Page 79 of Steeling Her
“You.” I smirk as her eyes widen in shock.Yeah, that’s right. You, Carter Steel, have been in my mind since the day I met you.
The door opens up, interrupting our little conversation. Her eyes smile at the people coming back in. I see her mom with some food in her hand, and her eyes drop to our hands clasped together. Smiling at me, she sits down on the other side of her daughter while the others come in, playfully tackling each other.
Soon after, TJ, Haley, and Danielle walk in. Danielle freezes at the sight of her. They didn’t expect her to be awake. Especially Danielle.
She drops what she has in her hands onto the floor and I see her rush to Carter, practically climbing on the bed to hug her tight as she starts to silently cry on her shoulder. Carter lets go of my hand to hug her back. “You scared the shit out of me!” Danielle cries, sitting back then embracing her once more. Haley runs over to join in on the hug, making it a group hug. TJ stands behind them and smiles at the three of them.
Once they’re finished, TJ hugs her too, and the girls start to fill her in on the gossip around college. I stand up to allow Carter’s dad to sit next to his daughter while I sit on the window sill with the flowers I bought for her. All in a row, they’re standing like soldiers.
Her mom’s eyes light up as she listens to the girls talk about what’s been happening in the campus; mainly guys. Rolling my eyes with TJ, I hear her dad laugh at us. Haley is so animated, and Danielle has snuggled into the bed beside Carter.
Danielle excitedly says, “Yeah, but like, Marcus isn’t all that! Like he’s cute and all, but a complete beep-hole! Right?”
She points to my sister, who agrees, replying with, “I know, but she cheated on him. With Zander—”
“Holy crap! Zander! What the—what a lucky bitch! He’s hot as fff . . . fudge.” Danielle was about to curse in front of Carter’s parents but stopped herself before it slipped out. TJ snorts as he stands beside me. Elaine smirks at her choice of words.
“You can curse, sweetheart, it’s not like I haven’t heard it before.” She darts her eyes to her sons, who sheepishly grin back. Rodger starts to chuckle behind his hand when his wife throws a sly dig. “Or when you two speak about girls . . .” she mumbles, and they both look at each other with fear written all over their faces. TJ and I are trying to not laugh at them.
“Zander is hot, but I feel bad for Marcus. He really liked Jen. But the gossip is, she likes to keep her options open, if you know what I mean.” Haley winks at Danielle, who bursts out laughing beside Carter. She’s smiling, but I can see she doesn’t as much energy to laugh like the girls.
“Oh, I remember being in college. Do you remember, Rodger?” Her mom looks up at the ceiling, reminiscing on her younger days. Probably when she met her husband.
“How could I forget? I met the most beautiful girl in my entire life in college . . . Stacy Millson.” Next, we see a pillow flying across the room, and Carter’s older brothers roll around on their chairs, cackling. The low famous laugh I’ve heard on TV so many times makes an appearance in the room, coming straight from Rodger Steel himself, in the flesh. I’ll never get used to seeing this man in real life.
“It’s was not Stacy fucking Millson, and you best forget that damn girl’s name if you know what’s good for you!” Hearing Elaine Steel cursing is strange and so unfamiliar. She struck me as the type to condemn cursing. Rodger walks over to his wife, who is sitting in the chair in a huff.
“I know, baby. It was you—it’s always been you. I can’t imagine myself with any other person. I don’t want to.” He pecks her lips, and I watch their kids rolls their eyes and look away. They’ve probably seen this so often that they’re sick of it.
“Can you stop!” they say in unison, embarrassed by their parents’ antics. For us, it’s highly amusing. Although if my parents were locking lips in front of everyone, I would be so embarrassed.
“Now now, kids, no need to be like that. I love you all just as much as I love your mom.”
“Ew, Dad!” They groan again while their dad starts to bellow a laugh echoing around the room clearly, only realizing what he was unintentionally implying makes it hilarious.
“You know it’s not like that, pumpkins! I love your mom like any guy would love their lady. And I love you all like any other father loves their own flesh and blood. Especially you, my baby girl.” He leans over to kiss Carter’s head and she smiles up in awe at her hero. The sparkle in her eyes makes my heart tingle in a small jealous fashion. I want her to look at me like that. Her baby blue eyes fixed on her father makes me feel so incredibly jealous.
“I love you too, Dad,” she mumbles back.
“Favoritism at its finest, Dad.” Chris pretends to cough in his hand, but he’s clearly joking. The smirk evident on his face as he looks back at his dad. Chris and Carter look more alike than Austin and him do. Same dark features and the bright blue eyes, like his sister’s.
Once it was said, Elaine stands up and rushes over to each of her boys and kisses their faces, smothering her playful motherly love on their skin. Everyone starts to laugh at their scrunched up faces. There’s nothing but laughter in this room today.
“I love my boys,” she gushes after each kiss she gives them. I watch their faces get redder and redder as the seconds go by. I would look like that if my mom did that in front of everyone, but it seems as though Chris is a lot redder than Austin for whatever reason.Maybe he just blushes more?But it doesn’t go unnoticed by their dad, who grins vigorously at him. Chris huffs and rolls his eyes, burying whatever it is.
Once she stops, they mumble back a “Love you too, Mom” as they roll their eyes. You can see that they all really look out for each other. Their parents are typical southern people who claim family is their number one priority, much like my parents.
TJ and I can’t keep our laughs in and we both get glares from the two famous, beefy guys sitting across from us, allowing their petite mother to sit in between them.
“Favoritism at its finest, Mom,” Carter mimicked Chris, who sticks his tongue out in response to her quick jab. Her dad laughs, nodding with her.
“Those two have always been mama’s boys.” He nudges his thumb their way, looking at the girls on the bed.
“Well, ever since she was born, all you did was fawn over her. So we naturally chose Mom, a.k.a, the better parent.” Rodger gasps playfully, feigning putting his hand over his heart. Chris wraps his arm around his mother and Austin follows after him. Both guys kiss their mom’s cheek to really put the middle finger up to their dad. Elaine giggles with a knowing look to her husband. It’s weird, I’ve pictured their family to be so different judging from TV appearances, but they’re so normal. They have a standard family dynamic, like anyone else’s, despite being the most famous family in football.
“Actually, I believe it was you two idiots fawning all over her when she was born. Smothering her everyday that I couldn’t get my own little hugs from her.” He reaches down to wrap his arms around his daughter playfully and raises his actual finger up to his sons. I watch Elaine nod at both me and TJ standing and enjoying their family jabs. This is all lighthearted stuff.
“You know it’s bad when you have to fight your own daughter for attention from these guys.” Elaine points at the three of them, all completely smitten by this beautiful girl laying in bed and smiling at the three of them. “She’s always been a daddy’s princess too, to make matters worse.” She rolls her eyes but smirks at her husband.
