White is for Virgins (52 page)

“Yeah. Looks like he didn’t take to our visit.”

I clenched my jaw and ruffled up my hair in thought. “What if he never shows up? She’s going to raise that baby by herself… and he’s never going to know about his son.”

“He still has time, Em.”

“Yeah, stick up for the man,” I muttered, “He’s decided to play hide and seek while the love of his life is seven months pregnant.”

“We tried. Now we have to focus on our own lives,” Fox said, hopping up onto the counter despite Nina’s relentless demands to stay off of it.

“Oh yeah, did I tell you I’m probably moving again?”

“Where?” came his instant response.

“I don’t know,” I shrugged, hopping up next to him. “I doubt it’ll be far. We just need to cut back so I can get a car and go to college.”

“You’ll end up getting a full scholarship,” he smirked.

“You can’t assume.”

“I’m not assuming. I’m just stating fact, Em,” he reasoned.

“I need to get my license first. Or else I’m stuck here, volunteering and reading stories to little kids before nap time.”

He laughed and shoved me off the countertop.

“Hey,” I whined in protest.

“Off the counter, Fox!” Nina barked on her way to the restroom.

“Sorry, Nina,” he called, hopping off and scratching the back of his head.

The desire to kiss him senseless intensified as I realized he’d just saved me from Pregnant Nina’s wrath.

***

“I’m so nervous, Fox,” I said, squeezing my knees in an effort to stop the shaking in my legs as we sat at the RMV. I got called up.

“Stop worrying, we practiced like 40 hours this past week,” he laughed. “You know this inside and out,
Em, you’re a good driver.”

“You think?”

“Stop fishing for compliments, alright?” he smirked, messing up my hair as I filled out all the necessary information and went to the car.

“What if I fail?” I asked, biting my lip. I turned around to face him and my breath caught as I realized how close we were.

“When have you ever failed anything in your life?” he asked, placing his hands on either side of me on the car. I stared into his eyes and remembered to breathe as I listened to him.

“There’s a first time for everything,” I countered.

His eyes grew kind of hooded. “You, of all people, are learning that pretty quickly.”

Before I could even process what he was implying and blush, I heard a stern voice on the other side of the car. “Miss Price? Are we ready?”

“She’s never been more ready, sir,” Fox assured him, releasing me and opening the driver’s side door for me.

“You got this,” he mouthed before closing the door.

***

I approached Fox, who was sitting on a random bench outside the RMV, with shaky legs. I was biting my lip and holding a plethora of emotions back.

He looked up with a solemn and inquisitive expression; his white blonde hair fell into his eyes a bit and I was ready to jump him.

“So?” he asked when I stopped in front of him. He stood up and searched my eyes.

“I look high,” I muttered.

His eyes narrowed. “You what?”

I pulled out a shiny piece of plastic and showed it to him. “I look high.”

He shook his head at me, withholding a smile just as I was. Finally I cracked, and grinned at him. He returned the smile, surprising me by sliding his hands around me and spinning me around.

“I told you you’d pass,” he said, finally putting me down. “Come on, let’s go celebrate.”

“Where are we going?” I asked, running to catch up with him.

“The beach,” he said simply, as if going to the beach in March, borderline April, was normal in New England.

Instead of questioning his sanity, I opted for something else. “I’m driving!”

He laughed, nevertheless handing me his keys. His lack of caution or worry with me driving his car on the highway was strange. Maybe he just had extreme self-control?

We drove to New London and grabbed a blanket, which had conveniently been stored in Fox’s trunk. We had stopped by a fast food drive-thru an exit back so we brought our food with us. I zipped up my coat and breathed in the crisp ocean air as we walked along the sand. It was stunning to see a few people scattered among the sand and running along the shore.

Sitting on the blanket and munching on some fries, I studied Fox while he studied me back.

“What?” he laughed, almost self-consciously. “I got ketchup on me or something?”

“No,” I shook my head, “you’re just different, is all.”

“Different?”

“Compared to how you were when I first met you,” I smirked, “you’re a whole new person.”

He smirked and bit his burger. “I’m going to go ahead and assume that you like the change.”

“Very much so,” I admitted. “Do you think it’s the whole volunteer work thing that’s made you more… I don’t know the word… mature? Responsible?”

He shook his head. “Nah, I think it’s just you.”

I almost choked on my drink as I took a few sips. “Me?”

He nodded nonchalantly and looked out at the horizon. “Technically my mandatory community service ended last month.”

I tried to keep my jaw intact as I looked out at the water as well. “Why’d you keep coming?” I asked, hoping that somehow it connected back to me like he’d mentioned.

“The place grew on me, I don’t know,” he shrugged, running a hand through his hair. “Plus, it looks good on college apps, and beats the hell out of going home.”

So basically everything besides the fact that
I’m
also at the center keeps him coming back. Cool beans.

“Right,” I nodded. “Well that’s really nice, Fox. I never would’ve guessed that you’d do something like that that wasn’t required of you.”

“You just don’t give me enough credit,” he smirked, laying back on his elbows and letting the breeze sweep his hair into his eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s my own fault; it’s what comes with the reputation.”

“Hah,” I laughed, “the infamous reputation, right.”

He laughed along. “High school’s rich, huh?”

“And to think, all that reputation goes to shit when you get to college,” I mused.

He nodded. “I’ll be like any other sexy college freshman; I’ll have to start all over.”

“Oh no!” I gasped in mock-worry, “What ever will you do?”

“I really have no clue,” he admitted solemnly. “That’s the beauty of it.”

“I doubt you’ll have any problems with that,” I commented, leaning back in the same fashion as he was.

“What does that mean?” he asked curiously.

“It means you attract people like light attracts moths.”

“I attract people, huh?” he repeated, testing the phrase on his tongue smugly. “All people?” He turned to me when he asked this.

I looked away like a scared little girl.

“Most,” I mumbled, eating my last fry.

We stayed quiet for a while, just listening to the roll of the waves and watching various birds dive for fish.

“So,” he said, clearing his throat. “I figured out how you’re going to repay me for all that I’ve done for you this past week.”

“Oh yeah?” I smirked, turning over on my side and resting my head on my left hand. “This should be good; I’ll do anything as long as it’s legal and it doesn’t involve writing your essay for Sawyer.”

The corners of his lips turned up ever so slightly as I said that. His eyes fanned over my face for a moment before he spoke.

“Kiss me,” he said with a daring tone. He studied how I took in his request with a solemn expression and a searching gaze.

I gulped, unable to look away. I had no words to say. I found myself licking my lips as I felt my bones turn to jelly.

This is what you get for saying you’d do anything.
It may not be too late to offer to write Sawyer’s essay…
or to run. But then how are you going to get home? And deal with seeing him tomorrow? Oh God, this could change everything. This is what I want… isn’t it?

As I mentally prepared myself to kiss Fox Evans, he noticed my sudden paralysis and spacing out.

“You don’t have to if it’s–” he had started to say, but I was past the point of no return – I had closed my eyes and launched into a kiss.

As soon as my lips found his it didn’t take long for him to take control. The familiar, wonderful, nothing-else-matters, I-could-survive-off-of-this-kiss feeling returned and intensified as his hand cupped my cheek and his thumb softly stroked my skin. He eased forward on his elbow and his other hand found its way to my warm neck beneath my coat and he pulled me closer. I forgot to think and overanalyze the fact that I hadn’t a single ounce of French in me, and therefore was completely unaware of exactly how to French kiss; I just followed Fox. From his thumbs soft strokes on my cheek, the flickers of his tongue against mine, and the wonderful feelings I was experiencing, I judged I wasn’t half bad. Completely losing myself in the bliss of the kiss, I tentatively reached over and ran my fingers through the hair I’d marveled at for months. It slipped through my fingers and I nearly groaned at the softness and silkiness. I moan escaped my throat before I even felt it coming on, and I blushed as I felt Fox smile. He moaned back to humor me. We broke away and laughed.