AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And then there’s a terrifying whisper in the back of my head, reminding me there’s a chance I won’t play this season at all. That I already peaked, and it’s all downhill from here.
By the time I’m through the line and have my food, Cassia is already sitting at a table. I texted her after leaving the gym and showering to see if she was free for lunch.
So far, I haven’t done anything to reassure her this year will be different from last year. She said we barely saw each other all spring, and she wasn’t wrong. We haven’t even had sex since we’ve been back on campus.
There are extenuating circumstances this time. Sydney’s pregnancy. The Nolans’ divorce. My mom’s health. The blonde.
But Cassia only knows some of those secrets, so I addanother breakto the long list of things I’m currently stressed about.
She looks up from the textbook she’s flipping through when I take the seat across from her.
“No way you’re behind,” I tease. “It’s literally thefirstday of classes.”
Cassia rolls her eyes and closes the book with a thud. It’s as thick as all her science textbooks, well over a thousand pages.
“Just trying to figure out how many hours of reading I have tonight.”
I mock-shudder athours. I’m a business major, same as most athletes here to play sports, which requires plenty of reading but nowhere near the same workload Cassia carries. “How were your classes?” I ask.
She nods, taking a bite of her sandwich. Chews and swallows. “Good. Intense.”
I nod too. For so long, senior year seemed a ways away. Now, all of a sudden, it’s here. And it’s different from high school. There was some uncertainty about where I’d end up then, but nothing in comparison to all the choices stretching ahead in front of me now.
“Sydney stopped by the gym earlier.”
Cassia is focused on opening her salad. “Yeah, she said she was going to. How’d she seem?”
“Okay, I think. Better than…it’s a lot to take in. If she keeps the baby, I’ll be an uncle. Harrison will be a dad.” I shake my head. “I’m still processing, I guess.” I pause. “She said you bought the test for her.”
“Yep. I ran into Mrs. Golden at the pharmacy. And then accidentally showed it to my mom.”
My eyes widen.
Cassia’s expression is wry. “I told them it wasn’t for me. But…youthought it was mine.”
I swallow, knowing she’ll read the truth on my face. “For a second, yesterday, yeah.”
“And you freaked out.”
“Only because of the math.”
Twin lines form between her eyes. “The math?”
“We were apart all summer, Cassia. If you just found out you were pregnant, it wouldn’t be mine.”
“You thought I’d do that?” Confusion has turned into hurt. A little anger.
“No. I wasn’t thinking straight, Cas. I wasn’t expecting… I walked into your apartment and there was a positive pregnancy test right in front of me, all of a sudden. I just…it caught me off guard.”
Understanding flashes across her face. “You’re the only guy I’ve ever been with,” she whispers.
I knew that already.
But it doesn’t temper the rush of relief and primal possessiveness from hearing her say it. It’s the biggest turn-on, knowing it’s a gift she’s given to me alone. Which makes me the biggest hypocrite in the world, considering I’ve been with other people and can’t say the same thing back.
I lean forward. “If we’d been together this summer, I wouldn’t have freaked out for a second.”
Cassia raises one eyebrow. “No?”
