I hadn’t planned on engaging. Instead, I fished out my keys and had them ready as I approached my car, which was just on the other side of his Jeep. He parked next to me this time.
“Hey,” he said, stopping at the hood. “Aren’t you going to say hi?”
“Hi.” I took out my keys and unlocked the car as I got closer.
He looked confused, and I had far too much building on my mind to let him leave without saying how I felt.
As he hit the locks, I turned, and instead of getting in my car, I hopped in the Jeep as he settled behind the wheel. He gave me a strange look when he looked over to find me there.
“Is everything okay?”
“No, it’s not. If you’re going to mess around with every girl at this university, you’re going to have to stop kissing me.”
“I don’t understand. What does the rumor mill have me up to this week? I thought the latest rumor would be about us.”
“I don’t need rumors. I can see with my own eyes. You were just flirting and got that girl’s number. How do you think that makes me feel? And right here at practice for everyone to see. I guess now that everyone thinks we’ve slept together, it’s time to move on.”
Seth looked down at his hands, which were gripping the wheel. He looked disappointed, but I guessed that was how he would look, seeing that he had gotten caught.
“I wasn’t flirting with anyone. I was talking to Flora. She’s in my science class, which I’m about to fail miserably if I don’t study the pages she gave me.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a small folded sheet of paper. The one I’d seen her pass to him. “See?”
I unfolded it and read the page numbers. He was telling the truth. “Oh.”
“Yeah, oh. Next time, why not give me the benefit of the doubt? You know, I go to school here, and I know a lot of people, Avery. Guys and girls who I’m friends with and who I talk to. That’s not going to change. So I don’t know what to tell you. If you’re going to be jealous about every fucking one of them, maybe you’re right. Maybe I do need to stop kissing you. But if you’d trust me for five minutes and let me get through this fucking season, maybe we could have something really good. It’s up to you if you can trust that or not.”
“Is that what has you holding back? The game?”
“Coach thinks you’ll be a distraction, and he’s said it enough to put it in the others’ heads that I’m too distracted.”
“So you’re choosing the game? I guess I don’t blame you.”
“No, I’m trying not to choose. I’m trying to get through it all and still keep you. If you can’t handle it, I don’t know what to tell you.”
“I’m sorry. I guess I overreacted again. I guess you’re getting pretty sick of that.”
“It’s not making it any easier.”
“I’m sorry I make it harder for you. I guess I just have feelings too.”
Seth reached for my hand and pulled it to his lips. “I don’t want to put rugby first, so I thought if I hold back a little, when I’m strong enough, maybe I could buy some time and not lose you.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I guess I just need to know what you want from me. It’s hard to guess.”
“Well, I kissed you, and I want to do it again, and again, if that’s okay with you. But at the same time, Avery, I think it scares me.”
My eyes narrowed. “What are you scared of?”
“I’m scared of falling too fast, too hard, and of screwing it all up because of who I used to be. I’m scared of losing you.”
I moved closer in the seat. “I’m nothing to be afraid of.”
He smiled. “You have no idea. You make me want to be better, and that’s the scary part. I haven’t ever felt this way about anyone else.”
Seth leaned in, and I closed the distance between our lips, kissing him hard to show him how much I wanted it.
I wanted all of it. Everything.
Seth pulled away and looked down. “You make it hard to behave.”
“Who says we have to?” I kissed him again, this time moving across the seat to sit in his lap as he put the seat back.
He rested his hand on my thigh then moved to cup my ass, squeezing me closer as his tongue stroked mine. His hand didn’t stop until it was up my shirt, and I wanted him to touch me everywhere.
Just as things were getting hot and heavy and his windows were fogging up, there was a knock on the window beside us.
“Fuck,” said Seth as I hopped off his lap.
Will Tanner stood outside the Jeep, glaring at Seth. He pounded the window again. “Hey. I need to talk to you.”
“I should go.” I hopped out of the Jeep. Will was Dillon’s friend, and now I was pretty sure everything that happened would get right back to Clara.
“I’ll call you,” said Seth as I slammed the door.
I got in my car in a hurry, not looking back at the two to see what that was about. With any luck, Will wouldn’t be trying to start anything over me and would respect me enough to keep his mouth shut.
On my way home, I smiled, knowing that Seth did have feelings for me and he was just as scared about what would happen between us as I was.
We’d work it out somehow.
Chapter 12 Seth
I put down my window as Avery left, knowing that Will wasn’t going to fuck off unless I made him. “What’s that fucking important?”
“Come on, man. What are you even doing with Avery? She’s young, she’s Clara’s sister, and she’s not the kind of
