The Player: Dark Enemies to Lovers Sports Romance

Chapter 4

The game went phenomenally well. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better outcome. Everyone is hyped, and there isn’t a moment where it’s quiet on the bus ride home.

I found out that the NFL wanted to draft me. The N…F…L! The stupid rule is that I have to be out of high school for three years. That’s where Michigan State comes in. Sure, I wanted to go to college with Julie, but we have FaceTime and the phone. Who the hell gives up the chance to play for Michigan State?

The urge to send everyone I know a message eats at me, but the coach said I had to wait. I don’t want to fucking wait. I want to celebrate.

Before I know it, we are pulling into the school parking lot with a line of news reporters and magazine writers waiting. We can hear them chanting my name in hopes they will receive an interview.

It’s not about me today, even though I am the star quarterback that just took us to state and fucking won. That makes four state championships under my belt.

Coach puts an end to any student talking to the media. We all know better. The moment isn’t right to tell them anything, especially since he just announced a press release will happen on Monday.

Ignoring everything around me, my eyes search the crowd for the one person I’m dying to see. Julie. I want to run over there and kiss those sweet lips of hers.

The surrounding people wouldn’t understand why I want her. Hell, want isn’t a strong enough word. Need. Obsessively so. I hold back once I spot her and take in her thousand-watt smile. I know better, even if it breaks my heart. She looks so beautiful.

Jas, the linebacker, comes up and puts his arm around my shoulders. He’s laughing and whispers in my ear. “Don’t go over to the fatty. You know the guys will fucking eat you alive, man. I know how you feel, but don’t do it.”

As he tells me that, Julie gives me a little wave and sweat breaks out on my upper lip.

As the reporters turn to see who I’m staring at, I panic. Grabbing the nearest cheerleader—I think her name is Holly—I kiss her. This gives everyone something to write and talk about. The attention is diverted away from Julie. These monsters would eat her alive. I know it’s stupid and vain of me to not want people linking me to her—considering she’s a bit curvier than the girls in my circle—but I already know how this is supposed to end.

Jas winks at me and blocks my view of Julie. “So, are we headed to the party or what?”

“Yeah, why the fuck not?” Why the hell can’t I be a better man?

Holly is kissing my cheek, and I want to gag. Looking at where Julie was standing a second ago, she’s seen it all. I watch her eyes go downcast; her hands drop to her side as something falls to the ground. She gets in the Bronco, and I know I’ve got a lot of shit to make up for. By the time I get back out to the parking lot, Julie is gone, but I see the pan of bacon and I close my eyes.

Dammit. She left me, and I guess I can’t blame her. Holly is standing with Jas, and they motion for me to come over. Leaving the pan of bacon behind, I feel like my heart is being ripped out of my chest.

How could I be so fucking stupid?

* * *

Goddamn,the party is wild, and I seriously do not want Holly on me. I know I’m stuck right now, and shooting a text to Julie isn’t possible. Holly talks my ear off and I ignore her. There’s no way in hell I will stay with her all night.

Bry comes up when I grab a beer and looks over at Holly. His eyebrows hit his shaggy bangs, and I shake my head. He knows better than to ask me what is going on.

My sister, on the other hand, isn’t so subtle. “Why the hell are you here with Holly?”

Holly laughs and rolls her eyes. “Because I’m the head cheerleader, duh.” I’ve never wanted to slap someone so hard before, but I’m not opposed to it tonight. Bry keeps me from doing so.

“Why don’t you come to dance with me? I’m leaving tomorrow for the military and could use the company.”

And just like that, Holly is gone, and I’m left with Kaylee scowling at me.

“Where’s Julie?” she demands, and I sigh.

“She saw me kiss Holly and left.”

Kaylee slaps me so hard that people turn around to see me stagger backward. “Fuck, Kay, that hurt.”

“It should, you stupid jerk!” She puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head. “Don’t you know how much she loves you and dreams of being with you?”

“What?” There’s no way I’m hearing her right. Sure, Julie likes me and I like her, and we shared a very intimate moment. But there’s no way in hell she wants me like I want her.

“Oh, don’t be so daft, Aaron. She’s in love with you and has been since you two were younger. You have to fix this.”

Julie, the girl of my dreams, wants me back. My mind reels as I think about what I’ve done. Going over to Bry, he’s deep in a kiss with Holly. Goddamn, she’s such a slut. Tapping him on the shoulder, he looks at me and Holly giggles.

“There’s room for you too.” She extends her free arm my way and the beer I just chugged down is threatening to come back up.

“Give Bry some love, doll. I need your keys.” I look at Bryson and he nods. He understands why and won’t ask me tonight about my fuck up.

Driving my brother’s car to Julie’s house, I wonder if I can fix it. If I were to be with her in public, she would be crucified every time someone saw us. The snide comments my friends make would be endless. Maybe I’m not strong enough to be with her, but I could apologize. Her friendship is too much for me to lose. Maybe I can talk her into wanting to date secretly. Just until we are out of high school.

Jumping out of the car, I rush to get the spare key from the place she leaves it but am shocked to find it isn’t there and the lights are turned off in the house.

Where is she?

Calling Julie, I get sent to voicemail and I curse. Running to the back, her car is there, so I know she’s home. Fuck, she’s ignoring me.

Feeling defeated, I think about going home. But instead, I climb the fence, open the backdoor—because she never locks it—and tiptoe into the house.

I’ll try a thousand times to get her to talk to me, but I’m hoping it won’t take too long to make things right with her.

Walking into her bedroom, I see her there, sitting Indian-style on her bed, crying, and I feel my entire world crumble.

“I knew you would come,” she whispered. “But I don’t want you here, Aaron. You…you made your decision.”

That little hiccup in her throat breaks me apart. “Julie…” I try to get words out, but she throws a book at me and hits me square in the chest.

“Get out.” She sniffles, and I feel my heart tearing into pieces.

“Please, Ju-Ju, let me explain.”

This makes her head pop up and her eyes narrow in on me. “Listen, Aaron, let’s not make this ugly, alright? You have made it extremely clear you don’t want me. In public or any other way. I’m not a dirty secret, and I won’t be one. Leave. Now!”

She picks up her phone and shows me 9-1-1 on the screen. “I’ll press the dial button if you don’t leave. You are intruding. Get out.”

I have no choice but to leave, but before I do, I turn back. “This isn’t fucking over.”

With those words left between us, I leave her house. The next day, I send flowers. And the next and the next after that. They never get returned, but they don’t get picked up from the front porch either.

I’ve tried a thousand times to get Julie to engage with me, but it always fails. Hell, even my sister won’t talk to me, which makes living at home awkward.

The ability to sneak into her house has been taken away with a new security system. My need to hold her is driving me crazy. Almost to the point, I break down and beg her in front of every damn student that I want her. Please forgive me. Still, I don’t do that, and the more I wait, the more I know how badly I’m fucking up.

Months go by, and graduation comes. I’m dreading the end of our school year because I know Julie isn’t going to be moving to Michigan with me. My sister hates me and my brother hasn’t been heard from in almost as long as Julie has been hating me.

My sister is staying in town to run the family’s businesses, which is a shock because she swore she was going to go to college and get out of our little town. It was my only hope that Julie would be safe with Kaylee.

How the hell am I going to keep her safe now?