Chapter 22 #2
The red bowling ball hits the floor with a loud thud. I stand up straight, watching it roll with urgency toward the end of the lane.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five.
The bowling ball brushes past the last pin, causing it to wobble. I hold my breath and the guys remain silent behind me, waiting but the pin remains standing. I just made our team lose by one goddamn point. Lucas’s team shoots up from their seats, clapping and cheering.
I turn toward Charles and my team with a wince. “Sorry guys.”
They smile and shake their heads, some patting my shoulder and telling me I did good. As cool as these guys are, I’m more torn up about losing my shot to talk with Lucas.
Lewis slings his arm over Lucas’s shoulders, going on about how he has to join the league and that they’ll even get a shirt made for him.
Lucas laughs. “I’ll think about it.”
His gaze lands on me, Lewis’s eyes following. He gives me a thumbs up before patting Lucas’s shoulder and stepping back toward the other guys.
Lucas and I both meet halfway.
I don’t want to go back home without talking to him but I can’t force him to listen to anything I have to say. I’m going to just have to accept defeat and sit with the fact that Lucas is standing right in front of me, yet he feels out of reach.
“Come on.” He grabs my elbow. “Let’s talk somewhere quieter.”
“But I lost.”
He shrugs. “I won’t hold it against you.”
Lucas guides me back to the rental counter where we switch into our own shoes before heading out the back door, leading to the alleyway.
It’s quieter back here. The music from inside is muffled. We’re completely tucked away from the world right now.
Lucas leans against the brick wall, his attention already completely on me. I used to hate how easy it seemed for him to give me his attention. Now I can’t help but want it all.
“How’d you know I was supposed to be here on a date?” He doesn’t hesitate to ask and because I don’t want to waste the time he’s given me, I don’t hold back my answer.
“I asked Preston.”
He arches his eyebrow, amused. “I don’t know whether I’m more shocked over you asking or that Pres actually told you the truth.”
“Well, I did have to work for it a little bit,” I admit.
I chew on my bottom lip, now finding it hard to meet Lucas’s eyes.
This isn’t the time for me to become unsure but I’m scared of how this is going to go.
I don’t think Lucas would ever tell me to get lost, like I apparently had no problem doing to him but I’m scared of messing this up even more.
I don’t want to say the wrong thing again and push Lucas away for good.
“So.” The word drags. “Where is she? Your date?”
Lucas shrugs. “According to Kiara, bowling is immature and not appropriate for a first date.”
“She ditched you?”
I don’t love the idea of Lucas being with another girl but I also hate him being stood up. He deserves the world. I can only hope he’ll let me give him as much as I can.
Lucas shakes his head, looking nonchalant. “It’s fine. She’s the one that asked me out anyways. I only agreed because I figured…” He laughs, unhumorously. “I figured it was about time I stopped following you around.”
No. I want to blurt out the word. Tell him my days have been almost colorless without him there. Admit that I’ve always loved seeing him around, just knowing he was close by.
I just need to tell him everything. No more pretending or pushing him away. Just me, him, and all I’ve been feeling since we met.
“I didn’t mean what I said.” I take a step closer.
He teases. “About me being a surprisingly good bowler?”
“No.” I playfully roll my eyes. “About me having to pretend I want more from you to make you feel better.”
“Oh.” He nods. “Yeah that was kind of a dick move, Stryker.”
“I know,” I groan, resting my head against the wall.
“That’s why I knew I had to come and apologize and…
” I hesitate, the urge to retreat quickly coming on so to fight it, I take one big step so that now Lucas and I are standing right in front of each other.
Close enough to feel the warmth radiating off his body.
The dim streetlights make it hard to see more than just his silhouette but even in the dark, I can feel the way his eyes gently rest on me. The kind of softness I’m learning to let myself have.
My voice is barely above a whisper. “I’m not saying that I think I’m better for you than someone else but I am asking you if there’s a chance that you still want me. Fucked up and all.”
He’s silent for a moment but then he runs the tips of his fingers down my shoulder and to my hand, hooking his index finger with mine. “And if I did?”
“Then I’d say I want you too.”
“Really?” he asks, surprised, and I hate that he has to question something like that. That I ever made him feel like he had to.
“Yes, Lucas. Really,” I admit. “I just—I didn’t know how to let you in without feeling like I needed to push you away after. But if you’ll still have me, I promise I’ll make it up to you every second of every day.”
“You don’t have to let me in all at once, Stryker. I’m willing to go at your pace.” His forehead rests against mine. “And you don’t have to make it up to me every second. I’ll accept like half of the day spent with you begging for my forgiveness,” he teases.
I shove at his chest. “I don’t beg.”
“Really?” He cocks his eyebrow, his chest now pressed up against mine. “Because I have a different recollection.”
“Like you’ve never begged before, Callahan.”
“Oh please,” he scoffs, resting his hands on my hips. “I’ll beg for you anytime, Princess.”
Lucas brushes his lips over mine, grinning when I try to kiss him but he pulls away just enough to deny me of him. He does it again and I whine, finally grabbing the back of his neck and kissing him. He groans into my mouth when I push against his chest, pressing his back flat against the wall.
He pulls me in closer by my hips. My hands slip under the hem of his shirt and I rest one hand on his ribs while the other trails down his abdomen.
I press my hand against the front of his jeans, feeling the weight of him in my hand, how solid he already is. I press a little harder, earning me another groan against my mouth that I swallow.
Lucas slips his hands under my thighs and without a warning, hoists me up, flipping us around so that my back is now against the wall.
“Are you gonna fuck me in an alley, Callahan?” My laugh comes out breathless as he kisses his way down my neck.
I feel him smirk against my skin. “You telling me you wouldn’t like that?”
My hips grind against his and I lean in to whisper in his ear. “I’m telling you that I don’t care where you fuck me as long as you don’t stop.”
Lucas’s fingers barely brush over the band of my yoga shorts, snapping the fabric against my skin, teasing. My legs tighten around him, arms pulling him closer.
The back door swings open, illuminating the alleyway and cutting through the moment. We pull away, Lucas quickly setting me back onto the ground. He takes a step away from me as if that’ll convince anyone we were having just a friendly chat.
Charles stands in the doorway, his figure being illuminated by the lights from inside. An unlit cigarette rests between his fingers. He studies the scene in front of him before stepping all the way out, the door closing behind him, and lighting his cigarette.
“Denise,” Charles chuckles. “Don’t tell me you went easy on the boy because of a little crush.”
I laugh, startled by Charles’s words. I shake my head but link my arm with Lucas’s, not caring what Charles saw. Lucas is mine now and I’ll make sure everyone knows it.
“This girl hasn’t gone easy on me since the moment we met.” Lucas laughs, pulling me closer as if he too has decided that he doesn’t care who sees.
Charles, now understanding this, chuckles and moves to walk around the corner, saying something about giving us some privacy.
I place a quick kiss on Lucas’s jaw. “I have to make you work for it sometimes, Callahan.”
He turns so that we’re back to facing each other but he doesn’t pick me up again with the knowledge that Charles hasn’t gone too far.
His smile is soft, gentle. Amused. Giving me the idea that maybe I’m not too much for Lucas like I thought. Maybe he is one of the few people who can handle me. I guess we’ll see.
He kisses my forehead. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Stryker.”
◆◆◆
Lucas
The front door hits the apartment wall with a slam. Denise laughs against my neck as I carry her bridal style into the threshold of my apartment.
“Eager, Callahan?” She presses kisses against my neck and I can’t lie and say it doesn’t shoot straight down the growing tightness in my jeans.
I narrow my eyes, knowing damn well she didn’t just magically forget how she couldn’t keep her hands from rubbing me through my jeans the whole ride back to my place.
I thought that by agreeing to drive her car back and leaving mine at the bowling alley, it’d give me a sense of peace to have her near me.
To finally have a moment with her where I wasn’t wondering what she wanted or worrying I crossed a line. She said she wanted me too and I wasn’t going to part ways with her after something like that.
But I’m guessing she saw the perfect opportunity to torture me with her hand in the car.
My answer to her question comes in the form of kissing her. She whines into my mouth and I quickly slam the front door closed with my foot, not caring about any noise complaints right now. I have only one thought rushing through my head.
Get my girl into bed.
“I’m guessing your talk went well.”
Preston’s smug voice has us pulling apart. I look away from Denise to see Preston lying with his back flat on the couch, remote in his hand and TV playing some horror bullshit he likes watching.
“Dude.” I gently set Denise down so she’s now standing next to me, her arm quickly going to wrap around mine. “I thought you were supposed to be at Grace’s.”
He shrugs, eyes flickering back and forth between me and Denise. I don’t know what inclines me to do so but I slightly move in front of Denise when I’m awfully aware of how tight her crop top is. Preston notices and rolls his eyes, a smug look on his face.
I know he’d never try anything and I also know if he did, Denise would probably have no problem kicking him in the balls, but the man does have eyes and Denise is one hell of a sight to look at.
“She said we either start dating or we’re done.” Preston finally answers my question about Grace.
Not that I cared about the lack of him hanging around the brunette, I just kind of hoped to have the apartment to myself with Denise, although his presence isn’t going to stop me regardless.
Denise begins looking around, annoyance already settling into her shoulders. “Please tell me she’s not here.”
“Fuck no,” both Preston and I say at the same time but where I laugh, he pulls his lips back in disgust.
This guy has really got to get his shit together.
Grace is just as much of a piece of work but them together? Might as well start preparing for the end of the world.
“Well, congratulations for your week of peace.” Preston rolls his eyes but he’s just as aware of the back and forth between the both of them. “But Denise and I are gonna head to my room.”
“Seriously? I’m right here.” He gestures to himself.
“Sorry Pres, but I can’t control the urge to get my hands on her.”
Denise laughs, lightly slapping my chest with the back of her hand.
Preston rolls his eyes. “Yeah? Well, try harder.”
“Aww, don’t worry, Nole,” I tease. “I’m sure you’ll find somebody worth giving a shit about someday.”
“Do you really think that?” Denise chuckles. “Caring about someone doesn’t seem easy for him.”
Wow, she’s pretty spot on for barely knowing the guy.
I shrug my shoulders. “Nah, someone will come along, but god save whoever it is. The guy is kinda intense.”
“No shit,” she agrees.
Preston flips both of us off before going back to watching his movie and pretending like we’re not even here. I take the opportunity to hoist Denise up onto my shoulder. I feel the breath from her startled laugh against my shirt as I walk her down the hallway and into my bedroom.
Once out of Preston’s line of sight, I slap the side of her ass and say, “Now where were we?”