She didn’t look sad or upset. She just seemed preoccupied. I swear I could see the gears shifting in her brain, hard at work. I wanted to ask her what was going on, help her with whatever was on her mind, but I knew Maybelle. She wouldn’t spill her secret thoughts unless she wanted to. Candor was now one of her key personality traits and one of my favorite things about her.
She would talk to me. She just needed to work through her internal clutter first. So, I let her be, knowing that when she was ready, she’d tell me everything.
Now, I was in my black suit and black tie, matching my brothers for the football banquet. We decided to carpool. Williams and I, together with our dates in my Jeep. Bear, whoever he was taking and Sam, of all people, with my Maybelle, were riding together.
Larson had taken off early since he was giving a speech. He wanted to be there before the rest of thecrowd.
“So, Samuel, I hear you and our little Mason have been seeing a lot of one another lately.” Williams sprawled out on the couch next to Sam. Sam sat dressed in his black suit, black tie, hair combed back with enough gel to last the apocalypse and a Coke can from our fridge in his hand.
He'd been at the apartment for the last hour, dressed and ready to go. Bear invited him over early to hangout—figures. But the man sat in the same spot, quiet, clutching the soda can for dear life while his focus darted to me.
I couldn’t help but puff my chest out a bit. I had scared the poor kid shitless that night when I interrupted his kiss with Maybelle. Apparently, he hadn’t fully recovered from it. Which was honestly unfortunate because I didn’t hate Sam as a person. I thought he was an idiot that had no game, but we were teammates—brothers.
I just couldn’t wrap my jealous head around why Maybelle would kiss himandgo to the banquet with him.
And that’s exactly what this was,jealousy.
Maybelle and I finally had our chance. After all the waiting and uncertainty, we finally had a chance but she friend zoned me. Now, I had to sit back and watch as my girl kissed and went to the banquet with another man, and it hurt.
Stay with me and let me pretend you’re mine.
That day, that night, those year-long hours in my bed were on constant repeat in my mind.
I’m yours.That statement alone kept me from being suffocated by the envious, strangling thoughts and the self-torture of watching Maybelle with anyone but me.
She’d been mine, and I was always hers.
Sam’s eyes flinched to me at the question before he straightened. “Yes, we have.”
Williams nodded. “That’s sweet, man. Maybelle is an awesome girl. I know any of us here would do just aboutanything for her.” He eyed Sam, leaning forward.
I couldn’t help but grin.
Sam took a long swig of his Coke. Then announced like a proud asshole who thinks he’s won something, “Yeah, she’s my girlfriend.”
And I guess he had. Sam fucking Cameron had won it all if he got to call Maybelle Mason his.
I’m yours… Pretend.
Every muscle in my body pulled so tight it felt like they might tear under the skin while Williams choked on air and doubled over in a coughing fit.
“Your girlfriend?” I asked, the hard skepticism obvious in my voice.
Sam only nodded boldly, oblivious.
Is this why she’d been so quiet this morning? Did she not know how to break the news to me?
Pretend. Pretend. Pretend.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Bear creeping out from the hall. His eyes were heavy on me with a sorrowful-ridden expression before peering at Sam.
“When did this happen, Sam?”
Sam, seeming a lot more confident with the big lineman part of the conversation, rolled back into the sofa. He slurped at the can of Coke before saying, “Last week. We became officially official at the party when I asked her to be my date for tonight. She also came to the game to support me last night.”
I was going to break him in half. All previous guilt at not liking my teammate was drop-kicked out the window. What was this scrawny, awkward as hell kid doing getting with my girl? My Maybelle!
I’m yours.