“He’s here!” Lexi exclaimed as she jumped up and ran to the door. But then she stopped and looked back at me, her face softening. “I hope you two have the best time, Sierra. You deserve it. And, for the record, Jeremy’s ten times the guy that creep Danny Moyer would ever be.” With a parting smile, she left the room with me reeling from her words.
I smoothed my dress out and checked my makeup in the mirror. Mom was watching me intently, perceptive enough to know I was stalling.
“Do you really think…?” I trailed off.
She gave me a knowing smile. “Sweetheart, I can’t tell you how the boy feels. That’s something he has to do for himself. I only know what I see, and let me say, I like it. As a mom, there’s nothing I love more than seeing the way Jeremy looks at you. And don’t think I haven’t noticed those same looks coming from you, too.”
A blush formed on my cheeks.
“From the very beginning, I’ve known that the two of you had something special. It’s up to you to decide what happens next. Now, let’s not keep that boy waiting.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
After a few deep breaths, I steeled my nerves. Even though I didn’t feel ready for this, I was as ready as I’d ever be. Mom left the room, and I followed after her, taking each step slowly and deliberately. I heard his rumbling laughter before I saw him. The sound sent those butterflies into overdrive.
This was it.
If Jeremy ever saw me as anything more than just his best friend, this would be the time.
Mom rounded the corner into the living room, and I gathered up what courage I could find and then stepped in right behind her.
The moment my eyes locked with Jeremy’s, I knew Mom and Lexi had been right. Everything else around us faded into the background. His laughter ceased as he took in the sight of me. And I did the same to him. He was dressed in black slacks that appeared as if they had been made for him. Memories of the night I’d walked in on him flashed in my mind, and I took a glance at his groin.
Yep, those slacks had been made for him.
Aware that we weren’t alone, I tore my eyes away from his package and trailed them up over the rest of his body. A slim-fitting hunter-green dress shirt molded to his firm torso, just tight enough to give me a peek at his muscles. I made a vow never to complain about all the time he spent lifting weights in the field house anymore, because holy hell, the results were more than worth the effort. A light-green tie that adorned his muscular chest somehow accentuated the brown irises of his eyes, which were wide as his eyes raked over me.
His copper-colored hair was its usual messy self. I loved that he hadn’t given in to Jenna’s prompting and gotten it cut and styled. I wanted to run my fingers through his soft hair as we danced the night away in each other’s arms, and gel would’ve ruined the experience.
As he studied me, a slow, easygoing smile spread across his lips, showcasing those dimples.
Not gonna lie.
I swooned.
My heart melted.
And I went a little weak in the knees, which I later blamed on the heels. Stupid death traps.
Jeremy had never looked more handsome than he did right then, and I’d never wanted him more. Heck, I’d never wanted anything more in my life than for Jeremy to cross the room, take me into his arms, dip me back, and gaze longingly into my eyes before capturing my lips with his.
This wasn’t Copper anymore. This wasn’t Dawson. This wasn’t my Michelangelo-loving, ninja-warrior-fighting, scared-of-sharks best friend.
This was Jeremy Banks, star football player, object of ninety percent of the affections of the sophomore class female population—and probably the rest of the school’s, too—sexiest man I’d ever seen. I no longer wanted to swap spit shakes. I simply wanted to swap spit.
And by the look on his face? I was pretty sure he wanted the same thing.
“Wow,” he whispered as he took a step towards me. He paused briefly then continued across the room until he was standing directly in front of me. He lifted a hand then ran it through his hair as he repeated his sentiment. “Wow.”
I beamed. “Wow yourself,” I replied, suddenly feeling more confident than before. Actually, I was more confident than ever.
The hand that had raked through his hair came down and he placed it on my cheek. Jeremy’s earnest eyes bored into mine. “Sierra, I… You… I…” he stammered, and my heart started beating so wildly that I was scared it was going to break out of my chest, hop onto him, and pound against his own chest until he let it in.
“Yes?” I prompted after seconds had ticked by without him saying a word.
“You look… You are absolutely beautiful,” he breathed. “You’re… You take my breath away, Sierra.”
At that moment, with Jeremy cupping my face, our gazes fused with searching eyes, our entire relationship shifted.
I could’ve said the same to him. He absolutely took my breath away, too. While staring at him, I held my breath and waited for what would come next. All too soon, however, a throat cleared, breaking the wonderful, magical spell we’d placed ourselves under. It was agonizing to tear my gaze from his, but when I did, I saw both sets of our parents watching us with curious expressions.
Our moms were beaming, both with tissues as they wiped their eyes and lamented on their babies having grown up. In hindsight, I’m sure they were already planning out our wedding. Jeremy’s dad looked like a proud papa, and I blushed when he gave Jeremy a thumbs-up and me a wink. My dad, however, was trying to scowl at my date, who didn’t even notice. In fact, when I returned my gaze to his, he was still staring at me as if he were trying to take it all in. Take me all in.
“You’d better breathe, Jer,” I teased. “I’d hate to have to give you CPR before we even make it to the dance.”
His left eyebrow rose. Then he leaned forward, his lips hovering just over my ear. “I’m not so sure that’d be a bad thing,” he whispered.
My mouth went dry. He winked at me before turning his attention to our parents. And what happened next was a flurry of photo-taking, curfew-giving, and Dad pulling Jeremy aside to give him, no doubt, a warning about messing with his little girl.
Mom took a picture of me and Lexi, and I gave her an encouraging squeeze on the shoulder when it was done.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Lexi?” I asked. “I can skip the beach party and just come home after the dance if you want.”
She gave me an appreciate smile but shook her head. “Absolutely not. I’m fine, Sierra. Go and have fun. Get your man,” she said, giving me a wink. “My time will come. I have no doubt. I just have to be patient, right?”
“Patient for what?” Jeremy asked, causing me to jump. I hadn’t realized he’d come up to us, and I hoped he hadn’t heard Lexi’s quip about my man.
“Oh, nothing. Just girl talk,” Lexi informed him.
He gave a faux grimace and held his hands up. “Say no more.” Then he held his arm out to me. “Time to go, my lady.
We said our goodbyes, and I giggled when Dad scowled at Jeremy yet again. He took it all in stride and gave him a mock salute then did some weird Boy Scout move.
By the time we got to his car, Chris and Jenna were already making out in the backseat.
Jeremy gave me a grin. “They did all of their pictures at my house. To speed up the process, she said, but I think now I know why they were so willing to let us do pictures alone.”
We watched them through the glass for a moment.
“When do you think they’ll come up for air?” I asked.
The truth was I was kind of jealous. There I was, a sophomore in high school, and I hadn’t even gotten my first kiss yet. Jenna, however, had been the queen of kissing since the seventh grade. And, from the looks of it, Chris was definitely reaping the benefits.
“These two? Probably never. We’ll be lucky if they even make it into the dance.” He grinned and opened the front passenger’s door. The two in the backseat didn’t even notice that we’d arrived. “Ready?” he asked.