Page 6 of How We Loved

He turns back to me in question. “And you gave it to him?”

“Yes. It’s pretty common for people our age,” I bite back. “I remember girls giving their number to you a time or two before.”

He huffs. As he starts to walk again, he says, “I don’t like it.”

I laugh. “Well, I don’t give a shit. Now, squat down so I can hop on.”

Even though I can tell he’s annoyed, he does as I asked and leans down far enough so I can hop on his back. He carries me out of the school like he always does, and we all head to the parking lot.

As Ben places me back on my feet, Ashley turns to me to ask, “Are you going with Ben, or do you want to ride with us girls?”

At the beginning of the school year, if someone had asked me this question, it would have been the dumbest question ever, as I always rode with Ben, but now that Dalton is dating Natalie and Ashley is with Marcus, it’s been fun, having more girls in my life.

I look at Ben, who’s got a sad puppy-dog expression on his face, though I can tell he’s trying to hide it as he waits for me to tell them my answer. He’d never come out and say I should ride with him—he lets me make my own decisions—but I can tell he needs a friend right now.

“I’ll catch a ride with Ben. See you guys there,” I respond as I walk to the passenger side of his truck.

He hops in and gives me the cheesiest grin as he cranks the engine. “What should we listen to?”

After games, he’s pumped as we head to the after-party that’s always held at his house. His family has a massive barn that’s been turned into our own personal hangout.

I laugh, knowing he wants to listen to “For the Glory” by All Good Things. The song is about winning the game, and he loves when it talks about the whole city screaming out our name.

“Why are you even asking me? You know what you’re going to put on,” I tease him.

He chuckles under his breath. “You’re right.”

He clicks on the song on his phone, and the techno beat starts.

He sings out, “Better back down, you’re in my domain.”

Our town might be small, but when TimeLand moved here, the town expanded up into the hills, where we all live, so our drive home is a few minutes from our school.

It’s not uncommon for us to drive in silence as we listen to the radio, but I’m surprised when Ben reaches over and grabs my hand. He doesn’t look my way or acknowledge that he does so, but that doesn’t matter to me.

I can tell by the way he keeps blinking that he’s thinking about the words his coach said and how this was his last football game. He might act big and tough, but I know, deep down, he’s my big teddy bear. I’m glad I can be here for him when he needs that little bit of comfort, no matter how much he fights showing it.

He keeps my hand in his the rest of the way home and doesn’t let go until we arrive at his house, giving me a gentle squeeze as his silent thank-you before lifting his arm to put the truck in park.

We climb out of his truck, only to be greeted by everyone who followed us here. I head toward Ashley’s car, and Ben walks straight to the barn to open it up, going right back to being the life of the party, but knowing I’ll be here if he needs me.

CHAPTER TWO

Maya

I walk into the barn with Natalie, Ashley, and Susie, only to be greeted by Ben on top of the pool table, playing his celebration song once again, this time with all the guys bouncing around him as well.

“He truly is one of a kind,” Natalie says, laughing at his antics.

I smile. “That he is.”

Out of the three guys, Ben is definitely the most outgoing. He’s never afraid to be his true self, and everyone at school eats it up. He’ll be the first to admit that he loves the attention though, so it fits him perfectly.

The song ends, and he fist-bumps everyone before jumping off the table and heading to the couches, where we hang out.

He plops down on our spot with his eyes closed, his head back, and his arms wide open, like he’s taking in the entire moment, letting it wash over him like someone just doused him with a bucket of warm water.

I kick his leg to get his attention. “Comfy?”

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