Very interesting. I needed to text Lo about this so we could dive deep into what this meant. Even knowing I could message her again made me smile.
Dean: Callum and Ivy. You know about this?
Lo: His childhood friend? I think he mentioned her once.
Dean: how TF did you two gossip about this?
Lo: When Callum and I became wallmates.
Dean: Well, she’s working for the team this season.
Lo: Oh, this is gonna be FUN. HA.
I still had my phone in my hands when Mack texted me, and you would’ve thought it was my first time talking to a girl with how much my stomach swooped.
Swooped. Like I was teenager lusting after Harry Styles.
Mack: It’s supposed to rain tonight, AND I found a concert. Want to come with me? If not, no worries, I’ll go alone!
Like hell.
Dean: I’ll be there.
Mack: I’m wearing something I wouldn’t normally wear too ; )
God, this girl was gonna kill me.
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
Mack
There was something about country music in the summer. I preferred rap or heavy rock while prepping for a game. The fast bass and energy of the songs pumped me up before showtime, but when there wasn’t soccer or a physical competition looming, country it was.
Songs reminded me of laughing at the lake, getting sunburned, running with sparklers on the Fourth of July, and now, there’d be this perfect image of Dean Romano swaying his hips side to side with a bandana folded into a thin line and wrapped around his head.
He held up his phone so it mirrored a lighter and put his arm around me as we swayed to the song about whiskey and women. He smelled like sweat, sunscreen, and spicy cologne that created the perfect combination.
“This is the best date ever,” he said, lowering his face so his lips grazed my ear. “You’re a dream. This is a dream.”
I blushed. Dean had a few shots before we left, and tipsy Dean was my new favorite. He spoke his mind, unfilteredthoughts running together. But the biggest difference was he seemed genuinely happy. He carried himself lighter. I wasn’t foolish enough to think it wasme,but if I kept earning those smiles with this damn list, then I’d never stop.
Five more weeks.
Football took off in five weeks, and that was the end of this… thing that we were doing.Unless we finish the list first.My stomach soured, and my heart beat harder at the fact I was already in too deep. How could I not be when Dean touched me like this and said things like that?
“Why aren’t you smiling, Mackenzie?” He tilted my face toward him, his brows drawn in concern. “You’re frowning.”
“What? No.” I shook my head hard.
“Yes. I’ve been staring at you a lot the last few seconds, and you’re not wearing your smile lines.” He traced one finger along the side of my eyes, then down to my lips. “Do you need something? I can run to the concession stand.”
“No. I’m great. I got caught up in my thoughts.” I smiled, my body warming at his concern. He pulled me tight against him, our chests pressed together as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “Uh, Dean?”
“We’re dancing. Just hold onto me.”
I buried my face into his chest, breathing him in as the song ended and moved into a slower one. It was about summer love, regret, and living in the moment.How fitting.
