“Do you have to go back, or can you stay for a little? I can make you something to eat if you’re hungry.”
I trace the outline of her lips with the tip of my finger, remembering how sweet they taste. “As much as I want to stay, I can’t. If I don’t show up, I won’t hear the end of it.”
“Will you call me later?”
“Do you even need to ask?” I can’t sleep if I don’t hear her voice. I’ve gotten so used to talking late at night, it would be weird if it didn’t happen. “Now, go inside before I toss you in my truck.”
She giggles like it might not be such a bad thing to have happen, and before she leaves the warmth of my arms, she leans in for one more kiss. “You’re killing me, Sunny.”
“Sorry, you should probably leave before we get carried away.”
I stand up and set her back on her feet. “Leaving you is always the worst part of my day. Talk to you soon, gorgeous.”
She smiles adorably before turning and walking inside her apartment. I glance at the window in the kitchen before I go, and spot Carson staring back at me. He smirks, and it takes all I have to keep walking toward my truck. I even debate going back for Kinsley, but I have to trust her—I just told her I have faith in her. Though it’s not her I’m worried about. It’s Carson.
He’ll get what he has coming—that much I’m sure of.
BY THE TIME the end of the week rolls around, I’m so nervous about homecoming, I’d rather hide in my room and never come back out. I’ve asked Rhett a million times if he’s allowed to be my escort, but each time I ask, he simply says he has it covered and not to worry. Well, guess what? I am worrying. Especially since the game starts in two hours, and I’m still without a clue as to what’s going on.
My hair’s curled, my skirt and blazer are on, and a pair of Kate’s boots are on my feet. I look the part, but the most important part of this equation is still missing.
“Kinsley,” Kate calls from the hallway. She’s going into work late just so she can take some pictures of my special night. I’m bummed she couldn’t sit in the stands tonight, but her job is more important than some silly high school football game.
“Coming.” Of course I fidget with my skirt, and itch at my tights. This is as good as it’s going to get. When I round the corner of the living room, my night completely changes.
“Wyatt? You can’t be here. You have a game tomorrow—a big one.”
There’s a collective chuckle from Kate, Wyatt, and Carson before Wyatt walks over to me. “I’ll still be at my game, Kinny. Don’t worry about me. Tonight is all about my little sister.”
“I don’t understand. What are you doing here?”
“I called him,” Rhett says, surprising me for the second time in as many minutes.
I turn my head toward him, completely blown away he’d do something like that for me. “Are you serious?”
“Rhett called me a couple days ago.” He pauses, laughing a little before continuing. “I honestly thought I was going to have to knock some heads around, but he told me about the homecoming court. I wasn’t about to let my little sister walk down the fifty yard line without me.”
“Did you tell Carson to take me shopping?”
“That was all him,” Wyatt says.
“You mean all of you were in on this in one way or another, and nobody got hurt? Nobody threw any punches?”
“Not a single one,” Rhett adds, proudly.
My mascara’s going to run, but I’ll have to fix it, because the tears that are falling from my eyes aren’t going to stop anytime soon. The closest thing I’ll ever have to a complete family stands before me, and they’ve just given me the best surprise I could ever ask for. “Thank you,” I whisper, around a sob. “I’ve missed you so much, Wyatt.”
Wyatt opens his arms and I practically fall into them. I’ve missed my brother and the security he’s always given me. I didn’t realize how much I depended on him until he wasn’t here.
“Don’t cry, Kinny.”
Rhett clears his throat, and I pull my head off Wyatt’s chest to look at him. “I’m sorry,” he says. “But, I have to get going.”
I swipe my tears off my cheeks, nodding my head. “Yes, go. You can’t be late.” As I stare into his green orbs, the magnitude of what he did for me—how much courage it took to call my older brother hits me. More tears follow the ones I’ve already gotten rid of. “Thank you, Rhett. I didn’t’ expect any of this to happen. I can’t believe you risked bodily harm for me.”
He cups my cheek in his hand. “I’d risk it all for you, Sunny.”
Without even thinking, the words tumble out of me like they’ve been waiting for this moment to be spoken. “I love you.”
He sucks in a breath as my words slam into him. I panic when I realize I can’t take them back, but Rhett doesn’t seem like it’s a mistake. He simply tips my chin up with his finger so I have no choice but to look him in the eye. He doesn’t move at first, but slowly, he leans closer to place one soft kiss to my lips. “I was made to love you, Kinsley West. We were always meant to be.”
Another tear falls from my eyes, and I don’t even care we have an audience. “You look beautiful. I’ll see you after the game.”
“See ya,” I whisper.
All the eyes in the room follow Rhett as he turns around and walks out of the apartment. Once he’s gone, they all focus on me. I wait for my brother to yell, to tell me there’s no way I could be in love with Rhett Taylor, but the words never come. His expression only softens when he sees my tears continuing to fall.
Kate stands with her hand over her heart with tears welling up in her eyes. She manages to take one last picture of me standing next to Wyatt before she tosses her phone in her purse, and hurries out the front door without saying a single word. She doesn’t have to though. I already know she’s proud of me and how far we’ve all come.
Wyatt rubs my back when I stare at the front door a little too long after both Rhett and Kate are gone. “We have a few minutes before we have to leave. Can we talk for a minute, Kins?”
“Sure.”
We walk to the couch, and when we’re both comfortable, he begins. “That was intense.”
“It just came out, I didn’t plan it.”
“I know you didn’t. I could tell it was as much of a surprise to you as it was for the rest of us—it’s the only reason I didn’t interrupt your moment.”
“You’re okay with it?”
“I guess I have to be. You can’t help who you love.”
He couldn’t be more right about that, but he’s not specifically taking about me, he’s also talking about himself. “You need to talk to Becca.”
“Am I that obvious?” He pops open the button on his suit jacket, not enjoying being dressed up any more than I am.
“She mentioned you’ve been talking.”
“It’s really not a big deal.”
“To me it is. I care about you both, and you two have been tip-toeing around a relationship for what seems like forever.” He neither agrees or disagrees with me. He just stares at the coffee table. “I take it you haven’t met any other girls on campus?”
“I’ve met plenty—kind of hard not to in the dorms, but I’m not dating anyone. I barely have time to breathe outside of football.”
“But you find time to talk to Becca.”
“There’s just something about that girl. I can’t for the life of me figure it out, but I can’t stop thinking about her. And it’s screwing with my head.”
“Maybe she reminds you of home. What do you guys talk about?”
“School, our classes—she’s concerned about my math grade. I don’t have the heart to tell her I’m actually really good at math.”
“I think she’s known all along, but she enjoyed tutoring you too much to say anything.”
“Maybe. Has she been talking to any guys at school?”
I swallow, wondering how I can talk myself out of this. If I tell Wyatt the truth, Becca will kill me. But if I keep it from my brother, I’ll be the worst sister—especially after what he’s done for me by coming home. I owe him the truth at the very least. “She’s sort of with Jake.”