38. Violet
VIOLET
I smack at Gavin’s hand as he slips it under the hem of my shirt. His calloused fingertips brush against my stomach as I switch out his ice pack for one that’s fresh out of the freezer.
“You promised we could go to second base today.”
“Not right now,” I say through gritted teeth. I take a step back and his hand falls away. “Your mom is in the kitchen.”
“I’m so bored.” He tosses his head back on the couch.
“It’s day three. You might need to find a new hobby.” Since he got back to Valley, Gavin’s been restless. The team already left for the Final Four, so The White House is oddly quiet.
“I don’t need a hobby. I need you to take off all your clothes and straddle me.”
Gavin’s mom walks in as he’s finishing that sentence. My face gets hot as I take another step away from her son, tempted to toss this warm ice pack at his head. I shoot him an annoyed glare, but he just grins.
“I stocked enough food to keep you fed for a day or two, at least.” She’s rolling a suitcase behind her. She stops and smiles at him from across the living room. “I wish I could stay longer.”
“I’ll be fine. Violet’s a good nurse.”
She laughs and her gaze slides to me. “I have a feeling she’s going to be sick of you by the end of today.”
“You wound me.” He holds both hands over his heart.
She leaves her suitcase and goes over to the couch and leans down to hug him. “Behave yourself and take care of that knee. Ice, elevate?—”
“I know. I know,” he says. “I’m not going to do anything stupid.”
She stares down at him like she still doesn’t want to leave.
“Go,” he smiles, “the Leonards need to represent at the tourney.”
“I will check in before and after the game. Do me a favor and answer your phone when I call.”
He picks it up from the cushion next to him and holds it in the air. “Got it right here.”
She seems to relax a little as she starts for the door. “I love you. Call me if you need anything.”
“Give ‘em hell tomorrow.” A spark of pride lights up his face.
She nods and lifts a hand to wave to me. “Bye, Violet. Thanks for looking out for him. If he gives you any trouble, let me know. I have a lot of dirt on him.”
Laughter spills from my lips. “That sounds promising.”
“You wouldn’t,” he says to her.
She heads to the door. “Behave yourself and we won’t have to find out.”
With another wave, she steps outside.
Gavin shakes his head and mumbles under his breath, “Can you believe that? My own mother is blackmailing me with pictures from Halloween like ten years ago.”
I sit next to him on the couch. “Halloween pictures?”
He closes one eye and grimaces. “She didn’t say that part, did she?”
“No, but now I absolutely need to see these pictures.”
“Oh no.” He slams his lips together tightly.
“Please?” I place my hands on his shoulders and swing one leg over, so I’m straddling him, but I keep my weight off him.
My hair falls into his face, and he brushes it back and then slides his hand behind my neck.
He shakes his head, still holding his mouth tight, but tips his head back so that our lips are millimeters apart. I close the distance. “I’ll let you get to second base.”
“You already promised second base as soon as my mom left, and guess what? She’s gone.”
His hands find their way back to the bottom of my T-shirt and glide up my skin. He goes straight for my bra, cupping me through the lacy material.
I sigh into his touch and lower myself until I can feel him hard beneath me. My body heats. Gavin holds me in place as he lifts his hips to create more friction between us.
He makes the sexiest, gruffest noise.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Doesn’t hurt,” he says quickly.
“Would you tell me if it did?” I pull back to look at his face.
He gives me a sheepish grin.
I climb off his lap, and he runs his hands through his hair. Suddenly, he snaps his fingers in the air. “A blow job wouldn’t hurt, eh? Or sixty-nine?”
I swear his eyes light up like he’s just come up with the greatest idea ever.
My phone buzzes in my back pocket. I take it out and see an unfamiliar number. Normally, I wouldn’t answer it, but I’ve had a lot of texts and calls from people checking in on Gavin.
“Hold that thought,” I say, and then bring the phone up to my ear. “Hello?”
“Violet?” an older woman’s voice asks. Familiar, but I can’t quite place it.
“Yes,” I say hesitantly.
“It’s Professor Richards.”
Gavin’s hands roam freely while I’m distracted.
“Oh, uh, hi.”
“Sorry to call, but I didn’t have a chance to catch you after class.”
“It’s okay.”
I shoot Gavin a wide-eyed look and mouth, “my teacher.”
“Am I in trouble?”
She laughs softly. “God, no. I have something I wanted to talk with you about. Can you stop by my office tomorrow afternoon?”
“Sure.” My mind spins with possibilities.
“Perfect. I have office hours from one until five, so just pop in when you have time.”
“Okay. See you then.”
I hang up and stare at my phone screen. “That was my professor. She wants to meet with me.”
“About what?”
“She wouldn’t say.”
“Interesting.” He hooks one long finger into the center of my bra and tugs me closer to him.
“Bad news. I have to go to class.”
He groans.
“Jordan is on his way over, and we’re all coming over later to watch the game on your giant TV.”
“His boobs aren’t as nice as yours.” He leans down and bites one through my T-shirt.
“Later. I promise.” I brush a kiss over his lips. “Get some rest and take your medicine in an hour.”
Me, Daisy, Jordan, Dahlia, and Jane all go over to The White House to watch Valley play in the Final Four. It’s a close game, but ultimately, Valley loses by five points. Gavin looks as disappointed as his teammates walking off the court.
We’re all quiet as he stares ahead at the big screen in the media room.
“Tough loss,” Jordan says. He tips his beer toward him. “Hell of a run though.”
Gavin nods. “Next year. We’ll get ’em next year. Both of us.”
It’s the first time he’s mentioned playing again, except for in the broadest terms of the doctor saying it was possible.
Our friends stay only a few minutes longer before they say their goodbyes. It’s late and I help Gavin back upstairs by letting him use me as a crutch.
He pulls his shirt over his head and gets into bed. I lie down beside him.
“I’m sorry about the game.” I rest my hand on his bare chest.
He covers my hand with his. “It’s all right. Kansas is tough. I won’t be surprised if they win the whole tournament. Plus, my mom’s team is heading to the championship. The Leonards are still representing.”
“Your mom is kind of a bad ass.”
He chuckles softly. “That she is.”
“I’m sorry,” I say again. “You’ll get there next year.”
He lets his head fall to the side and meets my gaze. He looks like a thousand thoughts are running through his mind.
“What?”
“This injury, not being able to play, it’s made me really stop and reconsider what I want.”
“And?”
“I can’t imagine giving it up for good. It’s only been a few days and I’m already going out of my mind.”
“Maybe it gets easier or it’s harder right now because you didn’t get to finish the season.”
“Maybe.” He scoots closer. “My dad stopped by yesterday.”
“Here? When?”
“While you were at class.” He sighs. “He told me he wanted to get to know me, that he regretted not having a relationship with me sooner.”
“Wow. And you kept this to yourself all day. Why?”
“I’ve been going over it and over it, trying to mesh his version with mine to make sense of it all.”
“And?”
“I’m still pissed at him, and I’m not sure I trust him, but I think I have to forgive him. I don’t want to be the guy harboring daddy issues in my fifties, ya know?”
I press a kiss to his lips. “I’m proud of you.”
He grins. “I’ve also been thinking I might not want to cross off the NBA as an option just yet. I’m not saying I definitely want to play professionally, but I think I should at least give it some real thought, try to separate it from the shit with my dad.”
His words don’t match the hesitant look on his face.
“What is it? Why does talking about maybe playing in the NBA make you look like you want to throw up?”
“I don’t want to be any version of him. Regardless of if I forgive him, I don’t want to follow in his footsteps.”
“How do you mean?”
“My dad cheated on my mom for basically their entire marriage. It fucks with you, you know? It’s hard not to look back at all the things he missed and wonder if he really couldn’t make it or if he was choosing other people over his family.
I want to get married someday and have kids, but not if I’m going to end up like him. ”
“You aren’t. You won’t.”
“My entire life, people have compared me to him. If I had a dollar for every time someone said I was the spitting image of him, had his skill with a basketball or that I was destined to follow in his footsteps, I could buy my own private island.”
I sit up so I can really look at him. “You are not him.”
“I cheated on you,” he says softly. “I can make all the excuses I want about being drunk or not remembering it, but I did it. I’m capable of that.”
“You made a mistake. I forgave you.”
“Did you?”
“Yes. Truly. You are an incredible guy. And I’m sorry that I made you feel weird about who you are and this thing that you love doing. It was just easier to hate on the entire jock population than admit I was in love with someone that didn’t want me.”
“I wanted you.” He traces my bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “I fucked up, but I have always wanted you.”
Gavin places a soft kiss on my lips and then his gaze snaps back up to meet mine. “Wait, did you just say you were in love with me?” He cocks his head to the side. “Past or present tense?”
“Past and present tense.”
He kisses me and then speaks against my lips. “Hey. Let’s play a game.”
“A game? Now?”
“Mhmm. Two truths and a lie.”
“Okay.” I give him a tentative smile.
“Number one, I have the hottest girlfriend alive.”
“Two, I can’t imagine my life without you.”
“And three?” I ask.
“I have been in love with you since the night your sandal broke, and I carried you to your dorm.”
My heart threatens to burst in my chest. “Which one is the lie?”
“None of them.” He grins. “They’re all true.”
The girls and I go to University Hall together Friday morning for coffee before classes. We’re sitting at a table near the front doors when a big guy wearing all black enters.
I nudge Dahlia with my elbow. “Doesn’t that look like one of the guys that was with?—”
“Penelope,” we say in unison as the pop star steps in behind him. Her lavender hair is up inside a ball cap that’s pulled low on her face and she’s wearing baggy clothes, but it’s most definitely her.
“Guys,” I whisper, “that’s her. That’s Penelope.”
“Penelope Hart?!” Daisy’s voice lifts, and Penelope glances our way.
I offer a small wave.
She starts toward us and Daisy squeaks next to me, “Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. She’s coming over here.”
“Hi! Dahlia and Violet. It’s good to see you.” She lowers her voice. “I’m trying to blend in, but the muscle with me makes it nearly impossible.”
Daisy grabs my leg under the table and squeezes.
“Penelope, these are our roommates, Daisy.”
She waves at my cousin.
“And—”
“Ivy?!” Penelope’s face breaks out in a smile that makes her look younger and more like a normal girl our age, instead of a superstar, as she looks at Jane. “Oh my gosh. I haven’t seen you since?—”
“It’s Jane,” my friend says.
“Wait. You two know each other?” I ask, studying Jane carefully.
Jane fidgets with the lid of her coffee. “I think we met once at a party back in LA.”
Penelope looks between us, brow furrowed and mouth slightly open.
“Right,” she says the word slowly. “Yeah, that must be it.” Penelope stares at her a beat longer before her gaze slides to me. “I am so happy I ran into you.”
“Me? Why?”
She nods quickly. “I cannot stop thinking about that black dress.”
“Oh, uh, thanks.”
“I have this award show next month, and I was hoping you might consider letting me wear it. I know it isn’t a world tour stage, but there’s a red carpet and the show is televised.”
“Do you mean the MTV Awards?” Daisy asks. My cousin’s blue eyes are wide with shock.
“You know it.” Penelope smiles.
Daisy nods slowly. “I think everyone knows it.”
“I’d let you wear that dress to the grocery store if you wanted,” I say honestly.
She laughs. “Professor Richards has all the details and my contact information. She said she’d pass it along and set up a time next week to do a fitting with both of you.”
That explains why she wanted to meet later today.
“Don’t you need to get back to LA?” Jane asks, her tone is borderline hostile.
“Jane!” Dahlia admonishes. “Sorry. She had too much caffeine this morning.”
“It’s okay,” Penelope says, “I do need to get back soon. My agent is having an aneurysm that I haven’t already returned, but I like it here. College is cool.”
The four of us share an amused look. Well, three of us. Jane is still sort of glaring at Penelope.
“This is incredible news,” I say. “You are going to look amazing in that dress. Thank you.”
“Thank you.” She looks to Dahlia. “Thanks to both of you.”
She pulls the Valley U hat down farther over her eyes. “I better get out of here before my luck runs out. Bye.”
“Bye,” we return, staring after her.
When she’s gone, I turn to Jane.
“You know Penelope Hart?” I ask.
“Know is a stretch.” Jane waves me off.
“Why would you not mention that?” Dahlia elbows her.
“I guess I forgot.”
“You forgot?”
We all stare at her.
“It was forever ago.” She shakes her head. “Someday I’ll tell you about all the celebrity run-ins I’ve had, but right now, we need to focus on the important thing here. Penelope is going to wear your dress. This is amazing.”
She’s right. It is amazing. “I’m shocked. Did that really just happen?”
“It really happened,” Dahlia says. “We’re going to dress Penelope Hart!”