Page 41 of Hard Count
She swings her leg nervously and I drop my hand on her thigh to offer her support. “Sorry. I’m nervous.”
“You have nothing to be nervous about.” I sit the half eaten ice cream on the counter and stand in front of her. “You can tell me anything.”
“You say that until I’ve dumped all my childhood trauma in your lap. Then you’ll be looking for an excuse to get the hell out of here.”
“Drew,” I say laughing. “I’m not going to run. Like you said, this is all a part of you. And I like you.Kind of.”
“Right. Kind of.” The side of her mouth ticks up before falling.
“I wish I didn’t tell you that.”
“Why?” Her eyes dart to mine. “Do you regret it?”
“I regret downplaying this thing that’s happening between us,” I say, pushing her legs apart enough for me to step in between them. “I regret not telling you how I really feel.”
“You have a chance now. What would you say instead?” Her eyes drop to my lips and she leans toward me.
“I would have said that I sit in class and count down the time until I get to see you again. That I’m happiest when I’m around you.” I move in closer. “I would say that I like you more and more every day and I don’t plan on stopping for any reason. Especially not because of your past.”
Her eyes gloss over while her hands slide behind my neck and she pulls me down for a kiss. I’m learning that she may not be good with words but she isn’t shy with her affection. I don’t mind as she kisses me with everything she has, but I want her words too. I want her to be comfortable with me—to trust me.
Pulling away from her lips, I take a moment to catch my breath. “Will you please tell me more about your life growing up?”
“You still want to know about that?” she asks, worrying her lip. Eventually I’ll prove to her that nothing can scare me away.
“Yes. When did you move to Florida?”
She sighs. “For college. My mom just got dumped and decided to move with me. I didn’t want her to but I also couldn’t stop her.”
“Where did you go to high school?” I take another bite of ice cream. It’s melted but it reminds me of kissing her.
“Westfield Prep.”
“No shit? We played them a few times every year. Did you go to the games?”
She scoffs. “If you have to ask that, we have a lot of work to do. You really don’t know me very well at all.”
“I know you. I’m just surprised I never saw you I guess.”
“You were a little busy being the star quarterback and dating Marci.”
“Right. Did you live with your mom or dad?” I ask.
“My mom. I don’t think my dad put up much of a fight. She also figured out how beneficial it was to put me in the middle. If she used me, she could get what she wanted from my dad.”
“How did you end up living with your mom? Doesn’t sound like she had your best interest in mind.”
“She definitely did not.” She pushes her bracelet around her wrist again. I'll have to ask about that another time. “On paper, my dad worked long hours, traveled, and didn’t present himself as the right fit. Whereas my mom made herself look like the ideal parent. She got me and his money and hegot what he wanted, too, I guess. He didn’t have to change his life and be a single dad.”
“Damn. How did you end up at Newhouse? It must have been hard to leave your senior year.” I won’t mention the fact things got weird when it was brought up at dinner before the season started. Not that it was any less awkward when I joined them for the first celebratory dinner a few weeks ago.
Once again I was an unexpected guest. Except this time it was Coach who was taken by surprise. His shock didn’t last long. He almost seemed happy I was there. Not sure if it was because of me or—like his daughter—he wanted the buffer.
“I wouldn’t have transferred if I didn’t have to. I had a good thing going working with the football team but I ran out of money. Instead of immediately seeking out a loan, I thought I would ask my dad. He said he would pay if I transferred.”
“He wanted you here with him. That’s a good thing,” I say, pressing my palms into the side of her hips.
“Or did he see it as an opportunity to get back at my mom?” She grabs the ice cream and serves herself a bite big enough to get brain freeze. “He doesn’t do anything that doesn’t also benefit him in some way.”
