Waiting on Forever (8 page)

You’ve got to be kidding me!

I’m jumping with joy again.

This time as I walk back to the return I’m basically shitting my pants, completely freaked out that if I bowl another strike I’ll have a perfect game. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be bowling a perfect game tonight. Sure, I thought I’d bowl a few strikes and do pretty well. I didn’t even know if I actually
could
beat him since it’s been so long, but holy hell, I’m one ball away from bowling a perfect game with the guy I dream about beside me. I’m pretty sure I can chalk this day up as being pretty frickin awesome.

My nerves are so out of control as I wait for the ball to pop up that I contemplate wimping out and stopping. I just bowled eleven straight strikes and all I need is one stinkin’ more. The pressure is so unbelievable that I have to laugh at myself for freaking out this much over a frickin bowling game. But what really throws me–and sends every last nerve I have off the charts–is that instead of coming up behind me, Matt stands in front of me and cups my cheeks with his hands.

“You are so fucking hot right now,” he whispers, only inches away from my face.

Wait. What? Did he just tell me that I’m hot? Like, sexy hot?

Swallowing back the knot that has just magically appeared in my throat, I respond with the only thing I can think of.

“Huh?”

“I’ve
never
seen anyone do this before, and the fact that it’s you doing it…total turn on,” he answers with the sexiest grin I think I’ve ever seen.

Holy fucking Mother Theresa! He did NOT just say that me bowling a perfect game is a turn on!

“Um…” I say again, trying to swallow down the knot that doesn’t seem to want to go away. “I, uh…” I continue, desperately searching for the right response, but I’m speechless. Tongue tied and in awe,
again
.

Thankfully my ball pops up from the return, breaking the intense, panty-wetting stare that Matt is giving me.

“Go get’em, Babe,” he whispers before kissing my forehead.

I’m secretly thanking god that he didn’t just kiss me on the lips. Even though I’m longing to have his mouth on mine, doing it right before I’m about to bowl a perfect game would throw me completely off and I wouldn’t be surprised if I totally wiffed and threw my ball in the gutter. That is, if I was even capable of making it up to the line. I can only imagine the way my body is going to react when I finally have those perfectly cushioned lips against mine.

Just as I did the last few times I pick up my ball, line myself up with the markers, take a deep breath and let the ball fall smoothly off my fingers. Unlike the last eleven times, the ball glides a tiny bit more to the right. My whole body freezes and everything goes into slow motion as I wait to see if it’s too far over to be a strike. Once the ball connects with the pins they all slowly fall, except for the tenth pin in the back right corner that is teetering back and forth. My body naturally tilts to the right, mimicking the way I want the pin to fall. I feel like if I just blow on it slightly it’d probably fall over. Finally, after what feels like hours, it falls just as the bar to clear the other pins drops down.

Before I can even grasp what just happened, I feel a large body come up behind me and swoop me up into his arms. At the same time, I feel his soft plump lips push hard against mine.

Holy shit, we’re kissing!

Just as I imagined, his mouth feels like heaven pressed against mine and I’m thankful that he’s holding me because I’m sure I’d have collapsed if I was standing. Even though I was pretty sure my nerves would be running wild and the butterflies on high alert when this moment finally happened, I can’t feel any of it because my body is completely numb.

Pulling his lips away from mine, but still close enough where I can feel his breath on my face, he softly whispers, “That was so frickin amazing.”

I’m not sure what he’s referencing, the perfect game I bowled or the kiss we just shared. Even though bowling a perfect game
is
frickin amazing as hell, I’d pick our kiss ten times over if asked which felt better.

Chapter 11

After an hour of celebration and an endless amount of congratulatory beers provided by the random townies in the bowling alley–which, by the way, I shared with Collin and Summer, it’s already ten-thirty and flirting with Matt’s curfew. Returning our shoes, and getting a few more pats on the back from people I’ve never seen before, we make our way back out to Collin’s car. The mood going home is much different from the mood when coming. Matt can’t seem to stop staring at me with the most ridiculously adorable grin, Collin, Summer, and I are a little louder than necessary due to the amount of alcohol we’ve consumed, and my questionable thoughts about where Matt and I stand are clearly a question of the past–especially after our mesmerizing kiss that was followed by a few others. If cloud nine really does exist, I’m sitting there very comfortably at the moment.

Even though I know Matt has a big game tomorrow and his coach will be checking in on him soon, my stomach knots when I realize we’ve passed the road that leads to Matt’s house and are heading in the direction of the dorms. I’m aware that every day eventually comes to an end, but today is one that I wish would go on forever. There’s no denying the doubt I feel–that tomorrow I’ll wake up and everything will be back to normal, like this day never really happened. Although I’m starting to believe it’s a possibility, especially after tonight, the thought of having a real relationship with Matthew Jacobs still seems insane and out of the question.

Pulling up outside my building, Matt puts the car in park and gets out of his side to meet me on mine. Grabbing my hand and making my heart race, he walks me to the entrance of my dorm.

“Thanks for tonight,” Matt says once we come to a stop outside the door. He positions himself in front of me, holding my hips with his hands. “For everything,” he adds with a grin.

My head races with all the things he could be thanking me for; meeting Collin and Summer at his house, our kiss, the wonderful night. The list goes on and on–at least for me it does.

“Of course,” I respond, looking up at him with heartfelt eyes.

“I’ve gotta be down at the field early, but the game doesn’t start until noon so it’s up to you guys when you want to head down there.”

I smile. “I’ll text Collin in the morning. Don’t worry about us.”

Without responding, he looks in my eyes for a few more seconds before leaning down and softly kissing my lips. It’s not as intense as our first, but sends an overwhelming warmth of emotion throughout my body, making me go limp in his hands.

“Goodnight, Leah,” Matt whispers against my lips.

“Goodnight,” I whisper back, still unable to open my eyes.

Even though I can’t see it, I can feel the grin I know is plastered across his face. Giving me one more kiss on the forehead, he drops his hands from my hips and I open my eyes to watch him walk away.

Letting out the breath I’ve apparently been holding, I bite my lower lip to try and control my excitement. Once he gets back to the car, he turns slightly and gives me the smile that makes my heart flutter and my body go weak. Even if this has all been a dream, it’s been the best damn dream of my life and one that I will never forget.

Waking up to the now familiar chime on my phone–and a god-awful pounding in my head–I check the screen to see who has texted me and smile.

Even though my stomach feels about ready to hurl from all the alcohol sitting in my gut, the butterflies are on high alert as I read his message over and over again.

After responding, I get a little shock of nervous anxiety. Today is one of the most important days for a Cortland football player, and even though Matt seemed unaffected by the upcoming game last night, I know he has to be nervous today.

Although I’m still sitting on that cloud of happiness from last night, I’m instantly freaked about the thought of sitting in the family section. Am I going to be meeting his family today? Do they go to all his games? I’m sure this wouldn’t be one they’d miss.

Holy shit, I’m going to meet his family today!

Throwing my pillow over my head to not only shade out the light that’s making my head ache even more, but to hide myself from the world and reality that I’m meeting Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs in just a couple hours, too.

Ahhhhhhhh…

“What’s got your panties in a bunch?” I hear Kayla ask from her side of the room.

“Nothing. I’ve just got a headache,” I answer in a grumpy tone, the pillow still over my head.

I know that if I get into the whole Matt and me situation with her, and then add the meeting his parents today on top of that, I’ll get that ridiculously high pitched squeal she always does when she’s excited. But what I know will come next and sure to make me scratch my eyes out of their sockets, is the makeover she’ll insist on doing. This in return will equal me looking like a ninety-nine cent hooker. Although I’ve yet to let her come anywhere close to trying it, I’ve seen it happen to another poor soul that was stupid enough to give into her. So keeping Kayla in the dark about Matt for as long as possible is the plan I’m going with to save my eardrums, and my pride.

“Are you hungover, Leah Bennett?” She asks like she struck gold. I can only imagine how far out of her head her eyes are bulging.

“I may have had a few beers last night,” I admit.

“Holy shit-balls! Has hell frozen over?” she asks, still shocked.

Actually yes. Hell has frozen over, but not for the reason you’re thinking.

She starts with the twenty-one questions. “Where did you go? Who did you go out with?”

Fearing my head will explode, I throw my pillow at her, grab my bathrobe and shower caddy, and start for the door.

“Seriously? I’ve been trying to get you out since we got here and you finally go out and get drunk, and I don’t even get details?”

“Nope,” I dryly respond, opening the door to go take a shower.

“Ugh. Not fair, Leah!” she shouts out after me.

Stepping in front of one of the mirrors, I almost gasp at the person looking back at me.