Chapter 3 #2
Of course she will. The party won’t stop without us, and when we get back, he’ll have a selection of girls to pick from.
“Besides.” He moves closer, and his arm brushes mine. “You’re my favorite partner, and we get to hide tonight. I have the perfect spot. Been saving it up for this.”
When we finally reach campus, Maverick leads me to his perfect hiding spot while the rest of the group gives us a head start.
Over the years, we’ve set some boundaries to where we can hide, but we’ve never lacked creative ways to play the game.
Inside fountains, under tables, behind trees and columns.
It’s so much more than finding a good hiding spot.
Staying quiet and still, things Maverick always struggles with, are what usually get people caught.
Tonight, staying quiet isn’t a problem. I’m lost in my thoughts, wondering what next year will be like.
Will those of us still at Valley come here?
No, probably not. It won’t be the same. I can’t believe I’ve fallen into the same bout of melancholy my friends have.
It isn’t sadness that they’re all leaving.
I’m happy for them. They’re all going to do incredible things. The problem is, I’m not.
“Everything okay?” Mav asks as we approach the library. They’re doing construction on one side. Heavy, translucent plastic hangs down, covering the work area.
“Yeah.” I force some pep into my tone. “Yeah, I’m good.”
“Not sad we’re all leaving?” He sticks out his bottom lip into a pout.
“I am, but I’ll still talk to Sienna, and she’ll fill me in on Rhett, and Adam isn’t going anywhere.”
“And me?”
“I’ll miss Charli,” I say with a cheeky grin. “Will you send me pictures of her occasionally?”
“Babe, if you want dick pics, then you just gotta ask.”
I laugh despite myself, and he holds back the plastic to let me go ahead of him. A light hangs above me, casting a soft glow on the area, but otherwise, the space is open.
“What are they doing here?” I ask as we both step in, and Maverick lets the sheet fall back into place.
“I’m not sure. Maybe outdoor seating.”
“Oooh, that’ll be nice.” I picture it—sitting outside studying or chatting with the girls. That makes me think of Sienna not being there, and my heart hurts again.
When I turn to face him, Maverick’s gaze is pinned on me. Like earlier, he smirks, but his eyes are hard and swirl with emotion I can’t decipher. I’m blaming the shirt. This shirt was designed with college boys’ dirtiest fantasies in mind.
“Won’t they be able to see us with the light?”
“I don’t think so,” he says, staring out. From our side, it’s only darkness. “I couldn’t see the guys working yesterday when they were in here.”
“Go outside and tell me if you can see me.”
The sheet makes a crinkling noise as he steps to the other side.
“Anything.” I wave my hands at my side.
“Little bit of movement, but when you stand still, I can’t see anything.”
“What about now.” I step closer to the plastic but keep my hands next to my body.
“No.”
One step closer so that I’m almost standing directly against it. “Now?”
He chuckles. “No. Can I come back in before they spot me standing out here?”
I glance at my phone. “They shouldn’t have left yet.”
“Yeah, well, they’re all going to be anxious to find us and go back and bang.”
“And you’re not? Vanilla might have found another set of abs to go home with by now.”
“I’m coming back in.”
“Wait,” I order. His footsteps outside stop. Curling my fingers around the bottom of my shirt, I roll the fabric up. The breeze buds my nipples, and I smile at the daring move knowing he’s clueless. “Anything?”
His response is delayed, and I panic for a second, thinking maybe he can see me.
“Nah, nothing, babe.”
The light flickers above me, brightening and then dimming again. Quickly, I right my shirt and pull back the plastic separating us. “I think we’re all good.”
Mav and I sit side by side against the library wall. He pulls out a bottle of Mad Dog from his jeans pocket and offers me a drink. Humoring him, I take a small sip before handing it back.
“I’ll never understand why that’s your drink of choice.”
“It’s sweet and sticky.” He winks and caps the bottle, then sets it between us. “Actually, I drink it because it pisses my dad off.”
“Why does it piss him off?”
“It isn’t exactly the kind of alcohol you serve at a black-tie function.”
“Let me guess.” I find myself smiling. “You would sneak it in just to get a rise out of him?”
He doesn’t answer, but his expression says everything.
The wind blows my hair around my face, and I tuck it behind my ears and then hug my knees to my chest. Despite the warm weather during the day, the night air is chilly.
“When are you leaving?” I ask, keeping my voice low in case our friends are now looking for us.
“Not sure.” He bends his legs and rests his elbows on his thighs. “You’re staying all summer?”
“Looks like it,” I say glumly. “I got another ‘so sorry we’ve gone with another candidate’ letter today from an internship I applied for.” The last one. I’m officially out of options.
“There’s gotta be something out there.”
“I’ve tried. I applied all over Arizona, and anywhere I thought my car could make it without breaking down. Either it’s unpaid, or it’s so coveted that they have their pick of the best candidates.”
“You’re the best candidate,” he says.
“Thanks,” I mumble. My grades are good, but since I quit track, the only other selling points of my resume are intramural spikeball champion and working at the Hall of Fame. It’s a great job, but at this point, I could do it in my sleep.
The phone in my hand lights up with a dating app notification. Wyd, sexy?
“I literally cannot.” I groan. It’s the last straw. I swipe the screen angrily and delete the app off my phone.
Mav’s upper body shakes, and he smiles, holding back laughter. “I take it online dating isn’t going well?”
“Every single conversation I’ve had goes the exact same.” I lower my voice. “Hey, girl. What are you doing? Wanna exchange pics?”
“I don’t trust online dating.”
“Afraid of being catfished?”
“Nah, it’s just a vibe when you’re with someone. You can’t know that through a few texts.”
He might be right about that. All I know, I feel nothing for these guys that I’m talking to.
“Well, I’m done. Talking to guys is bullshit.
Maybe you have the right idea. Hooking up, no feelings, and no chatting about hopes and dreams.” I glance up at him.
He’s still staring at me, but he’s not laughing.
“It isn’t really like that.”
“What’s it like?” I humor him. “Tell me all your moves, Johnny Maverick.”
He stares at me intently. A small smile on his lips. Playful. Cocky. Charming.
Reaching out, his fingers push back the hair that’s blown into my face again.
My breathing quickens as the calloused pads of his fingers scrape against the nape of my neck.
He moves closer, and I swallow. The wind carries the sweet scent of liquor on his breath and something clean and masculine, his soap, I think.
For a split second, I think he’s going to kiss me. He doesn’t, of course. That would be crazy. Instead, he tilts his head to the side, eyes searching my face as his fingers are still on my collarbone spreading warmth across my skin and low into my belly.
The light flickers above us, and I quickly look up. I don’t know why, reaction, I guess. When I drop my gaze, he pulls back, and then Rhett’s voice slices through the night. “There they are. Behind the plastic.”
“They found us.” I’m thankful for something to say that breaks the awkwardness between us, but then Rhett’s words register. Really register. Oh my god. I turn to Mav, and he bites his bottom lip, and his eyes dip to my chest.
He totally saw when I flashed him.
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