“Would you relax?” Dad removes her hands from the mug. “If you squeeze that any tighter, you’re going to break it.”
“Relax? Our only child wants to jump out of a plane and you want me to relax?”
“You jump tandem the first several times. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Tandem? What’s that?” It sounds like a trig term, which doesn’t make me excited at all.
Dad takes a sip of juice. “You have an instructor strapped to your back. They do everything, and you just enjoy the ride.”
That doesn’t sound too bad. I won’t have to worry about screwing up.
“And what if the chute fails?” Mom asks.
“Rarely happens.” Dad shrugs one shoulder, but Mom looks horrified.
“You know, I think maybe I’ll give this some more thought.” I stand up, feeling like my stomach has already plummeted a few thousand feet.
“Good idea,” Mom says as I head back upstairs.
I dial Toby.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
“That’s new.”
“I read it off the container of eggs.”
I laugh. “Making another big family breakfast this morning?”
“What can I say? I’m that nice.”
“I bet Tori’s being nice to you now that you got her a date with Ryder.”
“Somewhat. I just hope he doesn’t dump her in a week. She’ll rip my eyes out and then shove them down Ryder’s throat.”
“Wait a second. If you’re making eggs, then you’re in the kitchen.”
“You catch on quick.”
“Where’s Tori?”
“Dining room.”
My pulse quickens. “Why’d you answer your phone then?” I should’ve texted him first.
“Don’t sweat it. She’s eating.”
My call waiting beeps. “Hang on. I’m getting another call.” I check the screen. “Oh God! It’s Tori. I’ve got to go.”
“No, um, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” His voice is funny, and I can picture Tori in the room with him, watching.
“Okay, hang on. And keep talking. Pretend I’m still on the line.”
He laughs. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
“Be right back.” I click over to Tori. “Hello?”
“You’re never going to believe this.”
“Good morning to you, too.”
“Yeah, yeah. Toby is on the phone with the mystery girl.”
“How do you know?” God, I hope he’s doing a good job talking to dead air.
“I just walked into the kitchen to see what was taking so long with the eggs, and I heard him say, ‘Good morning, beautiful.’”
“Doesn’t it say that on the egg container?”
“So?”
“Maybe he was just reading it.”
“That’s so weird.”
“What?”
“That’s what he told her.”
Crap! I’m such an idiot sometimes. I force a laugh. “I guess you were right last night. I’m starting to talk like him. Weird.”
“Yeah, weird all right.”
“So, what time is your date?”
“Ten. Are you even listening to me?”
“Yeah, I’m just not convinced he’s really talking to a girl. Can you hear what he’s saying now?”
“Hang on. Here, I’ll hold the phone out so you can hear, too.” I picture her hiding behind the center island, holding up her phone. Toby’s voice is quiet, but I can make out what he’s saying. “Yeah, I can go. I just have to clean up this mess, and then I’ll meet you there. Okay. Sounds good.”
I wait for Tori to get back on the line. “Did you hear that?” she whispers.
“Yeah. Sounds like he made plans with someone. Probably Jeff.”
“Why would he call Jeff beautiful?”
“I told you it was probably just him reading the eggs.” I look at the clock. “Hey, are you dressed and ready? It’s almost time for your date.”
“Crap! Got to go!”
When she hangs up, I see both calls are dropped. Toby’s gone. I’m going to have to wait for him to call me to change our plans.
I eat some breakfast and take a warm shower. Still no call from Toby. I don’t think he’d pick me up, even with Tori out on a date. It’s still too risky. Where is he?
My cell rings at a quarter to ten, and I grab it. “There you are. I was wondering where you were. You just hung up before.”
“Yeah, I had to get ready for my date.”
I hold the phone away from me and check the screen. Tori. Damn it! I thought it said Toby.
“Um, I know, but I knew you’d call again before you left.” I smack my fist against my forehead.
“You did?”
“Yup. I think I know my own best friend.”
“Weird. I didn’t even know I was going to call you.”
I force a laugh. “So, what’s up?”
“Red ruby or watermelon blast?”
Lip gloss. She called me to ask which lip gloss she should wear. “Which one did you have on last weekend? Ryder seemed to like it.”
She squeals. “Genius! Red ruby it is. Hey, what are you doing today?”
“Not sure yet.” At least I can keep from lying right now. I don’t know what Toby and I will do if we don’t skydive. “You should go. Ryder’s going to be there any second.”
“I know, but I have to ask you something first.”
“Okay. What is it?”
“Why did my brother call you last night?”
Chapter 15
Oh God! How could she know? “What do you mean?” Playing dumb never works with Tori, so what the hell am I doing?
“I mean, why did Toby call you last night? It’s a simple question.”
Sure. And my simple answer will cost me my best friend. “Um, he had a question about the trig homework.”
“My straight A, math wiz of a brother called you with a question about the math homework? How stupid do you think I am?”
Crap. “Wait, what makes you think he called me anyway?” Toby would’ve warned me if Tori overheard us talking, just like he did earlier.
“Because I grabbed his cell by mistake this morning. They were both on the table, and I was in a rush. I went to dial your number, and it wasn’t in my contacts. It was in the call log, though. I realized it wasn’t my phone. And that I’m not the only Michaels calling you. Care to explain?”
Double crap. If she saw the call log, then she knows we were on the phone for an hour last night. My mind swirls with possible excuses—lies. More lies. But Toby and I are perfect together. We fit. If I don’t lie to Tori… “Your birthday,” I blurt out.
“What about it?”
“I’m planning a surprise party, and Toby is helping me.”
“But it’s his birthday, too. Isn’t that like planning his own party? Or are you not inviting him?”
Damn it! I have to start thinking ahead. “Um, he doesn’t like surprises, remember? So I told him, and the surprise was just going to be for you.”
“And you’re telling me you got my brother to spend an hour on the phone, planning my surprise party? What the hell did you give him in exchange?”
How about an intense make-out session behind the stage during fifth period? “He said he couldn’t think of a good gift for you, so he thought he should help plan the party to make up for it.”
“Oh really? He thinks he can skimp on my gift just because he helped you plan my party? Yeah, right! I got him basketball tickets.”
“You did? The Knicks?” Maybe she does really love him after all.
“No, they were way too expensive for my budget. But who cares what team it is. They’re basketball tickets. He’ll go.”
“Way to put some thought into his present.” What am I going to get him? It can’t be anything too big. We just started dating, and we aren’t public, so it can’t be anything people would ask about. This so isn’t going to be easy. And now I have to th
row a party for Tori and Toby. There goes the rest of my allowance for the year.
“Why couldn’t you two plan the party during your tutoring sessions?”
“Um, because we’re busy studying.” And making out.
“Well, I really don’t like you two hanging out so much. He has his own friends. You and I don’t get to spend much time together anymore since your trig grade went to hell.”
“I know, but I really don’t see why you and Toby can’t have the same friends anyway.” Might as well get it out there and see how she reacts. “I’ve known you both all my life. It’s kind of weird not being friends with him. I mean, I guess I do think of him as a friend in a way.”
“Are you kidding me? Before you started tutoring, you two only said about two words to each other, hi and bye.”
She’s exaggerating, but I let it go. “Don’t you think that’s crazy? We grew up together.”
“No, it’s not crazy. We have our own friends. It’s always been that way.”
I’ve reached my limit. This has to stop. “Ever since Allison, right?”
“Did Toby mention her to you?” She’s practically yelling into the phone, but her voice quivers like she’s holding back tears.
“She was my friend too, Tori.”
“Holy crap, Becca. I can’t believe you talk to Toby about me. This totally breaks the best friend code, you know.”
“And costing me a good friend doesn’t?”
“You don’t get it. Toby’s…” Her voice trails off.
“Toby’s what?” What am I missing here? What is it about Toby that bothers her so much, that makes her defenses go up like this? She’s keeping me in the dark and setting rules for me, and I don’t like it.
“Ugh! Screw this. I’m going to be late.” She hangs up without answering me.
I’m shaking with anger as I text Toby.
Becca: Let’s go jump out of a plane.
Thirty minutes later, I’m sitting in my room with my signed permission slip and still no Toby. Where is he? I try texting him again but get no response. Fed up, I get in the car and drive over there. Tori’s not home anyway and if Toby’s parents are there, I’ll pretend I have a question about trig.
Toby’s car is in the driveway when I pull up. This boy is so dead. I storm up the front steps and knock on the door. He answers, wearing nothing but his boxers.
“Oh.” I try to lift my eyes, but they’re glued to his blue-checkered underwear.
He laughs. “Sorry. I thought you were Jeff.”
“You’re in your underwear because you thought Jeff was on his way over?”
He laughs even harder. “No. I was going to get in the shower, but when you knocked I thought it was Jeff coming back because he forgot something.”
“Okay, that makes a little more sense. But where have you been?”
“Didn’t you get my text?”
“No.”
“That’s weird. I sent it about twenty minutes after we talked this morning.”
I pull out my cell and check my texts. “Nothing.”
He flips through his messages. “Crap.”
“What?”
“I sent it to Meredith by mistake.”
I try to stay calm, but my insides are like a volcano about to erupt. “You were texting Meredith?”
“Only to tell her that there was no chance of us getting back together or whatever we were before.” He runs his hand through his hair. “Of course, texting her, ‘Have to cancel, but we’ll hook up tonight’ might be a little misleading.”
“You should probably text her again and let her know that was a mistake.”
His fingers fly across the keys. “Done.” He puts his cell on the table by the door. “So, anyway, Jeff came over this morning because his dog was missing. We were out for hours looking for it. I just got back.”
“Did you find it?” I still can’t keep my eyes on his, and it’s taking all my control not to reach out and touch his abs.
“Yeah.” He motions upstairs. “Let me go put some pants on.”
“It’s okay. I should go.”
He takes my hands in his. “Please don’t.”
“Are your parents around?”
“No, they’re visiting relatives in New Jersey.”
Alone in his house and all he’s wearing is boxers. I swallow the lump in my throat, but I can’t do anything to calm the pounding in my chest.
He steps toward me, brushing his fingers across my cheek. “I’ll go put some pants on.”
I nod and watch him disappear up the stairs. I breathe again and sit down on the couch. I’m not ready for things to move that quickly between us. Sure I’ve known him for years, but we’ve only been hanging out like this for a little while. It still feels new to me.
He pokes his head around the stairs. “You want to come up?”
“How long will Tori be out with Ryder?”
He waves the comment away. “We’ve got hours. Don’t sweat it.”
I get up and meet him on the stairs. “What did you have in mind?” My voice squeaks.
He reaches for my hand. “Do you not trust me now that we’re completely alone?”
“No. I mean yes.” I sigh.
“Would you rather stay downstairs?”
“No.” I’m being silly. Toby isn’t going to tear his clothes off the second we’re in his room. He leads me upstairs, and I sit down on his bed like I always do.
“Music?” He turns on his iPod, and Mumford and Sons comes through the speakers.
“No way. You like them?”
“Yeah. Tori can’t stand them.”
“I know. She never lets me play them when she’s around.”
He walks over to me and takes my hand, pulling me to my feet. He sways back and forth. I’m not a dancer at all. I never know what to do with my hands, and I end up stepping on the guy’s feet. But dancing with Toby is different. My body responds to his.
“I can play this on the guitar,” Toby says, his lips brushing my ear.
“Will you play it for me?”
“Right now?” He tilts his head back to see me better.
“Why not?”
“Um, because we’re listening to the real Mumford and Sons, and they’re way better than I am.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
We stop dancing, and he gets his guitar from the corner. He sits in his desk chair and closes his eyes. He doesn’t play, just listens to the iPod.
“Do you want me to turn that off?” I get up and walk toward his dresser.
“No. It’s easier to play along with it.”
I stand there, watching him. Finally, his fingers move across the strings, and he’s playing along with the music. I sit back down on the bed, folding my legs under me. In all the time I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him play—only heard it through the door. Toby has never looked so sexy. And then he starts singing. My God, his voice! I melt into the mattress. I could listen to him for hours.
When the song ends, he opens his eyes and looks at me. “Nothing great, I know, but it’s fun.”
I get up and walk over to him. “That was amazing. You’re really good.”
He laughs. “You’re either being nice or you’re easily impressed.”
“Neither, actually.”
He puts the guitar down and takes my hands. I want to kiss him so badly, feel his lips on mine. I lean my head down and shrug my hands from his so I can tilt his face toward mine. He follows my lead and kisses me. Before long, I’m on his lap. His fingers work their way through my hair, down my back, and under my shirt. I can’t catch my breath. His kisses trail down my jaw and to my neck. I’m so done for.
My heart pounds in my ears. I pull his face back to mine before I totally lose control. I refuse to sleep with my best friend’s brother behind her back. That would be crossing a line I can’t come back from. I tilt my head back, separating from him.
“You okay?” He stares into my eyes. “I wasn’t going to—�
�
“I know. I just need a breather.”
“Okay.” He lets go of me, and I stand up, turning toward the window and wrapping my arms around myself.
“Are we crazy? For doing this?”
“She’s out with my best friend right now, doing way more than this.”
Was that a complaint about how little we’ve done? “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak out on you.”
He walks over and puts his hands on my arms. “That’s not what I meant.” He turns me around and smiles. “I’m good with this. Better than good.”
“How can you be?” Most guys our age wouldn’t be.
“Want to know a secret?”
“To be honest, I’m getting tired of keeping secrets.”
“Me too. That’s why I’m going to tell you this.”
“All right.”
“I didn’t just start having feelings for you recently.”
“You didn’t?” Could’ve fooled me.
“No. It was last year.”
“You’ve had feelings for me for a year?”
He nods. “I didn’t want to act on them though. I wasn’t sure how to deal with liking the girl I used to run around in diapers with.”
We both laugh. “Our situation is a strange one. No doubt about that.”
“But then Tori started talking about Ryder and hanging all over him, so I figured that meant it was okay for me to find out how you felt about me.”
“I’m glad you did. I’ve liked you for so long, but I would’ve been too scared to ever tell you. I’ve never been the girl to make the first move.”
“I know. That’s one of the things I like about you. You don’t throw yourself at guys. You let them come to you.”
“And even then I don’t throw myself at them,” I mutter.
He runs his hands up and down my arms. “And like I said, I’m okay with that. Want to know another reason why I’m afraid of relationships?”
Afraid of them? When did he go from not liking titles to being afraid of relationships? “Okay,” I say, even though I’m pretty sure I don’t want to hear this.
“The best part of being with someone is getting to know them. Wanting to touch them and kiss them every time you see them. After a while, that newness goes away, and it’s not as fun.”
“And that’s when people break up.”
Crush: A YA Romance Collection Page 101