Noah
Grand Gesture
“You’d think we’d be used to the monkey suits after every single away game, but somehow it feels worse wearing them here.” Colt walks over to where I’m fussing with my tie, probably looking as uncomfortable as I feel.
“Just itching to leave,” I argue with a sigh, but most people aren’t done with dessert yet, and there’s still the silent auction. Leaving my bed this morning was absolute torture, but Savannah didn’t want to get caught, so we were at the table as if nothing happened by the time Izzie stumbled out of bed. We barely had time for Savannah’s French toast breakfast I had to get here to help set up the fundraiser. I left Savannah at her dorm with my notes on her book, promising her I’d be over as soon as this was done, but now I’m counting down the minutes and I’m not sure I’ll last.
I sigh as I look around the room, dangerously tempted to pull the fire alarm.
“Looking good, Callahan.”
I tense at the sound of her voice. Some girls call themselves puck bunnies because they’ll sleep with any one of us without discrimination, but others make it their goal to cross every player off their list before the season is done.
“Hey Tish, thanks for coming.” I give her a polite smile.
“How could I not after hearing about your broken heart?”
“That’s sweet, but I’m not interested.”
“The way I hear it, neither is she.”
Savannah and I didn’t discuss it, so although I want everyone at Wynchester and in the goddamn world to know I’m hers, I understand that things I say can end up on gossip sites, and don’t want to make her the center of attention again. At least not without her consent. And even if Sav never took me back, I still wouldn’t be desperate enough to let Tish use me for her roster bingo card. But I’m not an asshole, so I don’t tell her that.
“The heart wants what it wants.”
“And yours wants her? Really?” Tish is skeptical, like she thinks I’m using Sav as an excuse to play hard to get with her.
“More than anything,” I agree before deciding I feel a migraine coming on. Or I left the stove on. Anything to get me out of here.
I scour the room for Coach Benson, because I’m pretty sure that if he’s with his wife, he’ll let me go, but before I find him, Tish lets out a gasp the entire room mimics.
There’s silence, then an excited buzz as bodies converge on the entrance.
“Oh my God.” Tish completely ignores me and joins the crowd.
Luckily, I’m pretty tall, and most of my teammates are staying back, so I can make out the people at the middle of the mob. The men are taller than the people lining up to talk to them, and I’d recognize their faces anywhere, because they have Savannah’s smile. She’s a foot shorter, but I spot her brown curls, and my body is moving closer before my brain even registers what’s happening.
“Who the fuck is that?” Darren asks me.
“Clayton and Dallas James,” I say without stopping. “She came,” I add to his confused expression.
By the time I’m close, Coach Benson has convinced most people to act civilized and wait their turn, but my eyes are focused on Savannah, who looks so beautiful my chest hurts. She stands between her brothers with a resigned look on her face, searching for someone. My heart stops at the smile when her eyes land on me.
She whispers something to her brothers, then walks through the mob to get to me, nodding in response to questions, but her eyes are locked on me.
I meet her halfway and immediately pull her into a hug, taking a shuddering breath that feels like my first one in days, even though it’s only been hours since I last had her in my arms. She relaxes into it, and I swear, it’s like all the weight is lifted off my shoulders.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, brushing the hair from her face, searching her eyes for something being wrong, but she’s smiling nervously, and she doesn’t look like she rushed over in a panic. Her hair and makeup are done to accentuate all the features I love, and her body is killing me in that dress.
“This is my grand gesture,” she explains, looking around at the people who have now seen her with her brothers, and with me. “You’re worth it.”
“You don’t need one, baby. You just need to let me be yours.”
She shakes her head and takes a deep breath.
“After the Kinsey incident, I worked at a summer camp, where I met Ethan.”
I’ve heard about the asshole boyfriend who made her doubt herself, so my nostril is flared, but I hold it in to let her keep going.
