Page 35 of Steeling Her
“My grandfather was a football player. He’s old now, but I remember one time he couldn’t walk because he was stiff, so we told him to go to a physical therapist. He didn’t and it got worse until he couldn’t walk anymore because he was sitting down all the time, so the muscles deteriorated over time. He only walked to the bedroom and bathroom. We were told if he had seen a physical therapist sooner, he wouldn’t have had the problem. So I decided I wanted to become one to help my stubborn family.” I laugh with him sharing his memory with me.
I’ve never had a conversation like this before. It feels good to know someone trusts me enough to share something so meaningful to them. Seeing him smile at the moment to himself, my heart melts for him. He’s so caring.
“You’re still coming to the game next Saturday, right?” I see worry etched onto his handsome face. I feel my lips tug upwards, producing a warm feeling in my stomach. He still wants me to go.
“Yeah, I’ll be there.” I see him smile across the way to me.
“Good, you can see me play. Seeing as you’re a football fan, easy on the critical comments.” He smirks over the rim of the plastic cup. I stare into those big green eyes once more and I feel my heart once again acting erratically inside my rib cage.
“I promise.” I hold up my hand. We’re interrupted by his phone buzzing on the table loudly. He produces a lopsided smile while shaking his head. Lifting it up to his ear, he looks at me with that same smile on his face.
“Hi, Haley . . .” he says in a monotonous tone. “No, I haven’t kidnapped her . . . Yes, she’s still alive . . . I’m not that bad am I?” He starts to laugh again. His sweet, sweet laugh that I could listen to all day. I can’t help but grow feelings for him. I understand why girls like him so much. He’s every girl’s dream guy. “Yeah, we’ll be back soon . . . Yeah, I know . . . Because we took the bus together to get here . . . Chill, woman! Jeez, we just stopped for a bite to eat . . . Yep! Yeah, she’s here, hang on a sec . . . TAYLOR!” he calls out for his cousin.
“NICK!” she calls back with a smile plastered on her face as she comes into view.
“Haley wants to talk with you.” He waves his phone in her face and she snatches it off him greedily.
“HALEY!!! How’s college? Any cute guys? I’ve just met your roommate . . .” She walks off while talking to Haley as I watch her frame leave us.
“Those two are inseparable.” He shakes his head while he watches his younger cousin. “All they do is talk about guys . . .” He rolls his eyes and brings his attention back to me.
“Well, that’s usually what girls do; talk together about guys . . .”
“And you? Do you talk about guys?” Quizzing me about myself, I let him down with a shake of my head.
“I’m not used to having friends that stick around long enough, so I tend to keep it to myself.” I shrug my shoulders to show I don’t care about it. It used to bother me before, but now it doesn’t anymore.
“Why’s that?” He finishes off the last of his drink and settles it back down on the red table.
“Usually, girls talk to me to get to my . . . brothers. So I just don’t bother telling people anything. It’s only disappoints me in the end . . .” This is the first time I’ve spoken about this to anyone. I haven’t even said this to Danielle or Haley.
“That’s the same for Haley, girls use her to get to me . . .” I watch his eyes roam around the diner in thought. “It’s not like I mean to do it to her, I can tell she gets upset by it. But that’s on those girls, not her. If they don’t want to be friends with her, then that’s on them. My sister is one of the most kindhearted people I know. She’d stick up for anyone, and in the end, I’m the only one who sticks up for her. I have TJ and she’s had nobody, well, until she met you and Danielle. She may have TJ too, but it’s not the same you know?” I nod, recognizing that she has nobody. I completely get it. I’m in that same boat.
Taylor comes back and returns his phone. She slides in next to him and lays her head on his shoulder in a comforting way. He looks down at her and I smile at the both of them. Once she makes eye contact with me, she asks, “How long have you two been dating?” I feel my eyes grow the size of saucers at her question and Nick clears his throat from the awkwardness that sits on the table in front of us.
“Um, we’re . . . Taylor, we’re not dating.” Her head springs up away from him and smirks, leaning back to look at us both.
“Bullshit! You guys are totally dating!” Her eyes dart back and forth between us, and we both shake our head to reply. We see her cheeks flush a deep red. Both eyes widen with realization that we aren’t a thing. Why on earth would he date me? “Shit! I’m sorry . . . I just thought that—”
“It’s fine. Honestly,” I tell her so she can stop her thoughts from spilling out. This is so awkward.Do we look like we are dating?I wonder to myself.No, why would some like him even look at someone like me?
“Well, thanks for that, Taylor. We better go before Haley starts to think that too!” He laughs, and I feel a sudden sting in my body at what he said. I slide out of the seat quietly and wave at his family before leaving out the door. I gulp down, remembering what he said. Is he ashamed to be around me? Do I drop the appeal he gives off to people in half? Am I really that bad to be around?
We walk back to my car and both of us hop in, allowing the car to sink nearer to the ground.
“You okay?” Nick’s voice pulls me back to reality. I nod and start up the car and we head back to his house so I can drop him off. I turn on to his street and he calls TJ.
“Dude! Are you at home? . . . Yeah! Walk outside! . . . Just do it, TJ! . . . Jesus, TJ, it’s not that hard! . . . You ope—okay, bye!” He shuts down the call and we pull up outside while Nick rolls down the window beside him. TJ’s face is priceless. He’s in complete shock.
“What the fuck! Holy—what?! Carter, this your car? Damn! She’s a beaut . . . Wow! Let me check out the inside!” TJ leans his head in through Nick’s window and looks around in awe, much like the expression Nick was wearing. “Holy fuck! This car is my dream car right now! You’re one lucky bitch, Carter! Ow! Nick! Jesus!” TJ rubs his shoulder and stares at his best friend.
“Don’t call her that! Ever! Even when you’re kidding,” Nick’s defensive manner catches my attention instantly.
“I’m so jealous, you got to ride in this baby, Jackson! Can I ride with you next time, Carter?” I nod, seeing the smile take over his face. “Can I hop in and take a pic with you guys?” I laugh at him and so does Nick.
He gets in through the back and hands his phone over to Nick. He takes a couple of pictures of the three of us for TJ and hands it back. After a while of them discussing my car, TJ sends Nick the pictures and they post it up online on their Instagrams. I look to see they have tons of followers. I deleted mine last year because I didn’t use it much.
They kept begging me to reactivate it so they could tag me in it. I didn’t know how so they did it all for me. So now I have Instagram again. Seeing the likes roll in for both guys, I smile at the picture and I decide it’s time for me to leave so I can get to my class on time. I wave to them as they stand there and watch me drive off.
