animatedly. The way she was standing, she was almost forcing his arm to touch her chest. Even I wouldn’t have stood like that with Jack.
Then again, maybe that was my problem. Whatever she was talking about, it was definitely not a good time for me to interrupt. But I was his girlfriend. If anybody could interrupt, wouldn’t it be me?
I gripped the strap of my bag that was over my shoulder and walked toward them. The closer I got, the more I could hear Lacey.
“… so then I suggested each spirit team member could be assigned two players, and that would cover every—” Her voice cut off when she saw me.
At the silence, Jack opened his eyes. His gaze met mine, and his face broke into a wide grin, the tension that was there moments ago melting away.
“Sounds great, Lace,” he said absentmindedly, keeping his eyes on me. “Do it.”
He pushed off the locker and grabbed me in a tight embrace.
“Hi, you,” he said. The words came out in a contented sigh. Lacey no longer existed for him, but I had a clear view of her behind Jack, scowling. I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face in his shoulder, inhaling the clean, leathery scent of his jacket, mixed with something else that was … so Jack.
“Hi,” I said back.
He released me, but only a little, so he could see my face.
“So, we celebrating tonight?” he said, the grin still in place.
His hair flopped over his eyes, and he ran a hand through it so my heart flitted inside my chest.
Celebrating. I narrowed my eyes. “Did Jules talk to you?”
“She reminded me it’s our three-month anniversary, and girls like stuff like that, don’t they?”
I remembered what Jules had said at lunch, and studied my hands, which were suddenly fidgeting. “No. Not me. I’m fine, um, not doing anything. At all.”
He chuckled and put his arm around my neck, steering me down the hall. “That’s what I love about you. So easy to please.” His nose touched below my ear.
I gave a nervous giggle and couldn’t get rid of the blush as he drove me home. When we reached my driveway, he squeezed my hand. “How about we go night skiing?”
Huh. Boots, layers of clothes, awkward skis. Perfect. “That sounds great.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up in a half hour.”
I climbed out of the car feeling slightly relieved. As I walked up the sidewalk to my front door, Jack rolled down his window. “Becks!”
I turned around.
“Bring a change of clothes tonight. My uncle has a lodge on the hill he said I could use anytime. We’ll stop there for hot chocolate afterward.”
Crap. I forced a smile and waved as he took off. It was times like these I missed my mom the most. But even before the crash, would I have talked to her about this kind of stuff? She’d been open about most things, but loudly quiet when it came to sex. Maybe she had been waiting until I got older, and never got the chance.
Later that evening, I’d skied the hill until I thought my ears would fall off from the cold. Jack kept suggesting we head in, but I insisted on skiing until every last light on the hill was out. By the time we made it to his uncle’s lodge, it felt like it was two o’clock in the morning. But it was only ten. My curfew wasn’t for three more hours.
“You can go change in the bedroom, and I’ll try to start a fire,” Jack said as he rubbed his hands together and searched for the light switches.
“Great,” I whispered. I clutched my bag of clothes and tiptoed across the orange shag carpet of the living room and through the bedroom door.
Once I’d shut the door behind me, the trembling began, and not just from the cold. I dumped my clothes out on the bed. Pink yoga pants and a white sweatshirt.
“Just breathe,” I whispered to myself.
I peeled off my freezing ski suit and the layers of thermal cotton underneath, then rubbed my arms to get the circulation going. I was in my bra. And there was only one thin door between me and Jack.
I hurried and pulled on my fluffy
Then again, maybe that was my problem. Whatever she was talking about, it was definitely not a good time for me to interrupt. But I was his girlfriend. If anybody could interrupt, wouldn’t it be me?
I gripped the strap of my bag that was over my shoulder and walked toward them. The closer I got, the more I could hear Lacey.
“… so then I suggested each spirit team member could be assigned two players, and that would cover every—” Her voice cut off when she saw me.
At the silence, Jack opened his eyes. His gaze met mine, and his face broke into a wide grin, the tension that was there moments ago melting away.
“Sounds great, Lace,” he said absentmindedly, keeping his eyes on me. “Do it.”
He pushed off the locker and grabbed me in a tight embrace.
“Hi, you,” he said. The words came out in a contented sigh. Lacey no longer existed for him, but I had a clear view of her behind Jack, scowling. I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face in his shoulder, inhaling the clean, leathery scent of his jacket, mixed with something else that was … so Jack.
“Hi,” I said back.
He released me, but only a little, so he could see my face.
“So, we celebrating tonight?” he said, the grin still in place.
His hair flopped over his eyes, and he ran a hand through it so my heart flitted inside my chest.
Celebrating. I narrowed my eyes. “Did Jules talk to you?”
“She reminded me it’s our three-month anniversary, and girls like stuff like that, don’t they?”
I remembered what Jules had said at lunch, and studied my hands, which were suddenly fidgeting. “No. Not me. I’m fine, um, not doing anything. At all.”
He chuckled and put his arm around my neck, steering me down the hall. “That’s what I love about you. So easy to please.” His nose touched below my ear.
I gave a nervous giggle and couldn’t get rid of the blush as he drove me home. When we reached my driveway, he squeezed my hand. “How about we go night skiing?”
Huh. Boots, layers of clothes, awkward skis. Perfect. “That sounds great.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up in a half hour.”
I climbed out of the car feeling slightly relieved. As I walked up the sidewalk to my front door, Jack rolled down his window. “Becks!”
I turned around.
“Bring a change of clothes tonight. My uncle has a lodge on the hill he said I could use anytime. We’ll stop there for hot chocolate afterward.”
Crap. I forced a smile and waved as he took off. It was times like these I missed my mom the most. But even before the crash, would I have talked to her about this kind of stuff? She’d been open about most things, but loudly quiet when it came to sex. Maybe she had been waiting until I got older, and never got the chance.
Later that evening, I’d skied the hill until I thought my ears would fall off from the cold. Jack kept suggesting we head in, but I insisted on skiing until every last light on the hill was out. By the time we made it to his uncle’s lodge, it felt like it was two o’clock in the morning. But it was only ten. My curfew wasn’t for three more hours.
“You can go change in the bedroom, and I’ll try to start a fire,” Jack said as he rubbed his hands together and searched for the light switches.
“Great,” I whispered. I clutched my bag of clothes and tiptoed across the orange shag carpet of the living room and through the bedroom door.
Once I’d shut the door behind me, the trembling began, and not just from the cold. I dumped my clothes out on the bed. Pink yoga pants and a white sweatshirt.
“Just breathe,” I whispered to myself.
I peeled off my freezing ski suit and the layers of thermal cotton underneath, then rubbed my arms to get the circulation going. I was in my bra. And there was only one thin door between me and Jack.
I hurried and pulled on my fluffy
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