Chapter 20: Van

VAN

Chapter

Twenty

Imade a mistake. It was an honest one because who Smurf is interested in boning isn't of much importance to me, so why would I pass that along to Fleur? Besides, it is no-nut November. He's the guy who runs around with that metaphorical banner in the locker room, so the fact that he's interested in boning Ms. Funnel is as newsworthy as sharing that Smurf's favorite color is blue. He's not sleeping with her.

But…Fleur's right. I haven't shared everything with her mostly because anything interesting that goes on outside of football is when I'm with Fleur.

She says she's not getting anything from me, but the thing I want to give her—me, in all seriousness—is the one thing guaranteed to make her bolt. I can see the panic in her eyes. The tightness on the corners of her mouth. She's thinking of how soon she can ditch me. To go where? Back to that apartment with the shady boyfriend who'd like to do more than stare at Fleur's legs if he thought he could get away with it? And she'd be alone. Everyone at school likes Fleur. She's invited everywhere, people talk to her; there's never a time she doesn't have someone to sit with, but I also noticed that she's got this little aura around her that keeps people at a distance. If she has problems, she's not sharing them with anyone at school. There's no shoulder she can cry on.

I start thinking, and then I start talking. "Brook Kosinski did Bubbles Anderson after the last game. She always offers herself up as a prize to the highest scorer, but since that was me and I'm yours, I passed. I told her to go to Roman Park, that's our quarterback, but I guess Kosinski intercepted. Last year Tucker was really into this girl from Younger Christian School, which is some private religious school over in Pine Valley, but she told him she was saving herself for marriage. But then over the summer we heard she got knocked up by the youth pastor of the church. He was married but not to her."

I glance over to see Fleur staring out the window. She could not be less interested.

"Smurf's favorite color is blue, if you want to write that up."

"It's not about Smurf." She's silent for a couple blocks. "The Pine Valley stuff is a little newsworthy. What happened to the youth pastor?"

"Not sure. I wasn't around last year, and Tucker's story ended with him asking me if it didn't count if you do it with your pastor."

"I think it counts."

"I told him he dodged a bullet. It could've been him as the baby daddy. That would've given you something to write about."

"I regret telling you that you didn't give me anything."

I pull up next to the curb a half mile from her apartment. She peeks out the window before arching an eyebrow in my direction. "Did you forget where I lived?"

"Nah. I don't want to take you home yet." Or ever.

"You can't keep me at your house forever."

"Why not?" I don't have an ounce of laughter in my voice.

"Because that's kidnapping."

"Sounds kinky. Do you have a room at the house that you like the best? I'll lock you up there." Silence. "When you escape, you'll have a good story."

"Just… take me to the apartment."

She doesn't even call it home. She hates it there. I hate it, too. "No."

Her mouth tightens, and the panic in her eyes turns to flint. I love her when she's like this. I can't let her go. If she runs, then I'll chase her. I'm fast. There's no way she can escape me. I'll just keep pursuing until I catch her.

"You're right, Fleur, I have been holding back." Disappointment and hurt flash across her face before a wall comes up between us. I reach out and grab her hand, like physical contact is going to keep her from closing herself off from me. "I lied, too." I might as well confess all my sins at once.

"If this is your way of apologizing, you can keep it." She tries to draw away, but she's tiny compared to me.

"The only thing I'm keeping is you. When I said we could pretend to be dating, I wanted it to be real. I kept my mouth shut about how I felt because I figured you'd get scared off. I was willing to keep up the game until you figured out that I was a good risk, but I don't know how to do that so I'm just spilling my guts to you." She opens her mouth, but I shake my head. "As for why you, why not you? You're smart, gorgeous, make my dick stand at attention when you're anywhere within a ten-foot radius, and I like you. I don't need to have any other reason other than I'm happier when I'm with you than any other time including when I'm on the football field which, if you ask Sadie or my mom, they'll tell you that I like being on the grass more than anything. What else?" I squeeze the back of my neck, trying to figure out if I left out anything. "Oh, I guess I should admit that I plan to marry you before I go to Eastern to play football and I'll secretly be hoping you get pregnant, but if that's not something you want to do—the pregnancy bit—then I'll wait. That's it." I smile hopefully. "So, what will it be? You coming home with me willingly or do I need to kidnap you?"

Fleur's jaw has dropped. I tuck my finger under her chin and nudge it upward until her teeth click together.

"Cat got your tongue? What does that even mean? Whose cat ever grabbed someone's tongue?"

Fleur bursts out laughing. She laughs and laughs, bending over in her seat, holding her stomach. She laughs so hard she begins to cry. I reach over, unbuckle her seat belt, and drag her onto my lap. I hold her while she sobs, her tears coating my T-shirt. I tip her face up and wipe her cheeks with my thumbs. "I'm going to kiss you because you're beautiful and because I'm hoping my sexiness dries your tears. I've been told I have super powers."

"By whom?" she manages to say between hiccupping breaths.

"Everyone."

"I've never heard a single person say you have super powers."

"You called me God when I gave you that orgasm last night."

Fleur turns crimson. "That is not the same thing."

"It's a pretty great super power."

"It's not a super power!" she insists. Her tears are gone.

I grin. "Let's test that theory. You can write up your investigation for the paper."

I bring her mouth down to mine and kiss her until she's breathless and gasping and crying out my name. I don't know what to tell her, but I'm pretty sure that I've got super powers. The super power to love her, cherish her, and make her happy forever.