Текст книги "In Pieces"

Автор книги: Gia Riley

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KINSLEY’S QUIET ON the drive to Jake’s place. I try to scoot her closer to the middle of the truck, and she finally takes her seatbelt off, and buckles into the middle seat instead. “You okay?”

She leans her head against my shoulder and nuzzles against me. I feel her nodding her head, but she’s still not saying anything. “What’s wrong, Sunny?”

“Nothing. I’m good. Just glad to be with you again.”

I like her answer, but something tells me there’s more to it than missing me. Then again when we pull into the grassy field next to Jake’s barn, and the party is already in full swing, I can see why she might be a little nervous about coming here.

I’ve been to every single football party for the last three years, but this one already has more people at it than I’ve ever seen. Between the size of the property, and the number of people walking around, it looks more like spring break gone country.

Kinsley’s staring through the windshield with wide eyes. I can guarantee she’s never been to a field party before—maybe not even a high school party.

“Rhett, I think the entire school is here. I wasn’t expecting so many people.”

I kiss the top of her head, the need to reassure her before she changes her mind about being here, my only concern. Kinsley’s not used to all this. For me, a crowd of a couple hundred is the norm, but for her, it’s just a lot of eyes prodding into her personal space. “Jake’s place always draws a big crowd, but this might be the biggest party he’s ever had.”

“If you say so,” she says, as she continues to pull on the sleeves of the shirt she’s wearing under my jersey. I love that she put a layer under my jersey instead of over it when she went to the game. She’s as proud to wear my number as I am to have it on her.

I know just the thing to settle her nerves. At least it always settles mine. “Come on, Sunny. Let’s have a little fun.”

She lets me wrap my arms around her, shivering as soon as I touch her. It’s a little cooler than when the game ended, but from the way she’s trembling, you’d think this was a cold winter night. “I’ve got you,” I tell her, as I help her climb out of my truck and set her on the ground in front of me.

Kinsley gives me a sweet smile, the one that’s reserved specifically for me. I pull her into my side, tucking my hand in the back pocket of her jeans. Each step she takes, I feel the curve of her moving up and down. She doesn’t seem to mind, and I can’t help myself. When I’m around her, I have to touch her.

I feel her tense the closer we get to the crowd of people. “Rhett,” she whispers. “People are staring.”

I peer down at her, our height difference making her seem extra small tonight. “That’s because you’re so pretty.”

The blush that spreads from her cheeks all the way down her neck only adds to her appeal. She’s not strutting around the party like she owns the place, or acting like people should feel privileged to be in her presence. No, my girl might be a little timid at times, but she’s as welcoming as they come once you crack her protective shell. They’ll all see what I see soon enough. Even if I don’t want to share.

“Rhett, it’s about time. Thought you bailed.”

I glance at my watch. “The game’s only been over for like forty minutes, Jake.”

“Then you’re thirty minutes late. I’ll spare you the ten for a shower because your ass stank. And where’s your cup?”

I roll my eyes, not even bothering to argue with him. He’s already had a couple, I can tell. When Jake drinks, he’s even more illogical than he usually is—and it’s hilarious to watch.

Becca’s at his side, sipping from a Solo cup, too. I wouldn’t have pegged her for a beer drinker, then again, I already picture her as the doctor she plans on becoming. And to me, most doctors are a little uptight. At least the ones I’ve worked with every time I’ve gotten injured playing football.

I nudge Kinsley. “Do you want a drink?”

She shakes her head, “I don’t think I should.”

I pull my hand out of her pocket, already mourning the loss. Instead, I hold her hand, rubbing my thumb across the soft skin of her wrist. “I don’t mean alcohol. There’s soda and water.”

“I’m okay, but if you want something, I don’t mind. Not that you need my permission or anything.”

She’s cute when she’s second guessing herself, but I wish she wouldn’t do it. If she doesn’t want me to drink, I want to know that. I want to know her opinions, her thoughts—everything. “I’m fine without it,” I tell her.

Grayson stands up from his spot around the fire with a piece of hay sticking out of his mouth. He’s a spoiled rich kid with a Mercedes and a trust fund. He’s anything but a farmer. Despite looking like an idiot, he walks closer to us with complete confidence, shuffling a football back and forth between his hands like he didn’t get enough of it during the game. “You always get the pretty ones, Rhett. What’s your secret?”

“Not a clue, Gray, but this one’s special.”

I worry I embarrassed Kinsley, but when I look at her, her eyes shine. She surprises me when she stands on her tip-toes, pulling my face toward hers as her back arches to meet me. In front of everyone, she plants a scorching kiss on my lips that I deepen the first chance I get.

Our first kiss was over before it really started, but ever since our second kiss, she can’t seem to get enough. Then again, neither can I. I could kiss her all night and never get tired of it.

“Get a room!” Jake yells, as he hoists his cup in the air. He’s definitely on his way to drunk. Becca reaches for his hand, setting the cup on the ground in front of him before he spills it all over her. Normally, if someone took Jake’s cup from him, he’d probably have something to say. Since it’s Becca, he only smiles, taking the opportunity to pull her closer to him.

I wouldn’t have coupled them up, but the more I think about it, Becca’s the kind of girl to tame a wild soul like Jake. He’s a free spirit, often loud, and always obnoxious, but she’s buying what he’s selling, despite him being a total nut job.

Kinsley laughs at him when he leans forward to kiss Becca and falls off the bale of hay he’s sitting on. It gives me an idea—something we both could use a little bit of. Time alone and some peace and quiet. “Will you take a walk with me, Sunny?”

“Sure.”

We walk hand in hand the way we came, until we hit the rest of the crowd gathered around the keg. Grayson’s dad owns one of the largest beer distributors in the area. He snags free beer for almost every party. Normally, I’d have a cup in my hand, but tonight, all I need is Kinsley.

Once we weave our way though the crowd, the light from the cars lining the field slowly fades. She holds my hand a little tighter, no doubt trying to figure out why I’m walking her into a field of darkness.

“Rhett, where are we going? It’s pitch black over here.”

“Don’t let go of my hand. I know my way around.” I push open the door to the barn, slipping us inside completely unnoticed.

“Are we allowed to be in here?” she questions.

“I am, but I don’t know about you,” I joke. “You might get thrown off the property.”

“That’s reassuring. What are we doing in here, anyway?”

“I’m kidding, Kinsley. I want to show you something.”

I lead her across the hay covered floors, and she yelps a few times when the straw pokes through her jeans, but I keep a tight hold on her, not stopping until we’re in front of the last stall in the barn. I know what I’m looking at, and I can tell she doesn’t have a clue.

Letting go of her hand, she latches onto my shirt, still unsure of what we’re doing in here. I pull out my cell phone, using the flashlight app to light up the space. Shining it over the wooden stall door, I hear the moment she recognizes what’s in front of her.

Instantly, she stands a little taller, reaching her hand out. “It’s so cute, Rhett. Is it a boy or a girl?”

I shine the light to the banner hanging above her stall. “It’s a girl. Her name’s Dawn to Dark.”

She stares at the foal in front of us, watching as she comes closer to where we’re standing. “Dawn to Dark,” she repeats. “That’s really pretty.”

“She’s like the sunshine—sunrise to sunset,” I tell her.

And then it hits her. She figures it out all on her own. “Just like me,” she whispers, as I run my fingertips up and down her back. “It’s perfect. Who named her?”

This next part has the potential to freak her out, but I tell her anyway. “I named her.”

Her head whips toward me as soon as the words leave my mouth. “You named her? Jake’s parents let you do that?”

“They don’t own her. I do.”

She blinks a couple times, seeming shocked that I’d have a horse. Then again, I don’t exactly go around talking about it. My close friends know we have a stable on the outskirts of town, but I’ve never taken anyone there before. “I can’t believe you have a horse.”

“Other than Jake, you’re the only one who knows about her. My dad trains horses part-time, actually. She was sort of a gift.”

“Why’s she here if she’s yours?”

“I’m fixing up her stall in my dad’s stable. Some of the wood was rotting and needed replaced. She’ll be back with the rest of the horses as soon as the work is done.”

“That’s so cool, Rhett. Do you have any idea how much I love horses? I used to ride when I was little.” I open the stall door, letting Kinsley inside to get a better look at her. She reaches out her hand, and Dawn, as I call her for short, sticks her nose right in her palm. “That tickles.”

“You can ride her when she’s a little bigger. Dad has others we can ride until then if you want to ride with me sometime.”

“Really? I would love that. I had to give it up when Mom got sick. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until you brought me in here.” She leans forward and presses a kiss to Dawn’s long snout. Already, they’ve bonded. “I always thought your dad was in business. I had no idea he worked with horses.”

“He is in business.”

“No, I pictured him selling real estate or working for a bank—something like that.”

I can see how she would think that. He definitely looks the part. “He oversees the business side of the stable. He trains when he can. Horses have always been his passion. Now he’s trying to pass it on to me.”

“The entire business? Or just her?”

Dawn snorts out her nose, being playful with Kinsley. “I’m pretty sure this is the beginning of it. He told me the next horse was mine, and here she is. She’s a thoroughbred. She’ll race when she’s old enough.”

“I want to see her again,” she says, as she runs her hand down the side of her mane. “Why’d you pick Dawn to Dark? I get the meaning of her name, but why did you name her after the sunshine, too?”

My guess is, she already has her suspicions, but she’s trying to ask an honest question, so I’ll give her an honest answer. “I named her after you, Sunny. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get you to date me, especially with Wyatt being your brother, but at least I’d have the horse to remind me of you.”

Kinsley steps away from Dawn, staring up at me. I shine my light on her face, and I don’t see any trace that she’s scared. All I see is my girl, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Nobody’s ever done something like this for me. Thank you, Rhett.”

“It’s not too much?”

She shakes her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “No. It’s not too much.”

“You don’t know how happy I am to hear you say that. I was nervous to tell you.”

“I didn’t think Rhett Taylor got nervous,” she says, playfully.

“When it comes to you, I’m a little bit of everything. I’ve never felt this way before, Kinsley. I can’t even describe it, but it’s like nothing can go wrong. That no matter what happens, I’ll still be smiling because I have you to look forward to. That probably makes me sound like a pussy.”

She swallows, her hand reaching for mine. “No it doesn’t. It makes you real. Every time I’m with you, Rhett, I don’t want it to end. I think about you all day long.”

I wrap her arms around my neck, forcing her to move closer to me. “Good. That’s how I want it. I want to be on your mind. Then you can’t forget me.”

We sway from side to side like we’re slow dancing, but the only music I hear is my heartbeat thumping wildly. I feel hers beating just as strongly against my chest.

“I’ll never forget you—no matter what.” She pauses for a moment, her forehead resting against me, just below my chin. Then, she raises her beautiful golden eyes, and my heart literally skips a beat. I feel the second it happens.

“What is it?”

I’m positive she’s about to lay something big on me, but she stalls, and then she changes her mind. “Nothing. How long have you had her?”

“Almost two months.”

“Two months,” she whispers. “Since July?”

“I just freaked you out, didn’t I?” I told her I’ve wanted her for a long time. Maybe now she’ll be able to see I wasn’t kidding. I did get Dawn to Dark in July. Summer was halfway over, football was about to officially begin, even though we were already working out all summer long, and all I could think about was going back to school and seeing Kinsley again.

“Sunny,” I whisper. “Say something.”

When she doesn’t immediately respond, I pull away from her, leading her out of the stall. I close the door behind us, but Kinsley climbs up onto the rails of the wall separating Dawn’s stall from the one beside her. I give her a minute to herself, not saying another word until she’s ready to talk. But I don’t move away from her—I can’t.

Holding onto her waist from behind, so she doesn’t fall, I let her watch Dawn. There’s so much I want to say to her—so many words I want to hear her say in return, but I just rest my chin on her shoulder and wait. I wait for her to be okay with my choices.

“I want to watch her a little more,” she says, with no inkling of how she’s feeling.

It makes me nervous that I’m not going to like what she says when she does speak, so I let go of her waist, moving away from her entirely. She glances over her shoulder to see where I’m going, but doesn’t get down.

I sit down on a fresh pile of hay, close enough so I can still see her profile from where I’m lying. But as I sit here in the dark, watching her, my eyes grow heavy. Eventually I close them, but even then, all I see is her.

I’m on the verge of passing out completely when the hay next to me rustles, reminding me we have some unfinished business. “Open your eyes, Rhett.” Kinsley’s voice is small, hesitant almost. All I can hear is her breathing mixed with some nervousness.

I turn my head toward her. Normally, she’s pretty easy to read, but right now, I can’t tell what she’s thinking. Whatever it is, I want her to open up to me. “I should have asked you before I named the horse.”

She traces the logo on my shirt with her finger, shaking her head in disagreement. “The horse is perfect. I love her name, but it’s not even about the horse—not really, anyway.”

“You’re not going to run?”

“I’m still here aren’t I?” She tucks her hair behind her ear, refusing to hide behind it like I’ve seen her do before. She’s letting me in.

“You are, but I would have gone after you if you weren’t. I’d fight for you if I had to, Sunny.”

She gives me a shy smile before lying down next to me on top of the hay. I’m comforted by the fact that she needs to be close to me. Her head finds the crook of my arm, and her hand settles on top of my chest. I’ve never felt more at peace than I do with her wrapped around me. This is what I was waiting for—and damn, it was worth the wait.

“You’re my favorite escape, Rhett.”

“What do you mean?”

“I get caught up being an adult sometimes, always worrying like a parent would, since I don’t have any, but you make me feel like a teenager again. I thought those days were over for me.”

“I like who you are, Sunny. You are grown up for your age, but it’s not a bad thing. You’ve adjusted. Nobody can blame you for that.”

“Thank you. Your opinion means the most.”

“Why?”

“Because I sorta kinda like you.”

“Only sorta kinda? I’m going to have to step up my game then.” She giggles in my arms, and I pull her on top of me, our bodies completely flush against one another. “Tonight has been crazy stupid.”

Her breath tickles my neck when she responds, “Is that good or bad?”

I can’t help but laugh. Nothing about tonight has been bad. “It’s good. Really good.”

She snuggles against me, and I wrap my arms tighter around her. “What was it like being on the field? I want to hear your side of it. I know what I saw was pretty amazing.”

“It probably sounds ridiculous, but the game was so much better with you in the stands watching me. The plays were working, just like they did in practice, I scored a shit-ton, and you were wearing my number. It was insane.”

“That does sound crazy stupid.”

“No, it was crazy stupid because I knew you saw it all. That’s what made me feel like a rockstar. Everyone else faded into the background.”

“You don’t have to impress me, Rhett. Remember, we agreed this isn’t about the guy on the field—even though he’s really hot.”

Those two sentences slice through me. She gets it. She sees both sides of me. “And that’s exactly how I want it, but it wasn’t the game that made tonight perfect. It was you, Sunny.”

“Me?”

I have to make her understand what she means to me. She deserves to hear how needed she is—especially in my world. “Nobody else has a clue I sleep on a bed that looks like a bird nest, that I own a horse I named after a girl I was crushing on, or how much I love photography. Everyone at school thinks they have me figured out—that all I care about is football and being popular.”

Before I can say another word, she lifts her head from my chest, her brow furrowed. “They couldn’t be more wrong if they tried, Rhett. You’ll laugh, but I always felt like there was something you were hiding. As soon I saw you at school, in the darkroom, I was determined to find out what made you tick.”

“Really?” I had no idea she even thought about me let alone wanted to dig deeper into my world.

She nods her head. “Really. You were never an asshole or arrogant, but there was a time I wouldn’t have considered you approachable. Even on the first day, in the darkroom, a part of me still felt that way. But you treat others with respect no matter who they are—even the nerds and misfits who don’t fit into any group at school. They aren’t invisible to you. You’ve made me feel welcome, and I won’t forget that.”

Listening to her perception of me, blows me away. The way she’s noticed little details, or subtle changes I’ve been working on, even surprises me. “Sunny, we’re still getting to know each other, but already, you know more about me than anyone else. My own parents don’t even know everything about me. Like everyone else, they only see the athlete most of the time. Whether I play another down of football or not, I don’t want that to be what I’m remembered for. Because in the end, it’s just a game.”

“You’re talented, Rhett. You should use football to get you to where you want to be. Think of the free ride to college—all the experiences you could have simply because you’re better than ninety percent of other kids your age. You’d be debt free once you graduate and free to live life however you wanted.”

I can’t help my smile. She’s in parent mode and doesn’t even realize it. “That sounds like something my guidance counselor told me.”

She moves away, like she’s going to get up, but I pull her back to me. “I wasn’t insulting you. It’s good advice.”

Looking determined as ever, she nods her head. “Damn right it is.”

Now we’re both laughing, and the friction she’s creating, almost has my eyes rolling back in my head. Focus, Rhett. “I just want you to live it up this year. These are supposed to be the best years of our lives. Ones we’re going to look back on when we’re older and laugh about. We owe it to our forty-year-old selves to be complete assholes for a few months.”

She’s quiet for a few seconds, but then says, “Maybe that should be my mission this year. Balls to the walls while I can.”

“Balls to the walls. I like the sound of that. Do I get to help you?”

“Yes.” She leans down to press a soft kiss to my cheek. “You have a little freckle right there. I like kissing it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, but I’ll need you to force me to live in the moment—to make sure I’m not acting like a boring parent. Think you can do that?”

This will be fun. There’s so much I can show her, teach her, have her experience. “I know I can.”

“Good. I’ll hold you to it.”

I exhale and once again, I’m at peace with the girl in my arms. “You have no idea how refreshing you are, Sunny. I can’t do the superficial bullshit anymore. All I want is to be me—whether the rest of the school likes it or not. I’m having fun again. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve said that?”

“I guess I thought since you were so popular you had everything you wanted. I didn’t get it until now.”

“I have everything I want now.” I squeeze her a little tighter so she knows I’m talking about her. Then, I laugh, thinking of my dad’s face when I introduced her to him earlier tonight. “My dad likes you.”

She giggles. “I wasn’t expecting him to hug me the way he did. If I’m being honest though, your mom made me a little nervous.”

My mom has always had my back. She’s fought battles for me more times than I can count, even getting me out of a couple messy situations where it was clear I was in the wrong. But her little boy can do no wrong in her eyes. Mistakes and all, she’s still my number one fan. “That’s because she’s overprotective. I’m not sure that will ever change, but she’ll love you once you get to know her.”

Kinsley doesn’t look as convinced as I am about it. “Don’t worry. As long as I’m happy, she’s usually happy, too.”

“Even with my background? I mean, I’ve never been to a country club—I work at a diner.”

This is where she sells herself short. She’s so many things besides being a waitress. “Sunny, you work harder than most kids our age. She’s not going to fault you for your job. Plus, she’s going to flip when she finds out you want to be a designer.”

“I enjoy interior design like she does, but I want to design clothing. It’s not the same thing.”

“Doesn’t matter. You both have the same creative itch. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a match made in heaven.”

“I hope you’re right,” she responds, skeptically.

“I was right about you. Wasn’t I?”

“Rhett, honestly, I don’t know what you think. I mean, you told me a lot tonight, and that’s helped me get inside your head a little.”

I roll on my side, laying her gently next to me. “I think you don’t give yourself enough credit. I also think you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen—inside and out.”

She picks at a piece of hay in front of her. “Wow. You’ve gone out with a lot of girls, are you sure about that?”

I don’t like the way she compares herself to my past girlfriends. When I’m with her, and even when I’m not, I don’t think about them. I don’t picture what it would be like to be with any of them a second time—I just don’t. The only girl I see myself with is Kinsley. “There wouldn’t have been any other girls if I had you first, Sunny.”

“You mean that, don’t you?” It’s a question, yet needed validation, at the same time.

I scoot closer to her, placing a kiss to her hair line, right at her temple. “You’re not like the other ones. I need you to believe me.”

“How long, Rhett?” She questions.

I’m not exactly sure what she’s asking, but I assume she wants to know how long I’ve wanted her. How long I’ve had my eye on her, waiting for her brother to go away to college. “Way too long.”

“How long?” She says again, stressing the point.

“I remember when we went on a school trip to the capitol building for government class. She made us sit in alphabetical order on the bus, who even does that? Anyway, I don’t know if you remember or not, but we were only a few seats apart, and you were sitting next to Grayson. I was beyond jealous. That might have been the first time I felt possessive of you.”

“That was the beginning of our eleventh grade year, Rhett. Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Besides your brother, I guess I was scared you wouldn’t want to waste your time on me. You were smart, really focused, and you didn’t get caught up in the drama. There’s always drama in my world. It was easier to imagine being with you, than to face rejection.”

She giggles, even snorts once. “What? That is the most ridiculous thought process I have ever heard in my life, Rhett.”

“How so?”

“I didn’t exactly have any other offers coming in. Chances are, I wouldn’t have said no to you—not that anyone ever turns you down in the first place.”

“You say that, but we’re in a different place now than we were then. Just about anything could have made you happy—we were barely sixteen-years-old.”

“True, but I’m not that much different than I was then—except for being a year older and a little taller. What about you?”

I leave out the fact that her body is banging—because it is. But I don’t want her to think I’m only after one thing. Yet I lean into her anyway, biting her bottom lip. “I just want you, Sunny.”

She pushes me off her, and rolls me onto my back. Hovering over me, she straddles my hips. “Why did we waste so much time?”

“It wasn’t our time. We weren’t ready for this.”

“And we are now?”

I nod my head the best I can while laying her down on the ground. She feels amazing on top of me, and I want nothing more than to pull her close—so I do. When her head is resting on my chest, and her body is flush with mine again, I wrap my arms around her, and breathe her in. With complete confidence, I whisper, “We’re ready, Sunny. Balls to the walls, remember?”