An arm looped through Lila’s. Kaley smiled at her as they followed at a slower pace. “Do you want to talk about it?”
It took a great amount of effort for Lila to keep a steady tone. “What do you mean?”
“I know we’re not close, but I’m not an idiot,” she said. “I know something is going on.”
Lila slowed their steps more, putting distance between them and the others. She didn’t know how it happened so suddenly, but Kaley was her friend. And she didn’t want to hide from her. “I’m not going to Bennu in the fall…” she began.
Kaley opened her mouth, but Lila didn’t let her ask. Instead, she told her everything.
Gavin waited by the open gate with a sad smile as Lila and Kaley hugged in the parking lot. Everyone had entered the football field, and Dylan ran up to the booth to turn on the lights. The girls parted and began walking toward him again. With Lila’s eyes on his, Kaley leaned in to whisper something. Lila flushed and shook her head.
When they reached him, Kaley let go of Lila’s arm. As she walked into the small stadium, she called over her shoulder, “I’m just saying, Lila.”
With a wink, she disappeared around the corner of the bleachers. Gavin looked to Lila, who refused to meet his gaze. She was clearly embarrassed by whatever their friend said, and it was adorable. He took her hand to pull her closer.
They walked onto the field—the space lit up bright just as it was during games. Their small group ran around, tossing the ball. Laughter carried across the area. Dylan ran back down, yelling for Gavin and Lila to join in too.
For a while, they played touch football. Lila was awful, but no one cared. They might not know the details, but his friends knew that night and the next were all about her. They’d agreed without asking too many questions.
Gavin lifted a hand and pointed two fingers from his eyes to Lila standing across from him on the opposing team. She tried to put on a mean face, but just like the past seven years, she failed to look intimidating.
Dylan yelled, “hike,” and the ball snapped to him. He took a few steps while the others spread out, trying to protect him as Lila and May ran down the field. With four older brothers who played football, May knew what she was doing. Gavin ran after Lila though, knowing Dylan would throw to her.
They neared the end zone, and it wasn’t a long pass, but Gavin slowed just enough for the ball to reach Lila. He held his breath, secretly rooting for her to make the catch. The ball sailed low enough for her to grasp against her stomach. She looked down with wide eyes then back up.
“Run!” Dylan screamed.
She didn’t hesitate. She turned and ran toward the endzone. Gavin sped up—it wasn’t hard catching up to her. She screeched as he reached for her, and she dodged to the side. He wasn’t going to stop her. It was her win, and as she crossed the line, he could feel the joy emanating from her.
He wrapped his arms around her middle, lifting her off the ground and spinning in a circle. She screamed again as they tumbled to the ground, him shifting to break her fall. He landed on his back with her sprawled out on top of him—her back against his chest. As she squirmed out of his hold enough to roll over, his thoughts went back to lying in her bed earlier. His throat constricted, and he lifted a hand to her cheek. She met him halfway, kissing him like no one else stood around the field.
Shouts and whistles went up. Dylan yelled something about getting back to the game. Without looking or letting go of Lila, Gavin felt around for the football. His fingers brushed the hard leather, and he tossed it out to the field. Someone laughed, but they left them alone.
When Lila finally broke the kiss, her ragged breath matched his. As did her goofy grin. She stood, wiping her hands on her pants to rid them of the dew from the grass. Gavin slowly got to his feet beside her. Lila crossed her arms, jumping on her toes to try and shake the chill from the air. He pulled his sweatshirt off and tugged it over her head. Her sweet laughter as her hands popped through the sleeves made his pulse quicken. He helped pull her long hair out then clasped his hands behind her back.
“Would it be too cliché to just go make out under the bleachers and ignore them all?” he asked, watching the deep shade of red return to her cheeks. She glanced up, and his breath caught. The love in her gaze was palpable. He quickly captured her mouth in another kiss, backing her up against the field goal post.
Her hands slid up his chest. His fingers twisted through her hair, tilting her head to a better angle. She moaned, and he nearly lost all control. He wanted nothing more than to leave their friends behind and find some privacy.
With reluctance, he pulled back just enough to lean his forehead against hers. They needed to slow down. He brushed a thumb along her swollen bottom lip. The corner of her mouth lifted momentarily, but then it fell, and she stepped away. She raked a hand through her hair, looking to the sky.
