Page 13 of Sunshine

I shake my head. “I know who he is, I just didn’t connect the dots, I guess.”

A waitress comes by to take our order, and Jason asks for a large pizza for the both of us to share along with a couple ofsodas. I planned on ordering a spinach and mozzarella calzone for myself, but decide not to say anything. For all I know, ordering for the both of us is a chivalrous move on Jason’s part.

“Okay,” I say when the waitress walks away. “My turn to ask questions.”

Jason sits up straighter and folds his hands on the table in front of him. “Okay, shoot.”

I laugh at the seriousness of his posture, and then ask, “Weren’t you just dating a senior?”

His shoulders slump a little. “Yeah. Michelle. She—We dated on and off for almost two years.”

“Is it off for good?” I don’t mean for the question to sound so direct, but considering this is a date, I think it’s a fair question.

He must agree, because he nods vigorously. “Definitely over for good.”

I think about that answer. “Can I ask why?”

We’re interrupted by the waitress who sets down a bottle of soda in front of each of us, and Jason uses the opportunity to take a deep breath before thanking her. “I just . . . felt like our relationship ran its course. We were friends first, during my freshman year. And then after I made it onto the varsity team last year, she told me she was into me as more than a friend. And don’t get me wrong, I was into her too. But I think I started to realize she might’ve only been with me because of my success.” He clears his throat. “Football is the single most important thing to me—I’ve dedicated my whole life to it. And college scouts are going to start watching me this year. I had a good season last year, but Noah King is technically the starting quarterback and I still have to prove myself.Eventually, I’d love to go pro. I think Michelle had stars in her eyes about it all.”

Interesting. “You think she was using you?”

The corner of his mouth lifts, but there’s no mistaking the way his eyes dim at the suggestion. “It might be a harsh way to put it. I don’t think she meant anything bad by it, I just think she sort of . . . attached herself to the idea of my future. Take the jersey out of it, and I’m not sure our relationship would have been enough to make her happy.”

I’m unsure why a smile crawls across my face at that, but I can’t help the surprise I feel at the depth of his answer. It’s so honest, so vulnerable . . . and so in line with the way I feel about this town, which is one of the main reasons my mom and I struggle so much. Finding a kind and financially successful man to settle down and have children with is her dream for me. But I don’t want the white-picket-fence life without any real meaning. It’s why I want to leave here someday, to travel to new places and have experiences that don’t exist in Saddlebrook Falls. I want to see the world before I commit to anything permanent. Jason might be the mayor’s son and headed for star quarterback status, but based on what he’s saying, he doesn’t want to settle either.

“Everyone at school is talking about it, you know,” I say, shifting the topic a bit before I reveal anything too personal.

His eyes flash. “About me and Michelle?” I nod, and he rolls his eyes. “What are they saying?”

“There’s all sorts of theories,” I tease as the waitress returns to set a large pizza on the table between us. We both thank her before I continue. “One was that Michelle dumped you for a guy in college. Another is that you, um, were spotted with another girl behind the bleachers after school.” It feels a bitbold to lay the rumors out there like this when I’m still just getting to know him, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

Jason stuffs the end of a pizza in his mouth, chewing as he watches me. Like he’s trying to figure out how I feel about it all. “People love to talk.”

I shrug. “Perks of popularity,” I jest.

Gus makes good on his promise to bring us milkshakes after we stuff ourselves with pizza, and soon Jason’s driving me back home in his too-loud sports car. When he pulls up to the curb in front of my house, I’m surprised when he cuts the ignition and gets out of the car to walk me to the door. I wonder if my mom is watching from a window somewhere as he slips his hand into mine and leads me up the front steps.

I’m just about to say good night when he tugs on my hand and pulls me toward him, and before I know it, his lips are on mine. Nerves burst like fireworks through my body, and I’m a little caught off guard by the suddenness of it all. But then again, this is a date, right? Maybe I should have been more ready for this.

It’s a quick kiss, and soon Jason’s smiling down at me with those perfectly white teeth. “Can we do this again soon?” he asks eagerly.

I can’t help my own smile—from nerves or excitement I’m not sure, but I did have a good time with him tonight. “Sure,” I say back, and he seems pleased.

I watch as strides back down the front steps toward his car. It’s not until he drives away that I force myself to wipe the dumb smile off my face and get inside, hoping like hell my mother wasn’t spying.

CHAPTERSEVEN

THEN

On the third Friday of the school year, I’m happy to find Jason waiting for me outside of the gym after practice. Flyers got to practice inversions today, something I’ve never tried before. As one of the smallest girls on the squad, Coach gave me one of the coveted flyer positions despite my lack of experience.

I’ve done plenty of tumbling and stunt work in gymnastics growing up, but working those same moves while suspended in midair was much harder than I thought it’d be, and it’s the first time since making the varsity team that I truly feel my own inexperience.

Luckily the girls who stood as my base today were patient, and the other flyers gave me tips and advice so that by the end of the two-hour-long practice I was exhausted, but I was hitting the right marks.

Pom-poms in hand, I walk toward a smiling Jason who leans against the brick wall of the school. He’s wearing hisletterman jacket, his hands stuffed casually in the pockets on each side as he nods polite hellos to the other girls who walk by. But when his eyes land on me, I see the way they light up and my stomach dips in excitement. It’s enough to stop me dead in my tracks.

His smile settles into a smirk as he pushes off the wall and walks toward me, giving me a peck on the cheek as soon as I’m within reach. “Hey, Layla,” he murmurs low in my ear. He smells like soap and his hair is damp from an after-practice shower, and I almost can’t stand it—the way he sends my heart spiraling.

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