Page 52 of Faking Forever 1
Accidentally. He’ll freak out in the best way possible, but I won’t be exposing a damn thing. I’ll let the universe do its job.
By the time Sierra had dropped me off it was fully dark out, but the stars and the mood were bright like a nightlight. It had cooled off recently outside, enough for me to wear my favorite jean jacket. I wasn’t dressed up for the movies and usually never do. I prefer feeling as cozy as I would at home—
otherwise, it would throw off the entire experience. Sitting in the cold theater, bunched up in an outfit you can barely breathe in. Sounds like agony.
The sound of a basketball hitting the concrete was all that filled my ears after she drove off. Taking my time, I follow the sound of the ball coming from the house next door to mine. I can hear Josh huffing and puffing as I count how many shots he makes in the hoop. He still didn’t notice me the closer I got—he didn’t even feel my presence. Stopping as I’ve got a front-row seat, I stand there, watching the one-person game. A good one, too. He’s my favorite player, shirtless and sweating.Thisis the eye candy I wanted in the movie.
He shoots one more ball, making it in, and catches it in his hands once it falls through the netted hoop. Swinging his body around, he bounces the ball a few more times, sounding winded by his jumping and running about. He managed to remain oblivious to me standing right there in his view, so I took that as my opportunity to have a little fun.
“My ball!” I run up to him, snatching the orange, leathery ball into my hands and turning my back to face him.
“You’re so sneaky!” He belts out a laugh, joining my 120
GONNA GET CAUGHT
taunting game. “You can’t beat me in ball, squirt!” He blocks me from behind, attempting to swat at the ball.
“If you’re so good, then how comeIhave the ball now?” I skip away, tossing my hair behind my shoulders.
I could feel him coming at me like a tornado, running at me. He scoops me up and throws me over his bare shoulder, gripping my thighs with his giant arms.
“I didn’t wanna have to drown you in my sweat, but you’re asking for it now,” he says, spinning me as he turns, walking into the grass of his front yard.
“Put me down, you big bruiser! When did you get this strong?!” I throw the ball in the grass and punch his back, useless in his arms.
He lays me on the ground and I land in a fluffy little grass bed—soft and freshly cut.
He drops to his knees, straddling me now. “What, now I can’t work out? You don’t like my overtly large biceps?”
He flexes each arm, shadowing above me in the street light ambiance like an estranged bodybuilder.
His armswereovertly large. Each arm is firm and roiling with mountain-like structures. Everything about him was twice my size. It makes me wonder what else about him is big as well—God forbid the present doesn’t match the size of the packaging. But with the way he talks, I’m sure it does.
“I never said that.” I lay there, looking at every part of his abs. “What if I do like it? And—or other things that I’m looking at.”
I reach out, tracing a smaller tattoo near his v-line. I start picking out different ones and feeling them. His arms drop to his sides and then his hands land in the grass on each side of me.
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“What if I likeotherthings, too? What do we do about that?”
he asks in a sotto voice, nearing his face to mine.
“I…don’t know. I haven’t gotten that far.” I can barely get my words out as he inches closer until our noses are touching.
He’s breathing right into my mouth as if I need to be seduced more than I already am.
“Well, that’s just too bad, I guess.” He pulls away, just a sliver, kissing my now warm, flushed cheek, barely missing my lips. He lingers there.
As soon as I’m comfortable, he pulls his lips away, easing his body away from mine. We both watch an unfamiliar car pull into my driveway, revealing a rambunctious Tate. He laughs and waves the car off. As a response, the driver speeds off, leaving him in the dust. We watch him stare at us while walking up the red brick pathway to the door.
“You two should get a room. I heard you were dating, but I didn’t want to believe it,” he sneers, raising his upper lip in disgust. “Gross,” he adds, walking to the front door.
Josh looks back down at me, lifting himself from my hips and sitting beside me in the grass.
He smiles wide. “I didn’t know we’d be disturbing the neighbors tonight.” He chuckles, watching me lift myself to sit up.
