Sometimes Never (20 page)

             
He cocks his head to the side. “That was today in gym class.”

             
She has no reaction to this other than the lift of her eyebrows. She opens her Popsicle and puts it in her mouth. But it pisses me off. I can’t stand the thought of people talking about her that way, even if she has the star role in all my fantasies now. I know how guys think and I know how they act with their friends. I can guarantee Hope is the talk of the locker room.

             
“I’m pretty sure you just made him that much more interested in you,” Guy explains. “Some guys like it rough.” He grins at Hope. “I know I do.”

             
“Okay, I’m sorry I asked,” I say before taking a bite.

             
“Way too much information, Guy. Seriously.” Hope shakes her head, laughing. “So what are we doing today?”

             
“I got plans,” Guy says.

             
“What? With who?”

             
He smiles. “With Samuel. I’m meeting him for a movie.”

             
“That dude you Skype with all the time?” Guy nods excitedly. “Ew. You aren’t seeing a movie. You’re hooking up with him in a movie theater. What is your obsession with public oral sex?”

             
I raise a brow. Yeah, too much info, for real. Guy chuckles. “Well you have seen him, right?”

             
“Yes, and he is cute, but can’t he come here, or you there?”

             
“You are totally asking me to make a joke with that statement,” I say.

             
Guy laughs. “Don’t worry Hope; I’ll make sure he comes lots of places.”

             
I try to suppress my amusement, but I can’t help the way my mouth turns up. I discreetly flip my hand out and Guy gives me five. 

             
“Ugh. I do not need to hear about your sex life. Just make sure you at least sit in the back this time.” After a moment of thought, she adds. “And tell him I said hi. I feel like I know him after all that I’ve seen of him.” And I’m not sure I even want to know the situation in which she saw so much of Guy’s play toy.

             
“Seeing someone’s penis doesn’t make him your best friend,” Guy declares.

             
“Oh, man,” she sighs. “I’ve been making friends incorrectly this whole time.”

             
He tips the Popsicle stick at her. “And that’s why all the girls at school hate you.”

             
“This feels like the longest joke ever,” I say, laughing.

             
Guy stands up and bends at the waist, bowing. “That is what you call wit.”

             
“Not what I call it,” Hope murmurs.

             
“See? Wit.” Guy musses her hair as he walks past. “I’m jumping in the shower.”

             
“Wait. How are you meeting him?” Hope asks. “Who’s taking you?”

             
“Chase. He’s meeting some girl at the mall.”

             
I watch Guy disappear around the corner and turn to Hope. “So, why doesn’t he drive?”

             
She grins, tucking hair behind her ear. “I’m not supposed to talk about it. Let’s just say there was a very traumatic incident involving Guy, Alec’s car, and a very dead raccoon his first time behind the wheel.”

             
“Oh,” I utter.

             
“Yeah. Never speak of it,” she warns seriously, but her eyes are bright with amusement and she winks at me.

             
“Probably best if I don’t make raccoon references either.”

             
“Mm, probably.”

             
“Where’d Kellin and Misty go?” I ask, just now noticing they aren’t at the kitchen table.

             
“They went outside with Dill Weed. Probably playing basketball.”

             
“So, we’re alone?”

             
She smiles at me, her lashes dropping, hooding her eyes. “Yep.”

             
“Want to go to a movie?” She looks up at me, glowering and I laugh. “Kidding. Unless you want to. To see a movie. For real, I mean.”

             
“I’m not sure if you’re asking me out or asking for oral sex.”

             
Uh... I seriously was joking up until her perfect lips formed the words oral sex while looking directly at me. My dick twitches against my pants with the thought and I clear my throat, shifting on the couch.
Focus
. “I’m trying to ask you out, just not very well. Do you want to go do something? The two of us? Like a date?”

             
“
Like
a date?” She obviously finds this humorous.

             
I run my fingers through my hair. It drops back into my eyes and she brushes it aside with the tips of her fingers.
God that feels good
. I catch her hand and hold it. “Will you go on a date with me?”

             
Hope grins and twines her fingers with mine. “Yes. When?”

             
Okay. She said yes. I feel like an idiot because I know I’m smiling manically, but I can’t help it. “Mom’s off on Sundays. Unless I can find someplace for Kellin to go. He hangs out with the neighbor sometimes. That might work. I’ll figure something out.”

             
“He could stay here and hang out with Misty. Guy could keep an eye on them. Not tonight, obviously, but whenever.”

             
“That would work,” I agree. “I’ll set it up.”

             
“All right. So what do you want to do now?”

             
I gaze at her. I cannot answer that question. I’m completely content just sitting on the couch with her, but I also want to taste the cherry on her lips that’s turned her mouth red. But it doesn’t stop there. I want to devour Hope. All of her. I want to make her mine. I want to kiss the scars on her thigh. I want...

             
I bend my head to hers, but I don’t kiss her. I want her to do it, like she did at school. I want to know she wants me like I want her. That I invade her thoughts and fantasies even half as much as she does mine.

             
“I want you to be with me,” I say, my lips brushing hers lightly as I talk. “Just me. Like your boyfriend.”

             
Hope’s lips form a smile beneath mine. “
Like
my boyfriend?”

             
Now I smile, nodding. “Or, you know, your boyfriend.” I run my palms down her sides.

             
She shivers and pushes her mouth against mine, kissing me gently.
Finally
. I growl as she deepens the kiss, my fingers gripping her ribs. I must tickle her because she squirms and pulls away. “No,” I complain. “Come back.”

             
She moves closer, but she doesn’t kiss me. She stares up at me. Her eyes are so pretty. Bright and blue, framed in those long, dark lashes.

             
“What would that involve?” she asks quietly in her whispery voice she reserves for the scary or important conversations. “Being your girlfriend.”

             
Holy shit
. She’s considering it. I didn’t think she’d go for it. We haven’t even had our first date yet. I don’t bother to hide exactly how happy that makes me. I grin at her. “Well, I guess it would be like it is now, except, everyone would know that I’m yours.” I let my gaze pass over her face, suddenly afraid how she’ll take my next words. “And that you’re mine. I know how you feel about the whole relationship thing, but I want to commit to you. Which is so—it’s not normal for me. But I like you and I only want you. And I want everyone to know it.”

             
“That sounds like ownership,” she says slowly. Unsure.

             
I shake my head and sit forward. “Kind of. I don’t mean I own you. You would be
my
girlfriend. Nobody else’s. I wouldn’t own
you
. Just like...your...” I trail off because I can’t say love. I haven’t told her how strongly I feel for her. That would scare her off for sure. And I definitely am not assuming that she could love me already. I’m fully aware of how strange this all is.

             
“Heart?”

             
Our eyes lock and I can’t breathe. That’s so close to the same thing. “Yes.”

             
Hope tugs on my shirt sleeve, pulling me toward her. “Okay,” she whispers just before her lips meet mine.

             
And I’m the happiest I’ve been in six years. Maybe ever.

             
I can’t believe she said okay. I pull back, needing to verify. “Okay? You want to be my girlfriend?”

             
“Yes,” she says. She looks down at her hands. I notice they’re shaking. Closing one hand over hers, I pull her chin up with my other.

             
“I won’t push this if it’s not what you want.”

             
“I tried the no commitment thing before. It didn’t work out so well. I like you. And I like—” She bites her lip and closes her eyes. Without opening them, she continues. “I like that you want to commit to me. It makes me feel...”

             
Good? Happy? No, Hope’s never really had someone committed to her before. Reluctant? Scared?

             
“Safe?”

             
She blinks her eyes open and they’re glossy with unshed tears. “Yes,” she breathes.

             
Damn, she is breaking my heart and filling it at the same time. And I realize she will never have to worry about ownership because she thoroughly owns my ass. I will do anything,
anything
for her.

             
“So this is it?” She smiles at me and squeezes my hand. “We’re official?”

             
“Yes.” I feel like running. Or shouting. Or laughing really freaking loudly. But I don’t do any of those things. Instead, I pull her into my lap and kiss her until we’re both gasping for breath.

Hope

Mason is my truck. I have no idea what happened, or how, or even why. I was just walking through my life one day and, BAM. Mason smashed into me. Into my mind. My body. My heart.

             
He’s filled every fraction of me. Every minute, of every day, Mason is a part of me.

Does this scare the living crap out of me? Oh, hell yes. But you know how roller coasters are really fun because they’re fast, unpredictable, and terrifying? Yeah, that’s the equivalent to our relationship. He’s impulsive and candid
. His sense of humor is twisted, but he makes me laugh like it’s something I do all the time. Let’s not forget he’s so gorgeous he makes me liquefy in his presence. There’s also the little fact that he has a messed up past as well. He knows what it’s like to lose a parent. Above all that, Mason makes me feel protected. Like nothing, nobody, can hurt me. Sometimes I catch myself believing we can work.

That’s the truly scary part.

I don’t believe in forever. I don’t trust it. But I trust Mason, which means now I have a boyfriend. It means that I am through fighting my feelings. My mind and heart have stopped battling. The peace treaty has been signed and we are now a joined force.

I smile as he pushes away from his car and saunters over to
Neko. I love the way he walks. Mason has so much confidence it shows in every move he makes. It’s like Park’s stage presence, only it’s all the time, in every single thing he does. He ducks into my window, flashing the dimpled grin that makes the muscles in my stomach squeeze happily. Before I have a chance to return the smile, his mouth is moving against mine. I lean back, tugging on him until his body spills through the window and lies on top of mine.

Mason laughs against my lips causing goose bumps to burst a
cross my arms. The way his weight presses me against the seat is making my heart race. I swear, I think there is a whole army of gymnasts doing somersaults in my stomach. His hands move over me slowly until they’re both cupping my face, fingers splayed across my cheeks. He brushes his lips gradually across my collar bone, then over my throat and I am so blissfully happy.

“I don’t wanna
go to school now,” he murmurs against my skin. “I wanna stay right here, all day.”

“
Okay.”

Mason raises his head and his green eyes regard me dubious
ly. “Really?” There’s a distinct hopefulness in his voice. How can I possibly deny him?