Page 24 of Anchored To You

Throwing myself onto my mattress, I sigh loudly, not knowing what to do.

"You okay, man?" Beck asks, hovering over me.

I open one eye and sigh again, nodding my head. "Yeah, just tired, sorry," I lie.

"We don't have to study."

"No, no," I sit up quickly, not wanting him to leave. "Let's study. We have that test on Monday, and this is the only time we're both off."

Beck and I spend the next hour and a half studying hard. I might be studying Beck more than my textbook, but I can't help myself. He's gorgeous as hell. And he makes me laugh so damn much. While we're both making sure that we're hitting the books, he'll randomly say things to make me laugh and break up the tension.

"Do you think you'll be ready for the test?" I ask once Beck slams his textbook shut and groans.

"Who knows? I don't think I could study any more than I have, though. I'm fucking wiped out. But I don't want to stay here. I want to go out. But not like out, out, more like an outing where there's no people."

Chuckling, I nod my head. "Same." I debate what I'm going to ask, not sure if I should put myself in this position. We’ve already spent the last two hours together; do I need to spend more with him? Probably not. But am I going to try, anyway? You betcha. "Wanna hang out at Ghoul Games? Maybe grab some food?"

"Yes," he replies instantly. "I've actually never been there. But I do have to head to Zomb-Bar after."

"No worries. We can hang out, eat, then you can work."

"Okay."

Beck and I get ready, then head out of our dorm rooms. Ghoul Games is in downtown Creelin, but isn't too far of a walk from campus. As we reach the building, a large sign, "Enter If You Dare!" welcomes us into the arcade. I've only been here a couple of times, but I've always had a blast. I lead Beck into the arcade, bright purple, green, and orange lights shining all around the whole place. There are fog machines in the corners of the room with glowing feet and handprints all over the floor and walls. There are a ton of different games throughout, but it's the basketball hoop in the corner that catches my eye. After using the kiosk to get some tokens, I take Beck's hand, dragging him over to the side.

"Alright, let's play."

"Oh, hell yes," Beck says, rubbing his hands together as he smiles mischievously.

"I'm going to kick your ass," I tell him, sticking out my tongue.

"Oh, a shit-talker, I see." He puts a token into the machine, then takes his spot. "Let's see who's the better player."

"Game on."

We play a few games with Beck completely kicking my ass. After the fourth game of losing, Beck puts his ball down and walks over to me. I'm about to put my ball down when Beck moves behind me, my back to his chest.

"Let me help you," he whispers, leaning forward. He places his hand on top of mine, helping me bring the ball up to my chest. We lift our arms in the air, and I shoot the ball, him laughing when it bounces off the rim.

"I thought you were trying to help me," I joke, grabbing another ball.

Beck does the same thing, this time stepping even closer to me. There's not even an inch of space between our bodies, his heat enveloping me. My body shivers from his touch, my heart beating fast at how close he is. I sigh deeply, trying to catch my breath, but it's no use. This man has some type of hold on me, and if I'm being honest, I like it. The ball drops from my hands, and I spin in a circle, Beck's arms wrapping around my waist. We stare at one another, goosebumps rising all over my body. Fuck, is he going to kiss me? Will I stop him? Do I want to kiss him back?

Hell yes, I do.

Beck stares into my eyes, and just when I think he's going to lean down and plant his lips against mine, he clears his throat and backs up. "Wanna grab something to eat?"

My body deflates, but I nod my head, putting on a fake smile. "Yeah, I'm starving."

We move over to the counter, placing an order for some food. While we wait for our names to be called, we sit at one table against the wall, both of us quiet as hell. I have no idea what's running through his head, but I know for me, I'm realizing that Beck is my weakness. Even when I know I should stay away, I don't want to. I'm also turned on like crazy. Feeling his body against mine reminds me just how long it's been since I've had sex with someone. Contrary to what I've made Beck believe, I barely hook up at all. It's been months since the last time I've done that with someone.

"So, uh, I have a proposition for you. And feel free to completely shut me down. To be honest, I don't even know why I'm bringing this up, but I can't stop thinking about it. And you. I know if I don't try though, I'll be kicking myself in the ass for months."

"What?" I ask, trying to figure out what he's talking about. "I'm confused."

Beck chuckles, rubbing the top of his head. He seems nervous, but I don't know what he could be nervous about. "Yeah, that was as clear as mud, huh?"

"Yeah, just about."