Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
ADAM
Present Day
“Let’s go Coach Gage! Kick some ass, boys!
” My not-so-lady like baby sister is hanging over the railing of the stands yelling at her fiancé and his team, while wearing her jersey with ‘Gage’s Fiancé’ written across the back.
It used to say ‘Gage’s Girl’ but since he put a ring on it, she upgraded.
I watch as Jackson turns to her, gives a wink, and then lingers on her for a moment too long.
“Fuck, I’ll never get used to it,” I run my hands through my hair, turning away from them.
Billy gives me a shoulder bump. “That’s what she said,” he snorts. I push him back, rolling my eyes.
“Knock it off.” My words hold no malice for him, but maybe some for Grace as I tense up at feeling her link her arm with mine.
“I think it’s sweet. They love each other so much, and they aren’t afraid to show it,” she says. She’s looking up at me with big doe eyes, and I think I even see a heart or two in them. Christ. I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but this isn’t working for me.
I’m unsure how we even got here. Grace and I went to high school together. She’s been in this town her whole life. We were always friends, nothing more, though I got the idea she wanted more. I didn’t, and she wasn’t pushy about it, just friendly.
After a few run-ins after Chelsea left town, we finally ended up together one night at Moose’s.
I was in a shit mood still dreaming about Chelsea, wondering why she just upped and left me without a word.
I was feeling sorry for myself, and Grace was there.
One thing led to another, and she woke up in my bed the next morning.
I’ve never had a one-night stand before.
Considering we’ve known each other our whole lives, and knew we’d be seeing each other in town, the one-night kind of lingered and turned into a few weeks here and a few dinners there.
The next thing I know, another year has passed and now she’s here with my family, watching my best friend prepare to win another state title with his high school football team.
I know what that timeline looks like to some.
It looks like I’m dragging her along with no intentions of committing.
And yea, I’m a dick so that’s probably what I’m doing.
Scratch that, it’s exactly what I’m doing.
I’m an avoider and I hate confrontation when it comes to my own relationships.
My family hasn’t gotten that memo though, considering they come to me with all their drama.
Whatever needs fixing, see Adam. It’s the role I was born into, and I love it.
I want them to depend on me. I need them to depend on me.
I just don’t want to talk about my own shortfalls in love.
Grace never questions me, and she doesn’t say anything about my long working hours. She doesn’t push her way into my house or into my family functions. She’s simply there when I need her.
It’s easy, but it’s not fulfilling.
She’s not Chelsea Jo.
CJ used to light me up from the inside with one look.
I miss her.
Fuck. It’s been two years since I’ve heard from her and I’m still a pussy crying over the girl who doesn’t want me, who ran out on me without a word. Chelsea was afraid to fall in love. Afraid to let go completely because she was afraid I wouldn’t fall with her.
I don’t think she truly understood that I was already at the bottom waiting to catch her since the first day I laid eyes on her.
The whistle blows and the game begins. Tom and Farrah make their way to us, and my parents follow behind them.
It’s just like old times, when we’d all get seats at the 50-yard line to watch Jackson play in the NFL.
Those were good times, exciting. Even when it got bad for him, we still had each other. And we still showed up for each other.
The quarter ends, and we’re ahead by two touchdowns. The team is pumped and so are the fans. The stands are packed, the stadium lights have lit up the field, and signs and flags are waving for our hometown Comets.
“I'm going to go grab some sodas. Who wants something?” Getting everyone’s orders, I begin to make my way through the packed stands.
Britt gives me another flip of the bird.
She hates when Grace comes around. Those two have beef that stems back from high school, and she’s hated her since.
I try to keep them apart as much as possible but tonight was unavoidable.
I’m in the aisle when I begin my descent and try to get around the woman coming up towards me.
She’s looking down but her auburn hair with highlights catches my eye.
Stadium lights make her hand on the railing glow, accentuating a gold ring with a love knot and it makes my breath catch.
I stop just as she looks up, and our eyes meet.
Hazel eyes that I’ve been lost in, with long dark lashes that frame them. The perfect pink lips that have kissed every spot on my body.
The ring I gave her right before college graduation.
“Chelsea Jo.”
She doesn’t look shocked to see me. In fact, it looks like she knew exactly where I would be tonight.
Like she came to find me. I, on the other hand, was the dick that never went looking.
Not because I was afraid to find her but because I was afraid of what she’d say if I did find her.
I’d rather be mad and miserable with the possibility of her return then to know for sure she didn’t want me and was never coming back.
“Adam, hi.” She looks around. We’re standing in the middle of the aisle, with the entire town surrounding us. I feel like I’m standing in one of those Macy’s window displays on 5th Avenue.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, wincing at the needy tone spilling from my lips.
She begins to speak but the crowd erupts into a roar.
The cheerleaders are chanting and the horn blows again, making me jump and miss whatever she’s just said.
My eyes dart around her face, taking her in, not believing she’s standing right in front of me.
I linger on her frame, taking in every inch of her, the smooth column of her throat, the tender spot on her shoulder that always gave her goosebumps when I laid my lips there.
My heart races as my body immediately recalls how she felt under me.
And how much I’ve missed her being there.
I feel an arm come around my waist and then Chelsea’s eyes go rounder then narrow.
I know it’s because she’s gotten a look at who has just tried to stake their claim on me.
I don’t like it. Grace has never been possessive and the fact she’s trying it now only confuses me more about what’s happening.
“Bro! You’re holding up the line, man! Some of us are dying of thirst up here.
” Billy pushes past me “CJ! Girl, you look hot! Come on, lets grab some drinks.” Billy throws an arm around her directing her down the stands and I have no choice but to follow.
He’s so nonchalant about seeing her, but then again, my brother is a professional bullshit artist, so I’ll be sure to thank him later for diffusing the situation.
Grace tries grabbing my hand as we walk down, but I flex my fingers then stuff them in my pocket.
Yes, I’m a dick. We’ve established this. But I feel like I’ve just seen a ghost. I have no idea how to navigate what is happening right now.
We get to the bottom and head to the concession stand where it’s slightly quieter. Apart from my own heartbeat drowning out voices around me, I can make out Billy and Chelsea talking together now.
“I just came back a few days ago,” she says as Billy’s eyes flicker to me then land back on her. “My sister is here, too. We’re going to look for an apartment together.”
“Ahh, Adley,” he smiles and Chelsea’s lips twist to the side. “Adley with that ass!” My stupid brother bites his fist and groans. Chelsea slaps his chest.
I want her to touch me. Slap me. Anything.
“Don’t let her catch you talking about her like that,” Chelsea laughs.
“Oh, please. She loved the attention I used to give her.” He turns now to the girl in the concession stand and orders our sodas.
“Mmhmm,” is all she responds with. Then she turns to me, and I’m knocked on my ass again. I can’t form words. She’s still so beautiful. “Adam, it’s good to see you,” she says tentatively. Her eyes flick to Grace who is standing like a guard dog next to me. “Grace, how have you been?”
She’s being cordial but her tone is anything but.
Grace responds by sliding her arm around my waist and pushing her tits against my arm.
“Great, actually,” she purrs. I give her a sideways glance, stepping away from her touch, befuddled by the feeling that I’m stuck in a love triangle.
Which is fucking weird and so out of sync for how life has actually been these last few years.
There’s no triangle. Chelsea and I are more of a circle. A never-ending circle of should we or shouldn’t we. A merry go round we could never jump from.
Absolutely not a triangle. There’s only been one girl I’ve ever dreamed about.
But she left me without a word.
And now she’s here, standing in front of me.
The crowd goes wild again. “Damn, we better get back to our seats before Gage comes to kick your ass for not watching his highness win again,” Billy says.
He claps me on the back, holding a tray of sodas.
I turn to follow without saying a word because apparently, I’ve lost all sense of reality and social etiquette.
Chelsea reaches out and puts her hand on my forearm.
Electricity.
Lightning.
Sparks.
It shoots up my arm, through my body, and settles in my dick. This girl, no, woman has always made me feel. We never once had a problem physically; we got on like a house on fire. It was more of our emotional and maturity sides that never completely synced up with one another.
I look at her delicate hand on my arm, then into her eyes, still not able to form a coherent word. “Adam, I’d like it if we could get together and talk. I think there are some things we need to work out.”
All I can do is nod. Grace pulls my hand and I go, not because I want to leave CJ but because my feet need to move. I need to do something other than stand here staring at the girl who took my heart when she left town.