“This town becomes a ghost town when there’s a game.” I coiled my fingers and rested them on the wood table.
“How come you never pursued your football career?”
“I wasn’t that good.” I chuckled. “I only liked football because I got to hit people.”
“I thought you were great.” A grin grew on her face.
A waiter slid our pizza in front of us and I folded mine in half. “Your brothers were great,” I reminded her. “I was mediocre at best.”
Delaney was the youngest of the Pratt family—football royalty. Her father had the chance of playing professional until he tore his ACL his senior year at Ohio State, but he went on to raise two boys who led our high school to championships every season they played. Her oldest brother, RJ, was the third draft pick this year.
“Yeah.” She smiled. “I think my mother was over the moon when I came along. She finally had someone who wasn’t going to play.”
Delaney and I sat at Mario’s until the crowds from the game began. We talked about her family, high school, and what we were up to now. I didn’t kiss her that night when I dropped her off.
But I did agree to see her again.
Chapter 6
Brielle
The few days following the football game, I found any reason not to hang around our dorm room. If Delaney was coming in, I was heading out. I sat around in the common room until late at night before heading back to crawl in bed. I didn't want to give her a chance to tell me about her new beau. I shouldn't have cared about her seeing Nate; it was one stupid date.
One stupid half kiss.
As I dodged my roommate, I had plenty of time to think about what Nate did to me. He was the spark to my heart. And if I was honest, there was nothing more enticing than holding a sparkler. It was captivating. But I convinced myself that like everything else, that flame would burn out and in a few days I would be back to my normal self. I would see him in class and it would be done. Everything would go back to normal.
It had to.
Tuesday morning, I had spent most of the day aimlessly wandering campus to kill time before I needed to head out for work. With my headphones plugged in my ears, I leaned my head back on the couch and rested my eyes. I was exhausted. I was getting up at the crack of dawn to avoid Delaney and sneaking back into my room before midnight.
“There you are.” I heard her chipper voice. I peeled my eyes open and was greeted with Delaney sauntering toward me wearing a wide smile. Her hair was still damp from a shower and she wore yoga pants and a cute little camisole top. Of course, her breasts didn't need the support of a bra. They were perky and perfect, just like her.
“Hey,” I murmured and pulled my headphones from my ears. I exhaled and realized that for the first time in three years I was jealous of my best friend. How could this be? We never fought. We were always in sync, for God’s sake. Even our periods arrived on the same day.
“Are you ignoring me?” She came right out with it. Delaney and I were both straight shooters. Never once did we beat around the bush.
I bit my tongue and lied. “No.”
“Brie.” She sat on the couch across from me and curled her feet under her. “It’s too early in the semester for you to be pulling all-nighters studying, so what gives? Are you mad that I stayed with Moose at the game?”
I hated his stupid nickname.
“No.” I shook my head and tried to smile. “I have a lot of pressure on me this semester.” I picked at my fingernails and shrugged. “And on top of it all, I got an email from my mom, which I don’t want to open.”
Del had two older brothers, RJ and Christopher. Her father was a sports doctor and her mother was a stay at home wife who volunteered for different organizations. There were no secrets, no affairs, no lies. They all got along and loved one another. They vacationed together twice a year—Switzerland over Christmas break and a Caribbean island the last week of June. I, on the other hand, avoided emails from my mother and refused to speak to my father at all.
“Oh, Brie.” She exhaled and her shoulders relaxed. “What do you think it is this time?” Delaney was the only one who knew my history with my parents.
“I’m pretty sure about how my father’s really sorry this time and that he’s changed. And how my mother feels terrible but she vowed for better or for worse.” I swallowed, trying to keep my voice in a singular monotone. “You know, the usual.”
Delaney shifted in her seat and a smile grew on her face. “What about the guy you went out with?”
I rolled my eyes. “That won’t work out.” I wanted to tell her it was Moose, but what good would it do? It would probably affect our friendship and I didn’t want her to feel she couldn’t bring him around me.