You Play the Field - I Play the Strings

Chapter 29

We pull into a gas station and the hand that was on my thigh disappears so Conner can put the car in park. He kills the engine and unbuckles before turning to me.

"We'll be there in about an hour. I'm going to get gas and myself a snack, want anything? You slept through breakfast." He teases and I give him an eyeroll I might not have actually been sleeping. He doesn't need to know that though. I stay buckled but reach over the console. He follows and I press a firm kiss to his lips hoping for a distraction.

"I'll be okay, thank you though" I tell him watching his face fall. I copy his expression trying to be extra dramatic with it in an attempt to make him laugh.

"Why aren't you eating?" Here we go again. I sit back and unbuckle rubbing at my collarbone where the seatbelt had been digging into my skin and I pull at my sweater to make sure it's not sticking to my stomach too much.

"I'm not hungry. Why would I eat if I'm not hungry?" I offer up watching the way he grits his teeth, thoughts racking through his brain.

"Maybe you don't feel hungry, but you probably are. You just don't realize it. I'll get you a snack. Just tell me what you want" he relaxes and grabs my hand. I suck in a deep breath turning to him some more.

"I don't want anything" I say again trailing a hand up his arm. His eyes flicker to my hand and I smile slipping my hand into his.

"Thank you though" I offer my thanks. He squeezes my hand pulling it up and kissing it not once but several times until I'm smiling.

"Too bad. I'm going to buy tons of snacks for the both of us then. Just text me if you want something special, if not I'm going to have to guess with my four months of dating experience" he shrugs letting go of me and opening his door. I groan and lean over to dig into my backpack.

"Conner" he whips around with a smile and a hand on his hip as I shiver at the cold air.

"Yes, my prince?" I fumble through my bag until I get my wallet and then I pull out my credit card handing it to him. He looks absolutely appalled by my outstretched hand.

"Put the card back baby" he leans back into the jeep resting his arms on the seat.

"No. You're going to buy me shit that I won't even eat, so I don't want you wasting money" I explain hitting him on the forehead with my card.

He snatched it out of my grip stopping me from doing it again and I sit back happy that he's taking it. That is until he grabs my wallet and puts it back in going the extra length and shoving it back into my backpack, zipping it up and throwing me a smirk.

"Did you not hear what I just said?" I ask but I'm met with silence followed by him blowing me a kiss and closing the jeep door. I watch as he walks towards the busy building holding the door open for a few people, before disappearing himself.

I'll eat when the seatbelt feels okay against my stomach. When I don't feel disgusting as it presses against my skin. Why can't he just worry from the side and not say anything. I feel bad but at the same time it's irritating. I'm not hungry. I'm not. I just want to be good enough for him. I do. He deserves that much. I rest my head against the window the chill against my temple easing away the oncoming headache.

I must have zoned out because suddenly the driver's side door is opening. I jump up in my seat and huff as he gently puts the bag of snacks in my lap. In an attempt to remain petty, I refuse to even look in the bag.

Conner gives me a lopsided grin before closing the door. I turn back to watch as he starts to pump gas and pout to myself since I want him back in here with me. I miss him. Oh god I'm being clingy and emotional. What's wrong with me? Maybe I am hungry. My hunger is getting to me. No, I can't let him be right.

I keep the bag on my lap not wanting to put it in his way. Finally, there is a loud clunk, and he pulls the nuzzle. Finishing it up before hopping back into the front seat. He buckles up and turns the car on before pulling out a bag of sour candy for him.

"You don't have to keep it on your lap." He goes to grab the bag, stopping seconds before.

"Did you want anything from in here?" Conner asks stopping mid grab and I shake my head. He tries to hold back the disappointed look, while moving the bag to the back. I reach over the console kissing his cheek.

"I missed you" I tell him knowing he likes this no matter how cringy it is. I mean its Conner. Conner can be the master of being cringy. Definitely is.

"Yeah? Am I getting lovey Cally today? Not beating me with a shoe Cal?" He teases and I nod stealing another kiss.

"Just want to love you as much as I can before I run away from your parents" I shrug watching him groan and set his head on the seat. I laugh at his response but go silent when he leans over to buckle me up again. Moments later I'm handed my phone opened and on Spotify already. He puts the jeep in drive and pulls out eating a few more sour candies before merging onto the freeway.

"Baby try this" He hands me a candy setting the open bag in the cup holder as I suck it up and take it, popping it in my mouth.

"Bleh that's actually so- what the fuck Conner" I grimace at the taste. He laughs wiping his sugar covered hand on his leg.

"I love sour, try the red one. It's not as sour" I do as he says not even thinking about it and get in the bag to try the red one. I pop it in my mouth and still pretend to gag.

"Conner how do you eat these things." I groan. He laughs at my misery before reaching over to grab my thigh which he squeezes tightly.

"Taste so good though. It is like kissing you after you eat sour patch kids, yummy" he flirts. I bite the inside of my cheek trying not to smile and show him that I actually thought that was good or funny.

I swipe my tongue over the front of my teeth and cringe at the taste of sour sugar that was there. Fuck I forgot. I ate something. I'm a fuckin idiot.

My body deflates into the seat, and I cross my arms over my stomach. Idiot. Fucking idiot. I ruined it. I was doing so good. I let my head fall back onto the window when his hand squeezes my thigh again pulling me away from my self-hating thoughts to focus on him.

"Are you okay?" I ask sitting back up. His eyes move back from me to the road before he answers.

"Just love your thighs so much. Wanna kiss them. I can't do that now, so I'll just squeeze them" He answers full of confidence as I roll my eyes putting my hand over his.

"What's with the sudden praise?" I ask raising a brow. He seems to always know when I'm thinking bad about myself. It's not fair.

"Well, I'm always thinking it. So sometimes it just comes out. I can't think fast enough to stop it. It's your fault really. Being so hot. Being so beautiful. Makes my heart rate pick up" He keeps going his hand sliding up my thigh and then up my shirt.

I jerk away not ready for the cold hand, but he continues to let his hand rub up to my shoulder lifting my shirt with it before takings his hand back out and giving my thigh another squeeze. I look back over to him blinking away the sudden hotness I felt for the man.

"Oh baby. Now I can't stop thinking about your body" he groans his fingers slipping closer to my inner thigh and pulling my legs apart. I suck in a deep breath but help spreading my legs even more.

"You want something too, don't you?" He catches on to my willingness and a throaty noise escapes my lips as his fingers glides up.

"This is why you can't be nice to me!" I whine trying to scoot away from him. He clamps a hand down on my thigh before flipping the blinker up and swiftly exiting the freeway.

"What? Are almost there?" An hour already? Fuck I'm not ready to meet the parents.

"No but the driver is distracted and that isn't safe. Plus, I need to remind you how fucking good you are. So, get ready to get in the back."