Chapter 15
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
brOOKE
We’ve been home now for almost two weeks and fallen into a pretty normal routine. Classes are back in full swing, and I’ve been busy adjusting to my new schedule for the semester. Silas, who is also back in class, is training for the combine.
The days are going by kind of fast, and I feel like we only see each other sometimes at night when we fall into bed. We’ve gone on occasional dates to dinner when we can fit them in, but it’s been challenging to find time.
My last class of the day just ended. I’m heading out of the building, and I practically run into Eli as he comes out of one of the classrooms near the exit.
He stops walking and takes my elbow in his hand. “Brooke, hi.” He has a tentative smile on his face.
“Hi, Eli,” I sigh and roll my eyes, pulling my arm from his grasp.
“What have you been up to? How are you?”
“Honestly, I’m thriving.”
“Oh, really?” He huffs. “You don’t miss me at all?”
“Nope, not even a little. I actually forgot about you.” I smile at him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go.”
“Ha! I’m not sure if I believe you. Come on, Brooke. I’ll walk with you back to your dorm so we can talk.”
“I’d rather you didn’t. And I’m not going to the dorm.”
“Let me guess. You’re going to the house.”
“Yep, I am. I actually live there now.” I walk down the stairs to the sidewalk.
“You’re kidding me?”
“I’m not.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him about Silas when I see my husband walking toward us. He’s smiling, but when he sees who I’m walking with, he scowls.
“Hey, Cupcake,” he says, reaching for me and planting a kiss on my lips.
“Nice,” Eli grumbles. “This is why you moved into the house then?”
“Oh, hello, Eli. I didn’t even see you there.” Silas gives him a sarcastic smile.
I place a hand on Silas’s chest. “I just ran into him when I was walking out of the building.”
“Did you tell him our good news?”
“Silas, not now.” It’s not because I want it to be a secret, but I really don’t want to make a scene in the middle of the campus.
He ignores me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Brooke and I got married recently.” He kisses my temple.
Eli laughs. “Yeah, right.”
“No, seriously.” Silas holds up his hand, showing off his wedding band.
A part of me is giddy that he’s claiming me in this way, but also, I’m slightly annoyed because he’s putting on a show.
“Okay, we’re going now.” I turn and reach for his arm. I take his hand in mine, pulling him away.
“Whatever. You’re not worth it. Go live in your testosterone-filled world.”
Eli turns and starts to walk away, but Silas stops him.
“No, douchebag, you’re not worth it. And I’m the luckiest bastard on the planet because she realized her worth and dumped your ass. Thank you for treating her so shitty. Now she sees how a man is supposed to treat his woman.”
I mean, if that isn’t a turn-on, I’m not sure what is.
Eli doesn’t bother responding and walks away.
I look up at Silas as we start to walk. “Was that necessary?”
“Absolutely. Why? Are you embarrassed?” He squeezes my hand.
“No, I’m not. We just haven’t said anything to anyone outside of our friends and family. I just…I don’t know. I guess I haven’t thought about handling it publicly. We should probably figure that out, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, you’re right, I’ll talk to Scott about it too and see if he has any suggestions. Speaking of family, my parents are dying to meet you. I don’t think they were nearly as shocked as your family was.” He laughs.
“Okay, yeah. I’m not sure when that can happen though. It’s kind of a bad time to go anywhere.”
“Yeah, not a great time, but we can FaceTime them soon. Are you cool with that?”
He releases my hand and wraps his arm around my shoulder. It seems that he likes having me close to him. And I can’t say that I mind.
“That works. Do you think they’ll like me?”
I never met Eli’s parents. And my family had an advantage knowing Silas, so this is a first for me.
“Cupcake, they are going to love you.” He stops us and takes my chin between his fingers and tips my head up for a kiss.
“If you say so.” I smile.
“I know so.”
My cheeks flush with the way he says it so confidently. There’s a gruffness to it, like in a possessive way.
He kisses me again when I smile, and then we turn and start walking again in the direction of the house.
“Wait, shouldn’t you be at the gym?” I look up at him.
“I was, but I got done early. I wanted to pick you up from class because I have a surprise for you.” He wiggles his eyebrows.
“Like a sexy surprise? Why are you wiggling your brows?” I giggle and poke him in the stomach with my finger.
“Oh, it absolutely will be sexy, but I wanted to do something special for you.”
“Okay, now I’m curious. What is it?”
“Well, since everything has been kind of a whirlwind, we haven’t really gotten to spend any time alone together, so I thought we could go on a little weekend getaway—call it a mini moon—just the two of us.”
I could melt. Mini moon.
“Silas, that’s really sweet, but are you sure you can take the time?”
“Yeah, this weekend is great time-wise for me, and where we’re going, we’ll be getting some exercise, so it’s not like I’ll be sitting on my ass, doing nothing.”
“Okay, as long as you’re sure.”
“I wish we could go somewhere nicer and warmer.” He laughs. “But this will have to do until we can take a proper trip. You down?”
“I don’t expect anything like that. But, yes, this sounds like fun. Where are we going?”
“Have you ever been to Turner Falls?”
“Yeah, of course.” I smile.
I love it there. The trails are incredible, and there are even caves to explore.
“So, I got us a cabin and thought we could do some hiking and just spend time together.”
“Silas, that’s actually perfect. Thank you for being so thoughtful.”
“Well, like I said, a proper honeymoon is on the horizon, but it might just take a while.” He kisses my head.
“Okay, but I really don’t need something like that.”
“Brooke, you deserve everything I can give you. And once I’m in the NFL, I’m gonna spoil you rotten.” He laughs, then holds out his hands in a swiping motion, like he’s tossing money.
“You’re funny.” I roll my eyes, but smile.
“What you said about announcing our marriage publicly—I would like to do that if you’re okay with it.
I mean, it doesn’t have to be on SportsCenter or anything, but would you be okay with me posting it on social media?
I’m pretty fucking psyched about being your husband, and I want everyone to know you’re mine. ”
“I’m okay with it as long as you don’t think it will hurt you in the draft.”
“Nah, I’m not worried about that. Guys get married all the time in college.
Shit, they even have babies. Look at Archie.
” He chuckles. “And maybe ours wasn’t conventional, so we can keep the details to ourselves, but it’s not a bad thing for these team owners to see that I’m in a committed relationship. ”
Committed. Wow. I still can’t believe this is all real sometimes.
“Whatever you think is best, I’m okay with. We should probably let Beck know and maybe your agent so they’re prepared.”
“Why Beck?”
“Well, once they connect that he’s my brother, he might get questioned about it, and I don’t want him to be caught off guard.”
“Good point. Okay, yeah. I’ll let Scott know, and you can tell your brother.”
“Great. Thanks.” I smack him in the stomach.
“I don’t think he wants to kill me anymore, so I feel like we’re making progress there. But I still think you should handle that one. I’ll hold your hand when you call him though.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“You’re welcome, Cupcake.”
We stop walking at the Stop sign to cross the street, and he turns to me.
“I can’t wait to tell everyone you’re my wife.” He cups my face in his hands, and the kiss he lays on me makes me forget we’re standing in a busy intersection in the middle of campus.
I pull back from the kiss. “You know, I can’t wait either. I see the way girls look at you, and they need to know you’re off-limits now.”
“Oh, baby. I like that all too much. We need to get home—fast. Turns me on to hear you get all territorial.” He grabs my hand as people around us start to cross. “I’ll put it in my bio that I’m married too.”
“Okay, then I will too.”
He sighs, smiling and looking at me like a man … in love. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
“I think I might because I feel the same.”