Page 103 of How We Loved

“I’m happy for you guys,” Natalie says, touching my shoulder in a caring way.

I grin at her, then back at Ben. “Yeah, me too.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Maya

Being with Ben has been everything I ever dreamed of when I thought of having a boyfriend. Of course, he picks me up for school again, and everything about us is back to normal except one amazing thing… his kisses. How did I not know just what I was missing all of these years?

School just ended and I head to meet him at the couches. Once I arrive, he pulls me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me and kissing me softly.

“Maybe I did like it better when you guys fought these feelings,” Dalton says as he kicks Ben’s feet to get us to stop.

I can’t help my giggles as Ben holds me closer to him. “Now you know how we felt watching you and Natalie.”

“Yeah, but she’s Maya…”

Ben looks at me with a grin. “That she is.”

I give him a quick kiss and then stand up. “We’ve got to get to practice.”

He’s got basketball practice and I have cheer. He grabs me and pulls me back to his lap. “Not yet. We have two more minutes.”

I lean down and curl into his chest. We were always close and sat with each other, but there is something different now with how I curl into him and he holds me like this. We were never like this unless we were sleeping. In his arms, I feel more secure than I ever have before. I can lay like this for hours and just breathe in the contentment he gives me.

I glance over and see Eli staring at us but in a blank kind of way. It’s like he’s not staring at us, but more the thought of us. It makes me wonder what’s going on with who I saw him with in Billings. I never asked him about her—knowing he wouldn’t tell me anyway—but with the way he’s looking right now something must be going on.

Standing up, I walk over to grab my bag that’s sitting next to him and place my hand on his shoulder. He looks up at me with a quick blink to his eyes, then grabs my hand for a brief moment before standing himself with all emotion I saw on his face is gone.

He turns to leave and Ben comes up behind me, kissing my cheek. “What was that about?”

I turn to face him. “Just Eli being Eli.” I kiss him then leave. “See you after practice.”

The entire time I’m at practice all I think about is him.

It’s always been him.

Trevor gave me this giddiness because it was so much of the unknown, but that’s all it really was. Unknown. I wanted the idea of him more than actually wanting him.

Ben gives me so much more than what I thought I wanted. He gives me this comfort level that makes me feel so free inside. I’m not nervous, I’m not anxious, I don’t worry about what he thinks or if I do something wrong. I’m just happy, and happy is a damn good place to be.

After practice, he’s leaning against his truck waiting for me.

The look he gives me when our eyes meet is more than any girl could ever dream of. That’s pure, genuine love staring back at me and there’s no denying it.

It’s funny how he’s always looked at me this way, but I never put any meaning to it. My mom used to say we were born to be together and now I believe her. I run to him and wrap my arms around him as he engulfs me in his. I know she’s looking down on us just as thrilled as I am right now to be in his arms.

He kisses the top of my head before opening the door for me. Once we’re driving down the road, he grabs his phone and plays “One Thing Right” by Kane Brown and Marshmello then grabs my hand.

“I’ve heard this song for years now and it always made me think of you. You’ve always been the one thing I did right in my life,” he says.

I lean over and kiss him, probably with more gusto than I should since we’re in a moving vehicle, but I don’t care because he’s totally correct with his words. We’ve always been the one thing that’s right in the world no matter what was going on.

Tonight is our first basketball game, and I’m super excited to cheer for not only my friends but my boyfriend too.

“Let’s go…” Dalton whines hitting Ben in the arm as he walks into the locker room.

“I’ll be right there,” he replies then looks back to me as he holds me with one arm wrapped around my back and the other on the nape of my neck. “I just need one more kiss from my good luck charm,” he whispers before kissing my lips.

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