Starless Nights (Hale Brothers Series Book 2) (25 page)

HE HASN’T CALLED me. I thought that he would. We got along so well at his place for dinner. Ali tells me that he’s been busy with school and tennis, but still, I thought that I would hear from him by now. I know it’s only been a couple of days, but if you like someone, shouldn’t you call them?

Then again, I haven’t called him either . . .

Lying on my bed, in my mind, I replay Beau kissing me goodnight after dinner at his loft, and my heart squeezes.

Standing by his front door, I looked up at him, and felt a current pass between us. The silence was electrically charged and the longer we stood there facing each other, the stronger it felt. With hesitation mixed into his hooded eyes, I watched as he rocked up on his toes, and then took that final step into me, pushing me back up against the wall. Cautiously, he leaned forward and placed both of his hands next to my shoulders trapping me in, his beautiful eyes never leaving mine.

I don’t know if I have ever been more aware of him than I was in that moment.

Slowly, he lowered and tucked his head into the nape of my neck. My eyes drifted shut at the sensation of his warm breath tickling each and every nerve ending, as he breathed in and out. My hands landed on his ribcage and slid down to his waist. Time passed and eventually we both relaxed into each other.

His head turned and his mouth softly latched on to my neck, sucking it in slightly. His tongue brushed against my skin, and I exhaled a moan and a shiver at the same time.

He shifted, leaned forward, and his chest brushed up against mine. His heartbeat was thundering through his chest and I was elated to see that this was affecting him as much as it was me.

One hand leaves the wall and wraps around my lower back. He pulls us tighter together and he kisses the spot directly under my ear. His lips are warm and the softness of his hair brushes my cheek. I love being close to him. In his arms, wrapped up around him, he’s the only one that I have ever wanted this from.

Pulling back, I search and memorize his beautiful face. The whiskey color of his eyes that are usually shining at me, have deepened to a brown. His cheeks are pink and his lips are already parted and ready for mine.

Slowly, he leans in and kisses me. His lips are full and his kiss is so gentle, so tender, so affectionate that a lump forms in the back of my throat and I feel my eyes prick with tears.

Beau has always had this way about him where he could give me just one look and I would instantly feel stripped and raw. He can see through every layer that is in me, like no one else can. It’s moments like this where I know that I made the wrong decision all those years ago. I should have confronted him and demanded to know why he didn’t show up. Why he didn’t keep his promise.

His kiss doesn’t stay gentle for long, but then again, it’s Beau and it wouldn’t. Beau is a very passionate person, which in turn makes him very tenacious. When he wants something, he takes it, unapologetically, and I love that about him. Years ago, he lit the flame between us and as his lips press harder and his tongue pushes deeper, the heat inside of me erupts.

Arching my back into him, both of his hands slid down my backside, lifting to press me into the wall.

And press he does. I can feel all the best parts of him as my legs and arms wrap around him. If I had my way, I’d never let go.

My phone dings, pulling me out of the memory. I look down to see it’s Ali. She’s asking if I have plans tonight. Deciding to take things into my own hands, I answer yes, without any explanation.

Pulling up the match schedule for Columbia, I find that Beau has a game tonight. I need to see him and I don’t know any other way to. I need to see if he has been thinking of me and is just slightly preoccupied or if he has moved on.

Charlie thinks that I should just go back over to his loft, but he’s wrong. He doesn’t know Beau like I do. If Beau wanted me to come over, he would ask. He’s always been very private with his space, and showing up unannounced, I’m afraid would upset him.

The sports complex is packed. I’m relieved because I don’t want him to know that I am here. I just want to be able to watch him.

Over the last couple of months, Beau has become a big name here on campus. He is undefeated and has earned the backing of most of the student body. All around me are girls and every one of them is talking about how gorgeous he is.

The announcer calls his name and the crowd explodes. Adrenaline is coursing through me; partly, because I am excited to be here, and partly because there is no way to not get caught up in the energy of this place.

The coin is tossed and it lands in Beau’s favor. He smirks at his opponent and chooses to receive. Everyone in this place knows that Beau is exceptional when it comes to serving, but being undefeated, he’s trying to unnerve and intimidate his opponent. For a brief second, there was confusion on the poor guy’s face, but he quickly masked it. Beau crosses his arms over his chest and his smile grows. He saw it too.

The umpire hands a ball to the opponent. He walks to the center of his baseline, and bounces it while tracking Beau. Beau tosses his racket between his hands and shifts his weight from side to side. He is in the zone and he smirks again at the poor guy across the net from him.

The opponent tosses the ball high, the racket comes down, and the set begins. Within five minutes the umpire calls ‘love-30’. This match isn’t going to last long.

It’s been a good year and a half since I have watched Beau play, and it’s easy for me to see how much he has grown into this sport. He makes it look so easy and effortless.

The second set ends and he walks to the sidelines to get a drink of water. He picks up his towel, runs it over his face and neck, and freezes. He looks straight up into the stands and right at me.

How did he know I was here? Heat spreads up my neck and into my cheeks. I feel busted for doing something wrong, even though I’m not.

Our eyes are lock and he takes my breath away. Slowly, I lift my hand, give a small wave, and a smile. He smiles back and my eyes fill with tears, tears of relief.

In high school I used to go to his matches but he never knew. Only once did he see me, but then he didn’t smile, he scowled. After that, I sat in a different place and he never saw me again. I saw him look up to that spot where I used to sit at every match though.

“Wait for me,” he mouths.

I nod my head thinking that I would wait for him, forever.

He smiles at me one more time and then puts his competitor face back on.

“Hey, do you know him?” The girl behind me taps on my shoulder and asks.

That’s such a loaded question. “Yep.” I answer without looking back at her.

“That’s awesome, how?” Her voice is louder. She’s leaned closer to me.

“We grew up together.”

“Wow, so you like really know him.”

“Yes, I do.”

Beau finishes the third set in record time and the match is called. The crowd cheers and I watch with pride as he smiles and waves. He glances at me once, winks, and then runs off to the locker room. One by one the people file out and leave, except the girls sitting behind me.

Twenty minutes later, Beau jogs out of the tunnel and on to the courts. He sees me and smiles from ear to ear. He’s wearing the same jeans from the other night and a plaid button down with the sleeves rolled up. His hair is wet and he looks so good.

Skipping up the stadium steps, he stops right in front of me, smiling. “Hi.”

“Hi. Nice win.” A breeze blows and the scent of fresh soap fills the air around me.

“Thanks, you know how it is.”

The girls from behind me giggle and he glances up at them.

“Hi,” he says, all three of them freeze.

“Can I have my picture taken with you?” I recognize the voice from the girl who was asking me the questions.

He laughs and looks at me. I shrug my shoulders. Turning around I see that the three girls are watching us very closely.

“Okay,” he says.

The girl jumps up and wraps her arm around him while her friend takes the photo.

“Thank you,” she says, while batting her eyelashes at him.

Her friends giggle again.

“No problem.” He looks back to me and holds out his hand. “Ready to go?”

I immediately take it and he links his fingers through mine. “Yes.”

Together we walk down the steps and away from the three girls. I know I shouldn’t feel this surge of pride that I do but I can’t help it. He didn’t even look twice at them. He was singularly focused on me.

“I didn’t know you were coming today, you should have called or texted me.”

“Maybe.”

He looks down at me and I know he understands. We don’t have that type of relationship where we pick up the phone to call each other. At least . . . not yet.

“If you come to any more will you let me know? I liked seeing you today.”

“Sure.”

He smiles again and his thumb rubs over the back of my hand.

“So, what do you want to do tonight?” I know I’m being presumptuous, but I want him to know that I want to spend time with him.

His hand tightens around mine and the butterflies take off.

“I have an idea but first I need to know if you are hungry. I’m starving.”

“I could eat.”

“Perfect.”

Together in silence we walk out of the stadium and he hails us a cab.

“Please take us to Canal and Mulberry Street. Drop us as close as you can to the feast.”

The cab driver nods his head and off we go.

“What’s the feast?”

“Oh, if you don’t know, I’m not telling you. You’ll have to wait and see.”

“Well, that’s not fair.”

He grins at me, wraps his arm around my shoulder, and pulls me closer to him. My hand lands on his thigh and that grin turns into a full smile. He’s so gorgeous. We’re in the cab for about fifteen minutes as it heads downtown. Neither one of us says anything, but it’s a familiar, comfortable silence.

After the cab driver drops us off, we walk two blocks down Canal, and I come to a complete stop. “Where are we?”

“Little Italy,” he says.

“I know that, but what is all this?”

Looking around I see that there are hundreds of people crammed into the street. Lights are arched over the road and street food vendors are lined up one after the other. Outside the restaurants, are little tables with red and white checkered table cloths, there’s music floating in the air, and overall the atmosphere is calling to me.

“It’s the Feast of San Gennaro. This feast is the longest running religious festival in the city. They do all this for eleven days.”

“How did you hear about this? I’ve been here over a year and it’s new to me.”

“I like food. Nate knows this and he told me about it. He’s from the Bronx and knows everything about the living in the city.”

“Sounds like a good friend to have.”

“He is. So, I know this is all a little cheesy and over the top, but I thought it would be fun and we’ll get to eat some great food,” he says, turning to face me.

“No, it’s perfect. Thank you for bringing me here.”

“One more thing . . .” He wraps his hands around my face, steps into me, and lowers his lips to mine. Standing in the middle of the street, under the festival lights, with old Italian music playing in the background, he kisses me and it’s a kiss that couldn’t have been more romantic.

Beau deepens the kiss just enough to not make it offensive in public, but enough to set off a thousand butterflies in my stomach. He takes my breath away.

Leaning his forehead against mine, he pulls back slightly, and I’m met with light colored hazel eyes. He smiles at me and runs his thumbs over my cheek bones.

“Yeah, so since the second I saw you from the courts, I’ve wanted to kiss you. It’s kind of all I’ve been thinking about.”

“Feel free to kiss me anytime you want.”

His smile grows and the corners of his eyes crinkle. “Okay.” He leans down again and brushes his warm lips against mine.

Beau is kissing me in public. In front of other people. Other than prom, we’ve never been anywhere or done anything in front of other people. My heart has wings, and at the moment, it is soaring.