Rival Hearts (Rival Love #2) (26 page)

The next day, I send Sky a dozen red roses. I sneak a peek at her face when the guy delivers them in third-period civics class. She doesn’t look at me. She doesn’t even read the card. However, as soon as the bell rings, she marches over to the trash can and tosses them in.

Yeah, I knew this wouldn’t be easy. She’s super pissed. She has every right to be. I mean, I left her in a parking lot, ignored her, and then said “it’s not you” when she confronted me. I’ve got to step up to the plate or I’m going to lose her forever.

The following day, I send her chocolates. Again, she doesn’t look at me. She tosses them into the trash and acts like I don’t even exist. Yeah, this is a kick to the nuts, my friends.

I keep buying her things, and each day the damn shit ends up in the trash. What the hell does she want? I intend to go find Kayla, but she hunts me down first. “Caleb, you have to quit.” I’m about to ask her what Sky wants, but she clamps her hands down on my shoulders and shakes her head. “Stop buying her things. She can’t be bought. You have to think outside the box here. And just a heads-up, she wants to go to something.” Kayla points to the prom poster and then heads off.

Chapter 43

Skylar

This whole week has been really weird. First, I turned Danielle in for the vandalism. Thank God for Kayla, she had the confession all on tape. Danielle’s uncle was so not happy when he heard her confession, but he did apologize to me. The school pressed charges against Danielle, but she’s still a minor, and the courts found her unstable. So, she’s in a twenty-four hour psych ward. Of course, that’s not really why my week has been so weird.

I figured after the whole Danielle incident Caleb would be happy and want to be around me. He isn’t. He avoids me like I have the plague and, honestly, it hurts.

I found him at the batting cages and demanded to know what’s wrong. But as soon as he started that sentence, “it’s not you … ” I knew exactly where the conversation was heading. So screw that, I was not about to listen to that nonsense.

The next day in class I got this beautiful bouquet of roses. And any other time I would probably gush and be like, “Awww.” But I’m ticked off. He can’t just start that whole “it’s not you, it’s me” speech and then send me flowers so all is forgiven! I don’t want his damn roses.

Then he sent me chocolates. And the next day, a cute stuffed bear holding a heart. I thought about beheading the bear and sticking the head on his desk. Instead, it ended up in the trash like all the other presents.

But as I sit in class on Friday, he puts a box on my desk. It’s a small jewelry box.

“That’s it!” I whip around in my seat in English and smack the box on his desk. “I don’t know what is wrong with you, but I don’t want your stupid apologies in the form of roses, teddy bears, or for God’s sake, whatever the hell this is!”

Ms. Norris clears her throat while Caleb stares at me. His face has no emotion to it. “Miss Fletcher, please take the hall pass and go to the restroom, or possibly the guidance office. Just get some air.” I take the pass as my face heats with embarrassment. “Mr. Morgan, will you please stop making this poor girl uncomfortable? I don’t want to have to turn you into the office.”

***

I head to the youth center after school. Playing basketball with the kids makes me feel better. Well, most of the time. But today it leaves me drained and unsatisfied. All I keep thinking about is Caleb.

Later, I enter my room sweaty, gross, and ready for a nice shower. I drop my bag off at my desk and have started to strip off my clothes when I hear a throat clear. I turn around and see Caleb sitting on my window bench. “Hey. I wanted to let you know I was in here.”

I bunch my top over my bra and, as heat spreads across my face, I ask, “Did you need something?”

“I do.” He walks over to me, and I think,
Yes, he’s finally going to kiss me. He does still want me.
He pushes a strand of my hair back, and as I wait for his lips, he says, “I wanted to know if you still wanted to go to the baseball game. If not, I can take Lance.”

My face falls. “Oh. Um. Yeah, go ahead and take Lance.” Guess I deserved that for my outburst at him in class.

He nods. Doesn’t crack a smile or show me any kind of emotion. Again, nothing.

***

My first softball game is in three days. Lidia is on spring break starting today so she’s coming. My mom said she could stay all week, and I guess Lidia is bringing Malcom with her. That should be interesting. I wonder if Dad knows about this? Pretty sure he’d flip.

I’m on my way to go pick them up at the airport after school, traffic is thick. It’s annoying moving two inches every five minutes. In my cupholder my phone buzzes. “Hello?”

“Hey, where are you?” Lidia asks.

“I’m almost at the exit. There’s a huge traffic jam. Sorry. Have you landed then?”

“Yeah. Getting my bags down. Hey, wait your turn, grabby hands!”

“Um … need me to call you back?”

“Nah, some business monkey is in a real big hurry and can’t wait his turn. Yeah, I’m talking to you, buddy, don’t give me that look. So, anyway, the baseball game’s tonight. Why aren’t you going again?”

I sigh. “I don’t know. What’s the point? It’s almost April. We graduate in May, and then I’m off to Italy for a couple weeks.”

She huffs. “Okay. So where is Malcom sleeping? Should he go get a hotel room?”

“He can sleep on the fold-out bed downstairs.”

I finally pull up to the airport terminal, and I spot Malcom first, then Lidia. She comes up to my car with a huge purse in one hand, Malcom carrying the rest of the luggage

She opens up the door and Malcom smiles. “Hey, babycakes!” I frown. “So this is what you drive? How do you expect all this fine specimen to fit in this little-ass car?”

“Keep laughing it up. Get in or you can walk,” I say with a smirk.

Lidia slides into the back and sits in the middle. Malcom sits up front. “Touch my radio and you’ll forfeit an entire hand,” I warn.

Lidia laughs while Malcom pouts. As soon as the coast is clear, I exit the airport terminal and head home. Lidia asks me about prom, if I have a date, a dress, all that fun stuff. I burst her bubble when I answer “no” to all.

When we pull up to the house, Malcom whistles. “Nice, this is like suburbia.”

I roll my eyes.

Lidia gets out of the car and kisses Malcom. “Get our bags, please, and be nice to my sister. She’s had a shitty couple of weeks.”

“Try months,” I mumble.

“Fine,” Malcom says.

We head up to the house, and Malcom thinks it’s funny to trip me or step on the heels of my shoes as I make my way across the yard. After the third time, I whip around and punch him in the chest. “Dude, quit doing that!”

“Sky, stop hitting me. Your boyfriend is giving me the ‘I will kill you glare’ from the porch,” Malcom whispers.

“What?” I look back and notice Caleb scowling near the front door. Lidia runs up to him and gives him a hug. He barely hugs her back as he keeps his eyes trained on me. I scrunch up my face and walk past them. He should have been on his way to the baseball game.

Going up to my room, Lidia and Malcom follow. At least I think that’s what is happening. I look back to tell Lidia that we’re at my room, but she’s not there. It’s Caleb. He pins me against my door and looks at me. “Yes?” I ask.

“What’s he doing here?”

“He’s Lidia’s boyfriend. And we’re friends. He came to hang out.”

He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and says, “Just friends?”

“Uh-huh.”

He nods and walks away. I let out a breath I apparently was holding in. Lidia rushes up to me and giggles. “What was that?”

“I don’t know. He’s been so … I don’t know, lately. See what I’m talking about, though. He gave me these gifts for a week, but all I want is for him to say he’s sorry and that he wants me. Not buy me like I’m some type of hooker! And just when I think he’s going to do that he acts all weird and then walks away. What is that?”

We venture into my room. She shakes her head. “I don’t know, but he’s definitely still into you. Do you think he found out about your early admittance? Maybe that’s why he’s acting all weird.”

“I don’t know. Ugh … what do I do? It drives me nuts.”

Malcom makes a noise, dropping Lidia’s bags near my closet door. “So, boyfriend isn’t really your boyfriend anymore? But you want him to be? Am I all caught up?”

Lidia pats my bed for Malcom to sit while I spin in my computer chair. “Yeah, pretty much. I’m an idiot. Maybe I should have taken the gifts.”

“A hot idiot. Ouch.” Lidia slaps Malcom and then nods at me. “But I thought you and him were all, we’re hearts forever kind of crap?”

“‘Were’ is the key word there.” I pick up my guitar and start to strum a chord. Lidia looks over at my other one. “Pick it up.”

“Nah, that’s okay,” she says. “He’s been trying to teach me, but I suck. Go ahead, baby.”

Malcom picks it up and we start to have a little jam session. Lidia, however, makes us stop after a while and we decide to go downstairs. As soon as I step out of my room, I find a trail of red, pink, and white petals on the floor.

“Oh, ew. I hope my mom and Brian aren’t doing something gross downstairs.”

“I’m pretty sure they would go to the bedroom, right? Let’s go see what this is, though.” With a huge smile on her face Lidia runs down the stairs.

I tiptoe because of the fear I’m walking in on something barfalicious. When I reach the living room, Caleb is standing in the middle of the room in front of a bunch of petals shaped into a heart. My hands go up to my mouth and he smiles. “Caleb, what is—”

He shakes his head. “Sky, please stop talking. I need to do this before I lose it.” Oh my God, his hands are shaking. It’s so freaking cute I almost can’t contain myself. “These past few months have been a roller coaster. But one thing was constant and always there, and that’s you. I love you, Skylar. I haven’t stopped. I never meant to push you away, I was just sorting out a bunch of crap. Because, Sky, the man you deserve is one who knows what he’s doing. Has a set plan and path, and at the time I had not a clue. I do now. Skylar, do you forgive me?”

I nod while tears roll down my cheeks. I start to lean in and kiss him, but he shakes his head.

“Hold on. I’m not done yet. I’ve got two more questions.”

“What’s that?”

“You have my heart, Skylar Olivia Fletcher. Will you promise to keep it? And while we’re at it, will you be my date to prom?”

“How did you … ”

“Kayla and Lidia kind of hinted it to me. Also, ever since our dance in the shower, I’ve wanted to take you.”

“You said you didn’t remember that night.”

He frowns. “Yeah. I kind of lied about that so you wouldn’t be mad at me or push me away.” He steps forward and wraps his hands around my waist. “What do you say, Sky?”

Lidia squeals. Malcom points a thumb at the door. “We’ll be outside.”

I stare at them leaving, chewing on my lower lip.

“Sky?”

I look back at Caleb. “I’m going to Duke early. I’ll be in North Carolina at the end of June.”

“Okay. That’s okay. That doesn’t answer my questions, though.”

“How is that okay? I’ll be almost thirteen hours away.”

He laughs. “Babe, quit freaking out. Take a breath. Relax. Okay?” I don’t know why he’s so calm about this. I just told him we’re going to be doing a long-distance relationship and he’s acting as if we’re going to be neighbors or something. “I’ll be there in June, too.”

“You’ll be where in June?”

“I’m going to Duke.”

“Are we still talking about this year? Or are you saying what your plans for next year are?”

He laughs even harder and louder this time. “Really, babe, and I thought you were the smart one in this relationship. Of course I’m talking about this year. I had to call my friend, you remember the guy on the plane going into New York, Clyde? I called him, and the recruiter, turns out they were college roommates. I told them both what happened, and the recruiter said as long as my arm is ready, he’s looking forward to seeing me this summer.”

“So … ”

“I start training in June.”

I smile, happy tears pouring down my face, throw my arms around him, and kiss him. He finally pulls back and breathes, “You still haven’t answered my questions.”

“Yes. Yes, to both.” I kiss him some more.

Epilogue

Skylar

Kayla and Lance are standing in Caleb’s dorm room. I unroll a poster of a swimsuit model and say, “Um, no.”

“What? I can’t have one of you to hang above my bed. It’s for those late nights when you’re working or practicing.” Caleb wraps himself around me.

I smack him with the poster. “Fine. Then I’m going to go get one of those racy cowboy posters and hang it up over my bed.”

“I don’t want to see that when I’m sleeping next to you in your room. That’s just creepy. Some half-naked dude in a hat staring at me. Hell no.”

Kayla laughs. “You two sound like you’re married.”

“And you two are going to get us killed. Don’t be wearing any of your school shit down here,” I warn.

“Yeah.” Caleb laughs.

Lance pounds Caleb’s fist and hugs me. Kayla hugs the both of us and promises to call me later. “Coffee this weekend,” she says.

“Yup. Coffee off-campus.”

“Definitely, I can’t be hanging out with a Devil,” Kayla jokes.

“Oh, please, Tar Heel. You mean I can’t been seen with you.” I laugh.

Lance rolls his eyes. “Looks like you’re on the losing side this time, man.”

“Please. Two all-stars right here, right, babe?” Caleb high-fives me and we all bust out into loud laughter.

I wink at Kayla. “Let the rivalries begin.”

Once we wave goodbye, I go back to helping Caleb organize his room. He loops his thumbs into my shorts and pulls me against him. “I think we need a little break.”