by Amy Sparling
“Oh shit,” I say, holding out my hands. “I’m sorry. I’ll leave.”
She grins and puts the radio back on her hip. “I didn’t push the button,” she says, giving me mischievous look. “But I do have ways to stop you from breaking the track rules.”
“Fair enough,” I say. “I’ll leave… but only if you want me to.”
Her eyes meet mine and I immediately feel the pull of desire between us. I know it can’t just be one-sided. She has to feel it, too. She takes a step backward and looks down at her flag.
“It doesn’t matter what I want. You’re not supposed to be out here. It’s a safety violation.”
“That means you want me to stay?” I say, giving her a flirty look. This look does not fail me with other girls, and it doesn’t fail me with Bree. She smiles a little even though she’s trying not to.
She waves her hand at me in a shooing motion. “Just go away. Go mess with some other girl.”
“Why?” I ask. “I want to mess with you.”
Her cheeks get a little pink and it’s all the encouragement I need to keep going. “So what’s stopping you? You gotta boyfriend?”
“No,” she says with a wry snort.
“Husband?” I say. “Fiancé?”
“Definitely not.”
“So what is it?” I ask, playfully poking her in the arm. “Why did you let me in and then kick me out?”
She holds up a finger. “That was a mistake. A one time mistake. We can be casual—super casual—friends, but that’s it.”
Her words stab me right through the heart. The F word is not okay with me right now. I don’t want to be friends with this girl.
A roar of bikes fills the air and three racers fly around the track. The fourth one hits the turn too quickly, and his tire hops over a rut in the dirt. He face plants. The kid is probably about ten years old and his bike is now partially stuck in the dirt. He scrambles to his feet and reaches for his bike, but it’s too heavy.
I run toward him and pull the bike out of the dirt. I hold it out for him and he shakes his head.
“I can’t start it without my dad’s help,” he says, his voice muffled from his helmet. Two more bikes zoom past us. I climb on the bike and kickstart it for him, revving the engine as I hold the bike out. He’s short but he scrambles on it.
“Thank you!” he calls out as he shifts into gear and takes off again.
I get out of the way while a few more bikes barrel through the rutted dirt and then I jog back over to Bree, who is putting her yellow flag back down.
“What if I don’t want to be friends?” I say, not willing to let a little distraction stop our conversation.
She stares at me for a long moment. “Why me?” she asks. “Is it because I don’t throw myself at you like every other girl out here? Do you just need to keep your ego in check? Are you trying to win some bet that you can sleep with every chick in Hopewell? I told you to go away and you didn’t, so why me, Zach?”
“Because you’re beautiful,” I say. The words tumble out before I can think of a better way to say them. “You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. You’re smart and kind and you work hard and don’t expect things to be given to you. You’re the kind of person I want to be. You call me on my bullshit and you don’t give me a free pass because I used to be famous.”
“You’re still famous,” she mutters.
Our eyes meet and she looks down at her shoes.
“Not really,” I say. “Not in the way that matters, at least. But I don’t care about the fame when I’m around you. When I’m around you, I just want more time with you. And no, it’s not just because you keep turning me down.” I take a deep breath. “Although, I do wish you’d stop doing that…”
A tiny smile appears on her face. Her eyes flit upward to mine, and her bottom lip tucks under her teeth.
My heart feels all fluttery and I hold my breath in anticipation of what she’ll say next. Because I think, maybe, just maybe, I might have won her over.
Chapter 12
I know I’m going to smile. I know I’m going to forgive him for the weirdness of last Friday night and I know I’ll agree to see him again if he ever asks.
But I make him wait a few moments before I say anything.
The sun is shining overhead and bikes are rumbling past us with each lap. I try not to think about how sexy it was that Zach ran out and started that bike for the kid who fell over.
Finally, after a little while, I shrug. “I guess we can hang out.”
“After the races,” Zach says, and I don’t know if it’s a question or if he’s telling me the future. “I’ll shower and then come by your house and pick you up.”
“Where will we go that late on a Friday night?” I ask. “You know I’m not old enough to go to a bar.”
He shakes his head. “Bars aren’t fun. I’ll take you somewhere fun.”
And then, with a grin that could melt steel, Zach gets back on the four wheeler he rode up on and drives away, leaving me breathless and unable to focus on the races.
What on earth did I just agree to? Is it a date?
Are we just going to hook up again?
The thought of kissing him again sends a shiver of excitement through my toes. After promising myself I wouldn’t let that player get anywhere near me again, here I am practically salivating at the idea of making out with him.
This can’t be good.
Somehow I manage to make it through the rest of the races, and soon the sun has set and the bright stadium lights overhead light up the track. The cash class lines up at the gate, and then the final race of the night begins.
I stand off to the side of the track, my yellow flag in my hand. Zach is in the lead as he soars across the track. Unlike last week, he knows exactly where I’m standing. When he reaches the turn next to me, I see his helmet lift up a little. He lets go of the throttle and points at me, just for a second, and then he speeds off again.
I don’t know why, but it’s the hottest thing ever. I feel floaty for the rest of the race. There are girls in the bleachers and standing behind the fence watching him race, wishing he was their man. There are no doubt tons of girls waiting for the race to be over so they can go get a picture with him or ask for his autograph.
And out of all those girls, he just pointed at me.
When the checkered flag flies and Zach does a no-handed trick jump over the finish line, I can’t stop the butterflies in my stomach from freaking out. He’s going to go home and shower and then pick me up. I don’t know how long he plans on taking, but I can’t risk being sweaty from twelve hours in the sun when he shows up.
I rush back to the building, drop off my flag, grab my day’s earnings from Mrs. Sam, and then jog all the way home.
Inside, Mama is listening to music and folding laundry. I don’t say anything to her because then she might ask what I’m up to. I don’t want to lie to Mama, and I don’t want to tell the truth.
I shower quickly and fix my hair, brushing out the tangles from it being in a ponytail all day. I stand in my closet and stare at it for entirely too long, finally deciding on a black cotton dress I got from Forever 21. It’s simple and soft, with spaghetti straps that crisscross down my back.
I wear a pair of black flip-flops and then put on some mascara and lip gloss. I don’t look like the other girls at the track, but it’s the best I can do.
When Zach’s headlights blast across my bedroom window, I rush out and grab my keys. “I’m heading out with friends,” I call out as casually as possible. Dad is still at the track helping clean up, and Mama barely looks up from the laundry.
“Have fun,” she says.
I step outside before Zach can make it to the front door. I’ve never been embarrassed about the people I hang out with before, but there’s something about Zach. I guess I don’t want my parents knowing that I’m hanging out with such a womanizer. They’ll think I’m smarter than this.
I used to think I was smarter
than this, but then Zach came into my life and here I am, walking right up to him as if I’m eagerly waiting to get my heart broken.
I swallow the lump in my throat as the reality of this situation hits me like a brick to the face. What even am I doing?
This is stupid! He’s a player and I’m better than this.
“You look amazing,” Zach says, giving me that grin. He’s halfway from his truck to my front door and I’m still standing on the porch having an attack of conscience. I should be smart and tell him to go away. But another part of me decides that I’m a grown woman and I can choose to be a player just like Zach. I can hang out with him all I want – no strings attached.
“You look okay,” I say with a smirk.
His grin widens. “Well compared to you, I’m a disgusting troll.”
Hardly.
Zach walks over to the passenger side and opens the door for me. Just being in his truck again reminds me of last weekend. I take a slow, deep breath as he walks over to the driver’s side. I tell myself to stay cool. Keep calm. You can be a player too, Bree.
Zach’s truck is clean and smells like leather and man. I don’t talk much on the drive because I’m not sure what to say. Even if I’m trying to be this amazing casual girl, I still feel nerdy inside.
Zach talks a little about the races, but the few moments of silence aren’t awkward with him.
“So where are we going?” I ask when we turn onto a county road.
He rolls down the windows with the touch of a button and the cool night air flows into the truck. “We’re here.”
I look out my window and almost laugh. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it earlier.
The lake.
Lake Hopewell was my favorite place in the world before I started college. I used to come out here every weekend with my friends. In the summer we’d go swimming and in the winter we’d build a bonfire and roast marshmallows. But once college classes started, I got too busy to bother with silly things like that. I wonder if my friends still come to the lake, or if they gave up on having fun when I ditched them two years ago.
“Good choice,” I say, gazing out at the view. The moonlight sparkles on the water. It’s just after eleven at night, which isn’t too late for a Friday but the place is empty. I’m happy for the privacy because something tells me that being out in public with Zach would be more like being a part of his fan club.
And tonight, I want him all to myself.
We park on the sand and I step out of the truck and inhale a deep breath of fresh air. Zach parked so that the back of his truck was facing the water, and he lets down the tailgate.
“Not yet,” Zach says when I go to sit on it. He takes something from the backseat—a blanket—and then spreads it out on the metal. “I don’t want your dress to get dirt on it,” he says.
We sit on the blanket, our feet dangling off the tailgate. A cool breeze ripples over the water and through the trees beyond, and the sounds of nature are the only thing in the air for a short while.
Zach leans back on his hands and looks over at me. “Tell me something good,” he says.
I look up at the sky, wondering if this is a test to see how clever or cool I am. What do the other girls say when he asks them that question? Or does he even talk with other girls? There’s probably just a lot of sloppy kissing and hooking up going on with most of the girls he’s with.
I look over at him, surprised to see that he’s still watching me.
I say the first thing I can think of. “I’m bilingual.”
“Impressive,” he says. “I’m monolingual.”
I laugh. “Maybe I’ll teach you Spanish sometime.”
There’s a kindness in his eyes and it makes me uneasy. Like if I look into them too long I might fall right on in and never be able to escape the pull of Zach Pena.
I run my hands down my dress, flattening it out over my thighs. “Now you tell me something cool.”
“You are the only cool thing I know right now,” he says without any hesitation.
I roll my eyes. “Firstly, I’m not cool. And secondly, you know lots of cool things.”
“Cool is in the eye of the beholder,” he says. “And lately my whole life has been shit.”
I lift an eyebrow. “How?”
He exhales. “I’m stuck in Hopewell all summer.”
“Stuck?” I ask.
He nods. “Stuck. I’m not here by choice. I’m here because I fucked up.”
I wait for him to continue. He glances at me and then looks back out at the water. “I didn’t qualify for the summer circuit with Team Loco. I had to give up my apartment and move in with my mom like a complete failure.”
“You’re off Team Loco?” I ask, unable to hide my shock.
He shakes his head. “Not officially. If I don’t qualify for the fall season then yeah, I’ll be screwed. Right now I’m just—temporarily not good enough.”
“Wow,” I say. “That sucks.”
“There’s no one to blame but myself. I fucked up, I slacked off and partied too hard and it cost me a spot on the lineup.” He runs his hands through his hair. I can feel the pain he feels, the bitter disappointment of not being good enough.
I’ve felt that way for weeks now. Ever since I graduated.
Zach’s tongue flicks across his bottom lip while he watches the water. I know this is a serious moment, so I try not to picture running my tongue over his. He looks at me and I blush, hoping he can’t read my thoughts.
“But I promised myself I’d fix this. I’m spending all summer working out and practicing so that when the fall qualifiers come around, I’ll make it. I’m not giving up my shot at being pro so soon. I deserve to be on the team, and I’ll prove it.”
“That’s good,” I say. “You’ve been working your ass off lately.”
He grins. “How do you know that?”
I blush even harder, but luckily the moonlight hides my embarrassment. “I live on the track,” I say. “I see everything.”
He smiles and looks back at the lake. “I haven’t exactly told anyone else about my epic failure so…”
I mimic zipping my lips closed. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“Thanks,” he says, and there’s so much gratitude and sadness in his voice that I feel suddenly bad for him. Despite what it might look like from the outside, he’s not having the best summer either.
I slide off the tailgate and give him a mischievous smile. “I know exactly what you need,” I say.
He looks on with interest. “What’s that?”
I’m feeling bold, and I’ve done this a thousand times with my friends but never with a guy I liked. Still, it’s now or never, and I am determined to cheer him up.
I reach for the hem of my dress and pull it up over my head. I’m wearing a matching black bra and panties, which is basically a bathing suit.
Zach’s eyes widen and I toss my dress in his face. “Let’s go swimming,” I say.
“I thought you were going to say something else,” he mutters as he places my dress on the blanket. “But this is good, too.”
He shrugs out of his jeans and pulls off his shirt. I turn toward the water, not wanting to look at his sculpted chest too long because it’ll make me weak and then I won’t be able to walk.
My toes sink into the sand as I run into the water. It’s still warm from the hot summer day and I run out full force until the water is up to my thighs, and then I sink into it.
Zach is right behind me, wearing a tight pair of boxer briefs that leave very, very little to the imagination.
I swim out until my feet barely touch the bottom. Zach joins me, his skin sparkling in the glow of the moonlight.
“The water feels great,” he says.
I hold up my fingers to the water and flick some of it on his face.
He laughs and splashes me back. For a while, we play around like kids, squealing and splashing each other. Finally I hold up my hands in surrender.
“I give
up!” I say. “My mouth tastes like lake.”
“I bet it tastes better than that,” Zach says.
He moves closer to me. He looks gorgeous with wet hair and water drops rolling down his muscular shoulders. I probably look like a mess, my hair all stringy and gross, but the way Zach looks at me says he doesn’t see any of that.
He closes the distance between us and soon we’re two heads floating in the water just inches apart. I reach out for him and grab his shoulders. My toes lift off the bottom of the lake as he pulls me closer. His hands slide over my butt and down my legs as he guides me to where my legs are wrapped around him. I hook my ankles together around his back and stare into his eyes.
His strong hands hold onto my sides, not letting me float away. I can feel his erection pushing against the fabric of his boxers, pressing into my abdomen.
Zach’s eyes stare into mine, and there’s something new in the feeling it gives me. We seem closer now that he’s shared some of his life with me. It feels better this time.
My whole body aches to be joined with his, but I’ll settle for a kiss first.
“Come here,” Zach whispers.
I lean forward and press my lips to his, giving both of us exactly what we want.
Chapter 13
I wake up to the sunlight pouring into my room. My first thoughts are a confused mess because it’s never sunny when I wake up. I’ve been up at six a.m. every day so I can work out.
But as I stretch and yawn and roll over in this tiny ass bed, it all makes sense. I turned off my 6 a.m. alarm last night because I’d gotten home just three hours before that.
I spent all weekend with Bree. Each night we stayed out later than the night before. I block the sunlight from my eyes with my arm and yawn again as memories of last night come back to me. We’d gone into town to see a movie. We sat in the back row. This theater recently renovated all of the seats and now instead of some crappy fold down chair, they all have plush leather recliners that lean way back. About fifteen minutes into the film, I’d pulled her into my lap. We stayed like that for the whole movie, Bree cuddled in my lap, resting her head on my chest, her knees bent over the armrest while her feet hovered over her abandoned chair.