Wait (The Fast Series) (17 page)

As she’s talking she slides her sunglasses down from the top of her head over her eyes. Even with those blue eyes hidden behind the dark glasses, I know she’s checking me out. Every time I see the girl, she does the same thing, looks me over from top to bottom. Either she isn’t shy about it or doesn’t realize she’s so obvious about it.

“How do I look?” I’ve become accustomed to asking her. If she’s checking me out I want to know.

She gives me a shy smile and I notice her tongue peek out and lick her upper lip. “You look hot.”

Is this a test? Am I supposed to kiss her for saying that? Last time she called me hot and I didn’t kiss her, she cried. My hand reaches out pulling her around to face me. I slide her sunglasses to the top of her head, tip her chin up with my finger and kiss her. The kiss is soft. I’m not pushing for more. But at her encouragement the kiss becomes deeper. She places her hands behind my neck and I feel her fingers reach up and tug gently on my hair. Quite the eager kisser. I break away from her lips. Not that I want to. I
have
to.

Her puckered lips pout. She’s insulted. “I meant sweaty,” she says sliding her glasses back in place.

“Then I apologize.” I hold my hand out and she looks at it. “My fault, I couldn’t resist kissing you.”

She likes my answer and takes my hand. As we continue the walk we’re not talking. I’m not because I’m still wrapped up in the kiss we just shared. Not sure if she’s staying quiet for the same reason. More silence. Hell, this girl’s got me speechless over a kiss.

We reach the last step before her door. “You coming to see me, made my whole night.”

“Are you going out tonight?” The casual look she’s trying hard to give doesn’t fool me.

“Nope, staying in all night. I’m gonna get a good night’s sleep so I’m all set for my big date tomorrow morning. Although it might be hard falling asleep as I’m picturing the prettiest girl I know wearing my shirt to bed.”

She blushes sliding her sunglasses off completely, her blue eyes pop excitedly. I want to kiss her again, but God she makes it hard to know what to do. “Goodnight,” I say stepping backwards down the first step.

“Tucker,” Tessa is closer to eye level the way we’re standing. Looking adorably nervous she fidgets. She’s got something to say and I’m desperate to hear what it is. “Tucker,” she starts again. “You look hot.”

I look her square in the eye. “Baby I’m not sweating so you better prepare yourself ’cause I’m about to give you one hell of a kiss.”

She beats me to it, arms around my neck and her eager little tongue fights its way into my mouth. I bring my hands up to her warm cheeks trying to slow her kiss down. I feel the shirt she’s been holding onto drop at our feet. Her passion excites me…Way. Too. Much. Her fingers are tangled up in my hair giving it more soft little tugs. I have to let her be the one to end the kiss this time, can’t have her pouting if I pull away again. Even though in about two more seconds something that can’t be controlled might put a little distance between us. Her body pushes up against me and my hand slides down to grab her firm backside. One squeeze and she ends the kiss, breathless and startled.

“Goodnight, I’ll see you tomorrow,” she smiles and leans in, this time for a quick peck.

I kneel down and pick up the gray shirt. “Don’t forget your new pajamas.”

She takes it and giggles. “See ya tomorrow.”

I wait until the door closes and take off jogging back down the steps. I knew this orange shirt was lucky.

Mark

All week I contemplated what to do and decided to stick it out at camp. Three more weeks, I can handle it. College is starting soon, I’ll be going away and I won’t have to see Cassie as much anymore. Weekends and holidays when I’m home, I’ll avoid her. The next few weeks here shouldn’t be too bad. We rarely see each other during the week and on the weekends I can lay low. One thing though, I will need to ask Sawyer, man to man, not to bring Cassie back to our cabin again. That I can’t handle.

It’s one a.m. when I finally park my car back in the dark lot. Today I took off as soon as the campers left to avoid any unwanted run ins. The distant sounds of music and people coming from down by the lake informs me everyone is still partying in full force. I heard Courtney’s moved on to the next person already. I like her, but I’m not bothered in the least hearing she’s with someone new. A rowdy holler that sounds like my roommate travels through the trees. Is Cassie down there with Sawyer or are they off already doing more unspeakable things? Why do I need to keep reminding myself of that? I don’t care anymore.

I turn on the flickering light bulb overhead. Much to my relief, my cabin is empty. There’s a loud pop and flash. Wonderful, the bulb blew out. Things just keep getting better. I need to feel my way over to the bed. Something sticks my arm as I sit down and lean back. Reaching around I feel… a fishing pole? Searching anxiously for the flashlight I tucked away, I find it and shine the light over the length of my bed. Sure enough, under the light I see a brand new fishing pole. Nicer than the one I’d thrown into the lake in my fit of rage last weekend. Aiming the light at the folded paper taped on I read,
Happy Belated Birthday
. It isn’t signed, but it doesn’t need to be.

Why did she do this? Why? The question repeats over and over in my head until sleep finally takes over.

The next morning I wake up to the same giggle and whispers. No fucking way, not again. I’m up on my feet soaring across the room ready to attack. This girl has officially ripped my heart out. “I hope you know, you doing this, is tearing me apart,” I holler at the lump in Sawyer’s bed. “I asked you not to come here. This shows how little you care about me. I’m in love with you, but you don’t give a shit. You never did, did you?”

There’s no reply from the blankets. I grab my shorts from off the floor, tugging them over my boxers and throw my t-shirt over my head.

I take off out of the cabin, violently trudging my way through dusty swirls of dirt down to the lake. My blood boils and I need to calm down. Bending over, I clutch my knees, gasping for air. Slowly I’m able to stand back up.

Looking out over the water I’m not sure if what I’m seeing is real.

Cassie. She’s sitting in the same spot as last time, legs dangling over the boulder, line in the water. How is it possible? I walk through the trees, rounding the lake to where she is.

“How long have you been here?” I ask walking up behind her.

“About an hour,” she looks back and smiles.

It wasn’t Cassie in Sawyer’s bed this morning.

“Last time when I saw you here, where were you before that?”

“Before I saw you in the morning?” she shrugs. “My cabin, I woke up, took a shower and came here. Just like today.”

It wasn’t her last time either. I look up suddenly noticing how blue the sky is. It hadn’t been this bright and sunny a few moments ago.

“You’re not going to fish?” she asks, looking at my empty hands. “You didn’t like the fishing pole?”

“I loved it, but I left the cabin in a hurry and forgot it. I can go back.” My thumb points in the direction of my cabin.

“No, don’t leave. You can try it next time.”

I sit down next to her. “I was so horrible to you last weekend. Why did you get it for me?”

“I think we should forget about last weekend and everything else that’s happened since we got here,” she says. “And I didn’t get you anything for your birthday. Nothing real at least. It bothered me.”

“Cassie, I told you, my birthday was great because of you.”

“Getting you that made me feel better. I want things between us better again. In fact maybe tonight we can hang out. Just me and you. I also decided I’m gonna tell everyone you’re not my brother. It was stupid. I never should have done that.”

Everything she is saying is what I want to hear. “I would love to hang out tonight, Cassie.”

“Okay,” she smiles. “Good. We can do
whatever
you want.”

My eyebrows rise in reaction to the word whatever. There was just something about the way she said it. She reaches over. “Whatever you want,” she says again giving my leg a squeeze.

I can pretend the message she’s giving me is confusing. It isn’t. She’s squeezing my thigh.

My hand slides up cupping her cheek and turning her face towards me. Her eyes close waiting for it. The lips I waited over a year to kiss land on top of mine. The fishing pole clinks against the rock and both of her arms go around my neck. Her legs swing around and she places herself onto my lap. This isn’t going to be a short kiss. Not after it took us this long to get here.

“Why now?” I ask pulling back and looking into her eyes. “What changed that made you want to kiss me?”

“Mark, I’ve always wanted to kiss you. Since the day I met you.”

“You had plenty of chances. Including turning me down before we came here. Why if you wanted to kiss me, did it take this long for us to finally kiss?”

“Mark, don’t worry about the why. Live for the moment.” Her lips are pressed back on mine convincing me this is much better than talking. I’m absorbed in the sweet smell and taste of her. My hands take a chance and run up her soft tan legs. She lets out a gentle sigh pushing her hips further into my lap showing me it’s okay. Frenzy takes over. I pull her back on top of me, letting my hands roam over every inch of her. All sense of what we’re doing, where we are, if it’s day or night, is completely lost.

“Hate to interrupt.” A throat clears before continuing. “Just thought I’d say good morning.”

Cassie sits back up still positioned on my lap and we both look over to see Tucker standing a few feet away from us. “He’s not my brother,” Cassie announces.

“I figured,” Tucker grins. “But you may want to let everyone know that before you go public with the kissing. You may freak a few people out around here.”

“Thanks, Tucker.” The guy saved us from a potentially awful situation. Thankfully he was the one to see us and not someone else, like Sawyer or Courtney. We might have had another scenario similar to the one I had with Tessa after she heard us arguing.

“No problem.” Tucker tips his chin to us continuing on his way.

Cassie looks down at me. “Embarrassing, but I guess it could have been much worse. I’ll start telling people right away. We don’t need anyone to see us like this before they know.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “Not that I want you to, but it may be a good idea if you got up from my lap now.”

Her eyelids lower down, shy about whatever it is she’s going to say. “I’m just waiting until its safe.”

“Safe?” I ask confused.

“Safe,” she repeats glancing down and wiggling.

“Oh,” I let out a laugh. “Because I have a raging bo…”

“Yes!” she stops me from finishing the sentence. “Yes. So just tell me when it’s safe for me to get off your lap.”

“Yeah, sorry, but it won’t be ‘safe’ until you are
off
my lap.”

She hides a smile sliding down my legs and sitting back down next to me. The fishing pole goes back in her hand.

I’m upright again. Hands tucked neatly in my lap watching her fish, already wondering what will happen tonight when we’re alone.

She’s staring out over the water. I can’t take my eyes off of her. I just kissed her. Always wondered how amazing it would be and now I know. Amazing didn’t begin to describe it.

“Stop staring at me.” She smiles, eyes still fixed on the water.

“I can’t help it. It was some long wait, but damn, that kiss was unbelievable.”

Her smile grows bigger but she still won’t look at me. “It was, wasn’t it?”

“Tonight, that gonna happen again?” I ask.

A quick glimpse over her shoulder to see if anyone is around, the coast is clear. Finally facing me, her eyes sweep down over me seductively. “It better,” she says.

Tucker

My day with Tessa starts with a heated kiss in her doorway. Between the almost hundred degree weather and that kiss I’m glad I didn’t wear my glasses. They’d have fogged right up.

The AC in my truck blasts us into cool relief. Tessa and air conditioning, two things I can’t get enough of this summer.

Tessa stays outside the diner once we arrive to call her family. I go in and get us a table. First thing I do is check to see if I have any messages from Ashley. She’s sent me her cell number,
text messages are easier,
she wrote. Within no time her number is in my phone and I’m sending her the first text.

Tucker:
Hey Ashley, got ur number thanks.

Ashley
: Kissing and the diner, busy morning.

I look out the window. Tessa has already been in contact with Ashley and told her about our kiss.

Tessa sees me and rushes to the table. “Aren’t you going to call your parents?” she asks, picking up her menu. “Is it too early to order lunch instead of breakfast?”

“No to both. I’m getting a burger and I’m on a date. My mom might have a heart attack if she found out.”

“You don’t date too often I guess. Why am I not surprised?”

“Never met anyone who made me want to go on a date before I met you,” I say watching her skin turn pink. I love watching her blush.

The waitress takes our order, cheeseburgers for both of us.

The subject of high school comes up. She talks briefly about parties, gossiping, fights, some of the stuff she tells me I find hard to believe about her. The food’s placed in front of us and Tessa stops talking to take a bite of her burger. My eyebrows crease in confusion still soaking in some of her stories. She swallows and puts her hand up to explain. “We were all a bunch of fake-o’s in high school and I was the head fake-o. Well, until Kent, he kind of helped me with that a little.”

“Kent, you mentioned him once before,” I say casually. Why am I jealous?

“Yeah, we went on a few dates, we went to the prom. Nothing really happened with us though.” She scrolls through her phone and holds up a picture for me to see. Tessa is wearing a beautiful white gown and has a crown nestled on top of her silky blonde curls. She’s standing next to some skinny burnout with long hair. Not even close to the type of guy I picture her being interested in.