Page 135 of Pick Me

He held his hand out and smiled, and I was happy things started to feel right with the world again.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Jackson

For the first time in my life, I hesitated before stepping into my own apartment. Me. A 266-pound offensive lineman was quaking in my basketball shorts over my quarterback’s reaction. Ridiculous.

My pulse hammered as I crossed the threshold and took a quick scan of the room before shutting the door, my nerves easing a fraction when I spotted Thea curled up on the couch absorbed in some mindless reality show.

Then our eyes met. She smiled softly, and the tightness in my chest loosened. Every instinct told me to go to her, to scoop her in my arms, but I held back. I still didn’t know how that conversation with her brother had gone—only that I was allowed to come back.

“Jackson.” Her voice was quiet, but it wrapped around me like a hug.

“Thea, hey.” I dropped my bag by the door, thankful I didn’t have to use it and spend the night with Matty and Britt. I was home with Thea, exactly where I wanted to be.

“I knew it,” Tanner said, moving from the hallway to the kitchen. “I knew this would be weird.” He waved his hand in my direction. “Just go and see your girlfriend already. Let’s get this over with.”

“Hey, T,” I said, tipping my chin to Tanner before making my way over to Thea. Tanner rolled his eyes and walked out of the room, giving us some privacy. I sank down next to her, taking her hand gently as I inspected her shoulder. She’d taken her sling off and was wearing a plain white T-shirt, hiding the bruising I’d seen before. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m doing better,” she said softly. She didn’t sound upset, so that had to be a good sign.

“That’s great. And Tanner?” I flicked my gaze to the hallway he’d walked down and then back to my girlfriend.

She let out a hesitant laugh. “It went better than expected.” Relief loosened the tension in my chest. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. He’s still annoyed, but he’s happy for us. He didn’t yell at me or anything. He just… needs space.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “Space? From us?”

She nodded. “He’s decided to move in with Aster and her family after the draft.”

“He’s leaving?”

She shrugged. “He kind of has to. He might not like to admit it, but moving to North Carolina now is smart since he’s pretty much guaranteed a spot on their team. It means he’ll be able to figure out all the logistics of living there before he has to start training with them.”

“I guess so.” It made perfect sense for him but left a glaringly obvious question hanging between us. “What does that mean for you and me?”

Thea tilted her head. “Well, you and I still have a year until we graduate, right?” I nodded. “I guess that means we’ll be roomies a little while longer.”

“Roomies?”

She nodded.

I bit back a smirk. “So… does that mean I’m going to be your live-in boyfriend?”

Her nose crinkled. “Why do you have to make it sound so creepy?”

I grinned, leaning in to brush a kiss against her lips. “Is that a yes or a no?”

She rolled her eyes; her smile giving her away. “Do you really think I’m going to say no aftereverythingwe’ve been through to be together? We’re basically Covey U’s version of Romeo and Juliet, for crying out loud.”

“Dramatic much, Pyro?”

Thea’s lips twitched, and my heart kicked up, but I couldn’t resist teasing her. She was just so cute.

“Well, you know me. I’ve always had a flair for the dramatics.”

Relief and happiness flooded through me, so I tugged her closer, pressing a kiss to her temple before resting my forehead against hers.

“Good. I love it.” My voice dropped to a murmur. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

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