Page 7 of How We Loved

“Nope, not yet.” He reaches up and grabs me, lifting me easily to position me on his lap.

My tiny four-foot-nine frame compared to his massive six-foot-two frame is almost laughable, but it works for us. He says I’m like his own personal teddy bear or pillow that you keep on your lap when you sit down, and he’s not comfortable unless I’m there.

Dalton, Natalie, and Eli join us on the couches as I wrap my arms around Ben’s neck and lay my head on his.

“Well, onto basketball season,” Dalton says with a sense of finality in his voice.

“Come on. Can’t we just live in football for at least one more day?” Ben whines.

“We could have if your ass had run the ball better at last week’s game,” he responds.

“Oh, okay, we won’t mention how you missed the ball in the end zone either,” Ben volleys back.

“Don’t even say it was a bad throw,” Eli, who normally stays pretty quiet, points out about last week’s game that we lost. As our quarterback, he’s one to stand up for himself—always.

“Man, we had some good times on that field.” Ben sighs.

I squeeze his knee with my hand. “I know you guys did.”

As seniors this year, all of us are in the process of figuring out what is next for us. Dalton was always destined to play football at Stanford, the school our parents went to and one that his dad has pushed on him since he was little. Now that his relationship with his dad is forever tarnished, I wonder if Stanford is even on the table anymore.

I doubt he cares if it is or not. That was his dad’s dream, not his. Now that he has Natalie, I wonder where he’ll go. There’s no way Natalie is moving far from her family or the ranch, so next year should be interesting for him.

Eli needs to figure out what sport he wants to focus on more. He’s what they call a phenom, where he’s just good at everything he does. You’d never know it if you talked to him. Humble doesn’t even explain it properly.

He was born to be an athlete with his six-five build of solid muscle without even having to try to put on weight. Most guys who are tall are skinny as hell, but not Eli. People say he could be the next Freddie Freeman or Aaron Judge in baseball, but he’d have to decide to take the baseball route first.

Until he does, he has multiple colleges wanting him to come play for them in football, basketball, and baseball.

Ben, on the other hand, is amazing at all three sports, too, but he has no interest in playing in college. He always says he enjoys it, but is not dedicated enough to any one sport to make it a job—because that’s what it is to play for a college. You eat, live, and sleep that sport. He says he’s ready to move on to something else, but the way he’s looking right now makes me question if he’s changing his mind about football.

With everyone chatting around us, I notice the somber mood that’s fallen over him, so I place my hand on his chest and shake him softly. “Snap out of it. Don’t be so down,” I whisper so no one else can hear me.

He drops his head back and smiles softly at me. “I know, Sunshine. With you here to help me, I will. Just give me a few more minutes to feel sorry for myself.”

Sunshine is what he calls me when he knows no one can really hear him talk or when we’re alone. It’s always been something between just the two of us.

After my mom died, we started hanging out even more. At first, I thought it was because his parents, especially his mom, helped so much after her passing, but it was about a year after that when I realized it had more to do with us and our special connection than anything else.

Of course, Eli and Dalton weren’t as accepting of me hanging out with them all the time like Ben was. There was one time they were going fishing up at Mason Creek, and Eli and Dalton didn’t want me to go. Ben stood his ground, held my hand, and told them I was going.

That’s when we became what we are today.

He had me sit on his lap, he carried me around, and we spent the whole day just hanging with each other. From that day on, our friendship grew more and more, and I wouldn’t change any of it for the world.

Marcus, Ashley, and Susie walk over to join our little group, and I smile at them as they do so, enjoying how our four has become eight all of a sudden.

Though Marcus isn’t part of the TimeLand crew, he’s been hanging out with the guys for years. Marcus and Ashley were the first to start dating, which worked out perfectly that she’s best friends with Natalie and Susie.

As the party starts to dwindle down, Ben gets up to make me some hot chocolate and brings me a mug. I take it from him with a smile, loving that he didn’t even ask if I wanted it—he just knows I always will.

Dalton grabs the guitar from the corner and brings it back to where he was sitting. I always enjoy listening to him play, so I curl up in Ben’s arms and watch him strum the guitar.

Football might be over, but this group right here will forever be a part of me. There’s something so comforting, being able to hang out with friends who you know are genuine and are always there for each other.

Natalie looks at her watch with a sigh. “Time to get going. It’s funny how my dad is even more strict now with my curfew. He might be okay with us dating, but not with me staying out late.”

Everyone else follows along and starts to gather their things while I stay curled up on Ben’s lap.

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