"Yeah, it is now." He leans over and kisses me on the cheek.

"You guys are in love," Rowe sings out the last word.

State peers at her in the rearview mirror, waggling his eyebrows.

"I've always loved Baylor."

"Do you have music with good words?" She asks, brushing off his comment.

The statement hits me harder. He's always loved me. My name inked across his back and his heart mine. My heart swells to a near bursting state.

"I love you, too," I whisper, leaning forward to adjust the radio to a song Rowe approved. It only takes a minute for me to crank up Party In the USA.

State shakes his head at the music. Over the last few weeks, I've learned he's into more intense music because it helps him amp up for games. However, I've also come to find out he'd let Rowe get away with anything.

"Homework while I set the table, Rowe." I turn around to her. She sticks her tongue out at me.

"I have homework, too, Rowe. We can do it together," State offers.

She beams back at him and nods his head.

"Not fair." I protest.

"I have homework with you later," he winks pulling into our drive.

"Five days away from you really is too long. FaceTime doesn't cut it."

"I know," he growls.

Rowe hops from the backseat of the car and bounds up the stairs. I've never seen her so enthusiastic to start homework. She keeps good on her promise, working on her math problems, while I set the table and pop the pan of cooked lasagna in the oven to heat up.

I keep feeling stares my direction and when I peek over my shoulder I catch State staring.

"How's that homework coming?" I ask.

"It's not."

"Bad boy. Work!" Rowe slaps the open textbook.

I laugh hard and turn back to prep the garlic bread. State's planning on going into the social worker field. He'd be perfect with his gentle soul and kind heart. He's opened up to me that his parents are less than impressed with his choice. His dad is a high power attorney and his mom is a surgeon. They had higher hopes for their son. I personally think it's an asshole thought and they should be ashamed of it.

State talks highly of them, but there seems to be something off. He claims they only love football because he's the best at it.

"I'm home," Miss Tami sings out carrying in a few grocery bags into the kitchen.

I take them from her and finish getting dinner ready. Rowe squeals out that she's finished, right when I'm ready to set the food out. Miss Tami has a hand on State's shoulder peering over to his textbook. Her eyes beam with pride.

"So much has changed since I was in school."

"Yeah, they have cars now and not horses and buggies," State manages to get out with a straight face.

She pops him in the back of the head. "I've had to whip you once and I could do it again."

I set down Rowe's plate of food and look up at them. "You whipped State?"

State's eyes grow wide with a twinge of embarrassment on his face. "You weren't supposed to tell anyone."

"I haven't." Miss Tami shrugs.

"When?" I ask not letting this topic go.

"She really didn't whip or spank me, but took a ruler to me."

"Oh my God." I cover my mouth. "Miss Tami."

"He pissed me off and wouldn't listen to me."

"You can't hit kids," I reply.

"I always thought of you two as mine and his temper was getting the best of him at school."

State looks up to me with a smile. "It's fine. It's the year they threatened to separate us. I got into a really bad fight that day on the playground. No one could talk any common sense into me. Well, that's until Hulk Hogan here snapped me to attention with a ruler."

I begin chucking. I've rarely seen Miss Tami's temper get the best of her.

"Only did it because I love you." Miss Tami takes a seat. I place her plate down in front of her.

State refuses to let me make his plate.

"Sit." He grabs my shoulders ushering me over to the table. He grazes my neck with his lips before gently pushing me down into the seat.

"Hey, I want food." I protest.

He only turns his back to me, making his way over to the counter. He returns in a few seconds with two plates.

"Thank you," I whisper.

We eat in silence until Rowe pipes up, taking her last bite. "Baylor, Mr. Moore asked where you've been."

I choke on the swallow of lettuce that is now lodged in my throat. I pound my chest, sputter, and reach out for my bottle of water.

"Who is Mr. Moore?" State asks.

I don't have a chance to soften any blows, courtesy of Rowe.

"My principal. He gets googly eyes around her and wants to date her."

"He what?" The veins in his thick neck pulse.

"State." I cover his forearm. "I used to chat with him when I'd drop Rowe off. He came in for a massage and asked me out on a date."

Okay, that was dumb. Honesty is not always the answer. I fear for the fork's life in his hand as his knuckles turn white.

"You gave him a massage?"

"It's my job, State." My irritation level rises.

"It was good for Baylor." Miss Tami sets her fork on her empty plate. "I was proud of her for talking to someone out of her environment. It was harmless."

"Thank you," I whisper, dropping my head and feeling ashamed.

"Rowe, let's do dishes since Baylor set the table and prepared the food." They both jump up, clearing the table and then running a hot soapy sink of water.

"I'm sorry, Baylor."

I finally look up to State who's staring down at me. Tears prick at the corner of my eyes.

"It's not you and I was just a dick," he whispers. "I want to be the man in your life."

I fumble with my fingers in my lap, feeling shitty. "I've never had a boyfriend or gone out on a date, until your team party. It's always been you, State."

He cups my cheek in his large palm. "Listen to me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

I nod at him. "I don't like the way you just made me feel. Please don't do it again."

I'm shocked by the brutal honestly as it flows out of me.

"Never. Promise." He wraps his pinky in mine.

State texts me all through the movie. Rowe claimed his lap, so I cuddled up with Miss Tami on the couch. I know she's reading the messages over my shoulder and I'm okay with it. It may possibly happen that she'll be talking me off a cliff later.

"He didn't mean to hurt your feelings," she whispers down to me.

I nod knowing that fact. But it was just a tiny teaser of what heartbreak could feel like it. It's an unsettling feeling I never want to experience. Fear begins to take over showing me just how fast everything can spiral out of control.

State: Quit biting your bottom lip, baby.

I peer down at my phone, but don't reply.

State: I want to show you how damn sorry I am. You can't blame me for being a jealous man. You're my love.

State: Forever Me: Watch the movie (smiley face emoticon) State: Harsh Me: You're distracting.

And it goes on just like that right through Shrek. It's not like I don't have the movie memorized, but it does happen to be my favorite out of Rowe's collection. I even love it now that Rowe calls State her Shrek.

State scoops Rowe up in his arms and packs her off to bed. Miss Tami tucks her in tonight while I go get in my pajamas. I hear State near and turn to see him in the frame of the door with his arms propped up over his head. The way the muscles strain in his arms, destroys me. He's pure sex.

"You staying the night?" I ask feeling my tummy flip.

"Do you want me to?"

I close the distance between us, wrapping my arms around his middle, and look up at him.

"Yes." I reach up to kiss his lips. "I freaked out for a second. I'm sorry that I overreacted."

"No, it was me."

He drops his hands, wrapping them around my waist, I'm up in his arms. My ankles lock around his back while my hands lace around his neck. When our skin connects my flesh tingles. He steals my breath when he presses his lips against mine. I let him kiss the hell out of me while backing us up to the bed.

We've done our fair share of making out during his visits. State has sent me into a fire of pleasure plenty of times, but that's as far as it's gone. He's determined to make sure I'm ready and that I understand how good sex between two people who love each other can be.

He covers my body when he lays me on the bed never breaking our kiss. He pulls back, leaving my lips swollen and satisfied.

"I'm fucking going mad being away from you, Baylor." He brushes his hand down my face.

"Me too."

"I want to do something different tonight."

My body stiffens. I'm not ready, but I also know that I can't deny this man anything.

"Relax, baby, I know you're not ready yet."

"That obvious?" I ask with a smile.

"Like an open book, baby."

He moves down my body raising my shirt to expose my abdomen. He lays kisses all over my skin. He drags down the lace panties under the over-sized sleep shirt. He never stops kissing me the lower he moves.

"State," I moan out bucking up into him.

"I'm going to taste you."

He dips his head again, pressing his lips into me. His movements are gentle feeding my hunger for him. I feel his tongue sweep through me and I'm forced to slap my palm over my mouth. The sensation is too much. It's all too much as he swirls his tongue lapping me up and down.

He never adds a finger, only making love to me with his mouth. When he swirls my sensitive bud one last time, I fall over the edge screaming his name into my hand. He rises up with a smile on his face placing his finger over his lips. I giggle at his action.

He's covering me again and we're nose to nose when he places his lips on mine. I'm not ashamed to kiss him, soaking my taste from his lips.

"That's sexy as hell, baby. God, I love you."

"I love you, too."

I place my hands on his shoulders to roll him off of me. A spark of courage lights up deep inside me when I crawl down his body. God bless gym shorts. They slide down his wide hips easily. The man is a giant compared to my petite frame.

I free him from his boxers and love the gasp that escapes him.

"Baylor." He looks down at me. "You don't have to."