see about that. He bounced the ball twice then caught it. Aimed again, sucking in a breath but also trying not to think…
The shot bounced off the rim.
“Damn,” he said again, but this time with less joy.
Molly laughed, collecting the rebound. “Ha!” she said. “Too bad, so sad!”
Chris sighed. “Oh, come on,” he said. “You want to tell me regardless.”
She stopped the little victory dance she was doing, her expression sober. “Oh, fine,” she said. “You’re going to probably find out tomorrow in school anyway.” She walked to the stone wall dividing her house from the neighbor’s and sat down on it. Chris joined her, his heart beating as fast as he could ever remember. He was so close he could reach out and touch her. Of course, that would end any chance of her talking to him, so he managed to resist the urge. If only she wasn’t so damn pretty. That gorgeous, long blonde hair and those beautiful blue eyes. He could barely stand it.
“It’s Drew,” she explained. “I caught him…He was kissing Brenda Booker.”
Chris made a retching noise before he thought. “Gross!”
Molly turned, slight amusement coloring the sadness in her eyes. “You don’t approve?”
“Of Brenda Booker? I wouldn’t fuck her with your dickand Trey pushing. Didn’t she have her LTF revoked?” Then he had a brief moment of horror at what he’d said to her.
Molly just gave a half-smile. “I don’t know,” she said. “I guess you’ll have to ask Drew.”
“Well, he always was a bit of an idiot.” Chris knew he was being too daring, but he didn’t care. That Drew had hurt Molly made him furious inside.
She stared down at her feet, looking so sad that Chris once again wanted nothing more than to reach out and hug her and tell her everything would be okay. That she didn’t want to date such a loser anyway. But he didn’t know if any words of comfort would help. Also, sadly, he was pretty positive she’d reject any physical comfort.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “You don’t deserve that. It’d be better not to sleep with anyone than Brenda Booker.”
She looked at him quietly for a moment, her mouth still-quirked in a half smile. Then she said, “I punched him in the nose.”
Chris’s eyes widened. He couldn’t imagine punching Drew, because he knew what would happen to him if he did. “Nice,” was all he said.
“I think I broke it, actually. I’ve been training a ton, and I’m pretty strong.”
Chris couldn’t believe his ears. His day couldn’t have gone better. “I can’t wait to see him in school tomorrow. He’s going to be so embarrassed! To be shown up by a girl! Lawlz!” He caught himself too late. “Um, not that there’s anything inferior about girls.”
For the first time, Molly laughed. He’d made her laugh! “Yeah, don’t worry. I know what you mean,” she said. “And thanks. For listening and stuff. And for shooting hoops with me. Basketball always makes me feel better.”
His heart was pounding again. “I’ll listen anytime,” he said. “And shooting hoops was fun. I’d love to try it again sometime.”
“It’s a deal,” she said. When she held out her hand, he took it in his and shook, shocked by the tingle of electricity thatpassed between them. He wondered what it’d be like to hug her. To hold her. To feel her body against his. He’d probably go into cardiac arrest.
She dropped her hand quickly, and he wondered if she’d felt the jolt, too. Her expression was unreadable.
“Anyway,” she said. “Let’s go find my dad.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Molly followed Chase down the aisles toward the Garden and Patio section. He pushed open a door and led her into a large, colorful greenhouse. The walls of the house were blocked off with metal, but the glass ceiling was still uncovered and let in the last of the evening light. Lush emerald vines loaded with plump tomatoes and shiny yellow peppers climbed brightly painted trellises in the center of the
The shot bounced off the rim.
“Damn,” he said again, but this time with less joy.
Molly laughed, collecting the rebound. “Ha!” she said. “Too bad, so sad!”
Chris sighed. “Oh, come on,” he said. “You want to tell me regardless.”
She stopped the little victory dance she was doing, her expression sober. “Oh, fine,” she said. “You’re going to probably find out tomorrow in school anyway.” She walked to the stone wall dividing her house from the neighbor’s and sat down on it. Chris joined her, his heart beating as fast as he could ever remember. He was so close he could reach out and touch her. Of course, that would end any chance of her talking to him, so he managed to resist the urge. If only she wasn’t so damn pretty. That gorgeous, long blonde hair and those beautiful blue eyes. He could barely stand it.
“It’s Drew,” she explained. “I caught him…He was kissing Brenda Booker.”
Chris made a retching noise before he thought. “Gross!”
Molly turned, slight amusement coloring the sadness in her eyes. “You don’t approve?”
“Of Brenda Booker? I wouldn’t fuck her with your dickand Trey pushing. Didn’t she have her LTF revoked?” Then he had a brief moment of horror at what he’d said to her.
Molly just gave a half-smile. “I don’t know,” she said. “I guess you’ll have to ask Drew.”
“Well, he always was a bit of an idiot.” Chris knew he was being too daring, but he didn’t care. That Drew had hurt Molly made him furious inside.
She stared down at her feet, looking so sad that Chris once again wanted nothing more than to reach out and hug her and tell her everything would be okay. That she didn’t want to date such a loser anyway. But he didn’t know if any words of comfort would help. Also, sadly, he was pretty positive she’d reject any physical comfort.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “You don’t deserve that. It’d be better not to sleep with anyone than Brenda Booker.”
She looked at him quietly for a moment, her mouth still-quirked in a half smile. Then she said, “I punched him in the nose.”
Chris’s eyes widened. He couldn’t imagine punching Drew, because he knew what would happen to him if he did. “Nice,” was all he said.
“I think I broke it, actually. I’ve been training a ton, and I’m pretty strong.”
Chris couldn’t believe his ears. His day couldn’t have gone better. “I can’t wait to see him in school tomorrow. He’s going to be so embarrassed! To be shown up by a girl! Lawlz!” He caught himself too late. “Um, not that there’s anything inferior about girls.”
For the first time, Molly laughed. He’d made her laugh! “Yeah, don’t worry. I know what you mean,” she said. “And thanks. For listening and stuff. And for shooting hoops with me. Basketball always makes me feel better.”
His heart was pounding again. “I’ll listen anytime,” he said. “And shooting hoops was fun. I’d love to try it again sometime.”
“It’s a deal,” she said. When she held out her hand, he took it in his and shook, shocked by the tingle of electricity thatpassed between them. He wondered what it’d be like to hug her. To hold her. To feel her body against his. He’d probably go into cardiac arrest.
She dropped her hand quickly, and he wondered if she’d felt the jolt, too. Her expression was unreadable.
“Anyway,” she said. “Let’s go find my dad.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Molly followed Chase down the aisles toward the Garden and Patio section. He pushed open a door and led her into a large, colorful greenhouse. The walls of the house were blocked off with metal, but the glass ceiling was still uncovered and let in the last of the evening light. Lush emerald vines loaded with plump tomatoes and shiny yellow peppers climbed brightly painted trellises in the center of the
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