More Than This (More Than, #1)(10)

He clears his throat, “It was nice meeting you Mikayla, I have to get back to helping unpack. Hopefully I’ll see you around school or something.” He says it more like a question than a statement.

Before I get to answer a kid comes barreling toward us, he can’t be more than 8 years old. He runs straight to Meg and me so fast I don’t think he can stop in time. Both Meg and I put our hands out to stop him from crashing into us, but his legs save him and he stops mere inches from us. He glares at Megan, then at me. Seconds which feel like minutes pass, neither saying anything. Then he smiles, “Hey, have you seen my baseball?”

We can’t help it. We laugh.


2 weeks later, James and I are dating.


***


“You okay there, Miss Mikayla?” Heidi asks from across the limo.

I must’ve zoned out.

“Yeah…” I huff. “I just… I can’t believe I didn’t see it coming,” I say, as I pick imaginary lint of my dress.

“No one suspects the people they love of douchebaggery,” Heidi looks at me sympathetically.

“Or slutbaggery,” Lucy adds.


  Chapter 6


Jake


We get to prom within seconds of the announcement. Heidi goes from the girl we know to the girl everyone expects her to be. She prances on stage, smiles and says a few words. Prom King is Doug, the quarterback. Of course he is.

They pose for photos but it’s awkward as hell because Doug knows Dylan’s watching and you don’t f*ck with Dylan. Doesn’t matter that physically, they’d be a decent match up. There’s only one thing Dylan loves more than basketball and that’s his girl. And there’s a huge difference between basketball and Heidi. We’d give him shit if he weren’t so serious about her. He’s not the hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he’s the heart and soul kind, and f*ck if every girl would rather that than flowers.


***


We’re all watching the stage when I see Casey sauntering towards me, I panic and step closer to Mikayla. It’s a dick move but I didn’t know I was doing it until it was done. Mikayla looks up at me, eyebrows drawn in and I guess she must sense my panic because she follows my eyes to Casey and I think she understands. She wraps her tiny little arms around my waist and her side presses against mine, her head getting comfortable in the crook of my arm as I put my arm around her shoulders.

“Hey, Jake,” Casey coos inches away from us. “Who’s your little friend? I haven’t seen this one around before.”

I flinch at he words and I feel Mikayla tense next to me, but only for a second before she recovers herself.

“Casey, this is Mikayla.” Mikayla laughs once, “Baby, you don’t have to be so formal.” She reaches a hand out to Casey. “Jake calls me Kayla. Do you go to school here, Lacey?”

“It’s Casey.”

“Oh.” Mikayla nods once, smiling at Casey. Then she looks up at me. Big brown eyes like Bambi. She rubs her hands up and down my chest. “I’m thirsty, babe. Let’s get a drink then head to the hotel,” she says loud enough for Casey to hear. Then she gets on her toes and whispers in my ear, “I’m not wearing any underwear.” I don’t know if Casey can hear her, but I know she can see my eyes widen in surprise. What she can’t see is my dick twitch at the thought.

Fuck, I’m such a guy.

I look down at her, and she’s smirking back at me.

“Well, have a good night,” Casey interrupts, and then backs away.

Heidi comes back from the stage, “Was that Casey? What did she do to you this time?” she asks, watching Casey walk back into the dance floor. She turns to us and motions her finger between us, “And what the f*ck is going on here?”

Then we realize we’re still locked in each others arms and we both abruptly let go. I’m a bit more hesitant than she is though, and I can’t help but try to look down the back of her dress, to her ass, to see if she really isn’t wearing any underwear.

I’m an *.

“Let’s go, I’m bored,” Cam says as Logan comes back to the group with disheveled hair and his tux all out of sorts.

“I’m ready,” Logan says, as we all stare at him. “What? I just gave some band geek a night they’ll never forget.”


***


We’re all in the limo and driving through some heavy woods. I can tell Mikayla is getting worried because her eyes keep darting out the window, then to her phone.

I nudge her, “Don’t worry, I told you, I’m not a psycho, I’m not going to kill you. We can drop these guys off and you can take the limo home if you want.”

“It’s okay,” she smiles. “I’d rather be here than anywhere else.”


***


Mikayla


The limo stops at a clearing in the middle of nowhere and we all file out. There’s an old truck that surely doesn’t run anymore, and a bonfire. Logan and Dylan start lighting the fire and Cam and Jake jump into the bed of the truck and pull down a couple chairs and a cooler full of beers. They start passing the beers around while the girls set up the chairs.

Cam and Lucy take up the seating on the bed of the truck and there are three chairs around the fire. Dylan’s on one with Heidi on his lap, Logan in the other. Jake is holding the back of the left over chair, “Here, take a seat, I’ll stand.”