Page 55 of Blitz

“To my meet?” Her brow creases. “It’s an away meet.”

“I used to go to all of your away meets in high school.” Even the ones outside of the immediate area. Micah and I used to bribe Jamal into driving us across state lines. We’d split a few pizzas during the meet, then he’d drive us home and the three of us would go out to celebrate or commiserate about the outcome of the meet. Sometimes Micah would bring a girl along. For the most part, he had a girl on his arm on Saturday nights, but he wasn’t the type to have a steady girlfriend. He liked the casual dating hell that I hated.

Mason rolls her eyes, a small smile twisting her lips. “You don’t have to come to Rhode Island this weekend. I’ll see you when I get back.”

“And before?”

“What?”

“Can I see you before you leave?”

She drags the tines of her forks through her mashed potatoes. “There are three more nights between now and Thursday morning.”

“I know. That’s why I’d like to see you.”

“You mean have sex.”

I set down my fork and meet her eyes. “Mason, if that’s where the night takes us, so be it. If we spend the next month abstaining, nothing would change for me. I still want to be with you. I want to spend time with you. Hell, we can sit on your couch and watch chick flicks while you paint your toenails, and I’d still want to spend time with you. I like you. Being with you makes me happy.”

She swallows. “You have all these big feelings. I don’t always know how to react to them.”

Of course I have big feelings. I’m a big guy, and I’m in love with her. Even when I hated her, I loved her. My feelings for her have never been easy.

“I’m still me. I haven’t changed.”

“No, but I have.” She looks away. “I’m not the same little girl I used to be. I’m a whole different person now.”

“And I want to learn who you are now.” I reach across the table and am gratified when she lets me take hold of her hand. I lace our fingers together. “You said we can take this slow, so let’s take this slow. Let’s date. We’ll spend time together. We’ll get to know one another again. There’s no rush, sunshine. It’s just you and me.”

Her fingers tighten around mine. “And if I said—if I wanted to try abstaining…”

“We don’t need to have sex every night for this to be a mutually satisfying relationship,” I tell her. “If that’s what you want—”

“I don’t know what I want.”

“Okay. So we’ll start with that.” I bring her hand to my lips, kissing the back of her knuckles. “All I want is to be with you. I want to do stupid boring shit like talk about our day and study in the library and eat meals together. I want to wake up beside you and fall asleep with you in my arms, even if we don’t have sex. I just want to be with you.”

She swallows again. “I—I want that, too.”

“We don’t have to make this complicated.”

Mason takes a bite of her chicken, her eyes locked on mine. “How was your day?”

“It was good. I got a good lift in this afternoon.” We have another six weeks before spring ball starts up, so I’m enjoying my freedom while it lasts. Once we have practice every day again, I’ll have almost no free time for anything that isn’t school, football, or sleep. “My abs are still sore from pilates class yesterday. I’m going to have to try that again.”

She huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, it’s pretty intense. I like it, though.”

“Me, too. Barrett called Diana last night to crow about the workout.”

“Is that his girlfriend?”

“His best friend. She goes to USC on a soccer scholarship. They’ve been friends for years. Nearly as long as you and I have known each other.”

She cracks a smile. “You were such a cute little kid.”

“You were feral.”

Mason laughs. “I was not!”