Page 52 of The Pass Protection
“Thanks, Bret.” Brynn hugs me back before looking at Macy. “And this is why I won’t be having tequila.”
Macy chuckles as she settles back into her spot on the couch. “Looks like it’s a seltzer kind of night.”
“I’ll take a beer if you have one,” Sav says, and I nod.
“Do the guys know?” Curiosity piqued my interest, so I know if I must keep it a secret.
Brynn shakes her head. “Q is going to call them up tomorrow. I told him I had to tell my girls first because even though I’m a married woman now, it’s still chicks before dicks.”
We all laugh as I head to the kitchen to grab drinks. Turns out it’s going to be a canned alcoholic beverage—and water—kind of night.
“Get him! Get him!” Brynn roars at the TV from where she’s leaning on her elbows. CTU is down by three in the fourth quarter. Our wings are long gone, and the snacks have been moved from the dining table to the coffee table.
Tonight is exactly what I’ve needed. The girls have filled me in on all of the campus gossip, the best places to eat and get coffee, a local florist who has the best floral arrangements, a hidden gem boutique with the cutest clothes, and everything in between.
When I left Arizona, I only had Olivia. Making friends is challenging, especially when you have the suitcase-sized baggage that I have, but the girls have reassured me that we all have our own shit. No matter what I’m going through, they will always have my back, and whenever I’m ready to talk about it, they will be there for me.
“Oh my gosh,” Sav shouts, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I watch as Grant breaks a tackle and runs toward the end zone. He scores, which puts us up by three with three minutes left. Our kicker comes out onto the field to attempt the extra point. Hands clasped under my chin, I mumble a silent prayer. The ball is snapped, the kick is up, and it’s good. I jump on my feet and raise my arms.
“Damn, girl, it’s like you’re out there playing.” Brynn flips her hair over her shoulder as she adjusts her position.
“Listen, I live with three of those men, and I don’t need them all grumpy when they come home.”
“Finally going to take advantage of your situation and have yourself a little reverse harem action?” Chloe waggles her eyebrows as three other heads whip in my direction.
“First of all, no. Second, my brother almost killed me after that comment at dinner, and last,” I say, ticking each point off on my fingers. “Crew caught me reading that book you lent me.”
Chloe erupts in a full-fledged cackle as she grasps her stomach. “Please tell me it was a sex scene.”
“Girl, it was right when the main character finally gave in to letting both guys in her bed. So yeah, I was pretty riled up when he and Tyler came home.”
“Should’ve taken advantage of the situation.” Brynn smirks. “The hormones have me riled up all the time. Long-distance phone sex just isn’t the same.”
More laughs and giggles sound. It’s been the constant soundtrack of our night. Leaning back in my seat, I bounce my knee as I watch the clock tick down until the clock finally hits zero. The Eagles scraped that win out by the skin of their teeth.
“Okay, movie time!”
Reaching for blankets and pillows, the five of us snuggle together on the huge sectional couch and watch a movie until we all eventually drift off to sleep.
The first month of school is officially over. September has transitioned into October. If I were back in Ohio, I’d enjoy the changing foliage as leaves take on golden-brown hues and temperatures start to drop, entering cool, crisp days.
But alas, I’m in Texas, where fall isn’t a season.
Practice this morning was brutal. Coach had us outside running through drills as if it were summer camp and we were conditioning before moving us inside the facility for a light scrimmage. The team has been on a roll, as we are still undefeated for the season after winning our first five games. While we’ve won games, the scores have been close, which Coach isn’t too happy about. It turns out that since winning the championship, we’ve plastered targets onto our backs.
Cleats click sharply against the pavement as we jog from the indoor practice facility to the locker room. Groans and grumbles filter into my thoughts. Between football and the coursework for year three as an agricultural business student, I feel drained. Last season, we seemed to find more time to party, but as classes get more challenging and external factors begin to weigh in on everything, fun seems to be taking the back burner.
I follow the guys into the locker room and immediately start stripping out of my sweat-soaked T-shirt, followed by my compression shirt.
Conversations start as I pull out a change of clothes before making my way to the showers. I’m halfway to the showers when an idea pops into my head. A slow smirk slides across my face, and I rush through my shower.
Shoving through the doors, the Texas sun greets me as I move across the parking lot toward my truck. Thumbing through my contacts, I hit the name I was searching for as the phone begins to ring. Unlocking the door with my fob, I climb into the pickup and start the ignition, waiting for the call to go through.
“Hello?” Her voice is a hushed whisper as it connects to the Bluetooth.
“Rebel, what’s your schedule look like?” Tilting my head against the headrest, I close my eyes. I think I could sleep for a week if the opportunity presents itself.
