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“A side job?”
I shrugged. “It’s not your main thing. You’re a big-time professor and all. Plus, the season’s just about over. It’s not like you’re missing much.”
Her eyes flashed with anger. “I thought you respected what I do? It’s not just a side-gig to me, Brody.”
“Yeah, sure, I know,” I replied. “I’m just tryin’ to put things in perspective, is all. It’s not the end of the world.”
Luna was playing on the other side of the dog park, but she finally realized that I had company. She came sprinting across the park, kicking up puffs of snow. She skidded to a stop when she reached Taylor, then ran excited circles around her.
“Hey, sweetie,” Taylor said, scratching behind her ears.
Once she had acknowledged Taylor, Luna took off across the park to rejoin the other dogs. The smile on Taylor’s face faded as she regarded me again.
“This isn’t just about my cheerleading spot,” she said. “Your speech, and the attention I’m getting, is affecting my job at Utah. The Dean is upset about all the reporters that are currently standing outside our building back on campus. He’s cutting one of my spring classes.”
I groaned. “Oh no, Taylor…” Now I went to her, taking her hands in mine. They were cold, so I gently rubbed some warmth into them. “I’m so sorry. Want me to go down there and placate them? Maybe I can get them to leave in exchange for an interview or something.”
She shook her head. “That will just make it worse.”
“What can I do?” I asked. “If I can make things better, I’ll do anything for you.”
She smiled hopefully. “Eric said he would fix things. But only if we broke up.”
I laughed it off. “Your ex is a piece of work…”
I trailed off when I saw the seriousness on her face.
“Wait. You’re not considering this, are you?”
“We wouldn’t have to actually break up,” she said. “Just pretend. Like before.”
Something tightened behind my ribcage. “Taylor, no…”
“It would solve all our problems,” she insisted. “Especially if I’m the one to dump you. Isabella might let me keep my spot if I did that. And Eric would convince the Dean to give me my fourth class back.”
“So we would… what? Keep our relationship a secret forever?” I asked.
“Not forever! Just for a little while. Maybe a year.” She sounded so hopeful. “We can lay low while I build up some career momentum at the university. By then, they won’t be able to take classes away from me for stupid reasons. And Isabella might not even be cheer captain in a year.”
I considered it, if only for Taylor’s sake. She was looking at me with those big, beautiful eyes, hoping I would agree. I wanted to give in. I wanted to give her everything in this world, whether I had the power to give it or not. I would lay down on the freeway for this girl if she asked me to.
But this…
“No,” I said, and the word came from my heart. “I can’t go backwards, Taylor. We spent the last two months tip-toeing around and pretending like we weren’t a thing.”
Surprise registered on her face. “But Brody…”
“I can’t!” I snapped. “I need to be with you, Taylor. All of you. Every damn bit of you, the good and the bad—although I don’t think there’s much of the bad to worry about. You make me a better version of myself.”
Her eyes shimmered. “You make me a better version of myself.”
“I feel lost without you.” I could tell I was building toward the L-bomb, but I couldn’t stop myself. “When we’re together, I’m like Superman out on the field. But without you, I fall apart. Here, at this point in the playoffs, I need you more than I need water.”
Taylor blinked. “You want to be with me because I help your football performance?”
I took her by the arms. “You know what I mean. I’m tryin’ to say I’m lost without you.”
“But you want me to sacrifice my careers for yours,” she said. “Because you think yours is more important than mine.”
