Page 21 of Sneaking Around with the Player
His mouth pulls into a playful smile and he starts walking again. “This is when you say, ‘I’m not hooking up with other guys either.’ Unless you are and then forget everything I just said.”
“I’m not,” I say through a giggle. “I like you too.”
Saying the words has a new kind of anxiety hitting me. “Now what?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been in this position before.”
“You’ve never dated someone at another college?”
“Or at any college, but that isn’t what I meant. I meant I’ve never liked a girl whose family hates me.”
“I’ll talk to Felix over break. He’s always been supportive of my relationships.”
“This is different.”
“He just needs a chance to get to know you. Who could possibly hate you? You’re so sweet and handsome.”
“Felix is into girls, yeah?” He questions with a small smirk.
“Yeah. Why?”
“Then I don’t think the fact that I’m sweet and handsome is going to win me any favors with him.”
“It’ll be fine,” I say, a new sense of hope surging inside of me with the words. “You’ll see.”
Beau
Stella: OMG. I don’t know how you pulled this off but THANK YOU!
Igrin down at my phone, the picture of her with the giant cheeseburger I DoorDashed to her dorm filling up my screen. I even got the delivery driver to put a Christmas bow on top.
Me: Merry Christmas, Stella. I hope you have a great holiday break.
Stella: I’ll text you when we get to the cabin. Have a safe flight! Don’t talk to any cute girls in the airport. They’re probably crazy and will ramble on about their ex-boyfriends.
Me: The only thing I’m going to be doing in the airport is sleeping. Someone kept me up last night.
Stella:
We’re both heading home for the break. Me to a family that probably can’t wait to tell me all the reasons our team didn’t make it to a bowl game this year, and Stella to hers, with Felix.She said we could still talk, but she’s sidestepped any attempt I’ve made to make plans to see each other.
I slide my phone into my pocket as I walk out of the airport. The Arizona heat hits me, and I inhale. I missed this. It was snowing in Colorado this morning and barely above freezing. A few weeks of sun and warm weather is going to be nice.
My mom’s car is parked along the curb and my dad stands at the back next to the popped trunk.
“I see him,” my mom says, loud enough her voice carries up the busy sidewalk. I lift a hand in a wave and then start for them.
Dad meets me halfway and pulls me into a bear hug. “There he is.”
“Hey, Dad.”
He lets go and takes a long look at me. “You look like you shrunk in the three weeks since I’ve seen you, kid. I hope you didn’t stop working out just because the season is over. This is when you need to make gains.”
I bite back a retort. Mom comes over and hugs me, holding on a little longer than Dad did. She pulls back almost reluctantly. “We better get you home. Everyone is waiting to see you.”
“Who?”
“Your aunts and uncles, Grandpa John, everyone.”
