It’s about having someone to look forward to who wants your love.
She approaches me and takes my face in her hands. I blink away my tears, coming back to the present.
“Fuck the dress,” she tells me. “And fuck Mimi.”
I have to hold back my laugh. Excuse me?
“Wear what you want to the ball, okay?”
I nod, not really caring about the ball anymore, but I like this side of her, so I keep my mouth shut.
She kisses my cheek and starts to move around me, but then she stops, like she’s listening for something.
That’s when I notice the sound of running water.
Oh, shit. Liv’s washing up in my bathroom.
She steps back, eyeing me. “Did you have someone over last night, Clay?”
I guess I hesitate too long, because she gives me a look.
“Clay…” she chides.
“It’s Krisjen,” I blurt out. “Don’t worry.”
But she cocks her head, and I know it was stupid to say Krisjen, because all she has to do is call her mom and I’m caught.
“It’s Liv Jaeger,” I finally tell her.
Her brow narrows. “Olivia Jaeger? The…”
The… The what, Mom?
“The motorcycle girl from school?” she finally asks.
Yeah, Mom. The motorcycle girl.
My mom stares at me. “You’re not going over to their house, right?”
I raise my eyebrows. “Am I not supposed to hang with the help in Sanoa Bay, Snobby?”
“I’m just saying my plate is full at the moment. No trouble, Clay,” she warns. “Can I ask that of you? Please?”
Yesssssss. Even though it’s usually the Saints who cause the trouble over there, but okay. “No trouble,” I tell her.
“All right, have a good day,” she says, kissing me again and leaving the room.
I blow out a breath, thankful she doesn’t press that more. Which is kind of weird. I thought for sure she’d be like ‘I don’t want you hanging around her and absorbing her gayness,’ but she was actually cool about it.
Minutes later, Liv and I are out the door, carrying our bags and her wearing my clothes and shoes as I toss her the keys.
She gets in the driver’s side, and for the first time ever, I’m a passenger in my own car. Callum can’t drive my car. Liv can.
“Are you okay?” she asks as we near school.
The streets are still quiet, classes not starting for over an hour, and I check my neck in the mirror, dabbing on some foundation to cover the hickeys. She went to town on me again after we got into bed last night, and I pull up my bra a little more, hiding the little one on my breast.
“Just park over here,” I reply, instead, gesturing to the curb.
I run my hand down her thigh, smooth in my leggings, giving myself one last moment of contact before I have to be close to her and not able to touch her for the next hour.
“And yeah, I’m okay,” I say.
My parents are splitting up. I don’t want to go to Wake Forest. I’m infatuated with someone that everyone else will make their business if it ever gets out.
But I’m okay, because I have her.
We head into the locker room, already empty, and drop off our bags before jogging into the gym.
Weights clank, machines run, and giggles fill the air as our teammates chat, Coomer giving us the eye as we run in.
I almost turn to check with Liv before I leave her, but I stop myself. We arrived together. People already noticed that.
I walk away without a word, jumping on the treadmill next to Krisjen, Amy on her other side.
“Hey,” Amy chirps.
“Morning,” I say, realizing I forgot water bottles. “You, uh, made the appointments for mani-pedis next Friday, right?”
I look to Amy before she has a chance to ask about why I’m late and why I walked in with Olivia Jaeger.
“Yeah, I took care of it,” she replies. “Then we’ll be at your place for hair and makeup. I’m going to have my dress delivered the night before and steamed again.”
“Good idea.” I look to Krisjen, seeing Liv out of the corner of my eye start on the shoulder press. “And your parents got the limo, right?”
Krisjen’s mouth opens and closes, and it takes a moment, but she finally nods. “Yes.” Like she’s not sure.
“It should’ve been done months ago,” I point out. “You’re scaring me.”
We’re all handling our share to do this together. I’ve got hair and makeup. Amy is paying for mani-pedis. Krisjen has transportation.
The boys will pay for prom, but the debutante’s families handle the ball.
“It’ll be there,” Krisjen assures. “I said I got it. Don’t worry.”
Now I’m worried.
Amy takes something out of her pocket and reaches over Krisjen, setting it on the dash of my treadmill.
“What’s this?” I ask. But my heart thumps in my throat, and I know what it is. I quickly pick it up and hide it in my hand, checking for the coach. The square foil packet crinkles in my fist.