He closed his locker and leaned against it, making everything else in that hallway a massive blur. It was the position he’d gotten into a moment before he kissed me. “Hey, I was going to ask about this whole rule your mom had about seeing a different guy between dates and all that.”
My insides were trying to throw a celebration parade at his question, but I told them to quiet down and not read too much into things yet. “Well, she changed the rule a little bit, since she doesn’t want me to start seeing TJ again.”
Jett lifted his brow. “Smart woman. Remind me to bring her a rose next time I come out.”
That statement was like a rolling drumbeat for the parade threatening to march within me. Mainly because we’d officially put in all twelve of our study hours. In fact, we’d finished the assignment just last night and handed it in this morning.
“So now the rule is that if I want to date just one guy that’s fine, but I can’t, like, see him two nights in a row. Except if I’m going to your games or your practices since that doesn’t exactly count as a date.”
He held my gaze for a moment before taking a step forward. He was now leaning on someone else’s locker but that didn’t seem to bother him. “What about if we study one night, whatever homework we have, and go out the next? Would she be okay with that?”
His question made it seem very much like he was asking me out for tonight since we’d been studying together the night before. The parade officially started its march. “I think so. I mean, yeah, for sure she would.” And if she didn’t, I’d sneak out. Or at least that’s what the marching band was suggesting.
“So let’s go someplace tonight. Just me and you,” he said, voice low and raspy.
I cleared my throat. “Okay. That sounds fun.”
He held my gaze once more, an almost puzzled expression pulling at his handsome brow. Was he trying to figure it out too? Perhaps he was just as confused as I was. I hoped so.
“Great,” he finally said. “Pick you up at seven?”
I nodded, ready to take up my cymbals and join in the march. “Perfect.”
Chapter Ten
When Jett picked me up, he actually did bring my mom a rose. Mom loved the gesture, and when she told him as much, Jett shot me a sly wink to remind me of our conversation earlier. I hadn’t forgotten.
Missy, who practically lived in her tutu now, showed off a few moves for him while my mom put the rose in water. My favorite part of that moment was when Jett told Missy to take his hand so he could spin her around. She did, and to say that my heart melted a little would be an understatement. I’m pretty sure the entire organ turned to a pile of pulsing goo in my chest. Jett was really starting to seem like the full package.
“You brought your appetite, right?” Jett asked once he was settled behind the wheel of his truck.
I glanced at the sack of groceries on the seat between us and nodded. “Yep.”
“Good.” He grinned and roared up the engine.
I noticed two ATV’s in the flatbed as Jett walked me to his truck. Something else that hadn’t escaped my attention was Jett’s letterman jacket draped along the back of the middle seat. I’d returned it earlier that week, but something told me he’d brought it just for me. It seemed he had plans for us to be outside, and evenings were really starting to cool down in Sweet Water.
“So I know I mentioned in the hallway that it’d be just the two of us,” Jett started.
I glanced over, preparing myself for the worst. “Uh huh,” I urged. Great. What would he say now? That our exes were going to be doubling with us?
“Ava and Ivy wanted to take the ATV’s on the beach tonight with Connor and Levi, so I thought it might be fun if we joined them. Kind of like a big group date.”
I liked the sound of that. Getting to know his family a bit more. “I’d love that.” His twin sisters were ridiculously beautiful but their outright kindness to everyone in sight made it impossible to hate them for it.
“Good.” Jett stretched an arm over the groceries and rested his hand, palm up, on my lap.
It took a fraction of a second to realize he wanted to hold my hand. I gulped, paced my frantic, fluttering breath, then slid my palm into his. Jett curled his fingers around mine, tightening his grip, and shot me that smile that threatened to make my breath hitch. “Might be a good time to tell you—since my sisters will be there and all—that my parents are sort of separated right now.”
Wow.I couldn’t believe he’d actually opened up to me about it. “I’m sorry,” I said softly.
He shrugged. “Pastor’s family’s supposed to be perfect, right? So I guess it feels a little…hard to talk about. My dad doesn’t want to make the congregation panic or anything.”
I nodded, wrapped my other hand around the back of his, and relished in the connection for a moment. It felt very…boyfriend and girlfriend-ish. “Yeah, that makes sense. Do you think they’ll be able to work through it?”
Jett shook his head, slowing as we came upon a roundabout. “It’s hard to say. I think…I mean, maybe I’m just naïve, but I can’t actually picture them evernottogether. The whole thing kind of freaks me out, really. The twins, too. We don’t know what to think about it.”
I nodded, not wanting him to feel like he had to share more. I mainly just wanted to be someone he could confide in. I liked knowing that, in a way, I was.
