Chapter 7
Leah
To say that junior year flew by in a blur would be an understatement. I don’t really know where the time went. It seemed like one minute I was getting ready for the first day of class, and the next I was watching Nick walk across the stage to get his diploma. It was surreal, watching him. The crowd screamed their approval for their football star. His mother, on the other hand, was anything but happy.
When Nick decided to stay with me in lieu of accepting his scholarship, most of Pittsford was shocked. I think the only people that weren’t were my parents and Avery. They all said that they could tell by the way that he looked at me that he loved me. He would stare at me all the time, and when I tried to call him on it, he would just laugh and shake his head.
The state finals had gone well. I placed second overall in the 400 meters. I was hoping for first, but I’d take second. My times had dropped, and now that it was summer, I was able to relax and back off some on the training. As long as I stayed healthy, and continued to work out so I’d be in shape next season, I was good to go.
My dad liked that it was summer. He had me in the pizza shop almost every day, much to Nick and Avery’s dislike. I was hoping, though, that I would get tonight off. Nick had tomorrow off from work and we were going to the field party that Cam was planning to throw to celebrate summer vacation. Things were going to be changing soon and I wanted to enjoy the time that I had with my friends.
ooooooooo
“So how late do you plan to be out tonight?” My dad called from the kitchen. He was busy filling an order for a birthday party.
“Not too late,” I shrugged as I continued to wipe down the tables in the front of the shop. “Cam’s hosting his first field party. I want to go.”
“Well, just remember that I need you to work tomorrow.”
“Dad, I work all the time. I never see Nick anymore,” I whined.
“You see him every day,” my dad sighed. “You’re going to be even busier when school starts back in the fall. You’ll be a senior and you’ll be training.”
“I know!” I groaned. “That’s why I want to spend time with him now. He won’t be at school next year. We’re going to have to make more of an effort to see each other.”
Dad huffed, “I guess you can have tomorrow off.” He turned and grinned at me, “but that doesn’t mean that you can stay out all night.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I grumbled. “I won’t.”
“You ready?” Avery’s head popped in the door causing me to jump.
“Crap! You scared me!” I placed my hand right over my chest.
“Well,” she laughed as she tossed her hands in the air. “Are you?”
“I don’t know,” I turned to look back to where my dad was. “Am I?”
“Get outta here,” he chuckled. “Behave and I’ll see you later.”
“Bye, Dad,” I waved as I tossed the rag I was holding on the counter and scurried out the door after Avery.
Avery and I began walking down the street in silence. I could tell she was dying to say something, but was holding back. She had that grin on her face that said she had a secret.
“What?” I finally groaned.
“Can I tell you something?” She sighed as we rounded the corner heading into the park.
“Sure,” I lifted a shoulder.
“You can’t tell anyone,” she narrowed her eyes on me.
“What did you do?” I giggled.
“I mean it,” Avery threatened.
“Ok, ok, I won’t,” I clamped my lips shut showing her I wouldn’t utter a word. “Is it bad?”
“No,” she grinned. “It’s good. Really, really good.”
We moved over to the swings and both sat down. Avery began pushing against the dirt causing the swing to move slightly while I just sat and watched.
“Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to guess?” I mumbled.
“You know Logan, right?” She nibbled on her lip.
“Logan Masters? Nick’s best friend?” I wrinkled my forehead at her.
“Mmm hmmm,” she nodded.
“Yeah, what about him,” I reached over and grabbed her swing so she would hold still and just talk to me.
“We went on a date last night,” she murmured.
“Wow! Really? I didn’t think he dated,” I gasped. “Did you have a good time?”
“Yeah,” she giggled. “Have you and Nick done it yet?”
“What?” she changed the subject so fast that I wasn’t sure where this conversation was going.
“Have you and Nick…had sex?” She sat there staring at me with this look on her face that I couldn’t quite read, and I wasn’t sure what I should say.
“That’s private,” I hissed.
“Leah, I’m your best friend. If you can’t tell me…who are you going to tell?” she grinned.
“No one,” I widened my eyes. “It’s nobody’s business.”
“Did you and Logan? Is that where this is coming from?” I gasped.
Avery’s eyes darted around us scanning the area before she focused back on me. “Un huh,” she nodded quickly.
“Are you two, like together?” I was confused. She’d never really talked about Logan before and he was such a player.
“I don’t think so,” she mused. “It was fun, though. Neither of us wants strings and honestly…the person I want to be with is taking too long to notice me.”
“And who’s that?” I pushed my feet into the ground causing my swing to sway.
Avery looked away before muttering, “Cam Sutter.”
“He’s not any better, Avery. He’s a player, too,” I rolled my eyes.
“Hey,” she turned on me. “You’re dating the king of the players and he loves you. Don’t judge them. Logan and I are just messing around and Cam sees me like a sister or a partner in crime. I tried to get him to kiss me at the last party. Even drunk, he didn’t want me. I don’t want to wait forever,” her eyes began to fill with unshed tears.
“I’m sorry,” I sighed. “I didn’t mean to upset you. Do you want me to talk to Nick about it?”
“No!” She reached out and grabbed my arm. “Don’t you dare say a word.”
“Ok, ok,” I lifted my arms in defeat. “I won’t.”
“Besides,” she glanced away before returning her gaze to mine, “Logan’s going to be leaving for college in a few months. I figured I’d enjoy him for the summer.”
“All you’re asking for is trouble and a broken heart,” I frowned at her.
“No I’m not. We both just want to have a little fun,” she blew out a breath, “maybe this will help push Cam along.”
“I don’t know,” I mumbled. “Just promise me that you’re being careful.”
“Yes, Mom,” Avery groaned. “So,” she grinned at me, “Have you?”
“Have I what?” I played dumb; I knew exactly what she was trying to figure out.
“Have you and Nick done the horizontal mambo?” She rolled her eyes and giggled.
I released a deep sigh, “No.”
“Whoa!” she gasped. “Why not?”
“I don’t know anymore,” I confessed. “At first, I wanted to make sure that he really liked me. Then, it was more about waiting until I was ready. Now, I don’t know anymore. We’ve almost done it a few times, but I always seem to pull back at the last minute.”
“You just need to loosen up,” Avery sighed and jumped from her swing. “Come on,” she reached for me.
“Where are we going?” I stood and watched her face light up with excitement.
“Shopping!” she squealed.
“Shopping for what? I don’t need anything,” I stared at her, waiting for her to clarify.
“Sexy underwear,” she rolled her eyes at me. “You are so getting laid this summer. I don’t care what I have to do. Before school starts, you are gonna get Mr. Sutter in bed with you.”
“Avery!” I gasped.
She lifted her should
er, spun on her heel, and began marching toward the edge of the park. “Come on,” she looked back at me. “We need to hurry so we can get back before the party tonight.”
“Avery!” I shouted, this time louder. “I don’t need your help getting laid,” I chased after her as she began running toward her mom’s shop. “You know I can catch you, right?” I laughed as she raced toward the parking lot.
“Come on, then,” she giggled.
When we reached her car, we climbed in, and Avery began driving toward the mall. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the mission we were on, but at least I had someone to talk to besides Nick about this.
ooooooooo
“So is Logan going to be there tonight?” I called from my bathroom where I was currently trying on some of the new lingerie that I’d purchased on our little shopping excursion.
“I think so,” Avery called back. “If not, then I’ll hang out with someone else.”
“Don’t you want a relationship?” I asked.
“Not right now,” she laughed. “No expectations this way. No commitments either.”
“I bet Logan loves that,” I responded sarcastically.
“Hey!” She rounded the corner to peer in at me. “Don’t be bitchy because I got some before you.”
“I am not bitchy nor am I jealous,” I shook my head as I leaned forward to apply a coat of lip-gloss to my lips. I was ready to get to this party. I had been a nervous wreck for most of the day and I wasn’t sure how Nick would respond to me tonight. I wanted to show him what I’d bought, but I didn’t want to come off too slutty.
“Would you hurry up,” Avery grumbled as she leaned against the door jam.
“Ready!” I announced as I spun to face her. “How do I look?”
“Fantastic. Nick is gonna be all over you tonight,” she giggled. “Let’s go before your dad gets home and makes you change.
I laughed before glancing in the mirror once more and agreeing with her. I did look rather sexy for a field party. The denim shorts I was wearing were so short that if I bent over, you could see my underwear if I hadn’t been wearing a thong. I had paired them with a white lace cami and a plaid short-sleeved button down that I’d left open. I’d tied it up in front, exposing a few tanned inches of my stomach, and then slipped on a pair of brown sandals. I was sure I’d have Nick tongue tied, and I was hoping that he’d want to go into the woods with me once it was dark.
I quickly grabbed my purse, and raced down the stairs toward the driveway. Avery was already unlocking the car doors before I’d made it over. We climbed in, and took off toward the field that would host the party, without a care in the world.
ooooooooo
When we reached the field, the party was in full swing. A huge fire was blazing in the distance and music was pumping out of the cabs of several trucks. People were dancing and a large group had formed off to the side where I assumed a keg was sitting.
Avery laughed and pointed out ahead of us as we climbed out of the car. Several guys were running around in what appeared to be only their underwear as they shouted at one another.
“They must have gotten into the alcohol a while ago,” she mused as she slammed the car door shut.
“Must have,” I rolled my eyes before scanning the area. I wanted to find Nick and wrap myself in his arms. It’s been a day since we’d seen each other, and if you ask me, that was too long.
“Hey! You made it!” Cam called out as he jogged up to us. He was grinning drunkenly and dressed in only a pair of athletic shorts and flip-flops.
“Oh, god,” Avery groaned under her breath. “Just kill me now,” she muttered.
“Yeah, we did,” I giggled. “Where’s your brother?”
“Ouch!” he slapped his hand over his heart. “So now that you have him, I don’t mean anything anymore?” He grinned and ran his fingers through his messy hair.
“How many of those have you had?” I laughed as I pointed to the red solo cup in his hand.
“Not enough!” he chuckled. “I can still walk.”
“Are you hitting on my girl?” Nick’s amused voice came from behind us causing me to whirl around.
“Maybe,” Cam smirked. “What are you going to do about it?”
“I’d beat the shit outta you if you weren’t drunk,” Nick moved to stand beside me, and slung his arm around my shoulder. “You look hot, by the way,” he whispered as he pressed a kiss right below my ear.
“Thank you,” I giggled which turned into a moan when he nipped the tender flesh.
“Get a room,” Avery grumbled reminding me that she was still standing there.
“I like it here just fine,” Nick murmured as his hand drifted from my shoulders to hug me around my waist.
Avery’s head dropped back as she looked up at the darkening sky, “Is Logan here yet?”
“Yeah, somewhere,” Nick shrugged. “Last I saw he was by the fire, but Becca’s over there so you might want to stay away.”
“Great,” Avery groaned. She turned and began marching toward the bonfire, pushing Cam out of the way as she passed. “I’ll meet you at the car at midnight,” she called back to me as the distance between us increased.
“Alright,” I yelled before turning in Nick’s arms. “Wanna go relax over there?” I pointed to the far side of the fire where the fewest people were.
“Sure,” he lifted a shoulder. “My truck’s over there. We can sit in the back.” He reached for my hand and began leading me away from Cam.
“So what am I?” Cam called after us drunkenly.
“Alone!” Nick laughed as he pulled me along.
“You’re an asshole!” Cam shouted after us.
When we reached the area where Nick had parked, I noticed that a blanket had been spread out in the bed of his truck. He smiled before helping me up. We settled into one another’s arms and just watched the fire for a few minutes.
“I’m glad you could come tonight,” Nick murmured in my ear as I nuzzled closer.
“Me, too. It’s been busy at the shop,” I sighed as I relaxed into him.
“So, are you going to take over when your dad retires?” Nick mumbled. “I’ll never see you.”
“I don’t know what I’ll do when Dad retires. Right now, my only goal is to get a scholarship for college,” I began picking at my nails. Nick and I hadn’t really talked about the future, and every time I brought up school, he would change the subject. “I’ve got a couple of places nearby that have seemed interested, but I’d really like to go to University of Georgia.”
Nick sucked in a breath behind me, “That’s really far away. I wouldn’t be able to come see you very often.”
“I know, but you need to understand something…I want to get away from Pittsford. All my life,” I sighed as I looked up at him, “I’ve been told I’m better than this town. I have to get out of here and prove that.”
“What about us?” he loosened his hold and turned me to face him. “What about me?”
“Nothing has to change for us. I’ll come home and you can come see me. You could move to where ever I am and work there,” I smiled at him as he nodded, but I could tell he wasn’t sold on the idea. “We’ve got time to figure it out. Let’s just enjoy the rest of the summer and my senior year. I don’t want to worry about something that’s so far away right now.”
“Ok,” he murmured as he tightened his hold on me once again.
ooooooooo
Nick
I wasn’t sure how I felt about all this talk about the future. As I sat in the back of my truck, wrapped around Leah, all I could think about was the fact that I turned down college to be with her. Did she not understand that? I turned down my chance to be something so that I could stay with her. I had put my family and myself behind her. She was number one. I had made her the most important person in my life.
‘We’ve got time to figure it out,’ were her words. I knew that she didn’t have a clue what the next year was going to be like. I’d been pursued as an
athlete. I knew that senior year was going to be crazy for her. Schools would be calling, wanting commitments, and promising her the world. She’d have to make choices, choices that weren’t going to be easy, and things that she had taken for granted would be whisked away from her…time with me being one of them.
As it was now, we hardly saw each other. I’d been working construction for most of the summer, saving money. I wanted to move out, get a place of my own, and make a life for Leah and myself. I wanted to have a plan for after graduation. I needed to prove to her that staying here wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I knew that if I showed her, showed her we could make a life here that just maybe she would see things my way.
“Whatcha thinkin’ about?” she whispered as she looked up at me, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“Nothing,” I murmured. “It’s not important.”
“Wanna get out of here?” She smiled up at me as she placed her open palm on my arm. “My parents are working late at the shop. I can tell Avery I’m leaving with you.”
“Where do you want to go?” I wrinkled my forehead. I hadn’t seen this side of Leah and I wasn’t sure where this line of questioning was going.
“We can go to my house,” she swallowed and her voice dropped to barely a whisper. “There’s something I want to show you.”
“Why can’t you show me here?” I was confused by her cryptic words.
“It’s private,” she blushed a deep crimson.
“Are you sure?” I looked deep into her eyes. I thought I might have figured out where this was going. “We don’t have to, if you’re not ready.”
“I want to,” she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and bit down on it.
I nodded as I leaned in close to her face, “Ok.” I brushed a light kiss across her lips, but she wasn’t having it. Her hands flew up from where they’d been resting and grabbed on to each side of my head. She held me there as she smashed her mouth against mine and plunged her tongue in. Her body shook as I banded my arms around her, and answered her unspoken request. Something had happened over the last day or so. She’d somehow talked herself into this and I was so happy that I refused to question it.
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