With a shaky hand I pressed the window button and it slowly started to go down. His face had so much mud on it that the only clean space was his left cheek and his eyes. It was mostly dry, making the scruff on his chin and lip seem crunchy. I pressed my lips tightly together to keep from laughing.
Honestly, I was a nervous wreck considering the way our last encounter had ended. He walked away and I felt like I’d probably never talk to him again. Seeing him across campus with not even a wave was how I pictured things would now be.
But here he was.
“Go ahead.” He smirked and I felt the wall I had up crumble just a little. “You know you wanna laugh.”
“Maybe,” I said, the smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
“Darcy,” he offered my friend a nod and I knew he was doing so more for me than her. “Missed you this year, would have been fun to pay you back for last year.”
Again I wondered what my friend had actually participated in that she’d neglected to share.
“I’ve outgrown mud wars.”
“Shame.” Jay looked back at me and I had yet to take my eyes off his dirty yet beautiful face. “So last time we talked it didn’t go over so well, did it?”
Shaking my head, I felt the wall slowly start to slide back into place, until he leaned in a little closer and smiled that gorgeous smile. My heart fluttered, my stomach tightened.
“I meant what I said about not being a bad guy.” I heard Darcy’s humph of disapproval. It irritated me really, because I remember her once pushing me to talk to him and go out with him. But this time, I wasn’t going to let her take this moment from me. “We’re going back to the house to celebrate, have a drink or two.” He cocked his head, looking back at a few of the guys that had hung back to wait for him. “If you’re not busy, maybe you’d like to join us.”
“We―” I held up my hand to stop Darcy and I heard her surprised gasp.
“I’d like that.” I was doing something for me for once, like he said before. I was living my life based on my own wants. “Should I come now?”
“If you don’t mind walking with a group of idiots covered in mud.” His chuckle as he pushed back off the car made me laugh. I pulled the handle and looked back to Darcy. “You should join us.”
“Go on.” She forced a smile. “I’m good. Just be careful.”
“I don’t want to be careful.” She seemed surprised, almost as much as I was. “I’m tired of being careful, tired of living every day walking a straight line. You were the one who told me I should be living and I want to do that. But I know I’d love it more if you were by my side.”
I could tell she wanted to tell me no, and my heart ached for her. But she nodded her head instead. “Go ahead and walk with your guy.” My guy. Not yet, but maybe if I stopped living based on what ifs, and let my guard down, who knew. “I’ll be there in twenty.”
Reaching out, I touched her arm and she offered me the same smile I’d seen so many times before.
“I really want a frozen yogurt.” She nudged my leg with her hand. “Go,” she insisted, “live.”
I took in a deep breath, turned back toward Jay, and climbed out of the car. I realized at that moment that I was wearing my old ratty cut-off shorts and a tank top that said Feed me tacos and tell me I’m pretty across the front. I paused, looked down, and then closed my eyes, feeling my cheeks heat. When I looked up at him he too was looking directly at my shirt.
I shrugged, really not knowing what to say and his smile widened.
“Come on.” He threw his arms over my shoulders and started to drag me along. I didn’t even care that I was now covered in mud too.
***
“You feel like a dumb ass now, don’t you?” I paused with my drink near my lips and looked to my left. A brunette sat down next to me, mud covering her cheek and the corner of her mouth. It didn’t take a genius to figure out just how she got it, the question was from who.
“Em!” We both looked across the yard to a tall blond guy holding up a beer. “You want one?”
“No.” She waved him off and turned back to look at me. “I was like you, thinking Clay was nothing more than an asshole who would break my heart.” I stared at her, wondering where exactly this was going. Then it hit me that Jay had talked about me to her, there was no other explanation. “Jay is one of the good ones. I know it’s hard to tell but I’ve been around this group long enough that I can say that and feel completely confident in it. He’s fun, crazy at times, and loyal as loyal can be, but he is also very sweet and considerate.”
She paused and I searched out Jay, finding him standing near a group of guys. The sound of his laughter echoed over the crowd and as if he felt me watching him, he looked in my direction.
“I do feel like a jerk.” Or maybe a dumb ass. “I regret not giving him a chance to prove me wrong.”
“Looks like you’ll have that chance now.” She got to her feet and that’s when I noticed Jay walking toward us. “Don’t screw it up.” I’d feel small if she weren’t smiling at me knowingly. She wasn’t being bitchy, I knew this. She was
