Page 116 of Honeysuckle
I couldn’t even believe he had let it go on for so long that when he finally broke away I stayed there, leaning forward with my arm out suspended in time trying to catch my breath.
“Get dressed, Tuck. I’m starving,” he said, pressing the shirt against my chest before grabbing his bag. He left me dumbfounded and scrambling into my shirt, chasing after him as his sneakers echoed down the hall toward the parking lot.
I tossed my bag in the back of my Jeep and watched as he silently mirrored my movements and climbed into his side. There were a few cars at Hilly’s including Van’s truck and Cael’s stupid blue Subaru that should have been at the dump. Josh held the door open for me and wandered inside.
“Up.” I pointed to the stairs when he paused at the size of the crowd inside. Usually after games the students would flood down the hill for drinks and either ended up here or Delta. But the loft was for the teams, it wouldn’t be as busy and Josh wouldn’t feel so caged.
He took the stairs and his shoulders relaxed a little when he saw that only two of the eight tables upstairs were crowded with the team. Van had Zoey in his lap as he argued with Jensen over comic book characters that I couldn’t name even if I tried.
Cael rested against the side talking to Arlo with his arms crossed when we walked up to the table. "Where’s Clem?” I asked him as he unfolded himself and smiled at me.
“She abandoned me for work.” He pouted like a child.
Josh shook his head and pulled up a nearby chair, straddling it backward as I shoved Van deeper into the booth and leaned in on my elbows.
“Abandoned.” Ella snorted. "You’re so dramatic.”
“It’s part of the charm,” Cael sighed in his massive hoodie and loose shorts. “Didn’t expect to see Grumpy Bear make a Hilly’s appearance.” He reached out to tug on one of Josh’s curls and was met with a snarl.
“Touch me and you’ll lose that finger, Cody,” he warned and Cael returned to his insufferable pouting when he realized he had no one to tease.
“Let’s play pool.” Cael bumped Arlo, and he shrugged, pushing from the table as Kelly came around with water and let us order some food. Josh stole their spot in the booth as more of them left to join the game, leaving us alone to wait for our orders.
I watched them all goof around, laughing and fighting as they played. I could be up against all the worst imaginable things and still feel like I could accomplish them if I could just remember how I felt in that moment. Watching them celebrate as a family, all of them happy and filled with so much love. I started to laugh when it hit me, I had it… I had what Cael was talking about.
I turned to Josh. “Will you be my date to the Gala?” I asked him.
“What?” he stopped, looking away from the pool table to meet my gaze.
“The Gala that the school hosts to raise money, it’s hosted at the stadium…everyone gets dressed up and gets drunk. We let old ladies hit on us all night so they’ll give the team money for shit,” I explained turning on the booth so I was properly facing him.
“I know what a fundraiser is, Tuck, we did them at Lorette,” Josh huffed and went still as Kelly put two plates on the table. “The Shores host that don’t they?” He asked when she was out of earshot.
“No, well…” I swallowed tightly, he was going to say no to me. “Kind of, they’re usually there.”
“I don’t think so. I—” he turned and focused on his food, his jaw set tightly. It was an entire two minutes before he spoke again and holding my breath was going to kill me. “We aren’t going as friends,” he said, not looking at me.
“What?” I asked, confused.
“It’s a public event, and if you want to go, we aren’t going as friends. We go as boyfriends or we don’t go at all.”
I smiled. "Is that all?”
Josh turned to look at me with shock twisted among his normally angry expressions.
“I can do it,” I said. "If that’s what you’re worried about.”
“You haven’t even told Cael.” He pointed to my best friend with his head, the anger seeping back in to take control
“I don’t have to tell Cael!” I fought to control my tone. "He’s known the second you stepped on the bus for camp. He’s the reason we’re in this mess,” I said a little quieter. “You’re only setting that stipulation because you thought I wouldn’t do it,” I challenged.
“I know you won’t,” he argued and shoved some fries in his mouth. “It’s been two weeks since the party at Delta and you haven’t said a word to any of them aboutus.”
I laughed. "Half of campus has seen my dick, the other half saw my ass. I’m not scared to tell my friends.”
He stared at me like I was insane but I could see the violent doubt swimming behind his eyes. “Are you seriously bent up about this?” I sighed, I understood his frustration but he wasn’t seeing the truth. I stood from the bench onto the table as Josh slid his plate out of the way to protect it from my sneakers.
“What are you doing, Tucker?” Arlo was the first to notice me.
