Safe with You (11 page)

I turn back in my seat, my eyes looking for my number thirty. He is now back in the game, in a huddle with his teammates.

Curiosity gets the best of me so I turn back around to get another look at the guy, but his spot is empty. That’s strange.

I avert my eyes back to the game just in time to see J catch the ball and run it in for a touchdown. Jess and I, along with the rest of the crowd, stand on our feet and yell at the top of our lungs. We are on top 7-0 as the first quarter ends.

My eyes scan for the rest of the crowd for the creepy looking guy who reminds me of my ex-boyfriend, but I don’t spot him.

This game is taking forever, it seems. We are in the fourth quarter with three minutes left to play and it’s almost ten o’clock. Since I told my parents I’d be staying at Jesse’s I don’t have to worry about a curfew. I’m shocked they even agreed to let me spend the night with Jess. I’m relieved though because I need a break from them.

Our team is on top 21-14 and according to Jess this is the first time in a while we have played this good. This is Bo and J’s last season so I am hoping they win a lot of games.

Also, Jess just now informed me of a party we are attending after the game. It’s going to be held in one of the player’s field, I can’t remember whose name she said.

My stomach flips in excitement knowing I’m going to get to spend a lot more time with J tonight and all day with him tomorrow.

The clock on the scoreboard is winding down, with less than a minute to go now. J and the team managed to hold Cold Springs to their fourteen points. The Brilliant High School Tigers are celebrating on their first win of the season on the field while the people in the stands leave the bleachers to join them. I go just so I can hug my J, and maybe give him the game winning kiss he wants.

It takes me several minutes to push my way through the throng of people, but somehow I manage, pulling Jess along with me. I don’t need to lose her since she is my ride home.

“Cass!”

I hear J shout my name so I search the crowd for him, spotting him to my right. J and I fight our way through the crowd to each other. When he is in reach I let go of Jess and fling my arms around his neck, leaping in his arms. J’s mouth finds my lips, coaxing them soft and slow at first, then he deepens the kiss, thrusting his tongue between my parted lips.

We are both smiling ear to ear when we break apart.

“You played great, J!” I congratulate him.

“I can’t believe we won! Do you realize how serious it is to beat Cold Springs?”

“Not really, but I can imagine.”

J gives me a quick peck on the lips before setting me back down on my feet.

“I can’t wait to celebrate with you tonight. What time do you have to be home?”

“I’m staying with Jess tonight so whenever she has to be home, I have to go with her.”

J looks around us, then looks back at me. “Okay, let me go change and listen to what coach has to say then I’ll meet you at the party?”

After another kiss, J runs off to the field house with the rest of the team. The crowd has dispersed so it doesn’t take me long to find Jess.

“Ready, Yankee?”

I laugh and follow her to her car. I don’t think I will ever get used to hearing her call me that.

Jess and I are almost to the car when I hear the one voice who makes me want to punch something.

“Well, well, isn’t it little miss wanna be cheerleader.”

I turn slowly, gritting my teeth, not wanting to deal with Ellen.

“Is there a problem?” Jess asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

Her eyes shoot daggers at me. “Yeah, it seems that someone doesn’t know how to back off what’s not theirs,” she says, venom dripping from her words.

“Look who’s talking. It seems J isn’t interested in you and I can see why.”

Her eyes narrow into slits. “He always comes back to me. Right now, you are just a new thing he can mess with. I’ll try not to laugh when he comes back to me.”

At that, Jess and I laugh out loud. She thinks she’s the queen bee around here.

We are still laughing as we turn around and walk the rest of the way to Jess’s car. I’m not going to let her words spoil my evening with J. This is what girls like her do when they want something they can’t have. J and I may not last forever, but right now I’m holding on tight to him.

“I can’t see how J put up with her at all,” I complain to Jess as I buckle my seatbelt.

“Honestly, if I remember correctly they were never together, he just slept with her one time and she thought differently.”

“Yeah, he told me he was drunk and she took advantage of it.”

“Yep, sounds about right.”

The warm August air hits me as soon as I climb out of Jess’s car. There is a bonfire already going with several people hanging around it. Music is blaring, people are dancing. I’m still getting used to these kinds of parties. Back in Indianapolis, we didn’t party out in fields or hang around a bonfire and drink and dance all night.

J arrives at the party fifteen minutes after Jess and I. While I was waiting on J, I mingled a little bit, but I kept looking out at all the cars coming in, waiting on him to pull in.

Bo and J walk in together and I see J’s eyes instantly search the crowd. I start to make my way to him, but stop dead in my tracks when I notice Ellen and Heather right behind him.

I shake off the jealousy and anger that sweeps over me and continue to walk over to him.

He smiles his heart dropping smile when his eyes land on me. I try to smile brightly, but seeing Ellen walk in behind him causes me to frown a little. Did she ride with them?

“Cass.” J sweeps me in his arms, spinning me around before planting a kiss on my lips.

When J pulls away I ask the question currently burning a hole in my mind. “Did she ride with you?”

He sighs and nods his head. “Unfortunately, she suckered Bo into it. Trust me, babe, I wasn’t happy about it.”

My body sags into his, relieved he didn’t ask her. I trust J, and he sounds truthful. “I hate her,” I mumble in his jersey.

“Me too, Cass, but let’s not worry about her. I want to have some fun with my girl tonight.”

I grin widely. “Lead the way.”

J leads me to the small crowd of dancers and pulls me against him. The melody is slow so he wraps his arms around my waist, my fingers link behind his neck. We sway gently to the beat of the music.

I drop my arms from his neck to his middle. I lay my head on his chest, feeling the rapid beating of his heart thumping in his chest. I sigh feeling content, just like this.

J kisses the top of my head before pulling away.

“I have an idea, come on.”

He drops his arms and grabs my hand. He walks over to Jess and whispers something in her ear. I don’t know what he is saying, but judging by the grin breaking out on her face I’d say it’s good, or bad, I don’t know which.

We walk away from Jess and she waves and winks at me, making me wonder what J is up to.

J walks up to Bo and says something in his ear as well. Bo has the same reaction as Jess, and I’m not sure if it’s a good thing.

J kisses my hand and as we walk away Bo pats him on his back.

J takes us away from the bonfire to Bo’s truck.

“J, what are we doing?”

“It’s a surprise. We need to make a pit stop first.”

As J drives us away from the party my mind can’t stop wondering what we are doing.

But hey, being alone with J is fine with me.

Chapter Fourteen

Cassie

J drives along the darkened road back to his house, not uttering a word about what he has planned. He is tight-lipped and I’m clueless as to how to get him to spill the beans.

“Come on, J, just a hint,” I plead, trying one last attempt to get him to slip up.

“Uh huh, Cass, I’m not going to tell you.”

I slump in my seat trying to be patient.

Then I sit right back up. “Wait, how is Bo going to get home?”

“Don’t worry, Jess is taking him home.”

When we arrive at J’s, he instructs me to get in his truck. I climb out of Bo’s and hop into J’s and wait not-so-patiently while he walks into the house.

J returns with his arms full of blankets and pillows and tosses them in the bed of the truck.

I have an inkling of what we are doing now, except with J, I’m never sure.

J drives behind his house, taking us through the field, heading to the trail wide enough for his truck to fit. It’s obvious someone’s been through here a lot.

The trail takes us deep in the woods and after a few minutes of riding the trail opens up to a clearing. J does a U-turn in the open part of the field positioning his truck in the direction of the way we came. When he turns off the truck, butterflies swarm my stomach.

J jumps out of his truck and walks around to open my door for me. He produces a flashlight from the door panel then pockets it.

I take a moment to take in our surroundings. I faintly hear water flowing, realizing a creek must be nearby. A slight breeze blows, giving off a slight chill.

“Ready?” J asks.

“Yup.” For what, I’m not sure of just yet.

J grabs my hand and walks a few steps to lower the tailgate. The moonlight is casting off just enough glow for me to see his illuminated features.

J, out of nowhere, tugs me forward then lifts me up on the tailgate.

J steps between my legs and captures my mouth for a kiss I feel all the way to the tip of my toes, leaving me breathless when he pulls away.

Leaving me reeling, he hops in the bed of the truck to start spreading out the blankets, creating us a pallet to lay on. Once he is finished, he slips off his boots and invites me over.

I slip off my chucks and lay down next to him, our shoulders touching, just gazing up at the night sky.

J slips his hand in mine and I let my head fall over on his shoulder.

“This is beautiful, J,” I murmur, gazing up at the night sky. It’s so serene, so clear.

“Ain’t it? I’ve been wanting to bring you out here, but it’s never been the right time until now.”

I love it out here. It’s so quiet and peaceful, unlike my life.

“Will you bring me out here again sometime?” I ask him, knowing it probably won’t happen again.

“Of course, Cass.”

I snuggle closer to him when a chill sweeps across my skin.

“Cold, babe?”

“Just a little.”

J lets go of my hand and sits up to grab the other blanket. He drapes it over us then wraps his arm around me, my cheek resting on his chest over his heart. I can hear the steady rhythm of his heart beating.

“How long will we be out here?”

“As long as you want to be. We have all night.”

I pull away and look at J confused. “How?”

J props himself on his elbow. “Jess and Bo are covering for us. There is a trail that leads us out to the main road. It comes out just down from our driveway so we can easily say I left early to go pick you up. Mom and Dad probably won’t think nothing of it because they know how excited I get when it comes to you.”

The plan sounds solid, yet I am still worried we will get caught. It’s not my parents I’m worried about disappointing, it’s J’s.

“I don’t like lying to your mom and dad, J.”

Mine I could care less about. They lie to me all the time.

“I know. I don’t either. I just wanted to spend some more time with you. If you want to go back we’ll go.” The way J sounds so sad when he says the last part makes me chasten myself for hurting his feelings.

“I didn’t say I wanted to leave, J. I love it out here,” I say quickly hoping to reassure him I’m happy he brought me out here.

J throws his head back, letting out a deep, throaty laugh, falling on his back.

“What’s so funny?”

“I swear you are a country girl at heart, Cass. Some of the things you say and do…”

I shrug a shoulder and lie back down. “What can I say, this place is growing on me.”

His laughter dies slowly as his hand grasps mine and he brings it up to his mouth, running his lips over my skin. “Good, because you’ve already charmed your way into my heart and my family’s . If you leave me, Cass, I will no longer have a beating heart to keep me alive because it will be wherever you are.”

Wow, what am I supposed to say to that? I don’t plan on leaving J, but with the situation I’m in I never know when my parents will start searching for a new home.

Once again, I’m reminded why I didn’t need to pursue this relationship with J. All I will do is break his heart and mine when I have to leave. I just hope it’s not soon.

I search for the right words, trying not to say empty words. I don’t want to make him believe a lie. “J, I don’t plan on leaving you. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but know that leaving you is not something I want to do.”