“Did he get an agent yet?” Abigail asked curiously.
“There were a few people he mentioned that are on his shortlist. James Phoenix, Jordyn Davis, Jason Miles. Quite a few people are trying to pick him up, though.”
“I’m telling you, Mel. Your boy is going to be big.”
Melanie definitely knew that now. She knew that way more than she had known before when she thought Noah was just some playboy brat who didn’t take her classes seriously. Noah was destined for big things, and sometimes, Melanie couldn’t help but think about how she was going to get left behind when he did. Her apprehension of a relationship with him didn’t just stem from their age difference or the fact that she had been his professor. Those things definitely bothered her, but there were other things as well, like the fact that their futures didn't align at all. Melanie was a stickler for the details, and in her opinion, when it came down to relationships, it was important that you and your partner wanted the same things. Abigail judged her for making love so calculated, but Melanie knew that love alone couldn't make a relationship survive especially marriage.
What was going to happen when Noah went pro? Would they even be able to tell anyone? The media would pick at her like vultures if they found out that she had been his professor before they dated. She could see the messages she would receive now on social media in this day and age, and there would be no running from it. And Melanie knew that it didn't matter what sport a man played, whether it be basketball, football or hockey, women would throw themselves at him, women who were his age and beautiful. What would he want with her anymore?
What place would Melanie have in his life at all?
Though Melanie didn’t want to think about it, she couldn’t help it. When she went to sleep at night, even in his arms, these were the worries that plagued her dreams and made her question if she had made a mistake by following her heart instead of her gut that told her this relationship would not have a happy ending either way.
“Oh, please stop with that look on your face. You’re making my head hurt,” Abigail said, shaking her head. “I can literally see the wheels spinning. Stop worrying so much.”
“Whatever,” Melanie said, ignoring her friend. She couldn’t help what she felt. She couldn’t help that she feared that one day Noah might possibly leave her, and their short time together would be all for nothing.
“What’s eating at you? What did he do?” Abigail asked. “Or are you just overthinking because you’re that type?”
“When I'm with him, sometimes it feels like forever,” Melanie said, thinking about how she felt when she was around Noah, and what it felt like to be in his arms, safe with him. “But whenever we part, it feels like I’m brought back to reality. We won’t last, and I know it.”
“Melanie, you can’t think like that—”
The rest of Abigail’s words paused when there was a short knock on the door, and instantly Melanie knew it was him because no one else knocked like that. She didn’t even bother to say come in because a second later, the door opened, and Noah stepped inside.
“Hey, Abi,” Noah greeted Abigail and clapped her shoulder with a light squeeze.
Abigail brightened up her mood with a smile. “Hey, Lover Boy. How’s the ice?”
“Never better,” Noah said as he walked behind the desk and bent down to give Melanie a hug. Melanie didn’t bother to reprimand him because he knew that Abigail knew about their relationship.
“Why are you here now? I thought we were meeting up later?” Melanie asked curiously and bit down her annoyance seeing him lean against her desk. She hated when he did that. If her desk broke, he was definitely paying for a new one.
“I know, but something came up. My friends been ragging on me about going out with them since I’ve been MIA lately. So, I’m probably going to do that tonight.”
Melanie bit down her disappointment, not wanting to seem too needy because whenever Noah wasn’t practicing or going to class, he spent his time with her. He was still young though, and he should have the time to party and hang out with his friends rather than spending every waking moment with her. This was probably good for him anyway since he had been working so hard as of late. He needed a break to go out and party.
“Okay,” Melanie said with a small smile. “Thanks for telling me.”
“If I don’t come back tonight, I’m probably going to be back in my dorm,” Noah told her as bent down and kissed her cheek before he whispered, “I'm going to miss you.”
Instantly, Melanie felt her heart warm, and she watched him as he left her office.
“That boy has got you sprung,” Abigail said, shaking her head. “But then again, I think he might be the same way.”
Melanie shook her head, not bothering to respond, though she couldn’t help but agree with her friend. Sometimes, she felt like Noah had a spell over her, and she couldn’t really think straight or properly. She was a level-headed person, but with him, she was something else entirely.
“Well, I don’t think you should spend your evening alone waiting for him to come back home. How about you hang out with me?”
"What do you want to do?" Melanie asked. She didn't mind going out, and that would keep her busy instead of thinking about what Noah was doing. Besides, it had been a while since she hung out with Abi.
"Go to a bar."
Melanie frowned, staring at her friend pensively. "You want to hang out with me at a bar?"
Abi nodded.
"You don't want to go out to eat or to the movies or shopping?"
