The tailgate is already in full swing, both teams and their fans are mingling like there is no rivalry. I truly don't understand sports fans at this point.
I immediately begin to scan the parking lot for our cheer team and sure enough, I find Emily and I mean she is easy to find. I just have to look for the girl with the murderous expression on her face.
"Adam I am going to need to borrow your girlfriend to do this." Warner looks back at me and Adam. Girlfriend? I was not Adam's girlfriend, I don't know what I was but we haven't talked about it. Warner truly knows how to make things awkward.
Adam doesn't look bothered or flustered like I do he just nods and hands me over to Warner.
"And you might not want to watch."
Now Adam looks bothered.
We step towards the cheer team, in their direct viewpoint and lean against one of the cars to look casual. At least I assume that's why. I don't really know his plan here.
"Now I know it's hard but you are going to have to trust me and just go along with this okay?" He places a finger beneath my chin and tilts my head up so that I'm looking him right in the eye and boy is my view fantastic. He's got the most amazing eyes I've ever seen, the green in them almost radiates this mind-numbing, body paralyzing power that turns you to jelly the moment you look into them.
"Let's get their attention." He doesn't take his eyes away from mine as he places his hand on my waist, his thumb brushing against the small strip of skin on my stomach that is visible because of my uniform.
I can see Emily whispering to the cheer team and they are all glancing at us now. Well glancing is a bit of an understatement. I see jaws dropping down and I know it is probably because Emily told them I stole him from her.
I watch him lean into me and place his lips next to my ear.
"Won't be long now." He lightly nibbles at my ear and an involuntary gasp escaped my mouth, his thumb's rubbing dizzying circles at the side of my waist and his lips are too close. I can feel his minty breath all over my face but the thing is he never stops looking at me.
Not once.
"Then again, I wouldn't mind staying like this." He murmurs huskily and I just about lose it. His lips hover over mine, his hands moved up my torso just the slightest bit and his fingers are gently skimming over the sensitive skin making me feel like firecrackers are exploding inside of me. I am really glad he told Adam not to watch now, but thinking of Adam his touch never makes me feel like this. Warner's touch is as light as a feather's as he pushes his hands at the hem of my top, his cold fingers tickling my skin, If he goes any further...
"Warner!" He drops his hands and backs away just a little. He's staring at me as I lean against the car, pressing my hands on top of it so that I don't collapse on the ground. I guess his plan worked because Emily shrieks his name at the top of her lungs. She is walking over to us at god speed with a few girls from the team behind her including Amy.
Her eye is twitching, her mouth is pulled up into a vicious and frankly ugly-looking sneer and she's tapping her foot furiously on the ground. If she had laser vision I'd be obliterated by now, that's for sure.
"Emily?" Warner asked turning to her, hiding me behind his back in what I can only assume is a protective gesture, one I'm extremely grateful for.
"W-what are you doing here with her?" She asks in a sickly sweet voice which makes me want to vomit.
"I don't see how that's any of your business," Warner replies surly and I subtly squeeze his arm in warning. He cannot let Emily know that he's aware of what she said to me. If she figures out that I am surely as good as dead and the girls on the team will believe her.
Jaiden from the cheer team speaks up on Emily's behalf "Well considering you are Emily's boyfriend I think it is. Juliet! I didn't have you pegged as a boyfriend stealer."
"Emily told you that?" Warner chuckles and I am glad he is taking the reigns here because I am terrified. Amy hasn't said anything yet, thank god. I think she is the only other girl who sees through Emily's act.
"Emily has been following me around since school started. From my classes to my car, to my dorm and even to my games. I mean it's bad enough that she joined the cheer team so she could stalk me but she even switched into the same program as me. I am seriously considering a restraining order Emily this is getting way too creepy." Warner's voice gives nothing away. He is so believable that I almost believe him. Emily is a cheerleader and in pre-law so if he came up with this story on the spot I am impressed.
"T-That's not true! He is lying!" Emily stutters out. Seeing Emily this worked up made it very hard to hold in a laugh.
"Emily you told us you guys were dating?! You were also saying some mean stuff about your fellow teammate and if those were both lies just know as your captain there will be repercussions." Amy turns to Emily looking quite pissed off and I am very thankful for her.
"I can attest that Jules here did absolutely nothing wrong. She is just scared of Emily and I mean it's understandable considering all the things she has done in the past month. From her switching into all my classes to stealing my shower products to sniff when she's alone. Not to mention the threats to my sweet Juliet." Warner can't resist taking the joke too far but Emily deserves it.
Emily looks so flustered she doesn't even respond which makes me concerned about how much of what Warner was saying is true. Instead, she lets out an inhumane sound and walks away out of the parking lot to who knows where. At this point, she might be waiting in Warner's car or under his bed. Warner grins at me, clearly confident his plan has gone so well.
"I'm sorry Juliet I didn't know." Jaiden looks embarrassed for believing the gossip but I don't care I am just glad I have Warner to help me straighten it out. Once they all walk away and Amy gives me a smile, I turn back to Warner.
"That was awesome!" I grin at him and he gives a genuine dimpled smile in return before it turns into his signature smirk
"I told you I wanted to help and I wasn't kidding. I wasn't there for you in the past I was a stupid kid but I am making it up now. You can hate me as much as you want but I am not letting anyone else make you feel that way."
I feel bad for all the stuff I said, could it be true that he was actually trying to make it up to me?
We are interrupted because our friends have come back and joined us.
"That was amazing! I totally eavesdropped and that line about the shower killed me." Abby snorts in laughter and I laugh with her, I have been holding in a laugh for a while.
"Thanks, man, I appreciate it." Adam gives Warner a firm shake but from the grip he puts into it I can tell that Adam might have not looked away like Warner told him to.
The rest of the tailgate goes by drama-free, nobody bothers me when Warner is around. It is kind of nice?
Maybe he isn't the villain anymore, I mean I keep saying I changed so why can't he?
I think back to the conversation between him and his dad and realize I might not know much about what Warner was dealing with when we were kids. I was so focused on my own bullies that I didn't realize people like Warner might have their own. I think my mom and Warner's dad would get along well as they both like to bully their teenage kids.
Adam has to leave the tailgate early with Winston to go work on a project they have due tomorrow so I hug him goodbye. I can't lie I am kind of glad he is leaving because I want to thank Warner, but I didn't want him to watch and make any assumptions.
I shift my gaze to where Warner is standing next to some teammates, I miss his presence next to me. It's not right, not right that I like having him so close to me. I can't like him like that, especially when I'm kissing his best friend. It's just physical attraction, that's it. However grudgingly I do admit that he's hot and those eyes of his do things to me. But they would do things to any teenage girl, so it's no big deal.
I walk over casually or at least I hope I look casual, I wasn't exactly the most graceful girl.
"Hey, Warner can I talk to you a second?" He looks shocked that I would approach him, it is normally him coming up to bother me. And since Thanksgiving, I have ignored him altogether.
I pull him away from his friends so I can thank him without people watching.
He holds up his hands defensively "Whatever it is you think I did, I probably did it and I'm sorry."
I laugh at him and he eases up. I guess I would be scared if I was him too, I do tend to yell at him a lot.
"I just wanted to say thank you, Warner, for what you did today. You shouldn't have gone to all that trouble for me, I-I was going to do something about it, I was but then you know you..."
I'm cut off by a surprising and bone-crushing hug as Warner wraps his arms around me and pulls me towards him. For a minute I'm actually too shocked to respond and my arms hang limply by my side as I try to make sense of the situation.
He's hugging me!
Warner's hugging me.
His smell swarms my senses as my face is buried in his shoulder and his in the crook of my neck. He smells so good it's not even funny! His arms are tight around me as if he is scared I might disappear any minute. With the way we are pressed together, I can feel the furious beating of his heart.
Is that for me?
I'm baffled by what's happening and too stunned to actually do something about it. He isn't letting my lack of response deter him as he keeps me in his arms while I just stand there like a fool.
Do something, Juliet!
But what do I do?
I breathe slowly through my nose and very gently and carefully guide my hands over his back until they rest on his shoulder blades, gripping fistfuls of his shirt. I don't miss the slight shiver that passes through his body at my touch and once again I feel confused, am I the one doing this to him? I try not to overthink for once, dismissing his reaction to the chill in the air and my freezing hands, yes that explains it.
Slowly I begin to pull away, untangling our bodies, but that still doesn't provide enough space. Our faces are centimetres apart and I can feel his minty fresh breath fan my face. Consciously I reach for the hair that's falling over my eyes but lightning-fast, Warner's hands reach them before mine could. He tucks the stray strands behind my ear and smiles at me warmly.
"Were you ever planning on telling me about Emily?" My heart's racing under the scrutiny of his green-eyed gaze. I want to look away but it's like I'm trapped, like if I look away right now he will know how he makes me feel.
All I can do was shrug in response.
"I hope you know that I never would have been with Emily if I knew she was treating you like that. I am not the same guy I was in high school just like you say you aren't the same girl. I said I was going to do better and I am going to prove it to you." His sincerity makes me nervous, he is being too serious.
"I guess I can't really go on about how I've changed and not accept that you have too. But that doesn't mean all is forgiven, Warner."
"And here I thought we would end this romantic moment with a hot passionate kiss." He winks.
I was glad he made a joke because this conversation was getting way too serious for me.
"Please I wouldn't even touch those lips if you were dying and needed CPR." My response is childish and my voice comes out a little breathy at the lack of space between us but it is all I can dish out at the moment.
"Well don't think this means I'm going to be nice to you all the time. You're still the competition in school and I can't fraternize with the competition." He gives me a signature Warner grin before walking back to his friends.
Warner has his own shit to deal with and instead of letting his dad get to him and lashing out on everyone else he has spent his night helping me. Maybe he was being genuine and did want to be my friend.
I can't help but smile walking back to Abby and Sarah who were grinning right back at me.