disbelief as he picked up the white one and unbuttoned it, bringing it back to her. She knew it was wrong, but she was glad she was wearing her pale pink satin tank top and matching shorts. The pajamas were very cute, even sexy, and as she set the duck down on the bed and allowed Will to bring the shirt around her, the air between them grew thick and warm.
He drew her slowly into his arms, but she almost sobbed as she leaned into him, holding him as tightly as she could. His embrace was warm, strong, and dependable, just like Will. It surrounded her, protecting her.
When had she come to depend on Will so much?
She didn’t know how long they stood there in each other’s arms, but if she could have, she would have fallen asleep without letting him go. All the bad things from the past week—all the catty fights, vicious rumors, constant pretending—just seemed to fade away when she was with him. Will let her be herself, and forgave her even when she was downright cruel to him. Wasn’t that really why he had come into her room? To make amends?
Slowly, he released her, and she forced herself to do the same, though she really just wanted to continue to cling to him. “I need to get in,” he said, nodding at his room. He offered a light smile. “My mom likes to check on me in the early morning hours to make sure I actually came home.”
She smiled, feeling better than she had all week. “Yeah,” she agreed. She watched as he easily slid out of her window and onto the branch, making his way back to his room. She knelt down in front of her window and called out, “Will?”
He paused with one foot in his window and looked back at her.
“Thank you.”
He flashed her a smile, and then he was in his room.
Chapter Eleven
Annabelle cheered at the top of her lungs as the football players came running out onto the field. Below the bleachers of the packed stadium, Claire and the other cheerleaders waved their pompoms at the players and the crowd, inciting them to scream louder.
Annabelle felt a surge of happiness go through her as her eyes landed on Trevor’s jersey. She cheered as loudly as she could, hoping he would be able to hear her through the audience’s deafening cries.
To her left, Claudia let out a soft growl. “Parker looks so hot in his uniform,” she declared.
“He definitely looks hot,” Erin agreed, on Claudia’s right.
Annabelle shifted uncomfortably, feeling some of her excitement deflate. She tried to force their words from her mind as the boys gathered at the sidelines, focusing her thoughts on Trevor.
Trevor headed out to the middle of the field for the coin toss, the crowd chanting for the Warriors, their school mascot. Annabelle’s breath caught as the coin was tossed in the air, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she waited.
The referee pointed at Trevor. The audience burst into thunderous applause. She could almost feel his grin as he headed back to the sidelines to rejoin his team for a final discussion of their plays. She was sure she was nervous enough for the both of them as the other team headed out for the kickoff, the Warriors preparing to receive.
“We’re so going to win this,” Claudia laughed, from beside her. “Those Lincoln guys are ridiculously scrawny.”
“Didn’t you date one of them?” Mary teased.
Claudia snickered. “About half of them,” she returned. She turned to Annabelle, her eyes twinkling devilishly. “So, Annabelle,” she began. Annabelle turned to her breathlessly, frowning at being distracted from the game. “If we win this tonight, you know Trevor is going to be in a celebratory mood. Are you prepared?”
Annabelle felt herself pale, going numb as her friend’s words sank in. Around her, the crowd roared to life, but she barely heard it. Was she prepared? Of course she wasn’t prepared. She couldn’t possibly… She and Trevor couldn’t… He wouldn’t really expect… She felt herself growing weak, her stomach churning. “I-I—“
“Oh, come on,” Claudia giggled, nudging her in the side. “Don’t tell us that you haven’t, yet. We’re your friends. Tell us.” She winked at her. “Is he as good as he looks?”
Annabelle gaped at her. Mary and Erin both leaned forward, their eyes dancing hopefully with the thought of some juicy gossip.
“We haven’t,” Annabelle breathed, choking on her words.
Claudia made a face at her in disappointment. “You don’t have to lie to us,