The Girl in the Love Song (Lost Boys 1)

A shocked laugh burst out of me. “Jesus, woman.”

She laughed too and released me, then straightened my T-shirt. “Sorry. Part of me feels like I need to catch up. I’ve never done any of the things we do. But it’s really just you, Miller. I’m not the least bit nervous. Not with you.” She glanced up at me through lowered lashes. “Just the opposite. I can’t wait for my first time.”

“Our first time.”

She stared. “What? You and Amber never…?”

“Never.” I didn’t want to disrespect Amber, so I kept it to myself that while she was pretty and smart, my mind, heart, and dick weren’t interested. “How did you put it? Like two slabs of plywood smacking together.”

Violet didn’t smile, but her dark blue eyes, the color of night just after the sun sets, took me in, looking at me in a new light. “You never told me.”

“I figured you didn’t want to hear anything about Amber and me.”

“Maybe not, but…I’m surprised. And touched.”

I shrugged. “I was waiting for you.”

Violet threw her arms around me and kissed me deep, all tongue and heated wetness that made me dizzy.

“How about no more waiting?” she whispered.

I gave a nervous laugh and disentangled myself from her. “You have to stop saying things like that in public, or I’m going to get suspended.” I slung my arm over her shoulder and pulled her close as we walked out from under the bleachers. “I’m eighteen, but you have a few weeks to go. The state of California strongly suggests we wait.”

“You looked it up?” Violet teased.

“Hell yes, I did. Your dad would have my nuts.”

Her face fell. “I doubt he’d notice if we did it on the dining room table while they ate.”

“Interesting visual.” I gave her a squeeze. “Any new developments?”

She shook her head against my chest. We’d come to her last class of the day, History.

“They still haven’t told me everything, but I’ve sent in all my scholarship and financial aid applications. The only thing left to do is wait and see how much I’ll be on the hook for.”

Her brilliant, optimistic smile returned—the one that I loved so much. Mostly because it was the yin to my yang of eternal pessimism.

“I’ll make the best of it, so long as I get to stay here.” Violet kissed me softly. “Santa Cruz is, after all, only a short flight from Los Angeles where you’ll soon be making records.”

That pessimism put a smirk on my face. “Doubtful.”

I didn’t add that I loathed the idea of being apart from her for any length of time. Not to come off like a possessive asshole but being with Vi made me feel whole. Like how I’d felt when she’d bought my guitar back from the pawn shop. A piece of me had been returned and I never wanted to go without again.

“I have no doubts,” she said. “Have you heard you?”

Her unfailing belief in me warmed my damn heart. And I hoped she was right. If I hit it big, I could pay for her college, and her parents could take their dysfunctional bullshit and shove it.

The bell rang. “I gotta go,” Violet said. “Come over tonight?”

“I’ll be there. Hey, Ronan’s in this class, right?”

“In theory. He hasn’t shown up the last few days.” She frowned as students filed around us. “Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know. I’m worried about him. Holden too. They’re both acting weird and not hanging out much at the Shack.”

Violet looked around. “Shiloh’s not here today either. I’ll shoot her a text and see what’s what. I’m late and so are you.” She kissed my nose and hurried inside the classroom.

Technically, I was late to PE and technically, I didn’t give a shit. I meandered in the general direction of the gym, hoping VP Chouder and his sixth sense for sniffing out tardy students wouldn’t catch me.