Page 78 of The Midseason Fakeout

A dopey smile fills my face. I really do like her. Turning over my shoulder, I spot her talking to the head of the ASPCA for Warner County. Her hair is out of place, flyaways framing her pink cheeks. Her shirt is soaked through in some places, but she’s so beautiful.

Turning back to West, I shrug. “We’re not faking it anymore. We’re the real thing.”

He nods, staring at me. His silence irks me. “What?”

“I thought you said you were going to lie low for a bit?”

I return my attention back to the basin, spraying it down with the shower-like head while I figure out what I’m going to say. I never expected a reaction like this. Not from West. He’s my friend. Can’t he see that I’m better with her?

“Were you there for the game I had yesterday?”

He holds up his hands. The boxer he’s sudsing up turns his head to look at him and then licks his hands. “Hey, it’s not like that. I like Bailey. I think she’s good for you. I’m only repeating what you said to me. But if you think this is best, then that’s great, Aidan. Really. I’m happy for you.”

My stomach churns. I can’t think of one thing that Bailey hasn’t made better since she showed up outside my dorm. If anything, she’s made sure I stick to my rules about getting to practice on time and being the best I can be for the games.

Of course, there’s only been one game.

But it was the best game I’ve ever had.

“You think this is a bad idea?”

“No,” West says, but it sounds too forced.

He does. He must, or else he wouldn’t have said it.

I stare at Bailey, who’s moving toward me with the prettiest copper goldendoodle. “This is Luna,” she says.

Luna must know what she’s doing because she walks up the steps and sits right in the basin. Leaning over, she licks my face. “Pretty girl,” I tell her, petting her behind the ears. “Do you want to get a bath?”

Her ears quirk up.

Bailey pats her on the head. “There’s another terrier over there, so I bit the bullet for you, QB1. Didn’t want you to be intimidated. Or lose an arm to the ferocious beast.” She grins at me and walks off.

“Ha-ha,” I call out after her.

I start rinsing Luna down while I think about what West said. It’s early for Bailey and me, but I’m different around her. I’m not the guy I was when I was partying it up and forgetting about all of my dreams.

Girls are a distraction, though.

“How do you do it with Kenna?” I ask West. I peer around him to see her giving a huge Great Dane kisses.

West shrugging makes me look back at him. “It’s just easy. I guess that’s how you know. She doesn’t take away from football, she adds to it.” He takes a deep breath, grabbing the sprayer to start hosing his dog down. “I’m not saying it’s always easy. Football takes up a lot of time. So does school. So does life. I guess just make sure you find someone to do all those things with.”

“Bailey likes football,” I tell him. Kenna goes to West’s games, but she never liked football until him. In fact, she hated it.

“Well, is she staying at Warner? Didn’t you say this was temporary?”

“Yeah, she’s staying,” I state immediately, but my hands freeze. Luna takes the opportunity to lick them.

“You sure?” West asks.

Shit.I glance over at Bailey, who’s snuggling up to a black and white terrier. She has to stay… I’m sure she wants to. She’s so much freer here. Plus, I’m here. There’s no mistaking the chemistry between us. It’s something we both want to pursue.

My chest constricts, that feeling of being separated stretching its dark, shadowy tendrils toward me. I close my eyes, breathing in deep.

I wish there was a way I didn’t have to feel like this again. Like an outsider.

Bailey could easily not stay at Warner. Then what? A long-distance relationship? What happens when that doesn’t work? A month from now. Three years from now. I have a lot of years left here. At least two and a half. Possibly a third season if my draft chances don’t look good.

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