Page 13 of The Game Plan
I nod again, knowing he can’t see me, which worries him. “Sav, you’re not alone. Do you hear me?” His voice breaks slightly. “You arenotalone.”
My throat tightens and my body trembles as I curl in the corner, phone cradled against my ear like it’s the only thing tethering me to the ground. “Tell me something,” I whisper. “I need you to distract me.”
I absentmindedly rub circles on my belly as I fight off the panic rising as Ridge tells me a story. He’s recounting the time I made him sit through a cheer competition in high school when all his friends were having a party in the woods. He tells me that even though his friends were giving him endless hell for going to a cheer performance, he didn’t care. There was nowhere else he’d rather be than supporting me.
Then Missy Locke saw him in the crowd and thought he was there for her, so she gave him a blowjob in the supply closet at school the next day. I shake my head and can’t help the chuckle that escapes. Of course, that happened to him. Ridge is nothing if not a ladies' man.
Ridge continues, telling me how he’s adjusting to the new town and how he’s met a group of people that he can’t wait to introduce me to. That he’s finally doing something with his talent—hacking—in a helpful way. Even though he won’t fill me in on the full story, I know he’s doing something that makes himhappy, and that’s good enough for me. He promises he’ll be here as soon as he can, even if I object.
The sound of clicking comes through the speaker, and I know he’s texting. A swift kick to the ribs has me grunting. “You okay, Sav?”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “Just a kick to the ribs.”
“We going to have a little fighter on our hands?”
“It is a Holycross.”
“Damn right.” He pauses. “It?”
Shit.My secret has been revealed. “We aren’t doing this right now.
He grunts but doesn’t argue. “My buddy has a guy coming over to watch your place until I can get down there.”
Another loud noise comes from downstairs, and I let out a small squeak.
Ridge lowers his voice to a near whisper. “I’m right here, Savvy. I’m not going anywhere.”
Minutes stretch into what feels like hours before I hear the faint wail of sirens in the distance. Then, finally, lights glow through the windows—red and blue slicing through the darkness and breaking the flashes of lightning.
“Thank god,” I mutter.
“What?”
“The police are finally here.” I crawl toward the window, enough to peer through the curtains without being noticed.
More time goes by, and the police have created a barricade around the restaurant as they assess the situation. It’s like a real-life crime show happening outside my window. Maybe my days of watchingCriminal Mindsreruns should come to an end.
“My buddy is there. He’s waiting for the all-clear from the police, and then he’ll be sitting in your hallway all night until I get there.”
I shake my head. “He doesn’t have to sit outside. He can crash on my couch.”
“No.” Ridge’s voice takes on a sharp edge. “He’ll be fine. He’s on the lookout until I get there.”
I exhale for the first time in forever. My body sags, exhaustion threatening to pull me under from the terror that was coursing through my system.
“Ridge,” I whisper.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
A long sigh filters through the line. “Don’t thank me. Keep breathing. You’re safe, Savvy. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
And somehow, even from eighteen hours away, I believe him.
My dad is halfway through his coffee by the time I slide into the booth across from him. His CTU hat is pulled low over his brow, hiding his face from too much attention. It’s barely eight o’clock, and he looks like he’s already had a full day. He has the same early-morning energy he always has. It’s the type of energy that makes him a damn good coach, but a terrible person to share a house with during summer break. For most people, summer means slowing down, but for Dad, it’s more time to prep and plan for the upcoming season.
His bright eyes find mine while I look like I just rolled out of bed and stumbled into this diner. Last night’s storm had me awake for most of the night, and every time I started to drift off, a loud clap of thunder startled me awake. It doesn’t help that the diner is twenty minutes from campus. It’s his secret hideaway, one where he can relax without too many prying eyes. Even though he’s one of the biggest coaches in college football, he can find serenity in this tiny diner.
