“But you do. So I was thinking maybe you could hold onto it for me when I’m not here? Drive it around and stuff…”
“Clay!” I punch him in the arm. “You are not giving me a car.”
He shakes his head. “No, of course not. I know you wouldn’t accept a gift like that… but maybe you’ll agree to drive my car for me when I’m not here?”
“You are something else,” I say, unable to hide my grin. This is the exact type of car that I told him I would buy if I could afford it. He was listening.
“Hey, if I’m going to be a boyfriend, I want to be a good one. I don’t settle for second best in life.”
My breath catches in my throat. “Boyfriend?”
Clay glances at me, then focuses back on the road. “It doesn’t have to be right now, but … that’s my goal. That’s why I’m here. I don’t want to stay away from you anymore.”
“I don’t want to stay away from you,” I say. I watch him while he drives. This conversation would be a lot better if he didn’t have to focus on the road, but it’s at least we’re talking, which is more than Clay usually gives. I’ll take it.
“So,” I say, a few minutes later. “How are we going to do this? The long distance and all of that…”
Clay shakes his head. “Nope. We’re not talking about that now.”
“We’re not?”
He grins and it makes my toes tingle. God, he’s so handsome, and even more so when he’s not being all quiet and illusive. “No, we’re not,” he says. “What we are doing is driving to the party and having an awesome weekend with our friends and we’re not going to worry about the logistics or anything bad right now. We’re just focusing on the good stuff.”
I lean back in the seat. “Okay,” I say. “We can put off the bad stuff until later.”
“I refuse to call it bad stuff,” he says. “Nothing about me and you being together is bad. Maybe it’s a little ... inconvenient, but that’s all. We’ll figure it out.”
I reach over and put my hand on his arm. “We’ll figure it out.”
The drive only takes six hours, and we even stop for lunch, so maybe Google maps doesn’t know what it’s talking about. Or maybe Clay was speeding. I didn’t pay attention. I was too focused on the fact that I was sitting in a car with Clay Summers and that he had flown all the way here. I can’t believe he did all of this. I can’t believe he confessed that he liked me too. I can’t believe a lot of things, but I’m so glad they happened.
We have a blast on the road trip. At first it was a little awkward but soon we got comfortable with each other, and we have so much fun together when Clay’s defenses are down. He let me see this side of him a few times while we were on the road with Team Loco, but he always quickly put his shields back up. This time, they’re down. I hope they’re down for good.
“Check it out,” Clay says a few minutes after we reach Lawson.
He points up ahead and I lean forward. The large sign on the side of the road says THE TRACK, with an arrow pointing toward the facility. Not that it needs an arrow to show you where it is. The place is huge. There are dirt bike tracks as far as you can see, and two gorgeous houses on either side. Clay pulls up to the second house, which is two stories tall and absolutely beautiful.
When I finish taking in the sights, I realize what we’re about to do and I get nervous. Entering a party at Jett’s house would be scary enough if I were going alone. But now I’ll have Clay on my arm,as my date, and everyone’s going to see it.
“I’m scared,” I say as the engine cuts off. Clay looks over at me, then takes my hand in his.
“Why are you scared?”
I shrug and gaze up at the large house in front of us. “I—I don’t really know,” I say with a weak laugh. “This is just scary.”
“We don’t have to go,” he says. His gaze melts right through me.
I shake my head. “No … I want to go. But now we’re walking in like a couple and…”
His lips slide into a grin. “Trust me, they’ve all seen this coming.”
I roll my eyes. He leans over the center console and kisses me right on the cheek. It’s possible that I’ve never been more happy than I am in this very moment.
Jett’s house is gorgeous. Well, I guess it’s his parent’s house. Aiden had told me that the problem with being old enough to move out on your own and being a member of Team Loco is that it doesn’t really make sense because you’re not home long enough to need your own place. But if I were Jett, I’d never move out either. His parent’s house is amazing. It’s so beautiful and massive and his mom has decorated the entire downstairs with warm, inviting Christmas décor.
Keanna lets us inside, and I’m glad to have her with me when she introduces me to Jett’s parents. They’re both really beautiful people, and they tell me to make myself at home. Jett hugs me and then I meet his little sister, a toddler who tells me I’m pretty.
We’re the first people to arrive since we’re here a day early, but Jett’s family doesn’t mind. Keanna is excited and she shows me to one of the guest bedrooms where I put my stuff. Clay puts his stuff in the guest room next to mine. I like how he does it without asking. I’d think most guys would want to try to sleep in the same bed with me, but we’ve only been dating for like six hours so I like being given my space.
