Page 86 of The Facade

Cambrielle:Ava got me hooked.

I chuckled and went to order her drink from the soda counter in the back.

Carter’s truck was nowhere to be seen by the time I made it outside with Cambrielle’s drink and a bag of sunflower seeds.

“You can probably climb into the passenger seat and ride like a normal person,” I told Cambrielle, setting her drink in the console beside me.

“Finally.” She sighed. “My legs were starting to cramp up.”

It took her a moment to get off the floor, but eventually, she slipped out the back door and climbed into the passenger seat beside me.

“Whew,” she said, leaning against the seat and pushing some of her hair out of her face. “That was close.”

I chuckled. “Apparently, this secret relationship thing is going to be more exciting than we expected.”

She grabbed her seatbelt from behind her. “Apparently.”

“Your drink.” I offered her the soda cup once she was buckled in.

“Thanks.” She took it from me and took a long sip from it. “Ah, this is so good. Thank you.”

“Anything for my partner in crime.”

We drove back to the school, and despite it being an overcast day, the clouds had parted enough that we could see the sun setting behind the trees on our way.

“Where are you parked?” I asked when we pulled into the student parking lot again.

“That way.” Cambrielle pointed to where her red Mercedes was parked next to a tall, mostly naked tree.

I pulled into the spot next to her car and put my SUV in park. “We made it back.”

“Finally,” she said with a little laugh.

“How’s your drink?” I asked, eyeing the Styrofoam cup that she’d been sipping on the whole drive back.

“Delicious.” She held the cup out to me. “Wanna taste?”

“Sure.” But instead of taking her cup and putting the straw in my mouth, I set it in one of the cupholders and pulled her in for a kiss.

Her lips curved up into a smile as I kissed her. She whispered, “I was hoping you’d do that.”

I chuckled and kissed her again. After tasting her mouth for a few seconds, I pulled away and said, “Yes, that coco-raspberry Dr. Pepper is delicious.”

She laughed. “Maybe you’ll have to get yourself one next time.”

“Nah.” I shook my head. “I think I prefer experiencing it this way.”

I pushed the button to unbuckle her seatbelt and slid my hand behind her waist to pull her onto my lap.

She squealed on her way over the console and her butt bumped against the car horn, making us both laugh, but then she settled in on my lap and we were kissing again.

“You’re not worried about anyone seeing us?” Cambrielle asked between kisses. “Because the front windows aren’t tinted, you know.”

I reclined my seat to a forty-five-degree angle. “Better?” I asked, nodding at the tinted window that was hiding our faces. “Does that give you enough privacy?”

“That’s much better.” When she leaned forward and brushed her lips against mine, my stomach filled with butterflies.

I slid one hand into her hair, the other hand going to her hip and squeezing. I loved the little bit of softness she had there. Loved it not just because I was a butt guy and had always been more attracted to girls with a little junk in their trunk, but because it told me she was taking better care of herself than she used to—allowing her body to just be normal and healthy and not starving herself to fit an impossible ideal the media and dancing world had her buying into.

---