Hanging by a Moment (Keeping Score #2)

by Tawdra Kandle

  “Yup. And I’m not sure she’s interested in changing that. Not right now, anyway.” I tilted my head. “Of course, if the right guy were to come along and sweep her off her feet, that might all go out the window.”

  Tate nodded. “Good to know.”

  Leo cupped my face, sweeping his thumb over my cheekbones. “Is that what I did with you, Mia? Swept you off your feet?”

  I turned my head to kiss his palm. “Every single day, baby.”

  The music changed just then, seguing from the up-tempo dance beat to a slower song that I recognized from a few years back. Leo snagged my hand.

  “Come on. Let’s dance.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “Seriously? You want to dance?”

  “With you? Hell, yeah.” He tugged me from the booth. “Anything that gives me an excuse to press your body up against mine and kiss you in the dark sounds like a winning idea to me.” He grinned unapologetically at Tate. “Sorry, dude. I’ve got limited time with my girl, and I’m not wasting one minute.”

  Tate waved his hand. “I wouldn’t, either. Go for it.”

  I let Leo drag me to the edge of the crowd, where he was as good as his word, wrapping one arm around my waist so that I was as close to him as possible. In his other hand, he held one of mine, bringing it to his lips and kissing my knuckles as we swayed.

  “See? I told you. Alllll good.”

  I sighed and relaxed against him, laying my head over his heart and closing my eyes. “I’m half-afraid I’m dreaming. I’ve been wishing for this day for so long. I can’t believe I’m really here.”

  “I know.” His voice rumbled in his chest. “When I’m at practice or playing, I can focus on just that and tune everything else out. But the minute it’s over, I go back to missing you like crazy.” He rubbed my back with his free hand and then slid his fingers to my neck, coaxing me to turn my head. When I lifted my face to his, he lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me softly, no tongue, no pressure . . . just us, connected in every way we could be at the moment.

  A few feet away from us, Gia was dancing with Kevin. They weren’t holding each other like Leo held me, just fooling around as they did an exaggerated sway. Gia was laughing at something he’d said to her. He gave her a little spin, and she lost her footing, teetering off-balance. She might’ve landed on the floor in a heap, but suddenly, another pair of strong hands managed to catch her.

  Matt stood there, his face serious, holding her. Gia straightened, and I could tell that her entire small body was tensed. She shook her head and faked a smile and laugh before she began to turn back to Kevin.

  But Matt stopped her, gripping her upper arms and staring down at her as he drew her close. Gia let him hold her, barely moving in time to the music.

  “Fuck.” Leo grunted out the word, just loud enough for me to hear him. “What the hell’s he doing?”

  “Who, Matt?” I pulled away so that I could see Leo’s face. “Why?” Matt had flirted with Gia like crazy back at the dorm, but he’d driven to Moonie’s separately from us, and I hadn’t seen much of him since we’d arrived. But now . . . he looked like a man with a plan for my friend.

  Leo scowled. “You know him. He’s an asshole. I love him like a brother, but he’s not a good bet for any girl.”

  “I don’t think Gia’s looking for a marriage proposal. You heard what she said before. She just wants to have some fun. She works hard at school, and she came with me this weekend for a little down time.”

  “I know Matt. And I know girls like Gia. It’s a bad combo.”

  I traced a line down the side of his face. “Uh huh. But we’re not responsible for either of them. They’re both old enough to make their own decisions.” Walking my fingers around to the back of his neck, I caressed the line of short hair there. “And speaking of making decisions . . . how much longer do we have to stay here, with all these other people, when I’m fairly certain there’s an empty dorm room just about ten minutes away from us?”

  His eyes lit up. “Are you serious? I’ve only been hanging out here because I didn’t want you to think I was some kind of animal who was only interested in getting you into bed.”

  Wrapping my arms around him, I kissed his lips, thrusting my tongue into the warmth of his mouth so that there was no doubt about my intentions.

  “Take me away from all this. Now.”

  “Can we do this every day for the rest of our lives?”

  Leo’s voice was tired but sated. I lay sprawled over him, not a stitch of clothes on either of us. His hand drew lazy circles on my back, and his breath was still coming in rapid puffs that stirred my hair.

  “You’re sure Matt’s not coming back?” I asked the question for the third time. I trusted my boyfriend, but Matt had always been unpredictable. I wouldn’t put it past him to come bursting in, just to embarrass me.

  “I’m sure, babe. I told you. He texted that he was taking Gia back to the motel, and then he was going to crash somewhere else tonight, with one of the guys. And Gia said the same thing, right, that he drove her back? You made sure she was okay with him?”

  “Yeah.” I sighed. “She said she was.” I pressed my lips into Leo’s chest. “And in answer to your other question, I’m on board. This. Every day. Forever.”

  “Excellent.” He rolled over so that we lay on our sides, facing each other. “Does it make me a wuss that I’m excited to sleep all night with you in my bed and wake up in the morning without either of us having to sneak out? We can actually be like normal people, have a little morning nookie, and go out for breakfast.”

  “That doesn’t make you a wuss. It makes you a wise man who appreciates a rare opportunity.”

  “That’s what I thought, too.” He trailed a finger down my arm. “How’s it been going at school, Mia? I know we’ve talked and you say everything’s good, but tell me really.”

  I feathered my fingers through his hair. “It’s good. Classes aren’t too bad, and professors seem okay. Life’s pretty boring. I go to class, eat at the dining hall, hang out with Gia and Nate . . . study . . . go home and see my mother a few times a week. Sometimes Mom comes over to have lunch with me or take me to dinner.” I kissed his chin, bristly with scruff. “And on good days, I get to talk to my sexy boyfriend.”

  He chuckled. “Your sexy boyfriend pretty much lives for those calls. How about the roommate? Zelda? How’s she working out?”

  “Surprisingly well. I wasn’t sure when we first met. Actually, I thought we were going to hate each other. We’re very different. But she’s more than what she appears. She’s smart, even though she tries to downplay it. And she’s kind of . . . prickly, I guess, when you first meet her. Defensive. My mom says Zelda has a huge chip on her shoulder.”

  Leo slid his knee up between my legs, pressing his muscled thigh to the part of my body still throbbing from his touch. “I’m not going to lie, babe. She sounds like she’s a little challenging.”

  “She is. But she’s also funny and kind in unexpected ways. Odd and quirky, yes, but never cruel or mean. And she’s much better than Gia’s roommate, Ellie.” I shuddered. “That chick’s a basket case. She flips out if Gia breathes too loud or texts too late. And she gets drunk every weekend and picks up strange guys. Gia’s miserable with her.” I spanned his broad chest with the palms of my hands. “I think you’re bigger here, you know? In a good way, I mean.”

  “You mean all my hard work is paying off? Glad to hear it. That’s really why I do it, you know—the daily practices, lifting every morning, running sprints—it’s purely to make my body more attractive to you.” Leo smirked.

  “As long as you have those priorities lined up right.” I buried my nose in his neck. “You smell so good. I need to take another one of your shirts home with me. The one you left me this summer is starting to lose your scent.”

  “Sure. You can go through my drawers and take your pick.”

  “No, I need one that you’ve worn and not washed.” I gave him a gentle shove, rolling him to
his back and balancing myself above him. “It’s got to smell like you, not like some generic laundry detergent.”

  “Fine.” He stared up at me. “God, Mia. Sometimes I forget how fucking beautiful you are. But look at you.” He swept my hair back away from my face. “You make me forget to breathe.”

  I ventured one hand lower, between us, sliding it down the planes of his chest, over his flat stomach, to trail my fingers over a part of his body that was beginning to sit up and take notice again. Taking his cock into my grip, I moved my hand up and down once. “Maybe I can remind you to inhale and exhale again.”

  Draping my body over his, I began to slither down, raining small kisses over Leo as he groaned. “I think what you’re doing now is more likely to stop my heart. But don’t let that slow you down.”

  I shot him a saucy grin. “Don’t worry, I won’t.” Lingering just south of his belly button, I ran my tongue over the ridges in his lower abs, making them jump. “I think you’re more cut here, too. You been rocking the crunches, Lion?”

  He huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, I’ve had to up my game there. But you know, no one down here calls me the Lion. I was hoping to leave that back in South Jersey.”

  “Okay. It’s just between you and me.” Stroking his engorged cock with my fingers, I lifted my eyes to his face, watching as I took just the head into my mouth. Leo arched his neck, his jaw clenching.

  “Mia . . . my God.”

  “Hmmmm?” I slid my lips lower, taking in more of him and circling the tip with my tongue. Bobbing my head, I sucked hard and then went down even further, relaxing my throat so I didn’t gag. He was throbbing heat, so hard that I wondered how it didn’t hurt.

  His hips began to pump against me, and I cupped his balls, fondling them, relishing his hiss of breath.

  “Mia . . . babe. God, I’m close. If you want to move . . .”

  I raised my mouth just long enough to speak. “I’m not going anywhere. I want you. All of you.” Holding the base of his erection, I took him deep, my cheeks hollowing with the intensity of the suction.

  Leo thrust upward, his fingers knotting in my hair as he roared my name, pulsing into my mouth as he gave me everything he had. I stayed with him, swallowing several times and stroking him as he came down from the crest.

  “My God, Mia.” He grasped me under the arms and hauled me up against him, burying his face in my neck. “You . . . you just destroy me, every time. I think I’m going to be the one to give you everything, and then you empty yourself out for me. Again.” He rolled over, caging me between his arms. “I’ve always known I don’t deserve you, but sometimes I realize how utterly unworthy of you I am. I don’t know why you love me, but all I want is for you to keep doing it, forever.”

  I framed his face in both my hands, drowning in the soft gray of the eyes I loved. “I think that can be arranged.”

  Freshman Year

  May

  “Hey, Wellman. Give me a hand here, will you?”

  Tuck’s voice held more than a little frustration as I came into our room, drying off my hair with a towel. He was sitting on his bed, his arms braced on either side of his body so that the muscles popped out. His jaw was clenched, and he was staring at the floor, where a thick hardback book lay.

  “Sure. What’s up?”

  A tic jumped in his cheek. “I was being stupid. Lazy. Went to grab the book on my desk without thinking about it, and it was too far out of my reach. Dropped it.” He nodded to the wheelchair at the foot of the bed. “I should’ve gotten the chair, I guess, but . . .” He trailed off, and I heard what he didn’t want to say. Whenever Tuck could ignore the chair that gave him mobility, he did.

  I knew how maddening it could be, not to be able to do the simple things other people took for granted. Living with Eli Tucker for the last year had taught me to appreciate what I was capable of doing instead of brooding about what I couldn’t.

  Bending, I picked up the book and tossed it onto the bed. I knew from experience that it was easier not to make a big deal about any help I ever gave Tuck. He tended toward silence and occasional surliness, but he was usually pretty easy-going with me, which was amazing considering what the guy had been through. Every now and then, though, the limitations got to him, and he’d get real quiet and withdraw.

  “Thanks, bro.” He slid the book a little closer and flipped it open. “One more final, then I’m done.”

  “Yeah. I’ve got two more.” I reached into a drawer and pulled out a T-shirt. “You excited about going home?”

  He didn’t answer right away. “I’ll be happy to be done with classes, yeah. Going home . . . not so much.” His eyebrows drew together. “Coming here gave me freedom, you know? At home, my mom hovers, and my dad worries. And tries too hard. He’s always trying to come up with ways to make my life easier.” Tuck gripped his thighs, still roped with muscles. “It’s harder and harder for me to keep from saying that the easier life option disappeared when my spine snapped.”

  I winced. Years of dealing with medical procedures and hospitals hadn’t made me immune to feeling squeamish about other people’s injuries. “Yeah, I get that, I guess. They only want to help, but they don’t understand how to do it.”

  “Is it the same with you?” Tuck pushed himself to sit against the pillows. “With your parents, I mean.”

  I shrugged. “Not really. But this has always been my life. My parents have been dealing with all my crap since I was born, so they’re used to it. They know what to expect, usually, and they’re pretty cool.” I thought about the tight, anxious expressions I occasionally caught on my mom’s face, or my dad’s sometimes-forced joviality. “But it can be tough when I want to be real, and they don’t. My mom and dad are the most optimistic people I know. They believe the doctors are always going to come up with a solution or a new treatment for me, and it’s all going to be fine. I guess I’d rather be brutally honest. When you don’t think you’re going to have a lot of time left, you don’t want to waste it on bullshit, right?” I remembered my talk with Quinn on the beach last summer. “You don’t want to waste any of it.”

  Tuck nodded, slowly. We’d discussed what he called my lack of longevity, although neither of us dwelled on it, any more than we did on the hit that had taken away his ability to walk.

  “So. Your girls coming over tonight?” He changed the subject in his typical fashion, and I played along as usual.

  “Not sure any of them would like being called ‘my’ girls, but yeah. Quinn, Gia and Zelda are going to hang out. If that’s okay.” I was conscious of the fact that Tuck rarely left our room at night, so I tried to be considerate. It was tough for me to tackle the steps that led up to Quinn and Zelda’s room, and Gia’s was even further up. By default, we often met here, at my dorm, but I didn’t like to take advantage of my roommate’s tolerance.

  I knew I was damn lucky, all in all. Tuck liked Quinn—well, who wouldn’t like her?—and he had a joking, comfortable relationship with Gia, who could be, as he said, a little bit of a ball-buster.

  Zelda was a different story. Oh, they seemed to be all right with each other, but there was something else there, something I didn’t quite understand. He’d met all the girls at the same time, during our first week on campus. While he’d been polite and friendly to Quinn and Gia, he’d been more cautious around Zelda. I could relate a little; Zelda was over the top, sometimes. She could be loud and maybe even vulgar; Quinn said she had no filter. That didn’t so much bother me, since I’d been known to be brutally honest at times, too, but Zelda talked about things that made people uncomfortable.

  Still, Tuck couldn’t have known that when he met her, and that had been the first time I’d seen something off. Zelda had been tense when she came into our room; I could see how wired she was. And when I’d introduced her to my roommate, she’d regarded him almost defiantly, as though she was daring him to react to her.

  There had been a moment where I thought he might do just that, a fleeting sense that maybe t
hey knew each other already. But then Tuck had only nodded, the same way he had with Quinn and Gia. And later, when I’d asked him if he’d ever met her before, he’d looked at me like I was crazy.

  “How would I know her? She’s not even from around here, right? Isn’t that what you said?”

  “Yeah, but the first day I met her, when I mentioned your name, she said something about how maybe she’d met you a while back. So I thought you might know her. Small world and all that.”

  Tuck hadn’t looked up from his book. “Lots of people heard of me when I took that hit. It was big news in a small town, you know? And the sob-story got picked up by a few other news outlets. She might remember my name from then. Who knows, right? Doesn’t matter, dude. Drop it, okay?”

  I had, and when Quinn brought it up to me, I’d relayed what Tuck had said. Quinn had shrugged it off, too.

  But still. There was a vibe I couldn’t quite ignore.

  I heard Gia’s voice even before the girls knocked at the door.

  “The fun has arrived, boys! Open up for party time.”

  I grinned in spite of myself, shaking my head. “Door’s open. Come on in.”

  They spilled inside, the three of them, giggling. They were dressed up: Gia had on a short shimmery dress, Zelda wore something black and slinky, while Quinn looked incredible in skinny jeans and a green silky shirt. Gia staggered a little, and I didn’t have to get close enough to smell her breath to know that she’d already been tossing a few back. She made a beeline for Tuck, throwing her arms around him.

  “Eli Tucker! You hottie hot hottie, you. Are you ready for a good time?”

  Tuck patted her back and gently pushed her away. “Hey, Gia. Looks like you started celebrating a little early, huh?”

  Quinn perched on the edge of my bed and cast me a look. “She and Matt had a huge fight this morning.” She kept her voice low. “I think he slept with someone else last night. At least it looks that way. It was ugly, Nate.”