Chapter 10
Blake
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I’m worried for Cooper. The poor guy looks like death. I don’t think it’s healthy to puke the number of times he did today. I guess it’s not just a hangover that's making him sick, but the fact that his coach makes them do some insane drills.
I might not be a football fan, and I hate the players even more, but even I have to admit, it takes skill to do what they can do. If it were me, I’d have dropped dead after a few seconds.
“I’m good.” Cooper groans, leaning down, hands on his knees. “Just give me a moment.”
“Damn, Coop.” Brody, the assistant coach, chuckles, clapping Cooper on the back and making him groan. “I thought you were going to pass out. I’m impressed you made it through practice."
“Don’t be so confident that I still won’t.”
My brow furrows, and my worry builds. “Here.” I give Cooper what's left of my water bottle. “Sit down for a minute before you end up on the ground. I can assure you, I wouldn’t be any help lifting your body.”
Cooper groans again, straightening up and taking the water bottle. “Thanks.” I follow him as he goes to sit on the bench. He takes a few sips, then dumps the water right on his face before shaking it out.
“Hey.” I laugh as droplets of water hit me in the face. “Watch it.”
“My bad, Blakey.” He chuckles, then proceeds to do it again.
“What are you, a dog?” I roll my eyes.
“Woof woof.” He grins, then winks.
That wink. Why is he always winking at me? And why do I not hate it?
Any time I’ve seen someone wink, they never pull it off, at least in my opinion. It always comes off as creepy or corny, fluttering like in movies. Half the time, I think someone has something in their eye.
With Cooper, it’s just part of his personality. He’s not trying to impress anyone, or trying to act cool or whatever. It just fits.
Although, the more time I spend with him, the more I’m noticing he mostly only does it with me.
I’m not sure if it’s a friendly thing or something else.
“Take it easy,” Brody says before leaving. “Need you on the field this weekend.”
“You got it.” Cooper waves him off. “Alright, Latte Boy.” Cooper grins. “Let me go get cleaned up, and I’ll get you fed.”
“You really want food still?” I ask, shocked that he can still stomach anything.
“Hell yeah.” He gets to his feet. “I’m starving.” He pats his belly.
“Probably because you puked everything else up.”
He grimaces. “Sorry you had to see me like that. Not the best sight, huh?”
“You’re fine. I don’t have a weak stomach.” Kind of had to build up a tolerance when people were shoving spoiled food, or other bodily fluids, in my locker on the daily.
“You okay?” Cooper asks.
“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.” I wrap my arms around myself, hating when my past creeps back in.
“Alright. Shower, food. In that order. Because I don’t think you want to be in a car with me when I smell like this.” He sniffs himself. “Yeah, no. I’m not mean enough to force you to endure this.”
“You’re not mean at all,” I blurt. My cheeks heat as I curse my loose tongue. What the hell was that?
His playful smile softens, making my heart rate pick up. “Thanks.”
“Whatever,” I grumble. “Come on. I don’t have all day.”
Cooper laughs as he follows me, embarrassment leading me off the field.
Fifteen minutes later, Cooper exits the locker room clean, hair still damp from the shower.
“Ready?” He shoves his hands in his pockets. Well, mine, I guess? He’s wearing my sweatpants after all.
“Yup. Are we going to your place first so you can change?”
“Nah. I was going to, but honestly, I’m fine like this. Your clothes are comfy. If that's okay? Because if you need this back, we can swing by my place.”
“No, it’s fine. You can keep them.”
My heart races a little faster as he snuggles into the hoodie and breathes in. “You smell good, you know that.”
I can feel the heat radiating off my cheeks right now. “Ah, thanks.” I clear my throat.
He just smiles, laughs, and shakes his head. “Come on, Blakey, feed me before I become hangry.”
“Dramatic much?” I roll my eyes.
“Have you met my friends? Dramatic is what we do best.” He bumps his shoulder into mine playfully.
“I’m starting to see that.”
***
“Fuuuuck.” He groans as he takes a bite of his breakfast sandwich. “I could eat a million of these.”
I stare at him, slightly horrified by how much he’s eaten. We got here about fifteen minutes ago, and I’ve watched this man down three of them already.
“Football players are an interesting breed, that's for sure.” I take a sip of my coffee.
“We work off a lot, gotta keep up the carbs.” He wipes his mouth with a napkin.
“Yeah, that does make sense. You guys are beasts out there. I thought playing looked rough, but that has nothing on practice."
“Tell me about it,” he huffs, leaning back in his seat. “Sometimes I dread practice because it’s always gruelling.”
“Then why do you play? If it’s more work than fun, what's the point?”
“Practice and games are two different things.” He smiles. “On game nights, the whole atmosphere shifts. We’re there to win, to show off just how much work we put into this game, to get where we are. And the thrill with every good pass, killer catch, and epic goal? Worth every single second.”
“I guess when you put it that way, I could see how rewarding it can be.”
“Do you have anything you’re passionate about?” he asks.
“Not really.” I look down. “It’s stupid.”
“Hey,” Cooper’s voice takes a softer turn. “Tell me. Trust me, nothing you can tell me is stupid.”
Why does he keep saying things like that? Like what I have to say matters, that my feelings mean something? The scariest part is that I can hear the sincerity in his voice. He cares, not because he’s trying to be friendly or polite. And I don’t know why.
Lifting my eyes up to his, I find him waiting. “I like to play video games.” I shrug. “Watch anime.”
His eyes sparkle. “What kind of video games?”
“Ah, mostly shooting games, some racing games, stuff like that. But Call of Duty is my favorite. My online friends and I play most nights after school.”
“That is amazing,” he chuckles. “What's your gamer tag?”
My brows pull together. “Why?”
He grabs his phone, then frowns. “Shit. Is it for Xbox, playstation or PC?”
“Xbox.” I’m so confused.
“Fuck yes.” He chuckles, looking back down at his phone. “Here. Search your name so I can add you.”
He hands me his phone, and I stare at the Xbox app.
“You play?” I ask, looking up at him with a furrowed brow.
“Oh, I play.” He grins from ear to ear. “Fucking amazing at it too. We should play sometime.”
The corner of my lip twitches, and a warm sensation flutters in my chest. “Yeah, okay, cool,” I mumble, typing in my name.
Why is my heart pounding so damn hard?
I add him, then hand his phone back. “You busy tonight?”
“No,” I say slowly.
“We should play.” He returns his phone to his pocket.
“Really? Tonight?”
“No. Next week,” he teases. “Yes, tonight. It’s been a few weeks since I played, and man, I miss it.
The start of a new school year is always time-consuming, but now that I have you saving my ass, I don’t have to stress as much.
Seriously, Blake, you’re a lifesaver. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be a mess right now.
It’s like the first time since coming to college that I can breathe.
Like, my head isn’t always a constant mess of worry.
Am I going to be able to keep up with school, with football, with work?
I used to feel guilty for going out with my friends because it could have been time spent studying.
Only, when I studied, I’d always end up feeling more stupid than I did before. ”
“You’re not stupid.” I frown. “You just process information differently. I told you.”
“I know.” He smiles that soft smile. This one is different from the one I’m used to. “And I believe it. Thanks to you.”
I chew on my lip, snuggling into my hoodie, feeling a little on the spot and exposed.
As if Cooper can read my damn mind, he changes the subject so I don’t have to feel uncomfortable. This man, I swear, is an alien or something. Because he’s not like anyone else I’ve ever met.
We continue to talk for a while before heading back to school, parting ways, and going about our own days.
When school is over, I remember we drove Cooper’s car here and start the walk home.
I’m halfway there when I feel my phone buzzing. Stopping, I pull my phone out, pause my music, and answer. “Hello?”
“Blake, hey. Where are you?” Cooper asks.
“Ah, walking home. Why?”
“What? Why the heck are you walking home?”
“Because I didn’t drive to school....”
“No, because we took my car.”
“Right.”
“And what, you thought you had to walk home or something? Blaaaaake,” he groans. “I would have given you a ride.”
“Oh.” I lick my lips, looking around as cars drive past me. “I didn’t want to bother you.”
“You’re not bothering me. After everything you did for me yesterday and this morning? Of course I’d drive you home.”
“I didn’t wanna assume.”
“Where are you? Are you on 95th or 87th?”
“Neither. I’m on the highway.”
“What!” he shouts. “Blake, that's not safe. What the hell?!”
“It’s faster,” I protest.
“You’re going to give me a heart attack. Step to the side and wait. I swear to god Blake, if you get hit by a car, I’ll never forgive you.”
The phone call ends, and I stare at the screen, dumbfounded. He’s upset, but not at me. He’s upset for my safety?
Not wanting to worry him more, I step into the ditch and onto the tree line, away from the road.
I watch the cars go by one by one until I see Cooper’s car. He pulls over onto the shoulder.
I jog over and pull open the passenger's side door. “Are you okay?" Cooper asks, looking me over.
“I’m fine.” I put on my seatbelt. “I walk this road all the time.”
“Not anymore, you’re not.” He shakes his head. “You could get yourself killed.”
“It’s not a busy highway. I’m fine.”