I was no closer to finding any clarity by the time Saturday morning dawned. The school was hosting its rowing regatta this weekend, which Wes was taking part in. He’d been sharing secretive smiles with me ever since our kiss in the janitor’s closet on Wednesday, and I had a feeling he might want to talk more about our relationship-cum-friendship over the weekend. I didn’t want to treat him badly, so I knew I needed to try to figure out my head and my heart.
“What am I going to do about Wes?” I asked Cress as we put on our makeup in the bathroom. We were getting ready to go down to the lake and watch the regatta, which would soon be underway.
I’d told her and Anna about kissing Wes in the janitor’s closet, and the two of them had screamed before Anna composed herself enough to say “I told you so.”
“You’re still not sure?” she asked.
“No, and I need a second opinion. What do you think?”
“I can’t make up your mind for you.”
“I know,” I groaned.
“Are you still worried about ruining your friendship?” she asked.
“That, and the fact I can’t seem to forget about Noah. Is it fair to start something with Wes when my heart still beats faster every time Noah enters the room?”
“Wes isn’t stupid. He understands you’re still getting over Noah.”
“I know.”
“And it’s not like anything’s going to happen with Noah,” she added. “He’s never going to go against his grandfather’s wishes.” She softened her words with a sad smile.
“So, you think I should go for it?”
“I mean, what would you prefer? To continue just being friends or to actually date?”
“Well, kissing without committing to an actual relationship has been pretty great so far,” I muttered. “But it’s starting to get messy.”
“I don’t think that’s something either of you would want long-term either,” Cress said. “Wes isn’t the kind of guy that does casual. He’s the kind of guy that loves caring for someone and being in a committed relationship. I think you’re that kind of girl too…”
I blew out a breath and nodded. “Am I an idiot for even questioning this? The way you described Wes, any girl would be silly to turn him down, right?”
“You’re not an idiot,” Cress said. “You’re just being careful.”
“I can’t believe I’m even considering another relationship. Not after the last two breakups I’ve gone through.”
“I don’t think Wes will break your heart.”
“I don’t think so either,” I agreed. That didn’t make this decision any easier. “I thought talking to you would make it clearer in my head. But I’m still a jumbled mess. I don’t want to screw things up.”
“Sometimes doing nothing screws things up more. I think you need to make a decision.”
I knew Cress was right. I couldn’t leave Wes hanging. I either had to take a risk and commit to a relationship or let things go back to the way they were before. No more kisses in closets.
“Maybe the universe will give me a sign today,” I said.
“You’re leaving this up to the universe?” Cress laughed. “That sounds dangerous.”
“Well, I don’t really trust myself to make decisions like this. I always seem to make the wrong choice. So, I think I’ll let the universe take this one…”
Cress shook her head. “Be warned, the universe might be skewed in Wes’s favor today. He’s going to look pretty hot in his uniform.”
“You think I’m going to date him because of a uniform?”
“I mean, it’s a very convincing uniform. Why else do you think so many girls are going to the regatta today?”
A small spike of insecurity went through me. Wes was gorgeous, and I didn’t like the idea of half the girls at school salivating over him. Then again, they’d all done the exact same thing over Noah. I guessed it came with the territory when you dated a cute boy. The major difference here was that Wes wasn’t my boyfriend, and if we went back to being friends, he would be free to entertain any offers that came his way. I didn’t like that idea at all.
Cress and I finished getting ready before we headed down to the lake. As we neared the new boathouse that sat proudly on the shoreline, I could see quite a crowd was already gathered. Tents were pitched along one of the banks of the lake with different school logos proudly displayed across the material.
I didn’t recognize many of the students walking around the school grounds, and a group of guys nudged each other and grinned as Cress and I passed. One of the cuter ones sent us a wink.
“Anna is going to be drooling over all the fresh meat,” Cress said, making me laugh.
“Yeah, she is always complaining about how we always see the same guys at all our parties.”
“Not tonight,” Cress replied. “There’s usually an after-party at Luther’s on regatta nights, and some kids from the rival schools come. It can get pretty wild.”
“Because Luther’s other parties are so tame,” I muttered.
“There you guys are!” I glanced over as Anna came rushing toward us with Sawyer slowly trailing behind her. “I was worried you were going to miss all the fun.”
“I told her she was being dramatic,” Sawyer said. “That there’s no way Isobel would miss her sweet Wesley’s little regatta.”
I chose to ignore him, but unsurprisingly, I was thinking about Wes. “Speaking of Wes, any idea where he is? I’d like to wish him good luck before his race.”
“Ha, sure, luck,” Sawyer replied, his voice dripping with suggestion.
“Sawyer? Where is he?”
He flicked a hand over his shoulder. “He’s over by the Weybridge tent.”
“Okay, I’ll catch you guys back here in a bit.” I went in the direction Sawyer had indicated, but he called after me. “Remind Wes to row his little heart out today,” he said. “I’d hate for him to lose our bet.”
I paused and glanced over my shoulder. Those two boys and their bets. “Another bet? What happens if he loses?”
“If he loses, he has to streak through the after-party tonight.”
My eyes widened. “And if he wins?”
“Then I’ll be the one who’s streaking.” Sawyer grinned like he’d be happy either way.
I shook my head. “I guess I better go give him some more motivation to win.”
As I got closer to the Weybridge tent, I could see Wes standing in the entrance. My mouth went a little dry when I got a good look at his rowing suit. On a smaller guy, the fitted material would have looked terrible, but Wes filled it out in all the right places. Yep, I could definitely see why the girls were all big rowing fans.
He started smiling as he saw me approach. “You made it.”
“Why do you sound so surprised? I told you I’d come.”
He shrugged. “Guess I was just worried something else might come up.”
It made me a little sad to hear his response. It seemed like he was so used to being canceled on by his ex that he’d come to expect it.
“No way, I wouldn’t miss this for anything. Besides, I had to come wish you luck.” I reached up and pressed a kiss firmly against his cheek. “Good luck.”
His smile grew wider. “You know, I hear that good luck kisses only work if they’re on the lips.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s not a thing.”
“I’m pretty sure it is.”
“Fine.” I laughed and quickly brushed a kiss against his lips. He tried to deepen the kiss, but somehow, I managed to pull myself away. “You’re terrible. You know that, right?”
“Terribly handsome?”
“Terribly devious.”
“I think I can live with that.” He chuckled. “I have to go prep for my race, but come find me after. I’ll need to thank my good luck charm…”
I raised an eyebrow. “Don’t make me your good luck charm too. Being Sawyer’s was already enough pressure.”
He winked. “Well, stop being so lucky then.”
I shook my head. “Have a good race, and make sure you win. I don’t want to see you naked for the first time because you lost a bet with Sawyer.”
His eyes lit up, and he smiled devilishly. “You want to see me naked?”
“Oh, my gosh. No. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I think you did.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then why are you blushing?”
I stammered as I tried to come up with a reply, but he didn’t give me a chance to find my words.
“I’ll see you after the race, Isobel.” He flashed me another wide grin before he turned and walked deeper into the tent.
Stupid cocky boy, I thought as I watched him leave. A part of me hoped he’d lose now, if only to wipe the smug look from his face.
“SO, is my brother going to win?” Sawyer asked when I finally found my friends again. They’d moved from where I’d left them and taken up a spot close to the lake to watch the races.
“He seemed pretty sure of himself,” I said.
“Which will only make my victory sweeter.” A fevered look entered Sawyer’s eyes as he rubbed his hands together like some cartoon villain.
“You guys really need to find a better hobby than placing bets on each other.” I shook my head as I faced the girls. “Have I missed much?”
“Only the one race,” Cress replied.
“And a group of Bexley boys came to chat with us,” Anna added as if that were the more important of the two updates. “They were superhot too.”
Sawyer rolled his eyes. “Yeah, if you’re into that whole pretty boy look.”
“Aw, Sawyer, are you jealous?” Anna crooned.
“Of a guy from Bexley?” Sawyer scoffed. “No chance.”
Anna laughed. “You keep telling yourself that.”
We watched several races, cheering with the rest of the Weybridge students every time our rowers were on the water. We were pretty evenly matched with the other schools, winning about as many races as we lost. It only made my nerves grow as we waited for Wes to compete. I really wanted him to win.
We all fell silent as an announcement was made over the loudspeaker, and Anna started bouncing up and down on her feet.
“That’s Wes’s race,” she said.
We turned to the end of the lake where the boats were lining up at the start line. It was far enough away that it was difficult to tell which crew was which.
“I’ve got to admit,” Sawyer said as we both watched the start line, “I’m not sure if I want to win or lose this bet.”
I snorted. “You actually want to streak at the party tonight?”
“Well, everyone else will be all covered up in warm clothes, so it will give me a great excuse to show off my body to all the ladies. I’ve got to do something to compete with all these damn rowers.”
“And streaking is your answer to that?”
“It’s also a great icebreaker.”
“Because you really struggle to start conversations with girls.”
“What can I say? I’m a secret introvert at heart.”
“I don’t believe that for one second.”
He grinned and swung an arm over my shoulder. “That’s just because you know me so well, sis.”
I groaned and shrugged his arm off me. “Wes told me you’d stop calling me that if I came to your game the other day.”
“Oops, I guess I forgot.” Given the cheeky glint in his eyes, I knew he hadn’t.
The race started and our gazes darted to the end of the lake. The boats were barely larger than specks in the distance, but an announcer’s voice was blaring over the speakers as they commentated on the race. Bexley had started strong and was already pulling ahead of the rest of the competitors.
My hands bunched into fists at my side, and my heart raced as I listened to the announcer. Wes’s team was pulling up the rear.
I glanced at Sawyer who didn’t share any of the tension I felt. He looked the picture of ease as he watched the race, and when he caught my worried expression, he smiled.
“Stop stressing,” he said. “Like he does many things in life, when my brother races, he starts out slow but finishes hard and fast.”
“Sawyer!” Anna gasped from beside me. “That sounded way too sexual.”
He shrugged. “What? I’m just saying it how it is.”
I shook my head and focused back on the race, but Anna leaned in close to me. “Sounds like you and Wes should be doing more than just kissing,” she murmured, nudging me in the side.
“Anna, get your head out of the gutter. I’m trying to watch the race.”
“Okay, okay.” She fell silent, but I could still see her smirking at me from the corner of my eye.
My heart leaped as I heard the announcer call out that Weybridge were gaining on Bexley. They were moving up the lake swiftly, and I could see the boats more clearly. Weybridge was easy to pick out in their red uniforms, and they were only just behind their rivals.
The crowd started shouting and cheering as the boats came closer and closer. We were standing right by the finish line, and the two boats were neck and neck as they fought for the lead.
With only meters to go, the Weybridge crew attacked the water with a sudden burst of energy, pulling out in front just as they flew across the finish line. The crowd went wild as our boys came in first, and I found myself jumping up and down as I squealed with Anna and Cress.
When we finally calmed down, I noticed Sawyer didn’t look nearly disappointed enough about losing his bet. In fact, he was grinning brightly like he couldn’t be happier.
“And here I thought you’d be disappointed that Wes won the bet.”
He winked. “Wes was always going to win.”
“So, why make the bet then?”
“Because what is life without a little bit of risk?”
“That’s very deep of you Sawyer.”
“Like I told you, I’m a secret introvert. I’m really quite profound.”
“Sure, you are.” I laughed at him. “We should go find Wes to congratulate him.”
“And give him the satisfaction of admitting I lost our bet? I don’t think so,” Sawyer said.
“Anna? Cress?”.
“We’ll catch up with you,” Anna said with a knowing grin.
“Yeah,” Cress agreed with a bigger smirk. “We’ll be there in a minute. We just want to watch the next race, but you go ahead.”
“Fine. I’ll see you guys soon.”
Their faces were all too smug as I turned to go. I had a feeling they were yet again trying to push their Wesobel agenda on me, but I was too excited to see Wes to let it bother me.
When I caught sight of Wes, he was celebrating with the rest of his team. His whole body radiated excitement, and I loved seeing him so happy. When he saw me, his happy smile morphed into a beaming grin, and he rushed over to me, catching me up in his arms. I squealed as he swung me around before he lowered me to my feet once more.
“Did you see us?” he cried. “We won. We actually won.”
I laughed at his exuberance. He was so cute when he was this happy, and my heart was lifted by his brimming enthusiasm.
“You guys were incredible out there.”
“I really thought we were done for toward the end there.”
“Could have fooled me.”
He folded me into his arms once more, and I smiled as I leaned against his chest. It was impossible not to like Wes, especially when he was like this.
When he pulled back, he was still grinning down at me. “Date me, Isobel.”
“What?”
“I know I’m supposed to be patient and we’re supposed to think this through. But I want this. I want you. Be my girlfriend, for real.”
“You’re still high on adrenaline from your race.”
His expression sobered slightly. “Perhaps I am. But perhaps that adrenaline has also given me clarity. I want you to be my girlfriend.”
“Really?”
He nodded, and a hint of uncertainty entered his eyes. He’d probably been slightly high on energy when he’d asked me, but I could see in his gaze that he meant it, and I knew he’d be hurt if I turned him down.
Even as I looked into his eyes, I thought of Noah. My relationship with Noah had been like a starlit sky. It was beautiful and endless, and the darkness had a unique allure all its own. But the dark was also fraught with danger, and there were so many obstacles you couldn’t see.
Wes was more like the sunny sky overhead. He was happy, easy, and warm. Being with him wasn’t complicated, and his brightness chased away even the gloomiest of shadows. I deserved to be with someone who made me happy. Perhaps this was the nudge I’d been asking for from the universe.
Slowly, I started to nod. “Okay.”
“Okay?” A smile tugged at his lips as my nod became more definite.
“Yes, okay.”
He laughed and pulled me up into his arms, swinging me around again. When he slowly lowered me to the ground, he sealed our relationship with a kiss. His lips tasted slightly salty, and the intensity with which he kissed me had me feeling light on my feet. I could feel his kiss all the way down in my toes, and I smiled as I heard his team whistling and jeering at us from behind.
Slowly, I pulled away, and when I opened my eyes, he was gazing down at me. He was looking at me like I was the prize he was taking home today rather than the trophy his team had just won.
“I think we just made a bit of a scene,” I murmured.
“I think we might have too,” he agreed. “Want to make another one?”
I laughed and pushed back from him. “Maybe later.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” He glanced past me to his teammates who had returned to celebrating their win.
“You should get back to them,” I said.
“I’d rather stay here with you.”
I shook my head. “Go celebrate with your friends. I’ll see you at the party later tonight.”
He gave me a grin and then swooped down to kiss me on the cheek. “I can’t wait.” He jogged past me to catch up with his team and head back to the boathouse, and I smiled as I watched him go.
Wes was sweet and fun, and I liked him so much. Things were moving fast between us, but this felt right, and I was glad I’d agreed to be his girlfriend. I knew we were putting our friendship at risk, but I didn’t want to let that hold us back. Not when we clearly both wanted to be something more. Sawyer was right; what was life without a little risk.
