After kissing her with more care than desperation, I make my way out of the annex to join my teammates.
They’re still piling in, which gives Peyton enough time before Coach joins us to ask, “What the fuck happened to your… face?” Peyton trails off when Meghan steps around me. Her lips smeared with the mirror image of the purple and gold mess she made on my lips.
“I’d say about a hundred bucks worth of damage to your ego,” Meghan says and the whole team hoots and laughs. “Guess it’s time you Peypey up?” She adds and the laughter is so loud my ears ping.
Their reaction and the steam coming from Peyton’s fire engine ears give me the extra courage I need to tell Meghan, “I fucking love you.”
Her eyes get huge and her mouth starts to form words but before anything comes out Coach Evans enters the room, barking after parting the sea of players between us, “Brewer. What the hell kind of fuckery is this? Don’t think that just because you’re injured, I won’t make your life a living hell for using my field house as your personal brothel.”
I know he’s my coach and I’m putting my entire football career at risk opening my mouth but no one talks about my Meghan like that. “If you call my girlfriend a whore— “
“Trent. No.” Meghan places a hand on my arm. “I’m sorry, coach Evans. This was my fault. I came looking for Trent. This was all my idea. If you’re going to punish anyone, punish me.”
“I should take this to the dean. This behavior is entirely inappropriate.”
“Yes, sir,” Meghan and I say together.
“We’re wasting time here. Sit down, Brewer. We’ll deal with this later. You. Out,” he tells Meghan and points to the exit that opens to the corridor that leads to the player parking area.
“Find your friends. I’ll meet you out that door after the game,” I tell her.
Meghan nods and I swat her rear, making her giggle as she trots toward the door.
“Legend,” Hudson whispers and elbows my ribs when I sit next to him.
I doubt he’ll think that when Coach kicks me off the team, I lose my scholarship, and my parents disown me. Then, he’ll ask me if I regret it.
The only thing I would ever regret is not following my heart.
Meghan is my heart. I’ll follow her to the ends of the Earth.
Chapter eleven
Meghan
“Shallwe?”Trentsays,stepping out of the locker room, freshly showered and looking hot as hell in gray sweatpants with the BPU bobcat on his hip and a snug-fitting T-shirt to match. A purple and gold duffle bag hangs on his good shoulder.
“Indeed,” I say, switching my backpack to my other shoulder and looping my arm with the one he offers me.
We walk arm in arm out of the complex, through the parking lot to Trent’s car.
The entire second half of the game, I sat with Levi, Jonah, and Keaton, lost in my own world while they yelled at the players and refs, and cheered for every point.
We lost but I don’t care because Trent Brewer loves me.
Even now, I can’t believe he said it. I’m still not sure he meant it. At least, not likethat. The way he said it and the timing? It’s possible he said it the same way he would to one of his football buddies.
The look in his eyes though… Deep and caring. Not playful and teasing. His eyes told a different story.
I didn’t get a chance to say it back but I want to.
Wouldn’t it be weird if I said it now? Unprovoked and out of the blue?
“What’s on your mind, Teach?”
“Really? That’s the nickname that you’re sticking with?”
“Would you rather I call you Ice Queen?”
