She leans in and kisses me, which is the best response I could ask for, so I return her response just as deeply.
“I need you.” I breathe in her ear as she pushes into me.
Then she pulls back. “I have to tell you something. My dad—” She stops and looks down at the dirt under our feet.
I glide my thumbs over her cheeks to force her gaze up to meet my eyes again. “What, Ash? You’re dad, what?”
Her eyes finally come up to meet mine. “He told Casey we were broken up, and he said I should go out with a boy like Casey, right in front of him.”
“What? Why?”
She doesn’t answer me, only presses her lips against mine. Through her kisses, she gives me her heart. I feel her stress and tension release as her tears run over my thumbs.
While she starts to tell me the rest, I hear her words and force myself to calm down, to breathe; I know our parents don’t understand.
“What did Casey do?” I finally find the strength to ask without losing it.
She squeezes her eyes shut. I hate the tears that are falling down her cheeks.
“He said he’d change my mind.” Her eyes go straight back to the dirt.
“Look at me, Ashley.” I gently nudge her chin to force her gaze back to mine. “You know that won’t happen. I love you, and you love me. That is all that matters. Even if you have to go out on a date with him to prove to your dad we’re not together, I know your heart will still be with me.”
She nods her head and finally gives me a smile. “It’s true.”
“I know,” I whisper as my thumbs wipe away her tears. “No matter what.”
“No matter what,” she says, still nodding. Her smile melts me.
Suddenly, a blaring horn slices through the silence. We both turn to look at Ryan standing on the driver’s side with the door open and his hand pressed down on the horn.
“Nice!” I shout back to him.
“I wanted to do it ten minutes ago, so you should be thanking me.”
“Guess our party is over.” She gives me her gorgeous smile. “Plus, if you don’t call your parents soon, there will be a search party out for you.” Her smile is enough to give me the strength to get off the swing. Then I lace my fingers through hers as I walk her back to Ryan’s car.
“Dude, a swing? Really?” Ryan says with a shake of his head and a sarcastic smile.
“Don’t knock it till you try it.” I give him a sly smile that I know will drop the subject quickly. After all, Ashley being with me is one of his least favorite subjects.
“Get in. I’ll give you a ride back to school. Nice kick, by the way.”
I turn back to him, ready for a fight. I can’t believe he just said that.
“What? I was talking about on the swing. Calm down.”
I smile and shake my head. “Asshole.”
“You know you love me,” he says, smacking my back as I try to get into the cramped back seat of his classic Mustang. “Awesome. Now I’m a chauffeur? Tonight just gets better and better.” He smiles, sliding into the driver’s seat.
“You know you love me.” I pat his shoulder and then lock my fingers with Ash’s. She’s right where I need her to be—next to me.
Chapter 13: Monday
ASHLEY
I find myself alone in the bathroom with RTS. Could this Monday get any worse?
“Ashley, Ashley, Ashley, this bathroom is reserved for seniors. The freshman bathroom is in the basement. Maybe you forgot?”
“Maybe you forgot I’m not a freshman.”
She rolls her eyes as if my presence is an annoyance. “Well, you’re not a senior.” She looks me up and down quickly. “I guess I should be nicer to you since you are going through a traumatic break up.”
“Don’t do me any favors.” I hate that her of all people thinks we are broken up.
“It’s about time Todd came to his senses. He’s just doing you a favor, really. I mean, he’s always been too good for you.” She rips off a paper towel with extra emphasis. “It’s a miracle you even lasted this long, and I still can’t even believe you’re related to Ryan.”
“You know, you’re right; I’m really lucky.” I continue to wash my hands and think for a second I should just walk away, but I can’t do it. “I guess I’m also lucky that Todd liked me enough to kiss me in public.” I can actually see the red crawling up her face like a vine. It brings me great pleasure. “Guess, you’re right; I have a lot to be thankful for.”
“You’re a real bitch, you know that?” Her face is now as red as the shirt she’s wearing.
“I was just standing here, minding my own business, honestly. And then I agreed with you … How does that make me the bitch?”
“Well, I’ll be the one kissing Todd every afternoon now.”
Don’t let her get to you.
“Is that so?”
“Oh, what, he didn’t tell you? He got the lead in the school play, and guess who got the lead opposite him?” She raises her eyebrows in question.
Why didn’t he tell me? God, I hate her.
“Well, since he’s my ex-boyfriend, as you so graciously pointed out, I don’t really care.”
My phone buzzes, and I’m grateful for the distraction. I take a deep breath to try to calm myself down as I check my phone. I don’t need to get in trouble at school right now, although maybe that will prove to my dad the break up isn’t a good thing. At that thought, I remember what Rebecca and I were talking about—the break up.
I see Todd’s name staring back at me, and I can’t help the smile that forms on my lips.
Not missing my smile, Rebecca chimes back in with her grating voice. “At least you still have a friend.”
I quickly put my phone back in my pocket. She doesn’t need to see who the text is from. I know, and that’s all that matters, so I push through the door to leave without looking back at her.
“And don’t use this bathroom anymore. This is for seniors only,” I hear her voice trailing behind me as the door shuts. Then I pull my phone back out to read his text.
Change of plans. Meet at Mark’s truck in SL for lunch.
I feel the flutter of butterflies at just the thought of him and lunch. Unfortunately, it is still hours away.
***
As expected, time ticked by incredibly slow until lunch. It feels like it was years ago when I got Todd’s text, but it’s finally time.
As I walk up to Mark’s truck, I see Todd and Mark standing outside of it. It’s strange that Mark is joining us for lunch. I try to hide my disappointment.
“Well, hello, little Taylor.” Mark gives me a head nod with a smile then he turns to Todd. “She’s all yours,” he says as he pats him on the shoulder and drops his keys in Todd’s hand. “Take good care of my, baby.” He slides his finger along the top of his truck bed then winks at Todd.
“Bye, Mark.” I shout out to him as he walks away. Once he’s out of earshot, I turn to Todd. “Why exactly are we meeting at Mark’s truck?”
“Because it’s not mine.”
“Right, I got that.”
“Well, no parents will recognize us, just in case.”
“Still not following.”
He gives me a crooked smile. “That’s why I love you, Ash. Get in.” He opens the door for me, and before he shuts it, he smiles. “Never skipped before, huh?”
My stomach flutters at the thought of skipping with Todd, but the practical side of me knows this is a mistake. However, my whole body knows this is one mistake I want to make.
I slide my fingers into his once he puts the truck into drive. “Where are we going?”
“Where else? As long as we’re back in time for our next class, we’re good.” He hands me a paper bag. “Here, I know lunch is important.” There’s that crooked smile again.
I open the bag, and of course, there is the infamous sloppy PB&J. “Do you know how to make anything else?” I ask, trying to hide just how happy I am.
“Oh, I see how it
is. I’m sorry, but last I checked, you are also capable of making a sandwich.” He squeezes my knee, the smile never leaving his lips.
“Actually, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Our field is closer to school than where we live, so we are there within minutes.
“Wow, you ate that fast,” Todd says, looking over as he parks the truck.
“I wouldn’t want to waste our lunch time with something like food.”
He laughs as he presses his lips to mine.
“Don’t you need to eat?” I ask, secretly hoping the answer is no.
“I had a big breakfast. I knew what we were doing.” He gives me the slyest of smiles, and I swear I’m about to lose myself right here. “Come on,” he says as he opens the truck door.
Before I know it, we are lying in Mark’s truck bed, which is covered in blankets.
“We have twenty minutes,” Todd says breathlessly between kisses. “That gives us five to get back. So we’ll need to run to class.”
“I can do that now that I ate.” I can’t help pressing my smile into his.
His tongue twirls with mine, and then we are in full make-out mode. I cannot believe we are doing this out in the open. I mean, luckily the park is empty and the truck bed has sides, but I can still fully see the blue sky above us. It’s actually incredible. There’s something more intense about being surrounded by sky and trees, not to mention the risk of getting caught.
“What made you think of this?” I ask as Todd slides his hands down my waist and under the waistband of my jeans. He unbuttons them with one hand like an expert, and I return the favor by pulling his shirt off over his head.
We need to work fast. We cannot get caught. This thought keeps running through my head, and then I yell at myself to just shut up and enjoy the moment, for the love of God. Seeing his beautifully defined chest is worth all of the trouble I’m going to get in for doing this.
He slowly lowers himself down, so he’s on top of me as he pushes my shirt up. Then I feel his warm breath on my stomach and lose all control. He can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants.
I look up at the bright sun filling the light blue sky as I grip tightly onto the blankets that are covering us, trying to maintain some control.
Breathe, Ashley, just breathe.
His warm breath teases my skin as he slowly makes his way back up to my lips, keeping his kisses gentle, sweet. You would never know we had a time limit.
Locking my eyes with his, I see they are the same color as the sky surrounding us, so I know he’s happy, content—their color tells me everything.
He presses his lips back into mine with more urgency, and then his kisses move back down my stomach and trail down even lower. It’s incredible what he can do with those lips, that mouth. He gives me an explosion of joy that I don’t think I have ever experienced before. Then he makes his way back up to my neck, and I let my breath linger on his earlobe, knowing that drives him crazy.
Wanting to give him the same incredible exhilaration I’ve just experienced, I glide my hand down his stomach, and we turn over so I’m now on top of him. I’m not sure what I’m doing, but Todd gently guides me, and the look of elation that washes over his face brings me a happiness I can’t explain with words.
I love seeing him like this: relaxed, incredibly happy, and at peace. This is the Todd I fell in love with—not stressed or worried about our parents, but laid back, like nothing can stop him. I love him more than anything, and I love that I can make him this happy. The smile that spreads across his perfect lips is worth everything in the world to me.
He pulls me back up. “That was incredible, Ash. You were incredible.”
“Mark Francis Conner, why aren’t you in school?” We hear from what sounds like under the truck.
We both freeze mid-breath. Thankfully, we are under the blankets.
Todd’s eyes are huge as he mouths to me, “Francis?”
I try really hard not to make a sound, but I can’t help it; a small snort-giggle escapes. My hands fly to my mouth, but it’s too late. I already made a sound, and I just made another one.
“Ashley,” Todd mouths, trying not to laugh.
“A girl? You have a girl in there? Mark, I’m talking to you, and I know you can hear me.” What sounds like a wrecking ball bangs on the side of the truck bed over and over.
“It’s not Mark, Mrs. Conner,” Todd says calmly from under the blankets.
We hear a gasp and then silence as the shock turns to understanding. My face is burning hot, but thankfully, Todd is thinking clearly, and he keeps it together as he quickly puts his shirt back on.
“Stay down,” he mouths to me, so I do.
Todd pops his head up over the wall of the truck bed and gives her a small wave. “Hi, Mrs. Conner. Sorry, Mark lent me his truck for lunch. I hope that is okay.” He gives her a smile while I try to button my pants without making another sound.
“Oh, Todd. Hi. Well, I guess that is fine. Where is Mark?”
“He’s at school,” Todd says as if Mark is a saint and Todd is the one who should be crucified. Luckily, all parents love Todd—well, except for mine now, I guess.
I can practically hear Mrs. Conner melt. Apparently, he has the same effect on moms, too.
“Okay, well, carry on then. But you should still be in school.”
“Oh, I will. It’s lunch, but I’ll be back in time for class, I promise.”
Man, he’s good. He can turn on the charm like a light switch. I find myself smiling with pride while I hear her car start and drive away. I look up at Todd who is waving with that same oversized grin on his face until she is clearly gone. Then he turns back to me and totally breaks into hysterics.
“Shit. That was close! She’s friends with both our moms. I hope she doesn’t say anything,” he says through his laughter.
I can’t help laughing hysterically, too. “What is it with parents driving by this field? I mean, what are the odds?”
“One thing is for sure; Mark is not going to live down Francis.”
I roll over, laughing so hard my stomach hurts. “I bet he’s going to be glad he lent you his truck,” I say, still laughing.
When I turn back, Todd’s face is stoic before he slowly gives me that crooked smile that always causes me to make bad decisions.
He leans down so he’s inches from my face. “Where were we?”
I try to stay strong. “Going back to school.”
He looks at his phone. “Shit. Right. We’ve gotta go.” He gives me one last kiss before he helps me out of the back of the truck.
“Hey, what was she hitting the truck with? It sounded like a brick.”
“Must have been her purse. She wasn’t holding anything else,” he answers, half paying attention as he checks his phone. “Looks like Mark already got a text from his mom.”
“Oh, no. What did he say?”
Todd turns his phone to show me Mark’s text.
Run into someone?
“I’m telling Francis to calm down,” he says as he texts Mark back.
“And so it begins,” I say with a smile.
Todd laughs. “Yeah, that one is going to be our get out of jail free card for a while.”
Something about his words reminds me of my conversation with RTS.
“Hey, speaking of jail, I ran into Rebecca in the bathroom this morning.”
Todd drops his smile, obviously aware of what I’m going to say. His hand moves to my knee, and his eyes quickly shift to mine then go right back to the road. “I was going to tell you, Ash.”
“Then why didn’t you?” I try to stay calm. I don’t want to fight; I just want to know.
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. I just didn’t want the kiss thing to be a big deal.”
“It’s only a big deal if you don’t tell me, and I find out from her. I can’t say I love that you’re going to kiss her, but I’m excited for you. The lead in the school play is a big deal. I just want you to share it me.” I
run my hand over his leg as he drives back to school, needing to touch him.
He’s going faster than he should since we’re running late, but I do enjoy seeing him drive a truck. There’s something exciting about being up higher than the other cars. Plus, what could be sexier than a boy and a truck?
Todd turns to give me a smile as we take a sharp corner, pulling into the school parking lot. “Thanks, Ash. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away, and for what it’s worth, I don’t like the kissing part, either. I wish you were in the play with me. Then I would have an excuse to kiss you every day in front of everyone instead of hiding in Francis’s truck.” His hand finds my leg again as his lips crash into mine, but we are interrupted by the late bell.
“Well, we almost made it.” I smile through our kiss.
He starts to laugh. “Tell Mr. Ramirez you have your period or something.”
“What?” I can’t even believe those words just came out of his mouth.
“What?” He smiles innocently. “I have a sister, and that’s something I know Mr. R. won’t touch with a ten-foot pole.”
“No way, not worth it. I’ll take the detention, thanks.”
“Or we can just stay here since we’re already late.” He pushes farther into me.
I love the feeling of his body against mine, but I cannot get into any more trouble, so I find the strength from deep within to push him back.
“Nice try. I’m sure only one of us will be getting detention, anyway. Athletes are pretty much exempt.” I give him once last kiss as I open the door.
“Well, I had fun,” he shouts to me through my open door.
“Me, too,” I say with a smile, fighting every urge to get back in the truck.
“I think we have a new lunch spot, minus Mark’s mom, of course.”
I give him a quick smile and then slam the truck door.
Just keep walking, Ashley.
Chapter 14: The Date
ASHLEY
It’s the night of my big date with Casey. Unfortunately, ever since my dad let out the secret that Todd and I are broken up, Casey wouldn’t let it go and kept asking me out. I don’t like the idea of going out with him, but it is the perfect decoy date to prove to my parents that Todd and I are not together. I have been dreading it for the past few weeks. But there are no more excuses, I have used all of them up, so I finally just need to do it.
Unbreakable (Accidental Crush #3) Page 14