Lightning lights up the sky, and another boom rattles through the car.
“Andy...” As nice as his words are, they’re still just that... words.
“Take a chance on me, Ava.”
“I don’t take chances. I...don’t want to get hurt.” My hand is on the door handle, ready to flee.
“Ava, I get it. You’re scared. You’ve never had a boyfriend, but I want to be yours. I was your first and I want to be your last. I want to be your everything. ”
My eyes well up with tears. “I like you, Andy, so much. But I don’t want to get my heart broken.”
He drops his head, but before I step out of the car, he meets my gaze and says, “You can never get struck by lightning if you aren’t willing to walk in the rain.”AndyThe girl is either going to be the end of me or the beginning. Twice now, she’s run from me. What she doesn’t realize is that I’m not only a star football player, but also came first at State in the five-hundred-meter dash. She can run, but I will catch her.
Not tonight though. Being a so-called manwhore has taught me a few things about women. They need space. Especially when you’ve upset them.
Tomorrow, the storm will have passed, the sky will clear, and I’ll be able to prove to her I’m more than what she thinks.
I park my car and head into the frat house. The place is crowded with people like it usually is on a Friday night.
“Hey asshole,” Connor shouts to me. “What happened to your date?”
I wave him off and head upstairs to my bedroom. Needing to collect my thoughts. It fucking sucks, the night ending like this. I knew the corn maze was a bad fucking idea the moment Ava mentioned it, but I could tell she wanted to go and the last thing on earth I wanted to do was let her down.
The fact Kiersten was there, was the icing on the cake this entire campus has baked up about me. That I’m a womanizing jock who likes to get laid.
There is more to me than that. Isn’t there?
Frustrated, I pull out my phone and call my mom. It’s been a while since I talked to her, most days a text here and there is how we communicate, but when Ava and I were talking about our mothers tonight, it made me realize how much I missed mine. Plus, people at Oak Ridge don’t know the real me. But my family does. They’ve seen me at my best and my worst and love me the same.
God, it’s crazy, but I want to be that for Ava.
Her support, her protector, her hero.
“Hey, Mom,” I say when she picks up.
“Andy! Wasn’t expecting this. Something must be wrong if you’re calling your mama on a Friday night.”
I feel like my fucking voice is gonna crack when I hear her.
“Is it about football or a girl?” she asks gently.
“A girl, Mom. Well, the girl. Ava McIntyre.”
“The girl?”
“Yeah. And Mom? I think I love her.”
“Are you pulling my chain, Andy?”
I run a hand over my jaw. Hell, my mother thinks I’m a player too. “What? You don’t think I can commit to someone?”
“What?” she scoffs. “Of course not. You’re one of the most committed men I know. Hardest working, too.”
“Then why do you sound so surprised?”
She sighs. “It’s just that this woman would have to be pretty special to truly win your heart. You may date a lot, but your heart is one thing you’ve saved for the right person. Hearing that my oldest son has met the love of his life is just…”
“What?”
“Oh Andy, it makes me very happy. I know you’ve struggled with football this season, the pressure of it all has been a lot to bear. The idea of you having a person to share those burdens with, comforts me so much.”
I swallow. “The thing is, Mom. I don’t have her yet.”
“What do you mean?” she asks with a line of worry in her voice.
“I need some advice Mom,” I say. “Can you help?”I call Casey the next day, asking about Ava’s schedule.
“You aren’t going to do anything creepy in her room are you?” she asks. “Because I won’t let you in if you are.”
“I want her to be my girlfriend, Casey. The plan here is to be romantic. Not a stalker.”
She laughs. “Okay, good. Maybe I’ve been watching too many Halloween movies.”
“It is that time of year,” I say, writing down the time of Ava’s first class tomorrow.
“Are you coming to the Mi Alpha Alpha Haunted house?” Casey asks.
“I hadn’t thought about it. It’s off-campus right?”
“Yeah, at Stacy Barton’s parents’ house. And of course, you should come. It’s for charity! Anyways, the point is, Ava got some great decorations for her room and I bet she’d like to show you.”