Providence

“I can’t say I blame him,” Zack said, smiling down at me.

“Did you throw that at me?” I asked Ryan, knowing I wouldn’t be surprised either way. It was his idea to come to the Main Green with a blanket, and I turned him down only to come here with Jared.

“No! I can’t believe you’d think that!” Ryan scoffed.

“That was me, sorry about that,” Zack said to Jared, breathless, resting his hands on his hips. “Can we have our bal back?”

Jared showed no signs of surrendering the bal . “I think you owe her the apology, not me.”

Ryan rol ed his eyes and looked at me, and then to Jared. “It was an accident, Jared. Give him the bal .”

Jared waited.

“You’re right,” Zack said. “I’m sorry. I should have been more careful.”

“It’s okay,” I said, uncomfortable that Jared had forced him to apologize.

Zack eyed the footbal in Jared’s hand. “Did you want to play? We’re short one player.”

“He’s not going to play. He doesn’t want Nina to see him trip over his feet,” Ryan snorted.

Jared stood up, towering over me and both of the other boys. He looked past Zack to the other team. Tucker and Josh stood among them, waiting on the opposite side of their mini-field. Jared reared back his arm and launched the footbal across the greens like a missile. It soared through the various tree branches, straight into Josh’s chest. Josh caught the bal , but it stil made an audible thud that caused him to double over. He immediately stood up, although looking somewhat like a hunchback, trying to mask the fact that the wind had been knocked out of him.

Zack and Ryan had matching shocked expressions. I smiled at their surprise.

“I am busy. My feet have nothing to do with it,” Jared said, reaching for my hand to pul me up to stand beside him. He leaned over to kiss my forehead.

Ryan reacted with disgust.

My heart fluttered in my chest at the testosterone in the air, and Jared looked down at me. “Unless you don’t mind.”

A wide smile spread across my face. “Absolutely not. Go get ‘em tiger.”

He grabbed each side of my face and planted a quick kiss on my lips. His eyes narrowed as he looked across the grass to the other team. “I assume we’re skins.”

Zack nodded and Jared pul ed off his shirt, handing it to me. I was supposed to be good, but it was hard seeing him so animated, not to mention half-naked.

Jared pressed his cheek against mine. “You’re going to have to tone that down or I’m going to get pummeled,” he whispered in my ear.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Like it would hurt you.”

He jogged out with Ryan and Zack, and the other team met them in the center of the grass.

I watched them over the next hour. The skins team quickly realized that with Jared they had the clear advantage. Zack assigned Jared the quarterback position, and I laughed and cheered as his team ran in one touchdown after another. Before long, they had drawn quite the crowd. A smal group of girls were soon drowning out my feeble cheering each time Jared made a play.

Jared’s face was exultant, and I wondered when the last time was that he was free to let loose. He’d always had to keep an eye on me from afar, and now that I was just yards away he had more time for himself. I realized that it was like that at night as wel , and guilt swept over me for making him spend the night in his car instead of beside me in his warm bed.

Jared fired the bal in a perfect spiral, and Ryan caught it flawlessly for the winning touchdown. The crowd cheered, and Josh’s team ambled around their side of the makeshift field, notably less enthusiastic.

Jared jogged over to me, glistening with sweat and grinning from ear to ear. He lifted me and then twirled me around, kissing me with boyish enthusiasm.

“You were amazing!” I squealed.

Jared lowered me to my feet. “Agh…I’m sorry honey, I’m al sweaty.”

“I don’t care!” I said, flinging my arms around his middle.

“You ready to go?” he asked. When I nodded, he cleared the crowd from our blanket.

As Jared shook off grass and folded, Ryan approached us. “Good game, Jared,” he said, sounding only half-sincere.

I heard Jared mumble a thank you as he tried not to watch us converse.

“You were great!” I said, waiting as others agreed with me. “It’s safe to say you’re ful y recovered.” I held up my hand for a high-five and Ryan smacked it. His fingers intertwined in mine.

I instinctual y pul ed my hand back, tucking my hair behind my ear to avoid drawing any more attention to the situation.

Ryan smiled. “Thanks. I’l see you in a couple of hours, okay? You want me to swing by?”

“I’l meet you there. I have a few things to do, first.” I said.

Ryan stared at me as if he was debating something, and then he leaned over to kiss my cheek, his lips soft against my skin. I gave him an awkward, polite smile and then he walked away. The excited chatter around us died down dramatical y, and I felt everyone’s eyes on me.

Jared glared at Ryan as he walked away. I met him in the middle of the dispersing crowd and took the blanket from his hands.

“Ready?” I asked, trying to sound unconcerned.

Jared’s eyes hadn’t left Ryan’s back; he looked as if he wanted to punch a hole through it. “Yeah,” he said through his teeth.

Jared took my hand and led me through the stragglers that stil meandered around us. He stopped at the door of Andrews as he opened it for me.

“Claire is close. I’m going to run home…get a shower. I’l catch up with you later.”

I eyed him suspiciously. “You’re sure you’re going home?”

Jared smoothed his features and chuckled. “Yeah, why?”

“You’re not going to go find Ryan or anything, are you?”

His jaw tensed. “No. But if Claire wasn’t his…he gets under my skin.”

I leaned in to kiss him. “I’l talk to him.”

Jared nodded and gave me an anxious look. “You’re staying at Andrews tonight?”

I fidgeted, trying to decide if my unwanted independence was real y more important than Jared spending the night in his vehicle to watch me.

Jared’s eyes were suddenly bright and hopeful. “Second thoughts?”

“No. I mean…I don’t know,” I said, unable to focus with the encouraged look on his face.

I couldn’t deny that I would rather stay with him, and he was more than wil ing for me to change my mind. When I slept at Andrews, Jared was stuck outside in his SUV listening for trouble. I cringed at the thought. On the other hand, it was what he was used to, and by his own words he didn’t mind.

Beth expected me home. When I stayed with Jared, she stayed with Chad, which is where everyone knew that was where she would rather be.

When my mind drifted to Ryan, I winced. I had already told him that staying with Jared was temporary. The thought of his reaction to my new living arrangements made my stomach twist with a sick feeling. I wasn’t sure why I worried about Ryan’s opinion so much. Something about hurting him just didn’t feel right.

“Wow, you’re al over the place,” Jared said, visibly confused.

“Cal me later?” I asked. It wasn’t exactly a subtle evasive tactic, but it would serve its purpose.

Jared was resigned. “Of course.”