Him by Carey Heywood (reading strategies book .txt) 📕

"I can do it."

I pull my phone away for a moment and look at her contact icon before answering. "Do what?"

"I can mamasit. That way it won't take forever to find someone, and you guys can have the place all to yourselves."

"Sawyer, that's crazy. His mom probably needs a professional. I don’t think Will would go for it."

"Just putting it out there."

"Who knows? I'll mention it to him."

"So back to this Will fella. Did he rock your socks off?"

I blush. "Last night, he went down on me, and I cried. How embarrassing is that? Full on ugly cry."

"And he didn’t ditch you last night?" she jokes.

"He has a tattoo about me too."

"Shut up. That’s hot. What is it?"

"A Miller Lite logo on his chest."

She laughs. "Are you sure he just doesn’t like girl beer?"

"No, he used to always call me that. It was like his name for me." I look up when Will walks back into his room. "Hang on a sec, Sawyer." I hold my phone to my shoulder. "Will, Sawyer offered to come stay with your mom."

"Can I talk to her?" he asks, holding out his hand for the phone.

I put the phone back to my ear. "Will wants to talk to you," I tell her before handing the phone to him.

I sit and watch as he paces back and forth in front of me. Sawyer seems to be asking questions about his mom that he is answering. Every so often, he looks over at me and either shrugs or smiles. After five minutes, I lie back on his bed and soak in his scent. If he can't leave with me tomorrow I may ask for his pillow. Their conversation seems to go well. He hangs up the phone and jumps on me.

I laugh, pushing him onto his side. "So what'd you guys decide?"

"I've got a flight to book," he says before lifting his mouth to mine.

I melt into his kiss before pulling back. "Really?"

"Yep." He kisses me again. "I should probably start packing." He rolls onto me. "But there's something I have to do first." His hands move to the waistband of my jeans.

"Will," I gasp. "Your mom."

"Shhh, you don’t want her to hear you, do you?" He silences me with his lips.

We’re in high school all over again. My jeans dangle from one leg, and his shorts are pushed down only just past his knees as he enters me. We're frantic, my hands pulling him closer and faster to me. He’s on my elbows. His hands are in my hair. I crash first, Will just after me. We're both panting as his eyes meet mine. I brush his hair off of his forehead and giggle. We're both still dressed from the waist up.

"I'm liking spontaneous," he grins before lowering his lips to mine.

We both still when we hear a noise from downstairs and quickly get dressed. I dash to the bathroom across the hall and freshen up. My hair is a mess. I use what I assume is Will's comb to get out any tangles and pull it up in a ponytail. Will is packing when I walk back into his room.

"You are so bad," I tease, closing the door behind me.

He leaves his suitcase on the bed and pins me against the door. "I just can't seem to help myself."

I'm breathless as he nibbles on my earlobe. He lifts me, his hands gripping me, and I wrap my legs around his waist. He walks me over to his bed and sets me down.

"You're making packing hard," he grumbles before straightening and taking a step back from me.

"I'm not doing anything," I argue, shaking my head. I look down at his suitcase. "Are you cool with Sawyer staying with your mom? You've never even met her."

He’s taking a dress shirt off of a hanger. "She seems like a trip, but she's your best friend. That's all I need to know."

"So when will she get here?"

"Her flight lands midnight."

My mouth drops open. "Tonight?"

He nods, folding the shirt and setting it in his suitcase.

"And she got me a seat on your flight tomorrow."

I blink away the tears that are threatening me. "So you're really coming back with me?"

Will takes in my expression and comes to stand in front of me, pulling me into his arms. "I'm not losing you again."

Chapter 26

Past

The dress Sawyer has for me will never fit. I'm a good four inches taller than her. I somehow manage to get the dress on, but it’s so tight in the shoulders I can barely lift or move my arms.

"It looks great," Sawyer gushes.

I give her a look and try and lift my arms. "I feel like a T-Rex. There is no way I can dance in this."

"A T-REX!" She bends over, clutching her stomach as she laughs.

"What am I going to wear?"

She holds up her hand as she keeps laughing. After a few moments she looks up. "We'll just have to go shopping now, won't we?"

"Sawyer, I can't afford to spend any money right now."

"Hush, silly. I'm the one who wants to go out. It's my treat."

Sawyer and I have been friends for almost five years now. I don’t know the whole story, but Sawyer lives off of a trust fund. I don’t know how much is in it or how she got it, and I usually don’t let her buy me things. I make an exception this time after I make her promise it will just be an early birthday present. Like three months early. She gets Jared to drive us to the mall, and I let her drag me into Forever 21. I sit with Jared as Sawyer buzzes around the store, grabbing different outfits for me to try on. I can only take eight items back at a time, so she sets the rest of the clothes