“Well?” Taylor prompted.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ll go.”
Her perfect mouth pulled into a glossy knot. “What? Why?”
“I can’t afford it.”
“There are scholarships, Reed.”
“Yeah, I know, but my grades aren’t exactly great.”
“There’s still plenty of time to get them up.”
“Maybe.” The truth was, hecouldimprove his grades. He just didn’t want to. School was boring. And what was the point, anyway? Aunt Beth constantly told him he wasn’t smart enough to go to college. Well, not exactly that, but she was always talking about how it made a lot more sense for him to become a mechanic or to go into a trade like plumbing where he could make money instead of wasting it on some worthless degree. But Reed didn’t want to become a mechanic or an electrician or some shit like that. He wanted to play football.
“What do you mean ‘maybe’?” Taylor asked. “There totally is.”
He gave her a tight smile. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll try.”
They watched the river flow past for a while, quiet until Reed asked, “So what about you? Where will you go?” The question hurt. He didn’t want her to go anywhere.
She bit her lower lip in the adorable way she always did when she was lost in thought. It drove him crazy. “Oh, I don’t know. Probably Fort Collins if I stay in state. CSU has the best vet program if I can get in. Cornell or Ohio State if I don’t.”
“Really?” he asked. “That far away?”
Her nose bunched. “Aww, are you saying you’d miss me?”
He grinned. “Possibly.”
She traced her nails down his arm and then slipped her fingers into his. “Come with me, then. You can try out for the football team.”
Reed considered this. He’d scored more touchdowns than anyone else this season. He had good hands and rarely dropped a pass. And he was fast.Reallyfast. Reed might not get an academic scholarship, but if he kept playing like he was, Coach Halverson said he’d definitely be in the running for an athletic one. It wasn’t a bad idea.
“You really think I could make it?” he asked.
“Totally,” Taylor said, “but you’d have to study too. Have you thought about what you want to do for a career?”
“I want to play in the NFL.”
She laughed in response—a single, quick giggle she immediately cut off when she noticed his wince. “The NFL isn’t a real choice, Reed. No one gets to do that.”
“I bet I could.” He regretted how pitiful the statement sounded the second it left his lips.
“Maybe,” Taylor replied, but he knew she didn’t mean it.
“What does it matter?” he snapped back. “Why are you grilling me like this, anyway?”
“I’m not grilling you.”
“Yes, you are. And it’s not that easy for me. Not everyone has their entire life handed to them on a silver platter like you, Taylor.”
Her eyes sparked. He’d crossed the line, and he knew it.
“Fine, whatever,” she said. “Forget I asked. Let’s just go.”
She started the car, but before her hand hit the wheel, Reed sighed and took it. He had to fix this before it got out of control. “Wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just …” He trailed off, thinking about what to say next. He could try to impress her, make up some bullshit about wanting to go to college to become an engineer or a doctor, but it would be a lie. When they’d first started dating, Taylor had made him promise to never lie to her. Even if the truth hurt, he shouldn’t lie. If he did, it was over. Simple as that. So, he hadn’t lied. Not once. And he wouldn’t start now. He tried again. “The truth is, I’ve never really thought about going to college.”
Her features thawed, the lines in her forehead smoothing. “Why not?”
