I trip over my feet. Am I falling in love with JD? Is that what this panicky feeling is? The stomach flutters that make me feel breathlessandnauseous? The way I feel so safe and cared for whenever he has his arms around me? How I wake up in the morning and the first thing I think of is him? How he’s become the best part of my day, the one thing I look forward to? How he’s invaded my dreams like he has my life? JD is this unstoppable force that I cannot evade any longer, because once he set his sights on me, I really didn’t stand a chance, did I? He slipped past my fortifications and insinuated himself into my life so quickly, my head is still spinning.
Who the hell am I kidding? Admit it, Aurora. You fell for JD the moment he dropped everything to come and get you after Angelica’s scum of a boyfriend attacked you. JD proved to me that he would be there when I needed him most. Other than Cam, no one had ever been that person for me. Actions speak much louder than bouquets of flowers or sweetly spoken words, and JD has shown me more in one week that he cares, than my mother and sister ever did in eighteen years.
“I’ve really liked eating lunch with you guys in the quad this week, and I really like talking with you, Rory. We should hang out sometime.”
“Like a date?” She knows I’m joking.
“Absolutely. I can be your girl and you can be JD’s. It’s not like I’m seeing any action from the guys at school.”
We’re both laughing when we run into Austin coming out the double doors with a girl wrapped around him like cling-wrap. He stops when he sees us.
“Hey, Austin, Hey, Lanie,” Shelby greets them.
Wanting to keep the truce Austin and I seem to be having with one another lately, I tell him, “Good game tonight. I’m glad I came to see the win.”
“Um, yeah.”
A car pulls up and someone yells Shelby’s name through the open driver’s side window. “Oh, I need to go. That’s my ride home.” She turns to me. “Let’s plan to do something next weekend; that is, if you’re free and don’t mind me being pushy.” She aims that cheerleader-watt smile at me.
“I was going to watch Knox race at the Fields on Friday. You guys have an away game that night, right?” I ask Austin.
“Um, yeah,” he says again.
Lanie looks like she’s getting frustrated by our small talk and wants it to end so she and Austin can leave. I’m pretty sure I know why based on how she’s been making sexy eyes at him the entire time we’ve been standing here.
“I was going to ask Renee if she wanted to come with me. If you didn’t have to go with the football team, I’d invite you to come along as well,” I tell Shelby.
“I call future dibs. We can always just hang out one night next week,” she says quickly since her name is being shouted by her ride to hurry up. As she skips off, she calls back at me, “Bye, girlfriend!”
Laughing, I call back, “‘Night, sweetcakes!”
“Do I even want to ask?” Austin says.
“Shelby is my new side piece.”
He tries to hold back his chuckle.
“Austin, can we go now?” Lanie’s voice whines at him, but he doesn’t budge.
“Was JD still in the locker room when you left?” I ask him.
“Uh, no. He got dressed and left about ten minutes ago.”
Lanie gives a very vocal huff of annoyance at us. If she keeps up with the attitude, I’ll keep talking to Austin just to rile her up more. Fallon must be rubbing off on me.
“Oh.” I look around the parking lot and through the small door window to peer down the hallway. Did he ditch me? No. I would have known if he tried. I was at his truck the entire time with Shelby, so he’s still here. Somewhere. “Well, have a good night,” I tell him.
“Finally!” Lanie says and pulls at Austin’s arm.
I open the door and walk back into school. It’s pretty quiet inside now since most everyone has left. Should I do what Shelby suggested and go in the locker room? I don’t know if I’m prepared to see any dangling bits hanging out if one of the football players is still getting dressed. Yeah, that’s a big no. I take out my phone.
Me: Where are u?
As soon as I send it, I hear voices down the hall. One in particular catches my attention. I walk down the long corridor and the voices get louder. I peek around the corner just in time to see JD’s dad shove JD back against the wall.
“What I saw today was piss-poor playing. You missed at least five opportunities to convert. I thought I taught you better!”
JD stares hard at his father. “Coach teaches me. And we did the best we could. Fallen Brook has always been a tough team for us to beat.”
