My Favorite Love (The Lakeland Boys Book 1) Page 6

  “You busy?”

  Jason. My heart jumped into light speed, and my mind raced.

  “No.”

  “Can I come over?”

  I instantly rushed to my room. Yes, everything was clean. Then, I realized. He wasn’t coming to my room. Get a grip Amber.

  “Sure,” I texted back, once I was able to get my thumbs to stop shaking.

  Quickly running a brush through my hair, I debated whether I should change or not. But, then he’d know I’d changed just because of him. I was still losing the argument with myself when the doorbell rang.

  The boy didn’t waste time.

  “I’ve got it,” I yelled as I raced downstairs. Only at the last moment did I stop and pull myself back under control. This is all pretend, I reminded myself. Then, why was my heart beating out of my chest? And, it wasn’t because I’d taken the stairs three at a time.

  “Hey,” he said with that silly grin of his when I opened the door.

  “Hey,” I answered back. Once again demonstrating my excellent command of the English language.

  He had a nasty bruise on his cheek. Like someone had punched him. Of their own accord, my fingers reached up to gently brush the bruise.

  “What happened?” I asked. My insides clenched up at the thought of something hurting him.

  He laughed. “I zigged when I should have zagged. Johnny Templeton clocked me good.”

  “He punched you?” I asked, incredulous that a fellow teammate could do that to him.

  “No, nothing like that. He just tackled me hard. It was my own fault. My mind was wandering, and I wasn’t paying attention. It’s nothing really.”

  I studied his eyes for a second and realized he was telling the truth. At least about the bruise. Something was bothering him though. I might only be a pretend girlfriend. But, even I could tell he was bothered by something.

  “I wondered if we could talk?” he asked.

  “Sure,” I said, as I tried to understand what was going on. Was he having second thoughts? Had he decided it was better to be hooked up with one of the queen bees? Maybe he was thinking about all the sex he could be having if he had chosen one of them.

  A thousand different thoughts flew through my brain, as I stepped out onto the porch.

  “I thought we could go for a drive,” he said while raising an eyebrow.

  “Okay,” I said. “Let me tell my mom. I’ll be right back.”

  He nodded and stepped off the porch to wait.

  I rushed inside and told my mom I was going for a drive with Jason from next door, then turned and hurried out of the room before she could say anything. The last thing I saw was my mother with her mouth hanging open, frantically grasping for something to say.

  It was not something you saw every day.

  Jason held the door for me to his truck, then hopped in behind the wheel.

  “Feel like some pie?” he asked. “Sam’s has the best pie. Banana cream.”

  “Okay,” I said. Again, with the high language skills.

  We drove in silence. That awkward wall between us. My heart raced as I tried to develop a response to one of a thousand possibilities.

  Finally, after a couple of blocks, he took a deep breath and said, “Listen Amber. I’m sorry about today.”

  I could feel my forehead narrow into a dozen creases. “Today?” I asked. What exactly was he sorry about? The pretend girlfriend boyfriend thing? The treating me as an escape thing? What? And, why, I wondered, was I so nervous?

  “I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. It wasn’t part of the deal, and I’m sorry.”

  The kiss. He was sorry for one of the most beautiful kisses in the history of kisses. Why?

  “Why?” I asked. “Was I that bad?”

  Had those words just come out of me? I gasped and put my hand over my mouth before I said anything else equally dumb.

  He laughed and shook his head. “No, nothing like that. I just didn’t ... we didn’t agree to that. I was worried that you might be mad at me.”

  I looked at him for a long moment. Good, I thought, a little suffering will do you good. I continued to let him hang there for a long moment, then smiled and said, “Jason, I’m a big girl. I’ve been kissed before.” Okay, it was a complete and total white lie. But, no way was I letting him know.

  “Who?” he asked with a frown.

  “I lived in New York, remember? Not exactly a place known for shy boys.”

  He continued to frown for a long time. Then, his shoulders relaxed as he said, “So you’re not mad?”

  I smiled. He was so cute when he was worried about what I thought. A girl could get attached to that cuteness.

  “No Jason, I’m not mad.”

  He sighed heavily. It had obviously really been eating at him.

  “But,” I continued, “don’t get any ideas. That doesn’t give you permission to start treating me like a piece of meat.

  “Okay,” he said with a smile. “No treating you like meat.”

  I could see his entire body posture relax. It was as if he had been let out of a prison of his own making. I would never understand this boy. He had a dozen girls clamoring after him. Offering him the real thing. And, he chose to pretend with me instead. It didn’t make sense.

  When we got to the diner, he ushered me in, briefly holding his hand on my lower back. A shiver traveled up my spine from his touch. I liked the way my body felt around him. Alive, sure of itself.

  Luke worked there as a dishwasher. He was out bussing tables and shot us a big smile.

  “Here for the pie?” he asked. “Grab a seat, and I’ll send Meagan over.”

  Jason smiled and pointed out a booth in the back. I slid in, and Jason slid in across from me. A pretty waitress approached with a couple of menus.

  “Do you need these or do you guys just want pie?”

  “Two banana creams,” Jason said, shooting me a look asking if that was acceptable. I nodded, and the waitress returned to get our dessert.

  “Wow, how good are their pies?” I asked Jason.

  He just smiled and said, “You’ll see.”

  When the waitress had delivered our food, I asked him, “So, what else did you want to talk about? Surely it wasn’t just about that kiss.”

  I took a bite of my pie while I waited for him to answer.

  “Wow,” I said, this was good. A perfect mix of bananas and toasted coconut.

  Jason smiled. Obviously pleased that I was pleased.

  “I just thought we should get our stories straight. You know, what, where, when, type stuff.”

  “Marla tried to pin me down on the bus ride home,” I said with a smile.

  Jason nodded. “Yeah, she tried the same on me. And, Tank was all over my case. Something about how girls on our street are off limits.”

  I almost blurted out the whole Tank-Marla issue, but then stopped myself. No, we weren’t real boyfriend and girlfriend I reminded myself. There was no requirement to share information like that. Not with Marla’s brother.

  Instead, I nodded and encouraged him to go on.

  “I thought we should probably keep the story pretty generic,” he said. “You know, you moved here. We talked. One thing led to another.” The shrug of his shoulders let me know that deep down he was still bothered by something. Was it the deception? Lying to his friends? Or, was it something else?

  “Okay,” I answered. “Keep it simple.”

  He nodded and concentrated on finishing his food.

  That awkward wall was there again. Would it always be there? I wondered. Would we ever be able to be in the same room and not have this barrier between us? Or, was it just me? Was I the one who felt uncomfortable? Buzzing with excitement, and terrified for some unknown reason.

  “You know,” Jason said with a small smile, “this makes it official. If anyone doubted that you were my girlfriend. Taking you to get a slice of Sam’s pie sort of puts that to rest.”

  I laughed. “Do you bring all your girlfriends
to Sam’s?” I asked as my stomach clenched up.

  “No,” he said with a shake of his head. “Up until now, none of them have been important enough.”

  My insides shook. I know he was only teasing. This was only pretend. But, it was hard not to let my head run away with my heart.

  “So what next?” I asked.

  He smiled, “I thought maybe you might want to go to a party. Friday, after the game. Jamie Taylor usually organizes something.”

  “You mean together, like a date?”

  Jason laughed. “Well, it is sort of expected. You are my girlfriend. People will expect us to go together.”

  Yes, of course, people would expect. My insides tightened once again. Would my body ever be able to relax?

  “Okay, I guess,” I said, as I took my last bite of pie.

  “Don’t sound so enthused,” he said with a chuckle.

  Now it was my turn to laugh. I shrugged my shoulders. “Sorry,” I said. “It’s just that I don’t know how to do this. What are the rules for a pretend relationship? How convincing do we have to be?”

  “Relax, Amber, it’s not that big a deal. We do this for four or six weeks, then you dump me. Then, we move on with our lives.”

  I fought not to grimace. He was right. It was only temporary and not even real. Relax, I told myself and go with the flow.

  But, it didn’t seem to work. Nothing, I thought. Nothing, I said to myself, would make this sad feeling of regret go away.

  Chapter Nine

  Jason

  My heart jumped when I saw Amber sitting up in the stands next to Marla. Mom and Dad were a few rows behind them. Yes, the world was right again.

  She looked as pretty as ever. Her auburn hair was pulled back. Her heart shaped face as sweet as Sam’s pie. The girl was perfect, innocent while alluring. That sweet combination of pure female. Smart, mysterious, and completely intoxicating.

  Amber caught me looking at her, and I swear she blushed. Her eyes shooting to look down, as if she couldn’t look at me when I was looking at her. For some reason, that made me smile.

  This whole pretend girlfriend boyfriend thing might not have been one of my smarter ideas. But, it definitely had its benefits. Having Amber in the stands watching me play football was quickly becoming one of them.

  I continued to stare at her when Coach called us over for his usual pre-game pep talk. I tuned him out and started going over the plays in my head. This game was important. Suddenly, Tank pounded my pads and pushed me towards the field.

  It was time. Taking a deep breath, I shot a look up into the stands one last time and gave Amber a smile before I pulled on my helmet.

  The small look of concern on her face sent a thrill through me. The girl was worried for me. She understood how important this game was. A win here could set up our entire season.

  .o0o.

  Amber

  My heart lurched. I didn’t really care who won or lost. I was terrified that Jason would get hurt. The other team looked like a bunch of steamrollers. Giants. Only Tank, on our side, even came close to their size.

  Marla told me not to worry. Tank wouldn’t let anyone get close to Jason. She squeezed my hand, but I could see a small sliver of doubt in her eyes.

  I sighed and tried to relax. Turning, I took in the sights. Cindy and her cheerleaders. The green grass, the cold night air, the crowd screaming. It seemed like half the town was there. This was Middle America, I realized, even out here on the far west corner of the country. A part of our culture. A vital part if you listened to Jason and Tank.

  Then they blew the whistle, and the game began.

  I became lost. The grace, the violence. The sheer raw emotion wrapped around the actions on the field. The crowd noise faded into the background. All I could do was watch Jason. He was like a warrior facing a horde of barbarians. Swift, calculating, kinetic beauty. The boy was a god.

  This is where he belongs, I realized. His space, his place in the world.

  He led the team up and down the field. The game was in doubt. Both teams trading points. Neither able to put the other away.

  The final touchdown was a long throw that hit our receiver in stride. The crowd went ballistic. But, all I could see was Jason picking himself up off the scarred turf. The defensive lineman from the other team had clobbered him just as he released the ball. Jason didn’t even get a chance to see his crowning glory.

  My heart broke. What if he was hurt? It wasn’t fair. Didn’t these people understand? Their hero might be damaged.

  I swear, I would never understand. But, I had to admit. It had been thrilling. More than thrilling. An intense desire to crush the other team passed through me. I wasn’t on the field and knew next to nothing about football. I did know, though, I wanted them smashed into smithereens and eliminated from Jason’s life.

  At last the game came to an end. That last touchdown had broken the other team. We won, and the crowd buzzed with excitement.

  As we filed from the stands, Marla turned and smiled. “Cool, huh?”

  I smiled back and nodded. Who knew a high school football game could hold so much meaning.

  Marla broke away from her parents and ran over to Tank to tell him something. Her hand held his arm as if trying to stop him from leaving.

  The big guy looked as if he was embarrassed about something. He shrugged his huge shoulders, kicked the dirt, and then made his way to the locker room.

  She returned, all smiles. I was tempted to ask what that was all about, but her mother was giving her an interested, wondering look. No way was I opening that can of worms. Not in front of her parents.

  I decided to wait for Jason at his truck. We hadn’t really discussed it, but I figured he’d find me. The truth was, I didn’t want to be just another adoring face in the crowd. I wanted him to see only me.

  My heart continued to race. Jason Turner was taking me to a party. Jason Turner, star football player, was my boyfriend.

  Okay, it might be pretend. But, these people didn’t know it.

  As the parking lot thinned out, the boys started to exit the locker room. They were filled with joy and pure rambunctiousness. Yelling, high-fiving each other. You would think they’d just solved all of the world’s problems.

  At last Jason came out. He was limping. My heart jumped. He had been hurt. I knew it.

  As he approached, he smiled that silly smile of his and I melted. His hair was wet, and a small bandage above his left eye covered a cut.

  Every part of my soul yelled at me to put my arms around him. To pull him into a hug and never let go. But, No, I couldn’t. We were just pretend, I reminded myself.

  He started to reach for me, but then pulled back, and that awkward wall was there again. Reminding us to keep our distance.

  “You were excellent,” I said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

  “What, that I was any good?”

  “No, No, the intenseness, the crowd, the speed, everything.”

  He smiled, then opened the door of his truck for me. “Yeah, it’s pretty great when we win. But, boy does it suck when we lose.”

  “How is your leg?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “It will be fine, nothing serious.”

  Why did I think that it could have been broken in three places and he wouldn’t have admitted it? I decided not to push it. Not now. Let him have his moment. Let him enjoy this. He had earned it.

  The party wasn’t far from the school. Within ten minutes we were there. A typical suburban house on the edge of town. Already the place was packed with cars lining the curb up and down the street. Hard metallic music blared from speakers strategically placed in the back yard.

  Kids with red beer cups were yelling at each other over the blaring beat. A faint whiff of pot seeped through the air.

  A high school party. This was what you wanted, Amber, I reminded myself. The full high school experience.

  Jason placed a hand on my lower back as we stepped in. It reminded me of when we went t
o Sam’s. It felt almost possessive and supportive, as if he was telling the world that I was his woman.

  I know I wasn’t supposed to find that attractive. But, I did. Jason didn’t mean anything by it of course. But, still, I could feel what I wanted to feel. It was still a free country.

  A cheer went up from the room when they recognized their hero had entered. A half-dozen boys from the team came up to pound him on the back. Someone handed him a red cup of beer, and then someone else handed me one.

  I stood there, shocked at the wall of adulation these people felt for Jason. The love and admiration. How did he handle it without it going to his head? Was it like this all the time? I wondered. Was this what his life was like?

  He took in the praise, then drained the cup of beer in one long swallow. Another cheer went up, and again, someone handed him another beer.

  Smiling his thanks, he reached down and took my hand to lead me through the room.

  I felt a tingle travel up my arm. Fifty female eyes focused on those clasped hands, and I could feel each of them secretly wishing it was them.

  Biting the inside of my lip to stop myself from giving everyone a smug smile, I followed Jason across the room and into the corner.

  “I’ve got to sit down,” he said with a grimace on his face. I noticed a small bead of sweat along his hairline. The man was in pain.

  “Where?” I asked. “Do you want me to find you a chair?” My heart raced. Every spare seat was taken.

  “Here is good,” he said, as he leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the floor. His leg sticking straight out. I looked down at him, my heart breaking. Should he go see a doctor? What if he got drunk, how would I get him home?

  “Come here,” he said, as he pulled me down in front of him. “We have to keep up appearances.”

  I sat down in front of him. He wrapped an arm around my middle and pulled me in next to him. “There, that is better,” he said, as my back rested against his chest.

  His arms had trapped the million butterflies that had erupted in my tummy. It was like an explosion of fluttering moths. His scent of soap, green grass, and all Jason, surrounded me. Pulling me into his world. It was a scent I would never be able to forget. Strong, free, and male.