Chapter 20
Blaze
My muscles fucking ached, and I knew it was because I was dehydrated.
I hadn’t drunk enough water or gotten in enough electrolytes throughout the day before practice, and now, I was paying for it.
I barely had the energy to shower, but I was going to manage because I was sweaty and smelled like ass.
But as soon as I showered, I was getting my ass home and crashing in bed, dinner be damned. I’d wake up and eat later.
I turned the knob for the shower, then stood under the spray, groaning when the hot water hit my sore shoulders. Hunter passed me and winced. “You look like shit, bro.”
“Oh, fuck you,” I muttered, offering him my middle finger to go right along with it.
He snorted. “Just stating facts. Hydrate and rest tonight. And eat something healthy that’s actually on our meal plan.”
I scoffed. “Are you implying I eat like shit?” I asked in mock-outrage. We both knew I did. I was a slut for pasta.
He laughed. “I’m saying we all eat like shit.” He stepped into the shower stall beside mine. “But seriously, hydrate. The last thing we need with the next game coming up is you catching a preventable injury, yeah?”
I sighed. If I got an injury, I worried what it’d do to Jaxon. He lived vicariously through me when it came to football. If I couldn’t play, where would that leave him?
“Yo, Jaxon!” one of our teammates yelled. “Where the fuck have you been, man?”
Jaxon? What the fuck was he doing here in the locker room? Hunter turned his head to look at me, shampoo in his hair, his brows furrowed. “Did he just yell Jaxon’s name? You heard that, too, right?” Hunter asked, his voice colored with confusion.
“Yeah, I fucking heard it,” I muttered, hurrying to finish showering.
But I didn’t need to because Jaxon appeared along the walkway right outside the showers.
He leaned against the wall right across from my stall and crossed his arms over his chest, a slow smirk tilting his lips as he ran his eyes over me.
And goddammit, my dick hardened. Not a damn thing I could do to even hope to stop it.
When he looked at me like that, like he wanted to fucking eat me, what happened to my southern regions was out of my control.
“Nice view,” he teased.
I laughed softly. “Not that I’m not happy about seeing you, but what are you doing here?” I questioned, hurrying to rinse my hair. Now that I’d seen my man, I suddenly had much more energy than I thought I had—like just seeing him had lit another spark within me.
“Coach called me. Apparently, the water boy is dropping out? Something about the military. I can’t remember.
” He frowned, looking frustrated. When I cleared my throat, drawing him back to the present and out of his head, he pushed his fingers through his messy dark hair.
“He asked if I wanted the position, and that he understood if I sometimes couldn’t make it to a game or a practice due to my headaches and shit. ”
“Did you accept?” I asked, hoping he did. This might give him some of the boost he needed to start feeling better. Therapy was beginning to help, but he needed changes in his life too besides just becoming my boyfriend.
He rolled his eyes, then used his index finger to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose some. “Would I be in here if I didn’t?” he drawled.
I snorted, then turned the water off. Jaxon grabbed my towel and passed it to me. Wrapping it around my waist, I strode forward and leaned in to softly kiss him. “Smart ass,” I murmured against his lips. Then, I turned and headed for my locker so I could get dressed.
“Tease,” he grumbled from behind me, making me snicker.
“So, you just visiting or back for good?” one of our teammates questioned.
I didn’t know who, too focused on getting dressed to see who was questioning Jaxon.
I was ready to get out of here and get him home.
Didn’t matter that he wanted this and had agreed to being the water boy of his own accord.
The bright lights of the locker room compared with everyone hitting him with questions from every direction was soon going to be too much for him.
“I took the water boy position,” Jaxon said, dropping onto the bench right in front of my locker. I leaned around him to get what I needed.
“Damn, was hoping we’d get you back on the field,” someone else commented.
“Nah,” Jaxon said, and I was a little surprised that he didn’t sound sad about it—another bit of proof that therapy really was helping him. “That ship sailed long ago, unfortunately. That tackle took me out permanently. But this works fine for me.”
I looked over at him, my shoulders slumping a little in relief to see the honesty bleeding into his eyes. He meant it. This was fine for him. He truly was making improvements.
I scraped my nails along his scalp for a moment, and when he looked up at me, I smiled. “We’re happy to have you back,” I told him, meaning it.
He grinned, and my fucking heart melted.