Chapter Twenty-four Vaughn #2
“Well, you can come over anytime.” As soon as she says it, her face flushes like she thinks she’s said too much.
“Yeah?” I swivel around and trap her legs between mine. Leaning in, I brush my lips against hers softly.
She lets out a little hum. “Yes, but only if you finish your algebra homework.”
Groaning, I bury my head in her chest. “I don’t wanna.”
I nuzzle against her breasts. She has really great boobs. I rub my face between them until she starts laughing and pushes me away.
“Homework, Collins.” Her tone is all authoritative and does nothing to make me want her less.
“Fine.” I pull back reluctantly, but then change my mind and lean back in to bite one breast through her shirt and bra.
Her laughter comes again and soon my hands are moving under her shirt and she’s sliding closer to kiss me.
It’s never been like this with anyone before.
Sure, I only seriously dated one person, but I’ve hung out with other girls.
Nothing serious, but it didn’t feel like this.
Lacey is playful and sexy, and when I’m with her, I get all swept up in it.
I feel like a different guy. A better one, maybe.
The sound of the front door opening has us pulling apart. Mr. Kerr walks in as Lacey is adjusting her shirt. He’s looking down, thankfully, and by the time he glances up, we’re on our own stools and mostly composed. Minus my dick pressing up against my zipper.
“Hey,” he says, smiling at Lacey, and then his stare slides over to me. I get a nod, which I return.
“Hi, Dad,” Lacey calls. “This is Vaughn.”
“Pleasure to meet you, sir.” Under normal circumstances I would stand, but that would be awkward in my current state.
“You too. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
I glance at Lacey. She talks about me with her dad?
“Not from my daughter.” Mr. Kerr sets his bag on the dining room table. “I try to keep up with the local sports teams. I read in the paper that you’re having another great season.”
Oh. I don’t know why I hadn’t considered that, but I suppose it makes sense. “Thank you, sir.”
“You can call me Harry.” Harry moves around the kitchen, stopping at the sink to wash his hands. He sniffs the air and his face scrunches up. “I think Burt needs a bath.”
“Oh, uh, that’s us,” Lacey says. “We went to the animal rescue after school.”
“Ah, in that case, I’m sorry for blaming you, old pal.” He reaches down and pets the top of Burt’s head.
“So, Vaughn, big game this weekend.”
“Yeah.” The reminder has me itching to be out there right now.
The timer on the oven goes off, and Lacey hops up to get the food out. It smells amazing.
“Did you play?” I ask Harry.
“No.” He shakes his head. His facial expressions are so similar to Lacey’s that it makes me smile. “My brother was the athletic one in the family.”
“Did Uncle Dave play soccer?” Lacey asks him.
I guess that’s the brother.
“He did everything, but football was his first love.”
“I thought about playing football when I was a kid,” I tell them. There’s something about Lacey or her dad or maybe just their whole friendly, welcoming environment that has me offering up more personal information than I would typically.
Harry’s brows lift and a wide smile spreads across his face. Yep, they definitely have the same mannerisms. Lacey said her dad was the quiet, introverted one, but he’s as warm and smiley as his daughter.
“You? Jude Collins’s son? That would have been a real travesty.” Harry shakes his head.
He asks me more questions about our game this weekend as Lacey pulls out plates and silverware. When she sets one in front of him, he inhales. “This smells good.”
“Vaughn helped me make it.”
When Harry looks to me, I shake my head.
“Don’t worry. You’re safe. I didn’t do that much.”
The three of us dig into the food. It’s really good. I tell her so while trying not to let my amazement at a simple home-cooked meal show too much.
After dinner, he and Lacey clean up, shooing me away anytime I try to help.
It’s getting late, but I don’t want to leave.
I like the homey, slightly chaotic feel of their house.
I know Lacey has her own issues with her dad, but watching them interact it’s easy to see how good their relationship is with each other.
I don’t remember my house ever feeling like this, even before my mom split.
“It was nice to see you. Good luck this weekend,” Harry says to me before he heads off to his study.
I can’t help but track the time, noting he’s only been home for thirty minutes—just long enough to eat and chat a bit—before going back to work. Lacey doesn’t look upset or comment on it, so I assume it’s a normal occurrence.
“Did you finish your homework?” she asks me.
“No.”
She places both hands on her hips.
“Don’t look at me like that. You distracted me.”
“I have to study for the SATs if you want to stay and finish.”
It’s a tempting offer, but I have a feeling it’s not the most productive one. “I should probably get home. Otherwise, I’m going to find a way to distract us both.”
She walks me out where we kiss long enough I’m damn near shivering by the time I get in my Rover.
The drive home is short, but I’m already dreading pulling out my algebra instead of showering and going to bed.
Dad is in the kitchen when I walk in. He glances up from his laptop. “I was starting to wonder about you.”
“I was at Lacey’s house, studying.”
He nods slowly, giving me a look that maybe calls bullshit on the studying part.
“I got video of Mountainview’s game against Pacific earlier this season.”
I tip my head toward my room. “I still need to finish some more homework.”
“I thought you were just doing that.” His tone is dry. Yep, definitely calling bullshit on studying.
“I didn’t finish, but I’ll watch the game later,” I say, starting for my room.
“Yeah, sure,” he mutters.
I double back as his tone strikes a nerve.
Ever since I failed algebra and couldn’t play, I feel like I can’t do anything without his disappointed stare following me.
I get it. I let the team down, but I improved my grade and led the team to a huge win, and it’s still not enough for him. “Is there something you want to say?”
I rarely talk back to him, so my question catches him off guard. He stands tall and stares at me like he’s carefully considering his words.
“I got my grade up, and I’m keeping it there. I made a mistake, but it won’t happen again.”
“Good.” He takes off his glasses and walks halfway toward me. “But that’s not my concern.”
“Then what is?”
“You’re acting like the season is already over. Your focus needs to be sharper than ever. This is not the time to get distracted.”
“I’m not distracted. I need to study.”
“And on the soccer field earlier today. Was that you not distracted?”
My jaw tightens. Even though I’d just accused her of distracting me minutes ago, I don’t like the insinuation from my dad that Lacey is harming my focus. She’s the only reason I’m still playing.
“My focus is just fine.”
“I hope so, Son,” he says in a gentler voice.
I’m too frustrated for it to do anything to calm me down. Fuming, I leave him staring after me as I head to my room, slamming the door behind me for good measure.
His words run in a loop through my mind as I pull out my homework and sit down to finish. I resent the idea that I’ve somehow taken my focus off soccer.
Just because his entire life revolves around the team doesn’t mean mine has to. I can still be the player I want to be and achieve the things I dream about and not let it rule every second of every day. I’m certain of it.
High School Bucket List
Make a high school memory box ?
Go apple picking ?
Get a piercing
Watch the sunrise from the fifty-yard line on the football field
Learn the “Thriller” dance!
Go on a double date
Stay up all night
Volunteer ?
Travel internationally
Kiss someone under the stars ?
Do something scary ?
Go to the homecoming dance with a date
Go ice-skating
Photo shoot with friends
Go skinny-dipping
Take a road trip with Dad
Leave my mark on Frost Lake High