Page 78 of Reaching Avery
The choir teacher had been working with the cast on their songs, so Mav was learning about singing from the diaphragm and all of that stuff that he hadn’t known before. His voice was stronger and clearer now.
“Thanks.” He placed his hand at the small of my back as we walked across the street toward the student parking lot. “I was upset when I first got the part, but I’m embracing it now and just having fun with it.”
I understood where he was coming from. Maverick was so much more than what others perceived him as. More than the jock. Just like I was more than the emo.
The parking lot was pretty much empty since it was after school. Only the football guys and theater kids were around. One of the football guys called out to Mav from the practice field. I’d learned some of their names in recent weeks, since Ben and I’d started sitting at Maverick’s table at lunch, but with helmets and uniforms on, I couldn’t tell who’d spoken.
They all looked the same—tall, broad shouldered, lean waists, and nice calves. And butts.
When we got to Mav’s car, he followed me to the passenger’s side.
Just as I was about to ask him what he was doing, he faced me and slowly backed me up into the door. He was so close that his hips pressed in to mine. And yeah, it started having an effect on me—an effect that had me softly panting and aching in places I hadn’t really ached before.
His sapphire eyes held my gaze with such intensity that my knees wobbled.
My mouth went dry as I stared at him, and my heart pounded so hard, I wondered if he could feel it too. The last time he’d kissed me, it had caught me off guard, resulting in me lashing out at him.
If he tried it again—like this—I might let him.
“I really like you, Avery,” he said, still just as close. Just as intense. Slowly, he brought his hand up and brushed his knuckles along my cheek, following the curve before trailing down to my lips. “Way more than a friend. I know you said over the weekend that we were moving too fast, but—”
“I never said we were moving too fast,” I interjected. “I only asked if you thought we were. Just a question.” With the racing of my heart also came the quickening of my pulse, and I trembled a bit. Either from desire or nerves. Perhaps both. “I’ve never dated, so I don’t know how it works. Not exactly.” I swallowed, but it didn’t help my dry mouth any. “Before you, I didn’t even know I was into guys.”
“But you are?” he asked as desire flashed in his eyes and his brow creased. His breath touched my mouth, and an involuntary shiver went through me. He put one arm near my head, resting it against the car. That, mixed in with how close his body was, made my skin prickle. “Because dammit, Avery, you’re all I want. But if you aren’t feeling it, I don’t want to push you.”
The whole freaking football team was practicing not too far away and could probably see us, but I didn’t care about anything right then except for Maverick.
“I still don’t know why you want me,” I said, searching his face as my eyes started to sting. Out of all the guys he could choose from, he choseme.It made no sense. “I’m nothing, Mav.”
“Don’t say that.” His stern tone was unexpected, but his expression remained soft. “You don’t see yourself the way I see you, Avery. If you give me the chance, I’ll try to show you, though. You’re all I’ve thought about since the day we met. Even when I wasn’t supposed to be thinking of you, I did.” He caressed my cheek again, but this time slower than before. “I don’t want anyone but you.”
So many reasons why it wouldn’t work entered my head, flashing like huge, blinking neon signs. He was handsome and had it all, whereas I didn’t. I was too messed up. He wouldn’t want me once he discovered my dirty little secret.
Dating meant kissing, which then eventually turned to other stuff. Stuff that’d involve him seeing parts of my body I was too ashamed to even see myself.
And yet, in that moment, I didn’t care.
“I want you too,” I whispered, afraid my heart was going to burst from my chest and splash blood all over his face and neck. Yeah, the gruesome movie we’d watched over the weekend was to blame for that imagery.
Maverick’s face relaxed, and he took my hand in his. With the hand near my head, he started playing with the back of my hair. It kind of tickled, but I liked it.
“So… are we dating?” he asked with a hopeful smile.
I nodded, not sure what it meant.
His face lit up, and I thought—hoped—he was going to try to kiss me, but instead he backed up and opened up my door. I slid into the car, and he shut the door before walking over to the driver’s side and getting in.
We didn’t talk as he backed out of the parking lot and got on the main road. I peeked at him to get a read on him, and I noticed him smiling. That was a good sign at least.
Without a word, he reached across the seat and grabbed my hand.
As I returned his hold, it felt like there was a bird in my chest, fluttering its wings as it attempted to take flight. Perhaps I would’ve even lifted off the seat and started floating upward had Maverick not been holding me.
We’d held hands a lot, but it felt different now. More significant. It wasn’t just a random act anymore, but one that meant something. What that something was, I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure.
All I knew was I never wanted to let go.
It took longer for us to get to my house, because he took the scenic route along the way. I had no complaints because it let me spend more time with him. But eventually, we arrived, and he parked in front of my house.
