Emerge (4 page)

“You’ve got five seconds to apologize to the lady,” Evan growls.

“Geez, sorry, Laney, I was just kidding,” Matt musters insincerely.

I don’t tell him it’s okay, because it’s not, but I do say, “put him down, Ev, so not worth it.”

“You sure, Laney? Your call.”

“Yes, I’m sure, Brutus. Put him down and let’s take a walk?” I don’t have to ask him twice. Matt’s flat on his ass and Evan’s at my side in a flash. Walking away for a little breather, I latch my arm through his. “What’s up with you?” I nudge him.

He shrugs.
What’s this?
Evan never broods. He’s my rock, my Mr. Grain of Salt.

“Evan, it was no big deal. Just a drunk comment by a boy scorned. Why are you stressing over it?”

“I can’t stand the way he talks to you. Not to mention, he’s always staring at you and talking about you; he’s obsessed. I don’t like it one damn bit, I’m on to him. If I find out he’s the one stalking you…” He runs his hand through his hair and blows out a breath. “I’ll kill him.”

The silence seems to go on forever, but Evan needs a minute to calm down and I don’t dare chance saying the wrong thing right now.

“And the first guy brave enough to hit on you, and that’s how he goes about it?”

“What does that mean? Brave enough to hit on me?”

“You really have no idea, do you?”

I just stare at him, my expression reminiscent of my “trying to solve quadratic equations” face.

He sighs and cast his eyes down. “Laney, you’re
that
girl. The one guys make up in their head when they put all the best parts together to make one perfect girl. The man who gets you to actually pay attention, well, he’ll be the luckiest guy on the planet, and he’ll know it. All that, and the fact that you never date, is pretty damn intimidating.”

There’s a flutter in my chest; does he mean I’m the perfect girl made in
his
head?
Is
he
intimidated by me?

He moves closer now, I can feel the heat coming off his body.
Yes, Evan, find the courage.
And then his hand is cupping my cheek, and I instinctively lean in to it, a little gasp of air escaping my lips.

I’ve never imagined this with Evan, it’s never occurred to me to even dare hope what he felt for me was more than a protective best friend. Good thing, I would have done the fantasy no justice. His thumb brushes my bottom lip and I realize…I could be swinging a bat, casting a reel, and driving a truck all at the same time, but I’m still 100% woman.

I
think
I speak out loud. “Are you intimidated, Evan?”

He leans over, touching his forehead to mine as he takes a deep breath. His nose brushes along mine, his whisper on my lips. “Not anymore, I’m done with that, and I’m done not kissing you. All you have to do is say no, precious girl. But please, please….just say yes.”

As I whisper “yes,” his mouth takes mine. His lips are soft and gentle, sending a sizzle throughout me. His hand glides from my cheek to the hair behind my ear, stroking it slowly, over and over again. He breaks contact to lean back slightly, meeting my eyes, and a whiny protest from the loss escapes me. I’m positive he sees a confusing mixture of happiness, shock, and…lust?

“Again?” he asks me in a low grumble.

I leave the question unanswered, putting one hand firmly on the back of his neck, the other over his heart, feeling that hard chest and rapid beat under my palm, and pull him hard against my lips. He groans and steps in so his body is flush against mine as I open to allow him free reign of my mouth. Our tongues tangle together, knowing each other just as Evan and I do.

My mind is racing as quickly as my pulse, but instinct takes over as my hands move all over him. His solid arms, firm shoulders, strong back…tight ass. I can’t feel enough of him in this moment and lose myself to the desire consuming me. His sweet murmurs along my neck, jaw, in my ear spur me on, almost to the point of no return, until loud squeals from the party rip through our haze.

All at once, I remember where we are and that anyone could walk upon us. It also shames me that I was careless enough to leave Kaitlyn alone this whole time while I fondle my best friend in a field, so I regretfully pull back. Evan’s eyes take a while to slowly open and find mine, but in them I see everything I need to, overpowering any inkling I might have had about regret or embarrassment. In those blue pools, there’s no second guessing, these are not the eyes of my “friend.” I know my Evan, and he
liked
it. I
really
liked it, beyond my wildest dreams that I never had.

“Come on,” I say almost painfully, “we have to get back and check on Kaitlyn.”

His shoulders slump and he rolls his eyes, but finally grabs my hand and interlaces our fingers. We’ve held hands a million times, but never like this. It feels good, I feel secure, but most of all—I start to believe what people have said here and there in recent years…I feel beautiful.

Evan tugs on my hand slightly, slowing me up some, and turns me to him. “Laney,” he barely whispers, “can you do one thing for me? “

 He could say climb Mt. Everest right now and I’d agree. The look on his face is so sexy and now that I know how that mouth feels…wait, what was the question?

“Yessss?”
Am I flirting?

“Can we pretend you’re really mine, just mine, Evan Mitchell Allen’s, at least for tonight?”

I think of the gentle hand on my cheek, the soft then rougher kiss, the protection from Matt, the #14 on his back every week, the Disney movie marathons, and I say, without a doubt in my mind, “with pleasure.”

 The smile that spreads across his face and the fist pump I doubt he realizes he’s just thrown assure me I should feel as good about my answer as I do.
At least for tonight
…is that all I want? All he wants? I refuse to overanalyze right now; this is new, overwhelming, and exhilarating…I’m just gonna ride this wave without worrying; there’s a first time for everything.

I’m not sure which of us sets the pace for the walk back, but neither speeds it up. Once back, still hand in hand, I immediately notice that Kaitlyn is slow dancing with Matt, so she’s definitely way past drunk, or maybe he used a better line on her. Whatever. As long as I can see his hands, I’ll let her enjoy herself. Evan nudges me, so I look up.

“Dance with me?” Evan asks with an eyebrow raised and sexy plea in his eyes.

It’s “Big Green Tractor” by Jason Aldean in the background; we both love this song. I nod.

Evan sings the song softly in my ear as we dance. He has no idea what a good singer he is, and apparently my body just received the memo tonight as well. All the times we’ve cruised around together, singing at the top of our lungs, or played iPods while we fished…it
did not
have
this
effect on me. Why oh why could this not be the longest song ever written???

When the song ends, Evan guides us to settle in on staggered bales. Evan sits behind me and I lean back between his legs. He’s pressed against my back and his hands rest on my shoulders, hanging over slightly. His pinky moves up and down the outside of my arm, lightly, but I feel it.

Oh, do I feel it.

Turning my head to look back at him, I give him a smile. His own reflects back to me as much happiness as I’m feeling. It always feels good being around Evan, but something has shifted and now it feels even better. Consumed by these new stirrings and the cover of the night sky, I’m emboldened. I place my hand on his thigh and pull his leg in until it’s tight against me, hearing his sharp intake of breath. His body stiffens for a moment and then relaxes with his exhale.

“How long are we staying?” I ask quietly.

“We can leave whenever you’re ready. I’m only here because you are.” He tucks my hair behind one ear as he says it and I’ve never felt more feminine in my life.

“I’ll be right back,” I say as I get up to go wrangle Kaitlyn home.

I secure a ride for Matt, who again apologizes for his earlier behavior, probably because he and Kaitlyn think it’d be a great idea for her to ride with them; which I respond to with a laughing “hell no.”

Holding Kaitlyn up as we wait for Evan to bring the truck proves to be a challenge and I wonder how I’ll get her past my dad. Her rancid breath is really testing the duties of friendship right now…and if she pukes in Evan’s truck, Lord help her.

“Laney, did you have fun?!” Kaitlyn shrieks from the backseat when we’re finally loaded.

“I actually had one of the best nights of my life. Thanks for making me go,” I tell her, casting a sidelong glance at Evan. So worth it; the smile on his face as he reaches for my hand is one I will never forget.

“Me too, beautiful. Me too.”

Chapter 4

Hit or Miss

~Evan~

T
his is a huge risk, but it’s one I’m willing to take. Ever since I finally kissed Laney Jo Walker, fantasy and reality collided, and my two worlds will never be separate again. I’ve dreamed of kissing her since I was ten years old. I knew I’d never be the same when and if it ever happened. It isn’t.

Girls seem to throw themselves at you when you play ball, and temptation has gotten the better of me a time or two, but it’s never taken more than a couple days for the comparisons to mount up and my total focus to return to her, even if she’s oblivious to how I feel. She’s finally coming around and I have to push forward and never let her backtrack.

Now that I know those lips really are as sweet as honey and those hands are small but seeking, I can think of nothing else. And that little noise she makes in her throat when I touch her…my new weakness.

So here I am, sitting at the baseball field, about to ask Laney to prom.

She’s blown off every dance in history, but I can’t think of any better way to end our senior year, our long journey from youth to adult that we made together, than with her in my arms. I’ve thought long and hard about how to ask her; this plan speaks her language. Her sweet little voice interrupts my thoughts.

“Evan, not to sound ungrateful, but you picked me up from the softball field to surprise me with the baseball field?”

She’s so ornery.

“Lovebug, don’t say anything until I’m done, okay?”

She says nothing and cocks an eyebrow.

“Prom tickets went on sale today, and I know you hate that kind of thing, but I’d be the luckiest man alive to take you. So…I have a proposition for ya.”

Still nothing. I see the wheels turning, though, I was counting on that.

“Now, I know you’d never back down from a bet with me,” I say, recalling that a lost bet resulted in her eating a worm when we were eleven, “and I also know you’d never welch on one, so let’s leave it up to fate. If I can strike you out, you go to prom with me. You hit off me, I’ll drop it.”

Still nothing.

And still…

“Ok, I’m done, say something.”

“You’re on.”

Almost all in one motion, she jumps out, grabs her bag, tightens her ponytail, and then heads to the field like a little wildcat. Adorable.

“Okay.” She smirks and taps her bat against the plate, popping out her butt further than usual in an attempt to distract me. “Show me whatcha got.”

I love when Laney’s like this, self-confident and playful, but I’m still gonna strike her ass out. Knowingly, I put the first pitch on the outside of the plate and she reaches, cutting through air; she can’t lay off those. She mumbles what I think is “bastard” and I chuckle, reaching down for another ball.

Her bat never leaves her shoulder with the next pitch and I ask her, arms out to my sides, “you gonna swing or stand there and look pretty?”

“That was low, ball one.”

“Ha!” I raise my brows at her. “You think I’m gonna let you call? That was perfect and you know it. Swing the bat, picky pants.”

A full count, thanks to her continued one-sided umping, and a clenched jaw later, I see my dreams dwindling before my very eyes. Her dad taught me how to pitch and her how to bat…probably should have thought that one out a little better. As the last pitch leaves my hand, sweat that I refused to wipe now dripping from my hairline, I know she’s got it. I’ve been in tune to her body language for years, and I’ve watched her go yard as many times as strike out…and as the ball sails by me and out of the park, there’s actual pain in my chest.

I start to load everything up as Laney rounds the bases. Oh yeah, there’s no way she wouldn’t run ‘em. I can’t even talk as I turn out the field lights and follow her to my truck.

She turns and gives me a grin over her shoulder. “No pouting.”

The drive home is dead silent and I ache. None too soon, we’re there. Just as I begin to drum up the voice to say goodnight, she turns in her open door and says, in the voice of an angel, “go with a tie the color of your eyes, it’s my favorite.”

Ornery.

Chapter 5

Bedfellows

~Laney~

T
he last few weeks have flown by; softball season ended and I survived dress shopping with Kaitlyn. Things are wonderful with Evan and me. We’ve always spent every lunch and tons of time together, but lately the hordes of girls at his locker have died down and he walks me to every class, now with his hand on my back or tangled in mine.

Apparently today is another new chapter, because as I’m getting my books out of my locker at the end of the day, I feel his arms slip around my waist. His breath tickles my neck as he leans. “My girl ready for the weekend?”

We appear to do PDAs now, and surprisingly, I’m just fine with that, so I turn in his arms, sliding mine around his neck. “Ready when you are.”

I blush at my own boldness, but I just can’t resist. Evan makes me feel safe to be whoever I want, anytime, and that person is evolving. That inner woman is starting to think that sometimes, if you feel like kissing, you should pucker up like it’s your last. Every once in a while, getting whisked away in a moment feels nice; real nice.