Labeled Love (25 page)

“One student ticket, please.”

She never looks at me when she says, “That’s three dollars.” I hand her my twenty, collect my change, and walk into the football stadium right up to the top of the bleachers on the fifty-yard line.

The stands are crowded. The scoreboard shows around ten minutes before the game starts, so I lean back and watch. Music plays over the speakers, and I see the cheerleaders making their way onto the field. I try to find Shay through the packed crowd. The student section starts going crazy, dancing and rooting for the team that is lining up and getting ready for the kickoff. That’s when I see her. I start to clap. I don’t know why, other than feeling the excitement I can see coming off her. Her long, wavy ponytail is swaying back and forth as she starts cheering. Damn, I need to get closer; I want to see her better.

I slide down a few rows and plant myself in front of her, doubting she will see me. I’m right above the student section now, but I can see Shay just fine. Her full-blown smile makes her eyes light up. She’s chanting the cheer with that excitement in her voice I love.

My stomach drops a little. This is what I miss. Everyone gets to experience her all the time.

I hate it.

I try to rid the thoughts so I can enjoy watching her when I hear an older lady talking to a man behind me.

“Look, John. Shay has Cole’s number painted on her cheek.”

I freeze and then swallow hard.

“I see, honey, but are you surprised? Those two have been inseparable since they were toddlers. He’s so smitten with her, and always has been. He goes over to her house all the time. Those two will probably end up getting married one day,” the man says.

I wince at his words and turn slowly to make eye contact with them. They’re not paying attention to me. The woman takes a picture of Shay. They must be Cole’s parents since they are both wearing a jersey with his number, twenty-one, printed on it. I look at his dad. Cole looks a lot like him—from what I can remember. Tall, athletic, and looks like an asshole. His mom is pretty, but I can tell she’s miserable.

Turning back around, I try to ignore their constant praise of Cole. My mind is a cluster of emotions.

Why would Shay have his number on her cheek? I can’t believe she has his number on her cheek
.

I seriously want to hit something. As I look down at my old Converse, I smell the expensive perfume over my shoulder. No matter what I do, I just can’t compete with this. I bring my gaze back to Shay; she’s laughing and cheering.

All. For. Fucking. Cole.

I feel like leaving, but I won’t. I won’t because I didn’t come all this way for Shay not to know I’m here. The only thing I can give her is my love. I need her to know that I will always be here for her. I might not be the fucking quarterback of Beverly Hills High, but I’ll be damned if she doesn’t know I’m here.

After a couple of painful hours, the game comes to an end. Thank God. As soon as the clock runs out, I get up. I don’t know how much more I could have tortured myself listening to Cole’s parents gush about how perfect he is.

Shay’s high school won, and I’m happy for her. I know how school-spirited she is. She’s involved in everything, but this is the first time I’ve seen it. The bleachers become a stampede of fans, all trying to get down to see the players. While I wait until the bleachers clear, my eyes don’t leave her. As she gathers her belongings, the parents and students congratulate the players on their win. When it’s clear, I walk down to the gate where the football players exit the field.

My heart starts to beat uncontrollably, and I tense up.

I see Cole come around the fence off the field and walk up to Shay. I’m close enough to hear, and what I hear him say to her has me ready to blow. He whispers against her ear loudly, “Ride with me to the party, Starkie.”

“Great game, Cole,” she says, flinching and moving forward. He walks up to her, lifting her off the ground into a hug.

“Ride with me,” he repeats, while she squeals from being picked up like a fucking rag doll.

“Put me down.” She sounds like she’s joking, but I hear her tone. She’s not being sassy like she is with me. She’s serious. He laughs as he sets her down slowly against his body.

I’m seething. My hands twitch as I clench them into fists.

“You are coming to the after party, right?” he asks. It looks like she wipes her face.

“Yeah, I’m going. I’m going with Jules. You’re all sweaty, Cole.”

 He gives her a sly smile.

 
What the hell? She’s going to a party?

I’m so pissed I think I’m going to explode. Making my presence known, I take off through the few people that separate us, bumping into a girl that was talking to someone as she walked backward. She turns around.

“Sorry,” she says, openly checking me out. I look past her to my girl.

I walk up to Shay, making sure to stare straight at Mr. Fucking Smooth. “Hey, pretty girl.” She turns around fast, almost smacking me in the face with her ponytail. With no hesitation, she jumps into my arms, straddling me.

“Jace!” she yells. I glare at Cole while holding Shay tightly around me. That’s right, fucker. She’s mine. “What are you doing here?” she says excitedly.

 Turning around, I ignore everyone and start walking her away from the crowd to a quiet area. Holding me firmly, she has her face pressed against my neck. My heart skips a beat.

 “I wanted to surprise you.” I can’t think; I’m still seeing red, and her cheek with Cole’s fucking number written on it is pressed against me. I pull away from her, so I can look at her. “Do you love me, baby?” I say in a low whisper. Moving her face from my neck, she looks into my eyes. She doesn’t need to say it because I can see it. Her eyes always shine brightly when she looks at me.

“More than anything.”

That’s all I need to hear to calm me, but there’s one more thing I need to do to rid my troubled thoughts. I reach up and wipe his number from her face.

“I don’t like you talking to that guy.”

“Jace…”

“Do you always paint his number on your cheek?”

“No, I don’t, and if I do, it’s only a number. We switch out players all the time.”

“I don’t want you putting his number on your cheek.”

“Okay, I won’t. Now kiss me.”

As I lean in, her sweet coconut scent surrounds me. It’s like home. Kissing her slowly, I taste every bit of the cinnamon gum she obviously was chewing. When we break the kiss, I ask her about the other thing that has me on edge.

“What’s this after party you’re going to?”

“It’s every Friday night after the game, but it’s only for football players and cheerleaders. I wish you could come, but girlfriends and boyfriends aren’t allowed,” she says sadly.

My mind goes straight to thoughts of drinking. I can’t tell Shay what to do. All I can do is hope she won’t get caught up in the high school party scene. I don’t drink, because I know what it does to people when they abuse it, and I don’t want any part of that life. It’s bad enough I have to live with an alcoholic, but I’ll be damned if I become one.

“Is there alcohol at these parties?” I ask. Her facial expression is thoughtful.

“No, it’s not allowed, and even if it was, I wouldn’t drink.” I sigh in relief. “Jace, I don’t need, or do I want to drink alcohol. I want you to know that I made that choice for myself, and the kind of girl I want to be. I respect myself.” She pauses, giving me her pretty smile. “I also have a really hot boyfriend that I respect and love, and I know how much that means to him, too.” Reaching up, she kisses me on my cheek. I smile down at her before I capture her lips.

“I don’t like it,” I calmly say, tugging on her ponytail just enough to make her giggle. I’m so jealous right now. I hate the thought of her at a party with all those football players, especially Cole. I swallow, trying to push down the words I want to say. I don’t want her to think I don’t trust her, but I’ve never worried about this stuff before. She’s got a whole life I’m not a part of.

 She hesitates. I know she doesn’t want to leave me, but I can see it written all over her face. I know this girl. Her emotions can’t be hidden. “I have to go.” She pauses, looking around at the thinning crowd. “Thanks for coming. I love you, Jace.”

She gives me a big hug, and I lift her off the ground. “No one picks you up but me,” I whisper against her soft hair. She giggles. Sucking my bottom lip between my teeth, I bring her close to me. Brushing my lips against hers, she lets out a soft moan.

“No one gets these lips but me,” she says sweetly.

“No way. My lips really like yours.”

“You’re so silly,” she says. We stare at each other briefly. I just want to take her in.

One of the other cheerleaders yells out, “Shay, let’s go.” 

Jules waves at me as I see her walking with the other girls. Shay gives me one more kiss. “Go on. I’ll see you next week,” I tell her. She walks toward the others, but pauses and walks back to me. I pull her snug against me.

“I wish I would’ve driven tonight.” She pouts.

I give her my smile that she loves, even though I’m feeling uneasy inside. “If it meant I got a few more minutes with you, I wish you had driven, too.” She presses her face into my neck, and I breathe her in, taking her pretty face in my hands. “I love you so much. Have fun tonight.” It killed me to just say that. Not that I don’t want her to have fun, but I’m jealous.

Softly, she says, “How are you getting home?”

I wave her off. She knows I’m not getting a ride. She bites her bottom lip with a struggled sigh and walks away. As I watch her, everyone is laughing and cheering the team on in victory, but Shay keeps looking back at me.

When she gets to the parking lot, I know I should turn around and head to the bus stop, but I can’t. I always watch her until I can no longer see her. I haven’t looked away since that very first day. I will always watch her until she is out of my sight. Suddenly, she stops and says something to Jules. The next thing I know my girl is back in my arms.

Practically knocking me off my feet, she says, “I love you, Jace.” I can barely hear her between her ragged breaths and shaky voice from sprinting back to me. Her eyes meet mine with sadness. “More than anything.” My heart hammers in my chest, feeling like it could crack open with how much I feel for this girl. I kiss her again, patting her butt while trying desperately not to show her how uneasy I feel inside. “I just want you to know how happy I am that you came to see me.”

“I love you, pretty girl.”

And then she’s gone.

When I walk away from the school, the differences hit me like a freight train, as the scenery changes from her world back to mine. I’m not naïve. I know I’m not cut from the same thread as Shay, and I probably never will be. One thing that I’m one hundred percent sure of, though, is she belongs with me. We belong together.

Once I get home, Landon stops by and asks me to go to a party with him. I decide to go. When we get there, the first person I see is Kayla. She eyes me up and down. Why did I come? I know it’s only because I’m jealous Shay is at a party with Cole.

I follow Landon to the back of the house, and what happens next I never expected, but I know I have to leave. I should have never come here.

“WELL, LOOK WHO
showed up today,” Adam says, giving me a sarcastic grin as I stroll through his door. “What’s the occasion? Do you finally have time in your busy schedule for me?”

Adam is probably in his early thirties. His cool beach boy vibe gives the impression of more of a teenage surf bum rather than one of the most talented guitar instructors in the business. He can write and sing, too, which pretty much makes him a triple threat. Everyone wants to work with him, and he wants to work with me.

“Well, you know, it is hard to keep up on the teen social calendar these days. It’s not like when you were a teen, Adam.” I give him a little smirk as I set down my guitar and plop down on his comfy couch.

“Oh, yeah, I doubt that. I assure you, I was a pretty busy boy,” he answers cheerfully.

I roll my eyes and decide to mess with him.

“I’m sure you were. I bet camping trips with the Boy Scouts kept you all kinds of busy.”