My plans to spend as much of my time alone with Skylar as possible just flew straight out the window and splatted on the cement out there. “I take it you’re staying with me?”
My uncle lifts his brow. “Is that going to be a problem? Were you planning on having a certain someone stay with you?”
“What? No.” My voice is not all nonchalant like I want it to be. Pretty sure my uncle knows this, too.
“How long?”
I throw my hands up. “Not this again!”
“Yes, this again! How long?”
Screw it. I’m telling him. “How long have I liked her? Way before homecoming.” Actually, I think it’s when she Saran-Wrapped my car that I actually started liking her. But we didn’t do anything—I mean, we kissed, but nothing else—after the championship. I stare at him, waiting for a response. He doesn’t give me one so I keep going. “I like her a lot. No, that’s not right. I love her. There, you happy? I want her to come back home. She needs to come back home.”
I slump into the chair in the corner and hide my face in my hands.
“Erin owes me twenty bucks.” I look up, confused, because his voice is awfully chipper. “Caleb, I’m happy for you. For you both, actually. It’s going to be a little awkward and I know this isn’t ideal stuff, but it’s not wrong or sick. But if you two decide to continue this relationship and she does come back with us, there are going to be some rules. A lot of rules.”
“So you aren’t mad at us?”
“Should I be?” His eyes narrow.
I shake my head.
He nods.
Now that my uncle knows, Erin is sure to find out. Where would that leave Skylar and me? She doesn’t want them to know, and I just spilled it. Damn it! I’m an idiot. She won’t come back now. I’ve lost her.
***
“Are you two ready?” Erin asks as Uncle Brian and I head out of the hotel room.
“You look beautiful, Erin,” Uncle Bri says.
She blushes and slaps his arm. “Thank you.”
I shake my head and step into the elevator. It feels like ten years pass before the doors open. The lobby is filled with people coming and going, but my sights land right on Sky sitting in a chair, blowing a piece of hair off her face.
I look back at my uncle and Erin, who aren’t paying attention to anyone but each other. That’s a good thing. I return my attention to Skylar, who is still looking bored, her stare glued to either her lap or the floor. Either way, I don’t care.
Carefully, I sneak up to her. I gently pull the necklace I bought her from the box and unhook the chain.
“Whatever you plan on doing, you shouldn’t. I’ll kick you then I’ll kiss you,” she says without lifting her head.
“How did you know it was me? And I’m still going to do something, but I don’t want to get kicked.” She lifts her head and I say, “Ah-ah. None of that. Close your eyes.”
I glance at her and she complies. My hands shake a little as I slip the necklace around her neck. Dropping my lips near her ear, I whisper, “Merry Christmas, Sky.”
I kiss her cheek and watch her. Her hand touches the charm and then she looks at me. “Caleb, I love it.” She swings her arms around my neck and kisses me. “I got you something, too.”
“You did?”
She elbows me. “Yes, silly. But you can’t have it until later.”
That probably won’t happen as soon she finds out what I’ve done. I cringe at the thought of losing her for good. But I need to tell her. “I did something.”
“Did something?” Sky asks.
I nod. “I told my uncle.”
She nods. “So?”
I face her. “You aren’t mad?”
Sky stares at me then the ground. “No, I’m not. I just … I don’t know.”
“Hey, don’t worry about how this will work if you want to stay here. And don’t worry about how things will be if you come back. Just take it one day at a time. Okay?”
“Okay.”
I take her hand and won’t let it go until she makes me. Because she has me. Whether she knows it or not. This girl, this stubborn, Bulldog girl has me weak at the knees and completely, one hundred percent in love with her.
Chapter 16
Skylar
Rockefeller Center is packed as usual with skaters, tourists, and everyone observing the huge and fully decorated tree. Caleb snuggles against my back, and I laugh. “Cold?” I ask as he buries his hands into my coat pockets.
“Nah. I just like having an excuse to hold you closer.”
I shake my head. “So bad.”
“You like it.” He winks and I laugh even harder.
He kisses my nose. “Are you having fun?”
I nod.
“Are you glad I came, then?”
“Yes.” He dips his mouth to mine and we kiss. His lips brush mine delicately, like he doesn’t want to rush a thing. And I love it. Because it’s exactly what I want.
I’m still in a full on debate over whether I should go back with him or stay here and try to have a long-distance relationship. My heart is telling me to go with him. My head is telling me to stay. Distance might be good—to take a break from the pressure of pleasing everyone through sports or loyalty. Just escape from it all until college.
But that’s running. I’m not a runner when it comes to fights. So why am I still here?
“You okay? You look mad.”
I pull away from my thoughts and concentrate on Caleb. “You love me, right?”
He flashes me an adorable smile. “Bulldog, you had my heart from the moment you Saran-Wrapped my car.”
“Is that so?”
He nods. “Definitely. Want to go skating?”
“In a second. Can we talk about something first?”
We walk over to a bench and sit down. I watch the skaters at first and then turn to him. “I’m scared about going back.”
“I know.”
“Shh … I’m not finished. I’m scared. No, I’m terrified. If we don’t work out, will you turn on me like the others? Will you protect me? And what about you, could you handle the school turning on you?”
His gaze penetrates me. “Listen to me. I don’t give a shit anymore about who’s what and the rivalry. I don’t give a shit! If people turn on us then so be it, but as long as I’ve got you I don’t care. I want you.”
“But what if … ”
“If we don’t work out? Babe, we’re going to work. We’ve done a lot of shit to screw us up from the jump. So if we can make it through that, I’m pretty sure we’re good. But if it didn’t work, fine. It wouldn’t change my promise, which is: I will protect you no matter what.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Sky, no matter what, you’ve got me. The only way this ends is by you saying the words or doing something completely unforgivable like cheating on me. That shit won’t fly.”
I shake my head. “I’d never do that.”
“Exactly. So it’s down to you getting sick of me.” He winks. “I’m pretty sure you can’t get enough of me, though.”
I smile and punch him in the shoulder. “Such a jackhole.” I love him. God, I love this boy so much! He kisses my cheek and I whisper, “Let’s skip skating.”
“Okay.”
***
We take a cab back to my dad’s house, since my mom and Brian are probably back at Caleb’s hotel room.
Up in my room, Caleb takes a seat on my bed. I grab his gift that I’ve had hidden for a few weeks now and take it over to him. He beams at me. “Ooo, what do we have here?”
“Open it.”
He rips the paper off and pulls off the lid of the box. His eyes go wide then they soften. He lifts the picture from the box. “How did … ”
“I asked Lance who your favorite quarterback was. My dad had tickets to the Giants and Denver game, so I got you both of the brother’s autographs and even put the ticket in the frame.” I point to it.
“This is so freaking awesome!” He
hugs me and kisses me so hard it leaves me breathless.
He pulls back slightly and places his gift on my desk. His eyes return to mine full of hunger. His lips touch mine and every worry seems to melt away. I snake my fingers through his shaggy hair and tug on the strands. Caleb nips my lower lip and I moan against his mouth.
He lowers us to the bed. He remains on top of me but we stay fully clothed. His calloused hands brush against my face and roam my hair as his tongue explores my mouth. My heart is pounding so hard from the thrill of his kisses and the fear of someone catching us in a compromising position. I press him against me and gasp when his lips trace kisses down my jaw and continue toward my collarbone. “Caleb … ” I whisper.
“Yeah?” he asks, continuing to kiss my throat.
“Are you okay with just kissing and holding me?”
“Mmm-hmm.” He pulls back and looks into my eyes. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
I nod. “I love you, Caleb.”
He smiles. “I love you, too.”
***
My father stares at me from across the living room. His face is a mask concealing his emotions. I hate when I can’t tell what’s going on. So unlike my mom. Of course, I guess this is what happens when someone is absent from your life for nearly eleven years.
He sighs deeply and leans forward toward the coffee table. “Let me see if I’m understanding you correctly. You want to move back in with your mother. Attend a school where the board advised you and your mother that it would not be safe for you to return. Because of an incident which you had nothing to do with but others think you did. All because you think moving in here was a mistake?”
I nod. Surely he must agree. My stepmonster of a mother doesn’t want me here. He had no trouble forgetting about me before, so I must be a pain in his side now.
“Well, I don’t think that’s a wise idea. I think that boy is messing with your judgment. I mean, honestly, Skylar, I thought you were a bright girl. I thought your mother taught you better.”
Slapping Mom with the bad parent label is like stabbing me. Sure, my mom and I have issues. She moved me to my old school’s rival without considering my thoughts, and I was angry with her for it. But it turned out to be the best thing to happen to me. And yes, Mom has her moments, like when she tries to smother info out of me. Or when she tries to relate to me. Yes, these kinds of things might twist my mood. But the point is, no matter what, that woman is there for me. She came to all my events, games, and even my stupid school plays. She was always in my corner. Unlike him.
“Don’t talk about Mom like that. And don’t talk about Caleb as if you know him, either. Because really, you don’t. You don’t even know me. You can pretend you do all you want, but you really don’t.”
His mouth hangs open.
“I hate dresses. I hate those galley parties. I hate those ridiculous fancy restaurants you take us to. Why? Because maybe I’m a little crazy. Or maybe I’m a little too middle class. Point is, I don’t see the point. I’m your smart, jock, guitar-playing daughter. I never once asked for an allowance or an explanation for why you couldn’t be at any of my important moments. And maybe I should, but you know what? I don’t care. I’m happy with me.”
“Skylar … I … ”
“No. I need to say this. For so long I’ve done everything humanly possible to try to get you to see me. The other person you left when you left Mom. I thought if I got straight A’s you could say, ‘That’s my kid,’ and be so proud. I thought if I conquered events and won championships you would be proud of me. There would be no reason for you to ignore me forever.” I sigh and blink back some tears that try to slip out. My heart is pounding against my ribs so hard it hurts. I want to stop pouring out all the things I’ve kept bottled up so long within myself. But I can’t. The dam broke and everything is unleashed. “You called, sure. You sent me cards with money in them. You sent me that car on my birthday, but you didn’t deliver it. And that hurt. It made me ask myself what was wrong with me? It made me wonder what the hell makes Lidia so damn special? And for so long I was so jealous and mad at her all the time. But this trip, this short stay, made me realize that if you don’t see me as you should then there isn’t anything I can do or say to fix that. I’ll just have to accept the fact that you want me to be something I’m not. And, honestly, I’m okay with that.”
“Skylar, I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately.”
“And see, that’s exactly what I mean. You don’t see and you probably never will. I’ve gotta go pack, though. It’s a long drive.”
He stands up and crosses his arms. “Now wait just a minute! Did you even talk to your mother about this? What does she have to say about all of this?”
I shrug and sigh. “Mom’s fine with it. She misses me too much to disagree.”
“Well, maybe I don’t want you to leave. The school system out here is much more advanced and you’re getting a higher education here.”
I stick out my tongue and blow a raspberry. “My heart is in Ohio. And this place, it can suck it.”
***
In two days, I’m packing up my boxes again. Brian ordered a small U-Haul truck before he flew back home. Caleb is using his own ticket that’s set to leave today around one. I wish Mom was on the flight instead of Caleb, but she won’t be. When I said that Caleb and I could handle driving my things back, she snorted. Then she made the embarrassing comment, “Too many side roads from here to home. I don’t think so.”
My mom still thinks I’m not a virgin. Which I totally am! I guess being in a relationship with a boy for over a year would make her think differently. But my ex, Kevin, and I didn’t do anything more than some hot make-out sessions here and there. That wasn’t good enough for him, so he decided to get his fun with the town slut named Mia. Whatevs.
Arms wrap around me and a body presses into my back. I moan a little as lips brush against my neck just under my earlobe. A giggle bubbles out of me and I tilt my head toward him. “Good morning to you, too.”
His hands rub against my stomach and hips. “Any more boxes you need me to load up?”
“Don’t you have a flight to be catching soon?”
“Ah, yeah … about that. So I might have told your mom a little fib.”
I eye him up. “And what would that be?”
He walks over to the corner near the closet. “Well … I told her that my flight leaves at one twenty, but really it left about an hour ago. Whoops.”
I shouldn’t laugh. I really shouldn’t, but I can’t help it. My mom is going to be so pissed off when he tells her he missed his flight. “Oh, what am I going to do with you?”
“I don’t know. Keep me forever and ever?”
I cross the room and kiss his mouth. He pulls back. “Babe, if we want to hit the road soon, we’ve got to stop trying to figure out what kind of toothpaste and mouthwash we’re using, and carry these boxes down to the truck.”
Jutting my lower lip out, I pretend to be upset. “Aww … but that guessing game is so much fun.” He laughs and I wink.
Chapter 17
Caleb
Everything is perfect. Well, almost. I’m riding up front with Erin in the U-Haul while Skylar trails ahead of us in her Mini Cooper. Erin was not happy with me for missing my flight. Of course, as soon as Skylar said she was coming back to Ohio I wasn’t about to hop on a stupid plane. I wanted to be right next to her, inside her clown-size car for eight and half hours. It would have been amazing, too.
But Erin sucked all the life out of that plan and said we were to be separated at all times. Wonder if this is how home is going to be since she and my Uncle Bri know about Skylar and me?
I flip through the radio stations and Erin taps her fingers against the steering wheel. “Thank you, Caleb.”
“For?” I ask, glancing over at her.
“For convincing her to come home. I know I told her to go live in New York with her dad because the school board seemed to think that
might have been better for her safety. Her safety is always important to me, so maybe this is a really bad idea. Maybe I’m selfish, but I am so happy she’s coming back to us.”
She’s not the only one who’s selfish. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to her.” And I will make damn sure I keep this promise.
She smiles. “I know you will, Caleb. Because if you break her heart, I don’t care if we’re family or not, I will kill you. Understand?”
I want to laugh, but the glint in her eye is telling me she’s dead serious. Skylar’s mom is officially the scariest mom I’ve ever met and this small space between us is not helping change that.
***
We’ve been home for roughly ten minutes. It’s been the longest ten minutes of my life, too! Uncle Bri has done nothing but lecture both Skylar and me about all the new rules in the house. As if this isn’t totally lame enough and downright embarrassing, he actually tells us, “And there will be no teenage sex going on in my house. I will be doing room inspections. If I find a condom wrapper of any kind in either one of your rooms or any of the trash cans, you both will be in some serious trouble.”
Skylar’s eyes widen as a deep red blush spreads across her cheeks. I swallow and look down at the floor. I cannot believe how uncool Uncle Bri is being. He slaps the table and points at us. “I am serious.”
“We got it! Jeez!” I grab Skylar’s hand and pull her away from this ridiculous conversation. My uncle starts to object, but he lets us go after Erin mumbles something to him.
Skylar stops at the top of the stairs and sighs. “Caleb, what are you doing?”
“I’m taking my girlfriend to her room, kissing her goodnight, and passing out in my own room. Because that was one long-ass ride, babe.”
She smiles. “So, you’re tucking me into my bed?”
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