Page 43 of False Start
“Fuck. I’m wearing a cup, babe. And lots of people are watching.”
I peck him on the lips and unwrap myself from his sweaty body. He awkwardly jogs back to the huddle as I find a place to sit on an empty bench on the sideline. He only has a few minutes left. We rode to school together this morning, so I wait for him to finish with practice.
I waste the last part of practice texting Zina. I haven’t heard from her all day and begin to worry maybe her and Ben have had a fight. The closer it gets to Ben graduating and going into the league, the unhappier Zina seems to be. Ben graduates a year earlier than her, and he could end up virtually anywhere in the country. He’ll have the wherewithal to fly her back and forth, but long distance relationships are hard on strong, solid couples. Ben and Zina are in their early twenties with their entire lives ahead of them. I don’t know if they’ll last the year apart. Furthermore, I suspect my sister knows this and is pushing Ben away before he can be the one to hurt her first.
After practice, Bryant throws his arm around me, and we follow the team to the locker rooms. I remain outside and wait while I check my messages.
Zina: I’m fine. Busy with school. See you at the apartment later?
Zhanna: See you there.
“Why’s the love of my life frowning?” Bryant asks when he emerges from the locker room freshly showered.
“Zina.”
“Is she okay?” Bryant and Zina have become like brother and sister over the last year we’ve dated. He worries as much about her as he does me.
“I’m not sure.”
“Ben?”
“Maybe.”
“He’s been off, too,” he says of his roommate and friend.
We walk to his truck with his arm around my waist and me pulled as close as humanly possible to his side. He opens the door for me and kisses me before climbing up. And then he rolls the windows down and let’s the hot, humid August air flow inside the vehicle. It’s not so bad once he gets going.
When he heads for the interstate, I ask, “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see, Miss Impatient. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, baby.”
Enjoying the ride puts me to sleep. When the car stopping wakes me, it takes me a moment to recognize my surroundings. “We’re in New Orleans.” I have another look around. “My dad is buried here.”
Bryant wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to me, but he’s still confident, strong, and dominant when he needs to be. I’m accustomed to him being a rock of strength both physically and emotionally. When he intakes a harsh, shaky breath and speaks with tremor in his voice, I realize something is amiss. “What’s wrong, QB?”
It takes him a minute to find his words. “We’ve been together a year now.”
“Yeah?”
“Wait. Hold on. I’m fucking this up.” He rubs a hand over his face and then through his shiny hair. “I came here because… no, not that part yet. We’re here because I didn’t think it was right to… no, not that part yet either.”
I touch a gentle hand to his. “What’s wrong? You know you can tell me anything.”
He opens his mouth to talk and promptly shuts it when nothing comes out. Then he opens his door, leaves the truck, walks around the front of it, and opens my door. He reaches across me and unbuckles my seatbelt before he guides me to the sidewalk beside the cemetery entrance. We walk into the cemetery with our hands intertwined and weave through the rows of crypts until we stop at Dad’s.
Bryant’s sweaty hand releases mine, and he turns to me with terrified eyes. He drops to one knee and pulls my hand into his. “Baby, I know we’ve only been together a year….”
“Oh my God,” I say and slap my free hand over my mouth.
“But I think I loved you from the moment you called me ‘Chicken Shit Hudson’ and told me to ‘throw the damn ball’. We’re so good together. You’re perfect for me in every way. I can’t imagine my days not being full of your smile and love. I came here to ask your dad’s permission for your hand in marriage. I wanted him to be a part of this. So will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
“Oh my God,” I repeat.
“Ring!” Ben whisper-yells from somewhere nearby.
I look up and find my mom, Zina, and Ben doing a terrible job at hiding five rows down.
“Shit,” Bryant says as he reaches into his pocket, pulls out a black ring box, and opens it. “Marry me, baby?”
