Page 64 of The Jock
Halfway through the drive back to campus, when the rest of the team was snoring, Colton appeared at Wes’s side, shoving him to make room on the two-seater row Wes had claimed for himself.
“What’s up?” he asked, pausing Justin’s playlist and pulling his earbuds out. He tucked his phone into his hoodie and scooted over for Colton’s massive frame.
Colton spun a football in his hands. They were at the late-night portion of the drive, out on the stretch of I-10 that was a whole lot of nothing. Inky darkness filled the windows. Only a few scattered phone screens lit the inside of the bus. Colton was more shadow than man, what little light there was lost in his hoodie and track pants and skirting the rounded edges of the football.
“I know something is going on with you.”
Wes froze. He couldn’t see Colton’s eyes, not in the dark.
“You’re seeing a girl. It’s obvious.”
He let out a whoosh of breath, straightening his legs to try to hide how much they were shaking. “I don’t know what you—”
“Dude. You changed overnight. You went from a brokenhearted mess to practically skipping down the sidewalk. She’s got to be something special if she’s got you like this.”
“Like what?”
“Happy.” Colton spun the football faster. “I’ve never seen you this happy. Ever. So, what gives?” There was a wounded note in Colton’s voice. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He had no idea what to say. He couldn’t find the words, couldn’t scrape together anything that sounded plausible.
“Where did you guys meet? In class? Or is this the girl from over the summer? The one you were so broken up about? She someone you met when you did that study-abroad thing?”
“Yeah. Yeah, we met over the summer. In Paris.”
“Does she live overseas? Is that why you never brought her around?”
It was an easy out, but he couldn’t speak the lie. He chewed on the words. Stared at the football in Colton’s hands, spinning, spinning, spinning. “No. Local.”
“Well, why haven’t I met her, then?”
He kneed Colton’s thigh and tried to laugh. “Yeah, right. Like I’ll let you go all horndog.”
“Man…” Colton shook his head. “Not this time. I can tell she’s something serious for you. I’ve never seen you like this. You never date, and if you hook up, you’re super chill about it. You’ve got that classy gentleman cowboy vibe that the chicks just swoon for.”
“What are you talking about?”
“All the chicks that are always trying to get your attention! Dude, you’re a pussy magnet. Especially in that ridiculous hat.”
He barked out a laugh as his cheeks flushed, heat racing through every vein and soaking his muscles. “Whatever, man. I’m not interested in all that.”
It was the first true thing he’d said to Colton since the conversation began. Part of him flinched. They’d been so close two years ago. Like brothers the year before. Now he was lying to Colton, hiding the biggest parts and pieces of himself. Hiding the most important person in his world. His stomach cramped, and the tacos the team had eaten before the drive home threatened to come back up.
“Yeah, I know you’re not, especially not anymore. This chick is serious for you. Think you might end up going all the way? She might be the one? College sweetheart follows you into the NFL?”
“Maybe.”
“Tell me about her. What’s her name? What’s she look like? Can I see a photo?”
“Why are you so interested all of a sudden?”
Colton caught his football in both hands, stopping the spin. “It’s not all of a sudden, dude. I’ve always wanted you to be this freakin’ happy. Why are you being so cagey about it? You ashamed to bring her around?”
“What? No!”
“You’re not, like, too good for the rest of us all of a sudden? With your real major and your big science classes?”
“Stop.” He lunged for the ball, trying to strip it from Colton. Colton twisted away, elbowed him in the stomach. Wes glared. “That’s not it at all.”
