(RIVALS) The Upside of Falling ✔️

Chapter 50: Love Me

Brett

I drove through the empty night streets with Becca beside me, neither of us saying a word, yet every part of me was aware of her presence. The air in the car was thick with tension, with electricity, every time I rubbed my thumb across her knee I felt the sparks shoot up inside me.

Every damn traffic light we got was red — the universe's way of playing a cruel joke on me. But the reds gave me the opportunity to stare at the beautiful girl beside me who was gazing out the window, chin resting in her palm.

I love you, she had said. As soon as those words escaped her mouth, I had decided that I would be content to just hear those three words for the rest of my life.

As if she could feel me staring, Becca turned her head slowly until her eyes met mine. She blinked at me innocently, a small, shy smile on her lips. It never ceased to amaze me how with just one little glance, she had me hooked.

Becca's eyes now were gentle, searching. When she told me back on the field that she wanted me like that, it was the first time I saw her eyes burn with the same passion, the same longing, I had felt every day since we first met. Seeing that emotion flicker into her eyes made my heart speed up like a freight train. Even now, I could feel and hear it beating so quickly in my chest.

I had slept with girls before, but that wasn't love -- it was just sex. But with Becca ... it would be so much more. For the first time, I found myself nervous for the night ahead. I wanted tonight to be special for her. She deserved that and so much more.

Lost in thought, Becca's mouth began to move and all I could picture was her lips on my skin. She continued to speak but I couldn't make out what she was saying, my mind already heading to forbidden territory and I was trying to reel it back in. I blinked, shaking my head to erase the thoughts as if my brain were an etch-a-sketch.

"The light is green, Brett." Becca was smiling at me shyly, like she could read my mind and knew exactly what I was just thinking about.

"Shit," I mumbled, reluctantly peeling my eyes away from her smirking face and focusing back on the road. I hit the gas and drove through the familiar streets to my house, hoping for endless green lights.

* * *

Killing the engine, I opened the door and jogged around the car to Becca, opening her door for her. She stepped out onto my driveway, placing her hand gently in mine as soon as I shut the door behind her. My heart began to pound impossibly faster as we walked up the steps to my front door. I knew Becca had briefly seen my house before when she spoke to my mother, so I was hoping we could skip the tour and start doing other things.

The keys jingled as I pulled them out of my pocket, opening the door with my free hand. I glanced Becca quickly before stepping inside to see her eyebrows drawn together in the middle as she chewed on her lip, a sign that she was nervous. I smiled and squeezed her hand in mine before holding the door open.

I could hear Becca's sudden intake of breath as her wide eyes roamed around the room, taking in the elaborate furniture my parents had decorated our house with. She looked so fucking adorable that I quickly shut the door behind her and pressed her back up against it, blocking her path with my own body. She shrieked as her eyes met mine, now wider than before.

"What are you ..." Her voice trailed off as I pushed my body closer to hers. I grinned smugly,  placing my palms on the door on either side of Becca's shoulders.

"Brett," she whispered, her eyes clouding over lustfully as she blinked up at me. I cocked my head to the side and watched her, my body pressed against hers but my hands not touching her. Yet. My face hovered inches away, teasing her to see what she would do.