Page 19 of The Night We Met

“Are you sure?” Liam pulls back to look at me.

I nod. “Positive.” Leaning up on my toes, I kiss him on the cheek. “Have fun.” I tell him and walk away. I feel his gaze burning into my back as I make my way to the garage. Is that a metaphor for how this will go?

UGH! Be still my anxious heart. Maybe I’m naive, but I hoped with everything in me that this thing between us would be without the awkwardness and the feelings that come with it. If last week is any indication then I need to move on from what Liam and I almost had.

I finally make it to the garage and after squeezing through the many sweaty bodies that occupy the house, I find Sarah calls my name.

“Hey! Where’d you go?”

I point over my shoulder towards the general vicinity of the backyard. “I was out back with Liam and his friends. How was the basketball team?”

Sarah makes a gagging face. “Ugh. So not for me. All they wanted to do was talk about basketball. There's a time and place for talking about sports. But when I’m just here to find a hookup, that’s the last thing I want.” Her nose scrunches up in the corner.

If it’s one thing I’m learning about Sarah is that she’s not one to mince her words once she warms up to you.

“You’re insane.” I tell her as I take the drink she made for me. I look around the room and see men that look like sex. It’s weird to think that about college athletes. But these guys are in a totally different class than the basketball team. “Where did you bring me?”

“Nice huh?”

I nod my head as words fail to form.

“This is unofficially the football lounge. The players apparently don’t like getting too rowdy with everyone else, so they kind of claim this spot as there's. You either have to be invited in, be friends with them, related to someone on the team, or dating one of the players.” Sarah takes my silence for what it is and explains this space.

I take a look around and see that she’s right. It’s definitely not as rowdy here. I can hear myself think. I’m not assaulted by gnarly scents. I already love it way more.

I’ve noticed the hierarchy that is D-1 sports. Especially some of the divide between the mens and womens teams. The football, baseball, and basketball teams are the top three breadwinners amongst the men. Especially the baseball team having won four national championships in the last ten years. But the football team is in another class. While they haven’t won as many championships in the last ten years, they have had the most players to be drafted to the NFL. While I’m not too sure about the basketball team, I do know they have a successful program.

With the women's teams: soccer, basketball, and volleyball are the top breadwinners here. I make a mental note to support the women this year. Sarah and I have bonded with some of the girls in our dorm that play a sport. They’ve been slow growing friendships with their busy schedules, but we hope by the end of the year something comes out of it.

My mind snaps back to where we’re at as I scan the room.“I like it. How did you get an invite?”

“I went to high school with the quarterback. Helped tutor him in AP English. We’ve stayed in touch ever since. I almost forgot he went here until he messaged me. Said I always had an open invitation to hang out in the football area. Figured it might be good for you too.”

I look at Sarah in horror. “Is that the reason you brought me here?”

She averts her gaze to something behind me before quickly looking back at me. “Not exactly. Mason, hi!”

“Sarah, how are you?”

Holy smooth-like-butter-talk-me-to-sleep voice. I turn and look at the guy that Sarah’s talking to.

You know that cliché moment in movies or romance books where the whole world fades away. And it’s just you two seemingly coexisting in the same space? That’s this moment. The moment where I feel things may change.

Because Liam, who? I ask myself. This boy...no scratch that...this MAN is just that. He’s a man. That Sarah so easily can talk to. Meanwhile, I’m next to her getting tongue-tied in my own thoughts.

He’s beautiful. Like, he could be Idris Elba’s twin brother. Or at the very least his cousin.

“Hi! It’s so good to see you. I’m doing well, how are you?” They embrace as if it’s been a while since they’ve seen one another. And maybe it has been a while.

I watch their interaction with fascination. It’s obvious they have an easy-going friendship. But that little green-eyed devil props itself on my shoulders begging to make something out of nothing.

Sarah turns her attention to me and I note the mischiefin her eyes. “Kamryn, I’d like to introduce you to Mason. Mason, this is my roommate Kamryn.”

He steps up to me with a wide smile on his too beautiful face and sticks out his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

Wordlessly, I place my hand in his and shake.

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