Page 30 of Stalked By the Linebacker

Before I got shot with whatever arrow hit me when I’d seen her a few weeks ago, I’d never noticed her. I’d been blind to the goddess that was right under my nose, practically living in my childhood home. I’d been a player on and off the field.

“No games. No bullshit.”

“Is that what you tell all the girls?” she pressed bravely, and I started to shake my head.

“Libby––“

“I’m not stupid, Hector. I’ve heard things, and girls talk. A lot.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “First off, I’ve never told a girl anything close to what I’ve told you tonight. I swear to you, on my mom.” Her eyes widened. She knew just how serious I was. “There has never been a girl like you for me. I’ve never felt this. Not until that day I walked into Stacked to say hi. Now, you tell me what you heard, and I’ll tell you the truth, even if I think you might not like it.”

“Now?” she squeaked. My lips twitched.

“Now, later, anytime. That’s an offer with a lifetime shelf life, how about that?”

“Okay.” She nodded, and I felt her relax. My fingers played with the ends of her hair. “Maybe later,” she mumbled.

“Tell me you don’t feel this? This pull toward each other?” I asked, my lips a hairsbreadth from hers, so close I could take them if I wanted to. Everything in me strained for a taste.

“What?” she asked in a haze as she leaned in closer. The tips of our noses brushed against one another. I swallowed hard. My Adam’s apple booted almost painfully. “Of course, I do. Hector, for me? It’s always been you.”

“What?” I rasped. My body locked. Every drop of blood rushed to my ears, making a roaring sound before heading south.

Was she really telling me this?

“For me, it’s always been you. You were this crush I had. This older guy who had it together––

“I don’t,” I rasped. I didn’t want her to look at me through rose-colored glasses.

“You do.” Her eyes softened. “I mean, okay, fine. None of us have it together. But you know where you’re going. You’ve always known who you are. And you don’t budge. You like to make it seem like you’re this dumb jock when you’re out on the field, but it’s part of the plan, right? How you surprise people? Why you changed your major last minute?”

“How…” I was at a loss for words and cleared my throat. I couldn’t deny just how right she was. “Just don’t go telling my secrets, okay?”

“They’re safe with me,” she promised. My nose flared.

“And you, beautiful, you’re safe with me, too,” I vowed, leaning in just a smidge to kiss the tip of her nose. “Go get ready for bed. We can watch a movie.”

Just like that, we moved around her small space, almost seamlessly. Working around one another, getting shit done like we had done it more than once, and fuck me, I couldn’t wait to do it for a lifetime.

CHAPTER 7

HECTOR

I tried to sleep.

I really did.

Libby’s bed wasn’t only tiny but lumpy as fuck. God only knew how old the fucking thing was. I had no idea how she slept soundly next to me, but she did. I glanced down at her. Her face tucked into the side of my chest, her hair in my fingers as I stroked the top of her head.

It wasn’t the quality or size of Libby’s bed that was the problem. Nope. I could deal with that.

It was my head and my body that wouldn’t cooperate.

No matter what I did, my mind ran a million miles an hour. Thinking about the fact we would be graduating at the same time now that I’d changed majors. My head filled with the future and how to get shit done. What the future would be like. I was going to medical school, and so was she. It wouldn’t be easy. It’d be really fucking hard, but we would be able to manage. There was no way it wouldn’t end with us with our own happily ever after.

Then there was my dick.

The fucker wouldn’t settle the hell down. I was hard as a rock.

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