Playing Hard to Get(100)

“Knox didn’t mention it.” I’m not offended though. Like I told him before, they should have family time together, and I don’t always need to be there.

“Ah, I figured you’d go.”

“It’s okay. I’ll go talk to Knox after the game and then head home with Nat.”

We file down to the bottom of the stands and go out onto the field, once they open it to the public, which is a tradition our college still maintains. I go in search of Knox, losing Blair and Nat in the process, but I’m not too worried. Natalie will find me.

She always does.

“There you are,” Knox says when he spots me, jogging over to where I’m standing. He is a mess. His white home uniform is covered with dirt and grass stains and I’m pretty sure that’s blood on the front of his jersey. “You’ve got my number on your face.”

“You like it? That was Natalie’s idea.”

His gaze goes soft and he cups my face, his thumb streaking across my cheek. “I love it. I like seeing you wear my number.”

The possessive kiss he delivers to my lips has me swaying toward him. So much so that he has to brace me with his hands on my shoulders. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I like it.” He chuckles. “Holy shit, that was some game.”

“You were great.” I give him a hug, not caring how awkward it is when he’s decked out in his full equipment.

“Only during the second half. I don’t know what was up those first two quarters.” He releases me and takes a step back, shaking his head. “Man, that was rough.”

“You did it though. You won.”

He grins, resting his hands on his hips. “You’re right. We did do it, didn’t we?”

Knox looks so pleased with himself, I pull my phone out of my pocket and take a quick photo of him.

“Hey.” He only sounds mildly irritated. And from the smile I see on his face, I know he’s really not irritated with me at all. “Let’s take a photo together.”

We snap a few selfies together and I immediately post them on social media at his request. My favorite is the one of us smiling into the camera cheek to cheek, his number on full display on my other cheek. I caption it, 88 is my favorite number.

“That’s good,” he says, his gaze stuck on his phone screen as he checks out my post. “We look really happy.”

“I am really happy,” I admit, my voice soft.

Despite the chaos on the field surrounding us, I feel like we’re all alone. That he’s mine and I’m his and no one else matters. Knox makes me feel special. Like I’m loved and cherished. And I don’t ever want this feeling to end.

Clearing my throat, I part my lips, my declaration of love right on the tip of my tongue, when his parents magically appear, ruining the moment.

“What a game!” his mother yells before she wraps him up in an embrace.

I stand off to the side and let them gush over their son. The pride on their faces is nice to see and I’m proud of him too. He’s definitely going places. After his senior year, he’ll most likely end up playing for an NFL team.

My smile fades. What happens then? Where do I fit into his life once he graduates and moves on?

I’m frozen, immovable as he talks with his parents. His mom eventually asks me to take photos of them and I launch into action, moving like a robot, taking the photos for them as requested while they run through various poses. They ask me to pose with them as well and I do so, standing next to Knox like a dutiful girlfriend does, the entire time wondering what I should do. Where should I go.

“You’re coming to dinner with us, right?” Knox asks me at one point and I slowly shake my head, the refusal automatic.

“You guys go ahead without me. Spend time with your family before they leave.”

He frowns. “I thought you’d want to go.”

“It’s okay.” I smile at him. “Call me later and maybe we can get together if you’re not too tired.”

“I’m never too tired for you.” He kisses me, his dad calling his name at the same moment. Knox goes to him and I watch them talk, his dad beaming with pride, his mother watching them both with fondness shining in her eyes.

Before, when Knox would talk about the NFL—never that much though, he always said he didn’t want to jinx himself—I didn’t think that much of it. But now that my heart is on the line, it's different.

He's going to leave me eventually.

And it’s going to hurt.





THIRTY-EIGHT





JOANNA





It’s late, and Natalie and I have finally arrived back at our apartment. We went out to dinner together after we left the game, our main topic of conversation being Cam and Blair. Turns out they were all going back to the hotel for dinner and Cam was going with them. The Maguires are big fans of Camden Fields and wanted some time with him to catch up on what he’s got going on.

I actually think Owen Maguire wanted to drill his son’s best friend and see if he was planning on going through with the draft or not.

“I still can’t believe you didn’t go to dinner with them,” Natalie says as she parks her car into her specified slot. “You could’ve observed them together for hours.”