Page 22 of Backroom Boy
She came out the back sliding door of her house, a pair of cut-off jean shorts and a skimpy red tank top that highlighted her bronzed skin. She had simple flip-flops on her feet, and though she looked nothing like the sorority girl I met that first night, I thought she looked even prettier just how she was. I remembered what Jayden said about loving someone and realized he’d been right. More than anything, I wanted to put a smile back on Delta’s face.
“Hey, Lukas.” She came to a stop in front of me, her hands twisting the little gold band rings around her fingers.
I hitched a thumb over my shoulder. “Want to go for a walk in the vineyard?”
She nodded, her expression looking nervous despite her casual words. “Sure!”
We headed out that way and I was aware of her beside me, her fruit scent tickling my nose. She stayed quiet until we got to the tree where I liked to work out. And then it was like she couldn’t stop, the words pouring faster than a bottle of the reserve merlot they kept in the back for special customers.
“Listen, I’m so sorry for not introducing you to my friends and making things super awkward. It’s just Natalie, the one with the big mouth, she’s just so flirty and she said some things about you on your motorcycle and I just wanted to get them out of there. And then Anna was looking you up and down and I wanted to pull her damn hair until she screamed. I mean, I know you and I are a thing and you wouldn’t have flirted back, but just the idea of them all over you made me a little crazy. So, I’m sorry.”
I put my hand on her arm and stopped her. “It’s okay. I get it now. I admit, I was hurt that you ran off so fast. Thought maybe you were ashamed to introduce me to your friends—”
“No! I promise—” Delta interrupted.
“But then I spent the weekend with my family and I squared things away in my head,” I finished.
“And?” She looked so worried, like she had no idea how much I felt things for her. And yeah, I’d tossed around the L word over the weekend, and while it still scared the crap out of me to say it, it didn’t make it any less true.
I tucked a hair behind her ear, drinking her in. “I’m in love with you, Delta.”
She sucked in a huge breath of air, the inhale shaky and long. Then she burst into a smile and gasped, her dimples winking in the fading sunlight. “Oh, thank God! I mean, I love you too, Lukas.”
She jumped into my arms and I caught her, spinning her around and almost taking out one of the grapevines. We both laughed and kissed, neither of us able to decide which we wanted to do more. I finally set her down on her feet and cupped her face.
“I know we can’t be together like we want right now, but you need to know I’m all in. I’m into you in every way a man can love a woman. You got me? I want forever with you, even if we can’t get started on it until after you graduate.”
A tear slid down her cheek and I caught it with my thumb. She nodded while blinking back tears. “Ditto. To all that.”
I grinned and then kissed her again, showing her exactly how much she meant to me. Most girls might think making out in a vineyard with the dirt and plants and insects a gross thing, but Delta had been raised on this land. It was her foundation, and she didn’t mind spending time making out in the field while the sun set into the horizon behind us. When we finally pulled away, I grabbed her hand and we went on that walk together.
She laid her head on my shoulder as we walked. “I told my friends about my computer program.”
“Bet they were proud of you.”
She nodded. “They were. They think I’m a bit weird, but they were proud of me just the same. I judged them a bit harshly, thinking they were all about the parties and boys, but they really care for me beyond all that.”
“Everyone deserves to have friends like that.” I kissed the top of her head. “That’s Dante for me. He’s been my friend through thick and thin.”
“I can’t wait to meet him.”
“And I can’t wait to officially meet your friends,” I reminded her.
She groaned.
“What? Too soon?” I teased her.
She poked me hard and we stopped to kiss because I couldn’t seem to keep my hands off her.
Delta pulled back and asked, “Do you still see me as a spoiled rich girl?”
“Do you see me as a poor kid with no prospects?” I countered.
“No!”
“Same goes for me. I may have teased you about the sorority girl thing, but you’re so much more than that, Delta. I’ve never met someone who I can share my every thought with. My hopes and dreams, and even my stupid ideas. And you amaze me every day with how much you know, what you can do when you set your mind to it. I’m so lucky to be with you, and though I don’t say it enough, I hope you always know that.”
Her hands gripped the bottom of my T-shirt, her eyes going from soft to firm in a matter of seconds. “We’re going to make this work. You hear me, Lukas Murphy?”
