“Thanks,” he says, grabbing a mug. “You set off one of my sensors last night.” I look up from my phone as he pours himself a coffee.
“They weren't on.” I checked before I left. I was going to turn them off and back on. Besides he’d been outside when I’d slipped out. Why I’m guessing they weren't on to begin with.
“The ones I have next door.” He takes a sip of his coffee, and I shake my head.
“How long has next door been going on?” I ask, slipping my phone into my pocket.
“For me? Since I laid eyes on her, but she wasn't ready. I’ve worn her down over the years. Now she wants to wait for Zoey to graduate before making anything official.”
“Zoey won’t care. She likes you. It was me she didn't like.” I smirk.
“Don’t fuck this up for either of us.”
“Does Quinn know you have sensors in her backyard?” I ask. Now I’m starting to wonder about all the late nights he works. I bet a few of those are spent with Quinn. Good. I thought he was just a workaholic. It makes me happy to know that he has someone. Plus, I love Quinn. She’s always been good to me.
“It gives me peace of mind. Two pretty girls like them living alone need protecting.” I smile, staring at my dad. He’s the only parent I’ve ever known. Mom was a one-night stand. I’m starting to think we have a lot more in common than I thought if he’s putting sensors on their backyard to make sure they're safe. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
“Well, I’ll be setting them off a lot more often.” I give him a heads-up before I grab my bag off the table. We bump fists before I’m out the door. I pull my truck back and over into Zoey’s driveway. She comes skipping out the front door. Her hair is piled on top of her head. She has a pair of overalls that are shorts on. She doesn't even have to try to be hot. She just is.
A smile lights up her whole face when she sees me. It hits me right in the stomach. God, it feels good to see that smile back on her face, and the fact that it’s directed at me makes it even better.
I lean over and open her door. She jumps in and right onto me, kissing me.
“Morning,” she says.
“Missed you.” I steal one more kiss before she drops back in her seat, pulling the seatbelt on.
“I saw you an hour ago.” She laughs. I hand her the Pop-Tart. It’s her favorite. She loves anything and everything s'mores related. She looks at it and smiles bigger before taking a bite.
“An hour and four minutes ago, to be exact.” I back out of the driveway, taking off toward school. Things should be calm by now. Everyone knows we’re a thing. It seems as though things have started to quiet down, and we’re not the center of attention anymore.
Not that any of that shit matters. It won’t be long until we’re out of here. I glance over to see Zoey typing away on her phone. When she lets out a small laugh, I know she’s texting with Willow. Those two are trouble together.
My suspicions are confirmed when we pull in, and I see Willow is waiting for us. I park the car and watch as Zoey hops out and heads over to talk to her. I take my time getting out, allowing them a few moments to catch up before I head their way.
“I was about to call the cops and report her missing,” Willow says with a big smile on her face as I approach them. Zoey giggles and smacks her friend's arm. “You’re going to have to learn how to share.”
“It’s not one of my strong points, but I’ll try.” I want Zoey all to myself every minute of every day, but I know that’s not possible. I want to make up for lost time, but I know that I also have to let her live her life.
“Well, we have the next class together.” Willow shrugs, looping her arm around Zoey’s. She pulls her along, making Zoey laugh. I watch them walk away, and it’s not long before Zoey turns her head to look back at me. She puckers her lips, reaches her hand up and blows a kiss my way. I catch it and give her a look that lets her know that her kisses are only mine. I hear her laugh as I follow behind them. I hope I didn't wear her out too much last night. I’d woken up in the middle of the night with Zoey on top of me moaning my name in her sleep while she wiggled her hips. Why let her have a sex dream if she could have the real thing?