Page 73 of Blindside Me
“Is it? You’re terrified because when you kissed me, you actually felt something. Something that wasn’t on your precious schedule.”
“It’s complicated.” His voice drops, almost pleading.
“Maybe complicated isn’t the worst thing.”
Drew shakes his head, his expression hardening into something defensive and raw. “Complicated doesn’t get drafted. Complicated doesn’t keep promises.” His hands squeeze the bottle tighter. “Complicated ruins people.”
Each word lands like a blow. I absorb them, refusing to flinch. I know what drives him. The need to succeed where his brother failed, the impossible expectations, and the fear of letting everyone down. Drew Klaas, Cessna University’s stardefenseman, carries the weight of his family’s dreams like a cross.
“I’m not asking you to ruin anything,” I say, my voice steady despite the scrape of my breath against my throat. “I’m asking you to choose something for yourself for once.”
“You don’t understand how hard that is.”
“Then explain it.”
He opens his mouth, closes it. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows, the weight bench creaking as he shifts his weight.
“I can’t.”
“So the text this morning…?” I trail off.
“Still stands. But I don’t know how to navigate it.”
I nod and turn to walk away, giving him the choice. He can either live in the present or keep fighting ghosts. It’s his call. I’m not about to set myself up to be left behind again.
One, two, three steps. My nerves crackle so loud I’m sure he can hear them across the gym.
Then, footsteps behind me. Fast, determined. Before I can turn, a hand circles my wrist, spinning me around.
Drew’s eyes are wild, his breathing ragged. For a split second, we stare at each other, caught in the moment before everything explodes.
He closes the gap.
“You know I fucking want you. Despite everything. I want you more than anything.”
“Yeah?”
“More thananything.”
“Then kiss me like you mean it. Like you want to ruin me.”
“You are fucking trouble.”
Before I can respond, his mouth crashes onto mine. The kiss is brutal. Desperate. There’s none of the hesitation from our dorm room run in. This isn’t careful or sweet. It’s pure hunger.
My back hits the wall, and I gasp into his mouth as his body presses against mine. He tastes like salt and anger, his tongue demanding entrance, and I give it to him without a second thought.
His hands are everywhere. Tangling in my hair, gripping my waist, and sliding under my shirt to find bare skin. I’m just as bad, my fingers digging into his good shoulder, clawing at his back, and pulling him closer like I can somehow crawl and fix whatever’s broken if I hold on tight enough.
Blood roars in my ears, drowning out the world. My heart beats against his mouth, against his hands, like it wants to claw its way free.
We break apart, both gasping for air. He rests his forehead against mine, our breaths mixing in the tiny space between us.
“This doesn’t fix anything,” he says, voice rough. “We still have to be careful.”
“It’s not supposed to.”
For a beat, something raw flashes across his face. Then his expression hardens, determination taking over. Before I can process what’s happening, Drew drops to his knees in front of me.
