Chapter 12
Archer
“Want dinner?” Ellie asks. “It can be my treat if you don’t mind something from a drive through. If you want something homemade, we can head back to my place and I can make you something frozen.” She grins. “I really wasn’t planning on eating anything healthy clearly.”
“How about delivery?” I suggest. “My treat. I’ll hop in my truck and meet you back at your place?”
“Sounds great! I’ll see you there.” she smiles. I go to hop out of her car but not before stealing another quick kiss from her. Making my way to my truck. I see her waiting for me so I can follow her back to her place.
While I follow Ellie back to her place I call my parents up.
“What a game Kiddo!” is the first thing my dad says when he picks up the phone. “Love seeing that spark back in ya!”
“Hey Dad. Thanks. I did what you always told me to do. Go with my gut.”
“Oh honey, how are you feeling?” My mom’s voice comes through the other end of the phone. “You took a few hard hits.”
She’s not wrong, I’ll be feeling the hit that came from Connelly Hicks in the third quarter. “I feel amazing, all things considered.”
“Oh Hon, that’s great to hear. Your father and I have been worried ever since…”
“Trish honey, let the boy bask in the glow of victory.” “Actually” I interrupt. “I’ve met someone recently. It’s nothing serious but it’s been really good so far. I’m on my way to meet her for dinner.”
“Oh... that’s good.” The sudden anxiety from my mother is obvious. She saw firsthand how badly Cassie fucked me up.
“She’s a good girl. She actually went to college with me. We had history class together freshman year.” The anxiety seems to lessen with the knowledge that Ellie and I knew each other before I made it into the NFL. “She’s a teacher. Kindergarten.” I continue. “Her name is Ellie.”
My parents are quiet for a while and the only noise that fills the car is the sound of my turn signal. “Well, I’d love to meet her. Does she go to your games?” My dad asks.
“She was at tonight’s game.”
“Oh, was she in the box?” My mom asks. Cassie would only go to games if she was able to be in the box, away from the obnoxious fans as she claimed. I'm sure my mom is trying to make a mental comparison which is not fair at all to Elle but I don’t say otherwise.
“No, she and her best friend were in the stands. Managed to snag good seats from the looks of the pictures she sent.”
“Oh!” My mother’s voice seems to perk up.
I guess that was the correct answer to her question.
“Well, we plan on coming in for your game against the Grizzlies.” The Grizzlies were my dad’s team growing up and by default they were mine.
Mom and Dad usually make a week-long vacation out of that game.
“We’d love to meet her then, if you don’t think it’s too soon. ” My mom continues.
“Yeah, I will ask her about it.” I turn into Ellie’s apartment complex. “Hey, I love you but I’m gonna hop off here. I’m at Ellie’s place and she promised me some home cooked take out.” I joke.
“Bye sweetheart. We love you.” My mom chirps at the same time my dad’s “Love you kiddo” comes through the phone.
I smile. My parents have always been affectionate and incredibly supportive.
It’s where Cassie used to call my “positive masculinity” came from.
I was, well am, never afraid to tell those I care about that I love them, especially after my brother’s accident.
That was a big call to arms for me. You never know when you’ll get to talk to someone again.
Taking a deep breath and leaving those thoughts behind, I hop out of the truck and make my way to Ellie’s apartment.
I take the stairs instead of the elevator to her fifth-floor apartment.
The movement loosening up the tightness in my legs from the game.
I go to knock on the door and realize she left it unlocked for me so I go right in.
It’s neater than it was the night I brought her and Sadie home from Salsa Casa.
Her sectional still has all her pillows on it and the blankets are neatly in the basket.
She has her tv onto the Grizzlies-Chimeras game and she lit a pumpkin scented candle.
It’s cozy and warm and honestly, it's a perfect reflection of Ellie.
“So, I know you suggested delivery.” Ellie says as she hands me a glass of ice water.
“But on my way home I remembered that I made way too much chili last weekend and froze the leftovers, so I have that on the stove right now reheating. I figured you would enjoy that a little more than take-out. I’m going to make cornbread muffins to go with it. ”
I drink half the glass in one go. “Can I help in any way?”
Ellie thinks for a minute. “Well, I mean the cornbread comes from a box so there isn’t much to do. But if you wanted to order us some dessert from somewhere I wouldn’t say no.”
“I know just the place.” I order pumpkin pie ice cream to go with our fall themed dinner from a local ice cream parlor.
After the meal Elle and I are on the couch.
I have my arm around her and we’re watching the second half of the game.
The Grizzlies are making the Chimeras work for every point.
It’s going to be a tough game when we play them.
“I didn’t even ask, I just had the game on from where I was watching the pre-game stuff for your game last night.
This is probably like work for you isn’t it. ”
“Well yeah but I don’t normally get to hang out on a couch and eat ice cream when I’m working. Not to mention, you’re way better looking than anyone in that locker room.” I grin at her.
I’ve made myself at home in Ellie’s little apartment. My shoes are off and my feet are on her coffee table. She has the curtains to her balcony open so you can see out to her garden; the string lights are on and casting the balcony and living area in a golden glow.
Ellie switches off the game and onto her Disney+. I’m confused until she pulls up Pirates of the Caribbean and I immediately grin. “Pirates?”
“The first one is the best.” She says matter-of-factly. Hitting the play button.
“The originals are always the best. Sequels tend to suck.” I say as I settle onto her couch, pulling her close.
“Except for Shrek 2.” She comments as she surprises me and curls up against my side. Grabbing a blanket, she drapes it over both our legs. She’s warm and smells like lemon and vanilla which must either come from her shampoo or perfume but wherever it comes from, it smells heavenly.
The movie has been playing for a while now and she’s settled into me as the movie’s gone on. Her legs are tangled with mine, her hand resting lightly on my chest and I can’t help but notice how natural this all feels. It’s peaceful. The soft light of the apartment casts us in a comfortable glow.
“You’re not even watching,” Ellie murmurs.
Giving me the side eye. Not wanting to stray too far from Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly.
She told me earlier that Orlando Bloom was her childhood crush and I can’t help but feel a little jealous of how the movie can still command her attention after all these years.
I smile back. “I’ve got better things to look at.” She rolls her eyes, a smile creeping at the corners of her mouth. “That was so fucking cheesy” she giggles. “Was that a line?” Her attention is now all on me.
I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear, my thumb stroking her cheek.
“I don’t know, did it work?” I smile, I know it was cheesy, but I’ve come to realize Ellie enjoys cheesy.
She doesn’t pull away from my touch, I take the initiative and I kiss her, soft at first, just the brush of lips.
When she doesn’t pull back, I deepen the kiss, slowly, confidently, she’s given me this confidence back, the spark I’ve been missing and I plan on showing her just how much that means to me.
She tastes like the ice cream we shared earlier.
Her fingers curl into my shirt, and I shift to face her fully, pulling her in closer.