What if tonight was the night we broke a record? Or the moment Romano solidified his path to getting drafted round one?
The potentials were amazing.
“Looking serious today, Emerson.” Princeton Charming walked up to me with a high five and a big grin. I slapped his hand.
“You rest that arm all week?”
“Nah, I mean, I took care of it, but I didn’t rest. Don’t even understand the word.”
“Stretch it well and take care of yourself. Injuries this part of the season would be brutal.”
“I know. You’ve been on my ass all season, Emerson.” He held a fist, and I hit it, but the movement was off, and I tripped. “Shit, you alright?”
He gripped my forearms and righted me.
My ankle throbbed hard, and I did my best not to wince. “Yeah, totally okay.”
“Ivy.” His voice changed as his fingers moved from my bicep to my forearm. They outlined my scar, and he sucked in a breath. “What—this is wicked. What happened?”
It was silly. It was a normal question. But my face heated. This felt intimate even though it wasn’t. The concern on his face was evident as he dragged his finger over the bump once, then twice. Insecurities blasted through me knowing he saw the scar.
“It’s an old injury from childhood.” I pulled my arm against my chest, shame clouding my vision. I’d done nothing wrong, but Princeton touching me caused an awareness to go off.
I didn’t want to upset Callum.
“It looks serious. Are you sure you’re alright? Your face is red, and you’re breathing like you’re in pain?”
I shook my head just as goose bumps broke out on the back of my neck. I knew that feeling.Callum.“I’m alright, Charming. Have a good game, yeah?”
Callum woke up in my bed that morning, his sleepy smile greeting me, but when I glanced at him now, his eyes were darkand his face serious. His jaw flexed as he moved his attention from me, to Charming, then back to me.
A dark, angry expression crossed his face before he masked it to nothing. No smirk. No smile. No acknowledgement.
My heart thudded in my throat. It was just a blatant ignoring. My gut soured, and my insides churned. He saw Charming talk to me, touch my arm, and he was pissed. I promised him I was loyal to him, but it could’ve seemed bad if he walked down the hall at that time.
My heart raced as I swallowed a ball of emotion the size of a sock. My eyes prickled as I stared at Callum’s back. He wore his pads, not quite in uniform yet, as he walked with one of the defensive coaches. He glanced at me like I was nothing, and god, that hurt.
All week, he’d smirked or winked at me, but this icy stare hurt my chest.That’s why you never assume things are going well.
Anytime I was happy or feeling like things were going my way, something would happen. It was a terrible mindset to have, and I fought it hard, but the negativity and worry won.
I admitted I loved him, and it terrified me, and the first sign of concern caused me to get dizzy.
Fact: you could be jumping to conclusions.
Fact: you might be nervous because Mr. Allpress is here.
Fact: you might still be worried he’ll ghost you again.
No. I forced my sheer will to push the concern to the side. Mr. Allpress was here today, and I wanted to impress him. That came first. That was three years’ worth of grit and hard work, so nothing like pesky feelings would get in the way of that.
Okay,my gut feeling earlier had been right. Something was in the air because the game was brutal. The guys hit hard and played dirty. Two fights broke out. Two players were ejected from the game, and my heart hadn’t stopped racing. Callum’s defense was top-notch, but after his second sack in the third quarter, the vibe shifted.
“O’Toole is a beast today! Let’s go, boy!”
I clutched the water bottles, ready to squirt into the players’ mouths when needed, but my hands couldn’t move. It seemed like Michigan offense was targeting Callum. He could be a shit talker when prompted, and the rough plays and dirty shoves riled him up.
Loyal to a fault, the second someone on the other team talked smack, he’d retaliate. He was so fucking smart and witty, and no one could keep up with his banter. My heart ached at the unease growing all day.
