The Pass (Smart Jocks Book 5)

by Rebecca Jenshak

  “What?” I ask when he keeps staring at me with a goofy grin on his face.

  “Best date ever. Best night ever.”

  After Tanner leaves, I take a scalding hot shower. I hum as I wash my hair and then my body. I’m in awe of last night and today and how normal it all feels. No, normal isn’t even the right word. It feels perfect. We’re still us, but in this new fun, very naked way. Everything changed and nothing.

  I don’t think I’ve ever been happier or more excited. I know we’ll have to leave our little bubble and rejoin the world, but I’m looking forward to another two weeks just like this.

  The stink of the room hits me all over again as I walk back into the bedroom.

  “Ooof,” I say and pull the towel tight around me. I grab my suitcase and roll it over to Tanner’s room. I’m starting to run out of clean clothes. Neither of us has bothered to do laundry yet even though the house has a washer and dryer. Another task for another day.

  I dig through what remains of my unworn clothes and smile when I get a brilliant outfit idea. Plan in place, I dress and even decide to put on a little makeup. Since I’ve been at the lake and getting in and out of the water so much, wearing anything other than a swipe of waterproof mascara and lip gloss hasn’t made sense.

  I’ve got a perfect wing on my right eye and I’m struggling to get the left to match when there’s knocking at the front door. Expecting its Tanner with his hands full of takeout, I take a final look in the mirror, push up my boobs, and hustle out to the living room. The pounding increases in frequency and volume.

  “I’m coming, I’m coming,” I say as I hurry to the door and fling it open. Hustling in these shoes is not easy. “As good as you imagined?” I ask raising my hands to my side and then immediately regretting all of the life decisions that brought me to this moment. “You’re not Tanner,” I say to the two wide-eyed girls on my doorstep.

  They’re both brunette, both staring at me like I’m a crazy person, and both holding overnight bags.

  “And you must be Sydney.” The taller of the two girls steps by me and enters the house.

  The other stands there with her jaw slack. After a few seconds she offers a small smile. “Hi, I’m Corinne.”

  “Corinne, of course.” Which makes the less friendly girl Tara, Tanner’s sister. “Come in.” I follow her into the living room where the three of us shuffle uncomfortably. “Tanner has told me so much about both of you. He went out to get food, but he should be back any minute. I didn’t think you were coming until next week. Does he know you’re here?”

  “I thought I’d surprise him. Did he take the key out of the plant outside? I couldn’t find it.”

  “Yeah, it’s on the counter.”

  Tara’s gaze goes to my feet, and I realize I’m still standing here in front of Tanner’s sister in a bikini. “Looks like I succeeded in the surprise part. Cute shoes.”

  “Oh, right.” I lean over and slip out of the pink stilettos and hold them in front of me, hoping they’ll shield me from my embarrassment. “You know how it is, have to break them in before you wear them out or they pinch your feet. I’m going to get dressed and let you two get settled.”

  I walk into Tanner’s room with my heart pounding in my chest. Holy fuck. I grab the first article of clothing I find, one of Tanner’s gray T-shirts and pull it on along with cutoff shorts. I go for my phone to text Tanner but realize I must have left it in the other room.

  “Corinne, you can have my room, I’ll take the guest room,” Tara says, and I hear footsteps start toward the den of sex.

  Oh fuckity fuck fuck.

  “Wait!” I call, rushing across the hall just as she steps into the room. Between the condom wrappers and candles and the distinct smell of sex hanging in the air, there’s no mistaking what’s gone down in here.

  “Oh, this is your room?”

  “Yeah, I’m sorry. It’s a mess. I would have cleaned it already if I knew you were coming. Tanner and I didn’t talk about sleeping arrangements when you and your friends got here. Why don’t you leave your stuff in the hallway and I’ll clean up and move the rest of my stuff to Tanner’s room?”

  “Oh no, I insist.” She backs away like it’s a crime scene. “You should stay in here. Corinne and I can share a room.”

  I’m too mortified to argue or come up with any response except to nod. I can’t really blame her for not wanting to stay in here after seeing it in its current state.

  When Tanner finally gets back, I’m beyond relieved. He sets the takeout on the counter and then goes to Tara with his arms open. “What are you doing here? I thought you were coming next week?”

  She steps into his embrace and they hug. “My professor had a family emergency and moved our classes online for the rest of the summer session. And I wanted to spend an extra few days with my big brother. Eww. You stink, T.”

  “Uhh… yeah, that was next on the agenda after food.” He glances to me. “Did you meet Sydney? I can’t believe the two of you haven’t met before.”

  I do a little awkward wave and forced smile.

  “I did,” Tara says, and she smiles too. “Go shower and then let’s take the boat out.”

  “Sydney and I were going to eat and then stay in tonight.”

  “It’s fine,” I say quickly.

  “Are you sure?” he asks and all eyes are on me for an answer.

  “Absolutely. Who’s hungry?”

  Tara and Corinne dig into the food while Tanner makes his excuses to shower. I follow him into the bathroom as he strips down. The situation is temporarily forgotten as his body distracts me. Long and lean, muscular in all the right places. He’s too good to be true.

  “Sorry about our plans.” He turns on the shower but then comes back to where I stand in the doorway between the bedroom and bathroom and brushes my hair out of my face. “Make it up to you later?”

  “I won’t turn that down, but it’s fine.” Resting my head against his chest, I breathe him in, all the sweat and sex of the past twelve hours. “I opened the door in a bikini and high heels.”

  His body shakes with laughter around me. “What?”

  “I was going to surprise you with my orange bikini and pink heels, but instead, I gave your sister and her friend an eyeful. And then she walked into our sex headquarters. I can’t imagine what she must think of me.”

  “She’s not some young innocent.”

  “Still, that was not the first impression I was hoping for.”

  “We’ll go out on the boat and then come back and spend the night on the patio hanging out. You two can chat and get to know one another.”

  I nod and he moves to the shower. “Are you coming in?”

  “No, I think I’ll go eat with them.” Maybe I shouldn’t care if Tara knows we’re in here showering together, but I feel like she’s learned enough about her brother’s sex life for one day.

  Tara sits in the seat across from Tanner on the boat as he drives us around the lake. I pull my feet up and hug my knees and watch the easy way they interact. They have the same straight nose and a lot of the same facial expressions. The way they smile—small at first and then widening. And the way they hold their mouths when they talk.

  Tanner’s hair is darker than his sister’s and her eyes aren’t as deep blue. She’s pretty and I think she’s nice despite not seeming to want anything to do with me. We’ve barely spoken, and I get the feeling she wishes I were anywhere but here though I’m not sure why. Maybe she was hoping to spend some quality time with Tanner alone. Although she brought Corinne, so I don’t think that’s it.

  A night of drinking on the patio and I’m sure we can fix whatever it is. For now, I’m content to sit back and let the two of them catch up.

  I’m in my own little world as Tara tells him about school and people I don’t know. There’s something so peaceful and relaxing about being out on the lake that I can feel it easing my worries. It’s the change in Tanner’s tone that snaps me out of my serene moment.
>
  “I told you that’s over,” he says, and his shoulders stiffen.

  “But you didn’t say why, and Amelia won’t say a word either. She seemed so good for you. You can’t keep breaking up with girls every time you get bored or things get hard. Relationships take work.”

  “I know… that’s not…” He glances over his shoulder and I’m quick to lookout into the water to give them the illusion of privacy. “It doesn’t matter. Sydney and I are together now, so you can stop worrying about me dying a single bachelor. I swear you’re worse than mom and grandma combined.”

  21

  Tanner

  “Do you want another drink, babe?” I ask as I scoot back my chair.

  “No, I’m good.” Her voice is deep and husky. She’s tired as hell but being a trooper to hang out with my sister.

  Corinne went to bed an hour ago, but Tara is still drinking and chatting with no end in sight. I don’t get to see her as often as I’d like, so I suck up my own tiredness and grab two more beers from the fridge.

  Sydney’s curled up, arms wrapped around her bare calves and face tilted resting on her shoulder. Tara’s staring down at her phone.

  “Here you go.” I place one of the beers in front of Tara and then take a seat. “Last one for me. I’m beat.”

  “I think I’m going to go to bed now,” Sydney says. She smiles apologetically to Tara. “It’s really great to finally meet you. I hope we can hang out more over the next week, after I’ve slept.”

  Tara sets her phone on the table and wraps her fingers around the neck of the beer. “You too.”

  I stand as Sydney does and place a kiss on her lips. “I’ll be there soon.”

  Sydney nods and glances at Tara. “’Night.”

  She slips inside the house and I drop back into my seat at the table.

  “So, what else is new?” I ask.

  “No, no. We’re talking about you.”

  “You already know everything. I still haven’t made a decision about next year, so if Mom and Dad sent you to get answers, you’re not going to get any. Or maybe it’s your own initiative—annoy me into doing what you think is best.”

  “Well, I am curious about where your head’s at, but I promise I’m here only for the lake. And, seriously, give me a little credit,” she huffs. “I’d never do Mom and Dad’s bidding.”

  “Sorry, I know. I got an email from Coach Wiles yesterday. He wants to set a meeting for when I get back to Valley.”

  “About what?”

  “If I had to guess, he found out I’m considering quitting baseball to focus on basketball.”

  “Are you though?”

  I squirm in my seat, not wanting to think about it, let alone talk about it. “I don’t know.”

  “You’ll figure it out, T, and Mom and Dad will be fine with whatever you decide. Has Dad been calling and asking you?”

  “Not since I left Valley. I told him I wanted the summer to decide and he’s respected that.”

  “They just want to feel involved.”

  With a sigh, I sit back in my chair. “Yeah.”

  “What’s the plan for the Fourth?” she asks. “I invited so many people I’m not sure how we’re going to fit them if they all show up.”

  “I have an idea about that actually. What if we had the party at Jonah’s? He’s got more room and that killer pool.”

  “He’d be okay with that?”

  “Yeah, he already mentioned it. We’ll help him pitch in for booze and whatever else he needs.”

  “Mom and Dad really should have bought a house with a pool.”

  “The pool is right there,” I deepen my voice to mock my dad and motion to the lake.

  “And it’s free to heat,” we say together and then laugh.

  “I missed you, T,” Tara says.

  “Missed you too. I’m glad you came down early. We can hang out more and you can get to know Sydney.”

  “No offense, but spending quality time with your fuck buddy is not what I had in mind for my extra week at the lake.”

  I scrunch up my face at the phrase coming out of my baby sister’s mouth. “Fuck buddy? Seriously?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, your best friend.” She air quotes the last two words and then rolls her eyes. “It’s no wonder you can’t keep a girlfriend. Amelia was worried about her, seems with good reason.”

  “Okay, pump the breaks. Sydney was my best friend. She still is, but we decided we wanted more. And I plan on keeping this one, so stop stressing.”

  “You two are really together then? A couple?”

  “Yeah.” I chuckle. I swear I couldn’t convince people we were just friends and now they don’t want to believe we’re more than that. “We’re really together.”

  “I don’t get it. I’m sorry. I don’t. I think it’s entirely too convenient you finally get together when it’s only the two of you out here at the lake. Why now? What’s different?”

  “You’re analyzing it way too hard.” I laugh it off but worries I hadn’t even considered cross my mind and there’s a pit in my stomach that wasn’t there a minute ago. Things are different now, aren’t they? Or are we screwing up our friendship by giving in to the chemistry between us?

  “I don’t want to see you get hurt and it seems like every time you get serious with someone else it ends because of your friendship with Sydney.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Why did things end with Amelia?” she asks pointedly.

  “Aaaaand, I’m going to bed. See you in the morning, Tara.”

  Inside, I toss my beer in the recycling and head to my room. Sydney’s not in my bed so I go across the hall and crack the door. It’s dark, but I can tell it’s her.

  I kick off my shoes and undress then slide onto the mattress in front of her. Dark lashes flutter and then open and slowly her lips pull into a smile.

  “Hey.” She nuzzles into me and I wrap my arms around her so I can pull her close against me.

  This is what’s different. This feeling when we’re together. A completeness I’ve never felt before. Being best friends with Sydney was great, but being her boyfriend is everything. Maybe it took us getting away from Valley to figure it out, but we were always inevitable. I knew it before I ever admitted it to myself.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” I whisper against her skin.

  She hums her agreement and snuggles closer and her breathing evens out immediately.

  The next morning I wake up to an empty bed. It still smells like sex in this room which makes me grin and also wish Sydney hadn’t already left. I pull on my jeans and head out to find her.

  Tara and Corinne are on the deck in their suits, but I find Sydney sorting clothes and putting them into the washing machine.

  “We need to have a serious conversation about waking up so early.” I drop a kiss to her shoulder.

  “It’s after ten.”

  “Really? Fuck, I’m surprised Tara let me sleep in so long.”

  “I think you had about fifteen more minutes before her patience ran out.”

  “Tanner, fucking finally!” my sister screeches as she shuts the sliding door behind her. “Get dressed, let’s go!”

  I back out of the room and pull Sydney with me. “Five minutes. Twenty tops. Pack the cooler while we get ready.”

  Sydney yelps and her cheeks pink as I drag her toward the bedroom. Tara rolls her eyes. “You have twelve and then I’m leaving you behind.”

  I know she won’t. She hates docking the boat. Plus, she wants to hang out with me too much.

  “Why do you look so embarrassed, babe?” I ask once we’re in the bathroom and I start undressing.

  “Your sister knows we’re in here to…” She bobs her head. “You know.”

  “Have sex?” I bite back a smile as I push my jeans down and my dick springs up.

  Sydney slaps my chest playfully. “I want her to like me.”

  “She does. She will. Tara’s a little guarded. Yo
u just need to spend more time together.” I link my arms behind her back. “A day out on the lake, and a cooler of beer is all you need. Well, that, and a couple of orgasms beforehand.”

  Her gaze doesn’t even drop to my penis. “I’m going to help them pack the cooler.”

  “One night of sex and I’m already cast aside.” I sigh, loud and dramatic. It doesn’t work. She leaves me holding my dick.

  Jonah texts as we’re preparing to head down to the water, and we decide to head to his place to hang out for the day, instead.

  “Jonah, hey,” Tara says with a big grin and hurries off the boat and to him.

  “Missed you T. Shaw.” He wraps her into a bear hug and lifts her off the ground.

  “Have your biceps gotten bigger?” she asks and makes a big show of wrapping both hands around his right arm.

  I shake my head. Just what Jonah needs, someone stroking his ego.

  Tara and Jonah take out the jet skis and the rest of us set up a giant raft on the lake. Tara’s a daredevil zipping along the water ahead of Jonah. Corinne is pretty much her polar opposite, but I guess that’s why they’ve been friends so long. Ollie and my sister’s reserved friend go up to the pool leaving me and Sydney to ourselves.

  It’s another perfect day with my favorite person sprawled out next to me, a beer in hand, the sun high in the sky.

  “Have Tara and Jonah hung out a lot?” Sydney asks, and I follow her line of sight where they sit dead in the water. My sister’s head is thrown back and even from fifty yards her laughter carries.

  “Nah, not really. A couple of times when she’s come down over the summer.”

  “I don’t think she likes me very much.” Sydney smooths a hand over the flyaway hairs that have escaped from her ponytail.

  “She’s just salty about Amelia.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Tara liked her. They met that weekend Amelia went home with me and they’ve kept in touch.”

  “I don’t understand why that would make her dislike me.”