“Jeez. I don’t blame you. Were you able to repair things with your brother?”
Her eyes turn down. “Yeah. He apologized after Rhett caught his wife cheating. Unfortunately, Danny had leukemia and was sick for a long time. He passed last year, but we’d worked through our issues long before that.” She waves a hand in front of her face. “Sorry, losing my brother still feels fresh.”
“Paige, I’m so sorry.” I hug her again, and she wipes her eyes. “Well, you’re right. You win the most embarrassing story.”
She laughs through her tears. “No more crying tonight. Tell me what you want to work on socially. You said you need help.”
That’s easy. “For one, I can’t dress myself. I never know what to wear. My closet is full of baggy clothes, mostly because Ezra didn’t want me to change my style.”
Her eyebrows pull together. “Why?”
“He’s superstitious.”
“I don’t get it. What does that have to do with your clothes?”
“Because when we started dating in high school, that corresponded with him winning his football games. And because he secretly viewed me as his lucky charm, he didn’t want me to change anything about myself. Like, anything. That’s why I still have these geeky glasses instead of something cuter. Keep in mind I only recently figured this out, but that’s the reason he strung me along for years. So he could win football games.”
Her mouth drops open. “What a dick.”
“My goal before I graduate is to do everything he said I shouldn’t. Wear contacts, buy more form-fitting clothes, maybe highlight my hair. Just… all the stuff girls do to feel pretty and less like big book nerds.”
“You’re already beautiful, and there’s no shame in loving books, but I’m happy to help with a makeover. It’ll be fun.”
“We just have to do it on a budget. I didn’t plan to do an extra semester here at Lone Star and I can’t afford a semester abroad, but I’m also hoping to gift myself a graduation trip to Europe. I’ve always wanted to go to England to see where Jane Austen lived. I’d love to check out the holiday markets and take one of those double-decker bus tours. I gave up on that dream when I started dating Ezra. He didn’t want me to do a semester abroad because the only time it would’ve worked for my academic schedule was in the fall, which is football season.”
What I don’t tell her is that taking this trip will help me reclaim some of my pride after all those years I dated someone who didn’t appreciate me. That’s why I’m desperate to work as much as possible between now and when I graduate this winter. I need to put myself first and achieve one of my dreams instead of investing in someone else’s.
“Well, fuck Ezra Thomas. You can do so much better than that asshole.” She tilts her head. “I just discovered Pride and Prejudice last year. Want to watch it with me? I love the Keira Knightley version.”
“That’s my favorite.” I hop in my seat. “Let’s do it!”
3
NICK
AUGUST
The August sun is relentless. I swear it’s cooking my brain. After I wipe the sweat from my forehead, I slide on my helmet.
Training camp started a few days ago, and while the long days have been tough, things will only get more challenging once classes start. Even though I have enough credits to graduate, NCAA rules require that I’m a full-time student in order to play, so I can’t slack.
When the guys reach the huddle, I call the play, we clap, and everyone jogs to their positions.
Bowser huts three times and snaps the ball. The second I get it in my hands, I drop back into the pocket and check my options. Maverick makes the tight cut, but two defenders block my path. Jinxy is gunning it down the field, but he has someone hot on his heels too. Dax stumbles, so that leaves me with Finn, who’s cutting in twenty yards away.
It’s a sure bet, and I like certainty.
When he catches the ball and runs it in for another ten yards, I shout my approval. That’s a thirty-yard gain.
But when we break for water, Coach Santos doesn’t look happy. He takes me aside and puts his hand on my shoulder. “Nick, that was fine, but I want you to aim for traffic next time.”
I frown. That makes no sense. “You want me to throw to someone who has a defender on him?” I have to clarify because, in my opinion, it’s always better to make the safe pass rather than risk losing the ball.
He nods once.
I’m confused, but I do what he says. On the next play, Dax runs his route as he tries to shake off his defender. My throw to him is a little hard, and it bounces off his hands.
After two more tries with similar results, we finally nail it, and Coach blows his whistle. “That’s enough for today. Good practice. See you tomorrow, gentlemen. Just a reminder, I want lights out by ten p.m. An assistant coach will be by to make sure everyone’s accounted for.”
