Chapter 33
CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE
HOLDEN
I had no clue what I was doing here. Okay, that was a bald-faced lie. I was here because Wildcat was here. I just didn’t know why I’d taken the job.
Fuck. Another lie.
Fine.
I was here because I’d followed her the other night to see where she worked. I’d stayed in the shadows and watched her dance, completely mesmerized, just as I’d been the first time. I must have stared a little too much because Hendrix approached me, and somehow, I’d ended up with a job.
It wasn’t the worst idea.
Scratch that, it was.
But Hendrix had said he’d work around football and keep my shifts short, which was more than any other place would. And I needed money to cover my half of the apartment.
My piece of shit dad had reached out with another “opportunity” to make money, but I wouldn’t touch his ‘opportunities’ with a ten-foot pole. Not again, at least.
It was cheating. Simple as that.
Surprisingly, the job at Ember wasn’t all that bad. I liked Hendrix, and watching Wildcat dance was the best part. She moved like liquid sunshine, oblivious to all the eyes drawn to her. I’d been able to watch her unobtrusively for the past hour before I’d been moved to this door. I knew she’d discover I was here at some point, but I hadn’t been ready.
I’d felt upside down over Wildcat all week.
One second, I wanted to haul her into my arms and remind her how good we were together. Yet, the next, I wanted to punish her for making me care.
For stealing all my focus.
For making me worry.
For not trusting me.
For making me want something more than football.
Which scared the fuck out of me. So, I went back to avoiding her while wanting her with every fiber of my being.
It had been hell on Monday not to kill my teammates when they’d gawked at her perfect tits. And all week I’d been jealous of my best friend because he got to hold her in his arms every night. She’d finally returned to the house last night, and it had been a fight not to sneak into her room and watch her like the obsessive stalker I’d become.
Now that Hope was home and mending, I’d realized how royally I’d screwed up with her and the hurt I’d caused. I’d been at my wit’s end, but it didn’t excuse what I’d said. So, despite my urges to bulldoze her until she forgave me, I listened to what Em wanted. I’d be her friend. It was a foreign concept, but she was worth trying for.
The song ended, and the stages lowered, reminding me I couldn’t get lost in my thoughts here. The crowd cheered for the dancers, and the lights returned to a neutral tone, and soft house music played. The dancers exited the floor, and a few headed toward me. I let them through while tracking Emerson’s movements to the bar. She laughed with another girl and avoided the leers of her admirers. Though, it was more she didn’t notice than avoided. That was the thing about Emerson. She had no idea how amazing she was.
The two girls moved my way, and I relaxed now that they were out of the vicinity of grabby hands. Em eyed me when she neared, her stare intense.
“You going to let us through?” she huffed.
“What’s the password?” I teased.
It sounded like her friend coughed the words, “hot sex,” but I didn’t take my eyes off Emerson to confirm. She stepped forward, her breasts brushing across my crossed arms, and I held back my groan. She bit her lip, sending arousal straight to my dick. She leaned in close, and I caught a whiff of her pomegranate body wash.
It wasn’t something I’d become obsessed with and used to help out my dick problem. Not this guy.
“Colter fucked me in the library today. How’s that for a password?”
My brain stuttered at her dirty and crass words. Fucking hell.
Envy and lust invaded my body, and I became heated all over. I wanted nothing more than to slam her against the wall and have my way with her. Right here. Right now.
The lights went out, and the crowd went wild as the next group of dancers took their place. My fingers twitched with the need to take advantage of the blackness and get my needs met, but Emerson used it, too, and pushed past me before I could stop her.
Waiting for the next security to relieve me was torture. I kept bouncing on my toes, wondering what she was doing. Had she left already? Did she stay and dance in the crowd like some of the others?
“New guy. You’re free to go,” a bulky guy said, taking my place.
I didn’t take the time to introduce myself and headed to the security room. I stripped out of my uniform, tossed it into the dry cleaning basket, and pulled on my street clothes. I grabbed my keys and phone, clocked out, and was out the door within a few minutes. I scanned the hallway, but didn’t see anyone, and picked up my steps.
The guy at the door nodded as I exited, and I scanned the lot for her car. She’d already been here when I’d arrived earlier. Her shifts were five hours where mine were only three. I’d been half tempted to come and sit in the bar and watch her dance until it was time to clock in, but I knew I needed to use it to study since I’d gone and committed myself to something that wasn’t football.
Her car was still in the lot, but she wasn’t. Leaning against the side of her car, I sighed in relief that I hadn’t missed her. The longer I waited, the more I feared she’d gotten into trouble again. I’d heard more about the attack from Hendrix after I’d been hired, and I wanted to wring that asshole’s neck for touching what was mine. Fear licked up my spine the longer I waited. Was her jackass dance instructor here? Did he find her? I paced back and forth and tugged at my hair. Shit. Maybe I should go back inside and check on her.
The door opened, and a few girls exited, laughing. I instantly spotted Emerson, and my heart slowed to its normal rhythm. The sight of her blonde hair had my dick twitching. I was glad she’d taken off the pink wig. It looked good on her, but I preferred her natural locks. The other girls spotted me first and giggled. The one that had been with her earlier nudged Emerson and whispered something to her. Wildcat blushed, and I grinned. Now smug, I stayed leaning against her car, not caring what the girls had said. Emerson sighed, said bye to the others, and broke off toward me.
“I’m beginning to think you’re my stalker.”
I growled and twisted her so she was against the door. “That’s not something to joke about, Wildcat. Why do you think I’m here?” It was partly true. I wanted to keep her safe, but the thought of being away from her and having other guys watch her dance had been the main component.
“Because you’re a sadist? I don’t know!” She slapped my chest.
“Keep telling yourself that.” We stared at one another, neither of us saying anything else. After it sounded like all the other girls were gone, I pulled back. “You headed home?” She nodded, and I relaxed.
“I’ll follow you there.”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t protest. Progress.
I got into my truck and waited for her. I scanned the lot while she started her Audi, and my eyes caught on a suspicious car across the street. But by the time we pulled out, it was gone.
The drive to the house was quiet, and only a few cars were out this late in Oak Hills. The house was also dark, and I trailed behind her into the house. She unlocked her door, and then I went into mine. I listened as she finished in the bathroom and then went in. Despite neither of us saying anything, we moved in tandem like we’d done it a million times.
“Good night, Wildcat.”
She paused at the door, her eyes meeting mine over her shoulder. “Good night, Holden.”
That night, I went to bed and slept better than I had in a week—since the last time I had her in my arms.
As I prepared for the game, the day rushed by. The Crushers were a hard team, and it would be a tough win. I finished pulling on my pads as Colter walked into the locker room with a big smile. Somehow, I knew he’d just seen Emerson.
“You don’t have to rub it in,” I grumbled .
“Get your groveling on, and you can get your good luck kiss, too,” he said.
“Groveling? I said I was sorry already.”
He shook his head. “Dude. You said it and told her you’d show her, but so far, all you’ve done is follow her around like a lovesick puppy.”
“I also gave her my jersey,” I mumbled.
“That was more for you, and you know it. You need to do something just for her, or at least something to show her you’re serious. The tension between you two is insane, but she was right; you didn’t build trust. Your foundation started as great sex. That’s not the problem. You need to emotionally connect with her now.”
“What the fuck? You can’t be serious.”
“Your loss, then.” He shrugged and pulled on his pads. My gut sank. Was he right? I didn’t know how to do that part. I hadn’t ever shared things with anyone before.
“Fuck. Fine. Help me?”
Colter spun around with a teasing smile. “I thought you’d never ask. It’s time for me to teach the great Holden Adler how to woo a girl.”
I grumbled, but didn’t argue. Colter might have been a playboy, but he dated the girls he slept with first, sweeping them off their feet until he lost interest. While I never had to work for a girl to like me. Throwing her over my shoulder caveman-style wasn’t sustainable. Or was it?
Coach came out, and the locker room quieted. “It’s game two. You know what to do. Let’s win this, Wolves!”
The team howled and stomped their cleats, amping themselves as we headed out of the locker room. We stopped at the end of the tunnel, the sounds of the crowd just beyond us. The team huddled around me, and I soaked in the camaraderie. This was what I loved.
“Who are we?”
“Wolves! ”
“What do we do?”
“Destroy our prey!”
“How do we do it?”
“Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Everyone threw their heads back and howled as the emcee announced us. The team ran out onto the field, the crowd building with each name. The team’s energy and the stadium riled me up, and I held my head high as my name was called and I stepped onto the gridiron. The sun shone bright and warm, making it a perfect day to play football. The stands were full of black and teal, and the fans screamed my name. This was my kingdom, and I was king.
But it all faded away when I spotted Em at the end of the Wolfette lineup. I swallowed, my eyes traveling down her body in her dance uniform. Last week, they’d been long-sleeved one-piece things, but this week, she had on shiny black pants, teal sneakers, and a hot pink crop top, showcasing part of her stomach. My pants became tighter, and my athletic cup pressed against the front. She smiled at me, and I had to stop myself from stopping and kissing it off her.
Once she was out of sight, I could think straight again. Shit. I’d need to focus on the game, not her, or we’d be in trouble. Thankfully, they were on the same side as us and off to the side, so unless I turned my head, I couldn’t see her. Which, of course, meant I kept looking down the field. I was such a sucker for this girl.
“Adler, head in the game,” Coach snapped. He shoved me onto the field, and I realized it was time for the coin toss. I went to the fifty-yard line, where the ref and the captain from Carolina Crushers stood. I knew Langston well. We’d been at the same camps over the years. He was a prick, but he was a good player. He smirked at me when I neared, and I wanted to punch him already.
“Nice of you to join us, Adler. ”
I ignored him and glanced at the ref. He nodded and turned to Langston. “Visiting team, what do you call?”
“Heads,” Langston smirked, like he had a secret joke.
“That means, Wolves, you’re tails.” He flipped the coin, and it fell to the ground. I kept my eyes on Langston and waited for the ref. “Heads win. You receiving or deferring?”
“Defer,” he said.
“Wolves, you kick off first.”
I jogged off the field and kept my gaze off Emerson. I couldn’t look at her and win this game.
The game started, and I fell into my groove. The Crushers had a great defense and held us to only one touchdown at halftime. They’d only been able to score a field goal, giving us the lead 7-3, but it was too close for my liking.
The team wiped sweat off their brows as they downed water and Gatorade in the locker room. Coach reviewed a few plays, and everyone was lasered in on the board.
“Offense, you need to get around #98. He’s reading all of your plays and stopping the momentum every time. So we’re going to shake it up.” I nodded, understanding this new tactic. “All right, rest and then hit the turf. We got a game to win.”
“I don’t know which is worse. This week or last week,” Colter moaned.
“What do you mean? Last week, we were up by a lot.”
“Dude. Come on.” He rolled his eyes and sighed like I was the biggest idiot. “Mer in that outfit. Fuck. It’s distracting.”
Oh. Right. I’d nearly forgotten.
“Keep your focus on the game. If Langston finds out, he’ll use it against us.”
“Shit. You’re right. Okay. Blinders. I got it.”
The team stood and headed back out to the field. The Wolfettes were finishing up on the field, and we caught the last of their routine. Someone had put Emerson in the back, but she still out-danced every single one of them. The Crushers were already out on the field, and a few of their teammates were mimicking the dance moves and laughing.
The crowd cheered for the Wolfettes as they ran off the field, and we took their place. I tossed the ball back and forth with the trainer to warm up. When it was the start of the second half, I kept my gaze off the sidelines and focused on the game I loved.
The third quarter was about the same, with no one scoring, but Langston managed to get a throw to his wide receiver in the fourth, and they took the lead. Pressure pounded in my head, and my muscles became tighter.
I wouldn’t lose this game.
“Blue, 88. Blue, 88,” I shouted. Daniels tossed the ball, and I pulled my arm back to toss it to Wilder, but he was covered. I felt a tingle and turned to look where Colter was. He cut through their defense, and I redirected my throw to him. My hand left the ball just as a defender slammed into me.
I hit the ground hard, but all I could focus on was whether or not Colter caught the football. The roar of the crowd set my heart at ease, and I pulled myself up. Colter had made it to the ten-yard line.
This was it.
If we could score on this drive, they wouldn’t have enough time to get down the field. The O-line hustled down and huddled around me.
“Trips Left, Slippy 951, Fade,” I said. We broke apart and got in line. I hated that Colter was out, but after that run, he’d need a rest. I zeroed in on the defensive line, watching them as they shifted. I’d watched a lot of films this week, and as they moved, I knew what they were going to do. In a split second, I changed the play and called an audible.
“Red 22, Red, hut!”
The ball was snapped quickly, and I took advantage of the Crusher’s distraction. It was a thing of beauty when a play came together. My line blocked and opened up the perfect hole, and I jogged right into the endzone. Quarterback sneak.
The team jumped on me as we headed off the field, and my eyes locked with hers. I hadn’t meant to, but something about this moment drew me to her, and I was unable to stop.
Completely and utterly enraptured.
I couldn’t look away. Not when we scored the PAT or when the quarter ended and we won the game. My eyes held hers, and I never felt more at peace in my entire life. I never craved attention from a girl like this. But it was obvious Emerson Adams wasn’t just any girl, and I’d be willing to do anything for her.
Even give up football.
And that fucking terrified me. I didn’t know who I was without the game.
Would she even like me if I wasn’t the star QB?
But most importantly, was it worth the risk?
I didn’t know. I didn’t fucking know.