And there’s not a chance in hell I’ll ever end up like them. She’s it for me. No doubt in my mind.
She looks up at me as we step out into the cold night air, her curls dancing in the wind. “You okay?” she asks.
I nod. “More than okay.”
“I’m so proud of you,” she says, her eyes sparkling in the night sky.
I grin, the adrenaline still buzzing through my veins, but it’s nothing compared to the way she makes me feel. “You have noidea how much I needed to hear that.” I slide my arm around her waist, tugging her in until there’s barely any space between us. My voice drops as I look down at her. “And I can’t wait to show you how much I love you tonight.”
Her breath hitches and I lean in, about to kiss her when a loud groan cuts through the moment.
“Jesus Christ,” Coach mutters. “I’m standingright here. Gonna need to bleach my ears after that.”
He unlocks his car and opens the passenger door.
Mrs. Hayes slides in with a smile, catching our eyes just before the door closes. She gives us a warm, knowing look, like she remembers exactly what it’s like to be young and crazy in love.
Isabella hides her grin, and I wrap my arm around Isabella again, pulling her close as we watch them drive off.
“Maybe next time, we wait until we’re out of earshot,” she says, still smirking.
I kiss her temple. “Nah. Let him suffer.”
And in that moment, with her by my side, warm under my arm, I know nothing could ruin this moment.
Not a damn thing.
42
ISABELLA
The bar is loud, packed with people, but all I can focus on is the warmth of Ryan beside me. His arm rests along the back of my seat, fingers playing absentmindedly with the ends of my hair like he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it.
I’ve never had this before.
My last relationship had been secrets and whispers. But this? Sitting beside Ryan, with his hand in my hair, and his thigh pressed against mine, it’s the kind of thing I never thought I’d get.
And I’m so damn glad that he’s the first person I get to have it with.
Ryan leans closer, his breath warm against my cheek. “You keep staring at me,” he murmurs, a smirk tugging at his lips. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re obsessed.”
I snort, elbowing him lightly. “And if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you like it.”
His grin is slow, easy, as he shifts, his lips brushing against my ear. “I do.”
A little shiver runs down my spine. We’ve been together for months now, but I still feel flutters around him, like it’s the first time he kissed me in that locker room.
“I like this,” I admit softly. “Being with you. Out in the open.”
His fingers tighten ever so slightly in my hair, and he shifts closer, his thumb brushing the back of my neck in a way that makes my brain short-circuit.
“Yeah?” he murmurs.
I nod.
For a second, neither of us moves. We just sit there, the noise of the bar buzzing around us while we’re in our own little bubble. Then Ryan leans in and kisses me. The kind of kiss that makes me forget everything except the feel of his lips and the way my fingers curl in the fabric of his shirt like I don’t ever want to let go.
We don’t get far before Nathan groans beside us.
