Accepted Fate (36 page)

He bites his lip and his eyes become hooded. Just the effect I wanted to have. I turn in his arms and pull his shirt free from his pants. He begins breathing heavily as I lightly run my fingertips over his skin. Right when I stop on his pants button, he stops me. "No Kinzleigh. You know the deal." We haven't done anything but make out since that one night in my bed and I'm starting to become frustrated. I want him. I want
all
of him.

Looking up at him, I give him my best pouty face. Over the last month, I've used it a few times and it worked. "Come on babe. It's not like we haven't done it before. I want you. What's the problem? It wasn't good last time was it? Is that why you don't want to do it again?" I know it's a low blow but he's driving me crazy. I don't see what the big deal is. He used to hook up with girls all the time, before me. Knowing that he did then and is refusing me now is making me angry.

He grabs my face in his hands, tilting it up to look at him. He lightly kisses me on the lips and then looks me in the eyes, making my heart weaken just a little bit more. "You know I want to. I already told you that you're different. Last time was amazing, don't you ever think it was anything less than perfect. That's the thing. You're different than any other girl to me. I don't want to cheapen what we have. I told you I want us to get to know each other first and then it will come. As much as I liked it last time and as freaking good as it felt, I shouldn't have made you that kind of girl. You barely knew me. Next time we do it, I want it to be because I'm different to you and for it to be us expressing our emotions to each other. I've never felt this way about anyone, Kinzleigh. Can you just do this for me?"

Now I feel like a brat. Boy, what are you doing to me? He doesn't know, but he is different. I just won't tell him. I have to somehow distance myself. If my heart refuses to listen, then I'll just have to keep it to myself. My beautiful blue eyed boy, will I ever be able to tell you no? Slowly, but surely, I feel the cage around my heart beginning to disintegrate. How do I stop it? What happens when it's been freed? Will it still be mine or will it slip away completely? I can feel the pull already; every time he touches me or looks me in the eyes. He has this power over me that I can't explain.
Please stop. It's all I have left. I don't want to give it away. 

I huff trying to sound frustrated. "Fine. Your loss. I just thought you might like to see my new underwear. I have to say they are amazingly sexy." I slip from his arms and walk towards the door, strutting for emphasis. As I do, I hear a growl come from him in a low rumble. I smile internally.
That's right. I'm not the only one that's going to be frustrated today.

***

It's finally nightfall and minutes away from kickoff of the first game of the season. The stands are filling up quickly and I find myself getting nervous. I haven't seen Breyson since the pep rally last period. The cheerleaders have been busy as well getting ready for tonight. "I see someone branded you," Adalynn teases as she joins me on the sidelines while we wait to welcome the team at the field goal.

"Ha Ha, very funny," I say sarcastically as we watch the stands fill up with the opposite team's fans. We are playing Petal High school. According to the cheerleaders, this is one of the biggest rivalry games of the season. 

"It's really cute though. Breyson has never and I repeat NEVER been this type of guy. You must have some serious voodoo girlie. Every girl in this school has attempted to get his attention and all have failed miserably, except you. Whatever you're doing, you could bottle that shit up and sell it. Every girl in school would buy a bottle."

Rolling my eyes at her, she laughs. "Are you ready to head to the field goal? I think it's about that time. The opposing team's cheerleaders are already in place." It's still awkward to know that Adalynn has been intimate with Breyson along with other girls in the school, but it's something I'm working through to accept. It was before me and I can't be mad.

"Yep, me and you have back hand springs to get to. I am so glad I have someone now that takes tumbling as serious as me. You know Braxton and Breyson are captain and co-captain so we'll have quite the audience," she teases, nudging me in the arm. I still can't believe he has an exact replica of him. I haven't been around them together enough to be able to tell them apart unless they both speak. I really hope I don't get them confused.

"Thanks for that added pressure," I say as we take our position in front of the sign the rest of the cheerleaders are holding for the football players to break through. I can hear cleats traipsing along the pavement, making me more nervous knowing Breyson will be in the front. I have never had to worry about someone watching me before.
Calm down, you can do this. You've never worried about tumbling before. You've done this a million times. It's second nature to you
, I tell myself over and over in my head.

The opposing team breaks through first since they are the visitors on our field. As they are announced over the speakers, they come barreling through the sign behind the cheerleaders, running towards the sidelines. The guys begin chanting and yelling behind our sign. "You ready for this," Adalynn asks stretching slightly to loosen up.

"As I'll ever be," I respond. "On three?" She nods and I begin to count. "One, two, three," and we take off into our round off back-handsprings across the field. Three back-handsprings in and the team tears through the barricade; running across the field behind us. Once we reach center field, we finish off and mount. The stands are echoing loudly with feet banging against the metal and shouts welcoming the team.

Turning around to make my way to the sidelines next to the football players, I'm blocked by shoulder pads and tight pants. My eyes skim their way up from cleats to yellow, tight pants painted on one amazing set of legs all the way up to a black jersey plastered with the number four across the front. My breathing picks up as I take in the sight before me. My new favorite view is now a football uniform, at least on one specific person. Once I reach his face a knowing smirk takes hold on one side of his mouth. "If I have to watch you do that again, I may take you back to the locker room and have my way with you."

I bite my lip as the dirty thoughts enter my once pure mind. The things he does to me. I'm trying to come up with something to say when Adalynn begins tugging me backwards. "Leave my cheerleader alone Breyson. You already hog her enough. You need to learn to share."

He never breaks eye contact as I walk backwards. "Kinzleigh Baker is something I'll never share. All I can say is you better get used to it." I finally remember where we are. I hate when he does this to me. The way he makes me forget there are other people around besides the two of us. It's like we're in the middle of a time tunnel, just me looking at him and everything around is blurred.

"Breyson, get your ass on the field and leave the cheerleaders alone. You can do that when you win us a ballgame," coach calls out across the field and I begin running to where I'm supposed to be. Great, first game of the season and we're already causing a scene. 

"Sure thing coach," Breyson says as he sprints backwards taking his place in the center of the field for the coin toss. He finally turns around, breaking the hold he has on me and I can finally concentrate on what I'm doing.

With one minute left in the game we are down by seven points. The team looks worn out. I'm on edge at how close the game is. Both teams are playing hard. We have the ball and if we don't run it down the field we will lose the game. The team is huddled at the sixty yard line. "Come on Breyson, run the ball babe!" I really didn't think he could hear me until he pops up from the huddle.

Removing his helmet, he is sporting a major grin. Winking at me, he kisses his index and middle finger, then holds it up at me and pulls his helmet back in place. I guess I've learned that everyone has a weak spot. My weak spot is said blue eyed boy marked with a number four and Abercrombie across the back. One kiss is like getting a dose of speed.

Braxton takes the hike and as he acts like he is going to run with it he passes to Breyson in the opening. Everyone is screaming for him to run the ball as he intercepts the pass. Cradling the ball in the crook of his arm, he takes off down the field, weaving in and out of the bodies layered in white and red jerseys. Right as he gets to the fifteen yard line, a player from the other team grabs his waist but he never lets up, dragging the player along with him. He has some amazing legs. The other player finally begins to weaken him. As he comes down to the ground, he extends his left hand out with the ball in hand touching it in the end zone. Touchdown!

Everyone jumps up and down cheering. All we need now is an extra point to tie the game and go into overtime. The crowd huddles around him in joy, patting him on the helmet. The team lines up and the kicker kicks the ball. At the exact second the ball flies through the goal, the buzzer sounds. We're now tied at twenty eight.

We were able to hold the other team from getting another touchdown and at the end the pass was faked and Braxton got a touchdown putting us up by six points when the timer ran out. Jumping up and down, I lean in to hug Adalynn when I feel arms wrap around my waist, turning me around.

What I see before me is Breyson, sweaty and all male, pick me up and kiss me. "We won," he says. He looks so happy as he twirls me in a circle. Do I care that he is dripping in sweat, with his hair standing up all over the place? Heck no. This is possibly the sexiest I have ever seen him. Everything else around me fades away as he kisses me again; the crowd, the players, the cheerleaders. Nothing exists but the two of us.       

On reflex, I wrap my legs around him and deepen the kiss. If this is what it feels like when two hearts collide, I want more; to exist completely and irrevocably intertwined with another. His kiss is slowly becoming the air my lungs need to breathe, the blood my heart needs to pump and the food my body needs to survive. He is becoming my lifeline. What scares me is when you cut off your lifeline everything begins to die, piece by piece and leaves you a lifeless corpse, a vegetative state of a person no longer able to function in the world as before.

He breaks the kiss, placing his forehead to mine. "You're my entire world girl. I don't know what you're doing to me but I can no longer survive without it. You better get used to me because you're stuck with me as long as you allow it. Those deep green eyes are hypnotic, placing me in a trance each time you look at me. They are the first thing I think about when I awaken and the last thing I see before I go to bed. You've caught the uncatchable."

Setting me down, the last bit of the wall around my heart just shattered. I can't fight it anymore. I'm falling for Breyson Abercrombie. Like it or not, I might as well accept it because what's done is done. The heart has decided what it wants and has begun a war with my brain. My heart is quickly winning the battle, but I'm not sure it will win the war.

Grabbing his face in my hands, I close my eyes and softly kiss his lips. "This feeling scares me," I whisper honestly. "I don't want to fall for you. I don't want to be this vulnerable."

"I know beautiful girl. Meet me at the truck. Don't make any plans okay?" Nodding, I release him and watch as he picks up his helmet and takes off in a sprint towards the field house.

"Y'all have it bad for each other, you know that right?" Adalynn comes up behind me and wraps her arms around my neck, linking her arms out in front of me, resting her chin on her upper arm beside my face.

"That's what scares me. I don't want to love him. I don't want to love anyone, but I don't know how to stop it from happening." I just stare in the direction he disappeared in.

"Girl, you better grab a hold of it and run; never letting go. Most people aren't that lucky. Trust me, I know this personally. I had something similar once and I'd give anything to have it back. I didn't have the option like you do," she says exasperatedly.

I turn around and look at her. "What happened?"

She zones out as she begins to speak. "I was stubborn like you; thought I was too young to be in love. I wanted to hold on to myself to avoid getting hurt and he left for college. By the time I realized what an idiot I was, I went after him only to find he had moved on with someone else. He replaced me and it was too late. He got tired of waiting around for me to come to my senses and found someone that gave him what he wanted. Don't make the same mistake I did. You'll regret it someday. It may not be now, but someday you will." She attempts to smile but I know it's just a cover. "Come on, let's go."

Everyone is clearing the parking lot as I stand beside Breyson's truck, patiently waiting on him to emerge. After what I assume is about fifteen minutes, he slowly walks through the parking lot with some of the other players. The closer he gets, the stronger I can smell the sweet aroma I've come to memorize, entering my nasal passage. "See you later man." Breyson bumps fists with a guy I'm not familiar with. I am still new and it's a big school.

Pinning me to the bed of the truck between his arms, he lays one on me. The mixture of his taste and smell has me under a spell. Without thought, I roll my head back exposing my neck for him to continue touching me with his soft lips. I moan slightly as my eyes close and he chuckles. "You ready to go beautiful? What time do I need to have you home?"

"Please don't stop. You're torturing me." I open my eyes to look at him, now slightly amused. "I think mom said no later than two and that's only if I'm with you. It seems you have impressed them with your parent wooing ability. If I didn't know any better I would say you were a professional. Should I be worried?" I raise my brow in question trying to hide my smile, waiting on his response.

"I'll have you know I've never
wooed
anyone's parents but yours. I'm just a likable guy I guess." He opens the passenger door, helping me inside. "It's time for me to be alone with my woman."

We pull into a subdivision titled Lake Serene by the marker at the entrance. It's not too far from my subdivision. "Where are we going?"