Secrets Until Someday

Chapter 8

3 years ago

January

I am waiting after practice on a Thursday. My parents are out of town for the night, my phone is dead and I had assured my mom that I would be capable of finding my own ride home from practice. That plan didn't quite work out the way I wanted when I ran back to my locker to get a book I had forgotten and came back to the gym to find that Quinn had already left.

No phone (of course it's dead), No ride. No parents.

"I guess I'm gonna have to see who's still here and bribe them with gas money to get my ass home," I mumble to myself under my breath.

I walk down past the locker rooms to the student parking lot and see Jake Scott, one of our varsity basketball players loading his bag into his car. "Hey, Jake!" I yell after him. "Any way you could take me home? My phone is dead and my ride left." I say in desperation.

Before he can even respond I hear a voice coming from behind me that sends butterflies loose in my stomach.
"I'll take her." The voice says.

Jake shrugs his shoulders, throws a wave, and hops in his car leaving us behind in the dark parking lot. I turn around to see Brooks walking towards me, the light catching the sweat glimmer off his body. I'm bundled in sweatpants and a sweatshirt still freezing while he has on basketball shorts and something I would barely consider a shirt it's so cut up.

"How are you not freezing ?" I say with a smile as he places his hand on my lower back and leads me over to his car.

"Rough practice, I will probably still be sweating tomorrow from running so much." He huffs.

The ride to my house is short, too short and once we pull into my drive and he puts his car in park. I dig up as much courage as I can and say to him, " My parents are gone for the night if you wanted to come in for a little bit."

"Uh yeah sure," the unsteadiness in his words and the way his eyes won't meet mine, cause me to wonder if he is nervous. It's a pretty cute look on him, the way his cheeks are slightly pink and the fidgeting of his hands as he fumbles his keys around, a small smile crawls across my lips...knowing that reaction could be caused by me, Sydney Graves makes me very satisfied. The butterflies take off once again.

We slowly make our way to the door, him following a few steps behind me and once we're inside I throw my duffle bag on the kitchen table and continue into the living room. "You coming?" I say as I take a seat on the couch and he hesitates at the door.

He finally sits down next to me, twirling his fingers in his lap. The awkward tension is nearly eating me alive so I jump up from the couch and take a seat on the ottoman.

Maybe the space between us will help to ease whatever it is that is swirling in the room. I sit there knees bent, leaning back on my elbows while Brooks just sits there fiddling with his hands, his leg fidgeting continuously and staring at me in the most intense way anyone has ever stared at me before. I wish I knew what he was thinking...Is he regretting this? My mind takes over as the thoughts rush in, nothing has even happened yet and he seems like he's already wishing he would have never offered me the ride, to begin with. Making me jolt he suddenly jumps to his feet and begins pacing the floor.

"Okay, so this is weird. I have been thinking about this moment since that night in my kitchen, but now that it is here I don't think I have ever been so nervous. I mean, the things going on in my mind right now are surprising even to me." he takes a breath,  "When it comes to you I feel like a completely different person. I feel brave and completely out of control. It's like for once I don't have to follow all the rules and you won't judge me for it." stopping in front of me he pushes the rest of the words out, "On one hand, it makes me feel more alive than I ever have before, and then, on the other hand, it scares the complete shit out of me." 

As he does I stand and place my hand on his arm to stop him. Confusion fills me because I desperately want Brooks to want me but this all seems really complicated for him, and that's not something I want to be is a complication. So I look at him and softly whisper, "Hey, I don't have any expectations for you, our friendship is enough for me. I enjoy talking to you and you don't have to worry...." and before I can finish my sentence his lips are crashing against mine.

For the first time in my life, I feel a flush of vibrations all throughout my body, I take in the smell of him as I part my lips and he slips his tongue inside. The taste of him is better than anything I've ever tasted. It's sweet like honey and I fall deeper into the kiss. He wraps his long arms around my waist and slightly lifts me up to make me more easily accessible to the tension we are both releasing into each other. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull at the hair there.

He steps backward until his legs hit the couch, he sits down taking me with him. My legs straddle over his and I push my body into his chest never breaking the contact of our mouths. He pulls me in as we both come up for air, staring into each other's eyes as if we've just uncovered the world's biggest secret.

"That was the best kiss I've ever had in my life," Brooks whispers between staggered breaths.

"Well, I'll take that as a compliment." I softly respond and he leans forward kissing me once more. 

It feels like our eye contact alone could set this room on fire, being here with his arms around me, with his eyes on mine I feel like he's a drug and I need another hit. I push myself further into him and kiss his lips again and again until were once again lost in each other. I hear a groan come from the back of his throat and it lights up all of my senses. 

He slowly pulls back and  I whimper at the loss of his kiss, but when he says, "I better get going, my parents will be sending out the search parties if I'm more than 15 min late," I climb off his lap and walk him to the door as he holds my hand along the way.

This can't be real I think to myself with a smile.

When we get to the door he turns to me, reaches down, and kisses me again. Trying not to get carried away he pulls away and I feel like he took part of me with him when his lips left mine. "I really need to go, or I might never leave."

And with that he is out the door, taillights disappearing down the driveway. My heart hammers against my chest and I can't stop smiling.