I pictured what it would be like being with Kinsley so many times, and I knew once it happened, it would be even better than I imagined—and it was. We’d grown closer, especially after last week, and I finally feel like this is more than just a high school fling. That this girl is going to be with me forever.
“Sunny,” I whisper, as I wrap a strand of her hair around my finger. She moans a little, but doesn’t wake up. It does nothing to help my situation under the sleeping bag. “Kinsley,” I whisper a little louder.
Her eyes open, and she lifts her head off my chest. “Is it morning already?”
“It’s morning.” I pause for a second, wondering if she’s okay, but not wanting to make it awkward for her. “How do you feel?”
“I’m okay.” She climbs on top of me and clings to me like she can’t get close enough. I feel the exact same way—that no matter how tightly I hold her, there’s still room for more.
She kisses my chest, and I smile against her hair. I don’t want to bombard her as soon as she’s awake, especially if she’s not a morning person, but the surprise I have for her is burning a hole in the front pocket of my bag. “I have something for you.”
“I don’t need anything else. I have you and Fall Fest.”
I reach my arm out, and luckily my fingertips graze the handle on the bag. I slide it closer, unzipping the pocket. “I’m allowed to spoil my girl.” I lean a little farther to reach inside.
“I can get off you, you know.”
“That’s a terrible idea.”
She giggles, and I reach into the front pocket, pulling out two tickets to the Penn State game today. I promised her Fall Fest, but when I found out it was a home game, and we’re only fifteen minutes away from the field, I knew I had to get Wyatt to pull some strings for us. There’s no way I want her to miss one of his last home games of the season.
“I’m going to give you something, but you have to do it. Okay?”
She nods her head, a little bit of nervousness showing through her curiosity. “Okay.”
I show her one of the tickets, and it takes her a second to read it, but once she realizes it’s for the game today, I’m rewarded with the biggest smile she’s ever given me. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack.”
“I can’t believe this! I get to see Wyatt play. Rhett, how did you do this?”
“I called in a favor—your brother’s pretty cool, Sunny.”
“You called him again?” She sees me nod my head and her eyes grow wide. “I can’t believe you two get along. Everything I’ve wanted is happening.”
“Becca’s going to be there. He sent a ticket for her, too.” She rolls off of me, squealing with excitement. I love seeing her so happy. I’d do anything to keep that look on her face, permanently. I don’t know what I did to deserve this girl, but now that I have her, I’m not letting her go.
She sits up and the sleeping bag falls away from her body. For a moment, she forgets she’s completely naked. I notice a few marks I left behind when I couldn’t stop kissing her last night all the way into early this morning.
When she notices me staring, she shifts her focus from the ticket to her body. And like she’s ashamed of it, she grabs the blanket and pulls it up to cover herself. “Don’t hide from me, Sunny.”
“I’m not used to waking up naked.”
I grab her and wrap her in a hug, digging my fingers into her sides. She laughs so hard, she’s out of breath within seconds. “That’s the best sound.”
I remember back to the first day of school when she wandered inside the building with her head down. I had been waiting an entire summer to see her face again, and there she was, her eyes focused on the floor like she’d rather be invisible. The girl I’m holding now is already so different than the Kinsley West that showed up that day. I would have fallen for either version, regardless, but this is the girl I knew existed underneath the protective outer shell.
“When do we have to leave?”
“Soon, it’s an early game. We slept in.”
“Someone kept me up all night,” she jokingly complains.
She doesn’t know I was up long after she finally fell asleep. I watched her until my own eyes couldn’t stay open, and then I fell asleep happier than I have in a really long time. It’s still surreal to me that I got the girl—and I’m not at war with her brother. “I plan on keeping you up again tonight. You’ve been warned.”
Her cheeks instantly turn pink and the color moves all the way down her neck to the top of her chest. She’s picturing being with me again, and as long as she wants me, that’s exactly what I have planned. Only tonight, it will be an entirely different experience for her. Tonight, it’s about her.
My sweet Sunny-girl.
I’ve been to Penn State games before, but Kinsley hasn’t been since she was little. The way her face lights up as soon as we make our way to our seats, I know this is one place full of happy memories for her.
“It seems so much bigger,” she says with excitement in her voice. “I guess it probably is. They’ve done a lot to the stadium since I saw it last. It still smells the same though.”
“What?” I ask her, as I laugh.
“You’ve never noticed? Even at your games, there’s just something about the way a game smells. The mixture of concession stand food, the people, the fall air—all of it. It sounds ridiculous, but it always reminds me of when I was little. When I’d go to the games and watch everyone around me. It was a happy place, one that didn’t have sickness or disappointment. The stadium has always been one of the happier memories for me, actually.”
“That’s not ridiculous at all, it’s cute.”
We climb the stairs to our seats, and Becca’s already sitting in her spot, next to Carson of all people. I guess Wyatt managed to get tickets for everyone. Kinsley sits next to Becca after acknowledging Carson. He smiles at her, asks how she’s doing, and then focuses on the field again.
Becca gasps, and I glance at Kinsley who looks like she wants to disappear. “I told you it would happen,” Becca whispers, and I realize our night together is no longer a secret.
I give Kinsley’s hand a squeeze, letting her know I’m not mad that she told. I never expected her to keep it from her best friend, even though I don’t think she was planning on telling Becca right here, right now. But that girl has a way of getting just about anything out of a person when she wants to know bad enough.
Carson on the other hand, overhears the news, and doesn’t look nearly as excited for his friend as Becca does. In fact, I’m pretty sure if looks could kill, I’d be dead right now. I make a point to kiss the top of Kinsley’s head, and whisper how much I love her in her ear. All while he’s staring at me.
Before I can tell him to keep his mouth shut, his focus is directed toward the cute blonde who jumps into his lap. “I finally found you. I’m all the way over there.” She points to the student section that’s decked out in white for today’s white out.
“Who’s your friend?” Becca asks him.
I glance at Kinsley to see her reaction. She’s looking at the two of them, but I don’t see the jealousy I saw when I was watching Carson stare at us. It’s a relief.
“This is Stacy. I met her last week when I came to see Wyatt play.”
“I’m Wyatt’s biggest fan,” she says, proudly.
Kinsley sticks her hand out for Stacy to shake. “Nice to meet you, but I’m probably his biggest fan. This one next to me is a close second.”
I chuckle at my Sunny-girl who is making sure she sets the record straight.
Carson jumps in before it gets anymore awkward. “Stacy, this is Wyatt’s sister, Kinsley, and her best friend, Becca. Guy on the end is Kinsley’s boyfriend, Rhett.”
Stacy’s eyes find mine, and I don’t miss the wink she gives me. Thankfully, Carson doesn’t notice, but I can’t say the same for the girls. “I didn’t know Wyatt had a sister,” she adds. That comment’s not going to score her any points with this crowd. That’s for sure.
Becca smiles back, but it’s completely fake. “You probably didn’t know he was seeing anyone either, but now you do.” Kinsley snorts, and covers her mouth when she can’t keep her laughter contained.