Game Changer: #UofJ Book 2- A Second Chance Romantic Comedy Sports Romance (U of J)

by Alley Ciz

  Gray eyes go wide before she scrambles to pull the black cotton over her head. I need a moment to appreciate her. I don’t care that she’s all wild sex hair, leftover makeup smeared in the corners of her eyes, and beard burn across her neck; she’s never looked more beautiful to me.

  Knock-knock.

  Oh, that’s right. JT is here and we’ve got shit to handle.

  Kay makes no move to get up, so I answer the door.

  “I would have bet good money she wouldn’t be up before noon today,” JT says as I let him in.

  “Yeah, well, my boyfriend is a pretty annoying alarm clock.” Brows scrunched, eyes closed, jaw to the floor, one arm bent to cover her mouth and the other raised above her head, Kay lets out a full-body yawn.

  “You woke her up?” JT directs the question to me while sliding a cardboard carrier of coffees and a paper bag onto the low table in the small seating area in the room. When I nod, he reaches out a fist for me to bump.

  Kay continues to shoot us both sleepy death glares from the bed. I know better than to say so out loud, but whenever she tries to act tough, I think it’s the cutest thing. She attempts to be fierce but only ever makes me think of those memes about Baby Groot when he is mad.

  “I brought you a coffee.” JT hands Kay a paper cup, which she quickly cradles to her chest.

  “You’re my favorite.” Her lips purse as she blows across the lid, my dick twitching inside my pants at the sight. Damn her for calling halftime. The three orgasms I had last night mean nothing when I’m trying to make up for weeks without her. Never mind that getting hard in front of her best friend isn’t appropriate. I find when it comes to Kay, the rest of the world can just fuck off.

  Isn’t the rest of the world the reason you asked JT to come here?

  I nod to myself at the reminder from my conscience. I don’t give a flying fuck what anyone else has to say about me, Kay, or our relationship. And while Kay doesn’t either, it still affects her. My job is to protect her and to learn the best methods to help her cope.

  Which brings us back to JT…

  “Do you wanna shower, baby?” I hook a hand under the strap of the duffle JT brought with him. I couldn’t convince her to shower with me, but maybe she will feel inclined to do so now that her own things are here. Plus, it’ll give me a few minutes alone with JT to discuss strategy without having to worry her unnecessarily.

  “Sure.” She slips from the bed, my shirt falling to her knees as she stands, and my eyes automatically go to the bare expanse of leg on display. Again, my dick twitches as I remember how good those legs felt squeezing my ribs during our third bout of lovemaking.

  Her fingertips brush across the back of my hand as she takes her bag from me, sparks shooting up my arm from the touch. It doesn’t matter how simple or innocent the contact; I will always react viscerally to Kay.

  Neither JT nor I move until we hear the snick of the lock, each taking one of the wingback chairs bracketing the table. I keep my mouth shut, not quite sure how to begin this particular conversation. The last time I talked to JT at length, he was doing his best to encourage me to make things right with Kay, a fact that only makes me feel like more an asshole given that I suspected my girl was cheating on me with him when I jumped to conclusions.

  “How bad is she going to freak when I show her this?” I hold out Kay’s phone with the text message displayed. “More importantly, is this Liam, and how do I help her deal with it?”

  I loathe that I’m not, and don’t know how to be, what Kay needs during her times of crisis. I’ll be damned if I don’t learn.

  “You mean…” JT leans back in the chair, crossing a foot over the opposite knee, draping his arm over his bent leg. My only clue he’s pissed is the vein pulsing at his temple. “Is she going to start back on her bullshit about how she can’t be with you and it’s for your own good?”

  I bark out a laugh. It is clear to see how this guy became best friends with my girl.

  “Yes. I would very much like to avoid that.”

  JT rubs his chin in thought, the silence stretching between us. My pulse is erratic and I rub my damp palms along the tops of my thighs for no other reason than to have something to do while nerves course through my system.

  “She’ll probably freak over that more than these.” It’s his turn to hold a phone out to me, and he directs me to flip through screenshots he saved to his camera roll. Instagram after Instagram post flies by with each flick of my thumb: UofJ411, TheQueenB (whoever the hell that is), more UofJ411, and finally…Liam motherfucking Parker. “And yes, that’s Liam who sent her the text.”

  With a calm I’m not even close to feeling, I hand him back his phone before I send it flying across the room and into a wall. “Why doesn’t she have him blocked?”

  “She does. We’re only assuming it’s him because the text said things that make it pretty clear it is him. We also assume he’s using burner phones, because each time he has texted her, it’s been from a different number.”

  A buzz starts underneath my skin. “This isn’t the first time he’s contacted her?”

  “No.”

  “I’m gonna need a little more than that.”

  My hackles rise as JT glances over his shoulder, checking to make sure the door to the bathroom is still closed before shifting to lean forward, his elbows braced on his knees, coffee cup held between his hands.

  “He’s been making veiled threats about trying to hurt your chances in the draft.”

  Brantley would freak if he heard that.

  “That seems highly unlikely,” I say.

  “Agreed.” JT nods. “But you see…PF isn’t necessarily the most logical person when it comes to you.”

  She’s not the only one, my inner coach murmurs, tossing in his two cents.

  JT falls silent, and when he finally speaks again, I’m not expecting the subject change. “I can’t believe you went to E’s.” If I’m not mistaken, there’s a gleam of respect in his eyes.

  “What makes you think that’s how I found out she was here?” He’s correct, but learning the thought process that led to drawing that conclusion might help me understand more of their family’s dynamics.

  “I was on the phone with him when you texted me.”

  I start to tell him about what happened during my short time in Baltimore but cut myself off at the sound of the bathroom door opening. Everything else around me goes fuzzy as Kay steps out and becomes my sole focus. How the hell can she look so good fresh from the shower?

  Her long curls are pulled up into a high ponytail, the strands still damp, leaving water spots behind on her If CHEERLEADING were easy they’d call it FOOTBALL tank. I can’t help but think the shirt is a dig at me. The wink she gives me when she sees my amused smirk only confirms my suspicion.

  “What are you guys talking about?” Kay asks as she settles herself in my lap.

  Home. The thought flits through my mind, and as crazy as it sounds, it’s true—Kay is my home.

  The earlier anger over our bubble being popped by outsiders returns. Needing a distraction, I start to trace the large stars printed in the panel of NJA blue camouflage running down the side of her leggings.

  “It seems someone at the U of J finally found their confirmation that we are, in fact, still a couple.” I figure I’ll start with the easier of the two issues, and I offer her my phone to scroll through the Instagram feed. As she looks at the posts, the sight of the purple and blue jeweled bands circling the fingers of the hand holding the phone only broadcasts the absence of the light green one I tried to add.

  Will she wear it? Will she deem me worthy of being added to the collection meant to represent those closest to her? Should I take heart that she’s also not wearing the emerald one I got her for CK? Or is that just because I was the one who got it for her?

  “I’m so sorry, Skittles.” I curl myself around her to speak softly into her ear, her body expanding with a deep inhalation. “I know this is the type of thing you hate
.”

  Her hair tickles my nose as she shakes her head. “It’s not your fault.”

  I wish that were true. The only reason the busybodies at school are interested in her is because she’s my girlfriend. This is my doing. It’s my responsibility to fix it as much as I can.

  “It is.” I ghost a kiss to her cheek. “But please don’t run from me.” I can’t go back to feeling the way I did these last couple of weeks.

  She doesn’t say anything—not a word.

  My gut clenches with uncertainty. Why isn’t she saying anything? Shit, what is she going to say when I show her the text from Liam? Am I about to lose her again?

  Any lingering hope I held on to ticks away like seconds on a game clock as she rises from my lap and walks across the room, still silent.

  I swallow down the bile in my throat as I watch her reach for her bag. This is it. She’s leaving me for good. The thought flattens me harder than any linebacker.

  I shift my gaze to JT, but he hasn’t made any attempt at getting up. No, instead he looks like he’s settling into his seat more, drinking his coffee like he doesn’t have a care in the world. The fuck?

  It’s then that I notice Kay isn’t pulling the strap of her bag over her head but tugging open the zipper. Unable to see what she’s doing with her back facing me, I hold my breath, praying like I do when the game is on the line and Noah is about to attempt an unheard-of-long-distance field goal to win.

  Pain-filled eyes find mine when Kay turns around. The slim column of her throat works as she struggles to swallow and her lashes fan over her cheeks as she drops her gaze to whatever it is she has cupped between her hands.

  Again I look to JT, but he’s still not giving anything away.

  Kay’s feet shuffle along the carpet until the blue cotton of her socks touches the tips of my white Nike Uptowns. I focus on her adorable compulsion to match her wardrobe, too afraid of what I’ll read on her face if I meet her gaze.

  “Mase.” Her soft voice soothes me like Gatorade after a game. “Mase, please look at me.”

  As if my eyelids have kettlebells hanging from them, I struggle to lift them to do as she asks.

  “I’m not running.” She fiddles with the object she’s holding, and I finally notice it’s a ring box—a familiar ring box. “Quite the opposite.” Her thumb slips into the seam, and I can’t help but notice her nail is also painted blue as the lid opens with an audible snap.

  The sight of the peridot ring nestled inside the black velvet has me sagging back in my chair.

  She kept it.

  She has it with her here.

  My breathing grows erratic, not wanting to get my hopes up only to have it fall short like an incomplete pass. “You brought it with you?”

  “That’s not the only thing of yours she brought with her,” JT says.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be my friend?” Kay whips around to face JT only to find him looking at the ceiling in an effort to play innocent.

  “What else of mine did you travel with, Skittles?” I reach out to take her hand, linking our fingers together to bring her attention back to me. Her body turns, but the floor once again becomes her focus.

  “Oh, you know…” A singsong lilt enters JT’s tone. “Only your t-shirt, your hoodie…”

  “Oh, really?” I should probably curb my instinct to smile, but I can’t help myself.

  “Don’t gloat. It’s not attractive.” Kay’s ponytail flops forward as she drops her head. “And you”—she thrusts an arm out, pointing an aggressive finger at JT—“so aren’t my favorite Taylor anymore.”

  “Lies,” he says with confidence.

  “I’m not gloating,” I claim, only to receive an eye roll. “Okay, maybe a little.” I pinch my thumb and forefinger together. “And I’m always attractive.”

  Kay makes that face where she can’t decide if she wants to hit me or kiss me. You know the one: lips pursed, mouth moving side to side, nose twitching like a bunny. God I love her.

  While she debates what to do, I liberate the box from her grasp, taking out the emerald band and slipping it on the thumb of her right hand then freeing mine.

  As I take her left hand in my right, her jaw drops, eyes flaring wide as my thumb runs along her bottom knuckles. Placing the ring in front of her finger, I don’t blink as I slide it home. We still have a long way to go in terms of how to handle the ongoing social media attention and Liam Parker, but like when she wears my hoodie to my games, knowing she will allow me to claim her in this way is enough for now.

  #Chapter37

  When I left Mase and JT alone earlier to shower, I had legit worries about the two of them coming to blows. They are two of the most important men in my life, and they’re both alpha and fiercely protective. It was a tossup how things would play out.

  I wonder what Mase would say if he learned JT was actually his biggest advocate these last couple of weeks. Hell, even I’m surprised by how adamant JT is that Mase is the right guy for me.

  Now, with those light green eyes looking at me with awe and a kind of love I’ve only ever witnessed between E and Bette, all the broken pieces of my heart start to fuse together. I’m still not convinced I’m the best person for him, but if Mase wants to love me, I’m going to be selfish enough to let him.

  Leaving my hand in his, I spin and settle myself back across his lap. The automatic way his arm comes around to tug me a few millimeters closer brings an instant smile to my face.

  “I know the whole reason I’m down here is to see you”—I glance at my best friend, a look of approval on his face as he watches the subtle ways Mase and I interact—“but why are you here? I figured we’d meet you at the gym later.”

  With there being no game on the schedule for the Blue Squad, our plan today is to finish up choreographing JT and Rei’s routine.

  “I asked him to come,” Mason answers, holding out my phone, and this time, the sight of a text from an unknown number freezes me in place. “I wanted him to be here when I showed you this.”

  Those all-too-familiar doubts start to creep their way back in. Can I do this? Can I really? The back and forth of Mase’s thumb over the band representing his place in my life grounds me in the here and now.

  “I heard everything you and the others said to me.” He releases my hand to cup my face, his thumb now brushing along the apple of my cheek. “I want to be the one able to help you when you get overwhelmed by the bullshit. Who better to teach me than the expert?”

  “I do so enjoy being recognized for my expertise.”

  I roll my eyes at the smug expression on JT’s face and the way he’s buffing his nails against his University of Kentucky Cheerleading sweatshirt for effect.

  Doesn’t Mase see? He’s already turning into that person. There’s no panic churning in my gut or cold sweat breaking out along my back at the fact that the bubble of anonymity I thought we had being in Kentucky has popped. I’m not drawing away or running to hide and put as much distance between us as I can. No, instead I try to get as close as possible, my body nuzzling into his.

  There’s still so much we need to discuss. I need to lay all my cards on the table for him. After he knows all the gritty details that could come out, then it will be up to him to decide if I truly am the one he wants to be with. Maybe if I offer to bring Jordan and ATS in to handle his public image, it might be enough of an incentive to ignore any fallout on him come draft time in April.

  JT likes to tell me I’m being melodramatic, and maybe I am, but it’s still not a risk I want to take.

  #Chapter38

  TheQueenB: First our king of football @CasaNova87 chose a Nittany Lion supporter for a girlfriend. Now said girlfriend is…what? Trying to convert him to a University of Kentucky fan? Have you seen this @UofJ411? #WhoDoYouCheerFor #SplittingLoyalties #CasanovaWatch #CasanovasGirl

  *screenshot of Mason hugging Kay from behind, surrounded by people cheering in University of Kentucky gear*

  UofJ411: Is that why we haven’t
seen @CasaNova87 around campus or the AK house? #LoversGetaway #CasanovaWatch #CasanovasGirl

  *REPOSTED—screenshot of Mason hugging Kay from behind, surrounded by people cheering in University of Kentucky gear—TheQueenB: First our king of football @CasaNova87 chose a Nittany Lion supporter for a girlfriend. Now said girlfriend is…what? Trying to convert him to a University of Kentucky fan? Have you seen this @UofJ411? #WhoDoYouCheerFor #SplittingLoyalties #CasanovaWatch #CasanovasGirl*

  TightestEndParker85: Hey @CasaNova87, spending your bye week wasting it on Kay Dennings’ whims to visit that bestie @CheerGodJT of hers isn’t going to help you beat me and my boys in a few weeks #HawksAreGoingDown #FeedingFrenzy

  *REPOSTED—screenshot of Mason hugging Kay from behind, surrounded by people cheering in University of Kentucky gear—TheQueenB: First our king of football @CasaNova87 chose a Nittany Lion supporter for a girlfriend. Now said girlfriend is…what? Trying to convert him to a University of Kentucky fan? Have you seen this @UofJ411? #WhoDoYouCheerFor #SplittingLoyalties #CasanovaWatch #CasanovasGirl*

  UofJ411: Anyone else counting down the days to the last game of the season for our @UofJFootball? #LetMeHearYourHawkCry #CasanovaWatch #CasanovasGirl

  *screenshot of @TightestEndParker85: Hey @CasaNova87, spending your bye week wasting it on Kay Dennings’ whims to visit that bestie @CheerGodJT of hers isn’t going to help you beat me and my boys in a few weeks #HawksAreGoingDown #FeedingFrenzy*

  #Chapter39

  This whole day has been like a rollercoaster with its constant ups and downs.

  Up: Waking up cuddling with a naked Kay.

  Down: The invasion of Liam Parker’s text messages and Instagram trolls.

  Up: Kay putting on my ring.