Stupid Girl(55)

Across the parking lot I saw Brax jogging in my direction, and my heart took a dip. He had such an easy lope; effortless and weightless at the same time as he maneuvered through other students headed to their vehicles. Most of the mist had lifted, but there still lingered a haze that made everything seem surreal. Brax wore his Winston baseball cap, ripped jeans, a white tee shirt, and distressed boots as he ran straight up to me where I stood at the end of the walkway. Without hesitation he flipped his hat around, grasped my face between his hands, and those ethereal blue eyes flashed. Just before he slanted his lips over mine. Oh, dear God …

I melted against him, my hands against his chest keeping me upright, and as I inhaled I drew in his fresh-showered soapy scent. His fingers gripped my scalp, he nudged my mouth open, and his tongue swept against mine, tasted and played. Pulling back, he looked down at me, and his hands came to rest on my hips. A smile quirked his expression. “I couldn’t get here fast enough to do that.”

Two girls walked by then, their gaping gazes on me, but Brax’s strong fingers slipping through mine drew my attention back to only him. He gave me quick kiss on the nose. “You ready to head to class?” He dropped his arm over my shoulder and pulled me close to him. “You’re not saying anything, Gracie.”

“I’m trying to breathe,” I finally managed.

Brax laughed and tugged me up the walkway. “I could listen to you talk all day, with that cute fuckin’ Texas drawl.” He leaned his mouth close to my ear, and his breath brushed over me as he spoke. “I’d rather kiss you all day, though. Wanna skip class?”

“No!” I said, but grinned. “You’ve lost your mind.”

“Just so you know,” Tessa said, suddenly on the other side of me. She leaned forward and looked over at Brax. “I’ve got my eyes on you, gringo.” She pointed to him. “I’m watching. Like a hawk.”

As we walked, Brax smiled at her. “Oh yeah, Tessa? And why’s that?”

Tessa clutched her big zebra-striped bag to her side, and with her wedges on she was as tall as me. She lifted her jaw. “To make sure this isn’t just some loco phase you’re going through.” She frowned. “You know—where the idea of being with someone like Olivia just fascinates you. Until it doesn’t.”

“Tess,” I started.

Brax jerked to a stop and stared at Tessa. The people behind us on the walk nearly bumped into us. “What do you mean, with someone like her?” His voice was low and controlled. But I could tell he was angry.

Tessa met his gaze, not backing down, and she tucked her long straight hair behind her ear. “Come on, Brax. Everyone at Winston knows your taste in females. Olivia is polar opposite.”

Brax turned to me, and his gaze softened as it swept over my face. With his arm draped over my shoulders, he pulled me closer, and a blush stole up my neck. “She sure is.”

“I’m going to throw up now. Later guys,” Tess started to walk away. “Hey, Brax, who’s that dead-sexy first baseman of yours?”

Brax finally dragged his gaze away from me and looked at her. “Cory Maxwell? He’s goin’ through relationship hell right now.”

Tessa’s smile was white and ridiculously goofy. “I can totally be a rebound, no prob. Give him my number, will ya?” She twirled around and headed off to class.

Brax shook his head as we continued to class. “I like her.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, I do, too.”

In class, we’d moved on from Homer’s Iliad to Odyssey, and although in the past couple of weeks I’d learned to just ignore Kelsy’s presence, today I looked up. He was glaring at me, inconspicuously but still so. I quickly glanced back down at my notes, and when I chanced another look, he’d thankfully turned away. Perhaps seeing me with someone else had finally struck home; that he had no power over me anymore. Maybe it’d made him lose interest. I prayed it had.

For the rest of the day, though, Kelsy Evans stayed on my mind. Rather, the secret of mine he held. I’d waffled on just telling Brax everything; about what’d happened to me that night before my senior year, and everything after. Yet, I hadn’t. Something inside of me still feared his reaction, and I couldn’t explain that. What was keeping Kelsy from letting it be known just what a fraud I was anyway? Maybe fear of my brothers’ retaliation? Brax’s? The looks Kelsy had slipped me during class were of pure hatred most of the time, and I’d guessed it probably had something to do with the fact that I now was with Brax. I tried to push the dread away, bury it along with the horrible memories Kelsy had created from that night over a year ago. But on this day, it kept resurfacing. And the weight of my ring felt heavier on my finger than it had in a long time.