Dare You to Kiss the Quarterback (Rock Valley High 1)

His gaze flicked back up to my eyes and he placed his hand on the wall above my head, leaning in closer. “Is that it?”

No. I wanted to know what he tasted like and if the rumors about his kissing skills were true. But I’d die before saying that.

“Yes...”

“And you’ll actually let me help write the song?”

My pride was stinging, but I nodded my head. “I promise.”

“Ok, then.” The left side of his mouth curled up into a grin and he pushed off the wall with a shrug. “You could’ve just said so.”

My cheeks blazed red hot with embarrassment. I hoped he couldn’t read my mind because I was sorely mourning the lack of his imposing body pinning me up against the wall. At the very least, my sacrifice of pride at his feet had won him over. We were back on. We could finally start focusing on the song again.

“When do you want to start work?” I asked as he snatched his football pads from the bench behind us.

He threw them over his shoulder and winked at me. “I’ll find you when I’m ready.”

That kind of planning didn’t work for me. I needed a time and a place. Not just a wink of assurance.

“Collin, wait!”

I followed him out of the locker room, but he was already headed toward the back door to the practice field. My feet slowed to a stop. I would’ve looked even crazier than I already did if I’d stalked him outside. So I stood in place, watching him go, and feeling the slightest bit of panic.

If we couldn’t get through one conversation together without him arguing or me wanting desperately to attack him with my lips, how were we going to get this song done?

Chapter Ten

“Dad asked me to talk to you. Again.”

Lexi leaned against the doorframe of my bedroom as I laid sprawled on the bed, finishing up some calculus homework. Her dark curly hair was pulled half up and she’d put on her Hello Kitty jammies for the night. A light breeze drifted in through my open window, ruffling the loose curls around her face.

She crossed her arms and tapped her foot, giving me a disapproving stare. “When are you going to call him back?”

I grumbled under my breath and turned onto my back. Lexi might have forgiven our dad, but I wasn’t ready to. Fury still burned inside my chest when I thought about what he’d done to our family. To Mom. I just wasn’t ready to move on.

“Maybe never,” I said, glaring up at the posters on my ceiling. “He’s just going to have to deal with it.”

I could practically hear the disdain ringing inside her head, but she didn’t say anything more about it. Instead, she sighed and shifted against the wall.

“By the way, I heard a terrible rumor from Michelle today that my big sister barged into the boys’ locker room. I told her she had the wrong Audrey Black. My sister would never do something like that. But then I saw your picture on the Rock Valley Biz Instagram feed and my mind was blown.”

I grimaced and closed my eyes against the memory still fresh on my brain. One of the football players must’ve snapped a picture when I wasn’t looking. Tomorrow, everyone would be talking about me. Again. This was starting to become a nasty habit.

“I needed to talk to someone. He refused to listen.”

Lexi snorted. “Collin Preston doesn’t listen to anyone. I’m surprised he didn’t throw you out flat on your rear end.”

Honestly, I was kind of surprised, too. He kept the football team under an iron fist. No one messed with Collin. The fact that he took my crap was nothing short of amazing.

“Well, what did he expect?” I asked, turning back over to my stomach to look at my sister. “We’re performing together at the centennial event. He couldn’t avoid me forever. We need to practice.”

Lexi looked me over as if trying to decipher some hidden message in my reply. Her lips twisted to the side and she wrinkled her nose. “Just be careful around him, Sis. I’ve heard his dad has major issues. Don’t be surprised if the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but cut myself short. First of all, I didn’t know enough about Collin or his family to say if that was true or not. He was pretty intimidating. And secondly, it was kind of refreshing to have Lexi be the one looking out for me, for once.

Shooting her a smile, I nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Night, Lex.”

“Night,” she said, pulling the door closed behind her. “Don’t forget to call Dad!”