Chapter Seven
Harrison
I reached across the table and grabbed Sadie’s hand. “This is nice. I’m so sorry I’ve been too busy to hang out with you as much lately.” She smiled, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, and I noticed that she pulled her hand away instead of letting me hold it for a while.
Did Sadie suspect something, or was I just being paranoid?
“It is nice,” she agreed, looking around the restaurant. “Where’d you hear about this place?”
We were at a nice Italian place in the next city over from the college. Aubrey had told me about it, and we’d come here several times together. I liked it because I knew we weren’t likely to run into anyone from school.
There was no way I was going to tell Sadie who I came here with. She didn’t seem to like Aubrey very much, and she really didn’t like the thought of me hanging out with her. She didn’t believe Aubrey was only interested in friendship.
And I had realized she was right about that.
But I didn’t want to get into all of that. So, I lied. “Oh, just some of the guys from the football team.”
The look in her eyes wasn’t confrontational or angry or anything like that. But I wasn’t entirely sure she believed me. I squirmed nervously in my seat.
The corner of her pretty mouth turned up, but it didn’t really look like a smile.
She sat back in the booth and crossed her arms over her chest. Her breasts looked mouthwatering tonight, and I couldn’t wait to get her back to my room after dinner.
I just hoped tonight I didn’t picture Aubrey when we were together.
The smile dropped off my face when our waitress came over to the table. She was the same waitress Aubrey and I had several of the times we’d come here. “Oh, Mr. Quarterback. Nice to have you back in the house.” She glanced at Sadie, then looked back at me in confusion.
“Where’s your…”
I realized she was about to ask about Aubrey, and I cut her off just in time.
“Wondering where the rest of the guys are, huh?” I said with a big smile.
She frowned and cocked her head. I glanced at Sadie and saw she was wrapped up in the menu. I looked at the waitress, shook my head at her slightly, and gave her a wink.
I could tell when she understood what I was trying to convey. The smile dropped off her face, and she got a cold look in her eyes. She thought I was seeing at least two women, whether she knew the whole story or not.
I didn’t give a fuck what she thought as long as she kept her mouth shut. I’d have to give her an amazing tip at the end of the meal.
“This is my girlfriend.” I gestured to Sadie.
The waitress gave me a dubious look. “Okay,” she said in a disbelieving voice. “Well, what can I get y’all tonight?”
The two of us ordered, and the waitress walked away.
“It’s kind of hard to picture a bunch of guys from the football team coming here after practice. I hope everyone hit the showers first. This is a nice place,” Sadie said, looking around the restaurant and soaking up the ambiance. “Why’d y’all come so far out of the way to eat?”
“It’s just nice to get away from campus where we can eat in relative peace, you know? Some people still recognized us, but most didn’t seem to.” Between the waitress and Sadie’s questions, I was having a hard time relaxing.
“So, this is where you were some of the times you had to cancel with me?”
“Yeah. The guys and I would be so tired after practice, and we just didn’t want to fight through the hordes of people wanting to talk to us around campus. So, we came here.” I was starting to worry a little about how easily I was able to lie now.
She smiled. “And why’d you want to bring me here?”
“I just know how much you like Italian food.” I cleared my throat. “And I wanted to talk to you about something.”
She cocked her head at me. “What is it?”
“I know you’re going home this summer so you can work your ass off to be able to pay for sorority dues and formal dresses.”
“Right,” she said, breaking one of the parmesan knots in half and popping it in her mouth. “Mmm. These are so good.” She smiled at me. “Thanks for bringing me here. We never get to go to places like this.”
I thought of all the times Aubrey and I had been here together and felt guilty. I typically just took Sadie to the diner for a burger.
“I’m glad you like it. But back to what I was saying.” I was nervous and wanted to get this out on the table. “You know I make a ton of NIL money, right?”
College sports had changed so much and so rapidly over the past few years, it was hard to keep up.
But players were paid Name, Image, and Likeness money, known as NIL, based on money they earned the school and from promotional campaigns, corporate sponsors, and more.
Last year, I’d made barely any as an unrecognizable second-string quarterback.
Now? After I’d become the face of football at Carruthers?
I was making millions. Any standout player who doesn’t get good NIL money from a school can easily enter the transfer portal at the end of the season to go play for another school.
Usually, that school offers them more money, and that’s why they leave.
But I didn’t have to. Carruthers was thrilled to have me, and they’d given me a lucrative deal to keep me here.
Her eyes shot up to mine. “Yes, I know you got a lot of money.”
“So, why don’t you let me pay for all of that? Then you could stay here this summer and we could hang out. You wouldn’t even have to take classes. I’d rent you an apartment so your parents wouldn’t think you were staying with me at the frat house.”
She frowned. “That’s nice of you, but I want to pay my own way. I don’t want to use your money for my things.”
“But I really, really want you to stay with me this summer.” She had no idea that a lot of the reason was because I needed a buffer between Aubrey and me. My attraction to her was growing stronger, and I needed Sadie in front of me daily to keep me strong.
“I’m sorry,” she said, looking contrite.
“But I’ve already accepted the jobs. I’m not going to leave them high and dry.
These aren’t nameless, faceless people I’d be affecting.
One job is with my former cheerleading coach.
I’m in charge of the cheer clinic she’s running.
And the other is proctoring classes and testing for summer school at the high school.
That could really help me get a foot in the door when it’s time to apply for a teaching job in a few years.
I’m sorry, but it’s a done deal, Harrison. ”
What she said made sense, but I was starting not to trust myself. I was worried I was going to cheat on her. I rubbed the back of my neck. “I understand.” My voice came out harshly, and I saw her flinch.
“Are you really mad about it?”
“I just know that I’m about to enter a season that Coach says could win me the Heisman.
It would’ve been nice to have my girl beside me, supporting me at practices, in my bed every night, just being a girlfriend.
” The Heisman Trophy was awarded each year to the top college football player in the nation.
I couldn’t believe my coach thought I’d stand a chance to win it my sophomore year. But he did.
“Practices are closed, though.”
I waved my hand. “Yeah, but I could get you in. It wouldn’t even be hard.” I stared at her, hard. “Do you know how many girls would do anything to be my girlfriend? And I can’t even get my girlfriend to stay with me over the summer.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I… can’t believe you just said that. You never would’ve said something like that back in high school.” She stared at me like she’d never seen me before.
I sighed. “Just forget it, okay? I shouldn’t have brought it up.
It’s just that lots of the guys have girlfriends who are hanging around to make sure they have everything they need.
I would’ve liked for you to have been one of them.
That’s all.” I knew my tone was bordering on angry, but I was having trouble holding back.
“Okay,” she said. She tried to smile at me, but I saw that her eyes looked suspiciously glassy. Was she going to cry? That wouldn’t be good at all.
“Sadie. I love you. I just wanted to share this spot with you and have a nice night out before you have to leave for the summer. Was I hoping to talk you out of going? Yes. But if I can’t?” I shrugged. “That’s just something I’ll have to deal with.”
The rest of the evening was… not ideal. We were awkward with each other. I was mad at Sadie, whether she deserved it or not, and she could tell. The air between us buzzed with words we left unsaid.
When we got back to my fraternity house, the sex between us was lackluster for the first time. Things were off between us, and we both felt it.
Then it got worse.
“You know, I have so much to do to get ready to leave town tomorrow, I think I’ll go back to my dorm tonight.” She couldn’t meet my eyes as she said it.
It would be the first time all year that she hadn’t slept over after sex.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded.
“Well, come see me tomorrow before you leave, okay?”
She turned and smiled at me. “Of course. Are you sure you can’t go out to lunch with us before we head out?”
“Yeah. I’ve got plans I can’t get out of.” Bullshit. I didn’t have any plans. I just assumed Aubs and I would grab some lunch like we often did. And I was just angry enough at Sadie to not make sure I’d see her as much as I could before she left.
That night, I dreamed I was fucking a beautiful woman.
It was so realistic, I could have sworn my dick was really inside someone.
I pounded inside of the woman, taking my pleasure while she gave it willingly.
The only parts I could see of her body were beautiful, all tanned skin, small, perfect tits, and a firm ass.
But I couldn’t see her face. I was close, so close, and I started slamming into her, making her take all of me as I yelled out and unloaded inside of her.
“Aubrey,” I cried as I kept thrusting, kept emptying in her tight, wet, chamber. And that’s when I saw her face. Yet again, I wasn’t fucking Sadie in my dream.
I was fucking Aubrey. I woke up with sweat dripping off my forehead and cum all over my stomach. I sat straight up in bed and rubbed my face.
What was I doing? If I was cheating on Sadie in my dreams, was it a stretch to think I would do it in real life?