Holy fuck. Ava actually hit Cami?
“No. I wish I wasn’t.” She curls her fingers into a fist and punches the edge of her steering wheel with so much force I lean away from her a little bit. “I hate her, Eli. I hate her so damn much. Maybe it’s a good thing I’m going to get kicked off the team. I’m tired of dealing with her digging comments and her shitty dirty looks. She’s a horrible human being.”
“Babe.” I reach out and rest my hand on top of her thigh and feel her trembling beneath my touch. Like she’s shaking with rage. “Tell me what happened. From the beginning.”
She explains it all. How she was talking with her friends when Cami approached with that psycho bitch Baylee, and she started in on her about dating me. Then said something rudely intimate about me, which sent Ava into a tailspin, where she effectively shut Cami up by socking her in the face.
Unbelievable. My girl is an absolute badass.
“…so I understand why Brandy had to send me home. I couldn’t be there with Cami. I just hit her. My coach is going to make an example of me, and my moment as a cheerleader at school is officially over,” she finishes with a sigh.
I give her knee a squeeze. “Are you going to miss it?”
She nods, looking glum. “I won’t miss the Cami and Baylee drama, but yeah. I’ll miss it. I like going to the games. Doing stunts. Cheer is hard work, though I know the majority of you guys don’t believe it.”
“Nah, that’s not true. Don’t lump me in with everyone else. I know you and your team work hard,” I say. She turns her head toward me, her expression flat out pitiful. “You look really fucking sad right now, and that breaks my heart.”
“It’s just that I don’t usually get in trouble,” she whispers, glancing down at where my hand is covering her knee. “I’m scared to go to the vice principal’s office tomorrow. I’m afraid of what Adney might say. Then my parents are going to find out and they’re going to be so pissed at me. And disappointed. God, I hate it when they use that line on me. I always feel so guilty.”
I make a dismissive noise, though I’m not trying to dismiss what she’s saying. “My parents are in a constant state of disappointment when it comes to me. I’ve been to the principal and vice principal’s office so many times, it’s like they have a chair with my name on it. Trust me, you’ll be fine.”
“What I did was really bad,” she murmurs, her voice shaky.
“More like badass.” Her head jerks up, wide eyes meeting mine. “You got in a fight with Cami over me. She’s always giving everyone endless shit, and you shut her up with a slug to the face. If that’s not badass, I don’t know what is.”
“You’re just trying to make me feel better.”
I turn in my seat so I’m facing her. “I’m trying to tell you that what you did was fucking awesome. Cami deserves worse. She is the daughter of Satan.”
Ava giggles. “She’s terrible.”
“Evil,” I say.
“Rude.” Another giggle from Ava.
“Yeah.” I nod enthusiastically. “You did everyone at your school a favor. Wait until the rumors spread, because you know that’s already happening. They’ll probably consider you a hero tomorrow. People are going to approach you, some you won’t even know, and they’ll offer up their thanks for putting that bitch in her place.”
Ava laughs, and hearing the sound fills me with relief. I don’t want her sad over this. Cami isn’t worth her worry and tears. “I don’t know if that’s going to happen.”
I put on my best skeptical expression. “Come on. They’ll bow at your feet.”
Her laughter slowly dies, though the sparkle in her eyes doesn’t. “Thank you for making me feel better.”
Leaning in close to her, I cup the back of her head, drawing her mouth to mine. “There’s nothing else I’d rather do,” I tell her.
Just before I kiss her.
Nineteen
Ava
Eli takes me to that little Mexican restaurant we went to a while ago. The place with the delicious tacos. I let him drive my car and even though he, at first, took corners like a maniac, I eventually got him to calm down and drive like a civilized human being.
That, and all the rain slowed him down too. It’s really coming down. So hard, Eli makes me stay in the car while he dashes out through it, running to the takeout window, so he can place our order. I grab my phone and text my mom, letting her know I met up with Eli for dinner and that I’ll be home later.
Mom: Drive safe! It’s supposed to rain the rest of the night.
Me: I will. Love you.
Mom: Love you too. Be home by ten.
Me: Ten? That’s so early!
Mom: It’s a school night.
Me: You’ve let me stay out later before.
Mom: Not when it’s raining like crazy. I want you home by ten. Not a minute later.
“Ugh.” I say the word out loud, though there’s no one around to hear me. I should feel guilty for keeping my run in with Cami out of the conversation, but how am I supposed to bring that up via text? It won’t go over well in person either.
In other words, I’m screwed.
Glancing over my shoulder, I check to see what Eli’s doing. He’s sitting at one of the tables that are under the overhang by the takeout window, messing around on his phone. He’s got this intense look on his face, his messy hair tumbling over his forehead, and an ache forms deep inside me.
We don’t have a lot of time tonight. And I’m desperate to feel his hands on me.
Ten minutes later and he’s ducking back into my car, carrying a fragrant to-go bag. “I’m starving,” he says as he rips into the paper bag, pulling out foil wrapped tacos and handing them to me. “This is yours.”
“Thank you.” I undo the foil and inhale deeply. The taco meat smells spicy and delicious, and without hesitation, I grab one and take a big bite. “Oh my God, this is so good,” I tell him, my mouth full.
He immediately appears in pain. “Babe. The last time you went on about those tacos, all I could think about was how much I wanted to eat your taco.”
“Eli,” I choke out as I start to laugh. “Seriously?”
He nods. Grabs a taco and shoves almost half of it in his mouth. “You make sexy sounds when you eat,” he says after he swallows.
Grabbing the edge of the shredded paper bag, I peek inside to see a smaller paper bag at the bottom. I pull it out and open it up to discover warm tortilla chips. “You went all out tonight,” I tease him as I pop a bit of a broken chip in my mouth. “Did you get salsa?”
“Of course,” he scoffs, as if I asked the craziest question ever.
We arrange the chips and salsa on the dashboard so we can both reach for them, and then continue eating our tacos. We both have our water bottles with us too, so we have something to drink. It’s cozy in here. An impromptu dinner for two. And the steady hum of the rain hitting the roof of my car is kind of…nice.
“I’m glad I came to your practice,” I tell him after I finish my first taco.
He’s already halfway through his second. “I am too.”
“Thank you for dinner.” I wave a hand at the chips and salsa. “My parents would kill me if they saw this.”
He hesitates in his eating, his gaze meeting mine. “Why?”
“They don’t want me to eat in this car.”
“Whoops.” He laughs, swiping a chip out of the bag and dunking it in the salsa. “Guess it’ll be our secret.”
“Just don’t drop anything,” I say.
“I’m too hungry to let anything drop.” He grabs his last taco and starts devouring that too. “What else is going on with you?”
I tell him about the past few days. We talk every night, but last night he was exhausted and wasn’t much for conversation, so I let him go to bed. There’s not a lot going on anyway.
If I’m no longer on the cheer team, they’ll be even less going on for me.
“How about you?” I ask when I’m finished. “How was your day?�
��
He grabs his water bottle and takes a drink. “I got an email from the offensive coach at Fresno State this afternoon.”
My mouth drops open. “What? Are you serious?”
“Yeah. I guess they watched my film. He asked if I was considering applying to Fresno State.”
“Are you?”
Eli shrugs. “I don’t know. I kind of wanted to get the fuck out of here.”
My appetite disappears, just like that. “Where do you want to go?”
“I don’t know. I kind of want to be like Ryan. He up and left and never comes home. Like ever.” He shakes his head. “I still haven’t heard from that asshole, and I texted him Saturday.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, my heart hurting for him. His broken relationship with his older brother hurts far more than he likes to show. He’d prefer to be angry about it.
“Fresno State is a great school,” I tell him. “And they have an excellent football program. Ash loves it.”
“Yeah, after talking with him, I wonder if he said something.” Eli glances over at me. “Did you hear him say anything about that? Or did your sister mention it?”
“No.” I shake my head. “We met them for lunch Sunday before Autumn left for Santa Barbara, and they didn’t mention you at all.”
“Ouch. So offended.” He clutches his heart, but he’s grinning so I know he’s teasing. “I might consider applying there. Shit, I don’t know what I want to do. My grades aren’t total shit, but they’re not the best. I took the SAT last year. Once. Maybe I should take it again.”
“What was your score?” I ask. I took the pre-SAT last year and bombed it like the biggest bomber ever.
“I don’t know. Around 1300 I think?”
I gape at him. “That’s…really good.”
Like, very impressive.
“Is it?” He doesn’t seem concerned in the least.
“Um, yes,” I say. “Are you a secret genius?”
“I told you, I don’t get the best grades. But they’re not complete shit.” He shrugs and looks vaguely uncomfortable.
“Do you not understand your classes? Or is it more you just don’t care about them?” I ask.
He smiles. “The last one. Definitely.”
“Eli.” I shove at his shoulder, quietly marveling at the rock hard muscle beneath my fingertips. “You’re going to graduate this year. You should totally care.”
“Eh. I have no idea what I want to be, or what I want to do. When I was younger, I wanted to be a professional athlete, but let’s get real.” He sends me a pointed look. “I don’t have a shot in hell.”
“You don’t know that,” I say, my voice quiet.
“I do. I know that. I’m not as talented as your brother. As much as it pains me to admit. I don’t even come close to your dad. He’s a god. Ash is going to end up being a god too. I can just tell.” The faraway look on Eli’s face tells me he’s wishing he could still be a potential god too, but he’s trying to be a realist.
My family is full of people who’ve made it. Who’ve done something. My parents are firm believers in never squashing our dreams, no matter what they are. When Autumn announced last summer she wanted to be a heart surgeon, my parents immediately supported her.
Of course, we’re lucky. They have money, and they can help us with our education. I know Eli’s parents do well, but they don’t come close to what my dad is worth. Hardly anyone does. Maybe his parents can’t afford to pay for college? Or they don’t want to help him at all?
It could also be that his parents are so wrapped up in their own bullshit, they don’t pay attention to what’s going on in his life. And they’re not offering him any guidance whatsoever.
That makes me sad.
“You don’t think you have the potential?” I ask him.
His gaze locks with mine. “Let’s be real, baby. I’m a show-boater quarterback at best. A mediocre one at worst. There is nothing special about my game play.”
He’s magnetic on the field. Even when he’s losing. All that swagger and confidence. How can he call himself mediocre? I’m about to protest when he changes the subject, sending me one of those smoldering looks of his.
“You wanna get out of here?” He reaches over and grabs the last couple of chips, dunking them in salsa before he shoves them in his mouth.
“Where do you want to go?”
“I don’t know. The lake?”
“And do what? Dance around in the rain?” Yuck, no. Plus, it’ll be way colder up there. Just like I’m sure it’s way colder at my house.
“No, more like mess around in the backseat.” He glances toward the backseat for emphasis.
“I have to be home by ten,” I tell him with a wince. “My mom is worried about me driving late at night because of the weather.”
“Maybe we should just go back to my house then,” he suggests. “That won’t be as long a drive.”
“What about your mom?” I ask, trying to ignore the dread that fills me just thinking about her. I don’t want to get in the middle of their family squabbles. I want to support Eli, but I also don’t want his mom coming for me, like she did Cami.
Ugh. Cami. Just thinking her name makes me angry.
“What about my mom? What’s she going to do when we show up at the house? Stop you from coming inside?” He instantly becomes heated. “Fuck that.”
“Don’t get mad.” His mother is such a touchy subject, I regret bringing her up. “Is she home right now?”
“Yeah, probably. She might be at her friend’s house though. She’s been going there a lot lately. I don’t know. She’s never really around.” His tone is dismissive. “We can drive back to the school and I’ll get my car, and then you can follow me over.”
“Okay,” I agree, though I’m uneasy. I remember what Jake told me. When Cami went to Eli’s house and his mom came out, calling her a whore or whatever. I don’t want to make her angry or make her think I’m something I’m not.
I want his mother to like me.
“Okay? Cool.” He starts the car and tears out of the parking lot, making me gasp. He immediately slows down, his expression contrite as he quickly glances over at me. “Sorry if I yelled at you. It wasn’t you at all. Talking about my mom always makes me feel…”
“Awful?” I add for him.
“Yeah. That.” He’s quiet for a moment as he drives, and all I can hear is the swish of the water on the road hitting the tires, the faintly squeaky slide of the wipers on the windshield. “If she’s there, I want you to meet her. More like, I want her to meet you. I want her to know that I’ve got a girlfriend, and that she means everything to me.”
The sincerity in his tone gets me. I can’t help it. I am such a sucker for this boy. “That’s so sweet.”
“It’s the truth.” He settles his big hand on my knee again, then slowly runs it up to my thigh. “Remember the last time I drove your car and you had that dress on?”
“Yes,” I admit quietly, wishing I had it on once more. There is no better feeling in the world than Eli’s warm hands pressing into my bare flesh.
“And how I kept brushing my fingers against the front of your panties?” He’s saying all of this completely nonchalant, his gaze focused on the road ahead.
All while I’m sitting in my seat feeling a little flushed. A lot hot. “Yes.”
“I also asked if you’d ever be down to give me a BJ while I’m driving.” Another quick look from Eli. I’m sure he’s checking me for a reaction. “Remember?”
“I’m not giving you a blow job when the weather’s like this,” I tell him sternly.
He chuckles. “I like it when you get all bossy on me. It’s sexy as fuck.”
“Uh huh.” I cross my arms. “I’m sure you just love it when I deprive you of blow jobs.”
“I’d rather get a blow job from you when we’re all alone. So I can concentrate on what you’re doing.”
“Oh my God.” I cover my face with my hands. I may be feeling freer whe
n it comes to sex and Eli, but he still has this way of embarrassing me with a few choice words.
“You know I’m all about the visual. I like the idea of watching you wrap your lips around the head of my dick.” He reaches between his legs and readjusts what I assume is his growing erection. “I need to stop. I’m getting myself all worked up just talking about it.”
I can’t help but laugh. “You’re crazy.”
He shoots a grin in my direction. “You don’t even know the half of it.”
Twenty
Eli
We’re about to walk inside my house when I grab Ava’s hand and give it a squeeze. I can tell she’s nervous. Her fingers are a little shaky and she clings to me like she does when she’s feeling needy.
Honestly? I’m a little worried too. Mom’s home. Her car is in the garage, and the lights are on in the family room. The last time I had a girl over and she caught us, she lost her mind on Cami. Not that Cami didn’t deserve someone losing their mind on her. That bitch gets away with everything.
That night? It was unwarranted. Mom mistook her for one of Dad’s secret girlfriends and went apeshit. It was a bad scene. I can’t believe Cami admitted that story to Jake. And that Jake held onto that information long enough to blab it in front of pretty much his entire family. Making me look like a complete jackass.
I still hate that guy. I’ll make an effort to be nice though, if that’s what makes Ava happy. I’m all about that.
Ava grabs hold of my arm with her free hand, stopping me from reaching for the door handle. “Are you sure she’ll be okay with me just showing up with you unannounced?”
“She won’t mind,” I reassure her, but deep down, I have no idea how my mother will react. I never know what her mood is going to be like.
“If you say so,” Ava says, but she sounds unsure. With good reason.
I’m feeling unsure too.
We enter the house and make our way to the family room. The moment the door opens, Muffin starts barking, the little shit. As we get closer to the family room, I can see Mom sitting on the couch, curled up with a blanket and a glass of wine on the end table beside her. The TV is on, and she’s watching that bitchy show with real estate agents set in Los Angeles. Swear to God, she watches that show repeatedly.
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