Page 11 of Still Here Without You

“I’ll be there.” I wink as she walks away.

God, it’s fun to tease her. I might actually miss her when it’s all done.

Chapter Four

Delilah

“Higher!Iknowyoucan go higher,” our cheer coach yells for the tenth time. “Josie, you need to make sure you’re boosting her correctly, or she’ll never get there.”

Josie’s face falls. She’s exhausted; we’re all exhausted. We’ve been running through this routine for the past week, and there’s always something off. Yesterday, the timing was off on the split-lift, the day before, we kept fucking up our transitions, and today…today we’re struggling with our switch up. We can’t seem to get it in sync. I’m a flyer, which means I’m one of the ones currently getting yelled at. I can’t even tell if it’s me or Chelsie that’s off. Or maybe we both are. Either way, we don’t seem to be getting the same height, and that’s really pissing our coach off…understandably.

“Okay, let’s take a five-minute break and then try it a couple more times.” I bend over to catch my breath as though her words are my permission to fall apart. Only that’s definitely not the case. There’s a collective groan from the girls because while five minutes sounds great, what she means is that we’ll practice something else for five minutes and then try the switch up again, prolonging the overall time we’re here.

It takes us three more tries before we finally find our groove and then another two run-throughs to prove it wasn’t a fluke. Showered and changed, I’m dragging my feet as I leave the stadium. If we don’t start getting our shit together, we’re never going to be ready for the first game, but we’re all so freaking tired that we’re making stupid mistakes.

I’ve got my head down, not watching where I’m walking, when a hand grips my arm. I look up just as I’m pulled out of the path of a pole a couple of steps in front of me.What the fuck is wrong with me these days?I sheepishly thank the girl for helping me, and I’m grateful she offers me a warm smile instead of the attitude I was expecting. Quickly looking around to make sure no one else saw my mishap, I notice Joel moving toward the parking lot, helmet in hand. This is the first time I’ve seen him in the wild, and I can’t stop myself from watching him. He raises his hand in a half wave at someone he passes but is otherwise focused on the path in front of him. Yet almost everybody looks his way. He has this presence about him that’s difficult to explain but one that definitely draws you in. It’s like he has an invisible force field, and once you’re inside, he owns you. It makes me want to know more about him, everything about him…that is, until I think about the other side of Joel. The one that loves pushing my buttons and driving me crazy. Maybe it’s best to keep things on task.

Another week passes and I find myself still wanting to know more about Joel, while also trying to push him from my mind. The image of him walking across campus plays on repeat and I have to wonder why that is. The last thing I need is more shit on my mind. With cheer, my studies, and a fashion internship I’m up for, my brain is at capacity. I don’t need any more distractions.

“So, how many more of these sessions do we have to do?” Joel asks as he wanders into the room at the beginning of our sixth session, breaking my thoughts. For the last three weeks, we’ve been playing this game, and I love it. We both know we enjoy each other’s company, and God, it’s fun to rile each other up.

“Aw, sick of me already? You know the number of sessions correlates to how good of a tutor you are, right?” I say, watching Joel get the textbook from his bag on the floor. As he squats down, his calves flex, and I can’t take my eyes off them. I’m a leg girl, through and through, and may or may not have a slight fascination with watching leg muscles in action. I can easily watch a man running all day.Although, a man’s abs…never mind.

Joel looks up at me from his position in amusement. The movement pulls my gaze to his lips just in time to watch his smirk appear. “Wrong. It’s completely based on how good you are as a student.”

When I catch up with the conversation, my brows furrow. “That can’t be true. I’ve proven to be an A student, and yet…here we are.” I wave my hand around the room.

“Right, well…when’s your final?” he says, sitting up and flipping to the chapter we were up to.

“Next Friday.”

“Fingers crossed for then.”

I cross my fingers on both hands and raise them in the air with a fake grin. “All right, let’s get going so I can pass this test and be done with you.”

“Hardy har! We both know you love spending time with me.”

I burst out laughing even though he’s actually right, but hardy har?What?

“Hardy har? Really?”

“Gonna be honest, it sounded much cooler in my head. But once it was out there, I was committed.” He shrugs as I burst out laughing a second time.

“I guess it’s good to know you don’t shy away from the awkward.”

“Definitely not; I revel in it.” He straightens up, puffing out his chest as though he’s proud of himself. “I mean, if I didn’tlikeawkward,I wouldn’t be here.”

“Hardy har,” I say, grinning when his head flies backward, and a loud obnoxious cackle escapes his mouth. Though I’ll never admit it, I will definitely be sad when these sessions are over. I’ve grown fond of a little Joelle back-and-forth.

We’ve been deep in the pits of hell for about forty-five minutes when my phone vibrates on the hard melamine surface. As soon as I see the name flash across the screen, I dive for it, not even caring that Joel is midsentence.

“Hello, Delilah speaking,” I say politely as I angle myself away. I should leave the room, but I’m too nervous to move.

“Delilah, hi. It’s Courtney from the internships office at Miles/Harding. Do you have a moment?”

“Yes, of course,” I say, chancing a quick look at Joel. He’s staring at me with an expression full of shock, annoyance, and something else I can’t figure out.

“We’ve finally shortlisted the applicants for the Madison Wills design internship, and I’m pleased to say you’re in the top ten. We will be announcing our final choice after this week’s board meeting. Congratulations.”Top ten!I want to yell and cheer, but instead, I maintain my calm demeanor and respond.

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