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Her warning ignites a defensive spark within me. Nobody sees him like me. They only see the surface: the confident smirk, the flashy car, the seemingly perfect life. But they don’t know the brokenness inside, the constant craving for validation from his parents, and the unwavering dedication to the sport that runs in his blood. He’s more than just a cocky athlete to me. He’s a complex puzzle of contradictions that I can’t help but defend, even when it goes against my better judgment.
“I hear you.”
“Do you? Because I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“I won’t, I—” My phone buzzes with a new message, cutting me off.
Blake: How about a date on Saturday?
“By the smile on your face, I take it that’s from Lover Boy?”
“God, don’t call him that. And yeah, he just asked to go out on Saturday.”
Her eyebrows raise. “Well, I’ll be damned. I guess I wasn’t giving Dashing Duke enough credit.”
No one ever does.
Me: Sounds good.
Blake: I’ll pick you up for dinner after practice.
I shoot a smug look at Maddy. She holds up her hands in defense. “I get it. You know what you’re doing.”
I laugh. “But I always appreciate your concern.”
The conversation shifts to the upcoming break.
“What are your plans for the holidays?” Maddy asks.
“I have enough money saved to go home for Christmas.” Thanks to Blake’s insistence on doubling my wages. I get what he was trying to do. By quitting the restaurant job, he was making up for the loss of income for the remaining school year. That’s the only reason I agreed. Well, that and the fact I desperately needed the money.
“You’re welcome to come to my house for Thanksgiving.”
“I’ll think about it.” The campus can get rather desolate during the holidays, but I hate imposing. “I am excited to see Grandma during Christmas, though.”
“I know you miss her.”
“Yeah. The drawbacks to attending a school so far away.”
“What about the internship in Boston? Have you decided about it?”
I take another sip of coffee, biding time. Boston Memorial is a backup plan if Memorial Hospital falls through, but that’s not guaranteed either. I’m sitting as an alternate as of now. According to their letter, there’s a strong possibility the other person will turn down their offer. “If there’s a spot, I may not have a choice.”
Her face falls. “I don’t want you to leave.”
“Neither do I, at least not yet.” The Boston internship begins in January and coincides with the spring semester. In addition, they cover tuition at Boston University. That should be my top choice from a financial aspect, but I have my heart set on finishing school in California. I plan on spending the rest of my life in Boston. I’m not ready to say goodbye to the West Coast just yet.
“Have you told Blake about that possibility?”
I shake my head and try to ignore how my stomach pitches at discussing it with Blake. “Not yet.”
A pause settles between us as I finish my coffee. Maddy tries to read my expression, but I’m good at keeping my thoughts hidden.
“Why not?” she presses. “Isn’t it important for him to know?”
“I’m not sure,” I murmur, staring into my cup. Yes. No. Honestly, I don’t even know how I feel. We might have taken the next step last night, but there’s an unspoken understanding that we’re both in this for the fun and the distraction. We know this arrangement is temporary, a stopgap before we move on to the next chapter in our lives. But … maybe it’s about more than just the fun. Maybe, just maybe, I’ve let him in a little more than I intended. Perhaps I’ve grown attached to this person I never thought I’d like in the first place. And that thought scares the hell out of me.
But then again, I keep returning to how he looks at me, the gentle way he touches my face and treats me like I’m the most important person in the world. And he’s helped me open up and embrace life outside my textbooks and clinical notes. Maybe it’s worth the risk. Maybe, just maybe, letting myself fall for him could be the best thing that ever happened to me.
