Romance: Young Adult Romance: The Perfect Game (A Highschool Football Romance) (Bad Boy Nerd New Adult Romance) (76 page)

I nodded.

“I wonder what else I’ve been
missing,
” he said.

We stood there, arms wrapped together, for what seemed like hours.  I watched the clouds crawl overhead, and soaked in the autumn air.

It wasn’t until the sun began to creep over the horizon that we both planted ourselves back in the truck.  Chris looked like he’d
been drained
, emotionally. 

Once we were back in the
truck
, he started leaning towards me, begging for a kiss.  I met his lips with my fingers.

“Don’t confuse a caring friend with a lover, Chris.  Let’s just get back to town,” I said.

He let out another long sigh as he started the car.  We pulled away and rumbled down the road in utter silence.  Both of us
were trapped
inside our heads.

I wondered if I was handling everything the way I should be.  I almost never thought of Brad while Chris and I were together, maybe that was a good thing.  He was still a massive
womanizer,
though, and he hadn’t shown any sign of change in the slightest.  I
really
didn’t want to get involved.

He dropped me off in front of my apartment again.

“Thanks for the ride,” I said.

“Lucy,” he said.

“What’s up,” I asked.

“Would you come to my next game, tomorrow night?” he requested.

“Or course, I’d be happy to cheer you
on,
” I said with a smile. 

He smiled back at me as I shut the door.  With that, he sped off down the road. 

6.

“Something was left for you, Lucy,” Tiffany said. 

At least,
she was wearing
pants,
this
time;
I thought to myself. 

She gestured towards a bundle of flowers that were laid out on the table.  A card
was tucked
between a couple of them, which I promptly pulled free and examined.

‘To
Lucy, in the hopes that she might be willing to forgive me.  Love: Brad.” 

They were quite
nice
; I always did have a thing for lilies. 

I had spent so much time avoiding Brad, and I was finally starting to come to my senses.  He did deserve a chance to explain himself.  But, I had no intention to let him back into my life. 

I grabbed my phone and dialed my old flame.

“Okay, Brad.  Let’s meet up and talk.  You deserve that much,” I said to him over the phone.

“You won’t regret this, Lucy.  I’ll see you tomorrow night,” he said, hanging up the phone. 

I paused after he ended the call.  I forgot, during out small conversation, that I had already made plans for Friday night.  I immediately called Brad back.

“Brad, I can’t do tomorrow night,” I said.

“Don’t you want to get together and hash this out, though?  Wouldn’t sooner be better than later?”

“It would be, but I have plans for tomorrow night,” I said.

He scoffed over the phone.

“Then let’s get together in the early evening, you’ll still have your night free for your date, or whatever it
is,
” He replied.

“Fine,” I said.

I didn’t know what a terrible idea it was until I showed up the next evening.  He wore his best clothes, and I had a feeling he thought this had the possibility of becoming a date. 

I wore something simple but
warm
since I’d be at the game later.  I wanted to be
anywhere,
but here, just the sight of his face was making my stomach churn.

“Hey Lucy,” he said.

I nodded my hello and sat down at the table.  We had decided to meet at one of our old date night locations, which was a
really bad
idea.  The nights we spent just sitting around drinking coffee, working on homework, and trying to avoid starvation; those memories all started flooding
back,
and I felt trapped.

“Can I start,” he said.

I nodded another yes.

“That girl didn’t mean anything to me,” he said.

“Then why were you sleeping with her,” I asked.

“I was having a moment of weakness.  I’m only human, after all,” he said.

“Then as
a human
, you should learn to deal with the consequences,” I replied.

“Are you
really
going to play that ‘holier than thou’ card?” he asked, in a bit of rage.

“What are you trying to say, Brad,” I asked, calmly.

“You slept with that man-whore Chris the same night you ran off,” he said, “don’t say you didn’t.  Do you know how that makes me feel? 
Watching the person, I love sleep with some guy that isn’t even interested in her at all?”

I laughed; it was almost unbearable to
listen to
.

“You
really
are something else,” I said, “you accuse me of sleeping around after you I catch you in the act.  I’m amazed I stayed with you as long as I did.  I even have a feeling that she wasn’t the first person you were sleeping with behind my back.”

He leaned over the table and stole a kiss.  I went to push him away, but he pulled me in tightly.  It
took
a second before I managed to pry his face off mine, and I knew
then,
and there this would be the last time I would see him.

I shot from my seat, narrowly avoiding his searching arms trying to get a hold of me again.

“
Goodbye,
Brad,
” I said.

I started walking towards the
exit
but turned just before I did.

“I don’t regret it when I say that Chris is and always will be a better man than
you
because at least he knows what he is.  He doesn’t slink around pretending to be something he isn’t.

“Don’t call me, because I won’t call you.”

I walked out of the restaurant, somehow feeling a sense of finality.  It was the closure that I
was lacking
from our previous encounter.  I wanted to go back in there and swear at him for another hour.  I wanted to scream until my lungs belted fire.  I wanted to do so many things that I knew would be bad for me.  So, instead, I went to the game.

7.

Tiffany and I sat behind the team, just a few rows back.  I hadn’t
really
gone to any sporting events this season.  The games rarely held my interest for long. 

Still, I wanted to cheer Chris
on;
he needed more cheerleaders in his corner.  I knew what he was trying to
achieve;
he was just like me.  He wanted to follow his dreams and become a pro player.  I just wanted to find
a dream
to follow. 

He turned back a few times during the game and made eye contact.  His expression remained mostly jovial with his fellow players. 

“He’s acting different,” Tiffany said.

“How so,” I asked.

“I haven’t seen him so talkative with his teammates.  He’s usually a guy that keeps his head in the game until it’s over.”

She would know; she was probably one of his biggest fans. 

“I wonder
what’s gotten
into him,” she asked.

Our team, led by Chris, crushed the other team.  I cheered until I could barely speak. 

The field started clearing out, Chris didn’t head to the lockers with the team.  He waited on the bench, deep in thought. 

I waited in the
stands;
Tiffany decided to head home for the
night,
and I told her I’d manage a way home myself, later.  All that remained were a few staff members cleaning, me, and Chris. 

I walked down to the field to join him, but he was pulled aside by the coach before I could catch up.  I managed
to just barely overhear
their conversation.

“They were impressed tonight,” he said.

“Yeah?  I thought I’d rely more on my team than try to win it by myself,” Chris replied.

“They’re still a little slow to decide, but they said that it looks promising.  I’ll keep my ear to the ground for you,” the coach said.

“Thanks,” Chris said.

“Get out there and party, tonight.  You earned this one,” the coach slapped him hard
in
the arm and walked off toward the locker room.

Chris snatched his helmet from the bench then looked over at me.  He almost looked a little disgusted, but I couldn’t tell.

“Hey,” I said.

“Did you enjoy the game,” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said, “you looked
really good
, and it sounds like those scouts liked you a little better this week, too.”

“I’d be lying if I said I
wasn't
a little excited.”

I laughed and walked over to join him. 

I wrapped my arms around him, giving him another big hug.

“Are you sure Brad won’t get jealous,” he asked.

“Why would Brad be jealous,” I questioned.

“I saw you guys at the restaurant earlier.  I saw you guys making out.” Chris said.

I wanted to
laugh
but stifled it as best I could.

“Brad ambushed me with a kiss,” I said, “I wish I hadn’t even gone to meet up with him.”

“I was hoping that I’d get to talk to you before the game,” Chris said.

“What about,” I asked.

“I have started to see things in a much different light,
since
the other day.  I’ve tried to do everything alone, and I had it
handled
until I met you.” He said.

“What are you trying to say,” I asked.

“I’m saying
that
my outlook has changed.  I don’t want to sleep around with a bunch of girls; that part of me has died over the last week.  I’ve had a lot of offers, believe me.”

I laughed at the idea of him turning down sex.  He joined in and pulled me in for a hug.

“I want someone who’ll be there when I’m sad, someone who will cozy up
with
me and watch TV on
a boring
night.  I think I just want someone I can go
home to
.  And, I was hoping it would be you.”

I could feel tears begin to well up behind my eyes.  He was baring his soul to
me,
and it was hard to deny him.  I pressed my head
to
his chest and pulled him in tight.

“Would you like to go out on a date with me?  It’ll be my first,” he asked.

I pulled myself away.

“Sure,
but, this time,
I get to take you to my favorite spot,” I replied.

He threw his arm around me and we walked off the field, together. 

We had each other, and that was more than either of us needed.   

*****

THE END

“So you’re the prosecutor this time?  I will never understand why you like playing courtroom games with all your other friends,” Matt said.

I perked up, brushed the errant hair from my face, and took another sip of my coffee.

“You just don’t get it;
the high of winning an argument
.  It’s like going skydiving, or what I assume skydiving would
be like
.  I’ve never been, but I can imagine it would be quite a thrill,” I said.

“So, you’re saying it’s like winning a game?  I think I know what that feels like, Holly,” he said with a smirk.

I’d known Matt for so long that I sometimes forgot how well he knew me.  I could be a little scatterbrained at
times, and
he always called me on it.

“Right, like winning the big game,” I said with a sigh.

“You’re a mess when you’re excited,” he said with a laugh.

“Well, at
least,
I perform
well in
the moment.  The rest of my team always says I give the best counter-arguments,” I said boastfully. 

While I never
really
found myself attracted to Matt, I always found him
especially
handsome.  He was tall and well built, lean and muscular in just the right areas, and knew how to hold himself well.  I was more than a little jealous of his overwhelming confidence.

“Are you coming out to my party this weekend?  You’ve missed the last couple months, and I was hoping that you’d get to meet my new girlfriend,” he said.

I paused a moment, somewhat speechless.  He seemed to have a party every
weekend,
and I usually was capable of coming up with a good excuse to avoid attending, but having broken up with Albert, I couldn’t
come up with
anything.

I slumped into my chair and sighed.

“Okay, I suppose I can make an appearance for a little while at least.  But, I can’t drink.  I need to get a lot of studying done early Saturday.”

“Don’t
worry; I
won’t be the one forcing drinks down your throat.  Besides, I know you don’t drink
anyway
,” he said, “
Okay
, I gotta get out of here.  I have to meet up with
April; she
said she
had a surprise for me, and I know what that means.”

He smiled that devilish smile he flashed when
he
knew that he would be sleeping with
someone
and stood up to leave. 

I stood and gave him a big hug to see him off.  I
really
was lucky to have as good a friend as Matt.  He always stood up to the bullies that I seemed
to always attract
;
meanwhile,
I would tutor him when he was failing miserably in class.

He sprinted off for the door and gave me
an excited
wave as he left.  I rolled my eyes and giggled at his silly behavior; he was a grown man but still acted like a schoolboy when a girl beckoned him.

I
continued on
with my work; I had an entire argument to prepare before Monday’s mock
trial,
and I didn’t want to be the person who lost it for our team. 

“You look like someone who could use a break,” I heard a voice say from behind.

I whipped my head around and made myself dizzy in the process.  When my vision cleared
up,
I saw a rather tall and large man standing behind me.

He had a smile plastered on his face, with chiseled cheeks and high cheek bones accenting his somewhat silly expression.  His eyes twinkled with
a deep
blue
hue,
and a tousle of blonde hair
was neatly shaved
atop
his head. 

He walked his
powerful
build around and sat in the unoccupied seat beside me.

“Hello?” I questioned.

“Jeff,” he replied.

“Ah, hello Jeff,” I said, “I’m
sorry,
but
I
’m not in the mood for conversation, I have a lot of work that needs to
be done
.”

He picked up one of the many books I had lying around and examined it
closely
.

“Trial procedure,” he said in a monotonous tone.

“What of it,” I asked.

“Nothing, just trying to make sense of what you’re studying,” he replied.

I let out a deep
sigh
and tried to drink from my empty coffee cup.  I slipped my current studies into the book on the table to mark the
page
and closed the book.

“If you need me to spell it out for you, the least you could have done is bring some coffee,” I said, shaking my cup.

He raised his eyebrows in a gesture of understanding, or
flirting; I
didn’t know which, and sauntered off. 
Before long,
he returned with a pot and filled my glass before returning to the seat beside me.

“So, spell it out for me,” he said.

“I am the prosecuting attorney in a mock trial, and I have to study for my case.  You understand what a mock trial is, right?”

“I think I get it,” he replied with a laugh.

I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to shoo him away, or keep him around as a distraction.  My work was beginning to get a little boring without someone to
talk to
.  I might not look it, but I’m rather social when it comes down to it.

“Is this what you do for fun,” he asked.

It sounded like he
was being
condescending, but it might have been something I imagined.  So I answered as honestly as I could.

“It’s not like I seek this out for recreation, but I find the arguing enjoyable.”

“I object,” he said, jokingly.

I laughed awkwardly at his
obvious
attempt at a joke.

“Is this what
you
do for fun?” I asked.

“What, you mean making friends?” he asked in turn.

“Yes,” I replied, “do you like bothering people for fun.”

“I like bothering you,” he replied with a coy smirk.

“I can tell you have a lot of friends,” I said. 

I started to gather up my things, wondering where else I could go to work on my studies.  My room was still probably occupied with Pauline and her boyfriend.

“Tell you what; I’m going to let you get on with your work.  But, I won’t leave until
I, at least,
get your phone number.”

He produced his phone from his pocket and held it out to me.

I wanted to leave a fake number, but the sincerity in his face led me to believe that he wasn’t as bad a guy as he was portraying.  He didn’t seem the arrogant and stuck up type, or
at least,
this just felt like a ruse.  I punched in my phone number, somewhat begrudgingly.
“Great!  I’ll give you a call sometime next weekend?” he said.

“We’ll see.  I am a busy woman, after all,” I replied, gesturing to my work.

“And, I’m late for practice,” replied, jumping over the chair and sprinting from the coffee shop.

I stifled a giggle; I’d never seen anyone run that fast from a coffee shop before.  I was still indecision about whether I’d say yes, were he to ask me out on a date.  He was cute, but he was very different from the men I was used to.

I preferred men that were interested in their future; men that studied hard to find their place.  I wanted someone who was stable and down to earth, and he didn’t seem to be either of those.

2.

My afternoon runs were probably the only thing keeping me sane.  It was the only time of the day I could tune out my roommate and my studies; I could listen to some of my favorite music and just enjoy the moment.  Matt would sometimes join me, but we never
really
chatted while on runs.  I never minded his company, and he was one of the few people that could keep up.

The sidewalks
were dotted
with other students finishing their studies for the day.  Thankfully the track was usually free for another hour, which made for
a boring
run, but it usually ended with Matt and me stopping for a smoothie.

He was already in the middle of practice with the rest of the team.  He was quite a creature to watch on the field; his
agile
steps could get him out of any tackle, and his ability to throw was second to none on the team. 
This worked
in his favor and made him starting quarterback within one year.  He was probably the quickest to rise to that level in the history of the school.  But, he never passed it off as a big deal.  He always praised the
team,
and his fellow players loved him for it. 

I continued my run, and amidst my third
lap,
I noticed another familiar face.  It was Jeff, standing right in front of Matt.  He was
strong
and confident, as well.  When the play
started,
he showed his powerful build by
easily
holding back two other players.  It was an impressive
display,
to say the least.

I probably should have been watching where I was going, but as things happen I bumped into another runner on the track and lost my footing.  I quickly apologized for my failure and limped my way to
a nearby
set of standing bleachers to nurse my injured leg.

It wasn’t anything serious, to say the least, but I did take the chance to watch the guys play more football.
  I lingered longer than
intended, and
I’m pretty sure
than
neither of them noticed me. 

Practice
was wrapping up, and I wondered what I should do.  I would have liked
to just go talk
to Matt and grab a small bite to eat before returning to my
studies
while
at the same time
I had a feeling if I were to walk over I would have been pulled
in to
a conversation with Jeff.

In my attempt to avoid the latter, I stayed toward the sidelines, doing my best to avoid both of their gazes.  The two of them chatted and headed back toward the showers, but Matt was pulled aside by the coach.  The two talked for a brief moment before splitting.  I could tell it was good news.  Matt didn’t always smile when he was happy, but being friends for more than ten years gave me an insight most didn’t possess.

Before he started off to shower I caught his eye, he just nodded in recognition without coming over for a hello.  I figured he’d probably return when he was cleaned up.

I didn’t have to wait long, maybe fifteen minutes before he strolled back to me at the edge of the field.  We started walking toward the row of shops that occupied the next block over.

“What did the coach tell you?” I asked.

“He told me that I could be team captain if I wanted to be, it’s a big honor,” he replied.

“That’s great,” I said, “I’m sure everyone would be excited to have you as captain.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know if I want to be,” he replied.

“Why is that,” I asked.

“It’s a big responsibility, and while I love being responsible, I have a lot of other things I am interested in besides football,” he said.

He was a good student, and probably as smart as, if not smarter, than me.  He’d mentioned on a few occasions that he wasn’t sure if he was going to pursue a career in football, and I always teased him about it.  His scholarship was in sports, and he was only here because he played.  He had to go
pro,
if he could. 

“How long do you have to decide?” I asked.

“About a week,” he replied, “I’ll figure it out by Monday.”

“How long has Jeff been on the team,” I asked.

“You know Jeff?”

“More like, he ran into me in the coffee shop the other day after you left,” I said.

“He’s been there since I started, but he’s only now getting into a starter position.  He’s good.  He’s in the running for team captain as well.  Some of the guys don’t like him as much.  He can be a bit of a glory hog from time to time,” Matt said.

  I went quiet for a little while as we continued to walk.

“You’re not
really
interested in him, are you?” he asked.

I
really
didn’t know what to say, but I had a feeling that Matt wouldn’t let me out of this without some
kind of
answer.