Going Long (21 page)

She just fucking threw in the
towel. On purpose!

She walked back to me, her eyes
hooded ever so slightly, and her breath held. I picked up my ball, and held her
gaze until I turned and lined myself up, and threw three strikes in a row. When
the last pin fell, I turned at the end of the lane to look at her. She was
standing next to the ball return, staring right back at me, hungry.

“Screw it,” I thought,
as
I walked up to her and pushed my fingers through her hair, and covered her
mouth with mine. I reached around to her lower back and lifted her into me, her
feet gliding up from the floor slightly as she reached around and pulled
herself up with her hands gripping my shoulders.

I kissed her for a full minute,
and I kissed her hard. And she kissed back. The lanes were filled with nothing
but old smokers and drunks, and no one cared about the scene we were making,
but I knew I had to cool it off. If I was planning to make her go through with
her bet—which I had no intention of letting her out of—I was going
to need to slow this down.

I slid my hands to her face and
pulled my lips away softly, looking into her eyes the entire time. She looked
like she wanted to weep from the loss of my touch, so I just reached for the
small hairs that had slid into her face and smoothed them behind her ear. I
tilted the corner of my mouth into a grin then hoping that would ease her
worry. “So…where’s the nearest pool,” I asked, reaching down for her hand and
kissing the top of it.

I think maybe there was a part
of Nolan that thought I was kidding or wouldn’t go through with the bet. So
when she told me the closest pool was probably at one of the nearby hotels, and
I pulled right into the Tempe Double Tree Resort, I think she was reconsidering
throwing that bowling match.

“You coming?” I asked as I
hopped out of the Jeep and walked down the main corridor for the hotel. I heard
Nolan shut the door timidly behind me, but I knew she was there. The pool was
in the back at this hotel, which was good, because it gave us a certain amount
of privacy. I didn’t even turn around to see her reaction when I kicked off my
shoes, yanked down my jeans, and tossed my sweater on a nearby chair. I ran at
the pool and dove in head first, figuring getting the shock of the freezing
water out of my system quickly was probably the best move. I began to rethink
that when the first touch of the water left me breathless.

“Whooooooaaaa ohh ohhh ohhh,” I
screamed as I popped back up from the water. Nolan started giggling then, and
shrinking herself out of embarrassment.

“Shhhhhhh, you’re so going to
get us in trouble. You can’t be loud,” she said, kicking her shoes off now. She
managed to strip herself down to her bra and panties without pausing and realizing
how crazy this was. She stopped, though, when she realized I was watching her
every move. I’d missed her body, and I’d wanted to take a bite out of her bare
shoulder all night. Seeing her porcelain skin delicately wrapped in tiny black
lace about had me undone. Realizing she was nervous, I kicked off my boxers and
tossed the soaking material up on the deck, grinning at her from ear-to-ear.

“Bet’s a bet, sweetheart…pay
up,” I said, proud of myself. I kicked backward to the other side of the pool and
propped myself on the edge with my elbows, watching and waiting.

Nolan looked around again and
chewed on her fingernails while she stepped forward and dipped her toe in the
pool. “Ohhhhh no way, that’s fucking freezing!” she whispered loudly. Sometimes
it was cute when she swore. She hardly ever did, and for some reason it made it
special when she would—made her seem real, and in-the-moment.

“Nah, you get used to it fast,”
I said, my teeth chattering just a bit. “Come on in, the water’s fine.”

Nolan wrapped her arms around
her body, hugging herself a bit, and then finally slid both straps of her bra
down her arms before reaching around and unhooking the rest. She held the
material in place for a few more seconds before she finally tossed it in the
pile with the rest of her clothes. Instantly, I realized what a bad, and
wonderful, idea this was at the same time. She was stunning, and perfect, and
everything I ever wanted physically. And she was so fucking vulnerable.

She moved forward to the steps
and walked into the pool quickly, dunking her head and then coming up, gasping
for air. “Shit! That’s realllllllly cold,” she chattered. “You asshole!” She
splashed water at me then, and I laughed, reaching for her hands to stop them
from flailing waves at me. When I finally grabbed hold of her arm, she relented
instantaneously, and just stopped and stared into me, grazing her bottom lip
with her teeth. She reached down to pull her panties off and tossed them behind
her with the rest of our clothes on the deck.

“Okay, you win. Now what?” she
said, her face challenging me. I just held her hand in mine and stood there in
the near freezing water, my teeth no longer chattering because of the heat
firing through both of our bodies. I moved a little closer and held her eyes
with mine.

“Now I’m going to kiss
you…again,” I said, moving even closer, and reaching down to hold her up in the
water at her hips. Her breath hitched at my touch as I leaned my forehead into
hers, our breath combining with the frostiness of the pool water to make fog. I
slid my hands up her sides, under her arms, careful not to take anything too
far. I was fighting against every instinct I had, but I was determined to leave
her wanting more tonight. When my hands made their way to her jaw and her face,
my thumbs stroking each cheek, she closed her eyes completely, and she leaned
her face sideways into my palm. Leaning forward, I kissed her softly. It was
our
kiss, slow, and patient, and tender. She didn’t need to know how sexy I thought
she was; she needed to know I still loved her. And this kiss was the only way I
knew how.

I spun her around slowly while I
brushed my lips on hers over and over, taking small nips at her bottom lip and
tasting her softly with my tongue. It was probably only minutes, but it felt
like I had been kissing her for hours. When her body finally started to shake
from the chills in the night air, I stopped, pulling her close, her body
pressed tightly to mine.
God it felt amazing.
 

“I think we need to get you
dressed. And I think we need to turn on my heater,” I smiled, pressing my
forehead to hers again.

“I th…th….think, that’s a
g…goo…good idea,” she said, her body starting the quiver uncontrollably now.

I chuckled a little as I climbed
out of the pool and pulled on my jeans. I handed my sweater to her to cover up
with as soon as she climbed out of the pool water. We quietly gathered up our
clothes and sprinted back to my Jeep where we redressed and cranked the heat,
giggling like the 16-year-olds we used to be. When we finally got control of
our laughter, I reached over and pulled Nolan’s chin up toward me, and kissed
her once more, softly, before leaning back into my seat, buckling the belt, and
pulling out of the hotel lot.

 It was maybe 11 p.m. when
I walked her back up to her room and kissed her on the cheek to say goodnight.
I could tell she wanted me to stay, and every piece of me wanted to. But that
was too fast. Hell, I jumped over five or six spaces on the game board already
tonight.

We had practice in the morning,
and things were going to be pretty busy for me until the semester finished. We
were getting ready for the bowl announcements, though we were pretty sure we
had the Rose Bowl all sewn up. I told Nolan that we would pick up where things
left off as soon as the semester was done, and that this was just the first of
many dates like this, at least, I hoped. She grew quiet as the night ended, I
think still unsure of where we stood. I knew we had to get our trust back in
one another, and I knew she still worried about Jenny, and how I felt about
her. But I planned on earning every piece of her back, and rebuilding her to be
whole again, starting with her heart.

Nolan

I called Sarah as soon as Reed
dropped me off, spilling every word about our date, just like I was back in
high school and had just received my first kiss. I couldn’t believe I’d
stripped naked in a public pool just to challenge him in some bet, but
Oh my
God
it was the best bet I’d ever blown.

Reed’s touch had the power to
erase so many things. For one night, I didn’t think about Gavin, or grades, or
scholarships, or tuition. But when I tried to sleep that night, I did wonder
about what Reed was thinking. He still hadn’t brought up the miscarriage, but
neither did I.

When I didn’t hear from him at
all the next day, I slipped back into my old habits, my room dark, and my fire
instantly diminished. By the time Sarah and Sienna came to pick me up for our
girls’ night dinner, I had convinced myself that he was playing me, while
seeing Jenny. I was hesitant to tell them my thoughts at first but, since I
really didn’t have anyone else to lean on, I found myself blubbering over
burgers and fries at the sports bar we all went to.

“Nolan, you do realize that
you’re crazy, right?” Sienna said, leaning forward and forcing me to look her
in the eyes. “Reed is about to get a bowl bid, he had practice all day, he’s
working with Dylan, and scouts and business people and, lord knows Buck’s
probably involved.”

I smiled a little at Sienna’s
words forcing myself to consider everything with a fresh perspective. She was
right, and I was automatically assuming the worst. It was something I needed to
stop doing, and I was about to declare it publicly, when a glimmer flashed by
my eyes briefly, but long enough for me to register what it was.

“Holy shit, Sienna. Is that what
I think it is?” I said, pointing to her hand. She blushed a little, and then
brought her hand to the table to reveal a giant diamond engagement ring. Sarah
and I just stared at it with mouths open before reaching over and hugging her,
screaming so the entire restaurant turned to our table.

“You bitch, you held out on us,”
Sarah said, slugging her on the shoulder a little. Sienna just rubbed it, and
elbowed her back.

“No, I just couldn’t seem to
find the right time. He just asked me last night,” she was beaming. I took her
hand in mine and studied the ring even more while she told us the story about
how Micah had led her on a treasure hunt around their apartment for what she
thought was a special dessert. She said he had called her parents and got down
on one knee and everything. My heart was soaring for my friend and racing with
hope at the same time that maybe, someday, I would be the one my girlfriends
were screaming over.

My worries from earlier in the
day were laid to rest later that night when I got a string of texts from Reed.

I’m so sorry I was so busy
today. Didn’t have any time to call. But I missed you. No swimming without me ;
- )

XXOO

He had signed every message the
same, and I was a giddy teenager all over again. We texted or talked every
night until the end of the semester, and we made plans for our second,
second-chance date when I got home. I still couldn’t seem to get myself to ask
Reed about his date with Jenny that night after the game, or if it even was
one. I seemed to be caught in this strange place between wanting to just trust
him, and also being bitterly jealous.

I was heading to Sarah’s with
most of my clothes and shoes packed in a giant rolling suitcase, when I ran
into Gavin in the elevator. He seemed to flinch a little at seeing me, and I
wasn’t so sure how to react to him either. We hadn’t talked much since I quit
going to psych, dropping the class under emergency with the promise of taking
it again next semester—
hopefully with much better results.

Uncomfortable, but also not
wanting to be rude, I smiled at him faintly and motioned to his bag of
belongings. “Heading home?” I asked, going for the obvious question. This was
clearly polite conversation.

“Oh, uh…yeah. I’m driving out.
It’s good to have a car at home, ya know?” he said, nodding a bit at my bag.
“You heading out with the girls?”

“Yeah, I’m driving in with
Sarah. Calley took their car, and I like having someone to ride with,” I said,
letting the rest of the elevator ride go silent. We were both staring at the
floor now, working hard not to make eye contact with one another. I don’t know
what made me speak up as the doors were opening and we were both wheeling our
bags out, but something made me, like I needed closure. “So, see you in
January?”

Gavin just nodded slowly at
first, stopping in the lobby and looking down at his feet. “Yeah, uh…probably
not, Noles. I’m moving into Cortez Hall. It’s just a better spot for me, closer
to the psych building and all,” he said, sucking in his bottom lip a bit
uncomfortably.

“Oh,” I said softly, a little confused
by this information, but also a little grateful that I might not have to see
him again. “Well, maybe I’ll see you on campus, or in another class sometime.”

“Yeah…that’d be nice. I mean,
I’d like that,” he said, backing up with his bag and pulling his beanie on his
head. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

I just nodded in return and let
him walk out well before me so I wouldn’t have to see him anymore. Our final
exchange was strange, but there really was no way around that. I’d made it that
way the moment I kissed him. But the thought that I might get a chance to earn
back all that I’d lost, gave me hope, and there just wasn’t room for Gavin in
any of that.

Sarah and I were driving back to
Coolidge on Sunday evening because of some dance recital she had managed to
squeeze into for the weekend. Sarah’s dance had really evolved. She was
constantly being requested for senior choreography projects and being put in
showcases at the arts college. I loved to watch her. The things her body could
do were truly amazing. It was odd to think of her tough and rough personality
when watching her bend and twist in ways so beautiful they almost brought tears
to my eyes.

  Sarah was packing the
rest of her things late Sunday afternoon while I texted back and forth with Reed.
He was at some fancy hotel in Tucson with a television crew waiting for the
Selection Sunday announcement for the Rose Bowl. Our conversations were
playful, and our texts were flirtatious, but never anything more since our
skinny-dipping make-out session. I still hadn’t asked about Jenny, but Reed
also never brought her up.

I was so anxious for our next
date, and for being home with Reed. I knew he’d have to leave right after
Christmas for the Rose Bowl, and we probably wouldn’t get to spend New Year’s
together, but there was something warm and full of possibility about the
holiday season. Coolidge always had a holiday festival in the streets of the
downtown, where every historic building was wrapped in lights, and families
came out to share desserts, cocoa and popcorn. It was one of the best things
about being in a small town.

The news cut in for a live shot
where Reed was sitting with Trig and a few other players along with their
coach. I texted him—teasing him a little, just to make him sweat.

Uh, so I just saw you on TV. You
might want to check your hair.

The camera was still on him, and
I saw him look in his lap to read my text. He immediately brushed his hand
through his hair and bumped Trig’s shoulder to ask him if he looked okay. I
laughed out loud.

You are such a girl. I was just
kidding : - P

I saw a smirk spread across his
face next, and he looked directly into the camera, right at me, before he snuck
his phone into his lap again and shot back a quick message. The station went to
a commercial break just then.

That was not nice…but funny as
hell.

My small prank had my mind
spinning a bit, and it gave me an idea. I texted him back right away.

Hey, so…wanna make a wager?

I waited, and he wrote back in
seconds.

Hmmmmm, I’m curious. What are
the terms?

I grinned and slid down into the
sofa so I could hide a little from Sarah, who was busy tidying things up in her
kitchen.

When they interview you after
the announcement, if you can work the word ‘coconut’ into your response, I will
spend tonight in your room.

He responded instantly.

Tonight? In my room? All for
coconut?

I wrote back:

Yes.

Reed was fast again.

Deal. You better have your PJs
packed, Princess.

I giggled silently to myself.
Truth was I was winning in two ways. I’d give anything for more time to
reconnect with Reed, and seeing him work an absurd word into a national TV
interview was priceless. Sarah had finished her packing and cleaning and was
sitting on the corner of her sofa next to me. I looked up and told her we could
leave as soon as Reed’s school was announced; there was no way I was missing
this.

The Rose Bowl committee made
their announcement right after the commercial break, and the camera turned to a
room full of cheering UofA students, and then settled in on Reed, Trig and his
coach.

“We’re here with Reed Johnson,
whose name is being thrown around in a lot of Heisman conversations
lately…Reed? How excited are you to face Ohio State in the Rose Bowl?”

Reed was wearing his modest
grin, his dimples deep, and his eyes squinted a bit from the attention. He was
so amazingly talented, but he always hated being singled out as the reason his
team was doing so well, even though he was precisely the reason they were.
“Thanks for that, Wendy. Well…it’s pretty awesome being in the Rose Bowl for a
second year in a row. Ohio State is a great team, but I feel pretty good about
our chances,” Reed said, leaning sideways in his chair to get more comfortable.

“And what about the Heisman
hype? Does that distract you at all?” the reporter questioned him again,
pushing him for more. But as always, Reed was so cool in the face of big-time
pressure. He just smiled again and chuckled to himself.

“I mean, I’d be
coconuts
not to be a little excited about the idea of winning a Heisman,” he said it. He
looked right into the camera after his answer, right at me, and winked a bit
with a smile, before he continued on. He was adorable, and I was as in love as
I’d ever been. “But it doesn’t take away from the game. The game is my first
priority. I worry about one game at a time. It’s worked out pretty well for me
so far.”

“Well, alright then.
Congratulations to you, and the Wildcats, Reed. We look forward to seeing this
great match up,” the reporter said as the camera angle swung wide. I was dizzy
with giddiness one instant, and then suddenly lost it all the moment I saw
Jenny standing in the background, her eyes bright and focused on Reed, while
she clapped and cheered—all for him.

“Why was she there? And what was
she to Reed?” I asked myself.

“Steve, I’m sending it over to
you to give us a little insight into what Ohio State thinks about this match
up, as well as quarterback Ian Herring. Steve?” the reporter signed off and the
coverage shifted. I picked up the remote and turned the TV off only to find
Sarah smirking at me, standing with her arms crossed.

“What?” I said, shrugging and
trying to brush her attention off.

“You know what? You two are so
syrupy sweet. It would be
disgusting
if I didn’t love you so much,” she
said, punching me lightly in the arm. I had to smile at her words.

“Yeah,” I paused and sighed a
little. “It feels like we’re almost back…I just feel like there are these big
clouds out there floating over us, though, know what I mean? I still feel weird
about Jenny. Is he dating us both? Was she just a one-night stand? And he still
hasn’t brought up my miscarriage, Sar. I mean, that’s weird, right?”

Sarah turned away from me,
refusing to make eye contact, and immediately my suspicion rose. “What? What do
you know?” I questioned her, crawling over the back of her sofa to run into
her, and force her to look me in the eye. She pushed her lips into a hard line
and then exhaled heavily.

“Noles, Reed didn’t know. Not at
first. This whole time, when you thought he was ignoring you, ignoring what
happened. He didn’t know,” her words were so foreign, they seemed impossible. I
just shook my head, not understanding. She slumped her shoulders and grabbed
mine to look me in the eye. “He never listened to the message. Not until I told
him to.”