Losing the Field

by Abbi Glines

Tallulah had to be the one to end the kiss. I wanted to continue, but if I was caught here, I’d get in trouble. “We need to get you off the property before a teacher sees you,” she said in a whisper still close enough that her breath was warm on my skin.

  “Leave your car here. Go with me,” I said, needing to keep her close.

  “Are we going to Haegan’s?” she asked. I forgot I’d mentioned that before everything else that happened.

  “No, I want you to myself.”

  Her immediate grin made me want to kiss her again, but she was right. We had to get out of here. If Coach D saw me, he’d be sure I paid for this with more suspension. The man wanted me gone. I wasn’t positive, but I had the feeling he liked Tallulah more than a teacher should. The looks he gave her were starting to annoy me. Telling her that, though, would cause a fight. She’d never believe me.

  I opened the passenger door and helped her inside. Giving in to my need, I pressed a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth before closing the door and hurrying to get in on my side. We had just pulled out of my parking spot and were headed to the exit when my eyes met Coach D’s. He was watching us. Nothing he could do now. He had no proof. Like the mature guy I was, I saluted him, then pulled out onto the main road.

  “Who was that?” Tallulah asked.

  “Ryker,” I lied.

  “Oh, I thought he’d be at practice.”

  “He’s headed there now. Guess he saw my truck and wanted to check it out.”

  I shouldn’t have lied. But she wouldn’t understand the truth. She liked Coach D. But she was naïve and sweet. She liked everyone. The life she’d lived before her weight loss had kept her in a bubble of sorts. The world around us was fucking ugly. She only saw the happy. The good. Which was unique, considering how she’d been treated before now.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “My house.”

  “Oh, do your parents know about today?”

  I shook my head. “Not yet. They’ll know before they get home from work, though. They always do.”

  She was silent a moment. I let her think it through.

  “Will they be upset I’m there?”

  I laughed then. My momma would be upset about a lot of things. But having Tallulah over at my house wasn’t one of them. She may call all the ladies in her church prayer circle to tell them the good news. I was dating a girl who wasn’t known for her reputation.

  “No. They’ll be fine with you being there. We will be up in my space above the garage. My dad had the upstairs of the garage finished out this summer for a game room. He was tired of all the noise when my friends were over. We took over his television and living room, so he fixed the situation.” The truth was, he had done it to give me an escape. A place of my own. Somewhere for me to recuperate and hopefully lift my spirits. That hadn’t happened.

  I wasn’t supposed to have girls over there without my parents home, but it was Tallulah, and I figured I had a good chance of getting away with it. After the day I’d had, I wanted her alone. We had three hours before my parents got home.

  “Wow, that was nice of him.”

  “It was for his own personal comfort, but yeah, it was nice. The guys enjoy the freedom of being able to curse, sneak beer in, and stay up later than they can at their houses.”

  She laughed. “I imagine they do,” she replied, amused.

  I pulled the Escalade into the garage and looked over at her. “We’re here.”

  Most girls would expect to go upstairs and make out. Or straight up have sex. Tallulah was not planning on either. I knew that, and I had to be gentle and patient with her. This was all new to her world, and I liked it. No, I fucking loved it. I wasn’t worried about her having any STDs for starters. I’d made Blakely go to the free clinic with me and get checked before I did anything with her. I was safe.

  Tallulah opened her door when I did and climbed out. I wanted to spend the next three hours tangled up on the sofa with her. It would make this shit day so much better.

  “I wanted you alone for a reason.” I was almost warning her.

  She turned her head slightly and cut her eyes my way. “I know.”

  I’d Read Plenty of Books

  CHAPTER 29

  TALLULAH

  I wasn’t an idiot. That kiss in the parking lot had been enough to let me know where his head was. I didn’t want to be so inexperienced and clueless about these things. I could pretend I wasn’t, but that was stupid. Nash knew I was. He knew who I was last year. He knew he’d been my first kiss.

  My heart was slamming against my chest so hard I was sure he could hear it as we climbed the stairs in silence leading up to his private den or whatever this was called. My mother would have never approved of one of these. Just like if she knew I was here now, she’d freak out. If I wasn’t so excited about being here with Nash, I’d feel bad about betraying her trust in me. But I was almost eighteen. It wasn’t her decision where I went and who I went there with.

  He reached around me and opened the door, then held out his hand for me to go inside. It smelled like leather. The lights came on, and there was a large black leather sectional sofa in the center of the room. It didn’t just make an L shape; it made two connected in the middle. An ottoman was in the center, and a flat screen hung on the wall. The rest of the space had footballs lining the shelves. Some looked signed and others well used. Framed photos of football players I didn’t know decorated the place.

  “Wow” was all I could say. They’d really gone all out with this. “I can’t imagine why your friends would go anywhere else.”

  He shrugged. “I haven’t been in the best mood this summer. They’ve been up here a couple times, but only because Ryker forced it on me. The damn footballs remind me of what I lost. I used to collect them. Now they stare at me, taunting me. I need to redecorate. My mom meant well bringing them up here, I guess.”

  Walking over, I studied the first few balls. They were scribbled on by young kids, or so it appeared from the handwriting.

  “Those were our Toy Bowl championship game balls. We were seven and eight. We signed them. We signed several. I just got those two.”

  Smiling, I decided these were my favorites. I lifted my head to tell him so when he closed in on me, and my breathing paused. I knew this was coming, just like I knew he planned on more than kissing up here. That didn’t make me any less nervous.

  “I’d like a good memory up here. So far I haven’t had one,” he whispered, and I went into his arms willingly. They were strong and warm. He smelled amazing. Being here tucked against him might be the best feeling in the world.

  When his lips met mine, I sighed from the pleasure of it all. Being alone up here with him was exciting. My body was tingling, and I shivered as he slid his hands under my shirt. He didn’t move up—he simply rested them on my bare back, his fingers slowly caressing my skin.

  No guy had ever touched my bare back. That seemed silly, but to me it was a big deal. My hands held on to him, and I felt a little weak. Too many emotions running through me. It was all so new. Overwhelming.

  The moment his hands eased upward, I became unable to breathe. I waited as his tongue slid over mine, then I froze with a mix of anxiety and excitement. His thumbs brushed under the bottom of my bra, and I inhaled sharply. He pulled his mouth back, his eyes locked with mine, and his pupils had gotten so large the color was almost gone. His breathing was heavy as he moved his hands to unclasp my bra.

  I gasped when his warm, rough palms touched my breasts. It was different. My entire body seemed to feel it, be affected by it. I was seventeen, and most girls my age had done this long ago. But to me it was exotic.

  He closed his eyes a second and inhaled deeply through his nose, then, when he opened them, he looked down at me. “If you want me to stop, I will.”

  I shook my head. “No,” I replied, my voice barely a whisper from my lack of oxygen.

  “Lift your arms,” he instructed.

  I did, knowing why.
It was my turn to close my eyes as he took my shirt off. Then tugged my bra until it fell from my arms to the floor. I was topless in front of a guy. In front of Nash. I felt my entire body flush. I knew he’d see it. But at that moment I couldn’t care.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said, pulling me back against him. His hands on my back, then tangled into my hair. “I want to feel you like this with nothing between us. Are you okay with that?”

  I nodded. Words weren’t coming out right now.

  He pulled his shirt off quickly, and I only got a glimpse of his perfectly chiseled stomach before my body was pressed against his. He inhaled with a hiss. “Fuck, that’s good.” His voice was thick and deep.

  I agreed. It was more than good. It was as if a bolt of electricity was humming through me. Every nerve in my body was reacting to this. I wondered if it was always like this, or if this was because it was new to me.

  “Lie down with me,” he said, moving us toward the sofa. I went, both my hands in his. His eyes were locked on my chest. My breathing making it heave with each deep intake. That seemed to hold his complete attention.

  He tugged me down on top of him, and I felt the rigidness under his pants as it pressed into my stomach. I hadn’t had sex, but I knew what that was. I also knew why it was like that. I’d read plenty of books. My body stiffened, and he cupped my face with his hand.

  “Tallulah, my pants are staying on. This is all I want. To hold you. I promise.”

  I eased down into the curve of his arm. His left hand slid over my bare breast, and I shivered in response. “Well, I want to hold you and do this,” he said, a smile in his voice.

  “Okay,” I replied, watching his hand on my skin. I squirmed when I felt a tingle between my legs. That was new.

  “Unless you want me to touch somewhere else,” he said as he tucked his head in the curve of my neck and inhaled deeply as if smelling me.

  I knew that, yes, I wanted his hands somewhere else, but was I ready for that? “I don’t know,” I said in all honesty.

  He moved his right hand to the inside of my thigh and slid it up under my skirt until the side of it touched my panties. I was frozen. My body was screaming for more, but my head was screaming I needed to slow down. This was too much too soon.

  “It’s okay. I’ll leave it like this.” His mouth was at my ear, and I shivered.

  I wanted to shift my body and move against the hardness in his jeans. But I didn’t. I stayed still. As much as I wanted more, I knew for now this was enough.

  A knock at the door before it swung open and Ryker’s voice calling out “You in here?” was enough to throw the cold water on me I definitely needed. I started to sit up, and Nash moved over me and covered me with his body. “You’re topless,” he reminded me.

  Then he lifted his head to look over the sofa. “Get the fuck out,” he growled angrily at Ryker.

  “You got a girl in here?” his cousin asked.

  “Get. Out!”

  Ryker laughed then. “Calm down, I’m going. Thank God you’re getting laid. Maybe it’ll loosen your ass up some.”

  “I’m not getting laid,” Nash shot back.

  Ryker laughed. “I see the bra on the floor. Damn nice size, too.”

  “I swear to God I am going to beat your ass if you don’t get the fuck out of here!”

  More laughter. I watched as Nash turned red in the face. He was really upset. Surprisingly, I wasn’t. Ryker hadn’t seen me. And we had needed something to cool us off. Things had gotten too heated.

  “I’m gone. Bye, Tallulah,” he called out. Then the door closed.

  I stared up at Nash now, worried that Ryker had seen me. But how?

  Nash sighed. “It was a good guess. You’re the only girl he’s seen me with.”

  Oh. Okay. “But he did see my bra.”

  Nash smiled then. “Yeah. He did. You worried that he knows what it looks like? He didn’t see these,” he said teasingly as he brushed a thumb over my left breast.

  “True.”

  We stayed there, staring up at each other a moment. Then another knock on the door sounded. “Your dad just drove up. My guess is he knows about the suspension. Get her shirt on, and I’ll come in.”

  Nash moved fast then. He grabbed my bra and handed it to me. “Shit,” he muttered. “We better hurry.”

  I quickly got my bra and shirt on while Nash got his shirt on. When he saw I was covered, he went to open the door for Ryker.

  Ryker smirked at me. “Glad I called the correct name.”

  “Don’t be a dick,” Nash snapped at him.

  “I’m saving your ass. You owe me.”

  Nash looked at me and smiled. It hadn’t ended the way I had imagined, but it had been perfect nonetheless.

  I’ve Got Fans All Over the World Begging for More of You

  CHAPTER 30

  NASH

  I hadn’t seen Tallulah since Dad had come home then ordered Ryker to take her home. He’d gotten a call from the principal while at work. I was grounded. He’d even taken my phone and laptop. I’d had no way to contact Tallulah. Which sucked after all we’d done. It hadn’t been much by most standards, but with Tallulah it had been a lot. It had been more. Even sex with other girls hadn’t been that intimate before.

  Walking into school that Tuesday, I was suddenly accosted by females. I froze as girls I’d dated, girls I didn’t know, and girls I had previously wanted to know were all around me. Confused, I searched for Tallulah in this mess, but she was nowhere. When I finally took a moment to listen to the chatter all around me, I heard the word famous.

  Who was famous? Other than Haegan. Were they all over me because I’d been hanging out with Haegan? I’d never been this fucking popular. Hell, not even Brady Higgens had been this popular back when he was at school.

  “Welcome back,” Haegan said with a slap on my back. “Your appearances on my last two vlogs seemed to be a hit. I’ve got fans all over the world begging for more of you.”

  I frowned. “That’s what this is about?”

  “Oh yeah. There was even a Nash Lee fan club website started up. I saw it last night. Impressive. It took me months to even draw attention. But then I didn’t have someone already making it in the business to get me started.”

  Started? I didn’t want to be started.

  “Where’s Tallulah?” I asked him instead of dealing with my sudden fame. Which seemed weird, and I imagined it would be short lived. I wasn’t going to get on a video daily and do crazy shit to get viewers.

  “Haven’t seen her,” he replied. “Did you even watch my vlogs this week?”

  I had no interest in watching the vlogs. But that wasn’t nice to say, so I replied, “I’ve been grounded from my phone and computer. I haven’t seen anything.”

  Haegan grinned. “Damn, you’re in for a surprise.”

  “Haegan Baylor,” a loud voice called out angrily.

  I wasn’t sure which one it was since they all looked ready to kill Haegan. But Mr. Dace, Mr. Jones, and both principals stood in front of the office glaring at him.

  “Shit. Guess they saw the vlog,” he muttered, but was grinning.

  “What did you do?” This couldn’t have been the fight. He’d edited out so many faces and shit there was no way they could get upset about that.

  “I’d guess it was the peanut butter.”

  “Huh?”

  He smirked as if he weren’t facing very angry adults who could suspend him yet again. “I covered Dace’s piece-of-shit car in peanut butter Friday. Vlogged about it.”

  Oh shit . . .

  “Are you insane?”

  He shrugged. “It was funny, Nash. Fucking hilarious.”

  I watched as he went toward them. He didn’t appear worried at all. People were watching and whispering. They’d all seen the vlog, I assumed. He would have gotten away with it if he hadn’t vlogged about it.

  “I think he’s either brilliant or a dumbass,” Ryker said, and I turned to see my cousin beside me.
“Coach D was pissed Friday, but no one knew who did it. Him ranting and trying to get the door open through the thick-ass peanut butter was priceless. But then yesterday that idiot posted a vlog, and the whole thing was on it. Even him coating the car. Last I checked, it had over two million views already. Two million.” He repeated the last part, shaking his head.

  I knew Haegan made a lot of money from advertisers and merchandise he sold. The last time I was there, he had boxes of free stuff companies had sent him, wanting him to use it on his vlog. The brand new iPhone no one had yet, a pair of shoes I knew cost over three hundred dollars, and a video game system that didn’t release until closer to Christmas. I had been blown away, but he acted like it was no big deal.

  “Have you seen Tallulah?” I asked Ryker, changing the subject and getting back to searching the crowd for her. The girls were still there. Would they leave eventually?

  “Yeah, she’s already gone in her first-period class. She saw that”—he pointed to my unwanted groupies—“and walked away.”

  Shit.

  “Thanks,” I said, and excused myself as I walked away from the group and through the few blocking my path. “Excuse me.”

  “Can we talk?” Blakely asked, stepping in front of me.

  “No” was the only response needed for that. I started to move around her.

  “Please,” she begged, her hand touching my arm. “We need to talk. Maybe after school. Above your garage.”

  She’d never been up there. We’d been done, or she’d been done with me, by the time it was completed. I didn’t like her insinuating I wanted her up there. “Move, Blakely,” I replied, annoyed.

  “I was dealing with my own problems this summer, Nash. You were too upset over your leg to focus on me. I needed comfort.”

  I paused then. Stared at her for a moment and decided mentioning how incredibly selfish she had just sounded was pointless. I didn’t have time for this. “Yeah, well you got it. Go get some more.” I hurried the best I could with my damn leg and finally got free of her. I needed to see Tallulah before I went to my first period.