I take it from her, grateful for the distraction.
“Tim says they shave everything to cut back on drag in the water,” she says. “It makes him faster I guess.”
I take a huge bite of the granola bar, which makes her smile. “I’m sorry I went AWOL this week,” she says. “I won’t do that again.”
“Promise?” She nods. I take a risk and cup her cheek. God, she feels good. “I don’t like being away from you.”
She seems to melt into my hand, her eyes closed. “I don’t like it, either.” We sit that way for a few minutes. My arm gets tired holding up her head, but I’ve got my thumb stroking along her jaw and the scent of her shampoo filling my nostrils. I don’t want to move.
And then she yawns and I realize it’s getting really late. We both have to be up early. “You should get to bed,” I whisper. She nods and unstraps the ridiculous shoes she had on when I got in here.
“Wish you could stay here tonight,” she says. “We could cuddle up like bears and then get breakfast in the morning.”
There’s no fucking way I can fit up on that loft bed she’s got. “I’d break the ladder,” I tell her, shaking my head.
She pouts and groans, but I can see she’s really getting tired. “I’ll boost you up,” I say, “and I’ll turn out the lights before I leave.”
She nods with a sigh. I move to pick her up—but her eyes fly open. “Stop! Your arm!” I freeze where I am, with my hands on her hips, right in that curve where her waist gives way to the round fullness of her ass. And I just stand there, with my hands splayed across her backside.
The air between us feels electric and heavy, the like the sky before a thunderstorm. I feel my heart racing and can see my chest rising and falling as I breathe shallowly and rapidly. I have to get out of here. But I can’t leave her like this. I watch Olive swallow, see the pulse tick in her neck. I’m probably making her uncomfortable, standing in her space like this. I pull her close—just for a second—to plant a kiss on her forehead, and then I peel myself away from her.
“Good night, Liv,” I whisper. I back toward the window as always, but as I see her confused face, I know that something has happened. Something has changed. Just like always, I’m sure it’s my own damn fault. I slip out of her window as she shuts off the light, and I walk home, trying to forget the warm feel of her body beneath my fingers.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Olive
“You’re distracted today,” Julia teases as I get the wires tangled on the TENS unit I’m trying to disinfect. Julia and Gabe got moved to volleyball and lacrosse. I guess Justin keeps shifting people around left and right these days, and all of us are sort of unsteady as we double check our protocols.
I can only nod. Julia’s right. My head has been swirling since Baxter left my room last night. These days, our physical contact doesn’t feel platonic. Not for me. I’m getting desperate.
Last night was not a training room massage or a pinpoint scan of his sore muscles. Baxter Morgan was strumming up heat inside of me with each swipe of his fingers. His hands pressed against my backside were pushing straight through my clothes, burning his mark upon my skin. At the thought of him marking me, I shudder. Julia notices.
“That’s some blush you’ve got there, Hampton.” I blush deeper and raise my hands to my hot cheeks.
“Let me see—is that maybe because of your hot date this weekend?”
I shake my head. “Tim and I are just going to the banquet as friends.”
“Is it like Gabe and I ‘just friends,’ or are you actually just friends with this one?” Julia stoops to put away a box of the plastic wrap we use to hold bags of ice in place on the athletes. “Cuz aren’t you ‘just friends’ with Baxter, too?”
I chew on the inside of my cheek and look around to make sure everyone else is gone. “Ok, you cannot tell anyone this,” I tell her. “I haven’t told anyone this.”
“Yes!” She claps her hands. “I am here for this. I am ready,” she says, hopping up on the table. She leans her elbows on her legs, chin in hands. “My lips are sealed.”
I explain that I’m planning to get laid at the banquet. Julia looks confused. “It’s just that…” I hesitate. This is really new territory for me, but I had a lot of success opening up to the girls across the hall. I take a deep breath. “I’m a virgin still. I’d like to not be anymore. I just want to find someone who would be decent about it, you know?”
Julia looks like she wants to say something, but holds back. “This isn’t where I thought this conversation was going,” she says. When I just look at her expectantly, she rolls her eyes. “I was sure you were going to ask me for advice finally jumping out of the friend zone with Baxter.”
“Oh,” I say, feeling the flush again. And here I go remembering his hips thrusting against me on his couch last week. “We’re just friends,” I whisper. “Truly.”
Julia sighs and reaches out to grab my hand. She gives me a reassuring squeeze. “Honey,” she says. “I’ve seen friends. I’ve seen family friends. And then I’ve seen Baxter Morgan look at you for years.”
I shake my head. She squeezes my hand harder. “This isn’t a risk for you, Olive. The man is in love
