Dare You to Chase the Soccer Player (Rock Valley High 5)

The right side of his mouth twitched. “Hopefully that’s a good thing.”

“It’s the best thing.” I sighed happily and reached over with my free hand to trace random designs on the back of his hand. I liked the roughness of his skin. It wasn’t like he had the hands of a laborer or something, but they had a kind of innate toughness to them. They felt like they’d protect me, if I needed it. “I like being friends with you.”

“And I like being friends with you, too.” His eyes dimmed ever the slightest. “I just wish it didn’t have to be secretive like this.”

With a squeeze of his hand, I smiled. “No regrets, remember? We’ll take what we can get.”

That seemed to end his mourning. He nodded and then sat up to reach for the books. “Okay, time for studying.”

“Wait.” I sat up, still holding tight to his left hand. “I thought this whole library thing was a cover. I only brought those as props.”

“Nope, this is a study date between friends.” He winked at me. “Can’t have a study date without studying. And lucky for you, you happen to have a Shakespeare expert right at your fingertips. Literally.”

I let out a groaning laugh. How did Zane make even Shakespeare sound fun? We still had another hour before we had to get back to set, but it wouldn’t hurt to get in a few minutes of studying. Maybe, he’d even save my rear with Mr. Garret. Who knew? Lying to everyone around us might actually help me out in the end.

“Okay, you be the sexy tutor and I’ll be the helpless, but totally gorgeous student who can’t keep her eyes off of the tutor,” I said, grinning up at him.

He wagged his eyebrows. “Done. That’s a roll I was born to play.”

“And after today...?”

I didn’t dare ask the question I actually wanted. Would there be more time spent with him after this? We only had a week left in the same town. Was this risk worth it to him?

Was I?

“After today, we continue to live with no regrets.” The solid set of his jaw had me smiling. “No matter what my contract says. We’re friends. Deal?”

“Deal.”

It would’ve been the perfect morning, if it hadn’t been for nagging voices in the back of my head that sounded an awful lot like Charlotte and Beth. I swatted them away again and again, determined to keep all of my attention on the boy in front of me, attempting to explain Shakespeare to the girl who could do nothing but watch the beautiful shape of his mouth form words.

They weren’t here. They didn’t know how hard it was to keep away from this boy.

If they really knew, they would’ve sent me their blessings.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty when their text messages blinked on my phone screen every fifteen minutes—a reminder of the friends I had ignored.

And their warnings.

We had this under control. No regrets.

That was my life motto from now on.

Chapter Fifteen

Even my six-inch pumps had never made me feel this tall.

I was floating on air after my study date this morning. I’d never had a friendship like this before. As Alanis had me carry her tote toward the set where they were shooting a soccer game beneath a fake rainmaker, I couldn’t shake the warm, bubbly sensation inside of me. Or erase the feel of his lips pressing gently against my cheek. And when I got a look at Zane, soaking wet from the top of his head to his sneakers, I had to hide my smile by tucking my chin and staring at the asphalt beneath my feet.

“This is a special challenge,” Alanis said, stopping short of the edge to the grassy field, her neon green heels tapping impatiently as she surveyed the scene. “Wet shoots are absolutely a makeup artist’s worst nightmare. We have to make sure everything stays in place, even with the water.”

I nodded my understanding, eager to watch Alanis work. She’d opened up a little more daily and I was learning so much from her. Every day, I felt extremely grateful to Zane that he’d talked me out of quitting. She really was a treasure chest full of information and knowing that she was climbi

ng her way back up to the top was the inspiration that allowed me to skate through her bad moods and occasionally catty remarks. It was understandable. But if anyone knew Alanis, they wouldn’t be surprised when she came out on top again.

“Bad news.” Allen trudged over toward us, a miserable frown on his face that pulled his bushy eyebrows together. He gestured angrily at the mass of pipes and black scaffolding equipment set near the field. “We’re having equipment trouble. Rain machine is malfunctioning.”

Alanis squinted at the water coming down. “Looks fine to me.”