Page 61 of Overtime

2 Bleeding Love

Eva

With my hands full, I kick on the door to Rob and Alex’s dorm room in lieu of knocking.

“Please tell me you didn’t lose my key.” Rob chuckles even as he swings the door open. One look at my precariously balanced bags, and he dives in to help me secure my laptop before it hits the floor. “What is all this?”

“Everything we need.”

“For what?” Alex cranes his neck to watch as Rob helps me unload.

“The perfect day.” I don’t even try to hide the overly bright smile that erupts on my face.

Rob eyes me with a look bordering on suspicion. “You said you were going to the library to study in peace and quiet when you woke up this morning, and I wasn’t allowed to come with you because we weren’t doing anything special for Valentine’s Day.”

“I lied.” I shrug. “I couldn’t exactly take you shopping with me for your gifts.”

When I first started thinking about ideas as to what to give Rob, I was a little overwhelmed. Though we’ve been together for over a year, most days I feel completely inexperienced in the girlfriend department.

Not wanting him to feel pressured to spend money he shouldn’t on me for this unnecessary Hallmark holiday, I knew I had to come up with something meaningful yet low cost. So, I began thinking of all the things we’ve missed out on over the years, all the ways my friends showed affection to their boyfriends during high school while I was single and pining away for the boy I had no idea wanted me, too.

And then genius struck.

What’s the one thing everyone wants more of that can’t be bought?

Time.

Rob and I are no exception. We regret all the wasted years we spent apart, not telling each other how we felt. While we try to make up for every lost second, it’s simply not possible. Especially with our hectic schedules. His dad may have kept us away from each other for much of our senior year of high school, but as freshmen in college, classes, studying, his football obligations, and my part-time job mean we usually only spend the night together. Asleep.

Luckily for us, football season is over, it’s Saturday, and Rob doesn’t have any team activities or conditioning scheduled today.

“Uh, babe? Cranky time isn’t until next week. What’s up with all the junk food?” Rob peers over my shoulder as I unload my haul onto his desk, but he tries to be sneaky with checking his phone.

I keep telling him that app is useless since my cycle isn’t regular, but damn if he doesn’t think of it as the holy grail of preparation for PMS week.

“Relax. It isn’t all for me.”

Licorice, a box of microwave popcorn, chocolate-covered raisins, several bags of chips, a carton of ice cream, a box of soda, and the coup d’état—a bag of pork rinds. Rob never lets himself indulge in his favorite snack, knowing full well his body is a finely honed machine, which requires the most efficient fuel.

Okay, okay. His trainers have him on a strict diet, and he doesn’t think it’s worth it to incur their wrath if he doesn’t follow orders. Even in the off season.

I feel both of the boys at my back as I work to control the explosion on Rob’s desk. Ice cream goes in the mini-fridge/freezer, popcorn on top of the microwave for later. The rest of the bags get organized in a sweet versus salty grouping.

“Are we supposed to get a blizzard today?” Alex laughs. “You forgot the bread and toilet paper.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You two don’t eat bread. It’s not a complex carb.”

“Uh…we don’t exactly eat all this stuff either.” The words come out of Rob’s mouth like a poorly read script. He’s eyeing the pork rinds with clear longing.

I step forward and wrap my arms around his waist, hoping to thoroughly convince him of my plans. “It’s only for one day, and this is my gift to you. Today we’re going to be lazy, eat a bunch of junk food, and binge watch whatever you want. I already have Star Wars and Game of Thrones queued up on my computer. All you have to do is choose…and maybe hook up my laptop to the TV.”

Rob’s brow furrows, and he cuts his gaze to Alex, who’s already picking up the bag of Cheetos.

My heart sinks. He doesn’t like my idea.

I didn’t think the usual romantic, fluffy stuff would be the way to my guy’s heart, but maybe I was wrong about that. Rob’s more sensitive than most men. Maybe he would have preferred a dozen roses?

Rob bends down, brushing his lips across my ear, his hot breath washing over my neck. “Honey, I can’t kick Alex out of the room all day. A few hours tonight, sure, but it’s only noon.”

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