Georgia Boys

17. in which i get marked

SILAS

"You really brought me pie?"

Quincy stands at the front counter of the Denton bakery, me standing in front of said counter in a stunning reversal of roles. 

I cough. "Yes. Chocolate cobbler." A beat. "I know y'all don't make it well."

Quincy laughs, as he always does. "Jackass."

I grin, watch as he makes his way around the counter in a white apron, hands clasped behind his back, smile big. He juts that chin up at me and grabs the cobbler. 

"When do you get off?" I ask as he disappears into the back of the bakery, returning with two plastic forks. 

"Whenever." Quincy's lips twitch and he makes his way out the door, flipping the sign around as I trail behind him. 

A few minutes later, we're seated outside on the gravel, sharing the cobbler. We lay back down, eyes on the sky. It's a slow day. 

"How's baking going? For the competition?" Quincy asks out of the blue, casting me a sidelong glance. 

"Working on a special cake." A layered berry cake, infused with chocolate. A showstopper The competition's in a week and a half, and I'll have to get to baking in a few days. But all is planned out. 

"You?"

"Us too." Quincy winks. "You'll see at the competition. Y'all gonna lose."

"Bullshit," I say, enunciating each syllable.

 "Summer's almost over," Quincy says after a moment of silence.

"Uh huh." I dig into the cobbler. We're halfway through. I made it last night, with no expectation that it'd be done so quick.  

"We'll go back to school."

"Yes, that's sort of how it works."

Quincy's lips tick upward. "I know, but."

"Mr. Present worrying about the future," I stare at him, long and thoughtful. "Now I've seen it all."

"I don't know. You still gonna pretend that you hate me? When we get back?"

"Pretend?"

"I hate your goofy ass."

"I doubt it," I say, watching as Quincy pushes away the rest of the cobbler and crawls onto me. Heat curls into my stomach.  Quincy draws out a long sigh, situating his head in the crook of my neck. His nose burrows into my skin, and it's so strangely intimate, I hold my breath.

I've never been with a boy who was so personal like this, so gentle. And yet. 

"I won't forget you when we get back to school, silly." 

Quincy looks up, dark eyes focused, heady. 

"Really?"

"Uh huh."

He smiles. "Alright."

"Alrighty," I echo. 

Quincy rises to his feet, tugging me up to mine. He brushes imaginary dust off my shoulders and promptly gives me a slap in the thigh when done. "You're looking mighty fine today, mister."

Thank God this boy can't see my blush. 

"Aw, look at you. Blushing like a schoolgirl."

His hands slide into my back pockets, forcing me to completely focus on him. Eye contact with Quincy is insane. The way that boy can wind me up should be illegal. The way we both freeze when we make eye contact. Now that's electricity.