Page 83 of College-Virgin & Dark Bully Next-Door

Once my opponent is down, I throw my hands up victoriously. After one bounce, I help the guy up, give him a fist bump, then spit out my mouthpiece and tear at the Velcro with my teeth. Sky holds up the camera as I meet her eyes and snaps a picture.

One step closer to the finale.

Adrenaline courses through my veins, making me invincible and sure. Sure that I want to throw her over my shoulder caveman style, claim her as my own, and drag her to the nearest private place.

But sanity returns. I ditch my gloves in my locker, get through a shower, change and find Sky waiting for me just outside the door. I tug her towards me and kiss her right there. She pushes against my chest, checking the hallway.

“Be careful.”

“So you keep saying,” I murmur. “I’ll grab us food and meet you back at your place?”

“Yes, please.”

Sky pecks my lips, then a bruise on my jaw before walking away. I watch her, see her glance over her shoulder and wink before heading to my own car. She used to be a sucker for Taco Bell, so I take a chance and order half the menu for us since I know I’m going to eat a healthy amount.

Parking at my house, I dash across the yard and knock on her door. She opens it, glances at the stairs, then pulls me inside. Her finger presses against her lips. I nod, and we creep up the stairs. She edges by a door, her parents’ room, I think, then we get to her room, with the door shut and locked.

“Is there anything on the menu you didn’t buy?” She stares at the huge bag.

“I’m a growing boy. Hush.” I tap her nose. “Eat whatever you want.”

She inhales two tacos and hands me a soda from her mini fridge because, of course, she has one. We eat in silence, but then she turns the TV on and sits back against her bed. “You fought well. Really well.”

“I had incentive,” I say. “Going to share anything else about this silent week?”

“Ash, it’s …” She undoes her braid. “Do you really want to know when we could be making out or un-making my bed?”

“Yes. I want to know you, Sky. You’re my girlfriend, remember?”

So she tells me, after a very long stretch of thinking. Tells me all about how her dad seemed fine, but then he brought up her leaving and shut down. How he fought with Chase, then went out to drink. How he came home saying he’d do anything for her to stay, even be better. She digs her fists into her eyes until I pull her hands away.

Tears spill over, and I drag her into my lap. She cries into my shirt and clutches me. “I feel stupid crying.”

“Why?”

“I’m not a kid.”

“Adults cry all the time. It’s healthy to cry,” I assure.

She doesn’t argue. She pulls herself together way too quickly and rubs my sides. “It’s making me second-guess everything. The internship. That photography club I want to join. Going to Arizona, period. Would online classes be terrible? I could stay here. He’d get better if I put more effort into helping him. I mean, freshman year, do I really need to beatschool?”

“Yes,” I whisper, even though I’d love for her to stay. “You absolutely do.”

“You don’t want me to stay?”

“I would love to have more time with you.” Because I fucking hate the idea of her not being right next door to me. “But college is important. Not just for school but for you as a person.”

“I could go to one closer.”

“You chose that school for a reason. Your mentors, remember? You’ll regret missing out on that opportunity if you don’t go.”

She groans and clutches my face between her hands. “Why can’t you just be a shitty selfish boyfriend and tell me to stay?”

“Sorry. I’ll be a pissy boyfriend for you later, bringing up this long ass silence and how well you talked about it and holding you to that standard from now on,” I warn. “Apparently, I’m insecure as fuck.”

“You? You’re a demigod.”

“Which you don’t give a shit about.” I tap her nose. “Or you would have welcomed me with a hug on day one.”

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