Page 74 of Cocky Player

Yeah, turned out I was.

I didn’t callBrenna after I ate dinner.I had evening workout and then an hour of meetings going over plays where we went over what we did wrong during that day (a whole hell of a lot, according to our coaches), what we did right (very fucking little).

By the time I returned to my room, I was wiped out, but I forced myself to shower, threw on a T-shirt and propped up all the pillows I could find on my tiny ass bed and picked up the phone.

I still didn’t call her.

I pulled up my video messaging app, found her number, and hit the connect button.While it rang, I grabbed my earbuds and pushed them in so I could hear her better.

Just when I thought I was going to get a “can’t connect” message on my phone, she connected.The screen went blurry and then she was there.Her strawberry blonde hair piled into a mop on top of her head, small wisps of hair curled around her ears, at her temples.One small section stuck straight out behind her ear.

“Hey,” she said and held up a finger.“Give me a minute to get to my room.”

Her image shook as she walked but she didn’t walk fast enough before I heard Gina in the background.“If you’re going to have phone sex, do it quietly!”

The last of her shout was muffled and Brenna scowled.

“Brandon…how about you keep your girl quiet?”

“On it, Brenna.”

Finally, her door shut and when she grinned at me, I was already smiling wide.“Phone sex?Now there’s an idea I hadn’t thought of when I called.”

But hell if it didn’t sound like a good idea now that I was looking at her for the first time in days.Starved for her…her touch, her smile, the sweet sound of her voice.

“I miss you,” I blurted without thought.Without anything hindering me.I’d been thinking of her for hours, what Powell and Shannon had.What half the guys on my team had.I’d never considered myself good enough for something like that, but if Brenna saw something good in me, perhaps I hadn’t given myself enough credit.

“Well,” she said softly, her voice almost a whisper.I’d surprised her.Good.I liked I could do that.Her phone shifted and then she was laying back against pillows with pink and gray flowers.“I miss you too.How’s camp going?”

“Brutal.”Every muscle screamed for a massage.“But good.New guys are coming along and the old guys already know what they need to do.No serious injuries in the off-season so as long as we stay healthy through pre-season, we’re looking good.”

All except Powell.Who might be retiring.I still didn’t want to think about that.We had several other tight end options, but none as incredible as him.It’d throw us off for next year unless we traded.

“You look like you’re concentrating on something,” she said and I relaxed my features and forced a smile.

“Work shit.Just thinking about the season.It’s all swimming in my head.”

“You didn’t have to call if you’re busy.”

“I wanted to talk to you.See you.Powell said you got together with Shannon the other night.”

“Yeah.And Paige and Elizabeth.They were sweet.”

“Heard you found out some info Powell hasn’t shared with anyone.”

“He told you?”

“Dinner tonight.”

“Shannon’s so excited.”Her smile was happy enough to light up an entire stadium.“Grouchy and not feeling great, but happy and I think Paige might be even more excited about being an aunt.”

“What’d you think about it?”

“Me?”Her head jerked back like I surprised her.Was I going here?Tonight?

Yeah.

“What about me?”she asked.“I’m thrilled for her.Babies are the best things in the world.”

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