She smiled. “And why’d you want to bring me here?”
“I just know how much you like Italian food.” I cleared my throat. “And I wanted to talk to you about something.”
She cocked her head at me. “What is it?”
“I know you’re going home this summer so you can work your ass off to be able to pay for sorority dues and formal dresses.”
“Right,” she said, breaking one of the parmesan knots in half and popping it in her mouth. “Mmm. These are so good.” She smiled at me. “Thanks for bringing me here. We never get to go to places like this.”
I thought of all the times Aubrey and I had been here together and felt guilty. I typically just took Sadie to the diner for a burger.
“I’m glad you like it. But back to what I was saying.” I was nervous and wanted to get this out on the table. “You know I make a ton of NIL money, right?”
College sports had changed so much and so rapidly over the past few years, it was hard to keep up. But players were paid Name, Image, and Likeness money, known as NIL, based on money they earned the school and from promotional campaigns,corporate sponsors, and more. Last year, I’d made barely any as an unrecognizable second-string quarterback. Now? After I’d become the face of football at Carruthers? I was making millions. Any standout player who doesn’t get good NIL money from a school can easily enter the transfer portal at the end of the season to go play for another school. Usually, that school offers them more money, and that’s why they leave. But I didn’t have to. Carruthers was thrilled to have me, and they’d given me a lucrative deal to keep me here.
Her eyes shot up to mine. “Yes, I know you got a lot of money.”
“So, why don’t you let me pay for all of that? Then you could stay here this summer and we could hang out. You wouldn’t even have to take classes. I’d rent you an apartment so your parents wouldn’t think you were staying with me at the frat house.”
She frowned. “That’s nice of you, but I want to pay my own way. I don’t want to use your money for my things.”
“But I really, really want you to stay with me this summer.” She had no idea that a lot of the reason was because I needed a buffer between Aubrey and me. My attraction to her was growing stronger, and I needed Sadie in front of me daily to keep me strong.
“I’m sorry,” she said, looking contrite. “But I’ve already accepted the jobs. I’m not going to leave them high and dry. These aren’t nameless, faceless people I’d be affecting. One job is with my former cheerleading coach. I’m in charge of the cheer clinic she’s running. And the other is proctoring classes and testing for summer school at the high school. That could really help me get a foot in the door when it’s time to apply for a teaching job in a few years. I’m sorry, but it’s a done deal, Harrison.”
What she said made sense, but I was starting not to trust myself. I was worried I was going to cheat on her. I rubbed theback of my neck. “I understand.” My voice came out harshly, and I saw her flinch.
“Are you really mad about it?”
“I just know that I’m about to enter a season that Coach says could win me the Heisman. It would’ve been nice to have my girl beside me, supporting me at practices, in my bed every night, just being a girlfriend.” The Heisman Trophy was awarded each year to the top college football player in the nation. I couldn’t believe my coach thought I’d stand a chance to win it my sophomore year. But he did.
“Practices are closed, though.”
I waved my hand. “Yeah, but I could get you in. It wouldn’t even be hard.” I stared at her, hard. “Do you know how many girls would doanythingto be my girlfriend? And I can’t even get my girlfriend to stay with me over the summer.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I… can’t believe you just said that. You never would’ve said something like that back in high school.” She stared at me like she’d never seen me before.
I sighed. “Just forget it, okay? I shouldn’t have brought it up. It’s just that lots of the guys have girlfriends who are hanging around to make sure they have everything they need. I would’ve liked for you to have been one of them. That’s all.” I knew my tone was bordering on angry, but I was having trouble holding back.
“Okay,” she said. She tried to smile at me, but I saw that her eyes looked suspiciously glassy. Was she going to cry? That wouldn’t be good at all.
“Sadie. I love you. I just wanted to share this spot with you and have a nice night out before you have to leave for the summer. Was I hoping to talk you out of going? Yes. But if I can’t?” I shrugged. “That’s just something I’ll have to deal with.”
The rest of the evening was… not ideal. We were awkward with each other. I was mad at Sadie, whether she deserved it ornot, and she could tell. The air between us buzzed with words we left unsaid.
When we got back to my fraternity house, the sex between us was lackluster for the first time. Things were off between us, and we both felt it.
Then it got worse.
“You know, I have so much to do to get ready to leave town tomorrow, I think I’ll go back to my dorm tonight.” She couldn’t meet my eyes as she said it.
It would be the first time all year that she hadn’t slept over after sex.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded.
“Well, come see me tomorrow before you leave, okay?”
