by Kaylee Ryan
“They were good. What’s next?”
“I’m thinking deep fried Oreo’s for dessert. We might have to end up taking the other stuff home with us. I don’t know if I can eat all that.” I sigh in defeat.
“What?” The arm that I’m not holding onto covers his chest. “Where’s this girl who’s going to embarrass me from all she’s going to eat?”
“She’s feeling full.” I laugh. “My eyes are bigger than my belly.”
“We’ll just have to come back.”
Turning my head, I look up at him. “You want to come back?”
“What? Am I boring you?”
“No, not at all….” I start to defend when he chuckles. It’s a rumble from somewhere deep in his chest. I smack his arm.
“Hey.” He laughs even harder. “I was just messing with you.” He gets himself together. “Our time here is limited. I can’t think of a better way to spend it than with you.”
I try to act cool, calm, and collected, as if his words don’t affect me. “You’re assuming I can fit you into my schedule,” I tease.
When he leans in and his nose brushes across my cheek, I know he can see right through me. “We can do anything you want, angel. I’ll be on my best behavior. I promise,” he says sincerely, his lips next to my ear, his words for me and me alone.
“Deep fried Oreos,” I say, because what do I say to that? Slade is intense, more… mature maybe than the guys I’m used to.
“Grab us a table.” He points to a small row of picnic tables. “I’ll get our Oreos. What do you want to drink?”
“Water, please. Here, let me give you some money.”
He gives me that look again, the one that tells me he’s paying and that’s that. “Thank you, Slade.” The words are a whisper from my lips.
He nods and walks away. I watch him go. He makes those faded jeans look good. When he reaches the line, he turns to look at me and catches me staring. He winks, and I turn quickly and walk toward the picnic tables and grab us a seat.
“Hey, Austyn,” Mark Lake says, stopping beside the picnic table, just as I’m sitting down.
“Hey, Mark, hey, Lawrence.”
“You here alone?” Mark asks.
“No, actually, I’m not. I’m here with a friend.”
“Savannah?” he asks, turning to look around for her.
“No, Savvy’s with Brandon. He’s home for a few days.”
“Got ya, why don’t you ladies join us?” Lawrence says.
“What makes you think it’s a girl friend?” I ask him.
“Isn’t it?”
“Nope,” Slade says, walking up behind me.
He places two bottles of water and a large dish of deep fried Oreo’s in front of me. I expect him to sit down across from me, but he surprises me when he rests his hands on my shoulders. Anyone else and I would be rolling my eyes, but this… show from Slade has me feeling all warm inside. “Guys.” I clear my throat. “This is Slade. Slade, this is Mark and Lawrence. We went to high school together.”
“Nice to meet you,” Slade says politely, but he doesn’t remove his hands from my shoulders.
“Didn’t know you were dating, Austyn,” Mark smarts off.
“Babe, did we forget to send out the announcements? Damn, wait, no, we did. You just weren’t on the list,” Slade quips.
I can’t see Slade, but I can imagine he’s standing tall, with those muscles on display, his chiseled jaw set from clenching too tight. “It was good to see you,” I say, trying to diffuse the situation. Not because I care—Mark and Lawrence are both players out for a good time, one they both know they’re not getting from me.
“Catch ya around, Austyn,” Lawrence says, putting his hand on Mark’s shoulder and pushing him to walk away.
Once they leave, Slade takes the seat across from me. I lift my brows at him. “What was that?”
“I don’t know,” he says. I can tell from the clipped tone of his voice, he’s not impressed.
“You don’t know?”
He looks up and his eyes lock on mine. “I don’t know, Austyn. That’s not me.” He pauses a moment. “I’ve never felt like that before. When I saw those guys talking to you, I just… reacted.”
“They’re harmless.”
He nods. “I’m sure they are, but I didn’t want them taking my time with you.”
What do I say to that? Reaching across the table, I place my hand over his. “I’m here with you, Slade. They were just saying hi.”
“I know, and you’re not mine, I’m sorry.” I want to tell him that I could be. That I don’t see anyone but him. That thought alone is depressing considering he doesn’t live here, and who knows if he will ever come back. This is just a passing in time for us.
“Our Oreos are getting cold.” I point to the tray in front of us. He gives me a smile and hands me a fork. Ever the gentleman, he waits for me to take a bite before he does. “Good, huh?” I ask, covering my mouth.
“So good,” he says, never taking his eyes off mine.
“SAVANNAH JUST TEXTED ME,” AUSTYN says as we head back toward her car.
My arms are loaded down with caramel corn, cotton candy, and candy apples. We decided to take them to go. Austyn suggested we take them back to her house and sit around the fire pit. I don’t care what we do as long as I get to spend more time with her. It’s unreal the way I react to her. I’ve never been possessive or jealous, but then again, I’ve never had anything or anyone worth feeling that way for.
“What are they into?” I ask. I glance over at her and can’t help but smile. She’s clutching the huge teddy bear I won for her and trying to text Savannah and walk at the same time. “Let me hold that.” I reach out for the bear, and she stops and turns away from me.
“Not happening, Reeves.” She mock glares.
Placing my hand on the small of her back, I lead her to the side of the gateway we’re currently stopped in the middle of, as we head to her car. Looking over her shoulder, I see that Savannah wants to get together at Combs’s house tonight.
“She wants to.” She turns and ends up looking up at me reading over her shoulder. She laughs when I blow her bangs out of her eyes. “What do you think?”
“I’m with you, angel. We’ll do whatever you want.”
She nods as her fingers fly across her phone and she texts Savannah back. “I told them we’ll meet them there.”
“Sounds good.” She slides her phone back in her pocket, and I follow her as we walk back to her car. When we reach it, she unlocks the doors, and I unload my arms into the back seat. Turning, I reach for her bear, but she shakes her head. “You drive,” she says, tossing me the keys. Without another word, she climbs into the passenger seat and buckles up.
After adjusting the seat, we’re on our way. “You need directions?” she asks.
“No, I’ve got it.”
“Is that some kind of super marine thing? Remember where you are and how to get back to where you were?”
I chuckle. “Staying alert and aware of your surroundings. I’ve been here a few days, and this is a small town,” I remind her.
“Yes, it is.” She sighs heavily.
“What made you decide to stay close to home for college?”
“There are colleges here that have great education programs.”
“Teacher, right?”
“Right. Wait? Did I tell you that?” she asks.
“No, Combs did. He mentioned that you and Savannah had the same major. He never stops talking about her.”
“So you feel my pain?” She laughs. “Not that I blame them. I can’t imagine how hard it is on them. I mean, Brandon and I are just friends, and even I missed him. That has to run deep for the two of them.”
“I imagine it does.” I wouldn’t know. Everyone I would miss has already left this earth.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Shoot.” I find myself wanting to open up to her. There’s just something about Austyn that makes me want to ba
re my soul.
“Why do you call me angel?”
That’s an easy one. “Because that’s what you remind me of. With your blonde hair and those crystal blue eyes. Not to mention you have a heart of gold,” I tell her.
“H-how do you know that? I could be the biggest bitch ever.”
“Right.” I laugh. “The biggest bitch ever who took pity on a guy who tagged home with his fellow marine because he has nowhere else to go. The girl who gave that guy two days that were the most memorable he’s ever had. Does that sound like a bitch thing to do to you?”
“It’s not like it’s a hardship to spend time with you, Slade,” she confesses.
“That’s good to know, angel.” I use the name again, just to see how she reacts. Her words make it hard for me to not reach out for her and pull her into me, smashing my mouth to hers.
“Although I’m not sure it’s deserving, I like it,” she admits, a soft blush coating her cheeks.
“It’s deserving. Trust me on this one.”
“It’s intimate.”
Not able to help myself, I reach over and lace my fingers with hers. “It is,” I agree. I don’t say anything else and neither does she. I’m out of my element here. I’m going strictly on feeling, letting my emotions feed off hers and guide us through this. I know I’m leaving in a few days, and the more time I spend with her, the more I know that she’s going to be my someone who I’m going to miss.
I don’t know what these small touches and caresses mean, but I do know that I’m soaking up every fucking minute of them while I’m here with her. I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again after this, and the thought alone takes some of the wind out of my sails. I want to remember every word, every touch, every feeling that courses through me when I’m with her.
“Looks like they beat us,” she says when I pull in behind Savannah’s car.
“I’ll get your door,” I tell her. Quickly, I jump out and rush around her car and pull open her door. She climbs out still holding onto the bear I won her. “This guy needs a name,” I tell her.
She looks down at the bear in her arms and then back up at me. “Knight,” she says softly.
“Knight?” I question.
“Yeah, you know this guy, he won him for me, and that’s what he reminds me of. This strong knight that takes care of everyone. My knight in shining armor.” She smiles.
“That’s not me, angel.”
“No? I’ve just met you, and you’re already doing more for me, looking out for me more than guys I’ve known since kindergarten. That’s pretty knightly, Reeves.”
“I’m just doing what feels right,” I admit. “This is all new to me.”
She surprises me when she stands on her tiptoes and presses her soft lips against my cheek. They’re soft and warm, and leave me wanting more. “Could have fooled me,” she says, dropping back on her feet and ducking under my arm.
I watch her as she walks away and fight the urge to place my hand on my cheek right over the spot her lips just touched. That would be a pussy thing to do, so instead, I shut the passenger door and open the back to pull out all the fair snacks, as Austyn called them.
“Sheesh, Austyn, make the poor guy carry your loot why don’t you,” Combs laughs.
“Hey, my hands are full.” She holds up her bear with two hands as proof.
“What is all that?” Savannah asks, taking a bag of caramel corn from my hands.
“Fair snacks. We ate too much so we got some to go. We were just going to chill at my place until I got your text, so now we’ll share the loot with the two of you.”
“Cotton candy.” Combs grabs a bag from my hands.
“Where do you want the rest of this?”
“Just sit it in here,” Combs says, and I follow him into the kitchen.
“I can’t believe she has you packing around all her shit,” he says, laughing.
“Have you seen her?” I ask him. “Besides, I insisted she let me carry it.”
He laughs again. “Yeah, I’ve seen her. She’s got you hooked already, huh?”
I don’t answer him, and luckily, I don’t have to as the girls come into the room, effectively changing the conversation. “You want any of this now?” I ask Austyn.
“No, thanks.” She holds her stomach with one hand while the other still holds onto the bear I won her. I’ve never done that, won a girl something; it’s a heady feeling to know that something I did, something I won, put that smile on her face. It’s one that I know that I can quickly become addicted to.
“I’m gonna go start the fire pit.” Combs kisses Savannah and walks out the door.
I set the rest of the items on the island and turn to follow him. “Slade!” Austyn calls out to me.
I stop and look over my shoulder. “Thank you for today.” My lips turn up in a smile. I wink at her, turn back around and walk out the door.
What I really want to do is stand next to her, put my arm around her, and hold her hand. I want to know if her soft lips feel the same against my lips, as they did against my cheek. The list goes on and on of things that I’d like to experience when it comes to Austyn.
The girls join us not long after. We all take a seat around the fire, and they begin talking about high school and all the crazy times they’ve had. I sit back quietly and listen to them, wishing I could have been there with them. I have no crazy stories to tell, no parties, no football games. Nothing in my life would be even remotely interesting to any of them.
“What about you, Slade?” Savannah asks.
I’m just about to tell her what I was thinking when Austyn speaks up. “You know what we haven’t done in forever?”
“What’s that?” Savannah immediately turns her attention to her friend.
“Hide and seek.”
Combs throws his head back and laughs. “Aust, the last time we did that we were what? Sophomores? And we’d snuck beer from my parents.”
“That’s right,” Savannah chimes in. “It was their Fourth of July party. That was a blast.”
“We’re not drinking,” Combs reminds them.
“Come on, Brandon. Where’s your sense of adventure?” Austyn asks, standing up. She holds her hand out for me. “Slade, you coming?”
I take her hand and stand. She walks to the edge of the deck and stops, turning to face me. She’s bathed in the moonlight, and I want nothing more than to kiss her right now. “Thank you, angel.”
“For what?” she whispers.
“You saved me back there.”
She shrugs. “I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable. From what little bit you’ve told me and by the look on your face, we were heading into uncomfortable territory.”
Not able to resist her, I tug on her hand, and she falls against my chest. I wrap my arms around her and place a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you.”
“If we’re doing this, we’re doing guys against girls,” Combs voice booms into the night. Austyn steps out of my hold, and I let her.
“You’re on,” Savannah says. “Aust, we got this.” She links arms with Austyn, and they step off the porch. “We hide first. Let’s make it interesting. Brandon, you have to find me, and Slade, you have to find Austyn.”
“Savvy, it’s too damn dark. How are we going to do that?” Combs complains.
Savannah laughs. “Humor me. Besides, you’re marines now. Don’t you have some kind of super-secret training?” She smirks.
“Woman,” he growls, and barrels down the steps. Austyn lets go of her arm just in time for Combs to pick Savannah up and twirl her around, causing her laugh to echo into the night. “Fine,” he says, placing her feet on the ground. “What do I get when I find you?”
“Hmmm, you’ll have to find me to find out.”
“What about Slade, what’s his prize?” he asks.
Savannah looks over at Austyn. “Bragging rights,” Austyn says automatically, causing us all to laugh.
“There you have it,” Savannah says. “Now, count to one hu
ndred,” she says, linking arms with Austyn as they jog off into the darkness of the yard.
I watch them disappear into the darkness before turning to Combs. He’s got his head tilted back, and his lips move silently as he counts. “You really counting?” I ask him in disbelief.
He ignores me and continues to count. He speaks, “One hundred,” and turns to look at me. “Dude, have you never played hide and seek?” he asks. “You must count. Trust me, my girl will know,” he says, dead serious.
“Only played in elementary school when we had to,” I admit.
His mouth drops open. “We’ll get to that another time. Right now, we have ladies to find.” He descends the final steps of the deck and disappears into the darkness.
Realizing that time is wasting, I follow along behind him. He goes left and I go right. I take slow steps and keep my breathing even. Stopping every few feet, I listen to what surrounds me. I’m almost to the field with the tall hay or straw, not sure which one, but I’m pretty sure neither of the girls would venture out that far. I turn to head back to the house, and that’s when I see her. Her blonde hair reflects off the old truck she’s hunkered down beside. The moonlight lighting her up, she looks every bit the angel I’ve pegged her to be. The purpose of the game is to find her first, but I can’t seem to stop watching her. I take her in. She must hear me. She whips her head around and stands, knowing she’s been found. My feet move toward her, hers doing the same. We meet in the middle of the darkened backyard, just the light of the moon guiding us.
“You found me,” she whispers.
“I did,” I whisper back.
“But you were just watching me?” She phrases it as a question, sounding confused.
“I was,” I tell her honestly. I can’t see it, but I know her face is a light shade of pink.
“Why?”
“It’s not every day you get to see an angel glowing in the moonlight,” I tell her. “You’re beautiful.” I sound like a fucking sap, but the words just seem to fall from my lips before I even realize it. She has that effect on me.
“Slade,” she whispers.
“Angel.”
She takes one step closer, and I do the same. We’re now standing toe-to-toe. “You won bragging rights,” she says. Her voice is so soft I’m not sure I could have heard her if I were not standing mere inches from her.