Page 13 of Before You (Reckless Love #2)

CHAPTER SEVEN

JJ

I DIDN’T KNOW what to expect when Marley called me, but I’m glad she did. I haven’t asked again what happened, and I’m not sure I want to know. I don’t trust what will come out of my mouth, and I’m not sure I’d be doing it for the right reasons.

Marley’s smile is wide as she throws her arms out and spins in the fountain. This is our fifth stop on our fountain jumping spree. It’s tradition here, and while it’s something usually only freshman and graduating seniors partake in, it’s worth it to see her face light up.

I splash her as a couple other people jump in, wanting momentary relief from the California heat.

“JJ! You’re getting my clothes wet,” she pretends to complain, frowning at her maroon shirt, speckled with wet spots from the fountains. Her denim shorts and sneakers were a lost cause after the first fountain.

“Sweetheart, your clothes were already wet. Me splashing you isn’t going to make a damn difference,” I say, shaking my head at Marley. I falter, realizing I just called her sweetheart, but Marley smiles, thankfully not commenting on my slip, before splashing me in return.

“Where are your manners? It’s not polite to splash others.”

“Oh, but you can splash me?”

“You splashed me first, making it fair game.”

I lean down, sending a large spray her way as she shrieks with joy. I think that might be my new favorite sound.

“I’m going to get you,” she says, trying—and failing—to sound threatening.

“I’d like to see you try.” I grin at her, feeling lighter than I have in weeks. I think I needed this as much as she did.

This is one of the larger fountains on campus, so the water goes up to my knees and she has a little room to back away from me.

Marley must trip on something, because the next thing I know, she’s falling backward into the water, a small yelp escaping her mouth on her way down.

The people on the other side of the fountain turn to see what the loud splash was, and Marley sits up, her wet hair covering her face.

“Shit, are you okay?” I ask, moving closer, looking to see what she tripped on, but it looks like it was only a pipe.

She moves the hair out of her face, creating a tangled mess, but I’m shocked when she starts laughing. “I fell,” she says, pointing out the obvious.

I choke back my laughter, offering her my hand. “You did, but are you okay?”

The smile forming on her face is radiant, pulling me further in. “I’m great, but now my clothes are drenched. Good thing you suggested I leave my phone in your car.”

I would have left mine too, but I couldn’t risk the anxiety of not knowing whether Bailey would call, so mine is sitting next to my keys and water on the ground next to the fountain. The ringer is on full volume, so I’m not worried about missing a call.

“Well, I didn’t think you were going to fall in the water, but I’m glad I suggested it,” I say, and Marley takes my hand, letting me pull her upright. I let go once she’s steady, despite how much I don’t want to.

“Is it okay if we hit the rest of the fountains another day? I feel really gross now, and I’d love to change into something else,” she says, adjusting her denim shorts before wringing out the ends of her hair.

I look away, trying not to stare at the sight of Marley’s wet shirt clinging to her curves in a way that’ll haunt me in my dreams. I’d love to get Marley out of those clothes too, but the last thing I want to do is scare her off by popping a boner.

“Sure, I’ll drive us back,” I say, stepping out of the fountain, snagging my things.

We walk in silence toward the car, our shoes leaving wet footprints in our wake. I tried to tell Marley she should take her shoes off before the first fountain, but she hopped in with hers on before I could say anything, and it only made sense to follow Marley’s lead.

“Thanks for doing this with me. I had a lot of fun,” she says, and it feels selfish to be glad she called me. I’ve been trying to leave the ball in her court, because if it were up to me, I’d spend as much time with Marley as I can, but I’m trying to respect her relationship, even if Trent isn’t.

“I did too. I haven’t done this since my first week freshman year,” I say, spotting my Jeep parked on the side of the road where we left it.

“I bet football keeps you plenty busy,” she says, and I notice the smile on her face fading.

I gently nudge her with my elbow. “I mean, it does, but it’s all about finding a healthy balance. You make time for the things you want.”

She kicks a small pebble on the sidewalk, sending it skittering across the concrete.

Her shoulders sink a little as she sighs.

“My dad has always been really busy with his job, but he made a point to be home every night for dinner—even if my mom was cooking, and she’s a really horrible cook.

She’s successfully burned water before, and if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it happened.

He’s never missed a birthday, or a school event, and if he can do it .

. . then why can’t other people do the same?

” she asks, and years of being my older sister’s best friend has trained me for this moment.

“Do you want me to think of an answer, or just listen?” I ask, opening the passenger door for her. I know what Marley’s implying, and I hate Trent for making her head spin like this.

Marley’s cheeks flush and she shakes her head. “Sorry, I’m just thinking out loud. Don’t mind me.”

“It’s okay. I like hearing what you have to say,” I say, shutting the door behind her, walking around to the other side.

I flip the air conditioning off so Marley doesn’t get cold, but there’s not much I can do about the hard top being off.

She gasps as I turn the car on, contorting herself into an awkward position so she’s not sitting directly on the seat.

“I’m getting your seat wet. Fuck, I’m so sorry,” she apologizes, and I pull her back down into the seat.

“I don’t care. Do you have any idea how many times these seats have been rained on because I forgot to put the top on? They’ll be fine,” I reassure Marley.

I tap my fingers restlessly against the steering wheel, sniffling as my nose runs.

How long has it been since I’ve taken a pill?

I can feel my knee start to ache, and it’s only a matter of time before the ache turns into a sharp throb I can’t ignore.

After I’ve parked in her building’s lot, I reach into my center console for the small bottle I keep for emergencies.

Marley climbs out of the car first, and I grab a pill, swallowing it back with a swig of my water.

“What are you doing?” she asks, peering at me.

“I can feel a headache coming on so I took some meds to help,” I explain, flashing her an easy smile as my heart pounds in my chest.

“Oh, well I had some Tylenol inside I could have given you.”

“No worries. I usually keep some stuff in my car, but thanks. You should head inside so you can change,” I suggest, hoping she doesn’t ask more questions because I don’t have answers for her.

Marley laughs, looking down at her clothes, before cocking her head as she looks at me. “Are you not coming in? I’ll be quick, I promise.”

The only thing I have waiting for me at home is statistics, and I’d much rather hang out with Marley. “Are you sure it’s fine?” I ask, scratching the back of my neck.

“Considering it’s my apartment, and I’m inviting you in, yeah. I think it’s fine,” she says, and I follow along after her up the stairs. “I don’t think Bria’s here. She said something this morning about going out with some of her teammates after practice.”

“Damn, I was actually only here to see her,” I tease, trying not to let Marley know how fucking nervous I am right now.

Marley shakes her head, pulling a key out of her pocket to unlock the door. “Shut up, JJ,” she says, motioning to the couch. “I’m going to change quick. You’re welcome to sit anywhere, but the couch is super comfy.”

Unlike Marley, I was able to keep my clothes fairly dry, except for when she started splashing me, and the breeze combined with the heat outside was enough to finish drying them on the way here. I sit down on the couch watching her disappear through a door in the back of the apartment.

“Your place is nice,” I say, loudly enough for Marley to hear through her shut door. The decor fits her personality: simple, but tasteful.

“Thanks. My mom and Bria’s had a blast picking everything out,” she calls back.

I hear the opening of a door, and I turn to see Marley poking her head around the door. “Okay, I’m so sorry, but I have an odd question?”

“What’s up?” I ask, leaning forward onto my knees.

“Do you mind if I take a quick shower to rinse off? I’m so sorry, I just feel gross, but if it makes you uncomfortable, I don’t have to,” she says quickly, and I can feel my heartbeat quicken in my chest. I should leave because this is a bad idea.

Is it what comes out of my mouth? Nope . I finally understand why it took Mirabelle so damn long to tell Henry how she felt about him. This is fucking terrifying, but I’m willing to take the pieces I can of Marley.

“Not a problem. It makes sense—you did take an unexpected swim.”

“Thanks, I’ll be out in a minute! You can put a movie on if you want, and help yourself to anything in the kitchen.” She smiles in relief, and I know I’m torturing myself. I nod, unable to form words, and I grab the remote to distract myself, but my thoughts are all over the place right now.

I hear the shower turn on, and all I can picture is Marley undressing, and what it would feel like to touch the soft curves of her body. My cock stiffens in my pants, and I know how wrong it is, but apparently my brain isn’t getting the same memo.

I’d love to memorize every part of her body, treating Marley the way she deserves.