He’s incredible out there.
Watching Gage sail the ball down the field, take tackles, run like the wind, find gaps in the defense, I can’t help but marvel. I’m in the family box with the wives of the coaches and various administrators. They have all been very kind to , even if they did look a little puzzled when I arrived with four hulking security guards with guns. Most of the wives aren’t paying attention to the ga. They’re most interesting in catching up with each other and talking about their children, so I sit alone, glued to the glass.
How is that machine down on the field the sa man who holds so tenderly? How is that the sa man whose mouth makes love to mine slowly one second, becoming demanding in the next? He seems so far away. Like maybe everything that has taken place since I t him was a dream. He’s everyone’s fantasy, isn’t he? Maybe he’s mine. Maybe I imagined it all.
But no.
The chafing on my thighs tells we’re real. The heavy ring sitting around my throat like a collar ans the last week truly happened.
You will marry , Stella.
Truer words were never spoken. I’m not sure I could make it a day without his arms around . Without his skin warming mine. I’m in love. I’m so in love, it’s practically painful. I never could have imagined this deep, consuming brand of passion before now. But I’m letting it take . I’m being sucked down into the inky darkness of obsession along with Gage and it’s exhilarating. I can hear every breath I take, loud and echoing in my head. I have permanent goosebumps. My breasts feel exposed, even fully covered, because they’ve been so well loved. Sucked and squeezed and bitten. Even though I speak and nod at everyone who addresses , I’m thinking of him. Getting back to him.
I blow out a shuddering breath, fogging up the glass in front of . I am not going to let my schoolwork suffer, even though my relationship with Gage is huge and overwhelming. I cannot fail to seize the opportunity I was given. There has to be sothing just for . The way he has football, I have academics. I can’t allow anything to derail from that.
That will be easier said than done, I’m guessing.
Down on the field, Gage takes a hard tackle and I make a helpless sound, my shaking hand pressing to the glass until he stands up, jogs toward the huddle. Slowly, I let out the concrete breath in my lungs, my attention straying to the ga clock. Five more minutes. We’re ahead by ten. Unless the other team really turns it on, another championship is in the bag. I’m so happy for Gage. He needed this. He needed to know he could love football on his own, even though he shared the sport so closely with his father. I can’t wait to hold him later, tell him how proud I am of him for overcoming such a tragedy. For erging better than ever.
A cheer goes up in the family box monts later, the wives exchanging a hug. Two of them even pull into an embrace, making laugh and blush.
And then they all begin clearing out of the room.
“Oh...” I catch up to one of the wives. “I was asked to wait here until Gage cos to get . Is that all right?”
“We have to clear out,” one of my security guards answers to my right. “It’s an insurance thing. The ga ran late and there’s only coverage until ten pm.”
“Oh. Okay.”
The woman lays a hand on my arm. “Are you going to be all right, dear? Or would you like a ride ho from one of us?”
Looking back toward the glass, I can see Gage down on the field. His helt is off now and he’s being interviewed, a microphone held in front of his face. His attention continually strays up to the box, but I don’t think he can see , due to the glare of the lights. None of his teammates are being bombarded by reporters. They’ve all left the field. And my spine can’t help but straighten with pride. Of course they want to speak with him, he was amazing out there. Ga MVP according to the giant screen above the stadium.
There’s a good chance Gage will be busy for a while. However, instinctively I know he would probably lose his temper if I left without him. Or took a ride from soone without discussing it with him beforehand. Yes, that’s really controlling of him. His behavior is highhanded and sort of irrational—do I really need a security team?—but I won’t pretend I don’t like him caring for , even in the craziest of ways. For so long, I barely existed. No one hugged , let alone spoke to . I was a shadow. He makes feel like an entire planet.
“I’ll be fine,” I say to the coach’s wife, smiling. “Thank you for the offer, but Gage asked to wait for him.”
I retrieve my purse, tucking it under my arm, and I let the security team lead down the buzzing hallway to a freight elevator. We take it down to field level and I suck in a surprised breath when the elevator doors open, revealing total pandemonium. Fans and players alike have uncorked bottles of champagne and they’re spraying it at each other. A big bucket of Gatorade is dumped on a man’s head. There are reporters and screaming students and flashes going off. It’s exciting. I’ve never witnessed sothing like this up close.
In a relative daze, I start to walk off the elevator, but one of the guards stays with a hand on my elbow. “I think we should wait sowhere else.”
He’s probably right, but...this is my boyfriend’s world. Should I get used to it? I understand he’s protective of , but I can’t always be sheltered in the background. “I would rather stay here, if that’s okay.”
The guards seem uneasy, so I step off the elevator before one of them stops . Soone hands a red solo cup of beer and I laugh, taking a sip. The crisp night air combined with the magic of victory is wonderful. Knowing I’ll be ho with my boyfriend soon is equally incredible. I’m just about to take my first sip of beer when one of the players stops in front of , his jersey soaked in champagne and sweat from the ga.
“There she is. The unsung hero of this ga.” He turns to the crowd of celebrating fans. “Hey everyone! This is the girl who tutored Weston. She’s the reason he passed the test so he could play tonight. Give it up!”
I’m stunned when they cheer for . Loudly. So loudly that I fall back a step.
“Mr. Weston made it clear he didn’t want her speaking with anyone outside of the family box,” says the head of my security team.
“Ah, I’m one of his receivers,” says the player, waving him off. “That makes family.” Ignoring the continued protests from my guard, the receiver smiles back down at . There is sothing in his expression that makes my stomach feel hollow, but it’s probably just . I’m still not used to speaking with strangers. “So are you going to continue tutoring Gage?”
“If he needs it,” I say, cradling the solo cup to my chest. “But it...i-it might be a conflict of interest now—”
“Since you’re dating?”
His eyes are on the ring around my neck. When they travel lower to my breasts, I tamp down on the urge to squirm. “Yes. Since we’re dating.”
“Yeah,” he says slowly. “He scooped you right off the market before any of us poor assholes got a chance to shoot our shot.” His gaze anders down to my thighs, lingering on my stockings. “Only the best for our superstar, right?”
The hint of bitterness in his tone keeps silent. I don’t know how to respond.
He leans in, dropping his voice to a whisper. “But we both know it’s not real, don’t we?”
Pins and needles prickle my scalp. “What do you an?”
“Gage told us.” When I say nothing, he looks at like I should know. Like we’re in on so secret together. “That he’s dating the smart girl for his image. So he’ll look good for the scouts. He needed sothing to convince them he’d settled down after all the delinquent shit he pulled. And here you are.” Surveying my body openly, he licks his lips. “Although I’m sure he’s having one hell of a ti...pretending.”
I don’t realize I’ve dropped the red cup until beer splashes up onto my shins.
My stomach is in a puddle on the ground along with the drink, my ears ringing, eyes stinging with such intensity, I can barely see what’s around .
No. No, it’s not true.
Is it?
Does Gage want to marry so soon because he’ll have an easier ti being scouted? Was I naïve to think he just loved so much he couldn’t wait?
“You know,” the player continues. “I’d appreciate you so much more than him.”
Those words bounce right off. Just noise. Through gritty eyes, I survey the crowd. I look at the girls who are obviously more suited to dating a famous quarterback. Confident, capable of talking to strangers without stuttering. Was I stupid to believe this relationship with Gage was authentic? It seems real. More real than anything. But what do I know? I’ve never been in a relationship before in my life.
Humiliation turns my skin red. People are staring at because I spilled my drink and I’m making no move to pick it up or clean myself off.
I have to get out of here.
I have to get away.
Turning on a heel, I dash for the tunnel leading to the periter of the field, taking my guards by surprise. The audience has cleared out by now, so there is no crowd to slow down on my way to the parking lot. I dash through those lingering behind and despite the shouting of my na in the distance, I don’t stop running until I’m off campus, my heart shattered in my chest.
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