Full Count (The Catcher Series Book 1) (9 page)

            “What the hell are you doing?” I question her
passively sitting here as rain crashes all around us and drips from my hair.
Hers is only damp since she must’ve been sitting in here for so long.

            “If I could drive I would be in Canada already,” she
snaps, continuing to stare out the front window to avoid eye contact with me. I
’
m not sure what happened to upset her so much, but I
’
m glad she didn
’t leave.
“I told you I
didn
’
t want to come.”

            “Let
’
s go for a ride,” I
suggest. Her entire expression remains stern except for her eyes that light up
like a Christmas tree. That
’
s how I know it
’
s
exactly what she wants to do, and she
’
s happy someone
finally figured it out.

            The road our cabin is on is basically dirt, and with
all the rain we
’
ve been having it
’
s
now mud. I shift into four wheel drive and pray I know what I
’
m
doing so I don
’
t wreck my brand new Jeep.

            “I
’
m surprised you haven
’
t asked me where we
’
re going,” I break the
silence after a few minutes of chugging along in the pure mud.

            “You never tell me anyways, and I don
’
t
really care as long as it
’
s away from that house,” she
complains.

            “What happened? Was it something Benny said to you or
something I did?” I pry. This isn
’
t going to be fun if she
’
s going to sulk the whole time.

            “It
’
s my mom, and I would really
rather not talk about it,” she tells me.

            “Fine with me. You ready to get dirty?” I snicker,
turning to see her expression now pricelessly confused.

            “Uh… what?”
she questions.

            “Sweetheart, we
’
re going muddin
’
,” I announce.

9 Bianca Ferrari

“You are the jumpiest daredevil if there ever was one,” Skyler
laughs at me when I jump after a big thunder rolls through. It practically
shakes the house. Since he
’
s behind me I have no idea how
he reacted to it, but my guess is he also jumped and no one saw him.

            “If only I had someone to cuddle me so I could calm
down,” I joke, batting my eyes at him. I can feel the heat burning from Rex
sitting across the room from me, but I pretend like I
’
m
oblivious. I honestly don
’
t care if I upset him with my
flirtatious banter because it
’
s how I
’
ve
always been my entire life; he should be used to it. Flirting is in my nature.
If I do something more, however, then maybe he can be mad.

            “Bianca, want to help me get some popcorn for
everyone?” Benny asks, giving me deep “dad” looking eyes.
Really? Him, too?

            “Yeah, let
’
s go,” I oblige,
following him up the stairs to the main level. When we reach the top of the
stairs and close the basement door, I blurt out, “So what
’
s up?
” in a quiet voice. Our parents are just across the house
in the living room, and my mom
’
s favorite hobbies are
eavesdropping and gossiping.

            He stops walking to give me a you-know-what
’
s-up glare.
“You need to cool it with
Skyler,” Benny warns. I can
’
t figure out if he
’
s turning more into my dad or my brother but neither are
appealing. I
’
m about to drop him from my small circle of
trust.

            “I wasn
’
t even doing anything,” I
whine.

            “Alex didn
’
t think that was
nothing,” he argues, moving to the pantry to grab popcorn. While we wait the
two and a half minutes for the bag to pop, we continue our disagreement.

            “Rex needs to stop. I already told Sky that nothing
can happen,” I explain. “That was harmless. I just wish everything would go
back to how it was when we were kids. The three of us did everything together,
and now it feels more like it
’
s every man for them self.”

            “It
’
s more like two against one,”
he mutters under his breath as he rests his hands on the counter.

            “Why? Because Sky and I are better friends than him
and Rex?” I snap. “That
’
s not my problem. I
’
m
not about to stop being friends or change how I am around him just because Rex
has some stupid idea that we
’
re hooking up.
”

            “You
’
re wearing his sweatshirt,”
Benny points out, glaring at me.

            “I was cold in the car,” I defend myself poorly. We
’
ve been at the cabin for over an hour, and I still haven
’
t taken it off. It
’
s just so snuggly, but
I guess it makes the situation look bad.

            “Bianca, we all know you
’
ve had
a crush on Skyler for years… maybe even before you knew you did. None of us
expect it to just go away, but with Sky in high school and driving now… no one
wants you to get hurt,” he explains, pulling me in for a hug.

            “Why does everyone think he
’
s
going to hurt me?” I mumble into his chest. “He
’
s better
to me than anyone else.”

            “
I don’
t think if he hurts you
it will be on purpose,” he adds.

            As much as I hate thinking about it, what Benny said
makes a lot of sense. Skyler is clearly more experienced than me; Exhibit A:
him casually sneaking his tongue into my mouth during our kiss.

            “
I don’
t understand why it
’
s such a big deal that Sky and I flirt when Sam and Tiffany do
it all the time. You and Sky never argue about them,” I point out.

            “It
’
s different,” he claims.

            “How?” I beg to know. If his answer is that they
’
re in the same grade, I
’
m going to flip
shit.

            “They aren
’
t as serious as you
two are,”
Benny snarls at me.

            Touche.

            When Benny and I return to the basement, I have taken
Skyler
’
s sweatshirt off. It
’
s not
cold enough in the room to sit in a fuzzy sweatshirt
and
all the
blankets and pillows scattered all over the floor, and if Benny noticed I
’
m still wearing it then I
’
m sure everyone
else has, too. I don
’
t need to dig my hole any deeper.
This is exactly why I didn
’
t want to come this weekend. 
My feelings for Skyler have skyrocketed since he kissed me; I know they
’
re only going to grow. And apparently no one in this room
approves of us as a couple, which fucking sucks. I guess I can
’
t
be happy if I want everyone around me to be happy, too. So I decide to use
Skyler
’
s sweatshirt as a pillow while watching the rest of
the movie until we
’
re all called to dinner.

            As Susie passes out the cake, she places a plate in
front of me containing marble cake covered in vanilla frosting with sprinkles
on the edges. I cringe just looking at it.

            “Susie, I actually don
’
t want a
piece,” I tell her with a fake smile. Even on my birthday I have to decline
eating the cake because no one cares that I don
’
t like
chocolate or sprinkles, so every time the cake has one or both disgusting
features. I think they all think I’m trying to keep my athletic body in shape,
but that’s not really the reasoning for my decline.

            “Oh, I
’
m sorry sweetie,” she
replies, taking the plate away from me. While her eyes are genuinely
apologetic, my mom
’
s are the total opposite.

            “As usual, Bianca has to be the rude one,” my mom
mumbles from behind me.

            “I
’
m not being rude. I don
’
t like -” I try saying, but she interrupts me.

            “You don
’
t like anything,” she
finishes my sentence to her liking. “Except making scenes.” I
’
m
a little sad my dad obviously didn
’
t hear this. He would
’
ve shushed my mom since
she
was the one making a scene,
but he was far enough across the room that he was unaware and couldn
’
t come to my defense.

            Since my mom is standing behind me she can
’
t see me roll my eyes, but I don
’
t want to
prove her right by drawing more attention to us. I decide to go for a drink in
the kitchen to excuse myself from the spotlight and find Skyler fetching me my
favorite ice cream - homemade cookies and cream, or Cookies and Fucking Cream
as I like to call it since it
’
s a Skyler
recipe.
His Mac and Fucking Cheese is pretty good, too. When I return, I
silently thank him and lower my head as I finish my ice cream to avoid the eyes
that are showering onto me from around the table. They should all be used to my
mom picking on me by now; I
’
m immune to it. She does it
every single time she has the chance, and I
’
ve learned to
just let her do it and try not to let it bother me.

            Next to me Baylee nudges me so I
’
ll
look at her, and I know she
’
s just checking in on me but I
don
’
t need it. I flash her a smile and go to clean up my
bowl and spoon. Baylee is the perfect girly daughter my mom always wanted, and
ever since the two of us defined ourselves, her as a girly girl and me as a
tomboy, my mom favors her. It doesn
’
t ever make me angry
or jealous of Bay, but she
’
s still genuine enough to make
sure I
’
m okay.

            After dessert, everyone scatters throughout the house
into different rooms to watch TV, play cards or board games, or gossip like
little girls. That
’
s my mom, and I can hear her from two
rooms over complaining about me dramatically wanting me to stay at home this
weekend and then being convinced to come after all. I just can
’
t
listen to her anymore. And I can
’
t go find Rex or Tiffany
or Skyler or Benny because they
’
re all tiptoeing around me
like I
’
m a baby sleeping, and I just need to get out. But
it
’
s storming, and I have no idea where I can possibly go
since the lake is obviously not a realistic option. I learned at an early age
that there
’
s a difference between adventurous and idiotic.

            As I put my clean bowl and spoon away in the cupboard
and drawer, I remember that Skyler left his car keys on the front hall table
when we walked inside earlier. I discreetly walk to the front of the house and
grab his keys, looking around the front rooms to see if anyone sees me. No one
is around, so I make a break for it. In the pouring rain, I dash to his car and
hop in the passenger seat. I want to get out of the house, but I can
’
t betray Skyler by taking his Jeep, especially when I can
’
t even legally drive.

            I
’
ve been sitting in Skyler
’
s Jeep for over a half hour when I see him sprinting in the
rain towards me.
Took him long enough. Gosh he looks sexy soaking wet. 

            “What the hell are you doing?” he demands to know.

            “If I could drive I would be in Canada already. I
told you I didn
’
t want to come,” I remind him as I try to
pretend I don
’
t notice he
’
s looking
me up and down trying to figure out my mood and my motives. I can
’
t
handle him looking at me that way without severely blushing.

            “Let
’
s go for a ride,” Skyler
decides.

            We spend an hour getting his Jeep stuck in mud, him
revving the engine while the wheels splatter me when I push on the backside,
and both of us throwing mud at each other until we can
’
t
see skin. It
’
s kind of disgusting but also very thrilling
to just let loose and not care that Skyler is running his hands over my once
completely white tank top. I can
’
t breathe when he
’
s touching me like this. I can see his handprints on my shirt,
but then they slide all the way down the fabric. He
’
s
teasing me so well.

            At first he
’
s just watching me
and probably laughing at me on the inside for his muddy touch suffocating me.
And just as I
’
m about to lean up against his Jeep to try
to tease him back, he runs his fingers through my hair.

            Which would normally be sexy, right?

            Except Skyler has mud covering his fingers.

            So now I have mud caked into my scalp.

            Now the real fun starts. Payback.

            “Not too much in my hair!”
I shriek.
“It
’
s gonna be hard to get out!”

            If I could reach the top of his head, I would be
running my hands through his bad boy hair, but I can
’
t. He
’
s over a half a foot taller than me. I try to climb him like a
ladder, but he purposely makes sure I don
’
t succeed. So I
settle for reaching underneath his clothes to get it on his abs.

            “Like I fucking care,” Skyler chuckles as he pulls at
the bottom of my ponytail.

            “Ow, c
’
mon,” I whine, shoving
him in the chest with fistfuls of mud.

            “What? You think I
’
m going to go
easy on you because you
’
re a girl?” he teases, barely even
wincing from my lack of force on him.

            “Ha, never. I know you better than that,” I snicker,
running one of my fingers covered in mud along his neck.
Was that a flinch?
Is Skyler Swanson affected by me?

            “Don
’
t fucking look at me like
that,” he pleads, holding his breath as his jaw clenches. The mud matches his
spiky long hair and dark, brooding eyes. My God, the boy looks beautiful even covered
in mud. I can
’
t help but stare at him.

            “Like what?” I whisper while on my tiptoes trying to
reach his ear with my lips as he partially leans over.

            “Like how you are right now,” he continues to tighten
every muscle in his body.

            “How
’
s that?” I tease. Before I
can stand back on my feet, he grabs my face and crashes his lips into mine.
Rain pours around us, making the kiss as smooth as silk. I feel like I
’
m drinking him in as I bring my tongue to meet his and he
increases his hold around me.
This can
’
t
be happening,
I think as I hold onto the back of his neck. Thunder crashes
in the distance, and since my senses are on high alert, I shy away from him
unintentionally. I can feel the disappointment in his touch and his breath
while his eyes zero in on mine in hopes of gauging my emotions. Although I
recall telling Skyler earlier today that nothing could happen again like the
kiss we shared at his birthday party, I really want it, and clearly he knows
that. Somehow he doesn
’
t care what anyone else thinks, or
he just wants to keep whatever
this
is between us a secret from them.