Chapter Thirty-one Rowan
Chapter Thirty-one
Rowan
“It’s nice to meet you. I heard you got an offer from Northern with MJ.” Coach Collins smiles at Summer.
She gapes back at him, pupils blown wide and completely speechless.
I bite back a laugh.
“She did, but she’s holding out for FLU,” I tell him, pulling Summer out of the doorway.
Vaughn and Lacey are in the living room. Austin and Claire too.
“Congratulations,” Lacey says to Summer as we take a seat between the two couples.
“Thanks.” She finally manages to speak, glancing over at Coach.
“I’m heading out for a bit.” He grabs his keys off the kitchen counter.
“Hot date?” I ask.
Summer elbows me.
Coach gives me a dry, apathetic stare. “Dinner with the athletic director.”
“No judgment, Coach. She doesn’t look a day over sixty-five.”
He shakes his head as he leaves for the garage. I can’t help messing with him. Especially now that the season is coming to an end. I’m going to miss him next year.
“Oh my gosh. I can’t believe I just met Jude Collins.” Summer stares ahead, unblinking.
“Well, sort of. He met you, and you just gawked at him.”
She elbows me and then laughs a little self-deprecatingly. “I couldn’t help it. He’s such a legend. Wow. I’ve seen him at school and on the field, but he actually talked to me.” She fans herself. “This is the best day of my life.”
Summer looks to Vaughn. “I’m so sorry if I’m being weird.”
“Oh no, I’m used to it.” He waves a hand.
“Ahem,” I say and then actually clear my throat as I watch my girlfriend go completely mind-blown over my coach.
She aims a guilty smile at me. “It’s only a soccer crush. Those are allowed, right?”
“Hell yeah. I have a soccer crush on him too.”
“Me too,” Austin says, grinning.
“Me too,” Lacey adds.
Vaughn turns slowly, brows lifted, to stare at his girlfriend.
“What?” She shrugs. “It’s like looking at future you. And I like you.”
She leans forward and brushes her lips over Vaughn’s, and all is forgiven.
The six of us order pizza and watch a movie. Regionals start this week. October is always a busy month, but this year I’ve been pulling double duty attending as many of Summer’s games as I can manage with my own schedule.
The conversation turns to our first game against Brayson. We’re ready and heading into the playoffs undefeated. It’s been our mission this season to prove we’re the best team in the state, and now it’s time to prove it.
“Maybe we should rewatch their game against Springfield earlier this season,” I say.
“Yeah.” Austin nods.
Vaughn looks around the room.
“I’d love to watch,” Summer says.
Claire and Lacey share a look, then shrug.
“Fine,” Lacey says. “But I’m making popcorn.”
She gets up and goes to the kitchen, opening cupboards with a comfort that shows how often she hangs out here.
“I’ll grab my dad’s laptop from his office,” Vaughn says.
Austin juts his chin toward Summer. “You should see the office. It’s like a museum.”
Her eyes light up. “Seriously?”
“Oh yeah. Game balls, trophies, jerseys, everything you can imagine,” Austin says.
Summer gasps. “Can I see it?”
“I’ve lost her,” I say, fighting a grin.
Vaughn snorts. “Yeah, come on.”
He leads a very excited Summer to his dad’s office.
“What do you think the odds are that I can get her out of here later?” I ask Austin.
“Trust me, if it were an option to live in Coach’s office, I would have already moved in.”
When Summer finally returns, she’s got a wide-eyed, dreamy look on her face.
“As good as you imagined?” I ask, draping an arm around her shoulders.
“Even better somehow.” She nuzzles into my side. “I’m going to have a room like that one day.”
“Hell yeah, you are.”
We make it through about half the Brayson/Springfield game before we lose focus.
“I should get home,” Summer says. “I have an anatomy quiz tomorrow.”
“Need a study partner?” I ask hopefully. I’m not ready to say good night to her yet.
“Yes, but you have to come through the front door. My mom threatened to put a lock on my window.”
I chuckle. Oops. I guess I wasn’t as sneaky last night as I thought.
I officially met the parents last week, and they don’t hate me. I’m not sure if they like me yet, either, but I’m sure I’ll win them over eventually. By not climbing through their daughter’s window, for starters.
“Let’s do it.” I stand and pull her to her feet. “Later, boys. Lacey. Claire.”
“Bye,” they say in unison.
* * *
At Summer’s house, I say hello to her dad, and then we head up to her room.
“Are your parents back in town?” she asks as she grabs her laptop and study notes.
“Not as of this morning.”
She gives me a sympathetic smile as she takes a seat next to me on the bed. Then she takes my hand and squeezes. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” We’ve barely talked since I told my dad I wasn’t going to work at the dealership. My mom cornered me one morning and had the same questions my dad did, but ultimately it ended the same way. With them frustrated and me angry.
“You did the right thing telling them the truth,” Summer says. “Maybe they just need time to adjust their vision for your future.”
“Or they’ve written me off because I’m not doing what they want.”
Summer looks at me like she wants to fix all of it for me. I love her for that. I wish it were that easy. Regardless of how things have shifted, I’m glad I told them. I still don’t know what’s next for me, but for the first time ever, I feel like I have options.
Instead of dealing with any of that tonight, though, I want to enjoy this time with my supersmart and sexy girlfriend. It turns out, I’m a relationship guy. Who would have thought? Not me. But I think I might even be good at it. I’m enjoying it, that’s for sure.
I pull out my phone and hold it in front of us. She laughs. I have so many pictures of us, I had to buy more storage.
I snap the pic, then look at it.
“Aww. We’re cute.”
“You always say that.” She glances at it. “That is a good one. Send it to me. I want to post it.”
My finger hovers over the share button.
She rolls her eyes, reading my hesitation. “Silas knows we’re together.”
“Yeah, but the less he sees my face, the less likely he is to think about punching me.”
She presses her palms against my cheeks on either side, framing my face. “I promise I won’t let him get your face. It’s too pretty.”
I huff a laugh, then lean forward and lick her nose. She giggles and I dive in closer, burying my face in the crook of her neck.
“I need to study,” she says as we fall into a heap, limbs intertwined and me partially on top of her.
“Five minutes,” I murmur, placing a chaste kiss on her collarbone and then working my way up her neck.
She sighs.
“Ten tops,” I amend, and she laughs.