Page 60 of A Quarterback for Christmas

“So you want to end this before it starts because of your dad?” She nods, biting her bottom lip so hard that it turns white.

I pull myself off the door, adjust my ball cap and click my teeth. “Good to know,” I say, unable to hide my anger.

“Don’t be like that, Drew.” Her tone makes me sound unreasonable, but I don’t know what’s unreasonable about expecting someone in college not to need their daddy’s approval for who they date.

“Be like what?”

She waves her hands frantically in front of her. “Like that. Acting like it matters.”

“It does.”

“It can’t,” she stresses. “We both knew there’d be a time limit on us, and we reached it.”

“You think one night of the best sex of my life is our time limit?”

Her eyes grow wide, and she visibly swallows. “Keep it down.” Her words come out as barely a whisper, but I can hear the desperation behind them. After drawing in a few shaky breaths, she says, “Even if neither of us wants to admit it, we both knew that we couldn’t keep screwing once the snow stopped.”

“Wow.” I chuckle harshly, studying the girl I thought I was getting to know over these past few days, but she’s still as difficult to read as a Rubik’s Cube. “It’s just that easy for you to switch off your emotions?” I click my fingers for emphasis. “To push me away once you’ve fucked me out of your system. You use me while I’m convenient, but drop me the minute reality settles in.” My fists clench, and I can feel myself losing my cool with her, something I’ve always prided myself on, but the surprise in her eyes makes me snap. It's time Bella heard some hard truths. “I always knew you were a princess, Bella. Self-centered with a touch of entitlement, but I never pegged you as callous.”

“Drew. That’s not fair.”

“No. What’s not fair is that you’d rather stay afraid of what your daddy might think than be happy with me.” Her jaw drops because, yeah, I went there. “You’re too busy chasing his approval to think for yourself. Weren’t you just telling me last night how obsessed with me you were? Or that you didn’t want to be in Indiana? That you dreamed of being in London?”

Her cheeks pinken, and she bows her head. Maybe I’m overreacting, but she can’t keep playing me like this. Not when there are real feelings involved.

“Shh,” she hisses. “My dad might hear you.”

“And then what? You’d lose that good girl persona you’ve been faking for years? You know what? This conversation has been eye-opening and is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you, B. I hope you have a great life, and finally live outyourdreams, instead of trying to live out someone else's.”

“Where are you going?” I can hear her feet step as I turn back to the door, but I don’t bother looking. What’s the point? She’s chosen her father’s potential disappointment over me. “Wait.” It’s one last helpless whimper from Bella as I leave, but I shut the door, knowing that she won’t be able to chase me with that giant boot on, and I’m almost certain she wouldn’t even if she didn’t.

Her hands tap against the glass, and I drown them out with the crunch of the snow under my feet.

What was I even fighting for? A dream about a girl from when I was thirteen. Well, that dream has died. She isn’t the girl I expected, and it’s about time I moved on.

Chapter 15

Bella

Five Weeks Later

Marissa:You are officially back in the dorms tomorrow! I’ve been so lonely without you. Got snacks and a movie to celebrate.

Great.

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and every Jason Statham movie known to man is waiting for me. I attempt to toss my phone across the room, but unfortunately, I miss the floor and hit my green cast. “Owww.” I don’t feel much of it, but I’m still angry and bitter over how everything went down between Drew and me.

The last five weeks without Drew have been nothing short of a mindfuck, and the only good thing about living with my father again is that I’ve realized just how important it is for me to move to a new state when I graduate. Not Indiana or Florida. Somewhere new, where no one knows me.

Hell, maybe it’s time I took the plunge and tried to actually move to London, instead of being drawn back by my dad. A fresh start away from American culture is exactly what I need because, frankly, my chances of meeting a hot quarterback who toys with my emotions in England is about as slim as me winning a race this year.

A studious British guy with impeccable manners is what I need after the whole Drew fiasco.

I cringe just thinking about him. I haven’t seen him, or any other students for that matter, since the night he called me a coward. I’ve been hauled up in my dad’s house, attending my classes online because he didn’t want me to risk slipping on sleet. Overprotective much?

I sigh and turn the TV on. There’s no point wallowing in this pity party. I need to do something, and if that something is watchingBaseball Wives,then so be it.

I jump a little when the front door opens, and my dad greets me with a smile. “Morning, Belly.” He drops his gym bag onto the floor, and when he gets to me, he pushes my hair back and kisses me on the forehead.

---