Page 63 of Notorious Man on Campus

Either way, it turns out that Roman goes in the second round. And me? I get picked tenth overall. Not half bad. The excitement is there, but doesn’t come close to the anticipation of my celebration later with Nyla, when we’re alone. Having Dad and Jimmy and Patrick here to congratulate me is what gives the night a special zing. The rest is tinsel.

The people at the tire store have their own watch party and send congrats including Aunt Elizabeth. We’re on Zoom with the TV network with cameras set up in the corner of BMOC’s front room, me and Nyla and Roman are front and center. Nyla goes crazy and so does Dooley. They’re an embarrassment of over-the-top celebration, but not as over-the-top as I am as I pick her up on my shoulder and dance around whooping loudly and starting up a Wildbeast chant which I then morph into a chant for my new team.

Since there’s no secret that the team was interested in me, Dad whips out my new team’s hat and I put it on. Pittsburgh. I’ll practically be going home.

After the celebration including cake and champagne and a keg of beer, Dad, Jimmy and Patrick go to their hotel and most of the guys go out and I’m left with Nyla and a few guys in the house.

“Where’s Allie?” I ask, realizing she’s not here though I thought she’d been invited and wonder if it’s truly over between them. He shrugs, but I recognize the pain that flashes in his eyes. Fuck. I want to prompt him like I’m suddenly a sensitive guy, but Nyla squeezes my hand.

“She’s gone,” Dylan finally says. His words are final, his voice strong, if sad. Shit. Maybe he’s not going to fall apart. Not everyone does, right? But it has to hurt because I can see it.

“Sorry, man,” I say, truly meaning it. I feel a tiny pinch of regret, knowing I’ll miss her teasing and knowing what he feels has to be a thousand times worse.

“Sure you are,” he says, trying to joke.

“I really am.” I give him a pat on the shoulder. “Seriously. She was cool. Sorry it didn’t work out.”

“Nah. It’s okay. She wasn’t the one. We’re cool. We’ll end up friends.” He pauses a beat and says, “I need more heat and excitement with a girl I’m serious about.” He grins. “Something like you and Nyla have.” I raise my brows to my hairline and my gut rolls with excitement. Fuck. Are we that couple? “But I’m not in a hurry to find that.”

“You weren’t in love with her,” Nyla says, not asking.

“I don’t know what love is,” Dylan says. “Someday I’ll find out, but I don’t need to know what love is right now. I have two years to go at SPU.”

“That’s right, you’re on the five year plan,” Roman says. Dylan gives him the finger.

“You’re the new BMOC president,” I say, “and the new QB1. The new hot shit on campus.”

“He’s always been a hot shit on campus,” Nyla says. “But now that he’s single and you’ll be out of the way, he’s going to be a supernova.” She laughs at my frown.

“What about you?” I say to Roman.

“I’m psyched to go to Arizona. I thrive in the sunshine.”

“You’re really leaving tonight?” Dylan says. Roman nods at each of us. We stare long and hard and I nod.

“Our paths will cross in the NFL, Roman, and when they do, I swear I’ll play my heart out to beat you. But I’ll always think of you as a teammate, man.” We hug and after he gives Dylan a man hug too, Roman heads to the front door where his bags are packed and waiting.

“On that note, I’m going to bed,” Dylan says. “Good night everyone.” I clap a hand on his shoulder and take him in for a hug. I’ll miss him, miss seeing him every day, joking, being teammates, him having my back and me having his, but I don’t say it out loud. I don’t have to.

“Time for me to leave then,” Majik says. She turns to me and my heart lurches because our days together are numbered too and I feel it acutely, like a gnawing in the pit of my stomach whenever the thought strikes me. When she lifts her arms for a hug, surprise and warmth flare up and I lean into her and hold onto the woman thankful as fuck she’s still with me and grateful for the rare hug. When she lets me go, I look her straight in the eyes, not afraid to show her my emotion because I can see hers and we’re two of a kind in a lot of ways except she’s far wiser, and female. Probably the same thing. She nods, her eyes bright, but no tears shed.

“You done good, Richard Blanick. Changed yourself from a Brick to a solid young man.” Then she clears her throat and smirks.

“Why do I feel like I’m on the set of a really weird Wizard of Oz remake?” I say and we laugh. Nyla gives the woman a hug without invitation or hesitation and Majik returns it. Then she picks up her battered old bag and goes out the back door like she does every night. But this time a big piece of my heart tears as if she’s taking it with her and I feel the searing pain of loss.

“God I’m going to miss her,” I say out loud, acknowledging the pain somehow making it easier to bear. Having Nyla hug me tight almost makes it disappear. But not quite and I take a deep shaky breath.

“I know. She’s been like a mother to you,” she says. I don’t bother arguing. I nod my head.

We go up to my room and I close the door, my heart beating fast and hard. But it’s not all about my excited dick. In fact, it’s mostly about the emotion overwhelming me right now as I look at her standing in the middle of my room, taking her clothes off. I hold her eyes with my gaze, not even tempted to look away, though I do have real good peripheral vision.

“Let’s make love, Brick.” She comes to me, softly resting her warm body against mine. “She looks up into my eyes and holds my face in her hands. “Because I love you, Brick. With all my heart and soul, I’m madly in love with you.” Then she kisses me before I can respond to her dizzying words and I kiss her back, letting the sensations take over the swirling in my head as I lower her to my bed. We make love long and slow. I worship every part of her, my hands shaky with bottled up emotion and tenderness.

When we finally reach that pinnacle and go over the edge together, shuddering and clutching at each other, holding on for dear life, I let go of all those emotions too.

“Nyla, I’m so in love with you. God help me, but I am.” She kisses my mouth, her eyes glistening and a teary laugh escapes.

“Don’t you know confessing your love during sex doesn’t count?”