remote to order some thriller I hadn’t seen. The movie started as he lay back on the bed with his pillows and spread a blanket on the bed. “If you want to lie down with me, it’s more comfortable over here.”
“I um….”
He sighed. “Ariel, I don’t bite.”
“I know. I just…” I didn’t want him to know how inexperienced I was.
“Come here.” He patted the area beside him.
I stood and walked over to the bed. Lying down beside him, I took off my shoes and fluffed one of the pillows. He settled in beside me, his shoulder brushing against mine. As we watched the first half of the movie, I tried not to look at him and concentrate on the television. I could smell his soap and a bit of a woodsy scent. He made me feel off balance, and I could only imagine that he could sense my nervousness.
“Do you like the movie?”
“Mm-hmm.” My answer was short as I tried not to show my uneasiness. The thoughts rushing through my head were better left unsaid.
“You’re being so quiet, I thought you may have fallen asleep.” There was an edge of amusement in his voice.
“I’m good.” I tried to change the subject. “Do you think she’s a killer?”
“Could be.”
I shifted and glanced at him. “I think they want you to think she is the killer. But it’s not her, it’s her sister.”
He twisted and looked at me instead of the movie. “You like mysteries?”
“Sometimes, but I like my movies to be somewhat realistic.”
His gaze didn’t leave my eyes. “I wasn’t talking about the movie.”
I drew my brows together. “Oh? What did you mean?”
“You.”
“Me?” I felt my mouth open slightly. What does he mean?
“Yeah, you’re like a mystery.” He ran his finger over a strand of my hair. “One I’m trying to solve.”
“You may discover that I’m quite ordinary.”
He shook his head as he stared into me. “I don’t think so.”
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure. “I think you’re the mystery.”
He snorted. “How so?”
I shrugged. “You act different when we’re alone than when you’re at school.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“Both. I think there’s a lot more to you than people realize.” We stared at each other. “Thank you for coming to get me tonight. There aren’t too many people I can rely on.”
“You can call me any time, Ariel.” He touched my face. “I’m your friend.”
His touch gave me chills as his thumb rubbed my bottom lip. My stomach dropped as I felt his lips brush against mine. It was quick but so intense that I nearly lost my breath.
Moving his head back, he searched my eyes and whispered, “But I want to be more.”
Taking his hand off my face, he rubbed my shoulder before his hands slid down my arms. He leaned down and turned the television off then kissed me again, and before I knew what was happening, I was kissing him back. He nudged my mouth open with his tongue. I felt a moan escape my mouth as he leaned into me and I tucked myself underneath him. His kisses moved from my mouth to my neck as my body weakened at his touch.
I lifted my hands and rubbed his muscular shoulders, enjoying how protected he made me feel. I had never let a boy go this far before, and I found myself caught up in the moment. His hand slid under my shirt and lightly rubbed around my ribs. His hand moved to my back, pulling me even closer against him. I kissed down his jawline and enjoyed the stubble growing along his chin.
My body tensed. What am I doing?
He put his forehead against mine, his breathing labored. “I don’t want to stop, but I think we should go slow.”
Catching my breath, I closed my eyes, enjoying his closeness. “I’m not—”
He kept me in his arms as he lay beside me and rubbed my hand. “You’re what?”
“I’m not sure what this means?” I couldn’t believe I’d said that out loud.
His lips brushed against my face. “What do you want it to mean?”
“It could get complicated.”
He buried his face against my neck. “Don’t overthink it. I can feel that beautiful little head of yours overworking.” I giggled as he kissed my shoulder and slid to my side, wrapping his arms around me. He snuggled against me and adjusted the blanket around us both. “Let’s get some sleep.”
I leaned into him, enjoying his closeness. Even though I felt content and relaxed, my mind wouldn’t shut down enough to sleep. I knew I wasn’t leaving. Not now. I was spending the night in Jaxon’s bed, as crazy as that sounded. I pushed aside my fears about explaining my whereabouts to my father. I heard his breath steady as I closed my eyes, trying to will myself to sleep.
Chapter 22
Ariel
I awoke a little startled as it took a moment to realize where I was. The bed was empty, and I quickly sat up, looking at the clock in his room. It was ten o’clock in the morning. I needed to be going soon. The bus would return to the school around noon, so that gave me a few hours to get my story straight.
The door opened to Jaxon’s smile. “You’re awake.”
I tried to smooth my hair with my fingers, as I could only imagine what I looked like. Looking at Jaxon, I noticed he had a plate in his hands.
“My brother got donuts. He didn’t know what type you liked, so he got an assortment.”
“That was nice of him.”
“Do you want coffee?”
I nodded. “Please.”
Jaxon winked. “I’ll be right back.”
He put the plate on the bed and left the room. I took a glazed one and bit into the sugary goodness. It was delicious, and I closed my eyes as it practically melted in my mouth. Before I knew it, Jaxon was back with a couple of mugs.
“I brought some sugar packets if you want any? My brother gets them for the shop, and we have a stash here.”
“Thanks.” I accepted the cup. “I could get used to breakfast in bed.”
He laughed. “Baby, breakfast is only one of the many delicious things in my bed.” I groaned as he laughed again. “Too cheesy?”
“A bit.” I took a napkin off the plate and wiped my hands. “I need to use your bathroom, then I think I should go.”
“Sure. What are you going to tell your parents?”
“I haven’t quite figured that out yet.”
He touched my hand. “Can I help? Do you want me to talk to them?”
My eyes widened. “Uh, no.”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “Okay. But I’m here if you need me.”
“Thanks, Jaxon.” I brushed a quick kiss on his cheek. “I’ll be back in minute.”
“There are clean towels under the sink if you want to take a shower.”
I nodded and left the room.
I drove off, seeing Jaxon in the rearview mirror. Alone with my thoughts, I caught myself smiling and covered my mouth for a second. He was amazing, and I couldn’t believe I’d spent the night with him. Leaving him was hard. Only the thought of my father grounding me or sending me away had made me leave. I knew the bus would be back around noon and I had to catch it. If Trace or Paisley breathed a word to my father, I was toast.
Pulling into the parking lot, I noticed many cars unmoved. I took a deep breath, relieved I hadn’t missed the bus. It was already a little past noon. I texted Paisley, but she didn’t answer. Great! She may be mad.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like her, but every time I hung out with her and her friends, they tried to push me toward Trace. They wouldn’t accept that we were only friends and I didn’t want anything more. Even my dad and Amanda were convinced that we were somewhat together. It was frustrating.
Thinking about my dad, I thought about his reaction if I told him that I wanted to be with Jaxon. That made me lose my smile and replaced it with anxiety. As much as I liked Jaxon, I couldn’t subject him to meeting my father. He didn’t even want Northside kids going to my school. I couldn’t imagine he would allow one to date his daughter.
I saw the buses from the distance and took a deep breath. I had to convince them not to tell my parents that I’d missed the trip. As they pulled in, I shut off my car and threw my keys in my purse. Looking in the mirror, I straightened my hair and opened the door.
The bus stopped, and kids piled out as the driver took bags out from underneath. I leaned against my car, waiting to recognize Trace or Paisley. Another bus turned into the parking lot and stopped, letting more kids out. I spotted Trace laughing with Dillon as they grabbed their bags and supplies and walked toward his car.
Composing myself, I walked toward Trace. He eyed me with a confused look and said something to Dillon before dropping his bag into his trunk and coming to me.
“Hey, you.” Trace smiled and stopped in front of me. “What happened?”
“Hi, Trace.” I leaned close to him and whispered, “I need a favor.”
He looked at me cautiously. “What is it?”
“I need you to cover for me.”
He looked cautiously at me for a moment. “Why?”
“I had a fight with my dad and needed some time to think.” That wasn’t a lie. “I drove around and lost track of time and shut off my phone because I didn’t want to hear from him. I was a mess.”
“Where did you go last night?”
“Truthfully?”
He nodded with a look of concern.
I wrung my hands and shifted on my feet. “I tried to get a motel room, but they wouldn’t let me because I’m not eighteen. So, I drove around and parked in different lots. I ended up in Creston and ate some pizza then drove some more. I haven’t been home yet. I was waiting.”
“Creston? Why didn’t you text us? We were only a few hours away.”
I shrugged. “I was so upset at my father that I wouldn’t have been good company.”
“Ariel, that’s dangerous. I’m sure your father couldn’t have been that bad.”
I looked at him for a moment and realized he knew nothing about me. All he cared about was that my father was rich and connected. He hadn’t even bothered asking what the fight was about, how I felt, or my side of the argument. He just assumed that it couldn’t have been that bad. It took everything I had not to walk away. I just wanted to call Jaxon.
Trace was staring at me, waiting for me to answer, so I looked down and bit my bottom lip. “I know. I messed up.”
He let out a frustrated breath. Really? What did he have to be frustrated about? I’d seen the pictures everyone posted. He’d had his hands full with Stephanie.
He groaned loudly. “Fine. I’ll cover for you.”
A small tinge of relief went through me. “Thanks.”
He shook his head. “But next time call me, and I’ll come get you.”
“Of course,” I said, hoping to convince him. I would agree to anything if he would help me. “Thank you. Do you know where Paisley is?”
He looked around the parking lot. “Not sure. But everyone was planning to get some lunch. She should be there. Want to come with me?”
I didn’t but needed to save face. “Sure. I’ll follow you.”
We got in our cars and took off to the
restaurant. Trace walked me inside, and I saw Paisley sitting in a booth. I felt Trace’s hand on the small of my back.
“Traitor.” Paisley frowned then smiled as I walked up to her.
“Sorry.” I slid into the booth next to her, and Trace sat beside me. Dillon and Gretchen sat on the other side, and a few of the other football players had dragged one of the tables next to ours. The group was talking as I leaned over to Paisley and whispered, “My dad and I had a huge fight and I didn’t make it. I drove around for hours and my parents don’t know.”
Her eyes slightly widened. “Your dad will flip.”
“I know.” I took a deep breath. “Don’t tell your mom.”
She rubbed her lips together. “Fine, but you better tell Trace too.”
“I did, and he’s cool.” I leaned back over. “Did you have fun?”
She lowered her voice. “At first, but later, there was some confusion on who was sharing which tent. I didn’t end up with Bailey.”
“Sorry. Who did you end up with?”
She hesitated then barely whispered, “Gretchen’s brother.” She quickly looked around. “And it was a mistake.”
I wrinkled my forehead. “Her brother?”
“He ended up coming as a chaperone.” She rolled her eyes. “But nothing too scandalous happened. We just kissed.”
I giggled. “Wow. Where is he now?”
She shrugged. “He drove his own car out there and didn’t take the bus.”
Trace rubbed my leg as I jerked away. “Aren’t you jumpy?” He snickered as he leaned over. “What do you guys want to eat?”
I guardedly let my leg rest against his again. He ordered nachos, and I chose a hamburger as the others got pizza. They joked around during lunch as Trace brushed my hand a couple of times with his. I pulled it away, pretending to straighten my napkin. He didn’t seem to notice my aversion and kept talking to Dillon.
I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, and I pulled it out. I had an unopened text from Jaxon. He was probably checking on me to make sure I’d gotten home, but I left it unopened just in case. Trace was practically glued to my side.
We finished our food, and Trace walked me back to my car. I promised Paisley I would call her later, and the rest of the group left before us.