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“I stay because I know he’s a good man, but he’s stuck on the past right now. I’m hoping he gets it soon. I love you like you’re my own daughter. I will always be here.”
We get up and hug. We are both crying which brings four guys rushing to make sure we are okay. Laura reassures them it’s just girl talk which got too serious. They all leave. Preston, Ben, and I are on the sidewalk watching Laura leave with the boys. It’s a chilly night.
“Do you two want a ride then you can talk?” Preston is the first to talk.
“Please. I don’t think my legs could walk back to my dorm after the game and all that food.”
He motions toward the parking lot and we head to his car. They’re talking about the game this coming weekend. It’s an away game. I have a game this weekend too, so I won’t be watching it. I add my two cents once in a while but my mind is back on the conversation with Laura. I won’t know if he’s like dad unless I spend time with him. Could I date him? It’s the same question going over in my mind until we’re back on campus. Ben opens my door and I get out. I tell Preston I’ll see him later.
“Do you want to come to my room? I don’t share with anyone.”
Ben nods.
CHAPTER EIGHT
BEN
My hands are sweating, so I swipe them down on my jeans. I grab her hand like I did at the diner, and we walk hand in hand to her dorm. I want her to know I’m here and I’m fighting for us. I’ll do whatever I need to show her I want us. I’m not her dad. I’ll never be that man. Sloane scans her card into the main door, and we walk in. There’s a few couches and a big screen showing some movie. Everyone yells hello to her, and she waves before heading up the stairs. She’s on the third floor.
“No wonder your ass looks good in jeans. Walking up and down these stairs all the time will do it.” She snickers.
“It has nothing to do with hours I spend in the gym or on the ice but the stairs,” she deadpans.
“From this angle, I’m going with the stairs because damn your ass is fine.” Once we’re on the third floor she turns to stare at me. I have a couple of inches on her but it’s nice she still has to tilt her head to look into my eyes. “I’m not holding back on my comments about how sexy you are or how attractive I find you. But if you want to talk, show me your room. I’ll try to restrain myself until after you’re done talking.” I give her my you know I’m right smile.
She rolls her eyes then heads in the opposite direction in which she was facing. I take a few steps to catch up to her. I’ve always dated short girls so catching up was easy but Sloane is tall with long legs so I might be racing to catch up to her. She opens her door and walks in leaving it open for me. I step in and take in the room. It has posters of hockey players, family pictures hanging around the room, but what surprises me most is how girly the room is. Her bedspread is pink and black. There are flowers in a vase on the windowsill. She strikes me as the type of person who would be anti-girly. I like it.
“Surprised?” Sloane is sitting on her bed with just a t-shirt and the jeans she was wearing earlier. In my room scanning, she took off her shoes and sweatshirt.
“Yes, but in a good way. Where can I sit so we can talk?” There’s a desk with a chair, but I’m hoping we can sit together on the bed. She tells me anywhere, so I’m toeing off my shoes and sweatshirt then walking toward her. I get comfortable on her bed with my back up against the headboard. “Do you want to go first or should I?”
“Let me go or I’ll never do it.” She sighs, coming to the bed and sitting shoulder to shoulder with me. I grab her hand and interlock our fingers. “I’m sure Preston has told you about my relationship with my dad.” I don’t know how I should answer this because I told Preston I wouldn’t tell her that I know. “It’s okay if he did. Not a lot of people know, and you seem to want to date me so bad—or is this just because of the hard to get act I’ve been giving you?”
“You are not hard to get. You have walls up for a reason and I’m trying to break them down, so you see me and only me. I don’t want you breaking them down to date other football players. I want to date you and I’m willing to take your lead to do so.”
“I never really dated until I moved here three years ago. I’ve had a total of two boyfriends. I was always taking care of my mom and her responsibilities. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my mother but hated her at the same time. I don’t know how to be a girlfriend. Laura thinks I need to just get to know you as a person and not focus on the football player aspect. My mom did a real number on me. It took me a year to go to a game to support my brothers. When you and I text or we study together I forget you’re the football player. It’s why I told you the other day in the training room, I like you.”
“But?” I question her.
“Be patient with me. I’ll try to get past the football player thing. It has a lot to do with my dad. My dad won’t come to my games. He doesn’t support me, and sees me as someone who almost destroyed his life with Laura.” She swipes at the tears threatening to fall.
“If Laura accepts and loves you, why can’t he?” She shrugs. “Thank you for giving me a chance. I’m crazy about you. Preston even sees it.” I smile at her, and she is now finally smiling in return.
“Laura told me William is shipping us.” We laugh. “Do you want to watch a movie with me?”
“If you answer this question honestly for me.” She stares at me, “Are you, my girlfriend? I know that sounds so middle school, but I’d like for you to be my girlfriend, go out on dates with me even if it’s just something like this watching a movie together.” She sighs and turns her head away from me. Did I blow it? Am I coming on too strong? Maybe I’m asking for too much right away, but I don’t want to her to date anyone else. “Hey, talk to me. I want total honesty from you even if it’s not what I want to hear.”
“I want to be your girlfriend, but I’m afraid I’ll mess it up.” Her voice is so unsure and shaky.
“Baby, you could only mess it up by cheating on me or not being honest with me. I just want you to be you and spend time with me. We get to know each other. I don’t want anyone else but you.” She nods.
“Then I guess I’m your girlfriend.” I pull out my phone and get on Facebook. She’s looking over my shoulder. I change my status to in a relationship with Sloane Powers. She laughs as her notifications go off. She’s shaking her head as she updates her status as well. We take a couple of selfies together to make our profile pictures. “You’re nuts, you know that right?” I grab her face and kiss her. I’ve been dreaming about what it’d be like to kiss her and feel her in my arms. The gasp from Sloane’s mouth gives me the perfect opportunity to slide my tongue into her mouth. We battle for control of the kiss and her hands move to fist my t-shirt. She pulls me closer. My hands move from her face to roam through her hair, down her neck, to her lower back. We finally break apart panting, and she touches her lips.
“Movie. What do you like to watch?” If I don’t break the tension between us now, I’ll be wanting to take her now and I will not rush this with her. I spend the night with her in my arms since we both fell asleep to the movie. Our alarms are blaring, reminding us real life is here.
“God damn it being an athlete.” She mumbles as blindly looks for her phone to shut her alarm off.
“Practice or workout?” I ask her, pulling her closer to me. She sighs. “You okay?” I question her wanting to know if overstepped by sleeping over.
