“He’s not my boyfriend,” she whispers, looking down. “I should have corrected you before; I’m not a liar.”
“I know you’re not, Laney, and I already knew.” Her head comes up, eyes wide. “You did?”
I nod. She doesn’t realize she’s been honest with me all along really. I’d asked her about Evan while we danced, and she’d answered that he was her best friend before even thinking. Her omission tonight had been about self-preservation, not deceit. “How did you feel about other breakups? Was it this bad?” I ask her.
“I’ve never had any other breakups. Evan’s the only boyfriend I’ve ever had, and I didn’t have him very long.”
I can’t stop my jaw from dropping open. Where is this town she comes from that’s obviously filled with the dumbest bastards on the planet? How do you not scoop up Laney? “Laney, how old are you?”
“I’ll be 19 on the 23rd, why?”
I file her birthday in my mental cabinet; the 23rd of this month? That doesn’t give me very long to orchestrate something spectacular, which is exactly what I plan to do. “I’m just trying to figure out how a breathtaking, funny, witty, kind 19 year old has only had one boyfriend.”
She looks down; my compliment embarrasses her and that little tongue pops out to skim her lips. “Thank you, Dane, that’s so sweet. And, well, your question...can we do that another night? I don’t have any more big sharing sessions left in me tonight.” She gives me a sweet smile, her eyes begging me to drop it.
It dawns on me that Laney is literally starting over. Her be-all permanent fixtures are gone. No Evan, no Dad, new ball team, co-ed dorm; she’s as brave as she is beautiful. Part of her wants it, the new experiences; I can see it in her eyes. But the other part is terrified; and this fierce loyalty to Evan and what she believes to be the behavior that most honors him is a constant torment for her.
She breaks my thoughts when she asks me, barely audibly, “are you scared off yet?”
If she only knew all the demons I haven’t even begun to hint at, she wouldn’t even ask.
I pull her in for a hug and place a gentle kiss on her head before I know I’m doing it. I want to take care of this girl, hold her, and make everything better. I want to be the reason she laughs, smiles, gasps; what is she doing to me? “You don’t scare me, Laney. You amaze me, you intrigue me.” I let my lips graze her temple. “You captivate me.” I land soft kiss closer to her ear. “You entice me, you excite me...but you don’t scare me, and I hope I never scare you.”
Her eyes grow wide, her breathing speeds...and then she deflects. “Oh, please,” she scoffs, brushing off the gravity of the moment, right before the she-devil splashes me! This, of course, launches a full blown water war that keeps us laughing and touching for a while.
At around 4am, I wrap her in a towel and lead the way to the guest room, getting some of my clothes for her to sleep in. The thought of her in my clothes makes me feel, well, happy. I understand her so much better after all our talk tonight. She’s going through a lot, dealing with many new feelings...but she’d admitted right out loud, she’s 100% single.
It’s been the best night of my life. Game on, Evan.
Chapter Twenty-Five
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BRING IT PONG
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Laney
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I manage to not drop out or run home and finally enjoyed a lunch with Zach in The Rotunda, the school cafeteria/lounge, for the first time on Friday. Bennett and I still plan to attend his game and we make plans to do something after, but not too late since I have that clinic at the ass crack of dawn on Sunday. I still haven’t talked to Evan...total communication blackout. No, I haven’t reached out to him either and yes, it was textbook stubborn Laney, but waiting for him to reach out just feels like something I have to do.
On Saturday, The Eagles win 34-17 and a hyped-up Zach, Bennett, and I head off campus for pizza. Tate shows up to sweep Bennett away so Zach and I opt to grab a movie and head back to his room. Drew is there when we get there, with some girl, but they head out to a frat party; an invitation we both decline immediately. While Zach takes a shower, I run back to my room to grab my phone charger.
“Laney! Come be on my team!” Bennett squeals as I walk in, my glare taking in the scene of beer pong. In our room? It’s like a 4x4 space and they’re spilling beer everywhere. That’s not what I care about most though— the fact that Whitley is sitting on my bed in my room watching is what has me ready to kill someone.
“Laney, you want winners? You can be my partner,” Sawyer asks me as I dig through drawers. I don’t dare to look up and answer him for fear I might catch Dane in my line of vision. If I do, it won’t be pretty.
“No, I’m good, Saw, just grabbing my charger real quick.” I keep my head down. Where is the damn thing? I’m about to give up and just get out of here. “You kick their asses though, buddy.”