The Playmaker (A Big Play Novel Book 1) (19 page)

#37:

Delusion

Tori

Colt’s arms around me are sure and steady. They ease my inner tremblings as I stumble away from the house. He’s walking pretty fast, which tells me he’s still worried the Bears will be after revenge.

I don’t say anything as we hustle along.

Colt’s not talking, either, and I can’t work out what his clenched jaw means.

He’s obviously still riled up after his fight.

I want to thank him for showing up to save me. I have no idea how far Quaid would have taken things, but the fact that I was crying and he kept going makes me shudder.

“You okay?” Colt’s soft voice is like a gentle kiss.

I nod, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.

He glances down at me, then stops to slip off his letterman jacket. Draping it around my shoulders, he pulls it tight to cover me. There’s a sweeping sadness in his gaze as he stares down at my made-up face. I wrap my arms around myself and look to the ground.

Shame.

That’s what I’m feeling.

I can’t even explain it, because it’s not like I did anything to deserve that kind of treatment from Quaid.

But I did make a huge mistake tonight…and it’s time I admit it.

I open my mouth to finally start confessing, but I don't have a chance to say anything because the Raiders catch up with us and Mack hovers over me, asking if I’m okay.

“I’m fine.” I smile up at him.

“No thanks to you,” Colt mutters. His black gaze is on Mack, and a quick spark fires between them.

Mack’s nostrils flare as he goes eye to eye with Colt. “I never asked her to go specifically with me. I was just trying to be inclusive.”

Colt’s skin flashes red, his eyes rounding with anger. “You invited her and said you were going to be here. She wouldn’t have come at all if it wasn’t for you!”

“You’re talking like Tori and I are some kind of thing. We’re not!”

“But she wants you to be!” Colt’s face crumples into a pained expression that makes my heart hitch. “She was going to make her big play tonight and you weren’t even here.”

Mack’s face folds with confusion. He glances down at me and all I can do is shake my head. Humiliation scorches me, but there’s no getting out of it now. I look over his shoulder and notice Tyler and Will’s curious expressions. I guess my private confession is no longer an option.

I swallow and touch Colt’s arm, drawing his angry gaze off Mack’s face and straight onto mine.

“I wasn’t going after Mack. I was…” I sigh, my lips wobbling as I fight the sting of tears. “I’ve been trying to figure out a way to tell you…” I blink a couple of times, but it doesn’t stop a tear from breaking free and rolling down my cheek. “The whole Mack thing was a setup. I want you. I’ve always wanted you.”

Colt’s forehead wrinkles and his head jerks back with a look of surprise. “What? Why did you…? Why’d you lie?”

I’ve never felt so short in my entire life. I can feel every set of eyes on me and they weigh a ton. The concrete pathway feels like quicksand as I grip Colt’s jacket and glance at the guys surrounding me.

“I didn’t know how else to get you to notice me. I just wanted to spend some time with you. Make you stop long enough to realize that I could be your… someone you’d want to be with.”

Colt lets out a scoffing laugh, running a hand through his hair and looking pale. “You…you played me?”

“You wouldn’t have let me in otherwise. You never see me… I’m sorry.” I swipe a tear off my cheek and sniff. “Amy told me it wouldn’t work…and she’s right. I shouldn’t pretend to be someone I’m not.” A breathy laugh shoots between my lips and I look around the group. “I’m Tori Lomax, no matter what I do. I’ll always be the daughter of the town hippie, and I’ll always be quirky and talk too much when I’m nervous and trip over my own feet when I’m trying too hard. And you know what? That should be okay.” Pulling the tie from my hair, I shake out my curls and let them return to their crazy, wild ways. They never wanted to be contained like that, and I should never have tried to conform. I turn back to Colt. “If you don’t like me the way I am, then I shouldn’t want to be with you.”

Colt’s eyes flash with confused sadness. I glance up at Mack. He’s giving me nothing but a bemused smirk.

I use my nail to pull away the curls sticking to my wet face. “I’m sorry for using you. I shouldn’t have pretended to like you. It’s been a great few weeks. Thank you for letting me visit in your world for a little while. I’ve loved the football and the bonfires are pretty great, but don’t worry. I…I won’t bother you again. I know I don’t belong.” I huff out a shaky breath and purse my lips as I try to hold in the disgusting sob waiting to break free. “I’ll just…” I point over my shoulder. “I’m just gonna go.”

Slipping the jacket off my shoulders, I hold it out to Colt.

He’s still staring at me in shocked bewilderment and takes the jacket like a robot in slow motion.

“Thanks for helping me tonight,” I whisper.

Another shudder passes over me. I can still feel Quaid’s hand squeezing my butt…and his lips on my skin. I need something to wash it all away. Hopefully, a scalding hot shower will work. I cross my arms and dip my head before turning and hustling away from the Raiders. I don’t know what they must be saying to each other right now. All I can focus on is the foreign sound of heels tapping on the road as I clip away from my delusion and back into a life I never should have left.

#38:

The Most Original Girl On The Planet

Colt

“Dude, why are you not chasing her right now?” Finn’s deep voice cuts through the shocked silence.

We’re all standing there staring after Tori as she hurries down the street. Her short dress rides up her thighs as she moves and I’m struck by how unrecognizable she is tonight. Her little hands tug at the edges of the dress, pulling it back down, and she does a little wobble on her heels. My lips curl as I see a spark of the girl I know in just those two little moves.

“She lied to me,” I murmur, forgetting how close the guys are standing.

“I know.” Finn chuckles. “It’s freaking epic. She played you like a pro, man.”

Mack snickers and nudges me with his elbow. I stumble to the side, still in a mild state of shock.

“Dude, seriously.” Tyler frowns, pointing down the road as Tori teeters away from us. “What are you going to do?”

“I…” A dry, raspy laugh pops out of my mouth.

“He’s gonna chase her.” Finn shoves Tyler’s shoulder.

“Do you really think he should? I mean, come on. She’s not one of us.”

Finn makes a fist and aims it at Tyler’s face. “Keep talkin’, man.”

“Enough!” Mack barks. “It’s not even your decision, you idiots. It’s Colt’s move. Let him make it.”

I look to the quarterback and he lifts his chin after Tori. “What do you want?”

Following his gaze down the street, we watch Tori disappear around the corner. My heart trips up as I lose sight of her.

“How’s it going to work?” I murmur, old fears holding me back while Roxy and Tyler’s comments scald my brain.

“You’ll make it work. Who cares what anyone thinks?” Finn shrugs. “It’s about whether you like her. Which you do, so get your ass moving.”

I glance at Finn, then glide my gaze over Tyler’s reluctant frown. Mack’s being Switzerland, so it all comes down to me. I stare down the road again, then back to my friends.

A slow smile crests my lips as I look to Finn. “Drive my truck home for me?”

He grins while I turn and start running.

Yes, being with Tori goes against the social construct of our school. I’ll get hassled for it. She might come into the line of fire from cheerleaders who don’t like her stepping on their turf. But I’m willing to protect her from that. The familiar fear of being bullied and ridiculed clings to my shoulders, determined to slow me down, but I shake it off, tensing my shoulders and picking up speed.

I want Tori.

She’s worth a fight. I berate myself for not realizing it sooner.

Rounding the corner, I scan the road for her and notice something at the end of the street. It’s her mom’s beat-up Beetle…and Tori’s on her knees beneath it, slapping the ground.

My face wrinkles with confusion, but it’s soon replaced with a smile as she stands and yanks down her dress again. Her foot turns in those heels and she grips the edge of the car to steady herself before ripping them off her feet. She dumps them on the ground and says something I can’t hear before shaking her body like she’s trying to pull herself together.

Damn, she’s cute.

Watching her makes my heart feel like it’s in a frying pan. Tori’s become this mix of adorable and sexy. This exquisite combination that I can no longer resist.

I approach her with soft steps and catch the sound of her tears as she struggles to fit the key into the lock.

“Need a hand?”

Her body jerks still and then relaxes on a soft sigh.

“No,” she sniffs. “I’m fine, I just can’t see what I’m doing.” Her voice squeaks.

She swipes her face with the back of her hand, then tries again. The keys jingle as she wrestles them into the lock and I step up against her before she scratches the paint.

Gently running my fingers down her bare arm, I glide them around her hand and stop the frantic movements. She feels so good pressed against my body, like she’s the perfect fit. I nestle my nose into her mounds of curls and breathe her in while running my other hand down her side and encasing her against me.

She’s trembling, her hand still wrapped around those keys. “What do you want, Colt?”

I press my lips against her ear and finally tell her the truth. “I want you.”

Her body goes still, the trembling on pause until I gently turn her around and gaze down into those big, gray eyes. A smile lights my lips as I brush a curl off her wet cheek. Mascara is smeared on her blotchy skin, making her look like some sort of clown from a horror movie.

I lick my bottom lip and smile. “Can’t believe you outplayed me. I was going crazy thinking you wanted Mack.”

She gives me a guilty wince and bites her bottom lip. “Mack’s a good guy, but I’ve only ever loved you.” Her lips part, her eyes bugging out as she realizes what she just said. “I mean…you know,
want
. I want you, or like you…or I’ve just been majorly crushing on you for like a really long time.”

“A really long time?”

“Oh, you know, only since we were…twelve?”

I snicker. “Oh, is that all?”

Her head tips to the side. “You have no idea how amazing you are. I mean, maybe you do. You are pretty gorgeous and really good at football and the girls all love you, which is why the idea of you ever noticing me was so completely insane and I knew I had to do something kind of drastic to get your attention. If I’m honest, I never thought it would work, not really. I mean, I tried to tell myself that it would, but you’re Colt Burgess and I’m just… I’m…”

“Tori Lomax.”

Her face crumples. “So, how is it possible that you want me?”

I smile and glide my hands around her waist, pulling her against me and lifting her off the ground. “Because you’re the most original girl on the planet, and the only one for me.”

She giggles and touches the side of my face, her delicate thumb running over my bottom lip. I crane my neck to reach her mouth. Her eyes sparkle with a smile when I reach that ninety percent and wait for her to come the rest of the way.

My lips curl with a grin as she lets out a cute little snicker and whispers, “Unbelievable,” then presses her lips to mine. They’re soft and delicate, but not uncertain like they were before. This time, they own me.

I tip my head and deepen the kiss, my insides turning to melted butter as her tongue skims mine. Her fingers thread into the back of my hair as my mind flashes with the thought that senior year is going to be my best one yet.

#39:

Not Such A Bad Idea

Tori

The cheerleaders wave their pom-poms as they finish their chant. I don’t have spare hands to clap, so I let out a whoop and continue inching along the stand. The game is starting in a few minutes and the teams are already on the field. I can see Colt standing on the sidelines with Finn and Mack. Their expressions are all business as they no doubt talk game strategies. I wonder which plays they’ll run tonight.

“Excuse me.” I smile at Miss Wilder, who shifts her legs for me.

She’s my favorite teacher on the planet right now, because she gave Colt a B- on his football essay. The look of shocked wonder on his face when she handed it back to him rivaled his face on the night I told him the truth. It was beautiful and perfect. After practice, he drove straight to my house so we could read through the comments together. We, of course, got very sidetracked with congratulatory kisses that shifted to the steamier variety, especially after I told him I sent off an application to Boise State. My stomach curls as I relive his smile, and then the weight of his body as he dove on top of me.

Clearing my throat, I indicate my presence to the blonde on the bench seat. She turns and wrinkles her nose at me.

“It’s freezing tonight. I’m like the bestest friend ever.” Amy’s grumbling complaints are tempered by a cute smile.

I plunk down and kiss her cheek. “Yes, you are.”

Holding up a thermos, I wiggle it in front of her face with a playful grin.

Her tongue pokes out the side of her mouth. “That’s not your dad’s special hot chocolate, is it?”

“You bet it is.” I wink, unscrewing the lid while she scrambles in my bag for a mug.

“I revoke my
best friend ever
claim. That title now belongs to you.”

I smile as I pour her a cup then start to laugh when she takes a sip and starts moaning like she’s having an orgasm.

“Shhh.” I nudge her with a giggle.

She licks her lips and embarrasses me with one more loud moan that draws a few eyes. I give the crowd a nervous smile, then make bug eyes at Amy. “You’re right, we seriously need to stop watching old romcoms. That was like straight out of
When Harry Met Sally.
”

She snickers. “I did good, right?”

“Everyone’s staring at us,” I whisper then force another smile. We’re still getting one disgusted glare from a lady two rows in front of us.

“I thought you’d be used to eyes on you by now.”

I give her a coy grin as heat pours into my cheeks. After word of the party spread, rumors have been rife around the school. Everyone wants to know what happened with Colt and me after he left his team at the party. Half the school is guessing we’re together while the rest are convinced a guy like Colt would never date a girl like me.

We haven’t given them clues either way.

“The rumors will die down eventually,” I murmur.

“Is that what you want?” She looks skeptical. “To keep things hidden?”

The day after the party, Colt and I spent like six hours in the meadow together—making up, making out, trying to decide how to play this unique situation we’re in. Colt doesn’t want me trying to be something I’m not anymore, which means I’m back in my colorful hippie clothes—well, actually, more of a combination of old and new. Rings pepper my fingers and I’m wearing a wrist full of leather bands again. My tie-dye tops are now back in business, but I’ve kept the skinny jeans in play. I like it. Colt likes it. But how’s the football table going to feel when the real me takes a seat beside them?

We’re both a little worried that I might suffer backlash. I mean, Finn will be cool with it, and probably Mack, but then there’s guys like Tyler and Will and Darius…and all the cheerleading girls. I’ve told Colt I can handle it, but he’s really protective so we’ve kept things on the down low for now.

“It’s actually been kind of fun having this little secret.” I purse my lips.

“Tori, it’s been three weeks. How long do you think you can keep it going? What about walking the school halls hand-in-hand with a guy who’s proud to call you his girlfriend?”

I straighten my back and try not to let her words bother me. “All good things take time and hey, at least I get to kiss that piece of hotness.”

Amy giggles and nudges me. The thing is, I’m not opposed to the idea of going public. In fact, the longer I’m with Colt, the more I want to show the world. I told him that last night, but he just wrinkled his nose and pulled me in for another kiss, murmuring that he kind of likes having me all to himself. If he tells the world then we have no more excuses to hide away together.

I could give him excuses. My cheeks wash with color again while my mind plays out a few private fantasies. Being with Colt is awakening a whole other side of me that I’m nervously excited to explore.

In good time, of course.

My knee bobs as I relive the feel of his body pressed against mine. It always sets my insides zinging.

The whistle blows and I sit up in my seat, tensing as the ball is kicked into the air. A Raider catches it easily and runs down the field, gaining at least thirty yards before being taken down.

“Yes!” I yell, raising my fist in the air with a loud whoop. “Go, Raiders!”

I can’t take my eyes off Colt’s helmet as he runs into position. He flicks a look into the stands and, even though he doesn’t wave, I’m sure he spotted me. I can feel it.

Mack calls and they run a quick slant, easily making the down. We all cheer and I wriggle in my seat, trying to keep warm as they reset.

“So…” Amy sips her cocoa. “Miss Clandestine, what are you two going to do about the winter dance? Take other people?”

“Shhhh, they’re about to run the play.”

She rolls her eyes while Finn snaps the ball. Mack takes it clean, pivots and fools the defense on the play action—they bite hard, and Colt is in the clear for the short throw. Number 27 clutches it to his chest and starts running, jumping over one tackle and sprinting into the red zone.

“Go!” I jump to my feet. “Go, go, go!” My voice rises into a scream as Colt dives over the last defender and rolls into the end zone. “Yes! Woohoo!”

I want to scream out, “That’s my man!” and only just swallow the words back in time.

My orange scarf bobs around my face as I jump on the spot, screaming in celebration.

And then something magical happens.

Colt points straight at me.

I let out a delighted gasp, then kiss my hand and blow it at him. He catches my kiss against his heart before flopping to the ground in a dramatic show. I throw my head back in laughter, then stop breathing for a second when he whips off his helmet and shouts into the stands, “For you, baby!”

Every head in my section turns to face me, but all I can do is look at Colt, a fine sheen of tears covering my eyes.

“Okay, if that’s not claiming you, I don’t know what is,” Amy mutters beside me.

I throw my arm around her and squeal while Colt runs off the field. Tyler’s running beside him, saying something that makes Colt’s face glow like a jack-o-lantern. He looks up and finds me in the stands again, giving me a wink before taking a seat with his boys.

Amy sits and tugs me down. My legs are buzzing and weak, so I crumple down beside her with a dreamy smile.

My best friend laughs, then shakes her head. “Thank you, Tori.”

“For what?” My forehead wrinkles.

She sighs and looks to the sky. “Making me believe in miracles.”

Her brown gaze touches mine, saying more in that one look than she ever has.

I nudge her shoulder in forgiveness. “Not such a bad idea after all, huh?”

She hugs me to her side, looking red-faced and sheepish as she admits, “Not such a bad idea.”

*******

Thank you so much for reading
The Playmaker
. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it. If you’d like to show me some support, I’d love for you to leave a review. This is a great way to validate the book and let other people know what you thought of Colt and Tori.

Keep reading to find out whose story is next!