The head referee jogged to the sideline to face the coaches, and a smile stretched across Jack’s face when he apologized to the opposing coach, saying no one on his crew had seen exactly what happened, so no call would be made. Jack thought the man would blow a gasket, and, if he was in his situation, he knew he would have too, but he couldn’t stop smiling at the referee now. “Let’s keep the rest of this game clean, coaches,” the referee nodded at Jack.
When the game finally resumed a few minutes later, Jack was sure that there was some health code violation that made it illegal for number fifteen to continue with blood stains on the front of this gold jersey, but, given the fact that Grant was still in the game post his Muhammad Ali impression, Jack didn’t figure it was in his best interest to argue anything.
Number fifteen’s energy was now being expended on Grant, warning him that he better watch his back after the game and guaranteeing his team’s victory in the final seconds.
Hailey had always been an intense competitor, but, suddenly, she had never wanted to win a game more than she wanted to win this one.
Seconds left on the clock, Moore City was up by two. Grant had the ball, and he was demonstrating a repertoire of fancy ball handling skills that made Coach Nelson incredibly nervous. Grant dribbled between his legs. “You dizzy?” he antagonized his opponent. “You ready for this?” Grant stole a quick glance at the clock. “It’s me and you…” he winked at his defender, playfully adding, “winner gets the girl!” He faked right and went left, only to spin around and go back right, sending a three pointer sailing toward the basket as the final buzzer sounded. The crowd watched with anticipation as the shot that would decide the game seemed to move in slow motion, finally swooshing through the hoop…nothin’ but net.
Hailey screamed, running toward Grant and jumping into his arms, planting an open-mouthed kiss on him right in the middle of the court. Giddy and glowing, her legs wrapped around Grant and her arms raised victoriously in the air, Hailey smiled down at her opponent. “Good game,” she offered meekly.
“Oh my gosh, that was like movie star awesome!” Jessica exclaimed as she and Emily bounced up and down with excitement, squealing and hugging.
Jack stood at the edge of the court, his team swarming around Grant and Hailey, celebrating their victory! With his hands covering his eyes, yet not his smile, he peeked through his fingers, making eye contact with Nora, who stood in the bleachers, red faced and completely still. “Well, Hailey Jane,” Jack said to himself as he shook his head and finally raised his arms.
Grant stood at the front window, his finger crooked around the curtain, allowing him just enough visibility to watch the headlights of his mother’s car back from the driveway and start down the street. As he watched the taillights recede further into the distance, he turned to find Hailey staring at him from the couch. Her knees were pulled to her chest; her arms were hugging her bare legs against her, and her chin was resting on her knee, her brown curls falling down around her face. Sitting there with no makeup on in her short, pink running shorts and little, white, ribbed tank top, she didn’t mean to make Grant’s heart skip a beat, but when their eyes met, a lump formed in her throat.
Grant’s hair had not been brushed since he towel dried it after his shower. He was barefoot, wearing blue and white plaid, flannel pajama bottoms, and his deep brown eyes peered at Hailey from behind wire rim glasses.
“I love when you wear those glasses,” she smiled at him.
Grant walked slowly toward her. “Do they make me look smart?” he winked as he reached out his hand to her.
Hailey took his hand, and he seamlessly pulled her to her feet. She was standing on the sofa, her toes sinking into the cushions as she towered over Grant. She ran her fingers along the hair that lined the back of his neck as she felt Grant’s hands running up her back. “I love you,” she whispered as she brushed her lips against his cheek. They stared at each other for a long moment, and Grant seemed resigned to letting Hailey move at her own pace. “This is the first time we have ever really had the house all to ourselves,” she gulped. She took his hand and pulled it to her lips, kissing the tips of his fingers before weaving her fingers in his and gesturing toward the couch. Grant sat down as she eased to her knees next to him. “I want you to kiss me all night.”
“I can do that,” Grant nodded, shifting slightly and moving his hands up her arms and over her shoulders until he held her face cupped in his hands.
Hailey held her hand up. “One second,” she gulped, and she darted from the couch, leaving Grant with his lips parted, watching her retreat down the hall.
She returned quickly, holding a t-shirt in her hand. “Here,” she said, tossing it at Grant.
Grant laughed. “What’s this for?”
“Put it on,” Hailey grinned.
Grant pulled his shirt over his head. “Okay,” he shrugged, “but I gotta warn you…this is one of the sexiest shirts I own.”
Hailey rolled her eyes as she nodded her approval. Beneath the fitted gray t-shirt she could still see the definition of his chest. She wanted to feel his lips on hers, and the way he looked in those glasses sent a shiver down her spine. He tended to only wear his glasses at night, before bed, and something about seeing him in them gave her a sense of security that she couldn’t define. She wanted to snuggle up to him and stay there forever. Staring at him, she couldn’t believe that the boy who had taken her breath away the first time she had ever laid eyes on him was now sitting on her couch, looking irresistibly kissable and drawing her toward him without doing a thing. She crawled onto the couch and straddled Grant’s legs, so they were face-to-face. She slowly slid his glasses from his eyes and eased them onto the end table.
“I love you,” Grant said, his voice making Hailey shiver as she melted into his arms. He tenderly touched her cheek. “You’re so beautiful…”
Their lips came together quickly, and Hailey was surprised that when she felt Grant’s hands running up the back of her thighs, she made no attempt to swat them away. She remembered the first time they kissed and how uncomfortable she had been, how terrified she had been that he wasn’t enjoying it nearly as much as she had been. She no longer feared kissing him; she had become comfortable with the way their mouths seemed to work in perfect unison. She had discovered how it was possible to learn to breathe together, so that coming up for air was unnecessary. She had become so comfortable kissing Grant that she no longer had to think about it; the passion came naturally and her lips seemed to react on their own without her having to focus on their every move. This freedom had felt so liberating recently, but tonight it haunted her.
She wanted her mind consumed with the fear of kissing the one whose kisses overpowered her because when the action had become so natural, it had freed her mind to think about other things…new fears…new insecurities….new wonderment…like the thoughts she was having tonight as she felt herself falling back onto the sofa and Grant’s body falling easily over hers. She heard him say that he loved her. She felt his hands running up her shirt, against her skin. She felt her lips moving with his and her fingers working to pull the shirt she had just put on him, over his head. Their lips parted momentarily as she helped him untangle his arms and tossed the shirt onto the floor.
Their lips came back together quickly, and her heart pounded so hard that she wondered if Grant could feel it. She worried that she wasn’t doing the right things with her hands because, without moving his lips from hers, Grant reached for her hands and drew them toward his body as though guiding her along. She could feel her entire being tremble beneath him, and she hoped he wasn’t turned off by her inexperience.
“Not here,” she heard him say, and he lifted her into his arms. He carried her down the hallway, and, as they eased themselves onto Grant’s bed, their lips never parted. Hailey traced Grant’s arm muscles with her fingers, and she wondered how arms so strong could be so tender. She felt so awkward in her movements, yet his lips, his hands, his body seemed to move so fluidly and effortlessly over hers.
“Grant?” Hailey panted, turning her head to the side.
He waited for her to say something, but when she couldn’t, he responded with the most passionate, mind-numbing kiss Hailey had ever felt.
Though lost in his touch, her thoughts raced. Would he be mad at her when she refused to let him cross a certain line? Did he know that they had to stop? Were they on the same page about that? Had she already let it go too far? Were her panties the sexy kind? Did girls with mothers know these sort of things that she didn’t? Would her father be disappointed in her? Had Misty ever gone this far with Paul? Was she, as Mrs. Jordan had put it during Sunday school, doing something she would want to be doing if Jesus came back at that moment? Oh gosh, what are his hands doing now?
Hailey realized her shirt was being slipped over her head, and she felt the warmth of her skin against Grant’s. No big deal… like a swimsuit, that’s all, she told herself.
As Grant kissed her neck, she could feel the stubble on his chin against her shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled over, catapulting her on top of him. He took her hands, moving them for her, but, this time, she resisted, promising herself that her hands would not venture below his firm, muscular chest. She pulled her lips away, but Grant chased after them with his, and she moved back to him quickly, not wanting him to sense her doubts.
“What’s wrong?” he asked anyway.
“Nothing,” Hailey said softly, and she swept a strand of her hair away from her mouth.
Grant caressed her back and unhooked her bra with one quick snap of his wrists. Hailey’s heart raced, and a part of her wished he had fumbled with the clasp a little longer, the way she had imagined he might. Suddenly, it was though she had been snapped back to reality, and she couldn’t believe how out of hand she had let things get. “Stop,” she gulped, hurrying to cover herself.
“What’s wrong?” Grant breathed between kisses.
“I’m sorry,” Hailey shook her head as she shied away from his touch. She hurried to move away from the bed, gathering his shirt from the floor and using it to cover her body. “I’m sorry,” she cried. “I’m sorry.”
Hailey sat alone, staring out the window in her bedroom, wiping her tears with her fingers, then the entire sleeve of her sweatshirt. Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, she didn’t hear Grant come in, and it startled her when he spoke.
Her eyes moved to his. He was wearing jogging pants and a white t-shirt that said HOPE HULL BASKETBALL in big, green letters. He was wearing his glasses again, and his hair looked damp. He seemed to shiver a bit as he pulled a gray hoodie over his head.
“Did you get another shower?” Hailey asked, hoping he had not noticed her tears.
