Chapter 56 – Waylon
chapter
fifty-six
Waylon
Josie had taken my spot on the Kappa Nu couch and was wearing my green hoodie, number seventeen across her chest and the hem halfway down her thighs. Her bare feet were tucked under Kimmy’s leg, and she had a bowl of popcorn on her knees. My hoodie looked a hell of a lot better on her.
I wanted to see her like that every damn Friday.
“You’re in my spot,” I said.
She kept her eyes on the TV. “Funny. I don’t see your name on it.”
“It’s on your chest.” I sat beside her, her shoulder pressing into my ribs, and tapped the seventeen. “Right there.”
“Weird.” She looked over at me, smiling. She didn’t hesitate or glance around to see who’d noticed. “Must’ve grabbed the wrong one.”
She’d had three hoodies to choose from. They were all mine.
“Can you two flirt after the car hits the helicopter?” Kimmy asked. “You’re missing the best part.”
“Thank you,” Trace said from the armchair. “Somebody here respects cinema.”
On-screen, the car flew out of a parking garage and hit the helicopter. Everyone yelled.
“That is not physically possible,” Lena said from Trace’s lap.
Josie pointed the popcorn bowl at her. “Nope. We are not bringing physics into this.”
Trace turned so fast he almost fell out of the chair. “Thank you.”
“For understanding the assignment.”
“Ryder, tell her she’s right.”
Ryder was sprawled on the floor against the couch, watching a movie he’d seen at least forty times. He didn’t look away from the TV. “She’s right. You don’t watch this for physics.”
Trace pointed at Josie. “Johnson, where the hell did you find her?”
On the running trail at five in the morning, where she’d hit me hard enough to leave a bruise and then blamed me for it.
“She found me,” I said. “Ran me right over.”
“You stepped in front of me.”
“I was standing still.”
“Exactly. In the way.” She took a handful of my popcorn even though her bowl was still half full.
I put my arm along the back of the couch. Josie leaned into my side without checking who was watching and kept her eyes on the movie.
No one looked twice. Kimmy yelled at the TV, and Trace kept arguing with Lena.
A few weeks ago, Josie wouldn’t hold my hand outside my cottage. Now she was wearing my hoodie in a room full of my friends, and she hadn’t checked the door once.
Ryder’s phone buzzed on the floor. He checked the screen and stood.
“That’s me.” He grabbed his jacket off the chair.
“It’s nine o’clock on a Friday,” Kimmy said. “Where are you going?”
“Got somewhere to be.” He pulled on his jacket and didn’t offer more. Ryder never did. Most people didn’t know he spent Friday nights at the community center off Eckhart.
I only knew because I’d driven past after late practice and seen him out front with a bunch of kids wearing his old jerseys. He’d never mentioned it, and I hadn’t asked. It wasn’t my business.
“You’re gonna miss the helicopter,” Trace called after him.
“Seen it.” Ryder pointed at Josie. “Don’t let these idiots ruin it.”
“I’ll do my best.” She saluted him with the popcorn bowl, and he left.
Five minutes later, Lena was scoring the explosions out of ten, Trace was disputing every number, and Kimmy was throwing popcorn at both of them. Josie laced her fingers through mine and rested our hands on her knee.
“You’re staring,” she said without looking at me.
“I know.”
“It’s a great movie. You’re missing it.”
“Seen it.” I hadn’t. She knew that.
She turned to me, blue light from the TV moving across her face. One corner of her mouth lifted. “Liar.”
I hooked two fingers under her chin and kissed her. She smiled against my mouth.
“I love you,” I said quietly.
Her breath caught. Then she smiled.
“Yeah,” she said. “I know.”
“That’s all I get?”
“I love you, too. Pretty sure I started falling for you when you called me Flash.”
“You hated that nickname.”
“I hated you, too.” She turned back to the movie, still grinning, and pulled my arm around her waist.
Sure she did.
“Good thing that’s all changed now.”
Her smile was sweet as she leaned up to kiss me. “I always wanted my own personal Thor.”
The End