“Rule numb—”
“No, the part where you called me your girlfriend.”
Her eyes burn into me with need and desire and hope. I’d give anything to keep that look on her face, directed at me, forever. No one has ever looked at me like I held the key to everything they ever wanted. I hope I don’t royally fuck this up.
“My girlfriend is bossy,” I tell her. “But it’s hot as fuck.”
Our clothes come off in between long kisses until she’s down to just a pair of black panties with strings holding the front to the back and I’m in my tented boxers. She climbs on top of me, her boobs bouncing and the pink buds tempting as hell.
Leaning forward, I bring my tongue to one and lick it until she sighs her appreciation.
“Your mouth… Jesus, your mouth.”
I’m about to give her other nipple the same treatment when she scrambles off my lap and strips me out of my boxers. She looks up at me through dark lashes, green eyes swirling with desire.
Wrapping a hand around the base, she takes me into her mouth. The tight suction and the warmth of her has me hissing out a shaky breath. She feels so damn good. I let her work me over until I can’t take it anymore. I flip her onto her back and untie one side of her panties and then the other.
“Damn,” I say after I’ve unwrapped her like a present.
I reach for my jeans and grab a condom out of my wallet. She takes it from me and covers me while I watch on, fascinated with how careful she is and how good her touch feels even over the latex.
We both groan with pleasure and need when I push into her tight pussy. Her hands roam over my arms and chest. She feels me up as I fill her up and it’s so fucking good.
“How’s Chinese?”
I glance at the clock. “I have practice in an hour, I don’t think we have time. Someone kept me busy for too long.” I drop a kiss on the tip of her nose and sit up. “Wanna grab food from University Hall?”
Chloe nods, and we get dressed. Linking our fingers, I pull her hand to my lips and kiss it before dropping our still joined hands and leading her out of the dorm.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Chloe says excitedly, swinging our arms. “I met a guy at the football party. Frank, I think his name was. He said he knew you and you used to hang out or work together or something.”
I stiffen at the name but force my feet and arms to keep moving. “I know lots of people, babe.”
“Tall, dark hair and beard, he said to tell you hello and to call him if you changed your mind?” She looks at me quizzically.
“Oh, yeah. Frank. We have Econ together. Wants me to join his study group.” The words physically hurt as they leave my mouth. How do you tell the girl you’re dating that she just met your former boss, and oh, by the way, he’s a drug dealer and so was I up until the day you met me?
Bri and Mallory are coming out of University Hall as we approach. Bri waves and we walk toward them.
“We’re going over to the courts early to work on passing drills. You wanna come?”
Chloe motions with her head toward me. “We were gonna get lunch.”
“Go,” I say, trying to sound like an understanding boyfriend instead of a shitty one who just lied and needs to flee to think through what I’ve done. I drop her hand and take a step away before she can try and change my mind. “I’ve gotta couple errands to run before weightlifting. I’ll call ya later.”
“Oh. Okay. You’re sure? You still need to tell me all about the new job.”
“Positive, princess.” I kiss her cheek and then wave to her teammates.
I head to the gym early and go straight into warmups. It’s an hour before anyone else gets here but I need to burn off some of the worry and guilt I’m holding.
I jog up and down the court with the ball, crossing over every third dribble. I try and think through the situation logically. I should go straight after practice and tell her the truth. All of it. My friends have stuck by my side even after they found out. Then again, I didn’t lie to them, at least not outright. It was more of an omission.
I know I have to tell her. And I want to. I don’t want to keep anything from her, but damn, I can’t help but want to hold on to the way things are right now. She looks at me like I’m her knight in shining armor, swooping in to save my princess, when in reality, she’s the one who saved me. Every day since the day I met her, she’s made me want to be better, but I can’t hide from the shitty things I’ve done, and I have to believe it won’t be the end of us.
Tuesday morning, Coach gives me the good news that I’ve got sign-off to take the job and I call Lincoln as soon as I get back to the house.
“That’s great news, Nathan.” He pauses. “Do you go by Nathan?”
“Yes, sir.”
He chuckles. “Don’t call me sir, makes me feel old as shit. Lincoln or Linc is fine.”
“Got it.”
“The site is still in progress, but I’ll get you an account so you can see what it looks like from the back end. Pretty simple really. Once a client signs up, they have access to view tutorials, read blog posts, and submit questions or videos, depending on their membership. The most basic level is free, and clients can submit questions that are sorted based on sport. That will be your job, answering the questions that come in through the basic package. So far, it’s been a lot of questions on how they can get more advanced help. We’ve got some canned responses for that, but a few sports-related questions have come in too. It might be slow to start, but I’m confident it’ll pick up as the full site goes live.”
“It sounds great. I’m really excited. Thank you for the opportunity.”
“Glad to have you. I saw you play in the Florida Gulf game last year. You’re a hell of a player.”
“Thanks.” This conversation is trippy. Is this my life right now?
“Alright, I gotta go. Flying to Texas tomorrow to do an event with Tiger Woods at a college down there.”
“No way, really?”
He chuckles. “Watch a bunch of kids with stars in their eyes as Tiger talks about his success and then he leaves and I get to try and tamper their expectations. Everyone thinks they’re the next Tiger Woods and I get to break it to them that they’re not. I assure you it sounds more glamorous than it is.”
When I get off the phone with Lincoln, I text Heath. He has his college visit tomorrow so I wish him luck and then tell him to give Mom the phone so I can call her, hoping my good mood isn’t about to come crashing down.
“Hi, honey,” she answers on the first ring.
“Hey, Mom, how are you?”
“Oh, we’re fine. How are things at Valley? Your brother tells me you got a job.”
“Yeah, I did. Should be able to start sending some money again to help out with Heath’s hockey stuff.” I take a breath and add, “And whatever else you guys need. How’s your job hunt coming?”
“I talked to an old colleague who might have a substitute job coming open. Their fifth-grade teacher is going on maternity leave starting in December.”
She doesn’t mention how her last interview went so I guess that’s my answer on if she got that job. “That’s great, Mom. Heath told me about his NMU visit. Are you going with him?”
“Uncle Doug is taking him.”
I tread carefully. I never know if it’s better to push or leave it be, but this is one of those moments I think she needs a push. “I know, but he still wants you there, too, even if he doesn’t say it.” We’re both quiet until I add, “He needs you, Mom.”
She huffs a small laugh. “Your brother won’t even let me drop him off for school unless I park nearly a block away. Besides, your uncle Doug knows what questions to ask regarding hockey and the team.”
Another retort is on the tip of my tongue, but Heath yells something in the background and Mom responds to him, her mouth away from the phone so I can’t quite follow along.
Hopefully, he’s looking for a razor and some deodorant. I say as much and then it becomes
a back and forth of me barking orders and Mom passing them along, then Heath grumbles back and Mom and I laugh.
It feels good to be joking and laughing, and it’s the first time since Dad died that I don’t wish for things to be different. I’d still give anything to have him around, have him call me and talk sports, tell me he’s proud of me, hear him and Mom be grossly sweet to one another, plan summer trips to see the Brewers play. I miss all of those things, but this moment feels like progress.
“Tell Heath to call me tomorrow night so I can hear about the trip and promise me you’ll at least think about going with him?”
“I promise,” she says softly.
“Talk to ya later, Mom.”
When I hang up, I drop onto my bed and sleep the entire night. Dreamless, peaceful sleep.
26
Chloe
Nathan comes over Wednesday night as I’m staring at my Ethics homework. We’d planned to go out tonight with his friends to celebrate his new job, but I totally spaced on a test I have tomorrow, and I feel like crying as I look through my notes and can only make sense of a small portion.
Things with the roommates have been going really well since I got back, but the more time I spend with them, the less time I have for myself.
He takes a seat on my bed in front of me, and I shove the textbook away and lean forward so my head rests in his lap. “I’m never going to learn this before tomorrow.”
Long fingers slide over my hair. “Sure you will.” He grabs the textbook. “I took this class last year, I can help.”
I sit up. “I totally forgot you’d already taken this class with Professor Penn. Can you help me with Utilitarianism?”
He flips through the pages until he gets to the chapter where I’ve stuck a piece of paper to hold my spot. He reads through for a moment and then snaps it shut and looks to me. “I’m gonna be real with you. I don’t remember a single thing.”
I groan.
“But I’ll stay, and we’ll figure it out together.”
“No, we’re supposed to meet Gabby at Prickly Pear in thirty minutes.”
He shrugs. “She’ll understand.”
“No. I can’t let you miss this. It’s important and you should celebrate. How about you go, and I’ll finish studying and meet up with you guys later?”
“Are you sure?”
I nod and scan through my notes. “Maybe if I read through all my notes a second time, it’ll come back to me.”
He takes my notes and pulls me on to his lap. I wrap my arms around him and kiss him. Since we got back from California, it’s felt like we’ve barely been able to see each other. If we didn’t have class together, most days we wouldn’t. His phone vibrates in his pocket.
“That’s probably Gabby,” I tell him.
“She can wait.” His lips move to my neck, and he brushes my hair back, giving him more access.
My eyes close and I lose myself to his soft mouth and the rough feel of his unshaven face. His fingers skim the hem of my t-shirt, teasing and stroking my skin. I reciprocate by lacing my fingers through his messy hair and tugging while I grind on his thickening erection.
His phone vibrates again and this time, I can feel the resolve to ignore the outside world crumbling.
“Shit, I should check and make sure it’s not Heath or my mom,” he says as he leans back to try and get his phone out of the front pocket of his jeans. “Heath had that NMU visit today.”
Reluctantly, I scoot off his lap. He turns the screen so I can see as he shakes his head. Gabby.
“You should go,” I tell him.
He groans and looks at me with longing. Enough so that I know he doesn’t want to leave me. It makes it easier to let him go. “I’ll text you as soon as I’m done.”
He kisses me swiftly and then stands as he answers. “Hey, Gabs.”
I walk him to the hallway, and he places another kiss on my lips while he keeps talking to Gabby. He mouths, “Later.” And then he hustles to meet his friends.
I spend an hour reading through my notes and looking up the answers to study questions before I decide to break for a caffeine fix. I head over to University Hall, grab a coffee and muffin, and then spend another hour studying there. By the time I get back to my room, I’m exhausted but starting to feel like I’m understanding the material.
I lie on my side and start to read through the chapter again for anything I might have missed.
“Hey roomie.” My eyes fly open at Sydney’s voice. “Sorry,” she says. “I didn’t know you were sleeping.”
I peel my face off the pages of the book and sit upright. “I must have fallen asleep while I was studying. What time is it?”
I reach for my phone at the same time she says, “Eleven-thirty.”
“Shit. I was supposed to meet up with Nathan.”
I have two texts from Gabby.
Gabby: Tick tock. What time are you going to be done studying?
Gabby: CHLOE!!!! I <3 you, come hang out!
I respond to Gabby to let her know I fell asleep and haven’t finished studying and then I text Nathan.
Me: I’m so sorry. I crashed reading my notes. I’m not going to make it out tonight. Make it up to you this weekend?
Nathan: Absofuckinglutely. Good luck on your test.
The next afternoon, I turn in my test and breathe a sigh of relief. My late-night study session paid off and I knew every answer. I vow to do a better job of keeping a balance between my classes and everything else as I head back to the dorm.
I take a power nap then get up and work on a paper that’s due next week before heading to practice. We have an away game this weekend, so practice is light and we focus on skills.
Nathan’s still at his practice when I get done, so I go back and pack for our drive to State tomorrow. Sydney comes into our room freshly showered. “Hanging out with Nathan tonight?”
“I’m not sure,” I tell her. “He’s got a late practice, and we didn’t make any set plans so I’m waiting to hear from him.”
“I’m meeting Liv at TKE if you want to come?”
“I don’t think I wanna drink tonight. I need to get up early in the morning and run through some mobility exercises before classes.”
She shrugs. “I’m not really planning on drinking either, I just need to get out for a while. We’ll come back early or if Nathan texts while we’re out, you can catch an Uber to his place.”
It does sound nice to spend a few hours not studying or practicing. My insides fill with anticipation, and I grin at my roommate. “Alright, let’s do it.”
I double-check my travel bag and load up my backpack for tomorrow’s classes before Sydney and I meet Liv on the first floor of Freddy. I still haven’t heard from Nathan, so I text him to let him know my plans and tell him I’m going to stop by later. I can’t go another night without seeing him, so even if we have to literally just sleep next to one another, I’m going to see him.
Things have been great between us. I think it works out that we’re both so busy; we understand when things come up. And that seems to be the case a lot. He never asks me to stay over at his place since he has to get up so early and doesn’t want to wake me, but I’m thinking I’m going to have to get used to it if I ever want to see him.
Besides, more often than not, I’m up early to get extra conditioning in so it’s not that much of an imposition.
Not at all an imposition when I include the perks of sleeping next to my gorgeous boyfriend.
Sydney, Liz, and I walk to frat row. It’s still fairly early so we grab cups of Sprite—sans the vodka—and hole up in a corner to talk and people watch.
“You look ridiculous wearing your backpack to a party.” Sydney smirks as I drop my bag to the floor at my feet.
“I need my stuff so I can go straight to Nathan’s later. Preparation is key.”
They laugh, but I’m completely serious. Juggling time with Nathan with school and practice is tricky, but I’m determined to make it work.
“Have you talked to Shaw?” I ask Sydney.
She makes a face. “I think I might have played that situation all wrong. I told him I wasn’t going to sleep with him, which he was great about, but now he just invites me over to play Tecmo Bowl.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s code for make out.”
“I thought so too.” She leans forward and crosses her legs, then has to pull at the hem of her seafoam-green dress. “The first time he asked, I went over totally expecting him to make a move and he just handed me a controller. He was wearing sweats and hadn’t showered after practice and he ordered pizza.”
I laugh. “And he didn’t try to kiss you or get handsy, anything?”
“Nothing,” Sydney says with disbelief in her tone. “I did kick his ass in Tecmo Bowl though. Hell hath no fury like a girl who shows up to get some action only to be friend-zoned.”
“You said you weren’t going to sleep with him, Syd.”
“I didn’t mean never, just not before I got to know him.”
“And since then, has he tried to hang out again?” Liv asks.
She sighs. “He’s texted a few times to see if I wanted to come over and play video games, but I make up an excuse every time.”
“I’m sorry.”
She tosses her blonde hair over her shoulder and straightens, perusing the room. “It might be time to throw my five-date rule out the window.”
“Five-date rule?” Liv asks.
“How many dates she makes them hold out for sex,” I tell her.
“How many dates did you make Nathan wait?” Sydney asks, putting me in the hot seat.
“None, or well, technically, I guess one. I slept with him the first night I met him.”
I’ve thought about how to break it to my roommates that I lied about Nathan being my boyfriend so many times with no clear path, and this feels like my chance. “We didn’t really meet in the boy’s locker room. He found me hiding out at that athletic mixer and we got to talking and drinking and well, one thing led to another. Our first time was the night he slept over and Bri almost had a coronary that he was in our living room.”
The Fake: A College Sports Romance (Smart Jocks #4) Page 18
