Lead Me Astray - Updated Every Monday

Chapter Twenty Two ~ Hunter

I walked into the library for seventh period and was a little confused. Frankie didn't look happy. "What's wrong?"

She lifted her eyes. "Nothing."

"You look sad." I sat beside her.

She swallowed. "I'm not. Are you ready for your lesson?"

I took that way dirtier than I was supposed to. I had to clear my throat in order to talk but I could feel my ears becoming hot. "Yeah."

She looked at me like I'd said something different. But she just nodded. "Here."

I took the packet and got to work.

It was quiet until... "You know you don't have to buy me flowers."

"I know." I frowned as a sentence in the English lit portion tripped me up.

"Then why do you?"

"I like it."

"You do?"

I caught onto the weird way she asked that and looked at her. "Did you smile when you got them?"

She blushed. "Yeah?"

"Then I like it." I went back to work.

But I could see her small smile from the corner of my eye...

≠

As we packed up to go, I asked her a question that'd been haunting me for a few days. "Will you come to a practice with me?"

She blinked those pretty big brown eyes of hers. "I don't know. I haven't seen Bradley in a while."

"Oh." I bowed my head. I sorta forgot about him.

She was quite a moment. "I'll just ask him to come to our game tomorrow. I'll come to practice with you today."

I lifted my head with a bright smile. "Thanks, Frankie. Maybe we can get in some rehearsing before tomorrow?"

Her eyes widened and she nodded. "You're right."

Did that mean she was uninviting Bradley to her game?

"Okay, let's go. I've got to tell Stacey to tell Coach Reed that I'm sick."

I frowned. "Why?"

"I have practice, Hunt. We have a game tomorrow." She smiled a bit.

Oh right. "How about we go to half my practice and half of yours to be fair?"

I didn't understand the look on her face but I knew she wasn't upset with me. She leaned over to kiss my cheek. Then she pinched the spot. "You're a good man, Hunt."

I felt like I was on fire but a good fire. "Thanks, Frankie. I try." For you.

She continued packing up. "I still have to text Stacey. Speaking of, have you ever met?"

I tried to think back on a Stacey. "No."

She gave me a look before smiling. "The blonde from Friday night."

I tried my best but the only girl I remember is Frankie. "Oh."

She giggled. "Stacey is tops. She's the best. I think you'd really like her."

I looked at her but she seemed serious. Was she trying to hook me up with this Stacey? "No thank you."

She looked taken aback. She didn't say anything for a full minute. "Is this because you still love Jorden?"

"No." And it wasn't. It was because I loved her.

Her shoulders relaxed. "Oh. Okay. But you don't have to marry Stace. Maybe just talk for a while. You never know what'll happen from good conversation."

Did that apply to her, too? "We should go."

"Oh right." She popped up.

I stood and we grabbed our stuff to go.

We went to the rink and I sat my stuff by her as she sat in a seat. She pulled out her phone and crossed her legs as she spoke on it.

My gaze was trained on those legs. I wanted them wrapped around my shoulders.

Coach called my name, making me snap out of it so I hurried to go get changed but I was thinking; I needed to hurry up and land Frankie before I died.

≠

Watching Frankie practice was crazy. She played just as well as when she was at a game.

After, she was tired and sweaty. She was also right about Coach Reed being a dick...

She came to sit next to me on the bleachers as everyone else left. She drank water thirstily.

I watched her gulp it down and nearly fell over as I thought about her guzzling something else.

She finally stopped and looked at me. "Better."

"Better." I smiled.

She scooted closer and sat on my lap.

Was I dreaming?!

She wrapped her right arm around my neck and leaned in to kiss me.

I had to be dreaming! Right? But I could feel her mouth on mine and it tasted delicious but also like peaches? It didn't matter. I kissed her back with all of me.

We made out for a long while. I wasn't keeping track of the time but I knew time was passing. I almost forgot we were outside and in public cuz I tried to lay her down.

"Hunt!" She broke away.

"What?" I could admit to confusion.

"The play doesn't require you to lie me down." She giggled.

"Play?" Like a bucket of cold water, I understood. We were rehearsing. My hard-on softened a bit.

She looked around. "It smells like October now."

"I don't-"

"October. It's a scent. Fight me."

I tapped her nose. She was so cute. "Defend yourself."

She giggled. Then licked my lips! "Counter."

I couldn't believe she'd done that so I tickled her sides.

She cracked up laughing.

I left her alone but still held her as she giggled. This was nothing but it was everything.

≠

The game went great and our team won. The championships were basically in the bag.

Jay and Tia were there and I learned Jay was non-binary and Tia's boyfriend was really on the baseball team. Nick Prima.

I also learned more about Frankie. She and Tia had been friends since kindergarten and the two of them had been friends with Jay since seventh grade. I'd gone to different schools than them so I didn't know any of them back then but I wished I had.

Tia talked up Stacey but I just replied politely. I think Jay knew I wasn't interested in the blonde because they never tried to say anything about Stacey. But they talked about Bradley though... I hated that.

Bradley this. Bradley that.

Pfft. Bradley was going to be single soon.

≠

The weekend came soon enough and I wanted to see Frankie but I didn't know what to say to convince her that we should hang out.

So I spent Saturday reading that Haunting Adeline book. My eyes were permanently wide. I'd never read a whole book in two days but especially not a thick one.

I read this one.

This was the book that Frankie thought was tame?! How dark was this woman's soul?!

On Monday I knew the flowers were being sent so I changed the message to a line from the book. Then I bought Hunting Adeline for both of us...