waited for her cue. The music started up, loudly spilling through the speakers surrounding us. When the drum major raised her arm, I lifted the saxophone and closed my lips around the mouthpiece. My gloved fingers pressed down on the notes as I played. Tuning out thoughts of Holden and all the other things crowding my mind, I focused on the notes I needed to play, and the placement of my feet as I marched. I moved skillfully over the field, losing myself in the music and the movements. When the show wound down, I slowed. The drum major dropped her arms, and I lowered my instrument. Blinking, I scanned the stadium as if seeing it for the first time. That’s what playing was like for me. I got caught up in it. It was the only time I could quiet my racing thoughts and just be me.
As my gaze scoured the bleachers, I saw my parents sitting in the second row. Mom was drinking a bottle of water, and Dad had his hand in a bag of chips. Both of them wore excited grins. Seriously, they made better teenagers than I did. Turning to leave the field, my breath caught in my throat. Holden stood at the edge of the field, his gaze glued to me. He had one arm slung over the metal fence separating the field from the bleachers. The relaxed way he stood there caused me to wonder if he’d been there the entire show.
I didn’t dare allow myself to ponder what that meant if he had been.
Forcing my legs to move, I stepped forward. I barely got two steps down when Holden pushed off the fence and swaggered in my direction. His cleats crunched on the turf as he neared us. Swallowing hard, I could hear my heart hammering in my ears as if it had literally traveled from my chest and now resided in my head. Holden elbowed his way through the band students, his gaze never leaving me. The hunger in his eyes crashed over me like a powerful ocean wave. What the hell was he doing? Curious glances and loud whispers spun around me the closer he got. When he reached me, I stopped walking, afraid I would walk right into his chest.
Before I could register what was happening, his hand reached up to cup my face. He was so close I could smell sweat and the faint scent of his deodorant. I sucked in a breath, unable to move.
“You were amazing,” Holden breathed.
“You saw?” I whispered, not fully trusting my voice right now.
“The entire thing.” He grinned, his hand still on my face. “And now I know.”
“Know what?” I bit my lip. It terrified me how much I liked the feel of his hand on my skin. I prayed he’d never release it.
“That you love music the way I love football. I’ve never seen anyone look as gorgeous as you did in your element.”
I snorted, his words breaking through the trance he’d had me under. “Yeah, right. There is nothing pretty about me in this monstrosity.” Cringing, I peered down at my marching band uniform.
“I didn’t say beautiful. I said gorgeous. And I meant it.” The sincerity in his eyes made me clamp my mouth shut, closing in the sarcastic remark that threatened to come out. When I dared to peek around us, I saw that the field had pretty much cleared out. The band had made it off the turf, and the football team was just filing out of the locker room. Everyone in the bleachers were watching us. I froze. “Let them stare.” Holden’s hand curved further around my face, and he moved closer. So close I thought he might kiss me. His warm breath fanned over my flesh. “I want them to know how I feel. I like you, Chloe. It never mattered to me that you were in band. I want to be with you, and I’m not going to let our social status get in the way of that. Are you?”
Well, when he put it that way, how I could I refuse?
Besides, he was right. He’d made it clear that he liked me from the first day we met. It was me who’d let our labels get in the way. My lips twitched, curving upward.
“I like you too, Holden.”
A grin leapt to his lips, and he stepped even closer.
My pulse quickened. “But
As my gaze scoured the bleachers, I saw my parents sitting in the second row. Mom was drinking a bottle of water, and Dad had his hand in a bag of chips. Both of them wore excited grins. Seriously, they made better teenagers than I did. Turning to leave the field, my breath caught in my throat. Holden stood at the edge of the field, his gaze glued to me. He had one arm slung over the metal fence separating the field from the bleachers. The relaxed way he stood there caused me to wonder if he’d been there the entire show.
I didn’t dare allow myself to ponder what that meant if he had been.
Forcing my legs to move, I stepped forward. I barely got two steps down when Holden pushed off the fence and swaggered in my direction. His cleats crunched on the turf as he neared us. Swallowing hard, I could hear my heart hammering in my ears as if it had literally traveled from my chest and now resided in my head. Holden elbowed his way through the band students, his gaze never leaving me. The hunger in his eyes crashed over me like a powerful ocean wave. What the hell was he doing? Curious glances and loud whispers spun around me the closer he got. When he reached me, I stopped walking, afraid I would walk right into his chest.
Before I could register what was happening, his hand reached up to cup my face. He was so close I could smell sweat and the faint scent of his deodorant. I sucked in a breath, unable to move.
“You were amazing,” Holden breathed.
“You saw?” I whispered, not fully trusting my voice right now.
“The entire thing.” He grinned, his hand still on my face. “And now I know.”
“Know what?” I bit my lip. It terrified me how much I liked the feel of his hand on my skin. I prayed he’d never release it.
“That you love music the way I love football. I’ve never seen anyone look as gorgeous as you did in your element.”
I snorted, his words breaking through the trance he’d had me under. “Yeah, right. There is nothing pretty about me in this monstrosity.” Cringing, I peered down at my marching band uniform.
“I didn’t say beautiful. I said gorgeous. And I meant it.” The sincerity in his eyes made me clamp my mouth shut, closing in the sarcastic remark that threatened to come out. When I dared to peek around us, I saw that the field had pretty much cleared out. The band had made it off the turf, and the football team was just filing out of the locker room. Everyone in the bleachers were watching us. I froze. “Let them stare.” Holden’s hand curved further around my face, and he moved closer. So close I thought he might kiss me. His warm breath fanned over my flesh. “I want them to know how I feel. I like you, Chloe. It never mattered to me that you were in band. I want to be with you, and I’m not going to let our social status get in the way of that. Are you?”
Well, when he put it that way, how I could I refuse?
Besides, he was right. He’d made it clear that he liked me from the first day we met. It was me who’d let our labels get in the way. My lips twitched, curving upward.
“I like you too, Holden.”
A grin leapt to his lips, and he stepped even closer.
My pulse quickened. “But
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