Page 20 of Hard Count (Newhouse University #4)

NASH

“No judging,” I say, holding open the door to the comic book store for Drew.

“I would never.” She pretends to be insulted. “Believe it or not I’m actually very interested in your guilty pleasure. I want to know what you do when you’re behind closed doors and aren’t being watched.” Her eyes move around the small store, soaking in all the details.

I like the idea of her being in my personal space and getting to know me better.

There are too many people who are only interested in being friends because of my status on campus or what my future holds.

I don’t keep my interest in manga private because I’m embarrassed.

It’s private because no one has bothered to take the time to ask.

Her fingers graze over a large cut out of Captain America the owner has set up in the corner of the store.

Is it weird I’m jealous of a piece of cardboard?

No different than being jealous of a couple of teenagers checking her out.

She’s right. They were harmless but it didn’t stop me from staking my claim .

“When did you start reading comic books?” She selects a random comic off an end cap and flips through it.

“I don’t read comics. I read manga .”

“I stand corrected,” she says, her lip curling in a smile.

“They’re different. Come on. I’ll show you.” I slip my hand in hers and take her to the right side of the store where they have all of the manga on display. “I started reading them when I was around seven or eight.”

“Which character were you for Halloween?” she asks. “Or were you something more original like a football player?”

“Funny.” I bump my shoulder against hers. “I was a baseball player, this guy here.” I point to a poster of Tobi from Naruto on the wall. “I was also a football player for one year. What about you? Let me guess you were a coach.”

“At least once. I was also a cowgirl, a princess, and a baby lobster. Those were not by choice. Obviously.”

“Obviously. My mom was really into dressing me and my sister in coordinating outfits. When we were little she would do themed costumes. The first one I remember Sydney must have been six I think. She was a beekeeper and I was a baby bumble bee.”

“Please tell me there are pictures.” She grabs my bicep with both hands.

“I’m sure I could find you something if it would make you happy.”

“Immensely.” She beams a smile at me so big it seals my fate. I would show her whatever childhood photo I could find to see her smile like that at me again .

“How many of these do you have?” She taps my forearm, breaking me out of my trance. “Nash? Everything okay?”

“Huh? Sorry. What was your question?” I ask. She smiles again knowing she caught me staring.

“I wanted to know how many of these you had in your collection.” She wiggles her eyebrows, making me laugh.

“Oh. Not too many. There’s more that I want to buy than I actually own. What about you? Any guilty pleasures you have hiding in your closet?”

She spins around to the table behind us. It’s loaded down with boxes of manga divided up by series. She flips through them one at a time and eventually pulls one out that interests her and turns through the pages.

“You read them right to left. Start on the last page,” I explain, ignoring her diversion tactic. What is she hiding from me? “What did you do for fun when you lived in Florida?”

“Not much really. I went to classes and work. Watched a lot of football games. Same as here.” She shrugs.

“You flirted with the starting quarterback at your old school by insulting him too? I thought I was special.” I pout.

“I was not flirting with you.” She punches my arm.

“I think you were, little fox. It worked. You got my attention. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since.” I tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear as a blush works its way up her neck.

“Little fox?” she questions.

“It suits you. You’re smart and calculating—in a good way—like the Kitsune .” I search the long table display for one of my favorite magazines with a Kitsune character. “Here.” I pass her the first one in the series.

“What’s it about?” Drew turns to the back of the magazine and slowly turns each page taking in the art work.

“She’s a girl who can transform into a fox. She likes him.” I point to the guy on the page. “And she tries to trick him into liking her when she’s in fox form. But the thing is, he liked her the whole time. He just never told her.” Drew’s eyes meet mine and she worries her lower lip.

“Spoiler alert,” she whispers.

“It’s pretty obvious he’s into her. He doesn’t hide his emotions well.” It’s never been something I was good at either. If I’m angry, sad, happy, you’ll know about it. I may not come out and say it, but there’ll be signs.

“You sold me. I want it.” Her eyes dart from the magazine and back to me. “Are you going to get anything?”

Wrapping my arm around her, I shake my head. “They don’t sell what I want in stores.” I want a kiss. I’ve wanted one for a month, probably longer if I was being honest with myself. By the way she’s leaning into my side, I think she’s ready for it too.

This whole night has been about showing Drew that she can let her guard down and be herself around me. It’s something that comes naturally to me when I’m around her. If anything, when I’m with her I feel like I’m able to take a full breath. Worries and fears that I usually feel are gone.

I’m not sure I can say the same for her.

She keeps herself just out of my grasp. It’s like she wants to try but instead of letting go and trusting she’ll land without getting hurt, she holds on tighter to what feels safe.

I’ll wait as long as it takes for her to realize that I’m a safe place.

That she can come to me with anything, anytime.

As we walk to the front, her eyes track a family of four with two rambunctious boys. It’s not the kids that keep her attention. It’s the parents. Sadness etches her eyes as they hold hands and laugh at their kids. She’s watching a life she never got to have—or maybe one she lost—pass her by.

She sighs and places her purchase on the counter. I add a few of the sour candies they have on display. “You can’t leave without these. It’s a rule that you have to eat them while you’re reading.”

“I mean if it’s a rule.” She digs in her purse for her wallet if I had to guess. I hand the clerk my card before she has the chance. “I can pay for my own stuff.”

“I know but I asked you out and that means I’m paying remember.” I sign my receipt and thank the clerk.

“I guess that means I’m asking you out for the next date,” she says with a lift of her chin.

“We do need to defend our high score on the pinball game.” After we ate pizza we hit up the pinball machines. She dominated the game and put her name on the top of the leaderboard. She jumped into my arms and I spun her around in a victory celebration knowing I was the big winner of the night.

The drive home is quiet but my mind is racing with thoughts and I’m overwhelmed with emotions I’m not used to feeling. I like Drew but dating isn’t what I want. I want more. More of her time. More of her smiles. More of her pain. I want it all.

I put the car in park and shut off the engine. “Let me walk you up.” I race around the front of the car and open her door.

Drew unlocks her front door and hesitates before turning the knob. “I had a lot of fun tonight.” She turns her back to the door. “I’d ask if you wanted to come inside but I can hear Frankie singing in the kitchen.”

“Maybe next time,” I say, taking her bag and placing it on the floor beside us. I step closer and she backs up against the door.

“Are you going to claim your prize? I think you earned your kiss.” She places her hands on my side and slips them under my shirt. It’s hard to think in complete sentences with her hands on me.

“Are you sure?” There’ll be no going back if we start this. I already know one taste of her won’t be enough.

“It’s just a kiss.”

“No, baby. This isn’t just a kiss. This is you agreeing to be my girl. This is me telling you I’m your man.” I slide one hand around her back and the other around the side of her neck. “Is that what you want?” I ask. Her green eyes glimmer with desire.

She drops her hands from waist and pushes against my chest. For a moment I think she might be having second thoughts and reject me but then her fingers curl into the cotton fabric of my shirt.

Leaning forward, she presses her lips against mine before backing away.

Immediately, I reel her back toward me, connecting my mouth with hers again.

I run my tongue over the seam of her lips and she easily opens up for me.

I happily drown in the sweet smell of her orange blossom perfume as I explore the inside of her mouth.

A soft whimper floats through the air as she rocks her body forward looking for some friction.

I want to lift her off the ground and press her against her front door to give her what she’s so desperate for.

Her arms wrap around my neck and fingers dig into my hair. Pulling her head back, I kiss her deeper, harder. I don’t want to stop. I want more of her. There’s something about Drew that makes me want to consume every part of her.

Not just her body but her heart, mind, and soul. I’ve just met her but I feel like I’ve known her for years. I feel like she was always meant to be in my life—to be mine.

Pulling away, I rest my head on hers. “Was that a yes then?”

“If you have to ask, I might need to answer you again,” she says, popping a quick kiss on my lips. “Yes. We can date.”

I grip the back of her neck. “We can go on dates but we aren’t dating. I’m not sharing you with other guys. This isn’t casual.”

“You barely know me. How can you be so sure?”

What can I say to erase the doubt from her eyes? “Because when I’m not around you, I want to be. When I learn something new about you, it's not enough. I want to know even more.” I kiss her slowly. “You still don’t believe me.”

She sighs. “I believe you. Your kisses are very persuasive. ”

“If you need more convincing, I’m happy to oblige.” I kiss her one more time. “Goodnight, baby.” I grab her bag and hand it back to her. She slips inside and I reset the clock until I get to see her again.