Staying on Course (10 page)

“You coming or what?” Quinn asks, opening my door.

“No, I’m the getaway driver.”

She looks at Dean’s front door then back to me, her eyes full of fear. Without words, I know what she’s saying.

“Oh, okay. But I’m warning you now, if he says something ugly, I’ll jump his ass.” I stomp to his front door and stand to the side.

Her hands visibly tremble as she runs them though her hair. All color has drained from her face. She doesn’t get a chance to ring the bell because the door flies open, and Dean hauls her into his body. His lips crash down to hers, and she whimpers weakly.

My mouth drops when his hands slide down her waist and hips, hoisting her legs to wrap around him. They disappear in the doorway, and I stand there awkwardly. My stomach clenches with a touch of envy because that was fucking hot.

I give them two minutes before walking inside the still open door. Apparently, my timing is perfect because Dean ends the kiss and rests his forehead against Quinn’s.

“Dickhead, jackass, fucking douche, tool, asshole— you name it. I never should have talked to you like that. Jesus Christ, as soon as we hung up, I knew my mistake.” He sits down with her still attached and tilts her head back, threading his fingers in her hair. “This has been the longest day of my life, waiting for you to drive up.”

From this distance, I swear his eyes look moist. He loves her—truly loves her. It’s written all over his face.

“How’d you know I was coming?” she asks hesitantly.

“I was coming to you, packed and ready to leave when I got the call. After getting my ass chewed for five minutes, Bryce finally let me explain. Then he told me to get ready because the Quinn and Devon duo were in full effect.”

Dean finally acknowledges my presence with a small smile. “It’s shitty to upset the woman I love, but it’s downright dangerous to upset the woman Bryce loves.”

I shrug and fight back a grin. “He’s kind of protective. Doesn’t like me to be upset.”

He nods and turns his head back to Quinn, who’s biting her lip anxiously.

“If I didn’t get that phone call, I’d have been on your doorstep last night, begging for your forgiveness.”

“So you don’t want a break?” she whispers.

“That was a stupid knee-jerk reaction.”

“What about the maturity thing? Our age difference?”

“I’m the one who acted immature. The age thing was a lame excuse.”

Instantly, the heat in the room changes, and the sexual tension burns deep.

“Umm, I’m going to go now… Quinn, call me tomorrow.” I back toward the door.

“Wait.” Dean slides a paper across his coffee table toward me. “This is your reservation information.”

I review the sheet and blink a few times, confused. “This isn’t mine.”

“It is now. You’ve been upgraded.”

Quinn’s lips turn up in a knowing grin. “Bryce again?” she asks him.

“It was both our idea. This hotel has a complete restaurant and bar, full gym, and a pool. Tomorrow, you both have spa appointments, then we’ll go to dinner.”

“This seems a bit excessive,” I argue. “The other place was fine.”

“Fine is all it was. This is the best. You drove all the way here with no idea of the outcome to be with Quinn. That means a lot to me. Not to mention, Bryce suggested I repay you.”

Quinn throws back her head, laughing. “That’s putting it mildly. He’s a bull. A complete lovesick bull.”

“I see exactly where he’s coming from.” Dean nuzzles her neck, and the temperature rises again.

“I’m going to go get your bag and then leave y’all alone.” I turn quickly when they start kissing again.

My heart leaps in joy for my friend, but the bitter taste of jealousy returns. God, I miss Bryce.

The drive back to Charlottesville is a typical road trip, except it seems to take forever. We’ve already gone through all our typical traditions—snacks, playlists, and games. We swapped drivers a few hours ago, and I worked on getting our project pictures cropped and inserted into our papers. There was one more week until the final versions were due, but ours were almost done.

After our trip to Atlanta, we perfected our diagrams and sent them for review. It only took two days before they were given approval. Since then, we worked a few hours each day preparing them. Tonight, they were going to Bill and Shana for last edits. This makes me more nervous than actually turning them in to Professor Grant.

“Have you spoken to Roxy?” Quinn asks, referring to the girl who stayed in our apartment this summer.

“Yes. The apartment’s clean, and my car is fine.”

“It feels like a lifetime since we left in May.”

“I know what you mean. So much has happened.”

“Have you figured out our plan yet?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re our planner, so I need to know what’s next.” She raises an eyebrow and realization hits.

It was me who relocated us to Virginia and begged for our re-admittance.

It was me who suggested we try out for cheer.

It was me who wanted an off-campus apartment.

It was me who researched the Summer Expo and insisted she apply, too.

And now, it’s me who is engaged. She’s right. We need a plan.

“Why don’t you jump in on this one? I’ve been pretty demanding.” I chuckle. “It’s your turn.”

“You’re the strategist in this relationship. I’m the better head-cracker.”

“Strategist, huh? Getting our college vocabulary ready?”

“Shut up,
cadela
, and plan the next step in our life. I need structure.”

“Seriously, Quinn, what do you want to do?”

“We technically fall under the School of Media Studies now. The way I figure, there’s no reason to rush graduation since we can’t start the Master’s Program until next fall. That is, if we still want UVA and the traditional schooling.”

“What do you mean?”

“We worked hard to get where we are with a goal in mind. But goals can change. Priorities change.”

“Are you asking if my priorities have changed?”

Her silence is my answer.

I nibble on my bottom lip and think hard. “No. They haven’t. They just include Bryce now.”

“Good, so tell me what’s next.”

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

She sighs and exhales loudly. “Dean asked me to consider a Master’s Program at a school closer to Atlanta.”

“What did you say?” My heart stammers wildly against my chest.

“I told him I couldn’t. In the off-chance I don’t get accepted at UVA, that’s a different story.”

We sit in silence for a few minutes as her words sink in. I stare blankly out the window, twisting the ring around my finger. Selfishly, the rejection of his idea thrills me, but realistically, she’s making a mistake.

“I think you should reconsider,” I blurt out.

“You would. But my mind’s made up. I’ve already spoken to my parents, too.”

“What happens if I marry Bryce and have to move before we get through the program?”

She reaches one hand across the seat and clamps it with mine. “You’re not the reason I made the decision. Yes, you are a big part of it, but it’s what I want. This school, this program, the opportunities… they all mean a lot to me. It’ll suck ass if you’re not here, but I’ve made other friends. The professors are some of the best in the country. I’d be an idiot to let this opportunity slip by.”

“Remember what Shana told me. Opportunity doesn’t keep you warm at night.”

“I know. That’s why Dean has agreed that we’ll make adjustments for the two years it takes to get through.”

She stays quiet, drawing out the curiosity.

“Hooch! You gonna make me ask or spill it?”

“He’s going to put in a temporary transfer for a law firm in the area. He’ll have to look into the state bar, but he can move here until I finish.”

“Was all this discussed in Atlanta last weekend?” I refer to her most recent trip without me.

“It’s been a gradual discussion. At first, he was upset I wouldn’t consider applying anywhere else. I showed him our projects. Suddenly, he understood. When he saw the pictures of us in the gymnasium with the two Hungarian gymnasts, his whole demeanor changed. Then he read my piece on the pressure they felt to make the Olympic team and bring home a medal, and he got it.”

“Wow, so this is very serious then.”

“Yeah. I questioned why he’d uproot his life for a girlfriend.”

“What did he say?” I lean forward to see her face.

Her lips start to twitch, and then she smiles widely. “He said he wouldn’t be uprooting his life for his girlfriend. He said he’d be doing it to support his future wife.”

My heart stops then starts racing. I scream loudly, raising our attached hands.

“Oh my God! This is amazing.”

“We’ll see. We have a long way to go.”

“So, really, the whole ‘Devon, have you figured out a plan yet’ was a ruse to tell me you already made our plan?”

“Yes. We’re going to take normal semester hours and graduate next spring. No summer school. Then, we’re going to take the summer off. You may want to get married.” She winks coyly. “I’m thinking about moving to Atlanta for those few months to give it a trial run.”

“Holy shit. I can’t believe this.”

“Believe it, girl, because it’s happening.”

“You’re really good at this planning thing. Think I’m handing over the reins.”

“Hell no!”

I laugh, shaking my head. “I think we may be maturing.”

“You betcha, hooch!”

Another memory to lock in.

I tap my phone repeatedly, waiting for Facetime to pop up. Bryce has a small window tonight when we can finally talk with no one around. The three weeks I’ve been back at school, our schedules have completely collided with very little time to talk. We text often, but it’s not the same as hearing his voice before going to bed.

When his face comes up on the screen, I squeal in delight. Seeing him sends a shiver down my spine. His dark hair is cut shorter than I remember, but it looks sexy. He’s been so exhausted, so I expected to see circles around his eyes, but instead, they sparkle bright. The second our eyes lock, his smile spreads.

“Jesus, you’re a sight.” His deep, rich, voice spreads warmth through me.

“You too. I miss you so much.”

“You look beautiful. Not seeing you has been brutal. Forget the training and courses.”

“Why haven’t we been able to Facetime until now? Is it against the rules?”

“I wouldn’t say that, but I needed to keep my head in the game. It’s also an image thing. How could I prove myself as a badass if I was constantly on this phone? It’s a different story to have it to my ear.”

“Badass, huh? How’d that go? Are you a part of an elite brotherhood?”

“Of course.” He laughs. “Always was, but now we’re even more respected.”

“So it would ruin your badass street cred? Do you have secret grunts and groans to communicate, like the Morse Code? Instead, it’s called OCS- code? Wait until Quinn hears about this!” I giggle at the thought.

“You think this is funny, huh?”

“Yes! All I can imagine is a bunch of grown men walking around talking like cavemen!”

“I’ll show you caveman in about eight days. Besides the obligations with our parents and your football game, plan to be naked the whole time.” His eyes shine with lust, scorching me though the screen.

“I can’t wait,” I say breathlessly.

His face softens, giving me a small grin. “Me neither. You have no idea. But instead of talking about things that are going to make me fucking hard as steel, tell me the schedule.”

The OCS graduation is next Thursday morning, which leads into Labor Day weekend. Bryce is flying back with me to spend the long weekend. Predictably, Nate was also assigned to Norfolk, which thrilled me. After their graduation, they have ten days until they have to report to base, so Bryce will fly to Nashville from here and drive his truck up to the base. Then, we will be less than three hours away from each other, finally.

“My flight gets in Wednesday night, within an hour of our parents. The hotel reservations are taken care of. I made sure we’re on a different floor. Our flight back is at two on Friday. Then, I reserved you a flight home on the following Wednesday afternoon.”

“Did you have any trouble with my credit card?”

“None. I did everything online.”

“When I get settled in Norfolk, I’ll open an account with the Navy Credit Union. You’ll be on it, so there should never be any questions.”

I smile at him again.

“You like that?” he jokes.

“It sounds stupid, but I feel warm and fuzzy when we talk about this stuff.”

He chuckles lightly. “So easy to please.”

“Only with you.”

The heat in his gaze returns. “Stop.”

I throw a hand up in defeat. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Your eyes went warm, your face started to glow, and your voice got soft. Maybe the Facetime wasn’t a good idea. It was easier not being able to see you.”

“No way! This is great.”

He smirks and shakes his head. “You have no idea how much I miss you.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m in the same boat. But we only have one week to wait.”

“Did I tell you I’m on the field for the football game?”

“How’d you do that?”

“Have my ways.” He shrugs with a smug grin.

“Are you still jealous of my cheer partner?”

“The way I figure it, we need to meet.”

“Please don’t scare the poor boy away. He’s sweet.”

“No room for misunderstanding if he meets me then.”

“Ugh. You are insane.”

“We’ve had this conversation. Insane about you.”

There’s a loud banging behind him, and a door swings open. Nate walks up and puts his face on the screen.

“Hey, sis.”

“Nate!”

“How ya doing?”

“Let’s see. Since we actually spoke last, my Theories class has the potential to kick my ass, Quinn’s current academic mission is to push the envelope as far as she can, and Bryce is still insanely jealous. What’s up with you?”

Bryce sighs loudly when Nate takes over the conversation. We chat for a few minutes about his plans while he’s at home for leave. Nothing he’s telling me is really important, but it’s obvious he’s trying to aggravate Bryce. Quinn hears us and busts through my door to join in.