"Please let me drive."

"No."

"Tariq, come on. Let me try."

"Absolutely not."

"I'll make chicken parm. Or Eggplant. Or both! Or AH!"

Those fingers are wrapped around the handle above her head, white-knuckled grip tensing as I drive through a massive mud pit. Her laughter is the best thing I've heard all week, loud, explosive, and filled with excitement.

This is just what I needed. We have our first game of the season tomorrow and my first one since my injury. I'm tense, prickling with adrenaline, and sadly... as Blue says a lot, mother freaking nerves.

Mud cakes our windows and the jeep powers through the deep swamp, racing Winston's heavy-duty Ford F150.

"I will never go through a rain puddle the same way ever again." Blue laughs out.

"Most people would find another way around, but we jeep owners search for the mud. Remember, Blue, not a word to anyone. Coach finds out and we're in big trouble. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah."

She bounces in the passenger's seat. "We're going to win. We're going to win!"

I scoff, offended. "Of course we are, Winston's truck can't compete with my baby."

"Please let me try."

"No, you'll definitely get us stuck."

"And if I do, you'll get us out."

My massive wheels climb up the little dry cliff and we win this race. Winston is close behind and smacking his steering wheel in frustration. Blue jumps out, splashing mud around her with those Mario rain boots.

Her smile is wide as she runs over, bouncing with big blue puppy dog eyes, pleading at me. "I'll make stuffed shells."

"No." That one was hard to say no to. Her stuffed shells are amazing.

"How about you ride with Beau and me?" Winston asks her and I give him a grateful look. "Rasheed goes with Tariq this time."

"Fine," she huffs cutely.

Rash gets out and climbs in. "Winston sucks."

I turn the jeep around as the others get situated in Winston's Truck. "Hopefully Beau drives this time."

We wait until Winston pulls up his truck, dark tinted windows rolled up and ready. We start and Rasheed and I are in the lead for a little until Winston's truck blazes right next to us. We twist, turn, and race as Rasheed hangs on for dear life.

Rasheed curses under his breath. "Looks like it's Beau this time."

Beau is merciless today. He's always been good and my best competitor. "Good, I needed a challenge."

We're neck and neck, diving into ditches, driving through thick watery, muddy terrains. Rasheed and I howl and laugh when Beau gets stuck, giving us the perfect opportunity...

But then I get stuck.

Both of us shift and press on the gas, my adrenaline spikes, and muscles tense as we both slowly inch forward, my heartbeat matching the music blaring from the stereo. Rasheed is slamming his hands on the dashboard shouting for me to go faster and gun it. Mud sprays relentlessly from our tires and I have a hard time concentrating because of my idiot brother's yelling.

I press on the gas but Beau manages to get over a smidge before me, gaining the lead. "Jesus! He's owning you, man."

"Shut the heck up! You're not helping. This is why we never ride together."

"And we never win together because I am the superior driver."

I smack him right in the gonads, making him suck in a sharp breath then wheeze. Turning sharply, I start gaining on Beau. There's another turn and both of us slow, knowing what's coming up.

"I'm surprised you let Special Agent Mitchel ride with them?" Rasheed says.

I shift when both vehicles dip hard into the thick soupy mud. "Stop calling her that."

"Never."

Water hits the windshield as the jeep goes in deeper. "She wouldn't stop asking to drive and there was no way that was happening."

Rasheed glances at me with wide amused eyes. "She did not."

"She was getting irritating. I couldn't concentrate."

Rash snorts. "You're like an old married couple. You love it when she gets under your skin like that."

My mouth twitches with a grin. "I plead the fifth."

"You have no idea how happy I am you brought that little dorky weirdo into our lives."

My grin stretches on my face. "Running into her has been the best thing to have ever happened to me."

Beau's truck manages to get out first and I curse.

He had won.

With my girl in the car.

I'm never going to hear the end of this.

My jeep gets up and out of the deep divot. I lean back gripping the beanie on my head, pulling my hands down my face, and scratching my scruff. "He's going to do that dumb victory dance. I hate that dance."

Rasheed starts hitting my chest and then his other hand smacks my face and he stares wide-eyed through the muddy caked windshield. I start smacking him back. "What, you idiot?"

I try peering around the mud, but can't see anything.

"Get out of the Jeep."

"Why?" I shout back.

Rasheed turns to me with a look of horror, brows high up, eyes staring at me like I'm about to kill someone. "Because Beau is kissing Elodie."

I've never gotten out of a car so fast. Murdering one of my best friends is the only thing on my mind. My vision is red and my muscles roar with the need to deck Beau. I stumble out, slamming my door only to bear witness to...

Nothing.

Abso-effing-lutely, nothing.

Rasheed comes barreling out, laughing his head off, wheezing as he cries in hysterics. "Oh my god," he barely breathes out, his hands on his knees as he's beat red from his laughter. "Could you be any more obvious?"

"I'm going to kill you."

Rasheed holds his hands up, but can't seem to get a hold of himself. "Hey, at least you're not all gloomy for losing in front of your girlfriend."

I shove him and hear Winston, Beau, and Blue belting out We Are the Champions. Elodie's singing voice is the sexiest thing to ever fill my ears. Low, throaty, and breathy, like she should be singing the end credits of a James Bond song.

The first time I had overheard her singing before she had bumped into me that night in front of the frat, I had been transfixed. I couldn't help but stare at this frizzy-haired goddess with pouty lips, singing the most bizarre song with the sexiest voice I had ever heard.

I tilt my head back, groaning, "She's not going to let me live this down."

From my peripherals, Rash tenses, his gaze on the truck, saying with a massive smile. "No she most certainly will not."

When I look over, my breath catches in my throat as the driver's door is thrown open and a Mario rain boot stomps onto the step of the truck. Blue pulls herself out, swinging her body, her arm extended as she sings out. "I am the champion, my friend."

She jumps down as Beau and Winston come over to her singing and dancing like crazy lunatics, while Rasheed comes beside me, whispering, "You better stop looking at her like that because if she sees it she'll know you're in love with her."

I'm in love?

There's no way.

This can't be happening.

I vigorously brush my teeth, Paul's cross necklace dangling from my neck as my hand grips the edge of the vanity counter. My heart can't stop racing, beating heavily in my ears until they hurt and I feel a headache coming on.

I spit, wiping my face and taking a deep breath. My hands push some of my hair back as I lean against my bathroom wall in shock. My hands rub down my face, trying to pull away some of the stress and disbelief.

My fingers lace behind my neck as I try to push the thoughts out of my head. My mom and sister are here, waiting for me to come out to go get dinner and yet I am hiding in the bathroom unable to get my crap together.

It's like every time I take a breath and blow it out, I'm pushing all the oxygen out of my body and it hurts. Grunting, I put Paul's necklace back inside my shirt and grab the door handle, scolding myself. "Stop being such an idiot."

My hand drops as I whip away from the door, cursing myself. She plagued every part of me. It isn't just my mind anymore it's not just my bones... it's my freaking heart. She's made me hers without me even realizing it and my chest has never hurt so much in my life. It's constantly taking my breath away and it's a weirdly wonderful and heavy feeling. It has such a gravity to it, it's like I'm sinking.

If I go out there my mom will know something is up.

She always knows.

Farrah won't even notice because she'll be too busy on her phone scrolling through TikTok. I glance over at myself and fix my hair, feel my trimmed beard for any long pieces, delaying the inevitable.

"Uh, Tariq? There's a girl coming in through your window." Farrah's voice cuts through the door.

I swing it open and stride out, coming into the living space. All that heaviness lifts as I witness my mom standing with her purse dangling from the crook of her arm, phone in hand, lifting her iconic bold brow at Blue, who's halfway through the window staring wide-eyed at my mom and sister.

"Um, hi," Blue says.

Mom's brow doesn't even twitch and her dark, almost black eyes take in every spec of Elodie. "Hello."

Those big blue eyes turn to me, peering from her glasses crying for help. Her hair is damp, face clean of any trace of makeup, and the new view of her takes my breath away.

God, what is this woman doing to me?

"Sorry, I didn't know you had company," she says, lifting a paper up in her hand. "I had gone by Professor Baker's office and she had our papers graded, I thought you might want yours. I'm Elodie by the way."

Mom finally breaks eye contact and puts her phone in her purse. "And why are you coming through my son's window exactly?"

Farrah snorts out a laugh at Elodie's frantic expression. She's like a cute, wet, and scared furball, shaking and still halfway through the window not knowing if it's safe to come in. I chuckle and walk over to her, gripping her underneath her arms and placing her on the ground. I take my paper from her and then kiss her forehead.

"Thanks, babe." I wink and turn to my mom as Elodie stands there like a stiff board, red beyond belief. "Mom, Farrah, this is Elodie Mitchel. My girlfriend."

Blue swallows and then stretches her hand out to my mom who suspiciously takes it. "It's-it's nice to meet you, Mrs. Araneo."

"She comes in through the window because she's afraid of what she'll see upstairs," I answer for Blue.

Mom gives a light laugh. "I can actually understand that."

Farrah gets up and looks Eolide up and down. Even though she's sixteen, she's already five nine and much taller than Blue. "Cass was way prettier."

God, she's a brat.

"Kun hadyaan," mom scolds her in her native tongue.

Farrah rolls her eyes in response and I glare at her.

Elodie tucks some hair behind her ear and bites her lip, hurt flashing in her eyes. Before I can think about what I'm doing in front of my mom and sister. I slide my fingers along her cheek, making those larger-than-life eyes snap up to me. "You're dead wrong, Farrah. Blue's way more beautiful in every way."

Mom gasps and I immediately drop my hand as Blue decides to bolt. "I'll be going so sorry for interrupting."

My mom knows.

Crap.

But that doesn't matter right now. I rush behind Blue. "You okay for dinner?"

She twists around sharply, her eyes widen and nostrils flaring. "Of course I am." The bite to her voice tells me not to say anything else. I bite down on my tongue as my arms tense in frustration.

She needs to eat.

"It was nice meeting you two," she says sweetly then glares at me with murderous eyes, turning hotly on her heel and pulling herself up to the window only for her foot to slip and me to burst into action, catching her.

Her body falls into mine and I take the opportunity to tighten my hold on her, my face in her damp hair and lips on her ear. "Have Heather take you to dinner." I kiss the spot behind her ear. "I'm only worried about you, you don't have to get all prickly, little hedgehog."

I help her out of the window and she stomps off, not turning back once and I know she's mad, but so am I.

Why isn't anyone helping her?

Taking care of her?

And what do I have to do to make sure she's okay and treated like a queen every freaking day?

Whew! I don't know why this one was so hard for me to write but it was lol! I will probably edit it some more at some point to make it stronger. I hope you all enjoy and I will be working hard to give you a double update tomorrow :)

So, Tariq is having a hard time dealing with the fact he's in love with our little hedgehog.

Much Love,

LivingRed