“You mean like get dressed?” she laughs and rolls over in my arms. “I’m very proud of you, Liam. You set your goals and you’re achieving each one of them.”
“I couldn’t do it without you, Jojo.” I angle my head so I can kiss her deeply. When our tongues meet I have to control myself from picking up where we left off. Her parents may know we have sex, but getting caught by them isn’t something I’m comfortable with. “We should get dressed,” I say, in between the soft kisses I place on and around her lips. My hand slides down her body and slaps her ass. She smiles against my mouth before moving away.
“You’re trouble, Liam Westbury.” She stands next to her bed, naked as the day she was born. She watches me watch her and all I can think is what it’s going to be like to wake up to her every day. I need to find the courage to ask her to follow me to college because I don’t want to be away from her. I won’t be able to handle it. Right now, she’s the only person keeping me grounded.
Once she’s dressed, I finally move. Allowing my eyes to take in every one of her moves is bad news for me. I have to turn away from her, not so she can’t see what she does to me, but so she won’t ask to take care of me. We can pick this up later. Right now I want to take her out. Treat her right. Aside from homecoming, we haven’t been out on a date in a while. Football takes up so much of my time that it limits what I’m allowed to do, but not tonight. Tonight I’m going to hang out with my friends. Maybe catch a movie, have some dinner and just relax. There will be no need to talk about the future, football or what’s looming in front of us… the high school championship game.
As soon as my clothes are on, Josie and I are out the door and on our way to meet Mason and Katelyn at Deb’s. It’s an old diner that my parents hate and will probably ream me out for even stepping foot in, but the food is good and she doesn’t skimp on quantity. It’s the perfect place for growing men like Mason and myself.
When Josie and I walk in, Deb waves and motions to the booth where Katelyn and Mason are huddled in the corner. Sometimes, when I look at them, I think something’s up. Like they’re hiding something. If they are, I’m sure they’d tell us though, so I really need to stop letting my imagination run wild. I have no doubt they think the same thing about Josie and me.
Deb takes our order as soon as we sit down. We’ve been here so many times we have the menu memorized. My girl is tucked into my side with my arm resting on her shoulder. This feels good. It feels right. If I can stay like this forever, I’d have no
worries.
“What are you both giggling about?” I ask, breaking up Katelyn and Mason’s interactions.
“Nothing,” he replies, as he kisses her on her forehead. “We’ve just been planning the future.” I roll my eyes and pick up the glass of water in front of me. The future is the last thing I want to talk about.
“Oh, I love the future talk. Tell me, what are we doing?” Josie asks.
Always ‘we’ never just ‘them’. We’re the foursome that’s destined to be together for the rest of our lives. It shouldn’t matter to me, but a little separation in life isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It allows us to grow, even though I know it’s not what I want. They’re my family. This is where I want to be.
“Well we were just thinking that it’d be nice if the guys got accepted to the same school and we could all go together,” Katelyn says. I agree with her, I’d love it. I’d give anything to continue to play with Mason for another four years. With me at the helm and the right blocking, we’d be unstoppable.
“Oh we could have a double wedding,” Josie adds. I almost choke on my water and have to try to hold in my coughing attack. I know I said I was going to marry her… someday, but I never said anything about planning a wedding.
“A football wedding is a must,” Mason adds. I shake my head and wonder what goes through his mind. He’s so whipped it’s not even funny. I know I am too, but I’m not about to start talking weddings and shit and I definitely don’t want a football themed wedding. I want to see my girl have the fairytale wedding she deserves.
“Speaking of football,” Mason starts. “We have one game left Westbury, and I need one hundred yards. I’m going to get it, right? I mean I’m getting some decent looks and all, but I think that record just sets the bar a little higher…” I zone him out. Because the pressure of everyone’s expectations resting on my shoulders that I’ve been feeling every day, where my head is about to explode, is now back. I want one night with my friends where the word football isn’t discussed. I want one night where I can just be Liam, boyfriend to Josie and best friend to Mason, instead of Liam, QB1 of Beaumont High about to play for an unprecedented fourth state title.
I know it’s probably too much to ask, but it’s what I want. I smile at Mason and nod. “You’ll get it man. It’s just a hundred yards, no biggie.”
Josie beams at me and leans in for a kiss. “You’re the best, you know that, right?” I nod, but don’t feel that way. I want her to tell me I’m the best because she loves me for me, not for what I’m about to do for Mason.
Chapter 14
Horns are honking. Kids are yelling. I know the minute I appear at my window, I’ll have to go down there and join them. My teammates are outside, pumped for today’s game. This has become tradition, showing up at each other’s houses at the crack of dawn. The whole town is ready for tonight. So am I. This is what I dreamed of when I was in middle school and now this is my chance to play for my fourth title. It doesn’t mean anything less, that this is my fourth, if anything it means more. This will be my last night taking the helm behind center in a Beaumont uniform. My last night taking a snap under the Friday night lights and I’m ready.
I open my blinds and the yelling gets louder. Some of the guys are in my yard, putting up a sign and the others are standing in the back of Mason’s truck, all wearing their jerseys. The cheerleaders are in front of and behind them in trucks, singing our school fight song. I wave, letting them know that I’ll be down. I grab my jersey from my bed and slip it on before heading down the stairs. I jump down the last three, much like I used to do when I was younger.
“Where are you going so early?”
I freeze at the sound of Sterling’s voice coming from behind me.
“It’s game day,” I answer curtly, without turning around so he can’t see the look of annoyance on my face. I really wish he’d just stay in his office and not talk to me. If he did that, my life would be a little bit less stressful. “We’ve been doing it this way since my freshman year.”
Sterling huffs. “Tomorrow things change around here. Hal sent me the team’s workout; you’ll be starting that first thing.”
I close my eyes and count to ten. It’s the only way I’ll stay calm. “I’m not going to Auburn,” I say, weakly.
“What’d you say, boy? I don’t think I heard you.”
Trying to keep my breathing normal and not lose my temper, I turn slowly to face my father. He’s standing there with his hands on his hips like an authoritarian. He won’t be paying for my college, yet no doubt he’s forgotten this fact. I’ve secured my future at any school I want because of my ability. Yes, he may have helped me achieve said ability, but I am where I am because of me. He’s not out night after night taking a pounding. He’s not busting his balls on the field to make sure his team is taken care of. That’s all me.
I clear my throat and look him in the eyes. “I’m not going to Auburn, sir.” Sir was added for emphasis because he demands respect, which I never give him.
“And you came up with this decision on your own, smart ass?”