CHAPTER 16
Soccer was never so entertaining.
”Holy cow,” Freya said. ”Did you know Uncle Becks could play like that?”
”Honestly, when my dad told me, I thought he was exaggerating,” I said.
Viola was shaking her head in awe as her dad—my uncle—scored yet another goal. ”My mom told me stories too,” she said. ”But she loves Dad so much. This is just…unbelievable.”
”Bo hates losing,” Charlotte said.
”Same with Dare. He and my dad are so competitive, especially when it comes to soccer.”
”But man, what a good game.”
”They”re killing them,” Aurora said.
It was true.
Dare, Bo, and Sam were fantastic players. They really were.Both Dare and Bo had expressed their intentions to go pro, and I had no doubt, when they got there, they”d take the world by storm. But even if they were younger and arguably more in shape, there was just no touching Becks and Ash when they got into a groove. Uncle Clayton played well too, but he and Sam didn”t have any real stake in the game. They were simply having fun, hamming it up for the kids—who, I had to say, were loving every minute.
The group went crazy a second later when Ash dribbled the ball down the field with Bo hot on his heels. Father and son duked it out, vying for control of the ball, while Dare covered Uncle Becks. The terms of the game were the first to seven. As it stood now, the adults were winning 6-4. They only needed one more goal to win. We watched as Becks broke away, and Ash waited until the perfect moment to lob the ball his way. In a gravity-defying move, Uncle Becks jumped up, spun in the air, kicked the ball and sent it sailing directly into the net. The kids screamed, and my cousins and I were no better. Aunt Lillian, Aurora, and Freya rushed the field while my sister, Viola, and I hung back.
”What the what?” I said, elbowing Viola in the arm.
”I know,” she said.
”That was amazing!”
”That,” Aunt Sally said, sidling up to us, ”was Becks Kent, still one of the best players of all time, and Ash ”The Whip” Stryker. Two legends, fully unleashed and playing to win.”
”Well, they definitely did that,” I said with a laugh.
Snow joined us and gave me a nod. ”It was nice of you to let this happen, Scarlett.”
I shrugged. ”The kids loved it.”
”Ash does so much coaching now, but he still loves to compete.”
My aunt nodded. ”Becks too.”
”I don”t think they could play like that if they didn”t,” I said.
”They”ve always played so well together—even when they thought they hated each other.”
Snow sighed. ”Well, I better go grab my husband and son. You want to cometoo, Charlotte? Bo might need some consoling after that loss.”
”Yeah,” my sister said with a smile. ”And wow, Mrs. Stryker.Mr. Stryker was on fire.”
”He”s the best,” she said simply.
Once she and Charlotte were gone, Aunt Sally leaned over to me and said, ”For the record, your Uncle Becks is the best. Just sayin”.”
”Do you think he and Dare will be okay after this?” Viola said.
As the two joined us, they were nothing but smiles.
”You have to teach me how to do that last move,” Dare said, and my uncle just laughed.
”Maybe someday,” he said.
”I”ve got time next week. If you”re not busy.”
”Sounds good.” Becks pointed at him. ”But just rememberwhat happened here today.”
”Trust me, Coach, I”m not likely to forget a beatdown like that.” Dare grimaced, but it turned into a grin when Viola slipped under his arm. ”Your dad wasn”t playing around out there.”
”I know,” she said, laying a kiss on his cheek. ”But you”ll get over it.”
”You gonna help with that?”
”Of course.”
Viola rested her gaze on her father and sent him a smile.
”Dad, you”re still my favorite muggle,” she said.
”Thanks, Viola. I love you too,” he said.
After she and Dare left, Uncle Becks looked to my aunt and said, ”Hey, Sal. Can you come here?”
”Yeah,” she said, walking over to him. ”What”s wrong?”
”Think I pulled something in my back on that last goal,” he said. ”Might need a little help getting to the car.”
My aunt shook her head but wrapped her arm around him, letting him lean against her. ”I can”t believe you sacrificed your back just to win a game,” she said.
”Worth it.”
Uncle Becks threw me a smile.
”See you later, Scarlett,” he said. ”It”s really nice that you mentor all these kids.”
”Thanks, Uncle Becks,” I said.
”Remind your boyfriend of the talk if he ever gets out of line.”
Aunt Sally rolled her eyes. ”We”re going now. Bye, Scarlett.”
”Love you guys,” I said.
”Love you too.”
They left, and that was when Sam came over, wearing his usual grin.
”Good game,” I said.
”Are you kidding? Coach Stryker and your uncles schooled us out there.”
I sent him a smile as we went to retrieve the balls.
”Yeah, I saw,” I said. ”Are you sorry you came?”
”No way,” Sam replied, ”I loved hanging out with the kids.”
I swallowed as he went on.
”That Trevor is a trip, kept wanting to show me his tooth, and Zoe”s got real potential. She channeled her aggression into kicking the crap out of the ball.”
”She”s got a lot of that,” I mumbled, ”which is understandable, considering her situation.”
Sam”s brows pinched. ”What situation?”
Startled, I looked up at him. ”Oh, it”s nothing. Sorry, my brain got away from me for a second.”
”No, it didn”t.”
When I gave him a questioning look, he tilted his head.
”Just then, you said something about Zoe, and it made you sad.”
”You noticed that?”
”I always notice you, Kent.”
Those words hit me deeper than they should have.
”So, what”s up?”
”Like a lot of the kids in the program,” I said, ”Zoe”s from the foster home. Her dad died, and her mother just left her there. It”s hard, you know? Getting left behind.”
He was quiet a moment then, ”She”ll regret it.”
”Who?” I asked.
”The mom,” Sam said, never taking his eyes off mine. ”She really missed out.”
”Yeah, Zoe”s a great kid,” I said.
”I don”t doubt that—but I think we both know she”s not who I meant.”
I looked away, avoiding his gaze, and waved at Mrs. Primm as she shepherded the kids toward the parking lot. Once they were gone, I took a deep breath, turned back to Sam and lifted my shoulders.
”You still up for the next lesson?” I said, fully aware I was asking him to kiss me again. It would be a nice distraction from all these confusing feelings. ”We could probably fit in another pretend date too.”
”Sure,” Sam said.
While we were walking, he slipped his hand into mine.
”Hey.”
He waited until I looked at him.
”You”ve done a good thing here, Kent. Thanks for letting me be a small part of it.”
”Thanks for wanting to be part of it,” I said quietly.
#
I was right.
Kissing Sam was just the distraction I needed.
Or it would be.
If we ever got started.
Sam seemed skeptical of my plan.
”I have so many questions,” he said.
”Okay,” I said.
Sam glanced at the bookshelves surrounding us before his gaze landed back on me. ”Why the library?”
”I hear it”s a good make-out spot.”
Sam chuckled.
”What? It”s true.”
”Oh, I know,” he said. ”Itjust sounded funny, the way you said that.”
I crossed my arms. ”It”s on my list.”
”Number 13.” Sam gave a nod. ”I remember.”
”That”s right,” I said slowly. ”Did you memorize my list, Bishop?”
He cocked a brow. ”Maybe.”
It kind of blew my mind, the idea that Sam took the time to commit my list to memory.But I shook it off, knowing I needed to stay focused.
”What”s the phone for again?” he asked next.
”I told you,” I said. ”Setting an alarm will make sure we go long enough. That we don”t finish too early.”
Sam stepped forward, erasing the space between us, and my breath hitched.
”That won”t be a problem,” he murmured as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
I licked my lips. ”Well, it”s also so we don”t get carried away.”
”Definitely more likely.”
God.
Talk about distracting.
”A typical make-out session,” I said, nearly breathless as his fingertips burrowed into my hair, ”should last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. So, I set my alarm for five.”
Sam”s intense gaze met my own. ”Where”d you hear that?”
”Google.”
He chuckled again, and this time we were close enough that I felt the sound vibrate through my body.
”You ready?” I asked.
”Start the timer,” he said.
Sam”s mouth was my new favorite place. I wanted to move in and never leave. As his lips moved to my neck, and I gasped, I couldn”t think at all.
”Your alarm”s going off, Kent,” he murmured into my throat.
”Oh?” I managed to get out even as his lips trailed over my jaw. ”Well, I chose the lowest amount of time, so”—I gasped again as he nipped my skin—”I guess we could hit snooze. Just once.”
”Hmmm.”
After hitting the button, I pulled Sam”s mouth to mine, trying to get even closer.
The kiss deepened, and I got lost in him again.
”Kent,” Sam breathed.
”Yeah?”
”The alarm.”
”What?”
”Alarm. Going off.”
”I don”t care,” I murmured.
”Huh?” he said.
”Sam, just ignore it.”
He stopped and pulled back. ”You called me Sam,” he said, wearing a bright smile.”You never do that.”
”Sam?”
”Yeah?”
”Keep kissing me,” I said.
”Thank God,” he said.
Sam tossed the phone away, gripped my hips, and lifted me up. My legs went around his waist, and as my back pressed into the books, I kissed him. And he kissed me. And we kissed and kissed for what felt like an eternity and not nearly long enough at the same time.
Then someone giggled.
It wasn”t Sam or me.
”Um, Scarlett? Is that you?”
The voice was familiar, but it took me a moment to float back down from my kissing haze.
Looking to my left, I spotted the speaker and blushed.
”It is you,” Casey said with a triumphant smile, nudging the girl standing beside her. ”Told you.”
”You did,” Natalia replied. ”How”s it going, Scarlett? We haven”t seen you in a while.”
”Well, obviously, it”s going well.” Casey glanced at Sam then whispered—though everyone could hear her, ”He”s cute.”
”Oh my gosh,” I said, burying my head in Sam”s neck as he said, ”Thanks.”
”We heard a phone going off and decided to come investigate,” Natalia added, holding up my cell. ”Does this belong to one of you?”
I raised my hand. ”That”s mine. Sorry about…this,” I said, gesturing between Sam and myself.
”Girl, please,” Casey said. ”You”re like the third couple we”ve walked in on today.”
”Speaking of which”—Natalia placed my phone on the nearest shelf and grabbed her arm—”we should get back to the front desk.”
”But—”
”Scarlett, you and…”
”Sam,” he supplied. ”Sam Bishop.”
”You and Sam, Sam Bishop, take as much time as you need.”
”Thanks, Natalia, Casey,” I said. ”Also, maybe don”t tell my sister about this?”
”Oh definitely,” Casey said, smiling way too bright. ”Enjoy your trip to the library!”
As I disentangled myself from Sam, he was still laughing.
”They”re going to tell her,” I said.
”Yeah,” he said, ”but so what? She already knows about us. Right?”
She did.
But that didn”t make getting caught making out in the stacks by my sister”s friends any easier. And in the library too. Charlotte was going to hold this over my head for the rest of my days.
”Should”ve chosen a different location,” I mumbled as I retrieved my phone from the shelf.
”I disagree,” Sam said as we walked out of the aisle. ”This library will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Throwing him a look, I shook my head. ”You”re unbelievable, Bishop.”
”Thanks, Kent.”
Casey and Natalia waved to us as we left, and I waved back, despite the embarrassment. When Sam and I pulled into the parking lot where our pretend date would take place, he raised his brows.
”This is where you want to go?” he said.
”Yeah,” I said, ”they have the best baked goods in town.”
Sam nodded and held the door open for me. ”Okay, but you know—”
”That Brisa works here? Yeah, I do.”
Turning to face him, I smiled.
”That”s part of what makes it perfect.”
”Care to elaborate?” he asked.
With a shrug, I placed my hands gently on his shoulders, and his automatically wrapped around my waist. I didn”t even try to hold back my reaction, allowing myself to shiver and letting the warmth I always felt for him shine through my eyes. ”I figured we could put all that practice to good use. Letting Brisa see us outside of school might tip her over the edge and into your arms. You know?”
Hands tightening on my hips, he said, ”Good plan. There”s just one problem.”
”What?”
”Brisa doesn”t want me back,” he said.
”We”ll see about that.”
I leaned up and brushed a kiss against his jaw, enjoying the way it made his breath catch.
”Are you two ever going to order? Or just stand there blocking the door?” Brisa said.
Her voice held a good helping of impatience, annoyance, and dare I hope, jealousy?
Leaning back to meet Sam”s eyes, I gave him a wink.
”We”re ready now,” I said.
I infused the words with a lightheartedness I definitely didn”t feel. But this wasn”t about me. It was about him. And Brisa was who he wanted, who he”d always wanted.
I needed to remember that.
No matter how much my heart clung to the hope that one day he might want me like I wanted him.