Love Tap(23)

“Shouldn’t you be locking lips with Felicia?” My tone of voice laced with venom.

He climbs up and sits next to me.

“I told them if you couldn’t play, I wasn’t either. To be honest the only reason I agreed was because I was bored.”

Every boy in school is crazy about Felicia. I’m sure he was more than willing to kiss her. He’s lying.

“Whatever.”

“You don’t believe me?” He pinches his bushy brows together.

“I don’t.”

“What ya reading?” He changes the subject.

I can’t help but eye him suspiciously.

“Oh, is that about Boomer’s win?” His eyes light up as he scoots closer. He smells good, like really good. Leaning in, I deliberately sniff him. It’s fresh, but kind of spicy too.

“I watched his fight last week, he’s got a punch on him.”

“I watched it too. It was amazing.”

“I’m going to be the best MMA fighter there is when I grow up.”

I smile.

“I know you will.”

He looks down, his face turning red.

“I’ll get all famous and I’ll take you all over the world, Tate.”

My heart flutters.

“Not if I become famous first,” I tease. His eyes flick to mine, and I feel as if I was just pushed under water. Quickly I look back at the magazine. Things are getting weird between Camden and me lately. I wonder if that’s why he wants to play with someone else? I wish I knew what was happening between us though.

“It says here that if you want to be a good fighter you need a good boxing buddy.”

I point to the underlying text.

He frowns in confusion.

“What’s that? I mean, what does a boxing buddy do exactly?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I think it’s where you are just there for the other person. You know?”

He nods, but he’s not looking at the magazine anymore. He’s looking at me.

“Do you have a boxing buddy?” His voice cuts out and almost squeaks.

My insides twist oddly. They’ve been doing that a lot lately, especially when I’m near Camden.

“No, do you?”

His pimpled cheeks flush.

“No.”

Turning the page there’s a picture of a guy in nothing but fighter shorts and boxing gloves holding a half-naked girl. They’re kissing, like really kissing. Something tingles in my abdomen, and I shift uncomfortably.

Peering under my lashes at Camden, he smiles as he looks over the page.

“What will your fancy wife think of you doing MMA?” I taunt, trying to break the awkward silence.

He shakes his head.

“I don’t want Felicia, I told you I was just bored.”

I scoff, looking back down at the couple kissing. “Yeah right.”

Suddenly my cheeks are squeezed and my head is turned. Camden smashes his lips against mine, and I melt into his hold.

Slowly opening my eyes, Camden’s eyes open at the same time. I panic.

“Ew!” I push him back, and he chuckles.

“You didn’t like it?” He looks shocked.

I look back down at the magazine. “I don’t know, kind of.” I glare at him. “But if you do that again, I’ll pummel you,” I threaten.

“No you won’t ,Tate.” He presses his lips into mine once more, and I inhale a large breath through my nose. I don’t feel like I’m in this tree right now. I feel like I’m floating.

Forgetting I’m in a tree I lose my balance and fall off the branch backwards.

Landing on my arm I scream when my arm makes a loud snap on impact.

“Oh f*ck!” Camden jumps down from the tree. “Are you okay?”

“Get my Mom,” I croak in pain.

Two hours later I’m sitting in a hospital bed with my arm wrapped up like a gordita. At least I got to pick a blue cast instead of some ugly white one.

“You sure you’re okay honey?” Mom asks, her face wrinkled with concern.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” But my head keeps going back to that kiss. It was my first kiss, and it was amazing. It was just like the kind you see in the movies. Only not the falling out of a tree part.

“I’m going to call your dad now and let him know what happened.”

“You think he’ll be mad?” Worry flushes through me, but I’m more nervous my mom saw Camden kiss me and that she might tell Dad. When I fell she came flying out the door as if she was standing right there.

“Nah, these things happen.” She winks before leaving.

Just as I close my eyes Camden and his mom walk in.

My stomach does that weird twisty thing again seeing him. His white shirt is covered in dirt from helping my mom pick me up off the ground.

“Hey, Tatum. Camden was really worried so he wanted to come see you. I hope that’s alright?” Camden’s mom smiles apologetically.

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’m going home soon though.” I laugh.

Kelly’s phone rings in her purse. Looking at the screen, she holds her finger up to me and steps outside.

“How are you feeling?” Camden walks up to the bed. The tension is thick between us, and fear spins in my head that Camden’s and I friendship might be ruined.