Nothing says start of vacation as a kid with covid, right? FML :/
Chapter 19.
On Monday, I pick up Bella from her classroom after I'm done with classes. We hike up to what has now become our bench, overlooking the campus, and I give her the dove bracelet I got her. Her eyes widen as she traces her fingers over the rose gold chain, and the most beautiful smile appears on her face as she looks up at me. She says she loves it and kisses the side of my face while I try to secure the bracelet around her wrist with shaky fingers.
She kisses me until it gets dark. Until stars sprinkle the sky. Until we have to go.
She had said she didn't want a big celebration since we have practice Monday nights and she has a class early on Tuesdays. Vicky still surprises her after practice with cupcakes in their room from which Bella blows out her candles. Her parents Facetime her, and she introduces me to them. Well, she introduces all of us as her friends. They seem like nice enough people, crammed into her screen.
After she hangs up, we all spend some more time in her room. Overall, I'd call the day a success, specially with Bella's blissful smile as she passes out on my shoulder.
The week is busy with classes, work, and practice, and now that football season is in full gear, we also perform at their game on Thursday. When Friday rolls around, Bella and I head to the tattoo parlor after classes. She seems a little nervous, but her design is small and delicate—a minimalistic version of the watercolor painting on her wall—so it only takes the guy about half an hour to complete.
Friday night, the plan is to celebrate her birthday at the lake house's usual party. She said it's what she wanted to do, and I didn't oppose. I wasn't thrilled, but it's for her birthday after all. So that's still the plan as I pick her up at her room.
"Are you going to dance with me tonight?" is what she asks as she opens the door. She's wearing a tiny red dress and black high heels, I almost trip on my own feet.
"I don't dance," I say, and she smiles.
"I highly doubt that." She inches closer and reaches up on her tiptoes for a quick kiss.
I run my fingers through a strand of her curled hair, my fingers then lingering on her face. "How do you expect me to behave tonight when you look this good?"
We've kept our relationship hidden from the team, for the most part, which is why I don't particularly enjoy hanging out with them outside of practice. I bet they all think something is going on, but no one has mentioned anything. Bella and I agreed to continue to say we're just friends when Jasper or Coach asks, because they ask…all the fucking time.
"Should I change?" Bella laughs softly, pulling away from me, but I close my hand around her wrist.
"I'd struggle just the same." I bring my lips to her wrist before I inspect the fresh ink on her arm. "How is it feeling?"
"Not too bad. A little itchy."
It actually looks pretty great, just a tiny bit reddened and shiny from the ointment. The guy did a decent job with it. I had checked out a few of the places in town throughout the week, and this was the most reputable one. My guy at Fort Collins is better though, and Bella said she wanted to go there for her next one.
"Shall we?"
It's dark out already as we walk to the lake house. We hold hands through the hidden path until we make it to the house, where we reluctantly let go of each other as we walk in the door.
It's loud and crowded already. Bella mingles while I trail behind her.
"Babe!" Emmett calls from the pool table, waving me over with one hand while the other holds a red Solo cup. Once we're closer, I can see Vicky next to him, a cup in her hand as well.
My eyes follow Bella as the girls walk away, outside, to the keg. My jaw sets as she grabs a cup, and James fills it. I turn around next to Emmett with a groan, my hands clasped on the pool table.
"Hey…" Emmett's hand is on my shoulder. "Relax. Have some fun."
I take a deep breath and try to calm down, for Bella, because we are celebrating her birthday, and I don't want to be the one who ruins it. "I have work tomorrow morning," I say to Emmett, if anything just to vent. "We have practice. Getting drunk and feeling like shit the next day just isn't my idea of fun."
"Then what is your idea of fun?"
I shrug, turning around to look for Bella again, relieved to find her already coming back inside with Vicky.
"I know you don't drink 'cause of your dad and all the shit that happened…" Emmett squeezes my shoulder as I turn to look at him. "And I get it, I do. But…we are in college. It's a rite of passage. Let her have her fun."
My attention shifts to Bella as the two girls stand in front of us. She looks up shyly at me, turning the cup in her hands.
"It's just beer," she says softly, looking down, and her sudden subdued demeanor tears me apart. I hate it. Of course, I wish she wouldn't drink, but the last thing I want to be is another person who tells Bella what she can or can't do. I want her to feel free with me. To have fun. Safely, of course. And I will be there to ensure that happens.
"Hey, it's fine…" I run a finger down her arm, grinning at her when she looks up to emphasize my point. "As long as it's not green Jell-O shots."
She smiles then, broadly and beautifully, making me crave her lips on mine. She takes a sip from her cup, one eyebrow raised and her eyes on me, and I nod in encouragement, leaning onto the pool table for support.
Bella takes it slowly, and I am glad. She nurses that one beer for a long time, taking a sip every now and then. She seems to be having fun, which makes me happy. She dances with Vicky in front of us. She laughs with Emmett when he starts his robot moves. Her eyes keep finding me through all of it.
The house gets more and more packed, the music louder and louder, until I can feel the vibrations in my stomach when Bella pulls me to the living room where the lights are dimmed and everyone is dancing to some electronic beat.
I haven't had a single drop of alcohol, but I'm drunk on Bella.
Her eyes drift closed. Her arms swirl over her head as she dances in front of me in complete bliss. I dance too, I guess you could say. I move, awkwardly, from side to side with my hands on her hips.
As the song ends, I guide her into the kitchen, hoping to find her some water. We find Emmett and Vicky instead. Vicky is sitting on the kitchen island; Emmett's nestled between her legs, his unfocused eyes tell me he's drunk already.
"Look what I scored!" Vicky says, lifting a bottle of golden liquid in one hand and shot glasses between her fingers on the other. Vicky gestures with her head for Bella to take the spot next to her. I tense when I notice the salt shaker and lime slices on the other side of Vicky.
Bella hops on the kitchen island next to Vicky, while Emmett clumsily poors tequila into the glasses. Vicky is looking at us as she sprinkles salt on her hand, between her thumb and index finger, then grabs a shot and a slice of lime. Emmett takes the salt shaker and pushes Vicky's wild hair to the side, kisses her neck, and shakes salt over the spot afterward. Then he licks the salt off her, taking his shot as she downs hers as well. Their lips collapse into each other's after sucking on their limes.
My knees feel wobbly when Bella's eyes find mine. There's excitement in them. Curiosity. Want. Need.
Fuck, I want to lick her neck so bad.
I think she wants me to do it, too.
She pulls me between her legs while Emmett and Vicky loudly make out next to us. I look around us; there are plenty of other people in the kitchen, but Bella doesn't seem to mind. No one is really paying attention to us.
"So?" Vicky asks, getting our attention back to her and pushing two full shots our way.
"Vic…" Emmett tries to stop her, mumbling something into her neck.
"No pressure." Vicky lifts one hand up as if surrendering, looking at me before returning her attention to Emmett.
Bella's eyes flick between the shots and me, her lip trapped between gnawing teeth.
I breathe out, inching closer to her. "You really want to do this?"
She nods emphatically then tilts her head, exposing her neck to me.
Fuck me.
I don't think, I just do.
She squirms a little when I kiss her neck, wetting the skin before I sprinkle salt on it. She hands me a shot, taking hers too. Her eyes on me the entire time. It's over quickly. The liquid burns down my throat. She coughs. We laugh. I almost choke.
"Fuck, that was awful!" I press the heels of my hands on my eyes, wiping some of the tears that escaped as I was coughing. Bella is still giggling as she pulls me to her, her lips crashing with mine, her hands in my hair, her feet loop around my hips, and she pulls me to her.
She tastes salty and sour and fun—the only good things about that shot. "Everyone is here," I mutter against her lips as she kisses me, concerned that we are exposing ourselves, but not caring enough to step away.
"I don't care," she says, breaking the kiss and pulling back to look at me with eyes that swallow me whole.
"I want you to tell your parents I'm your boyfriend," I blurt out before I can stop myself. "I mean–I…" I try to take a deep breath, shaking my head, feeling bold.
We haven't really discussed titles yet, but the thought has not left my mind since she introduced me to them as her friend. I close my hands around her waist, pulling her to me. "I don't want to hide anymore."
After the words leave my mouth, I partly feel relieved, but dread slowly fills me. Am I being selfish? Is it too soon? We've only been together for a month. But fuck, I want to hold her hand without worrying someone might see us. I want to kiss her when I pick her up from class. I want–
Before I can overthink it any longer, Bella pulls softly away from me, and her hands move from my neck to cup my jaw. The broad smile that spreads on her face afterward takes my breath away, and then, she nods. "Okay."