Chapter 21
Alondra
I can’t believe how fast the semester is going by. We only have a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, and then it’s a race to finals week.
I take a moment to watch him from the side, practically seeing the gears turning in his brain as Jack focuses on a practice test I printed out for one of his other classes.
I’m reading through the rough draft of his persuasive essay, but somewhere along the line, I started helping him with his other classes if he needed it.
The least I can do is make it easier for Jack to succeed, especially after meeting his mother.
She cut his hair last weekend, and it looks good. It’s shorter on the sides, and she left it a little longer on top. My fingers are itching to run through the soft locks, but I’m doing my best to keep my hands to myself.
Then my attention goes to his very kissable lips.
I think about kissing him a little too much for being just friends, but it’s not like he needs to know.
His bottom lip is slightly more full than the top one, but they’re proportional to his face.
His cheekbones are high, his jaw sharp with a dusting of stubble across it.
Shit. I need to stop checking him out. All I can hear in my head right now is Ellie encouraging me to go for it with Jack because You’re hot. He’s hot. You’d make hot babies.
I appreciate her support, but aside from Jack kissing the side of my head when I stayed the night last weekend, nothing has changed between us.
Actually, one thing has changed. Jack has finally let the other guys take their turns sleeping on our couch, and I try not to think about it because I don’t know what it means.
“Done,” Jack says, stretching, and I force myself to look anywhere other than where his shirt has ridden up, but I hate the uncertainty I find in his expression.
Jack’s so confident and carefree in every other aspect of his life but classwork, especially when he tries so hard to be good at it.
It’s not his fault. Dyslexia isn’t something he asked for, and I want to scream at everyone who has made him feel like he should be embarrassed for having a brain that works differently than what people have decided is normal.
“How do you feel about it?” I ask, trying to focus on more than the score because it’s just a practice exam. There’s still time, and this will give Jack an idea of what to study moving forward.
“I don’t know. I think I passed?”
He passes it to me and starts telling me about the freshman who showed up late to practice this morning while I compare the answers to the rubric I made. I’m not surprised when Jack says it’s not the first time it’s happened.
Jack was right about passing the test, but his score was in the seventies. Thankfully, he didn’t seem too upset by it since it was what he was expecting, but he couldn’t completely hide his disappointment.
“Do you want to keep studying, or should we call it a night?” I ask, and Jack groans.
“Do we have to?” he asks, but he’s saved by a knock on Jack’s door. “It’s open!”
Nate pokes his head in. “Hey, Coach sent a message he’s giving us tomorrow off, so we’re inviting some people over. You guys done studying?”
“Please say you’re done studying,” Ellie says, popping up behind him, and I blink, trying to figure out when she got here.
Jack looks at me with a cheeky smile. “I think my brain has absorbed as much as it’s going to tonight.”
It does sound like fun. “Okay, we can be done,” I agree, but I won’t be having anything other than water the rest of the night. Jack and I are supposed to skate in the morning, and there’s nothing worse than waking up hungover.
“Thank god.”
Ellie bounces, making me wonder how much sugar she’s had tonight. “It’s gonna be really fun. Sara’s already out at the bars, but I’m gonna text her to see if she’ll come over.”
Jack pauses, crossing his arms over his chest. “Wait, have you told Coop yet? He almost killed you and Dylan for how crazy Halloween was.”
Nate laughs, shaking his head. “See, I was kind of hoping you would tell him?”
“Nope, this was your idea. You get to tell him,” Jack says, and I can’t help but laugh.
“You guys are afraid of Coop?” I ask, and Nate’s face pales.
“You don’t understand. He has this stare that just cuts right through you, and it’s even worse when he’s disappointed instead of mad,” Nate says, and Jack nods.
“Can’t say it’s my favorite look to be on the receiving end of, so yeah, I don’t want to be the one to tell him we’re having another party a little over a week after the last one,” Jack says, and Ellie rolls her eyes, giving me a look that resembles something along the lines of, Can you believe this?
“Oh my god, you guys are wusses. I’ll tell him,” she says, disappearing down the hall as fast as she appeared.
I agree with her—this is hilarious. Coop has been nothing but nice since I met him a couple of months ago, and sure, his height and size are a little intimidating at first, but he’s a good guy.
“For the record, I’m not afraid of Coop,” Jack says, and Nate scoffs.
“Okay, then why didn’t you want to tell Coop we’re having people over?” he asks, acting more smug than he should be considering he didn’t want to tell him either.
“Not we, you and Dylan are having people over,” Jack corrects, and Nate mumbles something under his breath as he walks out of the room.
“Coop isn’t scary,” I tease him, but he gives himself away when his ears turn bright red.
“Come on, let’s go downstairs,” Jack says, getting up from his chair, but instead of hopping off the bed, I stand up on the mattress. He gives me a weird look, tilting his head. “What are you doing?”
I motion for him to come closer, and Jack listens, moving toward me. Once he’s within reach, I rest my hands on his shoulders, turning him around.
“You’re being weird,” he says, and I climb onto his back. Jack being Jack, he immediately hooks his arms underneath my thighs to support me, and I smile widely.
“Carry me.”
“Really? Not even a please?”
If Jack can kiss me on the head right before I fall asleep after initiating cuddling with me, then maybe I’m allowed to bend the rules too. I drop my mouth until it’s right next to his ear. “Do I need to ask, pretty boy?” I whisper, knowing exactly what I’m doing.
His grip on me tightens, and I take it a step further by planting my own kiss on his cheek. Jack grumbles but wordlessly carries me down the stairs.
Dylan cracks a smile when he sees me. “What’s up, Al?”
“Nothing much. Just wondering if you’re as afraid of telling Coop you’re inviting people over as Nate and Jack are?” I say, and Jack sighs.
“I told you I’m not afraid of him.”
Coop walks down the stairs a few moments later, with a beaming Ellie behind him. “I’m not on babysitter duty tonight,” he says, scowling. “Who’d you invite?”
“I sent word out to a few guys on the team. Guess we’ll find out when they get here, but it’s BYOB,” Dylan answers.
“Al, you sure you want to stay? I can take you home if you don’t want to,” Jack offers, and I rest my chin on Jack’s shoulder, content right where I am.
“Staying. Giddy up, cowboy.”
His chuckle causes my smile to grow.
The guys from the team start showing up a few minutes later, but then a second group I don’t recognize follows them in. Jack’s grip tightens as we walk towards the tallest in the bunch.
“Schultz!”
“Seth, been a while,” Jack greets, his tone warm.
His friend peers at me curiously before focusing on Jack again. “You know how it gets during season,” he says, and I think I recognize him, but from where?
“I do. Surprised you’re out. I thought your coach put you guys on a party ban this season?”
Jack’s friend shrugs, cracking a smile. “What he doesn’t know won’t kill him. Besides, it’s our bye week, and this isn’t a party. Just a lil get together. Coach isn’t an idiot, but as long as none of us get in deep shit then he’ll let it slide this week.”
“Whatever, man, it’s your funeral.”
I tap Jack’s shoulder just as he laughs again. “I’m gonna grab a beer from the fridge. You can let me down.”
Jack hesitates, before letting me slide down his back. “I’ll come with you,” he says, and I cross my arms over my chest, swimming in his sweatshirt.
“The kitchen is like ten feet away? You can watch from here.”
“I know you,” he says, and I raise my eyebrows, giving him a once-over.
“From where?” I ask, doubt creeping in.
He smiles, and even though he’s not my type, he’s cute. “You’re the cowgirl from Halloween.”
“Al,” I say, offering my hand to him.
“Nice to meet you officially, Al. I’m Seth Kane,” he says, winking at me, and it shouldn’t surprise me that Jack’s friends with the quarterback of Wilder’s football team. “Are you Schultz’s girl?” Seth asks, and Jack chuckles.
“No, but she’s off-limits,” Jack continues, a firmness to his voice I haven’t heard before. “I’m going with you, Al.”
“I can get it myself. I don’t need an escort. I think Coop’s in the kitchen anyway. I’ll be fine,” I say, causing Seth’s smile to grow.
“You’ve got some sass, I see why he likes you.”
“Just friends,” I correct, and Jack nods after a moment in agreement.
“Friends, but she’s too good for you, Kane.”
“Ignore him, Jack’s a bit overprotective,” I joke, shooting Jack a questioning look before leaving them behind to go to the fridge I’d raided earlier.
Now there are coolers that have appeared out of nowhere on the floors in front of the cabinets, but I don’t know who they belong to, so I stick to the pack in the fridge.
Jeez, I guess if the hockey team says there’s going to be a get-together, people come running.
I’m on my way back to Jack when Ellie pulls me aside to introduce me to some of her and Sara’s friends.
I’m glad I stayed. I try to scan for Jack every few minutes, but now there are too many people I can only hope to see his tall head at some point over everyone else’s. No wonder Nate and Dylan didn’t want to tell Coop.