Page 71 of Game Plan

“Rutherford’s girl. The one I told you about. She keeps a basket full of her things for when she stays over.”

“Thanks.”

He leaped to his feet, adjusting the tent in his pants with a palm, trying to be subtle about it but failing. I pinched my lips together, wanting to look away, but unable to stop ogling him. He caught me staring and shrugged. “I can’t help it, even the raccoon version of you does it for me.” He pulled a T-shirt over his head, putting a stop to my staring. “Breakfast?”

“Can I shower first? I swear it’s the last time.”

“Mel, you don’t even have to ask. Grab clothes from the dresser and make yourself at home.”

“Can I keep the ones I slept in?” They smelled like him, and I wasn’t ready to give them back.

“Sure. Whatever suits you. Check the closet for a sweater.”

He stepped closer and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I’m happy you’re here.” His lips found my forehead once again.

My cheeks felt hotter by the second. I offered him a tiny smile, not sure what to reply. Yes, I was happy to be here too, but I wasn’t ready to be honest about it in case he read too much into my admission.

“Can I tell you something?” he asked.

“Sure.”

“Lately, I’ve been feeling restless and off my game, on and off the field. I have a lot on my mind these days. I just wanted to say I’m only truly myself when we’re together. It’s nice to have nothing to prove to someone because the other person—you—makes you feel safe. The guys on the team expect things from me. My coaches expect things from me. Even my professors and the crowd filling the bleachers expect stuff from me.” He scratched his forehead. “Anyway, without sounding stupid, I wanna tell you I’ve missed us. I’ve realized that not a lot of people have the power to soothe me, and you’re one of them. I’m grateful for it. Thank you for being here.”

I watched him leave the room, and for a moment, I felt like Mason and I had never grown apart last December, and we’d just picked up right where we left off, as if no time had passed.

And this was bad—so bad—for my heart.

19

I will hunt down anyone who goes so far as to even taste the product

I met Jules by the quad a few days later. “Here,” I said, handing her the pumpkin-spiced latte I had picked up for her. “How did it go with Shawn last night?”

We fell in step as we traipsed toward our first class of the day.

“Perfect. He made me dinner, we talked, like really talked, and then we went for a drive. He opened up about his intimacy issues a bit more. He asked me to come to therapy with him next week. He said his therapist thinks it’s a good idea for me to be there for a session.”

“Did you agree?”

“Yes. I’m a bit nervous, though. I haven’t been to therapy in years. And this time it’s not about me. I just hope Shawn finds some inner peace after what he’s been through.”

I sipped my latte. “I have a good feeling about it.”

“Me too. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy lately. The university gave us the green light for our designated drivers pilot project, so I’ll be even busier in the next few weeks.”

“It’s fine. I’m so proud of you. I have so much to do too, anyway. I may not be super available either until the end of the semester.”

She twisted a tendril of hair around a finger. “Jett asked about you on Sunday.”

I stopped in my tracks. “He did?”

“Yeah, he said he feels bad for fangirling over your friends, the football neighbors.”

“It’s okay. I’m not mad at him. It just wasn’t meant to be.”

“Have you met anyone else? Tessa said you left with some guy on Halloween night.”

“First, Tessa has a big mouth, and I can’t understand how she keeps up with everyone’s lives, and second, it wasn’t some guy. It was one of my friends from back home, and we’ve known each other for a long time. We were just catching up.”