Chapter 13 Sawyer
THIRTEEN
Sawyer
Have you had any food today, or are you surviving on vibes and caffeine again?
Just vibes and caffeine
Ellie
Yes?
You need to eat. Be glad I’m not there, or I’d make sure of it.
Is this what fake boyfriend duty entails?
Well, feeding you might be my love language. Fake or not.
The locker room smelled like sweat, adrenaline, and whatever protein powder had exploded in West’s bag. Again.
“I swear to God,” Bronx muttered, grimacing and peeling off his hoodie. “You should be banned from bringing anything Fruity Pebbles flavored within ten yards of this place.”
“It’s plant-based,” West said, as if that was supposed to make it better. He grinned, already half-dressed in his gear, his pads askew and his brown hair doing whatever the hell it wanted. “Organic pea protein. Great for muscle recovery and shit.”
“And terrible for nostrils everywhere,” I said.
“Yeah, peas shouldn’t smell like fucking feet,” Bronx said flatly.
I laughed, tugging on my compression shirt. “Just be grateful he’s not on another liver cleanse. Last time, he looked like he was on the brink of death.”
“Jealousy.” West threw a towel at my head. “That’s what I’m hearing.”
“You hearing voices again?”
I chucked the towel back at him, and he caught it midair.
“Might be time to lay off the pre-workout,” I said.
“No pre-workout. That shit’s full of nasty chemicals.”
Bronx and I gave him a look.
He shrugged. “Sorry, I care about what goes into my body.”
Bronx cracked a rare smile, tapping his fingers on the top of his locker like a drummer warming up. “So anyways. Tell us about Ellie.”
I groaned, already bracing myself.
“Oh, now you don’t wanna talk about her.” West’s eyes lit up. “As if you didn’t call me last week screaming, ‘Ellie came home with me. She’s so pretty and so smart. I think she might actually like me.’”
“She’s dating you, dumbass.” Bronx glanced at me. “Of course she likes you.”
I glanced down at the jersey in my hands. I trusted my guys, but when it came to Ellie, I wasn’t ready to put it all out there yet. From the outside, it was real—like maybe I was finally the guy who actually got the girl, even if the world didn’t know the whole story.
“Come on,” West said. “You can’t just announce to the world that you’re dating her and then give us the silent treatment.”
“We’re just…spending time together when we can. Getting to know each other.”
West scowled. “Wow, lamest answer possible.”
Bronx leaned a shoulder against his locker, his arms folded. “But you like her.”
“Of course I like her.” I shoved my pads into place. “She’s smart and funny. She actually listens when I talk—and not just about football. When I say something dumb, she doesn’t make me feel dumb. She rolls with it. Makes me feel...” I trailed off.
“Less dumb?” West offered.
I pointed at him. “Exactly.”
“She’s cool,” I said, my voice softer. “It’s easy being around her.”
Bronx gave a thoughtful nod. He always caught the stuff beneath the surface. “Is she coming to the game?”
“She’s got a show in Vegas tomorrow.” I pulled my jersey off. “I’m heading out there to see her after we win today.”
“Did you at least ask her to come for the game?” West asked.
I shrugged.
West winced. “Damn, and here I was gonna tell you she’s out of your league. Now I’m thinking she realized it herself.”
I flipped him off and sat down to lace up my cleats. “Get fucked.”
Bronx studied me as if he were reading a play that hadn’t been called yet. He knew. Or at least, he knew there was more I wasn’t saying.
Even if this whole thing started as a way to spin a story and shift a headline, I wasn’t sure what to think of it anymore. Not when we stayed up too late texting, or when she laughed at my dumb jokes and looked at me like maybe she saw something good.
West clapped a hand on my back as he walked by. “Well, I’m happy for you. You know, assuming she doesn’t dump your ass.”
“Appreciate the vote of confidence.”
“Let’s win this one. I want to look good in the highlights.”
Bronx cracked his knuckles. “Let’s give her something worth watching.”
I stood up, rolled out my neck, and shook out the nerves.