Page 77 of Catching Feeling

My parents walk over at that moment, and thankfully they do because my resolve is gone.

Not a single fucking strand of restraint left.

Rosie squeals, twirling her handkerchief in the air with fervor. “Let’s gooooo! I’ve been waiting all night for this,” she yells when the music starts. She loops her arm in Viv’s, and Mom joins them. They take off in the line, leaving me back with Dad.

I can’t take my eyes off Viv as she laughs, dancing until her cheeks are flushed red.

I love seeing her so happy.

I’m enjoying this entirely too much. Seeing her blend in so seamlessly with my family, ingraining herself in a tradition my family has had for as long as I can remember. It feels like she fits, a perfect piece of the puzzle.

“You told her yet?” Dad says with a smile as we walk. My brow furrows.

“Told her what?”

He chuckles, his deep brown eyes that are the same as mine flickering with something I can’t place. “That you’re crazy about her.”

“Dad…” I start but trail off because I don’t know what to say. It’s not like he knows about our arrangement and how it’s supposed to just be friends with benefits. Not a conversation I really want to have with him. Because I want more than just sex with Viv. I want it all. Do I admit that I’m falling for her?

“Never seen you like this with anyone, son,” he says, a soft tilt to his mouth. “You don’t have to talk to me about it if you’re not ready, but I see the way you look at her. You look at her the way I used to look at your mom when I was your age.”

Part of me is afraid to feel this way about Viv. To have such strong feelings about a girl who may never feel the same way. Not only that, but I’m graduating in May and headed to the minors. I don’t know where that would leave us, even if she did want to be with me. And given all that’s happening in her life, I know Viv needs security right now.

I’m scared I’ll fuck it all up.

“What happens when I leave? What happens if she never feels like I do?”

He shrugs. “You make it work. That’s what you always do when you love someone. You put in work and show up even when it’s hard. That’s what sets a relationship apart. Being vulnerable is part of what love is, son. It’s trusting another person to take care of your heart. It’s scary, the unknown, but it has to be a risk that you’re willing to take. That’s up to you to decide.”

I nod as my gaze flicks back to Viv, watching her holding my mom’s and sister’s arms as they dance.

“I think I know the answer,” I tell him, and he nods. I’m falling for a girl who may never feel the same.

It’s not like I can stop just because she might not ever feel the same. Because this doesn’t feel like a choice.

Dad claps me on the back, pulling me in for a quick hug once the second line ends, and Viv walks up, completely out of breath from dancing.

“God, my feet are going to fall off,” she whines with a pained look on her face. “I am not normally a heel kind of girl.”

Bending down, I reach under her dress and close my hand around her ankle, lifting it to unbuckle the strap from around it, then slide it off.

She sighs in relief. “Oh god. That feels so much better already.”

I do the same with the other shoe, dropping a chaste kiss against her ankle before grabbing both heels in one hand and reaching for my phone with my other. “Ready to head home? I’ll text the driver.”

“Yes. I wanna go say goodbye to Rosie first, and your parents.”

After texting the driver we’re ready, we walk over to Mom, Dad, and Rosie and say our goodbyes. They hug Viv and make her promise that they’ll see her soon, and fuck, I hope it happens.

We’re walking toward the exit when I turn to her. “Hop up, Sweet Tart. I’ll carry you out so you don’t have to walk on the concrete with your feet hurting.”

“Stop being so sweet. It makes me want to fuck your brains out.” She smirks and climbs on my back, looping her arms around my neck while I hike her higher. I feel her lips against my ear when she murmurs, “I’ve been thinking about it since you ate me out in that room.”

She licks the shell of my ear and giggles when a deep groan sounds from my chest.

This fucking girl.

“Just wait until I get you home, Sweet Tart. You’ll be tapping out after the second round. I’ve got lots of plans for your pussy.”

---