I sense the end of the ride coming, and reach out instinctively to slow our stop. I catch her against my body when my feet find solid ground, then let the safety rope go, remaining steady where I am for fear she’ll let go completely. Our feet tangle on the wooden planks, hers tucked inside my wide base. Either my eyes have adjusted or the sky is getting brighter because I can see every freckle that dots her cheeks and nose. I’m mesmerized by them, but equally as rapt that she seems as taken with mine.
I had no idea how much I actually won in our silly pool game. I don’t think I knew how much I wanted until this very moment. As her lips part, her tongue dashing out bravely into the cold to taste her skin, I’m overwhelmed with desire to take everything I can. I won’t break this trust, though. Of everything that this morning brings, her letting me help her fly is the most important.
Her fingers curl into fists at the back of my neck, and I’m so damn afraid she’ll let go and tear us apart. She doesn’t, though. Before I make a move to unfasten our straps, she lifts up on her toes ever so slightly, just enough to bring our heights in line. Her eyes skim down fleetingly to my mouth as she closes the distance between us, and her gaze hits mine again just as her soft lids flutter to close. She leans in, the ultimate of trust, and presses her mouth to mine in a chaste, soft kiss that I let her control completely. My only moment of greed is a soft suck of her plump bottom lip, and it’s pure torture forcing myself to let go, but I do.
Our lips part but her forehead remains on mine. I unbuckle our straps and eventually, the harness falls to our feet. Before Hollis steps back, she kisses me one more time, this one on my cheek.
“Thank you, Cannon,” she whispers.
“You’re welcome,” I reply, knowing our words should be reversed.
Despite spending the last hour in the freezing cold, I keep the shower temperature tepid while I erase the feel of her lips on mine and the visual of her body from my mind. It’s a good thing we drove back separately, because I don’t think my body could handle these thoughts with Hollis just a foot away from me in the warm car. My imagination is bad enough. The minute I pictured laying her down in the back seat, the ride home got really uncomfortable—and fast.
Finally somewhat coherent and no longer hard for a girl I’m keeping at arm’s length, I kill the shower and wrap a towel around my waist. When I come face-to-face with Zack’s sinister smile on the other side of the door, I expect him to make some joke about me draining the hot water or spending so much time alone in the bathroom. But that’s not what’s on his mind at all.
“The board is meeting about Coach Taylor.” He grins, arrogant pride seeping from the pores of his skin.
“Why?” I ask, when really my inner-voice is saying, What did you do?
“There are some questions about his techniques, and maybe how he makes his rosters.” My cousin passes me in the doorway and we trade sides as I step into the hall.
“But he hasn’t made any rosters yet,” I explain, my mouth watering with sickness.
Zack’s smile grows more ominous just before he winks.
“Exactly,” he says, closing the door on this conversation, and my face.
I spent the morning trying to earn Hollis’s trust and prove my integrity, and with one conversation with his father behind my back, Zack is threatening to burn that trust to the ground. All because a girl might be better at something than he is.
No might. She is better. And I need to start standing up for her, despite my family.
12
Hollis
I wasn’t sure my body would warm up after I climbed that pole this morning, but somehow, now I can’t seem to cool it down. I’ve been simmering from the inside out ever since I left the gulch this morning, and sitting next to Cannon in class earlier today rekindled everything.
Things have been pleasantly awkward since. I quite like pleasantly awkward. This time, the aftermath of our kiss is more promising. We went into that with eyes wide open. The only thing that can ruin this euphoria is currently finishing up his second lap, alongside Cannon.
“Looks like I beat you out here today, Double-D,” Zack says as he slows to a walk, pacing around me in wide circles while I stretch before my run. I glower up at him from my squatting stretch, waiting for him to finish his lame bra-size joke.
“Oh, no. Not like that. Double-D—Daddy’s Daughter.” He laughs at his lame joke and I dim my eyes. I mean, that’s basically a statement of fact. Most humans are their father’s child, biologically at least. I get what he’s insinuating, though. Nothing new. Before I can defend myself, Cannon walks up behind him and knocks his hat from his head.
“Don’t be a dick.”
I look down at my toes to hide my smile. I don’t need anyone fighting my battles, but after my morning, it’s reassuring to see Cannon do it.
Zack picks his hat up from the track and puts it on backward, which is one of my father’s pet peeves. I could warn him, but he deserves what he gets. He shoots me a sour look before he leaves the track and makes his way to the field. Cannon sticks around, but I sense his uneasiness in the way he keeps checking to see if his cousin is watching us.
“You don’t have to wait for me,” I say, my stomach twisting with gooey butterfly feelings and insecurities galore. Of course he isn’t waiting for me.
“Hey, I just . . .” He swings his
