Finding Hearts

Chapter 17

KATE

"Explain", Avery's face enters my field of vision as I close the door to my locker.

"Geese, Vee", I let out, putting my hand on my chest to check my heartbeat. A bit faster than normal, either from the literal jump scare I just had, or from the note in my hands. Note I quickly tuck inside my fist.

"Hey Katie,

Just wanted to let you know you look very pretty today.

Yours, Cal"

My man sent me a love letter.

Cue the squeal.

"You opened the locker and a paper flew out of it", Vee retells the scene, showing me she's been here for a while. "We need to know the story. So explain."

"We?", I ask surprised.

It's then Liv also appears next to Vee, from where she must have been standing behind me. "Hi, Katie", our bestie lets out.

"Hey", I answer. It's then my eyes dart between them and I ask: "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to get the gist", it's Vee who answers. She's once again breaking the school rules by not wearing her white shirt yet a band hoodie. But I guess the teachers already got sick of daily throwing her into detention, so they just let it happen. "Besides", she continues. "You posted in your Instagram story that you were baking apple pie yesterday. And you only bake apple pie when you're extra-happy. Plus, you used Heart of Glass as background song." She takes a deep breath before she says: "We want details and apple pie, Katie."

Liv isn't as direct as Vee, but she nods agreeing.

"Fine", I give up. "But not here. Our spot."

~

When we say our spot we mean a place under a tree on the school court. I always have a picnic blanket in my locker, just in case. The air is chilly with an October breeze, yet we settle there nevertheless, watching the football guys train from a distance. The place is a tactical strategy for two reasons. Reason number one: their shouts cover our gossip. Reason number two: we have something to feast our eyes on.

Now however, none of them looks interesting.

My eyes only are affected by a guy who must currently be on the ice rink. I think.

Which is why I turn with my back at the football team and take out the Tupperware I packed especially for my two besties containing pie from yesterday.

"Love you", Liv says before taking a slice.

"You literally are the best", Vee adds, also helping herself to one.

I also take one and count in my head. One, two... I reach four before my besties explode. "So, what happened?!"

"You know how yesterday I was riding my bike? It was wet, and dark, and gloomy", I start telling the story. I might as well get credits for extra drama. "I honestly thought I'd turn to Dorothy and fly away to Oz, when a car showed up."

"You don't say so", Vee covers her mouth as Liv just nods, not reacting yet.

"So, Cal steps outside", I continue, getting interrupted by Vee.

"So we upgraded him to Cal", she points out.

"I like it", Liv adds, a smile on her face. "Katie and Cal. It has a ring to it."

It sure does.

I have to smirk as I continue: "So, he steps outside and insists I go with him, so that I don't get hurt."

"Green fucking flag", Vee mutters.

I nod agreeing. "That's what I thought. Anyway, so I get inside. He's wet, I'm wet-"

"I bet you were", Vee interrupts. Again.

"Vee", Liv lets out, cheeks pink from embarrassment.

"I meant the clothes", she explains. The wink she gives me shows me she did not mean the clothes.

The very hard swallow on my side tells her that she wasn't exactly wrong.

"So, he's wet, my clothes are wet", I paraphrase that. "And my gaze happened to have lingered a little too long on his chest."

"Oh, Katie", Liv lets out.

"What?!", I reply. "He has a very nice chest."

"Very nice chest", Vee teases me by repeating.

"Do you want the story or not?!", I ask them.

They both nod, falling silent.

"So, my gaze lingers a little too long on his chest and he notices it."

"No way", they let out at once.

"And he said I shouldn't look at him like that unless I was going to do something about it", I continue.

"Hot", Vee says.

I nod agreeing.

Very hot indeed.

"So, what did you do?", Liv asks, tone filled with suspense.

"I told him to kiss me", I reply, my cheeks blushing pink.

"You did not", they shout.

"And then we kissed", I quickly blurt out.

"And how was the kiss?", Liv asks.

I smirk while nodding. And if that hadn't told them enough, I also add. "Good. That guy can really kiss. I had this warm feeling like I was about to be set on fire, and the way he used his-"

"Uhm, Katie", Vee cuts me short. I stop, since she usually likes the details and the fact she interrupted me means something is going on. I look at her and where her gaze was pointing somewhere on the football field. It's then I see what got her staring.

And freeze.

Standing on the field talking to the coach is Cal, all six feet two of him, towering over the poor teacher. Even from the distance his worked body is on display, as he's rocking a compression shirt and some grey sweatpants, plus some black sambas.

"Holy-", Vee lets out. "Girl, you for sure got yourself a man."

I smile, another shade of pink on my cheeks. Pinker than the headband on my head and sambas on my feet.

That kind of pink.

"Okay, let's keep eating", I tell the girls, not ready to face the full presence of him.

I turn around, stuffing some pie in my mouth, as Liv says: "Uh, Katie. I don't think we can do that."

Startled, I look at her, who points at the fact Cal's eyes are on me the entire time. He must have spotted me, how I don't know, and he is involved with Coach in the talk, but his gaze is on me.

"Gosh, that man is whipped", Vee lets out excited. "I've never seen someone as in love with his girlfriend."

Noah was like that with you, I almost blurt out. Yet I keep it inside, meeting Cal's gaze. Even from this distance, I can almost see the way his mouth twitches. I know I can feel my cheeks heating.

Cal spends some time talking with the Coach, until at one point he nods and walks out of the field. I hadn't expected him to walk past me, where he winks at me. My stomach turns at his gesture, butterflies filling up my every cell.

"Hot", Vee whispers in my ear as he's far enough.

Very hot indeed.