Play Safe (Make the Play #1) (17 page)

I’ve never truly understood Josh’s hatred toward my mom until tonight though. Now I see the truth. I see the torch Dan has carried for years. But when I was a kid I didn’t know that. Josh never went to school with us, but I ran into him and his mom in the park a couple of times when I was little. I’ll never forget the rude way Mrs. Easton behaved toward my mom; the way she glared and whispered.

But it was Josh’s words that hurt. The way he taunted me in the playground, calling my mom names. The words stayed with me, as well as the venom behind them. He was only a child, but he had so much anger, so much hatred. And ever since that day I hated him back. However, the only people I ever shared the details of that day with was Emmy and Cal. That’s why they’ve always understood my feelings for Josh.

It’s one of the reasons it bothered me so much when Emmy got together with him. But every time I pressed her about it she said it was so long ago it didn’t matter now. She argued that we had been children then and we both had changed. Truth is, her words made sense. Only now I see that Josh never did change.

Until tonight I could never figure out why Josh was so mean about my mom. Even once I knew the whole story it didn’t make sense. I mean, if it weren’t for the affair, Heather and Dan never would’ve gotten together and Josh never would’ve been born. Honestly, I’ve always felt like Josh should be thanking my mom, not mocking her.

But now I get it. Still, it doesn’t change what he’s done. It doesn’t change the way he’s hurt my family.

Shaking my head, anger rises in me. I can’t believe Mom isn’t pressing charges. As if cleaning up this mess is really going to be enough of a punishment. Has Mr. Easton brainwashed her or something? It’s crazy.

“Christian?” A familiar voice calls out into the quiet night.

When I whirl around, Tim stands in front of me. I glance over his shoulder to see his car idling near the curb. I’d been so focused on my thoughts, I hadn’t heard him pull up.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“Your mom called. She’s worried about you.”

I snort. “She should’ve thought about that before she started seeing that jerk again.”

Tim’s eyes soften around the edges, the lines crinkling. “I know this is tough for you, Chris.”

His words chink away at some of the hardness around my heart. Tim has always been there for me. He’s the closest thing I have to a dad. Many times over the years, I’ve wished he was my dad.

“Come on. Let’s get outta here.” Tim’s gaze flickers to the shop, and he frowns.

“I don’t wanna go back home yet.” The thought of facing my mom right now turns my stomach.

“You can come back to our house. One of us can drive you home when you’re ready,” Tim says.

I pause, running a hand over my head. Wind whips into my face, and I shiver. At this point I don’t have a better offer, and I have no desire to stay out here in the cold any longer, so I nod. “Okay.” Ducking my head, I follow Tim to his car.

It’s not until I enter the Fishers’ house and spot Cal sitting on the couch wearing an unreadable expression that I realize this may have been a mistake. With everything going on with my mom tonight, I had forgotten about the fight between Cal and me.

“Chris, honey, I’m so sorry.” Maise wraps me in a hug, and I stiffen, my skin crawling. Physical touch is not what I want right now. If anything, I want space. “Are you okay?”

“Let the boy breathe,” Tim instructs his wife.

She releases me with a huff.

When I glance up, the air leaves me. Emmy stands behind her mom, staring at me with those wide eyes of hers. A minute ago I wanted to be left alone, but now I am desperate to be touched, to be held. But only by one person.

“Em,” I breathe out her name like a prayer. Stepping around Maise, my gaze locks on Emmy’s. I hold my arms out, desperate to grab onto her. But when I reach her, I stop short, dropping my arms to my sides.
What am I doing?
Cal shake his head and then leaves the room. My shoulders slump. Emmy lowers her head, looking defeated.

Tim coughs, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

“I’m going to go call your mom and let her know you’re okay, Chris.” She pats my shoulder, and then she and Tim leave the family room.

Emmy’s gaze follows them and then returns to me. She frowns. “It’s never gonna work between us, is it?”

“It doesn’t look like it,” I admit.

She nods, sadness filling her eyes.

“I’m sorry.” I have no idea what else to say. “I didn’t know we’d be hurting so many people.”

She nods. “I get it. I kind of expected this, actually. I mean, Cal’s never gonna come around, and you’re getting in trouble with your coach. Besides, I heard what’s going on with your mom, so I know you’ve got a lot on your plate right now.”

My heart squeezes, reality slamming into me. Is it really over? It hasn’t even started yet. But it’s probably for the best. I’ll never be able to give Emmy what she needs anyway. Everyone knows I’m damaged goods. “I didn’t want it to end like this. Hell, I didn’t want it to end at all.”

“Me either,” she says softly.

I snatch both of her hands up, intertwining our fingers. Man, I want to hold onto her forever. “This was never just fun for me. You know that, right?”

Giggling, her eyes meet mine. “You’re saying it wasn’t fun?”

“No, it was definitely fun, but it meant something to me too.”

“I know.”

“And I meant what I said. You can always count on me.”

She doesn’t look convinced. “Do you think we’ll really be able to go back to being just friends now?”

“I think it’s gonna be hard. Damn hard. But we’ll have to. I mean, what’s the alternative? Not being in each other’s lives? I can’t do that. I can’t cut you out of my life.”

“I can’t cut you out either.” Her eyes are filled with pain, and I feel like a jackass for beginning something with her that I can’t finish.

“Do you regret it?”

“I regret that it didn’t work out, but no.” She smiles. “I’ll never regret kissing you, because it was pretty great.”

“Really? Just ‘pretty great’, huh?” I joke.

She shrugs. “Yeah, you know. It was okay.”

“Okay?” I move in closer. “I think I need to upgrade your opinion of my kissing skills.” It’s stupid. I know that. The minute my lips line up to hers, I know I’m making a mistake. But the thought of never kissing her again is tearing me up inside. Doesn’t everyone deserve one last kiss? Well, then this is ours.

And I’m going to make it a good one.

His thumb grazes my cheek, and I shiver. Leaning down, his lips hover mine, and my pulse jumpstarts. Licking my lips, I will my heart to slow, but I know it won’t. Not when he’s this close. Not when he’s about to kiss me. And definitely not when I want him so much. When his other hand curves around my neck, I reach out and slide my palms up his chest. My gaze never leaves his, and I see desperation dancing in his irises. I see need, I see desire.

His top lip brushes mine. He exerts the smallest amount of pressure and then draws back. His fingers tangle in my hair, and he gently pulls me forward. This time both his top and bottom lip press down. I memorize the way his lips feel on mine. With my eyes closed, I’m like a blind person reading braille. I block out all other sounds and movements, focusing only on Christian’s hands. On his touch. On his kiss.

If this is all I get, I don’t want to ever forget it.

Our other kisses were faster, as if we were following the beat to a hip hop song. This one is like a slow dance. Like we are being led by a long, drawn out ballad. He’s taking his time, and I’m grateful. It starts off soft, like the kiss of an ocean breeze. His lips are light and airy, fanning over mine. I bunch my fingers in his shirt, holding on tightly. As his tongue licks out trailing my lips, I open my mouth. When his tongue slides over mine, a soft moan sounds at the back of my throat.

He growls in response, deepening the kiss. My head swirls, and I fight to stay upright. I circle my arms around his neck, my fingertips playing with the edges of his hair.

When he releases me, I want to cry out. I want to draw him back.

But I don’t. I slip my arms from his shoulders, and I let him go.

When our lips disconnect, I’m not sure what I had hoped to accomplish. If I was hoping it would satisfy me, I was wrong. All it’s done it is make me want her even more. And I can tell she feels the same way by her heavily lidded eyes and content expression. Not that I blame her. The two of us together is electric. Kissing Emmy is nothing like kissing other girls. It’s nothing like anything I’ve ever experienced. Before now, the biggest rush in my life is the feeling I get during a game. When the ball hits my glove, it’s like a natural high. But this is even better than that. This is like flying in the clouds, soaring above everything. I’ve never done drugs, but I imagine that being high is a little like this. Like kissing Emmy.

“Well, you definitely upgraded my opinion.” She grins lazily at me. Her hair is mussed, her lips red.

Crap. I have no idea how I’m going to stay away from her.

Footsteps sound from the hallway, and I step away from Emmy. My heart breaks more the further I get from her. In her eyes, I see my pain reflected. Frowning, I don’t break eye contact. It’s like I physically can’t. Almost like by doing so, our connection will be broken forever.

“Wanna go out back and throw the ball around?”

I flinch upon hearing Cal’s voice. Shocked, my eyebrows leap up. He wears his ball cap and holds a baseball in his hand.

“If you stay in here, Mom’s gonna make you talk about crap. The choice is yours,” Cal says.

My gaze slides back to Emmy. She forces a smile, and nods subtly.

“I’m game.” I shrug.

“Cool.” Cal tosses the ball straight up and then catches it when it falls. “Let’s go.”

I can feel Emmy’s eyes watching me as I follow Cal out the back door. As hard as I try to ignore her, I can’t. It’s like my body is in tune to hers. Before stepping outside, I glance at her one last time. Pausing, I drink in her perfect body, her innocent eyes, and her heart-shaped lips that minutes ago were on mine. It takes all my willpower to turn away.

“Ready?” Cal hollers out harshly.

“Yeah.” I blink, forcing myself out of my Emmy-induced haze. I close the back door and hurry out onto the lawn.

The ball comes at me hard. Even harder than usual. When I catch it, my fingers buzz from the force. “Shit, Cal.” After throwing it back, I shake my hand out.

Cal doesn’t apologize. In fact, he doesn’t say a word. Just tosses the ball back. We throw in silence for several minutes. The only sound is the ball whizzing through the air, the clapping of our hands when we catch it, and the rustling of the leaves from the wind. But it’s therapeutic. It’s exactly what I need.

And Cal knows it.

He knows me better than anyone.

Well, mostly anyone.

A light flicks on inside the house to my right. Without even looking I know it’s Emmy’s room. Her bedroom overlooks the backyard. My body goes rigid, my pulse picking up speed. Without meaning to, I glance over and catch a splash of blond hair. My lips twitch at the corners.

The ball comes at me, and I swing my hand out. But it’s too late. I miss it. After it falls into the grass, I bend over and pick it up. “Sorry,” I mumble, and throw it back.

It’s dark, but the porch light illuminates Cal’s face, revealing his pensive expression when he catches the ball. Tucking the ball into his chest, he studies me a minute. Agitated, I wonder why he’s not throwing the ball.

Cal’s gaze flits to Emmy’s window. I follow it and suck in a breath. Emmy is watching us, her bedroom light haloing her head.
Man, she’s gorgeous.

“Crap,” Cal mutters under his breath.

My head snaps to him. “What?”

Shaking his head, he tosses the ball on the ground and it rolls away from him, stopping when it hits the trunk of a nearby tree.

“You’ve got it bad, dude.” Cal blows out a breath, pulling his hat further down his forehead.

I know what he’s talking about, and there’s no reason to deny it. So, instead I nod slowly.

He grunts, pinching the bridge of his nose like he does when frustrated. “Why does it have to be Emmy?”

“I don’t know.” I shake my head. “But it is.”

“I can see that,” he says. “You’ve never looked at a girl the way you’re looking at her tonight.” Walking over to the back porch, he lowers himself down onto the first step.

I stay where I’m at, unsure of what to say or do.

“Until now I didn’t get it,” he adds. “I thought she was like every other girl to you.”

Ouch
. “I was never just messing around with her, Cal. I wouldn’t do that to Emmy.”

“But you never said anything,” Cal points out. “Why didn’t you tell me you were into her?”

I point at him. “Exhibit A, man.”

He snorts, flashing a small smile. “All right, you got me. I’ve been kind of an ass about this, but can you blame me? She’s my sister, man.”

“I know, and I do get it. But you have to know I would never just fool around with her. I mean, c’mon, man, it’s Emmy. She’s like family to me. For me to go after her, you had to know I really liked her. Truth is, I’ve kind of had a thing for her since last summer. I never planned to act on it, though, because of our friendship. But then she got in a fight with that douchebag at the bonfire party, and I don’t know, I just couldn’t help myself anymore. I had to kiss her.”

“Okay, okay.” He throws up his hands. “Eww. I don’t need details.”

“Sorry.” I chuckle. “We’ve tried to stay away from each other, but it’s not working.”

“Clearly.” He peers over at Emmy’s window, but she’s gone.  “You better not hurt her.” He points at me. “See, this is weird. I’m used to threatening other guys. Not you. Not my best friend.”

“Look on the bright side. You know me. And you trust me.”

“Well, I did before you started fooling around with my sister.”

I laugh. “Oh, that’s how it’s gonna be now, huh?”

“Yeah, it is.” Cal smiles. “But I won’t stand in your way.”

“Thanks, man.”

“I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for my sanity. My sister’s driving me nuts with her droopy face and all her whining lately.”

“Really? She’s been that sad about it, huh?” I raise a brow.

“Oh, man.” He grabs his head in his hands. “I can’t even complain about her anymore to you. This sucks.”

“Yeah, you can.”

“No, I can’t, because you have this lovey-dovey look on your face.”

“Oh, like the one you had when you talked about Melissa?” I razz him.

“At least Melissa isn’t your sister.”

“C’mon, man, it’s not that bad. She could still be with Josh.”

“Good point.” He nods. “Speaking of which, that was pretty crappy what he did to your mom’s shop.” All the joking is gone. Cal is dead serious.

My stomach knots. “I don’t wanna talk about.”

“Fair enough.” He throws up his arms. “You’re not gonna go bash in his face again, are you?”

“Nah, I think I’m good for now.”

“Next time, can you give me a little heads up?”

“Sure,” I say.

“Cool.” Cal stands up. “I’ve gotta hit the sack. I have two tests tomorrow, and we have practice.”

“Yeah, I better head home too.” As I walk toward him, it hits me that I’m stranded here. “You think you can give me a ride?”

Without answering, he disappears through the sliding glass doors. I jog to catch up, but when I make it inside, he’s nowhere to be seen.  Assuming he’s grabbing his keys, I lean up against the couch and wait. When he returns, Emmy is by his side.

“I’m tired, so Emmy’s gonna drive you home.” He throws me a wink. “Be good,” he whispers before vanishing around the corner.