With weeks absent from the gridiron, I’d have no early morning practices, no traveling out-of-state for games against Oregon, Oklahoma, or Texas, no rigorous workouts that made me too burned out to breathe. Instead, I’d have time alone with Macy—time to learn if we had what it takes to mold our forever-long friendship into something palpable, something real, somethingromantic.
I’d already fallen head over everything for Macy, my best friend—a kind of adoration that was unconditional, safe, treasured.
But, holy fuck.
Falling for Macy as my girlfriend, my lover? I couldn’t wait.
Well, after I made sure Kirk the Jerk was out of the picture.
Dotted with tears, Macy’s long lashes fluttered, full lips curving into a sassy, hitched-up mouth that never failed to make my cock twitch.
“What took me so long?” she huffed. “Did you expect me to teleport myself here? The flight took six hours, silly, and believe me,” she said as she blinked up, wiping away one lone tear trickling down her cheek, “I got here as fast as I could.”
“Hey, look at me.” I squeezed her wrist, waiting until her blue eyes flicked back to mine. “No tears, okay? I’m fine, promise. Doc said grade three is common and I just need to rest up. Take it easy over the next couple of weeks.”
She surveyed the monitors, the IV in my arm. “What exactly does ‘take it easy’ mean?”
“No football, strenuous activity, exercise, or school for two, possibly three weeks.”
Her brows took a hike upward. “In other words, you’ll be at home, annoying the heck out of me twenty-four-seven?”
“Exactly. And you know I’ve a tendency to put one-hundred percent into everything I do, right?” I winked, loving how cute she looked, head tilted, cheeks suddenly beaming a bright shade of pink.
When she sat down beside me, the body-to-body contact, even through hospital bedding, ignited sparks between us. “Your mom told me about you and Harper.”
“I wanted to break the news, but you went to New York, then met Jerk—”
“Kirk,” she corrected, her giggles like an angelic melody. “He has aboyfriend”—she paused, gaze reading my relieved reaction—“and besides that, he’s not my type.”
Licking my lips, I wondered if kissing her mouth would be off-limits during my recovery. “And…who’s your type?”
“Lucas Stone?”
We both jumped, the untimely intrusion catching us caught off guard. “It’s time for your MRI.”
Pretty sure there’s nothing worse than having a moment destined for at least one smooch sidelined by someone ready to cart you off for a head X-ray.
“Can you stay a little while longer?” I dished a set of puppy-dog eyes. “My MRI shouldn’t take too long. I’d love to hear all about New York.”
Thirty minutes later, Macy sat crossed-legged in a chair beside my hospital bed, bright-eyed and animated, delivering a play-by-play of her trip to the Big Apple. It didn’t go unnoticed how she spoke mostly of things she got into with Sage and Chloe, skirting around details about why she went there in the first place.
“And what about the interview? Was it everything you imagined?”
She nodded vigorously, tugging a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Mmm-hmm. It was great.”
“Okay…when will you know if you’ve been accepted to their winter internship?”
Her eyes sprang to the ceiling. “A few weeks, I suppose?”
Silence swallowed the room, save for the monitor keeping track of my heart rate, beats faster than they were before Macy walked in.
“Why’d you get tied up? Did you miss Saturday’s early morning flight?”
Macy explained she’d been part of a group asked to complete one more assignment. After I asked if she’d been able to get it done, all she said was “Yep,” changing the subject when she added, “When will you be discharged?”
“They want to keep me at least twenty-four hours for observation. Since I got here after nine last night, I suppose I’ll go home sometime tonight.”
Getting to her feet, she smiled. “I should probably go get your mom. She’s been waiting with my luggage. Plus I’d like to go home and shower.”
