Hanging by a Moment (Keeping Score #2)

by Tawdra Kandle

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember. So why is Durham going out with you guys tonight? Three’s a crowd, right?”

  “Gia’s driving down with Quinn. I thought it would be nice for her to meet someone down here, too. Nothing big, just hanging out.”

  “Why’d you ask him and not me?” Matt dropped his towel and reached into his locker for pants.

  I looked longingly toward the showers again. Quinn was going to be here any time now. She and Gia were checking in at a local motel and then coming over to my dorm. I wanted to be there when she arrived. But Matt seemed like he might be genuinely hurt that I’d ignored him in favor of Tate.

  “Well, Matt, for one, you don’t like Quinn. I didn’t figure you’d want to come out with us.”

  Matt straightened up and stared at me, his eyes wide. “I don’t not like Quinn. Why would you think that?”

  “Oh, let’s see. Maybe it’s all the times you told me you didn’t like her, or how you treated her like shit when we were dating in high school. And how you stayed away all summer, when I was with Quinn. And how you didn’t even bother to show up to pay your respects when her dad died. Rest of the team came by. But not you. Not my so-called best friend.”

  Matt frowned. “That was in high school. And this summer—I figured she needed you, so I stayed out of the way. I don’t do funerals or death. You know that.”

  “Yeah.” Matt’s upbringing hadn’t made it easy for him to deal with loss or disappointment. I understood it, but I didn’t have to like it.

  “Anyway, it doesn’t mean I don’t like Quinn. You’re my bro. If you like her, I’m okay with her, too. Right?”

  “I don’t just like her, Matt. I love her. Quinn’s my girl. She’s around for good.”

  His lips twitched. “Right. Then you should let me come tonight, so I can get used to it.”

  I heaved a breath and ran a hand through my sweat-damp hair. I could argue with Matt for another hour and not change his mind. It was easier to just make it easy on myself and give in.

  “Fine. You can come with us tonight.”

  A smile lit up his face, and I felt guilty that I’d been trying to avoid including him. “Cool. So who’s the chick coming down with the Quinnster?”

  And just like that, the guilt was gone. “Don’t call her that. You know she hates it. Oh, and it’s Gia who drove down with her.”

  At his blank look, I added, “Gia Capri? One of Quinn’s friends? Worked on the newspaper with her? Was in our class? Graduated with us, like, three months ago?”

  He shook his head. “Name doesn’t ring a bell. Is she hot?”

  I hesitated. “Uh, she’s cute. Petite—”

  “Petite? What the hell does that mean? She’s short?”

  “Well, she’s . . . petite. You know, yeah, a little short.” Inspiration struck. “Like Mila Kunis.”

  Matt perked up. “Nice tits?”

  “Mila Kunis? Uh—”

  He shook his head, impatience on his face. “No, idiot. This chick. Quinnst—Quinn’s friend. Does she have nice tits?”

  I counted to ten under my breath. “I’m not going to answer that question, bud. You can wait and see for yourself.” When he began to smile, I hurried to clarify that. “But don’t say anything about her tits to her. Or to Quinn. Or to me, in front of the girls. Got it? Are we clear? And I am serious as fuck about this, Matt. I haven’t seen my girl in six weeks, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you screw it up.”

  “Fine. I got it. Geez. When did you get to be such whipped wussy, Taylor? You used to be fun.”

  I shot him a one-fingered salute and headed for the showers. “I’m still fun. I’m just fun with the sexiest, most beautiful girl in the world. And if you get in the way of my fun tonight, I swear I’ll cut off your fucking balls.”

  Somehow, even with all the delays in the locker room, I made it back to the dorm before Quinn and Gia arrived. She’d texted me that they had checked into the motel and were getting changed before coming over.

  Just knowing she was close drove me out of my mind. I wanted to jump into my car and drive over there, plans be damned. If it weren’t for Gia being at the motel with her, I might’ve done just that. But if I was in motel room with Quinn, I didn’t want a third person there with us.

  My phone buzzed, and I jumped to check it.

  On our way. <3

  Okay. If they’d left the motel, they’d be at Bratton, my dorm, in about ten minutes. I’d add five more minutes for parking and getting inside and upstairs.

  Twenty minutes. I could wait that long.

  Probably.

  Matt had disappeared from the locker room by the time I’d finished my shower. I’d texted him that if he was serious about coming out with us, he had to be in our room by seven, or we’d leave without him.

  At two minutes before seven, he strolled in and glanced around.

  “Where are they?”

  “Almost here.” My knee jiggled with nerves. “Should arrive in about . . .” I checked my phone again. God, was time going backward? “Ten minutes.”

  “Uh huh. What’s going on with your leg there?” He pointed to my bouncing knee.

  “Oh, nervous energy, I guess.”

  He smirked, raising one eyebrow, but I ignored him. Clearly he had no idea that if I stopped my leg jiggling, I’d end up pacing the floor, wearing out our carpet.

  Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. “I’m going downstairs, so they don’t have any trouble finding us.” I stood up and almost sprinted to the door.

  “Should I come down, too?” Matt turned in his desk chair.

  “No.” I pointed at him. “You stay here. We’ll come up.”

  “Okay, boss.” Matt nodded. “Whatever you say.”

  I jogged down the three flights of steps and burst through the doors. A group of girls stood in the lobby, and a couple of them called out to me. I smiled but didn’t respond. I had a more important goal.

  Outside the early fall air was still warm. I’d already fallen in love with nights in the south; the sky was like velvet, and it seemed like there were more stars than I’d ever seen up north. I stood in the shadows, listening to the sounds of people coming and going. It was still early enough that some students were on their way back from the dining hall, while others were probably heading to the library or to evening lectures. I felt sorry for every one of them who wasn’t me tonight.

  I heard her voice before I could actually see her. She was saying something to Gia, and then they both laughed. I couldn’t stand still one more second.

  Rounding the hedge that lined the pathway in front of the building, I stepped onto the bricks and scanned the few people walking until I saw her. Our eyes met at the same time, and then she gave a cry and took off toward me.

  I used to think those scenes in movies where two characters ran in slow motion into each other’s arms were ridiculously corny. Who did that? Apparently the answer was me, because there we were, and I had zero regrets.

  And then Quinn was in my arms, and I didn’t care about any other fucking thing in the world.

  “Leo.” She was crying, trying to touch my face and kiss me and hug me all at once while her words ran together. “My God, what’re you doing down here? I couldn’t believe it, when I looked up and saw it was you . . . I’m so glad to see you.”

  Glad didn’t even begin to cover it. I ran my hands over her hair, down her back and drew her as close to me as possible before I did what I’d wanted to do most and claimed her mouth.

  She tasted just like always—that mix of mint and Quinn that drove me wild. My tongue stroked deep within her, tangling with hers, and my lips were relentless.

  “Mia, I can’t believe you’re finally here. God, you have no idea. It felt like this day was never going to end.” I kissed her again, hard. “And now that you’re here, I don’t want it to end. I love you, baby. I’ve missed you so much.”

  She half-laughed, half-sobbed. “I missed you, too. Video chatting sucks.�
��

  I swept my thumbs over her cheekbones. “Why the tears, babe?” Quinn had cried a lot this summer, but as a rule, she wasn’t a weeper.

  “Happy tears.” She twined her arms around my neck. “Only happy tears this time.” Her boobs pressed against me, and her hips canted into mine. And all I wanted was her.

  My dick was hard and straining, and one part of my mind began trying to figure out how fast I could get inside her, even though I knew it wasn’t an option yet. First came dinner, where I’d have to act like a reasonable human being, especially since Gia—

  For the first time since I’d caught sight of my girl, I remembered that other people existed in the world. Lifting my eyes, I found Gia, leaning against a tree, trying to look unobtrusive.

  “Hey, Gia.” Sliding my hand down Quinn’s arm, I held firm to her hand and offered the other to her friend. “Thanks so much for coming down. How was the trip?”

  Both the girls laughed. “Long and uneventful, except for us being silly, of course. Oh, and arguing over music.”

  I grinned at them. “Well, I’m glad you’re both here.” Tucking Quinn against my side, I nodded toward the dorm. “Want to come up and see my room? And then I figured we’d grab some dinner at this place off-campus. If that sounds okay.”

  “As long as I’m with you, I don’t care what we do.” She smiled up at me.

  “Then you’re in luck, baby, because everything I have planned for this weekend is you and me together.” I paused, considering. “Well, except Friday night, when I have to be in bed alone early, and Saturday during the game. I love you, Mia, but I wouldn’t want to have to protect you from Tennessee State’s offensive line on the field.”

  She laughed. “True.”

  I held the door for both girls as we went into the lobby. Quinn glanced around with wide eyes. “Wow, this is beautiful. It makes Birch’s buildings look pretty utilitarian.”

  “Southern colleges. Most of the stuff here is pretty old, so it tends to be a little more ornate.” I led them up the steps, waving to a couple of the guys who passed us on their way down. When we reached the landing, three of my teammates were just coming through the doors.

  “Taylor, you dog. Who’re these lovely ladies?”

  I threaded my fingers through Quinn’s. “This is my girl, Quinn, and our friend, Gia. Girls, that’s Buck, Kevin and Dovan. They’re all running backs.”

  “Oh, you’re the Quinn.” Kevin grinned. “Good to meet the chick who keeps Leo on the straight and narrow.”

  Quinn didn’t reply, but I noticed that her cheeks went pink, and I made a mental note to thank Kevin for saying that. Yeah, it was the truth, but coming from a football player she didn’t even know, I thought it probably made more of an impact.

  “You all going out tonight?” Donvan leaned on the railing, the position making his insane arm muscles pop. Yeah, that wasn’t an accident. These dudes were completely aware of their bodies; I knew this from locker room talk. There’d been a good-natured argument last week about which set of muscles made girls drop their panties fastest.

  “Yeah. I thought we’d hit Moonie’s.” Thursdays were typically the team’s party night, unless we were traveling on Friday for our weekend game. Post-game blow-outs were popular, too, of course. Hey, football players took advantage of any excuse to let off steam and get a little crazy.

  “Cool. Maybe we’ll see you there.” His eyes lingered on Gia for a few minutes before he followed Kevin and Buck down the stairs.

  “Oh. Baby.” Gia fanned herself. “Please tell me those guys are single. And Quinn, thank you, thank you, thank you for asking me to come down here with you.”

  I laughed. “They’re all single. But they’re players, Gia. I mean that in every way possible.”

  She quirked an eyebrow at me as we stopped in front of my door. “You mean they’re only interested in mindless, no-strings-attached sex? Sign me up.”

  “Gia.” Quinn shook her head, rolling her eyes. “Honestly.”

  “So I’m not interested in a relationship. I just want to have fun for now. What’s wrong with that?” Gia flipped one hand over, her clear voice carrying as I pushed open the door.

  “Abso-fucking-lutely nothing.” Matt stood just inside our room, leaning against my desk, his thick legs crossed at the ankle and his arms folded over his chest. “Welcome to Carolina U, sweetheart. I’m Matt, and I’m here to make your every fantasy come true.”

  “Oh, my God, Quinn!” Gia grasped my arm and yelled into my ear as she leaned into the booth where I was sitting. “I can’t remember ever having this much fun. Isn’t it wild?”

  I forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah. Wild.” I glanced up at Leo, who was in the middle of an intense conversation with one of the football players—I couldn’t remember this one’s name. As if he felt my eyes on him, Leo tightened his arm around me and brushed his lips over the top of my head.

  “You okay, Mia?”

  “Better than okay.” I snuggled closer.

  “Do you need another drink?” He lifted the glass of melting ice in front of me and jiggled it. “I saw the waitress around here somewhere.”

  “I’m good for now. If I drink anymore, I’ll have to go brave the rest rooms, and I saw that line earlier. No, thanks.”

  Leo’s chest shook a little as he laughed. “You’re not wrong. But if you—oh, hey, Durham. I was beginning to think you got lost.”

  The guy who’d just approached our booth was as tall as Leo and built like a brick wall. His blond hair was cropped close to his head, and wide green eyes crinkled in the corners as he grinned at us.

  “Nah, just got held up helping a buddy.” His eyes moved to me, and his smile broadened. “You must be Quinn. I’m really glad to meet you.” He nudged Leo’s shoulder. “I hear about you. All the time.”

  Gladness swelled in my heart. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Leo or his love for me, but hearing that he talked about me to his friends gave me a big happy.

  And Leo seemed to agree. He lifted one big shoulder and nodded. “It’s true. I have no shame. Quinn, this is Tate Durham. I told you about him this summer, remember?”

  “Of course. Tate, it’s really good to finally meet you.”

  He offered me his hand, and when I took it, he gripped my fingers. “Same here.” His gaze flitted to Gia, still standing next to me, and I spied a spark of interest there.

  “Tate, this is my friend Gia Capri. She goes to Birch with me, and she was sweet enough to play navigator for me today.”

  He shifted his attention and his hands to Gia. “Hey. Welcome to Carolina.”

  Gia nodded. “Thanks.” She flickered a glance up and down his body. “You’re a football player, too?”

  Tate shifted his weight and hooked his thumbs in the belt loops at the front of his jeans. “Guilty. You a fan?”

  Her brows shot up. “Of you? Seriously, dude. I don’t know who you are. I didn’t even hear your name.”

  If that put-down was meant to be a killing shot, it missed entirely. Tate only cocked his head, one side of his mouth curling into a half-smile. “I meant a fan of the game. I don’t have any delusions of grandeur, sugar.”

  Gia’s cheeks flushed. “I appreciate football as a sport, yeah. I think most of the people who play it are assholes, though.” She looked at Leo and added, “With a few possible exceptions.”

  “Hey.” Tate spread his hands in front of him. “No arguments here. No one knows better than football players what dicks we can all be.” He grinned, and an adorable dimple popped up on his left cheek. “But not all of us are that way all the time.”

  “Yeah? In my experience, you’re all nice eye-candy and decent dancing partners. You’re good for fun, as far as that goes.”

  “And some of us might be able to take it farther than fun.” Tate’s gaze was level and fastened on Gia’s face. “If we had the right incentives.”

  I glanced at the two of them: Tate with his relaxed stance and steady eyes, and Gia, who stood
defiant, her hands tucked into the back pockets of her jeans, a frown on her face. Electricity buzzed between them, and they both seemed to be hyper-aware of it.

  Next to me, Leo whispered, “I’m not sure whether to send them back to their corners or suggest they get a room.”

  I bit back a giggle. “Tate, why don’t you join us here? There’s space. And Gia, sit down, girl. Catch your breath. You were rocking it pretty hard out there with the guys.”

  “I’m not ready to sit down yet. Come dance with me.” Gia stuck out her lip and gave me her best pleading expression. “The music is smokin’.”

  I shook my head. “I want to stay here with Leo. Go on, have fun. I’m enjoying watching you.”

  She shrugged. “Okay. I guess at least one of us should be enjoying herself.”

  “Watch it, chick. I’m enjoying myself just fine here, thanks.”

  “Whatever.” She spared Leo and Tate a passing glance. “See you boys later.”

  I tracked her return to the middle of the jam-packed dance floor, where she was welcomed back by four massive guys whose dance moves ranged from admirable to pitiful. They were all bopping to a different beat, and I giggled.

  “What’s funny?” Leo’s fingers tickled at my ribs, over the silky material of my shirt.

  “Football players trying to dance.” I gestured to the group with my chin. “Just goes to show that moves on the field don’t always translate to moves on the dance floor.”

  “Hey, hey . . . Buck does pretty good out there.” It was true; the ginger-haired halfback was doing more than just shuffling his feet. He had a few decent turns, and his arms didn’t just hang at his sides, dangling there.

  “Okay, I’ll give you Buck. But the others?” I shook my head, closing my eyes. “Not pretty.”

  Tate leaned over. “Your friend holds her own.” He jerked his chin toward Gia. “Dancing, I mean.”

  “Gia holds her own everywhere.” I smiled as she executed a spin. “She’s one of the strongest women I know. And she’s wicked smart, too.”

  “Single?” Tate’s voice was even, but I picked up the undertones of curiosity.